NOVEMBER 17, 2017, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A9
KEIZERTIMES.COM
Diede signs to play D-I volleyball
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
McNary senior Valerie
Diede has wanted to play vol-
leyball in college for as long as
she can remember.
“I think I always knew
I wanted to play in college,
pretty much ever since I
was little,” Diede said. “I al-
ways looked up to the big
girls. We would go to U of
O games and I would always
love watching them. I knew
I loved playing volleyball so
why not play in college.”
On Wednesday, Nov. 8,
Diede offi cially became one
of those “big girls,” signing
with the University of Hart-
ford, a Division I program in
Connecticut.
But Diede didn’t pick
Hartford just because of its
Division I status.
“It’s not so much that it’s
Division-I. Yes, it’s cool that
it is but it was all about the
school and that it felt like it
was the right fi t for me,” Die-
de said.
Diede committed to the
Hawks more than a year ago
after visiting the campus the
summer before her junior
year. Hartford was the only
school she visited.
KEIZERTIMES/Dsrsk Wilsy
McNary ssnior Valsris Disds, votsd First Tsam all-confsrsncs, lsd ths Lady Cslts in blocks and hitting sffi cisncy. On Wsdnssday, Nov. 8, shs signsd with ths
Univsrsity of Hartford, a Division I program in Connscticut.
“I was talking to other
schools but I didn’t get to that
point,” Diede said. “I just re-
ally liked that school (Hart-
ford) and I knew that’s where
I wanted to go. The coaches
were really welcoming and
just walking around there, I
could see myself going there
and the academics are really
good and it was just every-
thing I wanted.”
Diede got in touch with
Mitch Kallick, the head vol-
leyball coach at Hartford,
through her club coach at
North Pacifi c Juniors—Adam
Ellis.
Committing to Hartford
so early, allowed Diede to re-
lax and enjoy her junior and
senior volleyball seasons.
“I don’t have to worry
about fi lling out all of this
information. I didn’t have to
look into colleges or worry
about how much money I’m
going to spend for it,” Diede
said.
Plsass sss DIEDE, Pags 12
Celtics playoff run ends at West Linn
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
WEST LINN—A touch-
down followed by a sack and
fumble recovery gave McNary
a spark late in the third quar-
ter but West Linn immediate-
ly put it out to fi nish off the
Celtics 41-6 on Friday, Nov.
10 in the second round of the
state playoffs.
After gaining 64 total yards
and punting on its fi rst six pos-
sessions, the Celtics offense fi -
nally found some holes in the
West Linn defense. McNary
marched 70 yards on 16 plays,
capped off by a 4-yard touch-
down run by Junior Walling on
fourth-and-goal to get within
28-6 with 1:48 remaining in
the third quarter after the extra
point was blocked.
Walling then sacked West
Linn quarterback Ethan Long,
forcing a fumble and Tim Kis-
er recovered, giving McNary
the ball at the Lion 30-yard
line.
However, the Celtics then
turned the ball over on downs
and West Linn connected on a
45-yard touchdown pass, end-
ing any hope of a McNary
KEIZERTIMES/Dsrsk Wilsy
LEFT: McNary linsbacksr Junior Walling divss aftsr Wsst Linn running back Ahmir McGss in ths fi rst half of ths Csltics sscond round playoff gams on Friday, Nov.
10. RIGHT: McNary quartsrback Erik Barksr triss to sscaps a sack.
comeback.
“They’re better than us and
they made a lot more plays
than we did,” McNary head
coach Jeff Auvinen said of
West Linn. “I think our kids
had a gritty effort.”
The Lions added a 71-yard
touchdown pass with 4:29 re-
maining to complete the scor-
ing.
“Tonight was much bet-
ter than our Sprague and West
(Salem) games,” Auvinen said.
“I think we battled tonight.
They left their starters in and
were throwing bombs with
four minutes to go because
they were still scared.
“It’s the playoffs. You don’t
mess around. I’m not upset at
their coaching staff or any-
thing. It just shows that they
were still worried about what
we could do.”
McNary’s defense started
the game fi red up after hold-
ing West Linn on fourth down
at the Celtic 15-yard line.
Plsass sss END, Pags 12
McNary 5-6 graders win gold bracket
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
SALEM—McNary’s fi fth
and sixth grade blue team
came from behind to defeat
Lakeridge 9-8 on Saturday,
Nov. 11 in a Tualatin Valley
Youth Football League gold
bracket championship game.
Playing at South Salem
High School, McNary trailed
8-0 at halftime but a deep pass
to Christopher Cortez got
the young Celtics deep into
Lakeridge territory. Jesse Dyer
then cashed in with a 6-yard
touchdown run but the extra
point was blocked with 3:45
remaining in the third quarter.
“We had good opportuni-
ties early on in the fi rst quar-
ter. We took that fi rst drive
down and got stopped inside
the 5, so we knew we could
move the ball,” McNary head
coach Kyle Hughes said.
“We talked at halftime
about staying with it and don’t
get down and they came out
in the second half and put a
drive together and made some
big plays.”
After McNary’s defense got
a stop, two more catches by
Cortez, including one from
Dyer on a fl eafl icker, got the
Celtics back inside the Lak-
eridge 10-yard line.
But the drive stalled at the
9 and on fourth-and-8, Dyer
kicked a 26-yard fi eld goal to
put McNary on top 9-8 with
5:46 remaining.
Plsass sss YOUTH, Pags 12
KEIZERTIMES/Dsrsk Wilsy
McNary’s fi fth and sixth grads blus tsam, coachsd by Kyls Hughss, Dan Burrus, Miks Smsdsma, Russ Walksr and Jon Harrington,
dsfsatsd Laksridgs 9-8 on Saturday, Nov. 11 in a Tualatin Vallsy Youth Football Lsagus gold brackst championship gams.