Sports
2010
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A strange, unsettling
phenomenon has infiltrated
high school sports. Club
teams have put high school
teams in the backseat.
Athletes are spending more
and more time away from
their high school teams
as individuals focus on
their own development
as opposed to team
development. It is difficult
for many to accept that this
is what our society has come
to.
Sports are no longer
about representing the
community and coming
together as a high school.
They are about individuals
and, for the most part, their
efforts to earn a college
scholarship. It's true that
some athletes are involved
in club sports to improve
their game in preparation
for the high school season.
But, the overwhelming
majority pay club coaches
to showcase their talents in
front of college coaches in
order to secure that Division
I athletic scholarship that
so many little boys, girls,
mommies and daddies have
had their eyes on since little
Johnny or little Jane learned
to walk.
A few years ago, an
incoming freshman blatantly
told me that the high school
soccer season doesn't matter.
I was also told that many
soccer players are quitting
high school soccer to focus
on what really matters-club
competition.
Does this seem as
wrong to you as it does to
me? However, I can't be
hypocritical here because I,
too, play on a club basketball
team, but in no way does my
club team take priority over
my high school team. If any
conflicts arise, my school
team comes first. The whole
point of playing club is to
improve my skills so that I
can help my team during the
high school season.
Athletes who openly
admit that their club teams
Despite painful losses, football
team clinches spot in playoffs
With a 4-5 overall record
and a 3-2 record in the Three
Rivers League, the Lions
football team remained
optimistic as it finished its
season in third place, thus
moving forward in the
State playoffs. The Lions
proceeded to the second
round of the playoffs after a
win over Thurston 21-14.
During the season,
the Lions suffered three
heartbreaking losses against
Canby, Grant and Lake
Oswego each by one point
and lost their running back
Keaton Hedman, senior, for
three games. According to
Ron Chappell, head coach,
these losses were difficult to
overcome.
"Honestly, I thought
we'd have a better record,"
Chappell said, referring to
the team's 2-4 record in early
October. "We played a tough
schedule." Chappell was
confident the team would
make the playoffs, the main
goal being to advance as far
as possible.
According to Chappell,
the Lions have a solid team,
with strong offense and
defense.
"Our quarterback Connor
Kelley (senior) is having a
great year," Chappell said.
"We have two of our linemen,
Kalan Hoedl (junior) and
Eric Pitassi (senior), who are
doing especially well."
"I try to give my best
whenever I'm on the field. I
do what I can," Pitassi said.
The team bounced back
and beat Lakeridge 14-7
during an away game on
Oct. 15. The teams were tied
7-7 in the second quarter, but
the Lions broke the tie in the
fourth quarter with a catch
from Ben Trussell, junior,
which set up a two-yard run
by Hedman for a touchdown.
"We didn't execute as
we should have in the
beginning. We overcame
their defense," Pitassi said.
A week after the game
against the Pacers, the team
final game of the season on
Oct. 29. The Lions won 21-7,
rolling over Clackamas and
securing their spot as third
seed in the Three Rivers
League. Late in the second
Photo by Âlex Houston
Dean Clark, senior, leaps for a catch against Lake Oswego on Oct. 22.
The Lions ended up falling to the Lakers in a heartbreaker, 6-7, but
went on to capture third place in the Three Rivers League a week later.
took on the Lake Oswego
Lakers at home, but had a
painful loss of 6-7.
"It was a game we
could've won. Our players
outplayed Lake Oswego,
but you have to give Lake
Oswego credit. They're a
very great team. It was a
great high school football
game," Chappell said.
The Lions hosted the
Clackamas Cavaliers for
quarter, Kelley went out due
to a knee injury. Elijah Eaton,
junior, replaced Kelley and
helped extend the Lions'
lead.
The Lions will travel
to Rosenburg on Nov. 19.
Results were unavailable as
of press time.
"We lost five games. But
it's still recognized around
the state that we're a good
team," Chappell said.
■ 1
l l =
take precedence over their
high school teams need
a serious reality check.
They need to sit down and
readjust their priorities
because the truth of the
matter is, the chance that
Johnny's ridiculously
accurate fastball will earn
him a free ride to college is
about as narrow as his strike
zone.
It also must be
understood that club teams
aren't evil. There are a lot
of positives that come from
playing on one, besides the
obvious fact that they give
you an opportunity to play
in front of college coaches.
Club teams offer athletes
the opportunity to work
with athletes from other
schools, forming friendships
and making games a bit
more personal. It can also
be helpful for athletes to
receive instruction from
multiple sources, because
everyone learns in different
ways.
The pros and cons of
playing with a club team
must be weighed by each
individual and each athlete's
decision to play with one
will be based on his or her
own situation. I would
never urge athletes not to
play with a club team that
they felt was a good fit, but I
would ask them to set their
priorities straight before
committing to play for both
teams. My experiences with
club teams have been very
positive, but I have also
watched them destroy high
school teams, in basketball
as well as other sports. My
advice: do whatever is best
for you, personally, but do
what is best for your high
school team first.
Rainbows instill cloud of fear
continued from page 12
it was the opposite for me.
There’s an intense connec
tion between us, and as we
stayed together, the bells
rang louder."
As Emily Axelrod, junior
forward, put it, "It's not just a
team, it's a family." This con
nection makes the play on Lazercats struggle while
the field spectacular. Nathan hosting largest fan base
Crandall, junior defender,
said the team has "touched
continued from page 12
him on many levels."
"The world will know
After a tough loss in the
second game of the season that free men stood against
against a Lake Oswego team a tyrant, that few stood
that w as very "friendly" against many, and before
with the referees, the team this battle was over, even a
rebounded by reeling off god-king can bleed,? Cath-
eleven straight wins, includ cart said.
The Lazercats are led
ing the four wins from the
by their coach D ouglas
Willamette Cup.
"Straight as a Rainbow Thom pson, a w izard in
has given me purpose in my the soccer world with an
life. I now have something unbelievable am ount of
to live for," Dylan Musalo, experience and immense
talent. Much wisdom can be
junior defender, said.
The Rainbows are spear learned from the teachings
headed by coaching extraor of Coach Doug, including
dinaire James Gotchall, or his signature quote "if you
as admirers call him, Jimbo. are having trouble passing,
He is a legend on the co-ed focus on your passing."
Today, the L azercats
circuit and his wisdom on
and off the field sets the tone have a cult following that
for 90 minutes of pure soccer is dedicated to cheering for
beauty each and every game. and celebrating the success
"Coach Jim has been an of the team.
"The Lazercats inspired
emotional leader from the
start," Dawson said. "He has me to find a cure for cancer
promoted teamwork, com and run a mile every morn
munication and friendship. ing," M adeleine Pellico,
junior fan, said.
He has taught us a lot."
The support can be over
As the season came to
an end, fans and players whelming at times, with so
were left with the magic many of the fans giving it
of mesmerizing memories ^their all (including body
of the year that was coined paint) during the games.
"Lazercats taught me to
"2010: The Year Straight as
do my best. I love them,"
a Rainbow Ruled."
Miles King, junior fifth Sophie Bangs, sophomore,
string goalie, shared one said.
With two games left in
final thought about every
one touched by the team: the regular season, the Cats
"Love is supposed to start still have an opportunity to
with bells ringing and go claw back and regain their
downhill from there. But pride.