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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 2017)
BAGE A10, KEIZERTIMES, FEBRUARY 17, 2017 GET A 50 $ rebate by mail Keizer when you use your Ford Service Credit Card on any MOTORCRAFT ® BRAKE SERVICE.* 3555 River Road N, Keizer (503) 463- 4853 www.skylineforddirect.com KEIZERTIMES.COM KEIZERTIMES/Delek Wiley McNaly juniol Blayden Ebbs won his fi nal dual of the legulal season befole he attempts to win back-to-back distlict titles. KEIZERTIMES/Delek Wiley McNaly lecognized seniol stat gills, flont, flom left, Malina Maltin, Emily Bhelps, Kaili Townsend and Mellisa Jimenez and wles- tlels, back, flom left, Killian Dato, Callos Vincent, Wyatt Keslel, Sean Bullows, Callos Floles and Isaiah Rhodes befole the Celtics dual with Splague on Thulsday, Feb. 9. Senior wrestlers honored By DEREK WILEY Of the Keizertimes Jason Ebbs wasn’t just McNary seniors Wyatt Kessler, Sean Burrows and Carlos Vincent’s coach for four years. He also knew them as young children on the Celtic Mat Club and as friends to his son, Brayden and daughter, Taylor. “That’s just a different deal right there,” Ebbs said. “That’s the product of being a coach in the community for 14 years. I’m no longer (just) a coach. There’s some friend- ships there. There’s some relationships there and just trying to help kids make the next step into the world and be great. They’re good people. I’m happy to be by their side, for sure.” Kessler, Burrows, Vincent were recog- nized on Thursday, Feb. 9 before a duel with Sprague, along with fi rst-year senior wrestlers Carlos Flores and Isaiah Rhodes, who Ebbs has enjoyed getting to know. “I love the fi rst-year seniors that come out,” he said. “We usually end up with one or two of those. That’s awesome and it’s nice to have that opportunity to build a relationship with them.” At 132 pounds, Burrows used a take down in the fi rst round and a reversal in the second to win his fi nal home match at McNary 4-2 over Jordan Short in a battle of two district placers last season. “I’ve been wrestling here for 10 years. I had to come out here and leave every- thing,” Burrows said. “I wrestled really hard and I feel like he broke fi rst and I was able to keep pressuring him.” The win wasn’t enough for the Celtics to knock off one of the best teams in the state as Sprague came away with a 56-12 victory. “We knew that Sprague was a tough team and winning this dual was a pretty daunting task but I was extremely proud of every kid going out, standing tall and fi ghting until the end,” Ebbs said. “They usually bring a little bit of the best out of us and a good competitive spirit. Our kids seem to step up and work hard to perform, win or lose, and they do the same to us. One thing I can always count on Sprague for is a good old-fash- ion rivalry and we love it. It helps keep our sport alive. Kids are excited. Moms and dads are excited and you can’t lose when that’s happening.” McNary’s other points came from Enrique Vincent, who at 120 pounds, re- turned from injury after missing much of the season with an injury to edge Luke Merzenich 10-7, and Brayden Ebbs, who at 145 pounds pinned Dalton Lethco- Willis in the second period. Sprague won four matches by pin fall and two via forfeit. Celtics prep for districts By DEREK WILEY Of the Keizertimes McNary went 2-6 in the Greater Valley Conference this season but head coach Jason Ebbs expects a stronger fi nish at the district meet on Feb. 17-18 at West Salem. The biggest reason is the Celtics are fi nally getting healthy. “We’re trying to slowly but surely put the puzzle pieces back together,” Ebbs said. “I’ve never had a season like this season. We haven’t put our best guns out on a mat one time.” Led by Brayden Ebbs, who was the GVC champion at 138 pounds last season as a sophomore, McNary expects to fi ll 24 of 28 spots at the dis- trict tournament, only miss- ing 195 and 220 pounds. Winning a second GVC ti- tle won’t be easy for Brayden, who has jumped to 145 this season, where he’s lost two matches, once to Ian Carlos of North Salem and then to Michael Abeyta of McMin- nville. “Both guys were good tough matches,” Brayden said. “I can compete with both of them. I feel pretty strongly going into districts. I always compete well there. I just want to wrestle my best. 145 is probably the toughest bracket in the state of Oregon right now and I’m glad to be a part of it and making it one of the toughest brackets in the state.” Senior Wyatt Kesler (152) and junior Isaiah Putnam (170) are both looking to re- turn to the state tournament as well after both placed third in the GVC last