Thur»., Nov 21. 1985 (Sec. I) SANDY (O re.) POST— 9
The Sonify Post
Houston has
The Twin Towers.
Seattle has
The Ivory Towers,
Now, Sandy has. . . .
Sports
and Recreation
T he B elle T owers
by PAT O'HALLORAN
In Houston, there are the Twin Towers: Ralph Sampson and Akeem Ola
juwon Seattle has the Ivory Towers: Jack Sikma and Tom Chambers
But now Sandy High School boasts a trio that may have the same effect in
Class AAA basketball A group of high flying girls that w ill most likely be sit
ting near the top at the end of the season — the Belle Towers: Shanna Daniels,
Wendy Coleman and Coral Howell
And for whom w ill these belles to ll7 They’ll toll for the Mount Hood Con
ference hoop squads
The Pioneers are the defending MHC champions (15-1 league, 21-3 overall)
and return three starters from the fifth-in-state team. But it ’s where those
three players are positioned that w ill give fits to opposing teams
Daniels, the tallest at 6-feet, is the acknowledged on-court leader First-
team all-league, third team all-state, second-team all state tournament as a
sophomore are her credentials She led the 1985 state tournament in scoring
with more than 17 points a game and was selected to an all-star squad that
played in Tucson, A ril., this summer She also brings a wide range of abilities,
not just scoring and rebounding
Coleman. "Just a natural talent in basketball," says Coach John Smith. She
was honorable mention all-MHC in 1985 as a sophomore. Standing 5-feet-ll,
Smith expects her to carry more of a load in the scoring department this
season She averaged about eight points a game last year.
"She should be in double figure this year, around 12 or 14 (points)," Smith
said
Howell is 5-9 and one of two seniors starting She spent her summer honing
her skills at individual and team camps, as well as playing on the Sandy sum
mer team
He has his two starting guards picked, but both have limited varsity ex
perience Five-foot-8 junior guard Maria Rowland and 5-foot-5 senior Shelley
Tykeson w ill be starting
"Both Maria and Shelley are working hard,” Smith said “ Both love the
game of basketball.
"We re trying to work them into the offense and helping them know when to
shoot and when to pass "
Tykeson missed half of last season with a stress fracture in her leg.
Depth w ill be a problem, according to Smith. Sophomore Susie Adkins w ill
back up at guards, while Amy McCoy, Julie Crampton and Tanya Schwartz
provide relief on the front line. Only McCoy has varsity experience among the
four .
Never has a coach been found who w ill accept the role of favorite Smith
isn't about to be the first.
" I think probably Parkrose is to be favored," he said "They played eight
players (in their regular rotation) last year, and all eight of those girls
return."
The Broncos finished 8-8 in the MHC last year for fourth place During sum
mer league play, Sandy took it to them 50-37. Even after that game, though,
Smith s till was extolling Parkrose’s virtues
Other teams Smith figures to challenge for playoff spots w ill be Barlow and
Reynolds, with Columbia getting his nod as a sleeper
When many high school teams have a bounty of front-line talent, games tend
to become lumbering, throw-the-ball-in-the-middle affairs But all three of
Sandy’s front-liners possess outstanding athletic ability, so Smith is employ
ing a fast break.
Daniels and Coleman w ill pound the defensive boards for rebounds while
Howell and the two guards w ill be releasing early to get a head start on the
break
Daniels w ill handle the ball on the break Smith has devised the break so the
players can have a smooth transition in the set offense Then he wants the
team to take the first shot opportunity and crash the boards
The team’s main weakness, again due to the lack of experience at the guard,
may be dealing with a full-court press.
“ It's no secret, the teams in the league feel the way to beat us is with
(pressure on Sandy’s guards),” Smith said
To counter this, and also to keep the front line out of foul trouble, the
Pioneers w ill also employ a full-court 2-1-2 press from time to time.
The two guards w ill be pressing in backcourt, Daniels w ill hold down the
middle and Coleman and Howell w ill be at the back to decrease the risk of foul
problems.
