Wheadon wins all-star MVP award
Junction City’s Blair Wheadon is among the brightest athletes to ever hit the 4A conference.
As a senior, saying farewell to his illustrious high school basketball career is anything but easy. However, the high-scoring point guard got one more opportunity to put on a shining performance.
In the 4A All-Star series on June 20 and 21 at Northwest Christian College and Clackamas Community College, Wheadon joined nine other standout athletes from respective 4A leagues to represent the South team. They were coached by Robert Jackson of Hidden Valley High School and Marist’s Chris Schmerbach, who coached his team to a state championship this year.
“It was a good experience,” the 6-3 ballhandler Wheadon said. “These are players that I’m always competing against, so it’s good to get to know people like that a lot better.”
On June 20 at Northwest Christian College in Eugene, Wheadon’s 17 points couldn’t stop the North from stealing a surprise 80-78 victory in the final seconds of the game. The North drilled a buzzer-beating put-back basket to break the knotted score.
“It was back and forward,” the South’s most valuable player Wheadon said of the game. “Our team only had one practice before…so it was different.”
The North rolled to a 41-37 advantage by halftime from precise shooting. The South relied on its stroke from behind the 3-point arc but only knocked down 3-of-12. The South shot just 37 percent from the field in the first half.
With the North holding a slim lead, the South stormed back and got better looks at the basket. Their shooting percentage increased to 42 percent in the second half, and they were consistent at the free-throw line, making 10 of 12 attempts.
Michael Shepard of Phoenix and David Berney of Marist added 16 and 14 points, respectively. Wheadon also recorded four rebounds, four steals and four assists.
“I really tried to concentrate on getting more experience than points,” the four-year varsity player said. “But that changed throughout the game when it got more competitive.”
The following day at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, the South dominated the North in a 94-81 win. Wheadon duplicated his scoring performance with another 17-point game. The South held a 54-42 lead at the half from a balanced offensive attack, in which nearly all ten players scored in the game. The South shot 60 percent from the field compared to the North’s 41 percent.
“We came out and dominated,” Wheadon said. “We got to know each other more and play with each other, so it was natural.”
However, the South improved mostly on defense, where its players clogged driving lanes and controlled the boards. On offense, Berney kept his hot touch with 28 points and shot a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Shepard dropped 13 points in the game.
Tigers’ coach Craig Rothenberger showed the most support for Wheadon. He has coached Wheadon ever since he was nine years old and attending Rotherberger’s summer basketball camps. Now, Rothenberger has become a mentor to him, Wheadon said.
Rothenberger said Wheadon put on an unexpected performance at Cottage Grove on Feb 5. Wheadon scored a quiet 41 points.
“He wasn’t a volume shooter,” Rothenberger said. “When it was all over, I didn’t know he had scored that many points.”
Wheadon received first-team all-state recognition and was awarded most valuable player of the Sky-Em League this year. He will attend Western Oregon University where he plans to play basketball and further his academic career.
“It’s an honor, because I’ve worked really hard,” Wheadon said. “I’m happy people noticed that…It’s really nice to also have teammates…because without them, you’re nothing.”