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About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 12, 2018)
Appeal Tribune ܂ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2018 ܂ 1B Sports All-Mid-Valley football team Pete Martini and Gary Horowitz Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK There were great storylines this sea son for MidValley football teams, but none better than Kennedy’s ascent to the Class 2A state championship. It was a story of perseverance. After four games, the Trojans were 22 and coming off backtoback lopsid ed defeats – 440 at home to Santiam and 447 at Sheridan. But Kennedy made a few schematic adjustments defensively and didn’t lose another game, culminating an 112 sea son with a 3120 victory over Santiam in the state championship game. The Trojans, who avenged the loss to Sheridan with a 276 victory in the re match in the state quarterfinals, over came adversity against Santiam. Running back/linebacker Emorej Lynk had a monster first half with 140 yards rushing and two touchdowns, and a 45yard touchdown pass as the Tro jans took a 280 lead. But he was injured on the final play of the first half. Lynk returned to the Trojans’ sideline late in the third quarter on crutches with his right knee wrapped in ice and watched his teammates secure an emo tional victory. “We told the guys at halftime, ‘This isn’t the first time we’ve had some ad versity this year,” Kennedy coach Joe Panuke said. “It wasn’t gonna be easy, (but) we’re not just a oneman team.” It was a team victory for Kennedy, which fell short in four previous trips to the state championship game, most re cently in 2015. Santiam, which defeated defending state champion Monroe in the semifi nals, lost in the state championship game for the second year in a row. In 6A, McNary overcame a 05 start to win the Mountain Valley Conference championship and advanced to the state playoffs, led by running back/line backer Junior Walling and quarterback Erik Barker. MVC runnerup West Salem, whose brutal nonconference schedule includ ed 6A championship game finalists Lake Oswego and Sheldon, came on strong at the end of the season. The Ti tans defeated Southridge in the first round of the state playoffs before taking defending state champion Clackamas to the wire in a 2414 secondround defeat. Four West Salem players – wide re ceiver Anthony Gould (Oregon State), quarterback/safety Simon Thompson (Utah State), linebacker Alex Hurlburt (Montana) and tight end/linebacker Micah Pugh (Air Force) – have made ver bal commitments to continue their foot ball careers in college next season. Silverton overcame an early season injury to quarterback Levi Nielsen, who returned late in the campaign, to earn a share of the MidWillamette Conference crown by beating West Albany in the fi nal regular season game on the Bull dogs’ home field. West Albany won the rematch in the second round of the 5A state playoffs. Not to be overlooked is St. Paul. Kennedy celebrates following the Kennedy vs. Santiam OSAA Class 2A state championship football game at Cottage Grove High School in Cottage Grove on Nov. 24. Kennedy won the championship 31-20. ANNA REED/STATESMAN JOURNAL The Buckaroos, who advanced to the 2A semifinals last season, made a smooth transition back to eightman football in 1A and advanced to the state championship game. St Paul’s unbeaten season came to an end with a 3832 loss to Dufur, which won its fourth consec utive state title. All-Mid-Valley football — offense SIMON THOMPSON Position: Quarterback School: West Salem Year: Senior Accomplishments: Mountain Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Thompson threw for 2,403 yards, 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 571 yards and five touch downs. JUNIOR WALLING Position: Running back School: McNary Year: Junior Accomplishments: Firstteam all Mountain Valley Conference. He rushed for 1,005 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also had 91 receiving yards and two re ceiving touchdowns. HUNTER CHASE Position: Running back School: Central Year: Senior Accomplishments: Firstteam all MidWillamette Conference. He had 1,143 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. JUSTIN HERBERGER Position: Running back School: St. Paul Year: Senior Accomplishments: Firstteam all Casco League. He rushed for 1,538 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also had 271 re ceiving yards and two receiving touch downs. ANTHONY GOULD Position: Wide receiver School: West Salem Year: Senior Accomplishments: Firstteam all Mountain Valley Conference. Gould had 1,009 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns. He also rushed for 612 yards and six touchdowns, and added two touchdown returns on special teams. JESSE CABLE Position: Wide receiver School: Central Year: Senior Accomplishments: Firstteam all MidWillamette Conference. He had 1,040 receiving yards and 15 touch downs. MICHAEL RIDGWAY Position: Offensive lineman School: McNary Year: Junior Accomplishments: Firstteam all Mountain Valley Conference; helped