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KHS PREVIEWS 10A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016 How to improve on perfection? Loggers will try By GARY HENLEY The Daily Astorian KNAPPA BASEBALL Coach: Jeff Miller, 15th year 2015: 27-0 (21-0 NWL) State Playoffs: Defeated Lost River, 19-2; Dufur, 6-4; Regis, 7-3; and Monroe, 3-0, in the state championship. All-League Losses: Andrew Miller (MVP), Austin Dragoo (trans- ferred), Justin Dragoo, Chase Rusinovich, Nate Truax. All-League Returners: Reuben Cruz, So.; Noah Kinney, Sr.; Jason Miller, Jr.; Dale Takalo, So.; Colton Weirup, So. Twenty-seven and 0? It was a great season, it was fun and it was a blast for Logger baseball fans to watch their team win another state championship. But 27-0 is in the past, and Knappa baseball is on to the next season. “I’ve never heard the kids talk about it, I don’t talk about it … that was last year’s team,” Knappa coach Jeff Miller said. Their fans may sport sweat- shirts and T-shirts with “27-0” on the back, but “We don’t ever discuss wins here,” Miller said of the players. “We try to take care of other things, and the wins come along with it.” Of last year’s amazing streak, he said, “We know that it won’t help us this year.” THE NWL Make no mistake, the Log- gers will still be a factor in the league race, but the chase for the championship could be a little tighter for the ¿rst time in years. It may even come down to a three-game series between 9ernonia and Knappa, the ¿nal week of the regular season. “I’d pick Vernonia as the favorite going in,” Miller said. “They obviously have athletes, like they did (winning league championships) in basket- ball and football. They return experience, athletic ability and pitching. They should be at the top, and challenged closely by Gaston, which has a deep pitch- ing staff. (Jarad) Davis is a good pitcher, and (Bailey) Mor- rison at Vernonia is good. “I hope that we get to where we’re in that mix,” he said. “We have kids who are used to win- ning and like to compete, so I think we can be in the mix of Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian Knappa’s Dale Takalo pitches during a baseball game against Reedsport. those teams at the top. “Hopefully we’ll still be close enough to where that last series is interesting.” Miller’s favorite would have been Portland Lutheran, before the school dropped its varsity baseball program. “They had the best pitcher in the league,” he said of the Bluejays. Statewide, Miller said, “Reedsport and Burns are the top 2A teams this year.” Knappa has already beaten Reedsport twice, 3-2 and 10-0 in a two-game series to start the season. “Irrigon will also be a tough out. They have a tremendous left-handed pitcher, (Austin) Rice. He’s good, and they’re talented and athletic.” THE LOGGERS Five all-league returners (and only one senior among those six) will go a long ways in helping Knappa be “a part of the mix.” “It’s a work in progress,” Miller said. “We return some good baseball players, but there’s a lot of questions out there, and positions to ¿ll.” To start with, on the mound, where Knappa must replace Chase Rusinovich and Tyson Burnard. “Dale (Takalo, a sopho- more) is basically all we return on the mound. It’s a new role for him, stepping up to be the ace. Behind that, it’s one of those years where it’s hard to identify your pitchers, so every- body’s a pitcher. “We’re working a lot of guys, and they’re all capable. They will be better a month from now than they are now.” Some things, however, never change. The Loggers still have a defensive lineup that will be unmatched at the 2A level. All-state junior Jason Miller will move to in¿eld this year, where, coach Miller said, “We have some very solid in¿eld- ers, with Noah Kinney our only senior. He’s been a starter for a long time, he’s as solid as it gets at second base; Jason Miller and Mason Hoover (So.) are both solid in¿elders (and inter- changeable at second and short- stop). Between the three, that’s a solid an in¿eld as you will ¿nd.” Takalo will play ¿rst when not pitching, and the same with junior Michal