PAGE 12, KEIZERTIMES, JANUARY 9, 2015
KEIZERTIMES.COM
The Real Deal
Swift timeline
planned for
football coach
replacement
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
McNary High School of-
fi cials are wasting little time in
their search for a replacement
for Isaac Parker, the current
head coach of the Celtic foot-
ball program.
Parker is leaving his coach-
ing and teaching positions on
Jan. 26 to take a job as an of-
fensive coach and recruiter for
Lewis & Clark College.
Principal Erik Jesperson
and Athletic Director Ron
Richards said they would
be opening the position this
week with the expectation of
assessing the pool of applicants
within the next two to three
weeks.
“It’s a bit tricky because
Isaac was also a math teacher
and it’s a priority for me to
have a coach who will be in
the building,” said Jesperson.
“The best applicant for the job
may not be a math teacher.”
If all goes according to plan,
Richards hoped interviewing
could begin late this month or
in early February.
“We’re looking for the best
football coach we can fi nd. I
would like a coach with dem-
onstrated success in leading a
program as head coach or as
a coordinator,” Richards said.
“Our vision for all of our
coaches is that they have four
ideals as their cornerstones:
support academics, develop
character, provide leadership
opportunities, and to compete
at the highest level. Our new
coach must support this mis-
sion.”
Parker said he’s offered to
assist in the search but he’s
leaving it to the discretion of
Jesperson and Richards.
After arriving to the pro-
gram with a long-term vi-
sion three years ago, Parker is
leaving with it only partially
completed. However, Jesper-
son said Parker’s vision was
“spot-on.”
“Isaac is a glue guy when
it comes to bringing people
together. From organizing
events like Blue Day to devel-
oping relationships with the
feeder schools, Isaac has a way
of bringing people into the
tent. Continuing that will be
a priority for any new coach,
but we will also be looking for
what the candidates can bring
to our program,” Jesperson
said.
Both Jesperson and Rich-
ards agreed that fi lling Parker’s
shoes goes beyond the grid-
iron.
“Isaac is a great leader. He
has created relationships across
all boundaries and, specifi cally,
with his players as witnessed
by the feelings he has for his
players and that the players
have for him,” Richards said.
Mat men shine
in winter break
tournaments
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
McNary’s Harry Cavell puts up a shot in the Celtics’ game with South Salem High School Tuesday, Jan. 6. A 67-60 win for McNary
puts it alone in fi rst place in the Greater Valley Conference and at No. 5 in statewide OSAA rankings.
Barn-burner with Saxons
puts Celts at top of GVC
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Ryan Kirch, head coach of the Mc-
Nary High School boys varsity basketball
team, expected the winner of a game with
the South Salem High School Saxons to
be the last team with the ball.
He was right, and for the Celtics, it
meant claiming the top spot in the Great-
er Valley Conference with a 67-60 win
Tuesday, Jan.6.
To be completely fair, McNary had
some help. The Saxons handed over the
ball fi ve times on offensive fouls in the fi -
nal 1:20 of the game and Celts Tregg Pe-
terson, Harry Cavell and Trent Van Cleave
combined to hit 9 of 10 from the foul
line.
“We want to show them that we can
play and compete and that they’re not
running away with the title,” said Mc-
Nary’s Cole Thomas prior to the game.
While the Celts get to bask in the glory
of the win, if any Celt players have night-
mares this week, they will surely come in
the form of 5-foot-7 Saxon point guard
Jacob Ramos. Ramos hit four consecu-
tive three-pointers at the top of the night
to keep McNary from running away on
an early 12-6 lead. He also lifted South
over McNary with three points (a bucket
and a free throw) in the last seconds of the
fi rst frame. The teams started the second
quarter with South up 23-20.
The Celts leapt back into the driver’s
seat on buckets by Dunagan and Peterson
and didn’t relinquish it again the rest of said Celt Mathew Ismay.
the night. However, South didn’t throw in
“We weren’t ready and we weren’t
the towel until the fi nal minute.
knocking down shots early,” he said. “We
McNary managed to extend its lead to also need to get more consistent with our
seven points midway through the second free throws.”
period and doubled it, 50-36, by the end
Lebanon outscored the Celtics 12-1
of the third period.
in the fi rst frame. The Keizer team took
With about three minutes left in the the game back in the second quarter and
game, South had managed to stop the went into halftime up 22-19, but the
bleeding and cinch up the gap to 54-50. Warriors’ 22-point fourth period sealed
Peterson put in consecutive two-pointers, McNary’s fate.
but South answered
“Our attitude and
both times – fi rst with
effort wasn’t where it
a two and then with a
needed to be, but the
trey. The teams were
boys responded and got
at 58-55 when the
up the next morning
Saxon frustrations be-
and gutted out a tough
gan getting the better
game with Seattle Acad-
of them.
emy,” Kirch said.
