A rugged forward who led the Knappa Loggers to the Oregon Class 2A state boys basketball tournament has inked a letter of intent to play at Lower Columbia College.

Jesse Moreland, a 6-foot-6 forward, averaged 16.7 points during the state tournament, including 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists in a 41-36 victory over DeLaSalle of Portland in the state title game.

Moreland earned first-team all-state honors, and although he didn’t receive the honor, he is believed by many across the state to be the Class 2A Player of the Year.

Moreland joins a Red Devils team that returns guards Jeray Key, Tim Roffler and Clint Burgoyne, wings Kekoa Carvalho, Jerald Ardoin and Garrett DeGraaff, and redshirt forwards Kyle Benson and Tyler Benson, twin brothers from Wahkiakum.

“Lower Columbia is a good school with an excellent basketball program, and it’s probably the best place for me,” Moreland said. “I’ve worked out with some of the guys and found that I fit in well.”

LCC coach Jim Roffler is impressed with Moreland’s work ethic and passion for basketball, two intangibles the Devils lacked in their runner-up finish in the NWAACC Men’s Basketball Championships at Kennewick in March.

“Jesse loves to play basketball and he’s made a lot of positive strides each year at Knappa,” he said. “He’s growing nicely into his frame, and there’s still a lot of room for growth and maturity. I believe he’ll fit nicely into our system.”

Besides bringing size to an LCC team that loses most of its frontcourt players to graduation, Moreland is a solid rebounder who averaged more than 10 caroms per game in his final season with the Loggers.

“Jesse has a nose for the ball, and when it comes off the rim he’s always in the right place at the right time,” Roffler said. “He does a good job knocking down the 15-foot jumpers, and when he realizes what he needs to work on, he’ll develop a total game at the high and low post.”

Moreland, who plans to study computer engineering and programming, was selected to play on the North team in the 37th annual Oregon Athletic Coaches Association North/South All-Star Basketball Series. Games will be played on Friday at Northwest Christian University in Eugene, and on Saturday at Clackamas College in Oregon City.