Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 2018)
NOVEMBER 30, 2018, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE B1 KEIZERTIMES.COM M c N A R Y B OY S VA R S I T Y B A S K E T B A L L P R E V I E W : Starting lineup has four new faces By DEREK WILEY Of the Keizertimes Last January, Boston Smith had his coming out party, posting a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds in a 61- 54 win over West Salem. With the graduation of the Celtics other four starters, McNary is going to need a similar effort from Smith every game. “It's a lot different with team chemistry and different players in different roles,” Smith said. “But I think we're going to have a strong inside-out game. There's defi nitely more pressure to step into a leadership role this year. I feel really confi dent.” McNary head coach Ryan Kirch believes the 6-foot- 7 senior, who averaged 8.24 points and 3.64 rebounds per game last season, is up to the task. “I think Boston is ready to take that next step,” Kirch said. “He'll be the best post player in the league by far. I'm anticipating him being a First Team all league player.” Seniors Alfredo Villarreal and Griffi n Oliveira, bench players in the Celtics regular rotation, return and should play much more this season. “Fredo and Griffi n had a lot of varsity experience last year but their roles obviously change,” Kirch said. “We'll look to the three of them (Smith, Villarreal and Oliveira) for leadership and all three have done a really good job so far.” Another senior, Noah Hudkins, was in the starting lineup to open the season but out of the rotation by the end of the year. “He played a lot smaller than he is and this fall has worked at playing bigger and has done a nice job,” Kirch said of the 6-foot-6 senior. “I'd really like to see him get more minutes on the fl oor. If we can play him and Boston together, it gives us a height advantage.” Junior Walling, who averaged nearly three rebounds per game off the bench last season, will also be a valuable asset in the post. Nate Meithof, a sophomore who averaged nearly 30 points per game on the freshman team last season, will play his fi rst varsity minutes. McNary won the Greater Valley Conference championship last season and has averaged 19 wins over the past four seasons. But the Celtics can't count on previous years results as they move to a new league. “Having the success we've had now for four or fi ve years, it's sort of the expectation that everyone has when they come into our program and we're proud of that,” Kirch said. “But it's making sure that guys understand you just don't roll the ball out and compete at the highest level. There's a certain energy that it takes to put that in.” With the success of the program, McNary also had more boys tryout this season, 77 overall, including 37 freshmen. Kirch was able to keep 34 for the three teams—varsity, JV and freshman. “At the beginning of the year you don't like to set anything in stone and put competition on everything and make guys earn it,” Kirch said. “Every year is so different with the personalities and the group of kids. The key is molding them together whatever way you can.” While one of McNary's strengths has been defense, the Celtics aren't quite there yet. “We're going to need to learn to shoot a little bit better on the perimeter and I think this group defensively, we're not as strong or as physical as we've been the past four years,” Kirch said. McNary opens the 2018-19 season at Madison High School in Portland on Dec. 7 at 7:15 p.m. The Celtics fi rst home game is Dec. 18 at 7:15 against Mountainside. RIGHT: Alfredo Villareal will take on more minutes and a greater role this season. MIDDLE: 6-foot-7 Boston Smith looks to become First Team all league at the post. LEFT: Coach Kirch is looking to Senior Griffi n Olivera and others to take on leadership. File Photos A fi shing guide is well worth the money “Two hundred dollars for a fi shing trip?” John sputters. “I can buy fresh fi sh for $12.00 a pound at the market.” John has never experienced watching his best friend wrestle a 364-pound halibut from the depths of Alaska’s pristine waters, or, been deep into the wilderness, sweat dripping from palms, gripping a large bore rifl e, as ivory tipped antlers of a magnifi cent bull elk come into range. Professional guides can make these unforgettable experiences happen for regular folks that can’t afford $80,000 boats or a pack string of horses. No way you can place a price tag on experiences like these. The average working person doesn’t need a lot of money to enjoy some great outdoor experiences they cannot do on their own. John could afford the services of a guide. He loves to fi sh and hunt. As an avid golfer, he could afford a weekend at courses like Bandon-By-The-Sea. So he certainly could handle some guided trips. If you expect to harvest enough fi sh/game to pay for your trip, you are missing the by G.I. Wilson Submitted Wilson (far left) and his buddies on a successful Koskela trip. most important reason for being out there. Is it only about catching dinner? If that’s the case, why are anglers and hunters spending $50 billion a year in the pursuit? In trying to capture the essence of it all, you have to look at what does it mean to you? Is it the memories? The experiences? What do you remember most about that salmon trip you and your son/daughter took after graduation a few years ago? Or that last trip with grampa. It’s not the meals of salmon you remember. It’s about the memories. Being with your best friend when he lands that 364-pound halibut; seeing that monster come to the surface, hearing, “Cheesus Kee-rist” from the guide with 30 years of experience in Alaska? Sitting in a boat in the middle of the Columbia River—at dawn—watching the sun creep over the mountain, burn the fog off the water, and the river comes to life with hundreds of boats, birds and salmon. Being with a good friend, above 6,000 feet, deep in the wilderness country, watching him fulfi ll a once-in-a-lifetime experience taking a trophy Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. The agony of a 40-plus- pound King salmon spitting the hook three feet from the guides net. Heading out early on the Pacifi c for tuna, watching a full moon turn the ocean surface into a gigantic, golden mirror as it slowly sinks below the horizon. The brilliant fl uorescent fl ashes of a 100-pound yellowfi n tuna, as it circles against the power of the heavy rod and reel in the Sea of Cortez. Battle a nine-foot Columbia River white sturgeon until your arms and back scream for mercy, only to caress the historic creature and turn it loose. All these experiences were had with guides. It was not about fi sh to eat, although, we love to eat fi sh. It has to be about the memories. Experiences you shared with someone you love. Experiences you had with friends, family, or even with 4-5 anglers you have never met before. A $200 trip on the ocean or Columbia expensive? A little rough math: boat and trailer, easily, $50,000-$80,000. Truck to pull boat, $40-$60,000. Fuel, rods and reels, at least a dozen to cover all species. Reels that will stand up to this kind of stress, $200 and more. Rods, $100- $200. Bait, line, lures, almost endless. Now, $200 a trip doesn’t sound so bad. Guided hunting trips are expensive, running into thousands of dollars. A good way to save money with hunting guides is “drop camps.” You and your buddy do the research, locate a prime unit in the wilderness, and draw a tag. Hire an outfi tter to pack you and your gear into the wilderness-drop you off-at a specifi c location, and come back and get you once the hunt is over. Typically, this will involve riding horses, pack animals, and a wrangler to do the “grunt work.” You can save a lot of money and still have a great wilderness experience. I know guys that go to the Shooting Hunting Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas and work the auctions. They frequently buy trips valued at several thousand dollars for a few hundred. An African Safari for $750? They did it twice. Same thing at the annual Oregon Hunters Association fundraiser. Guides and outfi tters offer these trips for the publicity. At one of these in Salem I could have had a four-day salmon fi shing trip at one of the top lodges in Alaska for $250. Unfortunately, a buddy and I had already booked a similar trip to Alaska, for signifi cantly more money. Over the past few years I have joined several of my fi shing buddies that have decided to fi sh with guides. We have fi shed our whole lives. Some have had our own boats and gear. We are retired, worked hard all our lives, saved some money, and now need help to do the fi shing we want to do. Age and physical limitations have forced Please see GUIDE, Page B4