the Celtics win the Mountain Valley Confer ence championship. JOSHUA SCHMELTZER Position: Offensive lineman School: McNary Year: Senior Accomplishments: Firstteam all Mountain Valley Conference; helped the Celtics win the Mountain Valley Confer ence championship. ASHTON ADAMS Position: Offensive lineman School: South Salem Year: Senior Accomplishments: Firstteam all Mountain Valley Conference selection. ELI LARSON Position: Offensive lineman School: Sprague Year: Senior Accomplishments: Firstteam all Mountain Valley Conference selection. ANDRE BEALL Position: Offensive lineman School: North Salem Year: Senior Accomplishments: Firstteam all MidWillamette Conference selection. All-Mid-Valley football — defense ANTHONY PUGH Position: Defensive lineman School: West Salem Year: Sophomore Accomplishments: Firstteam all Mountain Valley Conference selection. He had 43 tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks, five quarterback contacts, one pass deflected, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick. See FOOTBALL, Page 2B Contemplating exchange between Homo interruptus Fishing Henry Miller Guest columnist “I like a good story well told. That is the reason I am sometimes forced to tell them myself.” Mark Twain. That quote came to mind recently when I had several encounters with a couple of members of a subspecies of Homo sapiens that I’ve dubbed Homo interruptus repeatus. The names are being withheld be cause the quotes are composites of sev eral “conversations” during several en counters. And because I want to con tinue to be able to chew with my own teeth. Here’s a typical exchange using the acronyms HI and HI2 for brevity’s sake: HI: “So, Henry, gone fishin’ lately?” Me: “Well, as a matter of fact, last weekend ...” HI: “Yep, me and the family went over to the coast. Did pretty good on trout us ing worms and salmon eggs. “Course it’s nothing like when I used to go over there as a kid. Boy we really laid into them ... (five minutes later) ... So, you doing anything this week?” Me: “Actually, if the weather holds, I was planning ...” HI: “Oh man, I was hoping to go back to the coast. Thanksgiving is the tradi tional kickoff for winterrun steelhead fishing. “But we’ve got family staying with us, and they don’t fish. Don’t know why my sister married a guy who doesn’t fish but ... (five minutes later) … So after they leave, I’m hoping to get out after that next storm when the river drops and clears.” At this point, HI2 walks into the room. HI2: “Hey, either of you two guys been fishing lately?” Me: “I was just trying to explain to him that last weekend ...” HI: “Like I was saying, me and the family went ...” HI2: “Boy, did you see how it’s com ing down sideways out there, like a cow on a flat rock. Bet nothing will be fish able for ...” HI: “That’s what I was just telling Henry, here … Soon as the storm passes ...” Me: “Actually, before it started rain ing ...” HI2: “Yea. This time of year you’ve got to take advantage of every ...” HI: “The forecast says ...” HI2: “I’m going to be out of town next week ...” About 10 minutes later with no open ings for a complete sentence between the two of them, and me listening to the flying fragments like a verbal pingpong match among a couple of worldclass players … Me: “Wow, look at the time. I guess I better hit the road.” HI: “OK. Drive safe. See you next ...” HI2: “Now, like I was saying, I figure one, maybe two days after the rain quits. I’m ...” Me, bolting for the door: “Nice talking to you both.” About a halfhour later, contemplat ing the previous disjointed, fragmented exchange, I began to wonder if maybe I, too, was devolving into a Homo inter ruptus repeatus myself. And thinking about Mark Twain. Turkey whisperer II: Harry the most ly Jack Russell terrier has reprised his bravura performance as the Pied Piper of Meleagris gallopavo, commonly known as the wild turkey. Harry, if you recall from a previous column, was an early fall hit with a rov ing band of the birds strolling on the greenway next to Salem Tennis & Swim Club that followed us for about a block. At the time, Kay and I thought that Harry’s turkey trot was a fluke. But during a recent walk in our neigh borhood, we came across a similar flock of six of the perambulating butterballs (two males, four females) on the lawn of a house on Ewald Avenue a couple of blocks down from our destination, Hill view Park. The excited Harry began his high pitched yodel, usually a preamble to fullthroated barking. The unfazed birds seemed to be attracted to the sound. They strutted behind us, coming as close as about 8 feet away for about 40 feet up the road until they were distract ed by some berries on a bush. Two blocks up the street, the dog stopped looking back and keening for a taste of turkey. Given his two performances as flock leader, I’m seriously considering using Harry, who apparently speaks fluent turkey, as a decoy during the spring sea son. Henry Miller is a retired Statesman Journal outdoor columnist and outdoor writer. He can be reached via email at HenryMillerSJ@gmail.com