“ They’ve taken pride in being MHC champions,” Smith said of his team, but
the season outcome w ill be “ dependent on the younger girls relieving (the
starters) for key minutes during the game "
P h o to b y
FACE OFF — Wendy lolem an (left)
and Shanna Daniels face off during
Youthful team does have experience
by PAT O'HALLORAN
Youth comes to mind when glanc
ing over the Sandy High School boys'
basketball roster
But it is youth with experience that
Coach Dan Brisbin w ill be leading in
to Mount Hood Conference action this
winter.
Three starters return from last
year’s squad that posted a 3-13 MHC
record: junior guard Brad Searls,
junior forward Gerald Hale and
sophomore forward Tony Hale, who
was the leading rebounder last
season as a freshman. All three w ill
most likely be starting in the opener
at Clackamas Dec. 3. After those
three, though, the picture blurs a lit
tle
Seth M iller and Ben Glawe are
"w orking out well at the post,"
Brisbin said M iller, a senior, played
for the varsity last season. Brisbin is
s till undecided as to who w ill start in
the middle
Battling at the guard spot are
junior Chris Palmer, senior Jared
Paulsen, who started part-time last
year, and senior transfer Brett
Sackett, who played for the Pioneers
one year, moved away and is now
back.
“ W e re p re tty equal at the
guards," Brisbin said. “We could
start any of the four and not lose
anything ”
Senior David Harris is the other
returnee Brisbin said M iller has
shown improvement inside
Other players the coach has been
pleased with during workouts are
Shane Nichols and Morgan Em rich,
both backups at the forward and post
positions
The Pioneers are one of the
shortest teams in the league, but
while Brisbin acknowledges that re
bounding MAY be a weakness, he
hedges on saying it W ILL be a
weakness
“ Size-wise, you’d think so," he
said “ That’s going to depend on how
well our technique is
“ If we're at all tentative, it w ill be
a weakness."
One area that won't be a weakness
w ill be the outside shooting
"W e’ll do a lot of outside shooting,"
Brisbin said “ We can give most peo
ple some problems with our shooting
“ The defense and rebounding are
going to be real keys for this
ballclub."
The team needs to have "ag-
gresiveness on defense," he said.
"We re getting the guys to want to
play tough defense "
For the team to win improve its
win-loss record, Brisbin said, it w ill
need to win early to inspire a winning
feeling among the players.
“ If we can win some games
early
(and if) things go right, we
can get some confidence,” Brisbin
said
Centennial and Parkrose “ are the
class of the league," Brisbin said
“ David Douglas has a lot of people
back After that it ’s wide open "
YMCA extends deadline
The Mt Hood YMCA has announced the extension of the Y-Ball registration
deadline due to the closure of the Sandy Elementary D istrict schools.
The.deadline has now been set for Friday, Dec 13 The Sandy league is
made up of teams from Sandy. Orient, Welches, Boring, Damascus and the
surrounding areas.
Teams are being formed for boys and girls in the third- through eighth-
grades, with third- and fourth-graders playing on weekdays and fifth- through
eighth-graders playing on Saturdays
Those interested, but do not have forms, are asked to call the Mt Hood YM
CA at 665-8150 for further information
Coleman nabs state honors
Photo h\ P i t O 'H allnran
RAINBOW JUMPER — Brad Searls
works on his jump shot at practice
Tuesday,
Sandy High School junior Wendy
Coleman has been chosen to the se
cond all-state volleyball team by a
board of coaches.
This capped a season by Coleman
in which she was picked first-team
all Mount Hood Conference for the
second straight year and first-team
all-state tournament
Coleman was joined by teammate
Shanna Daniels, who was picked to
the honorable mention list Daniels is
also a junior and was on the first-
team all-MHC.
Other MHC players tapped were
Julie Leamon, Gresham, first team;
Michele McDonald, Centennial, se
cond te a m ; C h ris tin e C am p,
Gresham, honorable mention; and
Colette Dineen, Barlow, honorable
mention.
