Quick Hits
PAGE 8, MCNARY FALL SPORTS PREVIEW, SEPTEMBER 2015
Looks around the Greater Valley Conference
McMinnville
McMinnville’s head coach has reasons to
think his team will move up.
Mac went 1-8 last year, but Ryan Mc-
Irvin, in his 16th season with the Grizzlies
program and his fi rst as head coach, sees a
good chance of winning more games in
2015.
The better players lost to graduation are
guard Tanner Scanlon, who
also was a wide receiver
and a defensive back;
Zach Silver, a run-
ning back and line-
backer; and linemen
Oliver Vera and Josh
Sorenson.
Returning offen-
sive starters are head-
ed by Wyatt Smith, an
all-conference quarter-
back last year. There is
competition for the run-
ning back positions, but Ce-
dric Agcaoli and Wyatt Adams are likely
to make fi rst string. Expected to start as re-
ceivers are Justin Trimble and Jesse Medley.
There are three contenders for tight end.
Leading offensive line candidates are Drew
Rubado, Taylor Brown and Jesus Fajardo.
Most of them are likely to start on de-
fense as well. Agcaoli and Rubado are line-
South Salem
backers. Grifi n Williams will be an outside
linebacker and Brad Hessel a defensive
back.
Either Hessel or Colton Ramos will be
the kicker. Ramos is expected to be the
punter.
Asked how the rest of the Greater Valley
Conference looked, McIrvin said the top
three are likely to be West
Salem, South Salem and
Sprague. All three, he
observed, are “big,
fast, strong and ath-
letic.”
McIrvin will be
his own offensive
coordinator and usu-
ally coach the quar-
terbacks and offensive
line – usually, because
“we’ll move around a
bit.” Don Rutschman is the
defensive coordinator and at
times will “move around” to coach the
offensive line. Reeve Woodward will coach
defensive backs and running backs. Mike
Gower is the defensive line coach.
“We’re just excited to get started,” Mc-
Irvin said. “Our kids have worked hard all
summer. We seem to have more depth.”
- Herb Swett, for the Keizertimes
South Salem, last year’s football champion of the Greater
Valley Conference, is a strong contender again according
to coach Scott Dufault.
The Saxons went 9-1 in 2014 but lost in the fi rst
round of the playoffs. A few of last year’s key players were
seniors, but Dufault points to several returning standouts.
Those lost to graduation include wide receiver Connor
Phon; offensive linemen Benny Ham-Marsh and
Dakota Conover and Jack Gries, who was a
running back and linebacker; linebacker Chris
Toomb; and defensive linemen Omar Hidalgo,
Drew Raynak and Romie Ezell.
Quarterback Gabe Matthews, who had 30
touchdown passes and 10 rushing touchdowns
last year, returns. So does running back Davis Carter,
South’s No. 2 rusher in 2014. Returning offensive linemen are
Vincent Villareal, Tyler Coates and Luke Raynak. Gibson Carey, Tony Phong and Carter are
back as receivers and defensive backs. Raynak and Villareal also will play on the defensive
line, so in Dufault’s words, “We need to fi nd more.” Returning inside linebackers are Davis
Carter and Will Riffe. For the special teams, all-conference kicker Matthews returns. The
others on special teams last year graduated.
Asked how the rest of the conference looked to him, Dufault called West Salem “pretty
solid” and observed that Sprague and McNary had good seniors.
Dufault is in his 28th year of coaching high school football, his 21st as a head coach and
his 17th as the Saxons’ head coach.
He is his own defensive coordinator and inside linebacker coach. Chris Short is offen-
sive coordinator. Terry Haugen and Aaron Haugen coach the defensive backs. Steve Norris
and Bryan Martz coach the defensive linemen. Other assistant coaches are Casey Connor,
outside linebackers; Josh Van Lue, quarterbacks; Paul Cary and Ryan Bell, offensive linemen;
Sam Mendez, Jake Turner and Joey Placek, receivers; and Adrian Lewis, running backs.
- Herb Swett, for the Keizertimes
Home Field Advantage…Every Move Matters
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