PAGE A8, KEIZERTIMES, APRIL 29, 2016
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Celts rebound after tough losses
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
McNary High School’s var-
sity baseball team had a rough
start to its week April 19, en-
during a 7-5 loss to South Sa-
lem High School in the sev-
enth inning. Fortunately, it did
get better.
“We had a good start and
ended on a bad note against
South, but we really bounced
back and showed what we are
made of deep inside by the
end of the week,” said Celt Jo-
siah Gilbert.
In the South game, Mc-
Nary’s Collin Young hit a
three-RBI triple in the fi rst
inning. Young crossed the plate
on a hit by Trent Van Cleave
that ended with the latter be-
ing thrown out at fi rst. The
Celts held on to that 4-0 lead,
with Gilbert on the mound,
for the next fi ve innings.
In the top of the seventh,
the wheels came off on the
Keizer team. The Saxons took
advantage of walks, errors and
a struck batter to run up a 7-4
lead. McNary’s Matthew Is-
may fi nally took over on the
mound and allowed the team
to make its last stand at the
dish.
Ismay scored the fi nal run of
the game on an error by South,
but that was all the Celts could
Baseball
camp
April 30
The McNary High
School baseball program
is hosting a Future Celt-
ics Camp Saturday, April
30, for students in fourth
through eighth grade.
The cost of the camp
is $25 and registration
can be completed on-
site at the Celtic baseball
fi eld. Check-in starts at
noon and the camp runs
from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Campers should bring
a glove and bat, if they
have one, and wear a long
sleeve shirt, sweats or
baseball pants, a baseball
hat and cleats. In the case
of inclement weather, the
camp will be held in the
McNary gym and tennis
shoes will be required.
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
Celt Collin Wentworth winds up a pitch in the game with Sprague High School Friday, April 22. Wentorth and fellow sophomore
Carl Rumbaugh kept the Keizer team in the game long enough to pull out a 4-3 win.
muster for the 7-5 fi nal.
“We felt like we took a
punch to the gut. It was hard
to swallow, but we didn’t make
the plays we needed to end
that game,” said Larry Keeker,
McNary head coach.
Keeker said the team had
a better game the next day,
April 20, as McNary traveled
to meet McMinnville High
School. The contest resulted in
another loss, 4-2, but McNary
handled the Grizzlies’ pressure
better.
One McMinnville run in
the fi rst and two more in the
fourth gave the team a 3-0
head start. McNary notched
a run in the top of the sixth
when Matt Aguilar scored on a
hit by Young, but McMinnville
answered with one of its own
in the bottom of the frame.
McNary scored again in the
top of the seventh when Josh-
ua Benson scored on a double
by Brendan Frizelle, but the
next batter fl ied out to end the
game.
Please see CELTS, Page A
Boys tennis hits winning
combo at No. 1 doubles
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
McNary’s Jannicke Martin returns a volley in doubles competition during a match last week.
Spirited Lady Celts fi nd
success in small gains
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Improvement is measured in inches, not
miles, for most endeavors worth pursuing. Of
course, knowing that doesn’t make it any easier
to persevere through the tough times.
Fortunately, the Lady Celts of the McNary
High School varsity tennis team are working
hard to approach recent struggles with the
right attitude.
“When we started the season, we had a lot
of freshmen and a lot of seniors and there was
an age gap, but we’ve grown into a nice little
family,” said Celt Jannicke Martin, a foreign ex-
change student from Hamburg, Germany.
Senior Ivon Villasenor-Ortiz said the gains
on the court are most evident in the moments
that aren’t readily apparent to onlookers.
“This is my fi rst year and, when I started,
I had trouble hitting the ball back and forth
across the net eight times, now I can do even
more. But it’s because we’ve all improved that
I’m able to do that,” Villasenor-Ortiz said.
With only three weeks left in the season,
Garrett Jensen, McNary head coach, is hoping
to see more of the game strategy implemented
on the court.
“They’re getting to that point where they
know they should be hitting the ball to the
person at the net in a doubles defensive shot,
but now it’s a matter of getting them to do it in
a live game,” Jensen said.
Sophomore Hannah Childress remains the
team’s standout. After taking fourth in doubles
at the state tournament last year, Childress has
emerged as one of the more dominant singles
players in the Greater Valley Conference.
Childress is still working on building the
confi dence she set out to establish at the be-
ginning of the season, Jensen said.
“She has a good offensive game, but we’re
still working on getting her defensive game at
the same level,” Jensen said.
Of the newcomers to the sport this season,
Jensen said Katherine Perez and Tayler Walker
have shown some of the greatest improvement
since the beginning of the season.
“They’re playing doubles together for the
team now and it’s been a complete turnaround
for both of them since the fi rst day of the sea-
son,” he said.
Please see TENNIS, Page A10
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
The McNary High School
boys varsity tennis team is en-
during one of those dreaded
rebuilding years.
In the Keizer team’s past
three Greater Valley Confer-
ence contests, the Celts have
won only two matches, both
of them in the No. 1 doubles
slot.
Senior Johnny Trinh and
partner Mats Schiefer, a ju-
nior, beat the top doubles
teams from Sprague and
South Salem high schools in
recent weeks.
Trinh and Schiefer beat the
Olys in straight sets of 6-2 on
Tuesday, April 19 and took
down the Saxons with set
scores of 6-4, 6-7 and 7-5 on
Thursday, April 21.
“It’s been good for them
and it’s helped boost the mo-
rale of the team,” said Lisa
Reid, McNary head coach.
While match wins are
proving diffi cult for McNary,
improvement has shown in
other ways, Reid said.
“Everybody is getting in
more games than they did in
the fi rst time around with the
same teams,” Reid said.
That effort was on display
in the doubles matches of
the West Salem contest. The
teams of Adrien Valle and
Alan Torres and Pablo Barrera
and Izayah Hall both won at
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
Celt Johnny Trinh returns a volley in competition with Sprague
High School. Trinh and his partner Mats Schiefer have won two
of their fi rst three matches as a doubles team.
least fi ve points. Abram Lep-
resh and Adam Graneto won
four. In singles competition,
Chance Crosby put up a fi ght
at No. 4 singles, but Titan
Reid Morrison pulled out the
win with set scores of 7-5 and
6-2.
McNary lost some of its
more seasoned players to
graduation last year. This time
around Trinh is the team’s
only senior and rest of the
varsity roster includes four
juniors, two sophomores and
three freshmen.
Among the newcomers,
Reid said Graneto is showing
a lot of potential.
“Adam has been out here
really working hard and he’s
been really fl exible playing
singles and doubles. That’s
hard to do for any player,”
Reid said. “On the whole,
they’ve kept their heads up
even with the struggles and
that will help them in the
future, especially if they keep
playing in the off-season.”
Celt softball still tied for 3rd
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
The McNary High School varsity softball
team was expected to face Sprague High School
Friday, April 22, for third place heading into the
last lap of the Greater Valley Conference.
Unfortunately for the Lady Celts, a loss to
McMinnville High School the game prior now
has McNary and the Grizzlies tied for third
with records of 5-3.
“McMinnville was a tough loss for us, but
the thing that kept us going was our team bond,
which is outrageous this year,” said Celt Han-
nah Carr. “Even during bad games, and no mat-
ter the score or inning, we can rely on each
other and none of us get down about the bad
things.”
The Celtics’ week started by fi nishing a
game with McKay High School with a 24-0
win Monday, April 18. The next day, McNary
jumped out to an early lead over South Salem
High School and piled on as the game unfolded
to win 13-2.
Please see SOFTBALL, Page A10