Kelly Cole of state champion St
Mary's was selected as the player of
the year and her coach. Rick lxirenz,
was named coach of the year
Ski club sets info meeting
The Sandy Area Ski Club w ill hold an informational meeting on Tues
day, Nov 27. at 7 p.m. at the One Day At A Time Mountain Bakery in the
Sandy Marketplace
The club members w ill ski at M irro r Mountain. A bus w ill run on
Saturdays for five weeks, beginning in January and leaving from Sandy
Marketplace.
This w ill be the second year for the club, which had about 25 to 30 par
ticipants last year People of all ages are welcome Discounts are
available on lift tickets, rentals and ski lessons.
For more information, call Bob or Laurie Espenel at 668-5352
Rec league signups ending
Registration for the 1985-86 Sandy
Men’s Basketball League w ill close
Friday, Nov 22, at 5 p.m.
A ll rosters, fees and address
verifications need to be turned in by
the deadline Registration packets
by KIM JACKSON
A five-year dream for two Gresham men began to take shape recently as
work began on an estimated $400,000, eight-field slow pitch softball complex in
Eagle Creek.
The site, located about six miles south of Sandy at the junction of highways
211 and 224. is 29 acres and w ill eventually be a recreation area, featuring
horse shoe pits, picnic area, a children's play area and concession stands
The complex is the brainchild of Ron Lesperance and Brian Knox, both of
Gresham The pair were kicking the idea around about five years ago. and
with the acquisition of the property, it finally ended up a reality.
"We finally found a piece of property that would be great for softball
fields," Lesperance said "The location is central to a lot of cities around
here.”
Lesperance and Knox, both 35-year-olds and graduates of Gresham High
School, hope to form the Eagle Creek Softball League in addition to building
the complex, but say the main thrust w ill be to draw teams for tournament
Play
“ The biggest thing it ’s for is tournaments," Lesperance said. "B ria n went
to a 32-team tournament in Salem last summer and they ended up turning
away about 54 teams. So there is a lot of interest for tournaments.”
Lesperance stressed he did not want to butt heads with the existing Greater
East Multnomah County Softball Association, or any other existing body
"W e're not here to force anybody out," Lesperance said "We are just get
ting it out there for league play. Anyone that wants to join, can."
Lesperance said the fa cility can accomodate an 80-team schedule, mens'
and womens' teams, per week Cost per team to play in the league w ill be $300
That money, plus revenue from selling advertising signs to hang on fences
around the softball fields, w ill go toward paying off the enterprise
"We figure it w ill pay for itself,” Lesperance said. "W e're hopeful the
business people in Gresham. Sandy and Estacada w ill help support this thing
by buying advertising signs But still, this w ill mainly be for tournaments
"And those areas w ill benefit," Lesperance said "Places to eat, motels, gas
stations, etc., w ill all see some revenue ”
Lesperance said one field has been largely completed, with the rest to come
on line before the complex is ready to use around the middle of April or the
first of May.
"This isn't just two people," said Lesperance of the operation " It's going to
take a lot of people to get it going We’re going to learn as we go "
H&R BLOCK
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The p ersonal insurance counsel and advice o f a loca l a ge nt
is im p o rta n t to you in p la n n in g a com plete insurance
p ro gram
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesday thru Thursday
668-3591
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Upstair* in Pioneer Square
G e o rg e M o rgan
Bev Woodcock
A rn ie Poutala
M onday, Friday and evening
a ppointm ents w ill g la d ly be arran ge d
D ave Flippen - Insurance Specialist
"For a ll yo u r Insurance needs"
are s till available at the Sandy Com-
m un ity/S e n io r Center fo r those
wishing to participate
Anyone with questions regarding
the league are asked to call the Sandy
Recreation Department at 668-5569
Eagle Creek softball park
turning dream into reality
OPEN YEAR ROUND
Open 9 a m . -6 p.m . M onday through Friday
P»l O 'H alloran
p-actice Tuesday.
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IW ALRAD INSURANCE
Robert L. Smale
668-8433; if no answer, call 668-6933
38770 Proctor Blvd. • P.O. Box 819, Sandy
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t»l HI —
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Sandy 668 3528
Gresham 667-4171
Welche* 622-3490
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