FEBRUARY 12, 2016, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A11
GIRLS,
continued from Page A10
Offensive output aside, Mc-
Nary was also suffocating on
defense. The team forced 27
turnovers and had 40 defl ec-
tions that led to easier baskets
than gutting it out in half-
court.
“We’re not a very good half
court offense team and, when
you have the athletes that we
do, other teams like to get
out and run. The new defense
forces other teams to pres-
sure us and it made for a lot
of turnovers and easy baskets,”
Handley said.
Hingston said wreaking
havoc on defense was part of
the plan from the get-go.
“We’re defi nitely at our best
when we transition well and
we wanted to swarm them on
defense and get out quick,” she
said.
With three games left in
the season, against West Salem,
McMinnville and McKay high
schools, the Celts were posi-
tioned second in the Greater
Valley Conference. That was
unlikely to change, barring ca-
tastrophe.
Handley said the team’s
coaches were putting an em-
phasis on practicing for each
opponent rather than focusing
on fundamentals.
“Our big thing right now is
having the plan and executing
it when it comes to games. We
had some issues in the South
Salem game when the mo-
Swimmers head to district
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
McNary’s Anita Lao makes a move to the perimeter in the
game with West Albany.
ment got a little too big and
we forgot what we were sup-
posed to do,” he said.
Hunter said the team still
has high expections and new
goals as the post-season nears.
“This is just half our season
and knowing we have another
half left is a big thing for us. We
are going to be playing for the
seniors for the rest of the year,”
Hunter said.
McNary hasn’t made it
deep into the playoffs since be-
fore the current seniors were
freshmen.
puzzle answers
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
The McNary High School
swimmers are headed to the
district competition Feb. 12-
13 in McMinnville.
While earning the Greater
Valley Conference crown
might be a stretch for both the
girls and boys, Casey Lewin,
McNary head coach, said
some relay teams and individ-
ual racers are poised to do big
things for their teams.
“The past couple of weeks
we’ve been a bit worn down
but, between tapering and
some rest, I like the place we’re
in headed into the district
meet,” Lewin said.
For the girls, Lewin singled
out sophomore star Marissa
Kuch, who won individual
and relay district titles as a
freshman, Sarah Eckert, Haley
Debban and Emily Alger.
“Emily has been swimming
fast lately and Haley has really
turned it up in the past few
weeks,” Lewin said. “Haley has
had a great year in the 50 free
and that was not something I
saw coming.”
McNary senior Kiana Brio-
nes had her eye on two of the
Lady Celt relay teams.
“Our 200 medley and the
200 free relays are pretty strong
this year, but we have amazing
up-and-coming
swimmers
that are freshmen and sopho-
mores,” said Briones.
Briones is hoping for good
things for herself in the 200
free and 100 breaststroke.
“I’d like to come in around
1:15 in the 100 breast. I’m not
sure exactly where it would
put me, but based on the dual
meet outcomes I think it
could put me in a good spot,”
Briones said.
In boys races, Lewin
thought both Jake Wyer, Park-
er Dean, Evan Alger and ex-
change student Georgio Cor-
rieri had a shot at progressing
to the state races.
“Evan and Parker are just
strong competitors, Jake has
been on a tear recently and
WILSON,
continued from Page A10
Eventually, the task is ac-
complished with considerable
cussing and discussing.
Shotguns securely locked in
the truck, we go for a walk on
a sandbar along the stream. My
excitement meter goes off the
scale: mule deer tracks! A bear
track! I have never seen a bear
track in the wild, having grown
up in the southwest.
A dream come true. Hunt
blue grouse, in country loaded
with mule deer and black bear?
And, we are all alone in a hunt-
er’s paradise.
Before drifting off, hope-
fully to dream about deer, bear
and grouse, we hear a critter
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
Top: Hannah Corpe. Above: Georgio Corrieri.
Georgio has really gotten it
going in the past few meets,”
Lewin said. “They’ll do all
right for themselves.”
Dean has his sights set on
the 200 free and 100 breast-
stroke.
“I’d like to get in the top
eight in the 200 free and I
got a new personal record re-
cently, so I think I have a shot,”
Dean said. “I also would like to
make it in the top 15 of the
100 breast, it’s eluded me since
I was a freshman.”
The team was working on
pacing and strong starts in the
waning days of the season,
Dean said.
The boys 200 free relay
might also have a shot at plac-
ing in the meet.
“We’ve lost a couple of
tenths with some seniors who
graduated last year, but we
could do well if things go our
way,” Lewin said.
In the run-up to the district
meet, the Celts faced their fi -
nal opponents in the GVC,
McMinnville High School,
Tuesday, Feb. 2.
Both the boys and girls lost
the meet, but the team swam
well despite the outcome, said
Lewin.
The girls lost their side of
the meet 100.5-69.5. Kuch
was the only race winner for
McNary. She posted the best
times in the 50 and 100 free
– 24.81 and 54.20, respectively.
The boys lost 128-40 to the
Grizzlies.
“sniffi ng” around the tent. My
pulse hits at least 200. Goose
bumps–the size of golf balls-
-pinball their way up my spine.
Neck hair lifts my head off the
pillow. With the crunch of a
hoof on gravel, Dad assures me
it’s only a doe “checking us out.
They’re always curious.” I stay
at full alert until the critter gets
at least a half mile away.
Suddenly Dad’s weak, quiv-
ering voice shocks me wide
awake. “G.I., a bear’s got me,
through the tent. He’s crush-
ing me.” I instantly hit combat
mode and unleash the most
primal scream known to man,
reaching somewhere above the
threshold of pain.
Then, it gets exciting. Dad,
in a deep REM state, is jolted
into a totally different shock.
He catapults from his sleeping
bag, like a missile out of a silo,
hits his head on a metal brace–
leaving an opening for blood
that will soon be there.
I’m frantically trying to claw
my way out of the WWII sur-
plus sleeping bag, when Dad
comes down on my face and
does a 15-20 yard sprint, trying
to get traction. Two hundred
pounds of spinning bare feet,
on unprotected skin, assure an
ample supply of DNA mixture
around the immediate area.
Dad blasts out the door like
Usain Bolt’s twin brother, In-
sane, coming out of the blocks.
I fi nally tear free from my
“down prison” and stagger to
freedom. I try to photograph
the scene in my mind. Here
stand two grown men, in their
skivvies, bathed in brilliant har-
vest moonlight, blood stream-
ing down faces, eyes big as cue
balls, staring in disbelief.
What the hell just hap-
pened?
Joe Guerra
Ins Agcy Inc
Joe Guerra, Agent
3791 River Road N
Keizer, OR 97303
Bus: 503 - 463 -1388