schools VHS Winter Sports Report December is tournament time for Basketball and Wrestling at Vernonia High School. The Boys and Girls Bas- ketball teams both traveled to participate in the Santiam Holiday Tournament on December 28-30. The Loggers Wrestlers competed in five different tournaments before the end of the calendar year, and have three first place finishes to show for their hard work. Here is an update on what is happening with each of the teams so far this season. Girls Basketball-The Lady Loggers are off to a solid start this season and head into the new year and league play with an 7-4 record. Coach Whiteman’s girls are coming off an impressive showing at the Santiam Holiday Tournament, where they finished 2-1 and came home with the Consolation Bracket Trophy. After losing the opener to host Santiam 40- 37, the girls fought back and won their second two games--against Amity 42-38 and over Central Linn 41-28--and take fourth place in the eight team tourney. Whiteman, which is big part of this sea- sons early success. He also credits a te- nacious defense. “We have some tough girls this year,” says Whiteman. That faster, up-tempo and ag- gressive offense has also been exciting to watch. “Run and Gun is a fun style,” says Whiteman. “The kids love it and the fans like it. We have kids who will fly across the floor and go into the stands after the ball. And as a group they have really come together nicely.” He also has a new addition to this years team who has made a differ- ence. “Margot (foreign exchange stu- dent, Cormier) provides the X factor,” says Whiteman. “When you have a tall guard like Margo, it really causes the other team a lot of headaches.” With a nice mix of seniors and underclassmen, most with past varsity experience, Whiteman has high expecta- tions for this years team. “These girls just keep going after the other team,” says Whiteman. “Every game we play after the New Year should be exciting.” Boys Basketball-Coach Ted Aubin’s Boys have struggled at the start of the season, with a 2-6 record before heading to the Santiam Tournament where the team contin- ued it’s struggles. But Aubin is still encour- aged and hopes to turn the season around once the Loggers start league play. “Our record is a The Vernonia High School Girls Basketball team with their little misleading,” says consolation trophy from the Santiam Holiday Tournament. Aubin. “With the excep- Whiteman is looking forward tion of a couple of games, we are not get- to the start of league play. After only ting blown out. We’re very close. We winning four games during the whole just need a little better offensive execu- season last year, this year’s team is al- tion and little bit more defensive inten- ready way ahead of last years accom- sity.” plishments. “Our league, the Lewis Aubin is working with a young and Clark League is a really good girls team, which has played a part in some basketball league, “ says Whiteman. tough, close loses. “We are very inex- “We’re scoring so many more points this perienced when it comes to varsity expe- year compared to last year and the year rience,” says Aubin. “Only two of our before, that we think we’re going to be players from last years team played a lot much more competitive.” of varsity minutes. I think as the season Playing more fast paced style, goes on we’ll become better offensive- Whiteman is getting points from a vari- ly.” ety of sources with three girls, Adrienne Senior Brandon Gilbertson is East, Ariel Rock and Margot Cormier, all the leading scorer and rebounder. Senior averaging around ten points per game. Chris Bamburg is playing a lot of min- He is also getting solid play from senior utes at the guard spot and sophomore is guards Katie Wilson and Ivory Garry- Craig Weller is emerging as a top scorer more, and underclassman Megan Rock, on the team. “We really like his progres- and good post play form his rotation of sion,” says Aubin, of Weller. Foreign Genesis Castro, Mickell Maller, Chelsea exchange student Petr Jiranek has prov- Johnson, and Kim Allen. en to be a strong defensive force. “That “We’re bigger, taller and stron- takes a lot of pressure off some of the ger at the post position this year,” says other guys,” says Aubin. A Vernonia Christmas Story The winning raffle ticket for the VHS Junior Class firewood raffle was an elderly man from Vernonia who unfor- tunately, due to an accident a few years back, had his leg amputated and is now in a wheelchair. The name on the ticket was familiar to me when it was drawn. When we delivered the wood on Sunday, December 20th to Al Hillsbery, he told me that his friend had bought the ticket for him. I instantly remembered selling that ticket to another elderly gentleman during the holiday bazaar. He told me he was buying the ticket for his friend who needed the wood. Al’s good friend that bought the ticket for him was Gordon Faulkner, who tragically passed away on December 10th while working on bro- ken pipes at his home during very severe cold weather in Vernonia. When Al told