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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 22, 2016)
JANUARY 22, 2016, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A11 BOYS, AGUILAR, continued from Page A10 continued from Page A10 KYBA hits Celtic hardwood KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald Keizer Youth Basketball Association players took to the court for a brief scrimmage during the halftime of McNary High School girls varsity basketball game Friday, Jan. 15. puzzle answers in attendance writhed with each narrow miss. McNary senior Wyatt Grine fi nally put the team into triple digits with a shot from the foul line with 1:10 to go. “Honestly, my heart was beating super-hard and I was praying, ‘God, please let me make at least one of them.’ That’s what happened and it was a blessing,” Grine said. McNary had a bye Tuesday, Jan. 19. The team will host McMinnville High School Friday, Jan. 22. MCNAUGHT, continued from Page A10 their home for a meal and that was the last straw. I knew I had to go there,” said Mc- Naught. McNaught signed a let- ter of intent to play for the Pirates at a ceremony Friday, Jan. 15, at McNary. $ 2 off Lattes Good lattes Grandma’s Coffee Front Street at Pine good baseball player. You need kids that are looking beyond high school because they an- chor a team in many ways.” Aguilar started looking at his options for college about four months ago and con- tacted LCC. That turned into a conversation with Aguilar’s summer ball coach and then an invitation to work out with the team. “The workout went well and they offered me a position playing shortstop or second base,” Aguilar said. “I like the coach and his playing style and his way of talking to players. He’s a sturdy coach with an old school approach to the game.” Keeker felt the program would be a good fi t as well. “He’ll have the chance to play right away and he’s al- ready talking about looking at four-year schools and con- tacting them so his journey doesn’t end at Lane,” Keeker said. Whether his career ends at LCC or some other school, Aguilar said he intends to be a leader on the varsity roster this spring. “I’m really going to focus on getting wins for my team and being an overall team- mate,” Aguilar said. The last year has been a wild ride for McNaught. She was actually considering giv- ing up softball because she couldn’t fi nd a college that offered the academics that would lead to a career as a oncologist alongside a strong softball program. Despite her doubts, she stuck with the sport and achieved new heights. In 2015, she hit .500, had a .540 on-base percentage, scored 40 runs and stole 17 bases. The totality of her output landed her on the fi rst team all-Greater Valley Conference and the fi rst team all-state. “Kinsey is a stellar young lady and being able to watch her grow as a person and a softball player has been a blessing for me,” said Kevin Wise, McNary head coach. McNaught is also a rare breed on the fi eld, a slapper, which is a batter that moves up on the ball when she is hitting to “slap” it into a hole in the infi eld then beat the throw to fi rst base. “It takes a lot of skill and the ability to read defenses and pitchers. On top of that, Kinsey is probably the best center fi elder in the state right now,” Wise said. The Pirates won their con- ference the past two years, but McNaught has her sights on bigger goals. “My ultimate goal is to help them get to a national championship, even as a fresh- man,” she said.
