2007
Page 9
Football clinches second place inTRL for second straight year
a I saac C allagan ______________
Before the season started
many of the Lion's players
had high expectations. So
far, the season has turned
out to their liking. Situated
comfortably in second place
in the Three Rivers League,
the Lions are confidently
looking forward to post
season.
With last week's 31-14
win over rival Oregon
City, the Lions clinched the
number two spot in the TRL
for the second straight year
behind Lake Oswego with a
6-2 record.
Tonight they play the
McKay Royal Scotts. a
team that gave the Lions
a surprise loss last season.
McKay is only 1-4 in their
league.
The season-opening
surprise loss against non
league Wilson has been the
only speed bump so far in
a season full of success. The
Lions started off 4-2 with
the only other loss coming
against Lake Oswego, the
state's top ranked team.
standings, it also knocked
them off the track to a state
championship. Despite
being defeated by the
Lakers, many players such
as Tommy Patrick, senior,
still feel good about the
season. Others, while their
contributions may be less
noticed, haven't let that
dampen their spirits.
"I stand on the sidelines
and use my voice every
Friday night," Michael
Schwartz, junior, said.
This evident display of
team spirit is one of the
contributing reasons to the
Lion's stellar season.
This season has also
been full of surprises. Reid
Adams, sophomore, is the
starting defensive back
despite his youth. Another
surprise, although much
more melancholy, was the
injury to Austin Banta,
junior. Banta, who started at
tight end and defensive end,
tore his medial collateral
ligament during the game
against Clackamas. The
loss of Banta, who had been
playing very well so far,
said. But the team moved
beyond that loss and
won its next four games,
including an exciting win at
Clackamas.
Clackamas, who has
started out 5-2, has been
upset the last two years by
the Lions because of their
tenacious play. The other
wins this season have come
against David Douglas,
Lakeridge and Putnam.
The goals for the
remainder of the season are
ambitious. The team wants
to "go undefeated the rest
of the year," said Connor
Deeks, senior. The goal is
the playoffs, where the team
wants to improve on last
year's results.
"We want to make it past
the first round," Truax said.
Last year, West Linn lost to
Beaverton in the first round.
This year, they hope that
they will go further into the
postseason.
Patrick pointed out
that now the Lions have
to "take it one game at a
time." "That's what the
(Pittsburgh) Steelers did,"
Itopfhc loss to L ak e
w a s h u ge.
a d d e d N ico las V arela,
Oswego hurt more than
West Linn's place in the
"We expected to beat
them," Robert Truax, senior,
junior. With the season
almost over, there is little
Staff Reporter
Volleyball team puts in long hours, sees results
a M ary W ood _________________
Staff Reporter
m
part of their earlier game
against Lakeridge, according
to the West Linn Tidings.
"They don't have very
much experience, but they're
learning really quickly"
Kawasaki said.
The team is doing really
well, with Carl Neuburger,
The Varsity Volleyball
Team achieved its 100th
consecutive league win last
year, and the team members
know exactly what it takes
to reach that status. For
Kellie Kawasaki and Danielle
Sargant,
juniors, the
hardest part
of the sport is
the practices.
"We work
really hard,
and we
practice for
three hours
every day,"
Kawasaki,
one of
the team
captains,
said. On the
weekends,
the girls
participate
in very
competitive
tournaments. Betsy Wilhelm, junior, in her role as an outsider hitter
passes the ball to her teammate in a win in three
There
games against Putnam on Oct. 18. The team has been
are two
undefeated in 11 games this season, and is heading to
freshman on the second round of the State playoffs tomorrow.
the team, but
Photo by Malia Chong
their youth
coach, telling the West Linn
isn't stopping the team
Tidings that the girls were
from succeeding. One of
skillfully serving in the
them, Reagan Beatty, played
Lakeridge game. All their
extremely well in the first
work has brought them
11 wins and no losses this
season.
"We don't really count
anymore," Kawasaki said.
The team got a bye in the
first round of State. The
second round is tomorrow,
but despite their skill,
Sargant isn't positive about a
win. "I don't want to jinx it,"
she said.
The sport isn't all about
winning though. Kawasaki
feels the best part of it is
seeing the team succeed, but
Sargant has a different view.
"The best part about it
is having fun while you're
playing," Sargant said. She
enjoys her teammates, which
makes practices a good
experience for her. "It's fun.
We have really good team
chemistry."
Kawasaki gets to have
fun with it, too. As one of
the team captains, she gives
gifts to her teammates every
week. Being a captain also
has its responsibilities, like
organizing with the other
captains, Michelle Hurt,
senior, and Alyssa O'Neil,
junior.
"We lead by example,"
Kawasaki said. Her
leadership is paying off, and
will hopefully earn them a
victory at State tomorrow.
Erik Koczian, senior, goes all out diving to catch a pass against
Lake Oswego on Oct. 11. Koczian finished the game with 115
yards on nine catches in a losing effort against the state's number
one team.
Photo submitted by Tracie Krellwitz
room for error.
The Lion's goals were
furthered after their win at
home against Milwaukie.
27-6, thanks mostly to
touchdowns by three key
players.
The first score came on
a quarterback scramble by
Bryce Baker, junior. The
second was delivered by
Justin Monahan, senior, in
the form of a 24-yard pass
from Baker. Lastly, Kyle
Kraus, senior, bulled his
way into the end zone on a
15-yard run.
Cross Country teams
pleased with District finishes
u E mmalie C ox _____________
Staff Reporter
Both the Boys' and Girls'
Cross Country teams are
ranked seventh going into
the State meet which will be
held tomorrow at Lane Com
munity College in Eugene.
The whole season built to
Districts which were held on
Oct. 25, with the girls taking
first and the boys finishing
second.
Elliot Prince, freshman,
ran the 5k course in 19.36
minutes placing third and
Natalie Pittenger, senior, ran
a 19.47 taking fifth leading
the team to first only one
point ahead of Lake Os
wego.
The boys' team placed
second behind Clackamas.
Michael Bemert, senior, and
Taylor West, freshman, ran
16.38 placing eighth, and a
16.43 placing ninth, respec
tively.
"I figured the boys rated
third in the district, so see
ing them finish second was
very good," John Linman,
assistant coach, said.
The Boys Cross Country
Team has been all about
te a m w o rk . T h e y h a v e
w ork ed really hard on
developing a good strong
team more than individual
im provem ent. H ow ever,
the team is also focused on
helping runners beat their
personal records.
Varsity is led by senior
co-captains Ben Morrow,
Taylor Kolasinski and Ber-
nert, joined by West and
Cullen Wannarka, freshmen,
and Neil Rajput and Chris
Daniels, juniors.
"A lot of the teams in our
district have one or two
really good runners. But
with our team, we have like
five or six that could be on
any Varsity team," Bemert
said.
The girls team is led by
senior co-captains Rachel
Seigneur, Diana Crane and
P ittenger. As four year
members of the team, they
have been to the State meet
for the last three years and
have succesfully made it
again this year. They are
joined on Varsity by Prince,
Chelsea Ollar and Erin Mor
row, freshmen, and Kathryn
Flyte, sophomore.
The team has also vol
unteered at the Portland
Marathon to help runners
on the course and to assist
with clean up after the race.
They have helped stage
and run two Junior Varsity
cross country meets and
have spent m any hours
laying bark mulch down on
the trails at Mary S. Young
Park.