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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2009)
vernonia’s voice schools february 09 2009 Vernonia HS Winter Sports Report The Vernonia High School Wres- tling and Basketball Teams are having good winter seasons, and all three head coaches have lots of praise for the student athletes who make up their squads. Coach Ted Aubin mentioned the play of Byron Schorzman-- who has been playing with a broken hand, Cody Eaton-- who has shown a lot of improvement from last year, Blake Moeller-- the teams defensive special- ist and Jason Weller and Brandon Gilbertson as highlights. “Everybody has been filling a role for us,” said Aubin. “We’ve struggled offensively at times, but our defence has been keeping us in some games.” Wrestling Coach James Brookins is excited about his team this year, and ex- pects to do well when the team heads to the District Tournament on February 20 and 21 in Gervais. “Our team is doing very well and really wrestling fantastic this season,” said Brookins. The team has finished first or second at a number of tournaments, and performed excep- tionally well at the Northwest Duals and Oregon Wrestling Classic meets. Aubin called the win at Portland Adventist-- the first time Vernonia has beaten them in twelve years-- “Momentous!” and said “...it was fun to coach, and a proud moment.” The Junior Varsity Boys, led by coach David Weller are “...really young and inexperienced,” according to Aubin. The team is made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores. “They are very athletic and have a lot of potential,” said Aubin, who encouraged the team to work hard in the off- season to improve. The Varsity Girls Basketball Team has made steady improvement over last year and throughout the season. With only two seniors on the squad, but Coach Brookins noted excellent per- a number of talented underclassman filling key roles, Coach Steve Whiteman formances this season by Trevor Gwin, The Girls Varsity gets some advice from their coach has been impressed by his teams’ hard work, even though they have only won Tyler Owens, returning District Cham- one game in league play. He noted the scoring, leadership and tough play of pion Dalton Rumboltz, and Justin Caputo-- who has been wrestling in heavier weight classes this season. Brookins also mentioned Calvin Barnes, who has shown the importance of seniors Tricia Levenseller and Gillian Cheney, and his starting back court of Katie Wilson and wrestling all the way through a match, and Freshman Shylo Dooley, who has done well, and Ivory Garrymore. Garrymore was named to the All Tourna- who the coaches hope continues to work hard and improve. ment Team at the Christmas Assistant coach Chris Barnes noted this was the toughest group of Vernonia kids he’s tournament the team compet- been around. “They have the best attitude and don’t complain about anything.” Barnes ed in this year. Whiteman also encourages his wrestlers to keep looking for small improvements. “It’s the little accom- noted the play of underclass- plishments that matter,” he says. Barnes is especially impressed with some of the younger men Souvanny Miller who wrestlers on the squad, who are paying their dues right now. He expects the team to be even has been a real contributor and can play anywhere, Ariel better in upcoming seasons. and Megan Rock, who have Brookins expects his team to finish the season strong. “I think we can advance a pushed his back court start- few wrestlers to the State Tournament-- a best case might be as many as six or eight,” ers, and post players Bonnie Birkmaier and Adrienne East, said Brookins. who Whiteman says are un- The team wrestles at home on Thursday, February 5, and in Scappoose on Saturday, dersized at their positions, but rarely get out-rebounded. February 7-- if you want to get a look at the team before they head to Districts. The Boys Varsity Basketball team is having an very good season, including a historic win over Portland Adventist in early January. The team was 6-5 in league play after two tough home losses near the end of January, and with five league games remaining is still working for a high seed in the league playoffs starting February 16. “We play in a very tough league, including last year’s state champions-- Ranier,” said Whiteman. “I think we’ve turned a corner and are on our way back up.” The Girls Junior Var- sity has also been improving and has upped their intensity level as the season has pro- Jason Weller brings the ball upcourt for the loggers gressed. The team is 3-9 near the end of January. Coach Theresa Williams noted the play of Megan Rock as the teams lead guard,” ...who delivers when the heat is on.” She also mentioned Mickell Maller and Kim Allen,” ... two strong forwards that will be forces to be reckoned with on their way to the varsity level.” She also mentioned the aggressive play of Shyla Tungwenuk and the natural instincts of Natalie Wallace, two freshmen guards. “I see great things in the years to come for this JV team-- they are fighters!” said Williams. February Specials! Moving Soon To Our New Location in Vernonia! Grand Re-Opening in March! Featured Sale Items Include... - - - - - Goat Daily Dewormer, 3 lbs. $22.95 Salt, Trace Mineral, or Selenium, 50 lbs. $10.95 Saddle Stands $24.95 - Save $3! Stall Pellets $4.75 Goat Coats 10% OFF! Featured Grains... - Stock Pellet 16% wet or dry $9.95 - Chick Starter $13.95 - Layer Pellet $12.99 We Carry Hillsboro Feed! Get It Locally! 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People in town were able to walk downtown and enjoy the beauty, many of them taking pictures on their way. Everywhere you looked in December, there were snowmen, three-foot icicles, and mountains of ice on the street corners from the plow. Our town really did look like a winter wonderland, with everything covered, at some point, in at least two feet of snow. ...Although a lot of people didn’t get to see much of it. Many of them just bundled them- selves up inside, next to the wood stove, not wanting to risk it out in the treacherous ice and slush-- conditions which caused many wrecks to line our highway. Fortunately, if you were stuck, you weren’t stuck for long. There were dozens of people seen stopping and helping pull others out of the ditch, or, if their car was too far down, helping them to safety. Many thanks to those good Samaritans, and all the rest of the people who helped run the shelters and who spent a good deal of time out in the cold restoring our power or making our roads drivable. Well, that’s most of the good and the bad-- the good probably outweighing the bad by just a little to make it all worth it. We can all smile-- other than one basement I heard about, we didn’t flood. All our stuff in our schools has been put back in the cupboards again, and with good weather, the sandbags should be returned to storage again soon. And, to top it all off, we did get our white Christmas, even if it was a bit whiter than we had in mind. Brandy Fosdick is a sixteen-year-old sophmore journalism student at Vernonia High School. When not writing for The Timberline and Vernonia’s Voice, Brandy enjoys reading and art-- mostly drawing people.
