The 11th seed Crusader Basketball team were heading into the playoffs with an overall record of 15 wins and 10 losses. Coming off a very weak metro league and regular season, the Saders knew they were going to have to bring energy into the playoffs as an underdog.
After a quick breeze through the first round, defeating Gresham at home 93-59, their first big test was against the 6th ranked Nelson Hawks away on March 5th. The Hawks have had an impressive season, being neck on neck against their divisional rivals Central Catholic and Barlow. With a packed out crowd in Happy Valley, Jesuit began the game with tons of energy and got hot early with a few threes from senior sharpshooter Ryan Fraser. After being up 57-39 at halftime, all Jesuit had to do was prevent the Nelson offense from getting hot. Nelson was able to cut the lead to 6 points, but Jesuit ended up holding the Hawks off and won 74-62. Fraser went 5-5 from three and had a total of 17 points. Senior point guard Patrick Kilfoil had 14 points, and junior guard Joe Stimpson followed with 12.
It got even harder from there for the Crusaders, as they were set to face the number 3 ranked Central Catholic Rams for their quarterfinal match at University of Portland’s Chiles Center on March 13th. This rematch of the Holy War was by far the most exciting of all the quarter final matches, since their last meeting at the Rams’ home court was a major attention grabber. Central won that game by only two points, as Jesuit came just short after missing a game winning three.
The quarterfinal matchup started with a dominant showing from the Rams’ offense, as Central showcased strong team chemistry and ball movement. Not only did they outscore the Crusaders early, but they also stifled Jesuit’s attack with a tenacious defensive effort. By halftime, Jesuit trailed by 15 points. However, whatever message head coach Gene Potter delivered in the locker room sparked a dramatic turnaround.
In the third quarter, Jesuit’s offense erupted, led by Ryan Fraser, who opened the half with seven straight points. The Crusaders caught fire, going on a staggering 21-0 run to seize the lead by the end of the quarter. Central fought to regain momentum in the fourth, but their comeback hopes took a major hit when star guard Duce Paschall fouled out with three minutes remaining. From there, Jesuit took full control, completing a stunning 69-56 upset over their rivals.
Patrick Kilfoil led the Crusaders with 17 points, while sophomore phenom Isaac Bongen and Ryan Fraser added 16 and 12, respectively.
In the semifinals on March 14th, Jesuit faced off against Metro League rival and seventh-seeded Westview in a highly anticipated matchup. Despite Westview’s status as league champions, the Crusaders came ready to play. Their defense set the tone early, holding the Wildcats to just two points in the first quarter. Jesuit’s relentless pressure stifled Westview’s top shooters, Jason Grady and James Kefgen, limiting their scoring opportunities throughout the first half.
Westview found some rhythm offensively in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to match Jesuit’s intensity. The Crusaders controlled the game from start to finish, securing a 62-48 victory and punching their ticket to the state championship as the No. 11 seed. Isaac Bongen led the charge with a dominant two-way performance, finishing with a game-high 20 points.
On March 15th, the Chiles Center was in for a good one, as the unexpected Jesuit Crusaders were set to face the top dog Barlow Bruins in the finals. Barlow, being ranked #1 in the state, were looking to win their first ever state championship.
Jesuit began the scoring, but both teams were constantly scoring tough buckets on each other, making the game more captivating and nerve racking. The Saders’ shooting wasn’t looking as strong as their games before, and Kilfoil had 10 of the 19 points scored in the first half. Bongen and Fraser were held to 0.
The Bruins began to build their lead in the 3rd, as Portland State commit Brayden Barron and Eastern Arizona commit Jalen Atkins were heating up. Jesuit fought hard to bring the game closer after being down ten 10 at the end of the 3rd. However, Barlow continued to break the Jesuit press and get to the free throw line, extending their lead.
Barlow ended up winning the game and the state championship, with the score being 61-55. It was an impressive first state championship for the Bruins, with players in double digits for the team. Kilfoil led all scorers with an incredible 24 points, and Joe Stimpson added another 13.
The Crusader basketball team has pulled off what many teams can’t do in the playoffs, and proved to never count them out.
For the seniors, this season has allowed them to be a part of an experience that will stay with them for a lifetime. Although this was senior forward Grady Keljo’s 2nd season playing Basketball for Jesuit, he was passionate to come back and play for the Crusaders this year, and his passion and energy was shown on the court at the Chiles Center.
“Being part of an amazing run has been a great experience for me, especially having the opportunity to play with the team and reach the finals. My whole life I have been wanting to play at the Chiles Center, and this year we did more than just that. It was great being able to battle with the family that we created and end on a great note after a rough start,” Keljo said.
For Ryan Fraser, this year has “meant everything” to him because of how hard he worked to get the spot on the team he earned for Jesuit.
“I feel so round about how far I’ve come since last year. Although we came up short, I truly believed we are still the best team in the state. We proved everyone wrong when they’d count us out. We did the unthinkable. I’m forever grateful to be a Jesuit crusader and will cherish these moments and my teammates for a lifetime,” Fraser said.
Thank you to all the seniors on the Men’s Basketball team for putting up a memorable performance.
