KHS PREVIEW
4A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015
Daily Astorian File
Devin Lewis Allen is head-
ing into the home stretch
for another great season.
Knappa
track team
is on the
young side
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
GARY HENLEY — The Daily Astorian
A sight that most hitters will fear in 2015: Facing Knappa lefty Chase Rusinovich.
Watch out! Loggers aim high
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
THE NW LEAGUE
KNAPPA BASEBALL
“Competitive,” is how coach Mill-
er
describes
Northwest League Base-
Coach: Jeff Miller, 14th year
If there’s one sure thing in Ore-
ball, 2015.
2014: 28-2 (21-0 NWL)
gon high school baseball this season,
“There were very few seniors in
State Playoffs: Defeated Lost River (25-1) and Portland Christian
it’s the Knappa Loggers. They’re go-
our league last year,” he said. “Some
(5-3); lost state semifinal to Weston-McEwen (2-3).
ing to score a lot of runs, win another
teams had no seniors on their roster. I
All-League Losses: Austin Palek
All-League Returners: Tyson Burnard, Sr.; Noah Kinney, Jr.; Andy
league title and advance deep into
expect a lot of competitive games, no
Miller, Sr.; Jason Miller, So.; Chase Rusinovich, Sr.; Nate Truax, Sr.
the state playoffs. Guaranteed.
matter who’s playing. Faith Bible and
No Oregon team — at any lev-
Neah-Kah-Nie are off to great starts.”
el — scored more runs last season
It may be competitive for second
than the Loggers, who opened 2014 suring more league titles for at least
One thing is certain — no team is place, but don’t expect the Loggers to
with a loss to Clatskanie, then won the next four years.
as strong as Knappa up the middle, give up the top spot.
“Some of the freshmen won’t with Truax behind the plate, Burnard
28 in a row before a 3-2 loss to
While the rest of the league beats
Weston-McEwen in the 2A state VHH WKH YDUVLW\ ¿HOG EXW VRPH ZLOO LQ FHQWHU ¿HOG D VWURQJ PLGGOH LQ- up on itself, Knappa could wrap up
have a big role with the varsity,” said ¿HOGDQG5XVLQRYLFKRQHRIWKHWRS a league title by midseason, which
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In those 28 wins, Knappa scored Knappa coach Jeff Miller. “Mason pitchers in Class 2A.
would give the Loggers league cham-
414 runs (averaging nearly 15 per Hoover, Reuben Cruz, Dale Takalo
Junior Noah Kinney is a three- pionships in football, basketball and
game), topping 20 runs eight times. … Colton Weirup has been outstand- \HDUVWDUWHULQWKHLQ¿HOGZLWKPRUH baseball.
7KH /RJJHUV ¿QLVKHG ZLWK UXQV ing and a huge plus. We have some all-league talent in the sophomore
The only team that gave Knappa
in 30 games. State champion Monroe really quality freshmen; it’s more class — Austin Dragoo, Michal a challenge in baseball last year was
depth than we’ve had in a long time.” Goodman, Andrew Goozee and Ja- Portland Christian. The Loggers beat
was the next-closest, with 358 runs.
Nearly every one of the Knappa son Miller.
Knappa already has nonleague
the Royals four times, three in league
wins this season over 3A power seniors is a potential all-state player,
And even if Andy Miller does play and again in the state playoffs.
including Dragoo, Tyson Burnard, not pitch, the Loggers still have one
Clatskanie and Monroe.
Portland Christian has moved on
So it’s all there for the taking for Andy Miller, Chase Rusinovich and of the deepest pitching staffs in the to the 3A level, leaving Faith Bible,
the Knappa Loggers, who have their Nate Truax.
Gaston, Neah-Kah-Nie, Nestucca,
state.
Miller is slowly working himself
best chance at winning a state title
“Michal Goodman will be in Portland Lutheran and Vernonia as
back into shape, after offseason arm the mix; Dale Takalo will throw the returners.
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surgery and an ankle sprain in bas- some innings; Colton Weirup, Ma-
The Loggers outscored those six
THE LOGGERS
ketball.
son Hoover can pitch; the younger teams last season, 305-26. Needless
The defending league champions
“It’s an unknown right now,” Dragoo can pitch, and the we’ll try to say, it will be a major upset if any-
were loaded with talent last year, and said his coach and father, Jeff. “He’s to get some innings out of the older body beats Knappa in league play this
they’ve added even more to the line- working hard and wants to play Dragoo,” coach Miller said. “Reuben year.
up this season.
VRPHUROHDWVRPHSRLQW+HZLOO¿QG Cruz is a good pitcher; Andrew Goo-
The battle for second place in
Senior Justin Dragoo is back in a way to contribute. I highly doubt zee has shown some promise early. league could be between Faith Bible,
a Knappa uniform, and the Logger he will pitch, but I guess you never I tell them all when they come in, Neah-Kah-Nie and Portland Luther-
roster is full of athletic freshmen, en- say never on anything.”
an.
‘You’re all pitchers.’”