— Celt Cole Thomas
The Celts were
McNary beat Seattle
ranked fi fth in the
Academy 58-50 with ju-
state at press time, but
nior Harry Cavell lead-
the team was still working out some kinks ing the offensive effort, pouring in 23
over the winter break when a tough loss points.
made for a good lesson.
Devon Dunagan had 16 points in the
The Celts were on a fi ve-game win win; Tregg Peterson had 14 points; Ismay
streak after the fi rst game in a Summit had three and Trent Van Cleave put in
High School tournament the weekend two.
after Christmas. McNary had already tak-
The Celtics returned home for a game
en down Bend High School 66-49 the with Oregon City Friday, Jan. 2, and
fi rst night of the tournament and play- battled to a 64-50 win in a game where
ers had their thoughts on playing for the the outcome wasn’t certain until the fi nal
championship, said Kirch.
minutes.
Lebanon High School’s squad had oth-
McNary had a 20-11 lead after the fi rst
er plans. The Warriors doled out a 59-54 period, but the Pioneers started the sec-
Please see REAL, Page 13
loss to McNary. Things started out rough,
“They’re not
running away
with the title.”
By ERIC A. HOWALD
the Ruppel 2nd Man Tour-
Of the Keizertimes
nament in Cupertino, Calif.
The McNary High School The Celts had six wrestlers
wrestling teams spent their in championship matches and
winter break getting better.
fi ve crowned.
“Typically we come out of
“I can’t tell you the last
the winter break as a stronger time that happened,” said
team, and I think that’s go- Jason Ebbs, McNary head
ing to mean more wins all- coach. “We had three major
around,” said Taran Purkey, a goals going to the California
senior.
tournaments this
For
evidence,
year: getting rid
look no further
of the baggage
than the records
of rankings, see-
from a trio of win-
ing new faces and
ter break tourna-
fi nding out what
ments.
other programs are
The
Celtic
teaching. On top of
streak started with a
that, we got some
tournament at Lib-
medals and plac-
erty High School
ings.”
in which senior Al-
To u r n a m e n t
varro Venegas won
champs at Ruppel
the
195-pound
were: Jordan Cagle
A. Venegas
division with a
by pin in 44 sec-
second-round pin
onds at 145 pounds;
over
Tualatin’s
Hunter Lucas in
Phelan Alvarado.
an 8-4 decision at
Purkey
took
152 pounds; Jesse
second in the same
Gomez in second-
tournament with
round pin at 160
a fi nal round loss
pounds; Ryan Ed-
to Sandy High
sall in a 10-2 deci-
School’s Spencer
sion at 170 pounds;
Barnett.
and Gage Mance
“Barnett
was
with a second-
just a tank and I
round pin at 182
T. Purkey
couldn’t get past
pounds.
him,” Purkey said.
Eli Mance made
Senior
Riley
it all the way to
Repp made it all
the championship
the way to the third
fi ght before getting
place match before
pinned in the sec-
falling to Sandy’s
ond round by An-
Hector Ramirez
niruoh Ankola of
in a 7-4 decision;
Terra Nova High
Carlos Vincent also
School.
made it to the third
Other top plac-
place match where
ers for the Celt-
he lost in a major
ics were Jonathon
B. Ebbs
decision; Brayden
Collins and Wil-
Ebbs took fi fth
liam Smith who
place with 13-2 major deci- each took third place.
sion; Michael Phelps lost a
Also in Cupertino, the var-
5-2 decision in a fi fth place sity team wrestlers took part
match-up; and Gage Mance in the Blanchini Varsity Tour-
lost a fi fth place match to nament. Brayden Ebbs, Taran
Braden Watson of Sandy High Purkey and Alvarro Venegas
School.
won their respective divisions.
The McNary junior varsity
“I felt like we had more
wrestlers also made waves at Please see WRESTLE, Page 14