Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (March 30, 2022)
Appeal Tribune | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | 1B SPORTS LEADERSHIP CHANGE Silverton football hires Lever after Craig steps down Pete Martini Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK There will be a change in leadership in the fall for the state champion Silver- ton football program. Josh Craig, who guided the Foxes to the 2021 Class 5A state title, stepped down earlier this year to spend more time with family, and former Tualatin coach Dan Lever has been hired as his replacement. “Great tradition, great community. I was impressed by the school, facilities, and the administration,” Lever said. “I want to maintain that strong tradition. I’m excited to go into a situation where a lot of things are already in place.” Lever coached Tualatin to a 12-2 record this past fall, and took them to the Class 6A state title game, where they lost to Central Catholic. In five seasons with the Timber- wolves, Lever had a 39-15 record. A big part of Lever’s decision is that he owns 20 acres near Silverton, and this will be a shorter commute. “I grew up in the country, I under- stand generational farming,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to working with blue collar-type kids and families.” Silverton was 12-1 last season, with the one loss coming to Tualatin (35-28). Craig emphasized that he would have stepped down whether or not the Foxes won the title because it was an impor- tant personal decision. Craig and his wife, Kenzie, have two children under the age of 2, and he said that being a teacher and head football coach was taking too much time away Former Tualatin football coach Dan Lever has been hired by Silverton. PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP JOHN LARIVIERE from family. “I wouldn’t be home until 6:30 or 7 most nights, so basically bedtime. And then of course Friday nights, I’m not home in the evening at all,” Craig said. “The weekends are a killer too because it’s basically all meetings with the team, watching film, meeting with coaches and putting together a scouting report. If I’m lucky, maybe some schoolwork af- ter that.” Craig was Silverton’s coach for five seasons, taking over for John Mannion. The Foxes went 41-11 under Craig. “It was a tough decision, and I already miss coaching. But with Lever, I know the program is in good hands,” Craig said. “But I’ll get back into it when the kids are a little older and can come to practice and stuff.” The beauties of Walling Pond Fishing Henry Miller Guest columnist Fish local. My suspicion is that’s going to be the operative catch phrase for anglers who are chafing under the current fuel prices that probably are going to be with us into the foreseeable future. Roy Gault, a former Statesman Jour- nal sports editor, fishing buddy and all- around great guy, said that if it comes down to driving to see the grandkids or going fishing for salmon or steelhead at the coast, well, no contest. Fish are unreliably finicky and go bad after a couple of days. Grandkids are forever. Which gets back to the original prem- ise of this column. With trout-stocking in full swing, there are lots of opportunities within a couple of gallons of gas, unless your fishing vehicle is a fully loaded semi and trailer. There’s even one such sweet spot that I used to fish occasionally during my lunch breaks when the Statesman office was downtown: Walling Pond. Talk about fishing local. John West of Salem fishes Walling al- most every day, and he’s been wetting a line in the former gravel pit since “like I was in grade school." “Absolutely, for the convenience, es- pecially for people who don’t have their own transportation,” he said about the former gravel pit at McGilchrist and 16th streets with parking access off 16th. “Es- pecially for people who don’t have their own transportation. You can catch a bus and come here. You can even walk.” One other unique feature is if it’s snowing or raining hard, Walling offers “drive-through” fishing for the hardy, but not crazy. Anglers cast from the bank, feed out line as they walk back to the vehicle, then point the rod out the window in the heated car or truck while waiting for a bite. “I’ve done that,” West said. See MILLER, Page 2B The view is urban industrial, but the fishing for trout is generally good during the trout-stocking season. HENRY MILLER / SPECIAL TO THE STATESMAN JOURNAL John West of Salem: Success! John West of Salem with two rainbow trout that he caught shortly after a delivery of fish Monday at Walling Pond. PHOTOS BY HENRY MILLER / SPECIAL TO THE STATESMAN JOURNAL