10
December
Basketball, Wrestling, Swimming, Skiing, Snowboarding and Cheerleading
Coaches expect more from senior wrestlers
a J acob G sanuzzi ____________
Staff Reporter
Head Coach Doug
Samarron and Assistant
Coach Jason Milham hope
to push wrestlers to a new
level of intensity, hopefully
pulling down another
District championship
extending the current record
to 11 consecutive league
titles.
After steamrolling
Rex Putnam, 77-12, and
finishing fourth at the
Newberg Tournament, the
Lions appear to be on their
way.
"West Linn wrestling
accomplished something I
believe has not been done
by another team or sport:
10 league team titles in a
row. We had another top 10
finish and were 18 points
away from another State
team trophy," Samarron
said, who has been coaching
the Lions since 1990
beginning as an assistant
coach until he was named
head coach in 2000.
"[The turnout of students
was] about a 20 percent
increase and we have a lot
of returnees: District place
winners and State place
winners are returning.
We also have some tough,
experienced incoming
freshmen who should see
some time [on Varsity],"
Samarron said.
"The graduating Class
of 2006 was not a huge
loss because we have some
excellent seniors coming
in this year," Milham
said. Coaches are excited
about the prospective
performances of the 10
seniors who made it to
Sports Editor
The Varsity Boys' Soccer
Team had a tough year,
having a young team
consisting of mostly juniors
and sophomores. They
finished sixth out of seven
teams in the Three Rivers
League, with a record of
2-9-1.
Still, some of the
players were recognized
by the league for their
performances. Midfielder
Abdelkaddar Elhabbasi,
senior, made All-League
First Team, midfielder Collin
Weeks, senior, made the
second team and goalkeeper
Joe Offer, junior, made
honorable mention.
Greg Bean, coach,
believes that Offer could be
a potential star next season.
"Whether he is on the field
or off the field I think he
could make a big impact,"
Bean said. The coach also
recognized that Offer was
the most consistent on the
team. "He got robbed. He
should have been on the
second team."
Bean plans to improve on
this past season. "Our goal
should always be to get a
home playoff game," he said.
Bean has put together
an outdoor club team so the
boys can play together in the
off season. "These kids need
Boys' basketball hopes to make it big during season
u H illary K rippaehne _________
Staff Reporter
After a close win over
Redmond on Dec. 1 and
a win over Crook County,
61-57, the Varsity Boys'
Basketball Team and Head
Coach Aaron Downs are
hoping to do big things this
year.
With three minutes left in
the game against Redmond,
the score was 48-48. "We had
a 12-1 run to the end of the
game," Downs said. "It was
a complete team effort." The
final score was 60-49.
"The new players will
do okay It is not too hard
to get used to what we do.
You just need to work hard
and contribute to the team,"
Colby Martzall, senior, said.
"We are capable of having a
very good season. We have
all the tools, we just need to
figure out how to use them."
The JV team last year had
a great season according to
Downs. "We are expecting
some big things from some of
those players. I do think they
will do very well,” Downs
said.
Spencer Dorway, senior,
watched the new players
Colby Martzall, senior, dribbles
the ball down the court during
tryouts on Nov. 8. The team hopes
to do well in the Three Rivers
League. The WLHS Invitational
will be held on Dec. 15 and 16.
Photo by Sarah Chicoine
over the summer. He thinks
they are doing well. "We are
all working hard and we are
excited to play with them,"
Dorway said.
Downs believes the
returning players will
help the team succeed this
year. "They provided great
leadership over the summer,"
Downs said. There are
only three seniors on the
team, but Martzall thinks
the underclassmen will do
minute round as opposed to
the few seconds of working
hard followed by a break as
in football," Milham said.
"Wrestling conditioning
is definitely harder than
football conditioning. It's
more mental toughness too,"
Krellwitz said. For example,
wrestlers like Gamer
and Bartlett often come
in for their own training,
occasionally bringing along
an underclassman or two.
Boys' Varsity Soccer Team trains
during offseason for next year
u L ogan K elly ______________
Sophomores Nestor Alvarez and Ben Stoneking come to a deadlock
in a collar tie. This year's wrestlers hope to continue the current record
of 10 straight District championships, a feat not yet achieved by any
school in the district.
Photo by Kelsey Schrader
Varsity, including Prescott
Gamer, Lane Locke, Ryan
Krellwitz, John Bartlett, Jake
Helbling, Timothy Kim,
Geoffrey McEvers, Gustavo
Bessa, Brandon LaDick and
Spencer Hansen.
Before the season started,
wrestlers worked to get into
top physical condition.
"In wrestling, it's six
minutes of hard physical
work with a 30 second
break in between each two
well. All three of the seniors,
Dorway, Martzall and Alex
Tadros, were named captains
of the team this year.
During the off season,
players work with
teammates on their skills.
"We go to the gym and
participate in pick up games.
You can also go to training
camps," Dorway said. "We
got most of our jitters out
over the summer."
Dorway has been playing
on the Varsity Basketball
Team for three years. Last
year he thinks the team did
okay. "The other teams were
just better-er," Dorway said.
He thinks the team's biggest
rivals this year will be
Clackamas and Lakeridge.
Last year the team finished
fifth in the Three Rivers
League and Downs thinks
they can do better this year.
"We want to make the
playoffs and give ourselves
a chance to go to the Elite
Eight in Eugene," he said.
For those unfamiliar with the
Elite Eight, it is the last eight
teams left in the playoffs. It is
single elimination.
Dorway also hopes to
make it to the Elite Eight this
year. "We are good enough,"
Dorway said.
On Nov. 25 the team
played their own alumni
during a game for the first
time. The team played
Varsity players who
graduated at least five years
ago. "Our alumni game
was a ton of fun. We lost to
our alumni who featured
many players who played
in college and were all-state
players in high school. Both
sides loved the games and
we had a great crowd for
support," Downs said.
The team's first home
game was Dec. 8 against
McMinnville. The game was
close until the fourth quarter
when the Lions pulled away
and won 63-53 advancing to
3-0 on the year.
"I've been very impressed
with the teams work ethic
so far. They come ready
to compete every day in
practice and we are itching
to play another opponent,"
Downs said.
"I am looking forward to
playing with these guys. We
have an improved team and
we can make a dent in the
TRL this year," Martzall said.
to play together," Bean said.
It is the first year both
West Linn and Wilsonville
have enough interest in
putting together a club team.
Bean is also trying to get the
team to the Oregon State
University Soccer Camp.
"The more we play together
the better," Bean said
In the spring, the team
participated in a tournament
where they lost 2-1 against
Cleveland. Cleveland
won the Portland Intercity
League this past season." It
is a really good indication of
where we are," Bean said.
According to Bean, next
year none of the tactics will
change, but the way he
teaches the fundamentals
will. His belief is that the
tactics are fine, but that is his
job to execute them better.
Another change that will be
implemented is individual
preferences for positions
that will not be paid
attention to. What's best for
the team comes first.
Bean also believes that in
high school soccer, his job is
not only to teach the players
to play soccer; he has to
teach them to become men.
"Last year's team had a
reputation of being a bunch
of jerks. My job is to teach
the players to become men.
Quite frankly the soccer
comes second. The soccer
will come."
To further the team's
future, the first club team
in three years is coming to
WLHS. Currently in eighth
grade, the team will mark
the end of a three year
drought of a consistent
flow of club players. Jesse
Dwight, freshman, will most
likely be making the move
from JV to Varsity.
Next year the team will
have played in many games
and be older and more
experienced. Hopefully a
more succesful season is on
the horizon for the team.