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BAGE A10, KEIZERTIMES, FEBRUARY 10, 2017 KEIZERTIMES.COM KEIZERTIMES/Delek Wiley McNaly athletes Kolby Balkel, left, and Kayla Evans celeblated theil oppoltunities to play in college with signing celemonies at the high school on Wednesday, Feb. 1. Signed, sealed, delivered Balkel picks Ail Folce Academy Evans going to Webstel Univelsity By DEREK WILEY Of the Keizertimes McNary senior Kolby Barker considered cancel- ing his visit to the Air Force Academy and committing to the University of Wyoming. He’s glad he didn’t as Barker signed a national let- ter of intent to play football with the military academy on Wednesday, Feb. 1 in the Mc- Nary library. The visit was different than Barker expected. “It wasn’t my plan,” Barker said. “I fi gured I’d go to a reg- ular university and play col- lege football. But when I got on to that campus, all of my assumptions on what a mili- tary academy would be like, it was just so much nicer than I expected. You expect drill sergeants and stuff but the coaches were nicer than any- where else. They were fantas- tic guys.” But what really set Air Force apart is what the acad- emy would do for Barker af- ter football. “What really sealed it for me is the future,” Barker said. “My future is set now. You get paid throughout going to By DEREK WILEY Of the Keizertimes McNary senior Kayla Ev- ans was at work when she got a life-changing email from an university she’d never heard of located 10 miles west of St. Louis, Mo. “I read it and I literally started crying,” said Evans of the letter from Webster Uni- versity offering her the oppor- tunity to join the girls soccer program. “I was so excited.” Before the email, Evans had spoken to a junior college in Washington and another school in Florida but had nearly given up on her dream of playing at the next level. Evans visited Webster’s campus on December 1. She had never been that far away from home and hadn’t been on an airplane since she was too young to remember. “I was so scared because I’m scared of heights,” Evans said. But the campus visit, where she was able to have lunch with current players, eased her fears of going to a school more than 2,000 miles from home. “They were all so nice,” Evans said. “They told me File McNaly seniol Kolby Balkel was an unanimous all-league de- fensive lineman in 2016. the academy and then after that you get a guaranteed job. There I know that my life af- ter football is going to be set.” Barker plans to get a busi- ness management degree and then either go to pilot school or become an acquisitions of- fi cer. “Back in elementary school and middle school, we’d do these tests where you take a survey and it says what career path you might like,” Barker said. “I always got pilot and it just worked out. I always thought it would be kind of fun but I never planned on it.” Blease see BARKER, Bage 11 File Kayla Evans scoled fi ve goals and added two assists duling hel seniol season at McNaly. how life is there and how the program works. It was really nice to be able to talk to them because I don’t know what it’s like to live that far away from home. One girl grew up in California so it was nice to hear how they deal with it.” And on Wednesday, Feb. 1, Evans made it offi cial, signing a letter of intent with Webster. “It doesn’t even feel real right now,” said Evans, who has played soccer since she was six years old. Blease see EVANS, Bage 11 Lady Celts even the score with West Albany KEIZERTIMES/Delek Wiley Baige Downel had nine points in McNaly’s come-flom-behind win ovel West Albany on Fliday, Feb. 3. By DEREK WILEY Of the Keizertimes McNary head coach Derick Handley told his girls basketball team to keep playing hard even when shots weren’t falling or things weren’t going their way. They listened as the Lady Celts came from behind to defeat West Albany 35-29 on Friday, Feb. 3. “Tonight was a great example that they (West Albany) had a lead and we still played hard and if you do that long enough good things will start to happen for you,” Handley said. The Lady Celts trailed 27- 24 when the game turned with 2:10 remaining as McNary senior Sydney Hunter, playing with four fouls, stole the basketball, made a layup on the other end and was fouled. “I was just trying to make contact because I knew we got the offensive rebound and were down three,” Hunter the ball to Paige Downer, who was fouled. said. Downer, who fi nished with After Hunter knocked down the free throw to com- nine points, then made four plete the 3-point play and tie free throws in the fi nal 41 the game 27-27, the McNary seconds to seal the victory. “I just told myself to relax,” defense got a stop and Kailey Doutt passed the ball to Abi- Downer said. “Free throws win games. gail Hawley, We’ve been whose jump focusing shot gave the on that in Lady Celts a practice.” 29-27 lead Downer with 1:34 re- led the maining. SEE BAGE 12 McNar y A f t e r offense in West Albany the fi rst half, senior Saylor Siegner made two free throws scoring fi ve points at the start to even the score, Hunter of the second quarter to tie missed the front end of a the game at 9-9. “We really all just played 1-and-1 but got a defensive rebound and went back to the confi dent,” Downer said. “We’ve been working line. Hunter made the fi rst free together all week to push each throw, missed the second but other and hold each other McNary boys blow out Bulldogs accountable. We’ve been going so hard in practice. It all really paid off tonight.” Kailey Doutt, who added seven points and eight rebounds in the win, then scored on a putback to give the Lady Celts their fi rst lead, 11-9, with 4:58 remaining in the fi rst half. But West Albany responded and led 16-14 at halftime and 25-22 entering the fourth quarter. The Lady Bulldogs made just one fi eld goal and scored only four points in the fi nal period. Hunter, who didn’t score her fi rst basket until a layup with 1:03 remaining in the fi rst half but added 11 in the second to fi nish with 13 points, 12 rebounds and seven steals, said the key to the win was having a short memory. Blease see EVEN, Bage 12
