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Gragg inducted into Montana Hall of Fame
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
Whether it’s the way he
walks with the swagger of
a former athlete, or the fact
that he towers over just
about everyone in the city
of Keizer, it’s easy to assume
that Scott Gragg was once a
star in the athletic arena.
Even though his playing
days have been over for more
than a decade, the 6-foot-8
inch former offensive line-
man is still getting recog-
nized for his outstanding
football career.
On Saturday, March 23,
Gragg was inducted into the
Montana Football Hall of
Fame as a part of the class of
2019.
Gragg played at the Uni-
versity of Montana from
1991 to 1994 and served as
an assistant coach with the
school from 2009 to 2015.
While he has spent most
of his life in Oregon, Gragg
has always thought of Mon-
tana as his second home, so
being recognized for his ex-
cellence on the football fi eld
was a humbling experience
for him.
“I had no expectation to
be acknowledged, so to get
that honor was really huge,”
Gragg said.
“Every time I was intro-
duced, it was Scott Gragg
from the University of Mon-
tana. So even though I’m an
Oregon kid, there is part of
me that feels like I’m from
Montana as well.”
Gragg grew up in the
mid-Valley and was a stand-
out football and basketball
player at Silverton High
School.
Initially, his favorite sport
was basketball. But after hav-
ing a lot of success in football
his junior and senior seasons,
Gragg was pursued by multi-
ple Division 1 schools.
Gragg took his fi rst offi -
cial visit to the University
of Idaho. However, after he
checked out the Montana
campus, he knew where he
wanted to continue his edu-
cation and football career.
“I was fi rst attracted to
the University of Montana
because it felt like home to
me,” Gragg said. “It was a
special place.”
“I knew that this was the
right place for me.”
Gragg played at Montana
from 1991 to 1994 and was
an all-Big Sky Conference
selection for three straight
seasons and started in 38
consecutive games for the
Grizzlies at offensive tackle.
Gragg was coached by the
legendary Don Read, who
coached at the University of
Oregon and Portland State
University before coaching
at Montana from 1986 to
1995.
“Don Read, to this day,
is the best coach I’ve ever
had,” Gragg said. “I don’t
know how he is at X’s and
O’s, but he is the most pos-
itive person you’re around
and the most uplifting and
encouraging. You wanted to
do everything you could do
represent what he believed
and I fell in love with that.”
“He taught me what I had
to to do to be successful.”
File
McNary athletic director Scott Gragg (left) with his his son, Brian, after a football game in 2016.
After completing his se-
nior season, Gragg was se-
lected to the East-West
Shrine Game and the Senior
Bowl — he is the only Mon-
tana player to ever be select-
ed to the senior bowl.
Because of his exceptional
college career, as well as his
good showing at both all-star
games, Gragg was selected by
the New York Giants in the
second round of the 1995
NFL Draft.
Gragg played for the Gi-
ants from 1995 to 1999, then
played fi ve seasons for the
San Francisco 49ers from
2000 to 2004 before con-
cluding his career with the
New York Jets in 2005.
“At some point in time
I’m going to wake up, be-
cause it just feels like a dream
that has come true,” Gragg
said. “If you were going to
set a course of aspirations for
yourself, I don’t know how
I could have planned it any
better than how my col-
lege and professional career
went.”
McNary opens up track season
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
The McNary track team
opened their season last
week with a home dual meet
against South Salem where
the boys team defeated the
Saxons 76-69, while the
McNary girls fell 90-54 on
Wednesday, April 3.
“The kids are working and
competing hard and doing
what we are asking of them,”
McNary head coach Frank
Gauntz said.
One of McNary’s top
sprinters
Ethan
Martin
picked up where he left off
from last season as we won
both the 100 and 200 meters.
He was also a part of theCelt-
ics 4x100 relay team that fi n-
ished in fi rst.
In the 100m, Martin was
neck-and-neck with McNary
sprinter Dyami Rios, but
Martin was able to edge out
his teammate and crossed the
line in 11.76 seconds.
“It’s fun to watch those
two compete against each
other,” Gauntz said.
Martin also fi nished just
ahead of Rios in the 200m
(24.23).
“It feels really good to
come back from last year and
have my training in the off-
season pay off,” Martin said.
“It also felt good to beat Dy-
ami because he’s usually fast-
er than me. It just shows that
were both putting in work.”
A big key for the Mc-
Nary boys winning this meet
was their dominance in the
throwing events, starting with
freshman Francisco Gomez,
who threw the shot 35-feet-
9.25 inches.
Will Krauss triumphed in
the discus with his top throw
of 112 ft. and Logun Ander-
son took home the win in the
javelin (144-02).
Cole Garland won the
long jump (20-00) to round
out the individual victories
for the Celtic boys.
“It was great to see Cole
jump 20 feet, especially as a
sophomore,” Gauntz said.
On the girls’ side, Isabella
Walker started of her season
on the right track by winning
the 100m (14.07).
Caitlyn Kiefi uk Yates was
the only McNary girl to win
multiple events as she was
victorious in the 100-hurdles
(17.68) and the long jump
(15-1.5).
The Celtics also picked up
victories from Reyna Terrazas
in the 400m (1.05.72), Bran-
di Grunberg in the pole vault
(8-00) Kennedy Buss in the
discus (100-02) and Sabella
Alfaro in the javelin (107-01).
Alfaro followed up on
that success two days later
at the Titan Track Classic at
West Salem High School by
throwing a personal-best of
121-09 and placing second at
the 18-team meet.
However, the rest of the
Celtic team couldn’t fi nd
that same success. The Mc-
Nary boys placed 15th while
the girls placed in 17th at the
TTC.
“It was a big meet, and
we don’t really have the
fi repower to compete with
some of those teams because
70 percent of our team are
sophomores and freshmen,”
Gauntz said. “But, down the
road, we will be competitive
in meets like that.”
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
Nigel Harris takes a turn around fi rst base after hitting a ball in
the outfi eld in a game from last month.
Celts fall in fi nal
non-league game
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
McNary’s Logun Anderson prepares to throw the javelin at the Titan Track Classic on Friday,
April 5 at West Salem High School.
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
The McNary baseball
squad could only muster fi ve
hits for the game as they fell
by a score of 3-2 to Grant in
their non-conference fi nale
on Wednesday, April 3.
Both Alex Tavera and Ja-
cob Jackson led the Celtics
with two hits apiece.
McNary ace David Allen
had his best start of the sea-
son in this one as he went 5.2
innings and gave up just four
hits and no earned runs. But
the senior right-hander fell
victim to fi ve Celtic errors,
which allowed all three of
Grant’s runs to be unearned.
Grant went on top 1-0
in the top of the fi rst on a
throwing error by McNary
catcher Ty Covalt trying to
throw out a runner at third
base.
The Generals went up 2-0
in the following frame on
another defensive miscue by
the Celtics.
After coming up empty
on offense in the fi rst three
innings, McNary responded
with a run in the bottom of
the fourth to cut the lead to
one.
Allen began the frame
with a walk, then advanced
to second on a wild pitch. Al-
len wound up stealing third
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