JUNE 16, 2017, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A13
Auvinen: ‘Everything is wide open’
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
The McNary football team
was able to work faster this
spring.
“Last year we put a lot of
new stuff in offensively and
defensively,” head coach Jeff
Auvinen said. “This year, most
of the older kids have a hold
on things so we can go a lit-
tle bit faster without leaving
some of the younger kids.”
But that doesn’t mean the
Celtics have a lot returning
from last year’s team that went
6-4 overall and fi nished third
in the Greater Valley Confer-
ence. McNary must fi ll holes
at quarterback, receiver, the
line and all over the defense.
“Everything is wide open,”
Auvinen said. “Returning
starters, we just have a handful.
This is a good time to look at
those kids that are competing
for spots.”
Competing against other
sports as well as just fi nishing
school, the Celtics had 86 in-
coming sophomores, juniors
and seniors take part in at least
one day of spring practice
May 30-June 8.
RETIRED,
continued from Page 12
“We had a group get
together, Bob Zielinski and
“We’ve got a lot going
on with the end of school,”
Auvinen said. “I told them if
they’re not doing anything
else, we want you out here as
much as you possibly can. It’s a
pretty busy time of year.”
While players spent the fi rst
week in shorts, linebackers
and linemen, who had been
to two of the four practices,
added helmets and then pads
the second week.
While Auvinen has seen
growth from many of the re-
turning players, two, who are
both switching positions stood
out.
Junior Walling is moving
from safety to linebacker and
Josh Schmeltzer got snaps at
center instead of guard.
“It’s good to see some kids
that have grown and become
more physical,” Auvinen said.
“It will be interesting to see
how we end up but kids are
working hard. The kids that
have been here, I’ve seen some
real progress from them.”
Players took the last week
of school off to focus on fi -
nal exams. Morning workouts
begin Monday, June 19. The
Ted Anagnos, they were really
behind the project and sat
down with Rhonda Brattain
and many others to plan how
this would happened,” Richards
said.
KEIZERTIMES/Derek Wiley
LEFT: Quarterback Casey Toavs looks for an open receiver dur-
ing spring football practice at McNary High School. RIGHT: Tim
Kiser goes through lineman drills.
Celtics will meet three days
a week, Monday, Wednesday
and Friday, throughout the
summer, lifting weights and
working on speed, quickness
and agility.
McNary is also compet-
ing in 7 on 7 competitions
in Woodburn and Portland as
well as hosting a tournament
on July 11.
Team camp is scheduled to
begin on Aug. 7 with fall prac-
tice offi cially starting Aug. 14.
Blue Day is August 19 and a
jamboree the following week-
end.
McNary opens the regular
season on Friday, Sept. 1 at
home against North Salem.
“They believed they could
do it. I then contacted the
(Salem-Keizer) district to fi nd
out all the procedures that
we would have to do and the
timelines that we needed in
order for that to happen. Then
a number of us started fi guring
out what kind of turf and going
around to different places.
“Booster club president
Danielle Bethell was a real
integral part in the ending of
that. She came in midstream
as we were doing it and she
was able to put the fi nishing
touches on the fi nancing that
we needed in order to complete
the project.”
The booster club continued
that momentum into raising
$20,000 to paint and resurface
the gym fl oor as well as
building new dugouts on the
softball fi eld.
“The booster club, they have
been such an ally,” Richards said.
“They created an allegiance
between the community and
McNary High School. Many of
the things that I’ve done in my
tenure here would never have
happened without the booster
club and all of the volunteers.
Keizer is amazing.”
Richards has been rewarded
mostly by the effort the kids
give in all sports on the fi eld
and in the classroom.
The Celtics had 13 sports
teams compete at the state level
during the 2016-17 school year.
Academically, the softball
team, which advanced to the
state quarterfi nals, tied for
second in 6A with a 3.6 GPA.
Of all the 6A boys basketball
teams, McNary had the top
GPA (3.7).
Three of its fi ve starters
were
valedictorians. The
cheerleading team had a 3.85,
which was the best of any
classifi cation.
Richards decided to retire in
the fall of 2016.
“It’s time for some new
people,” Richards said. “It’s
time for a little different vision.
My wife retired a year ago and
she’s enjoying her retirement
and I’m a little envious.”
Richards is looking forward
to spending more time with his
grandson in Colorado, fi shing
and playing more golf.
He’s also taken a position
at Ohio University, where
he’ll teach one online class
per semester in the master’s
program for interscholastic
athletic administrators.
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