PAGE A10, KEIZERTIMES, MAY 1, 2015
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KEIZERTIMES.COM
Alone at the top
McNary LAX tied for 2nd
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
The McNary High School varsity lacrosse
team was leading the North Valley Confer-
ence until a narrow 7-5 loss to Corvallis High
School Friday, April 24.
The Celtics will have an opportunity to
even the score Monday, May 4.
“Corvallis put the go ahead goal in with
around four minutes left in the game and fol-
lowed that goal up 15 seconds later after a fa-
ceoff win,” said Ryan Bowlby, McNary head
coach.
Freshman goalkeeper Marcus McCoy had
a whopping 17 saves in the match. He stopped
71 percent of the attempts and anything above
60 percent is considered excellent.
Prior to that match McNary, eked out a
11-10 victory over South Salem High School.
Bowlby said the loss of senior Taran Purkey to
injury during the outing let the Saxons back
in the game, and gave the team a scare.
Overall, the team is continuing to live up
to the promise of a growing reputation within
the sport.
“We lost a couple tough games against
some Eugene teams, but beat three Portland
area schools. We had a big nail-biter in New-
berg and won 9-8 in a two-overtime game.
The next Portland school we played was La
Salle Prep and won 12-11 in overtime. Two
weeks ago, we took on Oregon City and won
11-7,” Bowlby said.
Of the mix, Bowlby said the La Salle win
was a big boost to spirits. La Salle is ranked
above McNary in the state and boasts the
11th-best offense in the land.
“In that game, we had fi ve different play-
ers score and had half of the goals assisted,”
Bowlby said.
The team’s only big loss of the season was
Please see LAX, Page A11
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
Left fi elder Ben Cummings narrowly misses a pop fl y in the McMinnville game after chasing it
down. The Celtics won 4-3 after a rocky start defensively.
7-1 Celts lead GVC
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
The McNary High School
varsity baseball team may
have suffered it’s fi rst loss, but
picking up big wins over Mc-
Minnville and Sprague high
schools kept the team at the
top of league standings.
The Celtics lost 11-3 to
South Salem High School
Tuesday, April 21, after clear-
ing the bullpen to stop the
hemorrhaging.
“We battled and never
gave up,” said Celt Josiah Gil-
bert, who started the game on
the mound. “For me, person-
ally, I just couldn’t make the
adjustments I needed to.”
Despite the lopsided de-
feat, Larry Keeker, head coach
of the Celts, felt it came down
to defensive lapses in the fi fth
inning.
“After loading the bases,
Gabe Matthews came in and
hit a grand slam. We did well
offensively, but the defense
faltered,” Keeker said. “That
game snowballed on us and it
just happens sometimes.”
Up to that point, it had
been a 3-2 game with the ad-
vantage going to South. Ben
Cummings had two RBIs on
one hit in the game.
McNary bounced back
24 hours later to take a 4-3
win over McMinnville High
School in nine innings. The
game started out rocky for
pitcher Mickey Walker. He
allowed three runs in the fi rst
three innings before reining
it in and pitching the entire
game. Walker got the win
with 14 strikeouts and more
than 120 pitches thrown.
McNary tied the game at
3-3 in the fi fth, putting the
pressure back on the Griz-
zlies against the Celt’s best
pitcher.
The game ended in the
ninth when Nick LaFoun-
taine scored from second on a
bunt and an error. Mathew Is-
may had a triple in the game.
On Friday, April 24, Mc-
Nary traveled to Sprague and
walked away with a 9-8 win.
This time around it was
Gilbert who got the win,
coming into the game in the
sixth inning.
“We had a good run going,
then things fell apart. I came
in a jam and just tried to do
what I could,” Gilbert said.
“We’re one of those ‘heart
attack’ teams who seems to
turn things around just when
we need to.”
The Celts had an 8-0 lead
when the Olys unleashed in
the fi nal three innings to knot
the game 8-8.
“Once again, we executed
the on the bunts to win the
game,” Keeker said.
Ismay went 3-for-3 at the
plate with three runs scored.
Trevor Gilbert had three
RBIs on one hit, a triple.
Cummings had two RBIs.
The Celtics stand alone
atop the Greater Valley Con-
ference with McMinnville a
game behind them.
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
Lady Celt Kiana Villarreal reaches for an out at fi rst in a game with McKay High School last week.
Girls lose 2, win 1
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
The Lady Celts of the Mc-
Nary High School varsity soft-
ball team may have come up on
Intramural champs
Submitted
A team of McNary High School underclassmen took down a team of McNary faculty to win the Intramural Basketball
Championship at the school Thursday, April 23. Team Make Shift, Adam Harvey (sophomore), Mory Takyu (freshman), Franny
Balos (freshman), Jordan Harvey (sophomore) and Edward Gidenko (sophomore), took down staff members Tim Ehlers, Eric
Schmit, Marc McAvoy, KJ McCrae, Andy Strejc, Miguel Camerana, Michael Miller, Maj. Robert Garcia and Shalese Stroup for
the win.
the losing end of a game with
After several games with
Sprague High School Friday, numerous stranded runners in
April 24, but they proved they the past few weeks, Ito said the
could hang with one of the top team fi nally got it together in
teams in the state.
the South game. Ulrey and Ki-
“I knew they were going ana Villarreal both had home
to be big competition, but it runs against South.
was probably the best we’ve
“We put our hits together
played this season. Our hitting better and didn’t leave as many
could have been a bit better, runners on base,” Ito said.
but I have no regrets about the
Wise said it came down to
game,” said Megan Ulrey, Mc- South getting the last hit when
Nary pitcher.
it was needed most.
McNary put two runs on
Between the two losses, the
the board in the early going, but Lady Celts routed McMin-
was unable to do much with it nville High School 14-1. Kelsi
after that. Sprague,
Christenson
with a 7-1 record,
hit a home
is ranked third in “We’re getting
run in the
the state.
outing.
closer to our
“That
game
“Our hit-
showed we’re get- potential”
ting was on,
ting closer to our
our defense
— Kevin Wise
potential,”
said
was on and
McNary head coach
Kevin Wise, Mc-
there wasn’t
Nary head coach.
a hole any-
“For us, it’s not about right where,” Ulrey said.
now. We’re not peaking yet.
While the team has seen
We’re making that climb.”
more struggles than expected,
Despite its 4-4 record, Mc- there’s still a fair amount of
Nary is still ranked near the top movement among the top-
20 6A teams in the OSAA.
ranked teams in the state. And
“Our bunt team and com- McNary made a huge run into
munication have come a long the playoffs two years ago after
way in the past week and it re- a diffi cult season.
ally helped in our close games
The challenge ahead will
last week,” said Celt senior be maintaining their current
Kimi Ito.
standing, or better yet, improv-
McNary was dealt another ing it. Without a play-in op-
loss by the South Salem High portunity, the teams will have
School Saxons three days ear- to fi nd seeding through state
lier on Tuesday, April 21.
rankings unless it makes a big
“It was a back-and-forth move up the Greater Valley
game the whole way,” Ulrey Conference ranks.
said of the 10-9 loss. “We would
“Quite honestly, for teams
get a lead and couldn’t hold on 1 through 20 (in the rankings),
to it, then they would get the there’s not a huge difference,”
lead and we’d come back.”
Wise said.