me this, I had to hold back a tear. Talk about a heart-wrenching/heart-warming story all in one. As I was standing there watching the kids unload the wood and seeing Al in his wheelchair with his dog on his lap watching them, I felt as though I’d witnessed my own little Christmas miracle. It sure made all the hard work worth it. This story was sent our way from someone who works for the Vernonia Schools. january 5 2010 11 “We’re going to have to do some things this year we haven’t done before,” says Aubin. “We’re going to prob- ably play more zone defense as we get into The VHS Wrestling team shows off a couple of first place trophies the league play. team has won this season during tournaments in December. The teams we’re going to be playing are more ath- vidually by team captains Joe Benes at 152 and 145 pounds, Calvin Barnes at letic.” Aubin has also been experi- 145 pounds, and Cody Cowles at 152 menting on offense, which has led to pounds, along with Shylo Dooley at 130 some early season difficulties. “We’re and 125 pounds. All four of those wres- trying a new offense this year,” said Au- tlers have taken first place at least twice in tournaments this year. Also wrestling bin. “I think we’re really close to strong early this season are Tyler Young winning games,” says Aubin. “Our kids and Alex Barber. Coach James Brookins has a are competing and they’re not giving up young but experienced team, with only and that’s a real positive thing for them. five seniors, but four returning wrestlers If we start to execute, I think we have a chance to win every night. I think we’re who qualified for the state tournament going to be tough to beat in our league, last year. The team appears deep in the especially by the end of the year. Teams middle weights, and not as strong at the are going to have to play their best game upper and lower weights this season. The coaches attribute a middle to beat us.” school program to helping build depth Wrestling-The Vernonia Wrestling and a large turnout of competitors for the Team has shown it’s ready to compete team. They are also planning to restart this year, with some strong individual their “Mat Pack “ program for K-5th performances and some excellent team graders--a chance to come out two days finishes through the early tournament a week for an hour and get the young- sters exposed to wrestling at a young part of their schedule. The Loggers have three team age. Upcoming schedule highlights first place finishes--at the Banks, Am- include the Clatskanie Tournament on ity and Neah-Kah-Nie Tournaments, to January 16th, the Vernonia three-way at go along with a second at Gervais and a fourth place finish at the Harrisburg home on January 22nd, a league match in Rainier on January 28th, and a home Tournament. The team has been led indi- league match on February 4th. Sometimes the safest place to be is right where you are. During a hazardous material accident or an attack, officials may ask you to “shelter-in-place”. Basically, it means stay right where you are. But there are many ways to make sure you are as safe as possible when this happens. Many businesses, schools and other public facili- ties have shelter plans to support anyone in the building at the time an emergency is declared. Columbia 9-1-1 urges you to be prepared to shelter-in-place within your own home as well. First, choose a room that will be your shelter, ideally one with as few windows and doors as possible. A water supply is useful too. Assemble a 72-hour disaster supply kit that includes water, food, clothing and other emergency supplies. Finally, develop your own family emergency plan, and practice it regularly. If you are told to shelter-in-place, act quickly. Bring children and pets inside and lock all doors and windows. Turn off any heating, air or ventila- tion system. You may be asked to seal off your shelter room with plastic sheeting and duct tape. For detailed information about doing this, go to www.ready.gov. Do not go outside until you hear a report that all is clear. Listen to the radio, or if you have power, rely on the internet for updates. Your family may not all be in the same place when it’s time to shelter-in-place. If they are in a school or at work, they will be sheltered there. As difficult as it may be, do not go search for them. If you don’t know where they are and cannot make contact with them, call our non-emergency number, (503) 397-1521, or 1-800-696-7795. Thinking about a disaster can be stressful, but planning ahead can make a big difference. It may also help to remember that Columbia 9-1-1 will be assisting emergency personnel around the clock to keep everyone in our communities safe. We ask for your help in keeping the emergency phone lines clear—only call 9-1-1 for life-threatening emergencies. For more detailed information about shelter-in-place planning, visit www.redcross.org or www.ready.gov. Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District. Always there. P.O. 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