Lady Loggers in search of a state playoff win
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
If Knappa Lady Logger
softball is going to break
the “state playoff jinx,” this
would be the year.
Over the last six years,
Knappa is 6-for-6 in making
the state playoffs — but the
Loggers are 0-6 once they get
there.
As they enter the 2015
season, the Loggers have the
league’s best pitcher (Pitcher
of the Year Kacie Cameron),
with experienced seniors and
a load of promising, talented
newcomers.
THE LOGGERS
True, the Lady Loggers
lost four all-league players
(Maddy Pitts, Iris Rankin,
Jasmine Reynolds, Haley Ru-
bus) — but they’ve got plenty
back to be competitive.
Stacey Aho and Cameron
KNAPPA SOFTBALL
Coach: James Nichols, 3rd year
2014: 18-10 (9-6 NWL)
State Playoffs: Lost at Bonanza, 3-6
All-League Losses: Maddy Pitts, Iris Rankin, Jas-
mine Reynolds, Haley Rubus
All-League Returners: Stacey Aho, Sr.; Kacie Cam-
eron, Sr.
THE LOGGERS
Daily Astorian File
Knappa senior Kacie Cameron, left, will be throwing lots of
strikes and scoring lots of runs for the Lady Loggers in 2015.
are in the senior year of their
stellar careers, both having
made all-league last season.
Cameron has already looked
dominating in the circle in
nonleague games this season.
The only other returning
senior on the roster is Alyson
Olheiser.
Go Loggers!
Knappa Office (503) 458-6671
42894 Old Hwy. 30
Knappa, OR 97103
The Knappa Loggers enter
the 2015 track season with
one state champion, a sec-
ond-year coach, and a very
young roster.
Knappa’s most recent meet
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at Ilwaco, in which the Log-
gers competed against several
small schools in Washington.
Coached by Brittany Fer-
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side, and fourth in the girls’
standings.
Individually, the Log-
gers have one returning state
champion, as Devin Lewis
Allen enters his senior sea-
son, after placing third in the
200 meters and winning the
400 meters in last year’s state
meet.
Allen won the 100 meters
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well as the 400, showing that
he will be the favorite to re-
peat in the Class 2A state meet
in May.
Another positive from the
early-season meet was junior
Chris Montano, who won the
long jump (18 feet, 11 inches)
and took second in the triple
jump (39-4 ¼).
The Knappa girls appear
to be strong in the sprints and
middle distance events, where
sophomore Devin Vandergriff
ran the lead leg in the winning
400-meter relay in last week’s
meet, teaming with Alisha
Geisler, Meranda Godwin and
Chelsea Sapp.
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griff also won the 400 in last
week’s meet in 1:04.81.
Vandergriff may also run
the longer distance races, as
she competed in the 800 and
1,600-meter races in the Pa-
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Geisler took third in both
the 100 and 200 meters, and is
one of just two seniors on the
Knappa roster.
Rainier Office (503) 556-0410
29191 Dike Road
Rainier, OR 97048
www.teevinbros.com • CCB #133907
After that, the Loggers get
very young, in a hurry.
Chloe Little is the only
junior, while the sophomore
class includes returners Ali-
sha Murphy, Hailey Murray
and Emilee Olson, with new-
comers Desiree Andrade and
Ellie Smith.
The rest of the roster is
made up of freshmen, eight
to be exact: Ryain Killion,
Jaden Miethe, Mikayla Retha-
ti, McKailyn Rogers, Mack-
enzie Strain, Emma Taggert,
Kaitlyn Truax and Paris Van-
derburg.
THE NW LEAGUE
At one point last year, the
Lady Loggers appeared head-
ed for a certain Northwest
League championship, as they
opened league play with a 7-1
record.
After a 13-0 win over sec-
B est
of
luck
this season!
T H E D AIL Y A STORIAN
ond-place Vernonia in a cru-
cial league showdown, Knap-
pa was 8-2.
But Vernonia bounced
back with two wins over
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of its last six league games.
Vernonia went on to win the
league title with a 13-2 record
to Knappa’s 9-6.
Finishing in the top three
in the league standings should
be no problem for Knappa
this year, especially with Port-
land Christian now out of the
OHDJXHZKLFKLVGRZQWR¿YH
teams.
GIRLS
Alisha Geisler, Sr.
Meranda Godwin, So.
Sophia Hansen, Fr.
Mikayla Morton, Fr.
Chesea Sapp, So.
Devin Vandergriff, So.
BOYS
Noah Bagnall, So.
Braedon Eltagonde, Fr.
Spencer Fulton, Fr.
Noah Gothro, So.
Cody Hobbs, So.
Devin Lewis Allen, Sr.
Chris Montano, Jr.
Samual Nauha, So.
Elijah Patterson, Jr.
Good
Luck
Loggers
We Deliver!
3693 LIEF
ERIKSON DR.
ASTORIA
(JUST EAST OF SAFEWAY)
503.325.4927
HOURS: SUN-THUR 11AM-10PM;
FRI-SAT 11AM-11PM