season. Kesler missed the fi nal two weeks of the season after in- juring his knee in practice. “Every season there’s all these things you can’t predict and plan for and we’re taking our turn,” coach Ebbs said. Blease see DISTRICT, Bage 10 Farr signs with Linfi eld By DEREK WILEY Of the Keizertimes McNary senior Sam Farr only had to look 28 miles northwest to McMinnville to fulfi ll his goal of playing col- lege football. The offensive lineman signed with Linfi eld College on Wednesday, Feb. 1 in the McNary library. “It was defi nitely a goal of mine and has been ever since I started playing football,” Farr said. “It felt like all the hard work that I’d put in ever since I started playing football started to pay off. It’s really humbling and I’m so excited as well. It’s a huge opportu- nity and a huge compliment to me.” Farr fi rst heard from Lin- fi eld the spring after his ju- nior football season when the Wildcats Offensive Line and Associate Head Coach Doug Hire visited McNary. The two met in the library. “We ended up talking about everything, what my senior year was going to look like, how the recruiting pro- cess was going to go and he just kind of introduced me to the entire football pro- gram as well as the school,” said Farr, who then went to a skills clinic at Linfi eld over the summer, followed by the Wildcats fi rst home game of the season, a 27-10 win over Pacifi c Lutheran on Nov. 12. Farr also spent his sum- mer going to clinics at Willa- mette University and George Fox, Division-III programs that also play in the North- west Conference and suffered crushing losses to Linfi eld as the Wildcats went 9-2 in their 61st consecutive winning sea- son and eighth straight con- ference title. While Farr is looking for- ward to joining a successful football program, he also felt comfortable on campus. “On all my visits there I just felt at home,” Farr said. “It felt like a place that I could really fi t into. I love the coaching staff. I met a couple of the teachers there and they seemed pretty cool. My uncle went there and he had noth- ing but good things to say.” Farr, who started at guard his junior season at McNary and then split time between center and guard as a senior, said he should also have a shot at early playing time as the Wildcats graduated 22 se- niors. “They have more of a need,” Farr said. “They haven’t had a lot of depth on the offensive line.” Farr also believes Lin- fi eld will help him continue to build character and make himself a better person. “The whole program is Submitted McNaly seniol Sam Fall, accompanied by Celtics head coach Jeff Auvinen, signed with Linfi eld College on Wednesday, Feb. 1. about developing young men into successful people and that’s why their program is so good,” he said. With the motto, “The Power of a Small College,” Linfi eld’s main campus has just 1,700 students and an 11 to 1 student to faculty ratio, which also interested Farr, who plans to major in foren- sic psychology. Eckelt paces Celtics at GVC meet KEIZERTIMES/Delek Wiley McNaly juniol Salah Eckelt placed fi fth in the 500-yald flee style and eighth in the 100 buttelfl y at the distlict meet. By DEREK WILEY Of the Keizertimes McNary junior Sarah Eckert led the Celtics at the Greater Valley Conference Championships, fi nishing fi fth in the 500-yard free in 5:42.21 and eighth in the 100 butterfl y in 1:06.70. Swimming on Feb. 10-11 at the McMinnville Aquatic Center, Eckert also helped the McNary girls 200 free relay with Emily Alger, Alyssa Gar- vey and Haley Debban place fourth in 1:48.39. Debban advanced to A Fi- nals in the 100 breaststroke as well, where she took eighth in 1:19.32. Lizzie Bryant tied for sev- enth in the 100 backstroke, fi nishing in 1:09.07. Bryant, Alger, Emma Garland and Kyle McCarty also placed sixth in the 400 free relay in 4:12.85. The Lady Celts, who fi n- ished seventh in the GVC with 143.5 points, were with- out reigning district cham- pion and Female Swimmer of the Year Marissa Kuch, who missed the meet with an in- jury. The McNary boys also placed seventh in the district with 150 points. Individually, freshman Kyle Hooper took sixth in the 500 free in 5:15.52. The Celtics also had three relays fi nish in the top eight in the district. Brock Wyer, Harrison Vaughn, Jake Wyer and Grant Biondi placed fi fth in the 200 medley relay in 1:53.41. Biondi, Wyatt Sherwood, Ja- bez Rhoades and Jake Wyer took sixth in the 200 free re- lay in 1:37.37. In the fi nal event of the meet, Sherwood, Vaughn, Hooper and Parker Dean then fi nished seventh in the 400 free relay in 3:44.21. West Salem was the girls GVC champion. McMin- nville won the boys.
