Current McNary High School senior Jordan Lewis-Graneto will be the Warriors' first local product since current senior Ben Potloff joined the squad four years ago. (Photo courtesy of Timothy J. Gonzalez, Statesman Journal)
Corban's Sherwood Announces Trio of Signings
SALEM, Ore. – Eighth-year head coach Justin Sherwood announced Wednesday a trio of signings for the 2009-10 season that includes nearby McNary High School senior Jordan Lewis-Graneto (Keizer, Ore.), as well as one other high school senior and one junior college transfer.
Along with Lewis-Graneto, Sherwood signed sophomore transfer Drew Ross (Cashmere, Wash.) from Wenatchee Valley Community College and Jacob Kopra (Gresham, Ore.) from Sam Barlow High School to Letters of Intent for the upcoming '09-10 season.
Lewis-Graneto, a 5-foot-11 guard, helped lead McNary High School to back-to-back Central Valley Conference titles as a junior and senior. The senior guard helped lead the Celtics to a win-loss record of 16-8 this past season that included a conference-best 9-2 mark. As a senior, Lewis-Graneto helped lead McNary into the second round of the OSAA 6A state tournament with an average of 8.0 points and 2.0 assists per game. Thanks to his performance on the court, Lewis-Graneto was named All-Central Valley Conference honorable mention as a senior.
Last season, Lewis-Graneto averaged 10.0 points and 2.0 assists per game in helping lead McNary into the OSAA 6A state tournament. As a junior, Lewis-Graneto was named 2nd team All-Central Valley Conference.
Ross, a 6-foot-5 forward, appeared in only five games for the Knights last season before suffering a season-ending injury. While averaging four minutes per games as a sophomore, Ross scored two points, grabbed two rebounds, and handed out two assists in his shorten second season of collegiate play. As a freshman, Ross helped lead Wenatchee Valley to a win-loss record of 8-18 that included a 5-9 record in East Division play.
Prior to Wenatchee Valley, Ross prepped at Cashmere High School in Washington and helped lead the Bulldogs to four straight Division 1A state tournaments. After averaging 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game as a senior, Ross was named 2nd team All-Caribou Trail League as well as team Most Valuable Player, Most Inspirational, and team captain.
Kopra, a 6-foot-4 forward, helped lead Barlow High School to a win-loss record of 18-6 this past season that included a 10-3 mark in Mt. Hood Conference play. The senior forward helped lead the Bruins into the OSAA 6A state tournament, while averaging 11.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. At the conclusion of his senior season, Kopra had helped Barlow High School earn a Top 15 ranking in the state according to the final 6A coaches' poll.
Besides playing basketball for the Warriors, Kopra will also stand on the mound as part of the Corban's pitching staff for head baseball coach Nate Mayben.
Corban is coming off an 11-19 overall record during the 2008-09 season that included a 7-11 mark in Cascade Collegiate Conference play. For the first time since the '05-06 season, Sherwood and the Warriors advanced to the conference post-season tournament as the 8th seed.
Sherwood will welcome back 11 players from last season's roster that includes the Warriors' leading scorer Clay Martin (Beaverton, Ore.), who averaged 16.0 points per game as a sophomore.