Rams get to rockin' toward record book

Martenne Bettdendorf, center, led the Rams past Reynolds in three games Tuesday.

Photo by Cliff Pfenning, oregonsports.com

It’s only taken two weeks of action, but already the Central Catholic Rams are playing at a level that has statisticians searching through archives for records the team might set.

One the Rams might set is going through a season without losing a game.

Despite graduating five players to college programs, including Portland and Portland State, the Rams might be at that level.
In their opening eight matches, the Rams were pushed in just two game - by Mount Hood Conference rivals Gresham (25-23) and Barlow (26-24).

The impressive start follows two consecutive state titles, including a dominating performance last year in which the Rams lost just three games to Oregon teams throughout the season. Central Catholic lost three matches, but all were to teams at a tournament in Las Vegas.

This year, the Rams are headed to just one tournament out of state - this weekend in Seattle.

Central Catholic features two candidates for Player of the Year: 6-foot-1 senior Martenne Bettdendorf, who is headed to the University of Oregon, and 6-3 junior Kailee Johnson, who is among the nation’s top basketball prospects.

If Central gets through the upcoming week unscathed, it’ll attract comparisons to the 1985 St. Mary’s Academy team, which dominated the 16-team state tournament at an unprecedented level. The Blues won four matches - played in the era of needing to serve to score - while giving up just 35 points, an average of fewer than nine per match. They won the final over Marshall 15-3, 15-3, the fewest points given up in a final at the large-school classification. Only Corbett’s 15-2, 15-3 win over Riverside in the 1986 Class A final scored fewer points. Corbett was coached by Debbie Swoboda, the current coach at Reynolds.

The 1985 St. Mary’s team featured two stellar players: seniors Kelly Cole and Lisa McCammond. Both frontline players, Cole and McCammond were first-team, all-tournament selections during their junior year as well when the Blues beat West Linn, 4-15, 15-1, 15-6, in the final.

Cole then led the St. Mary’s basketball team to the 1986 state title, culminating a three-year run of championships for the downtown Portland all-girls school.

Cole moved on to basketball program at Northwestern University and helped the Wildcats to a  No. 4 ranking during her senior season. She became a coach at the school and then coached at Boston College for nine years before taking time off to focus on her family.
Cole is currently head coach at Bedford, Mass., High School.

McCammond played college volleyball at the University of Washington and finished No. 2 in kills on the school’s career list.
The ‘85 Blues have a natural connection to the 2011 Rams: coach Rick Lorenz. Lorenz guided St. Mary’s to five state titles before moving to Central Catholic, where he’s won four titles. Last season’s title moved the Rams to the top of the state in appearances in the final with 12, one ahead of both Gresham and Barlow.

The Rams are 4-8 in finals under Lorenz, who is 9-9 in finals with St. Mary’s and Central Catholic.
The 2011 State Tournament is set for Nov. 11-12 at Liberty High School in Hillsboro.