Goodman, who already has a head-to-head win over an all-state pitcher in the preseason. The out¿eld is “anchored by two good returning play- ers, (sophomores) Reuben Cruz and Colton Weirup. Defen- sively, we’re very solid.” Knappa must replace another all-leaguer behind the plate (Nate Truax), and may just do it with another all- league caliber catcher. “Andrew Goozee (Jr.) has the strongest throwing arm I’ve ever coached. He has the tough- ness you want in a catcher, and he’s a leader. He has a lot of qualities. “So with Reuben, Dale, Jason and Noah — there’s four very good baseball play- ers, then throw Mason in for a ¿fth,” coach Miller said. “We have seven, eight, nine really good baseball players.” Also challenging for spots will be Logan Bartlett, Ryker Coffey, Reece Hunt, Shawn Lackey and Quentin Pinkstaff. “Good numbers and a qual- ity freshman class,” Miller said. “We just hope to be in the dis- trict playoffs, where you have a chance to play your best for a game or two and hope- fully qualify for the state tournament.” With a 62-1 record in league play over the last three years … yes (in the safest bet of the cen- tury), the Loggers will probably be in the league playoffs. Prediction: Miller’s choice is Vernonia, but it’s almost impossible to ignore what Knappa has done over the last three years. Knappa outscored the rest of the league 310 to 35 last year (and 325-40 in 2014); and the Loggers won the league title last season with a 21-0 mark, over second-place Faith Bible (13-8). Vernonia may put up a ¿ght, but it’s hard to imagine any team even challenging Knappa for the NWL title. Knappa softball still strong, still young By GARY HENLEY The Daily Astorian Knappa baseball wasn’t the only undefeated team during the 2015 Northwest League spring sports season. The Knappa softball team was 12-0 in league play, high- lighting a breakthrough season for Lady Logger softball. An overall record of 24-4, unbeaten in league play, with a sweep of the league MVP and Coach of the Year awards … and it all ended in the state quarter¿nals, with a 1-0 loss at eventual state champion Pilot Rock (which won the state championship game, 2-1, over Weston-McEwen). The Lady Loggers have lost their all-star pitcher, Kacie Cam- eron, but Knappa still returns four all-league players (one junior and three sophomores) — plenty to make another run at a title. THE NWL “Vernonia just has too many hitters,” said Knappa coach James Nichols. “The only good thing for me is that they’re all seniors. They’ve got the two Smith girls (Sara and Paige), and Cassidy (Whitton). “Gaston has (sophomore) Charity Hall, and we were 3-0 against her last year.” Knappa also swept all three games from Vernonia. Still, “It will be us and Gas- ton for that second spot,” Nich- ols said. “I think we’ve got bet- ter hitters. We’ll give up some runs — we’re not going to strike out 17 or 18 hitters a game, so we’ll be relying on our defense.” THE LOGGERS “Senior Night” is going to Jaden Miethe will be one of Knappa softball’s big hit- ters this spring. The Daily Astorian KNAPPA SOFTBALL Coach: James Nichols, 4th year 2015: 24-4 (12-0 NWL) State Playoffs: Defeated Prospect, 4-1; lost at Pilot Rock, 0-1 All-League Losses: Kacie Cameron (MVP), Stacey Aho, Alyson Olhe- iser, McKailyn Rogers (transferred to Astoria). All-League Returners: Jaden Miethe, So.; Alisha Murphy, Jr.; Kaitlyn Truax, So.; Paris Vanderburg, So. be short and sweet this spring at Knappa High School. Track has a few seniors, baseball has one, and Logger softball has no seniors at all. Knappa was young last sea- son, but good. Now they’re a year older and a year better. Just one week into spring practice, Nichols had his start- ing defensive lineup in place. The in¿eld includes fresh- man Hannah Hellburg at ¿rst base; junior Alisha Murphy at second and freshman Laicee Hendrickson at third, with soph- omore Jaden Miethe at the key shortstop position. The out¿eld has juniors Emilee Olson in left and Hai- ley Murray in center, and sopho- more Mackenzie Strain in right. The all-important pitch- er-catcher battery will have Good Luck Loggers sophomore Paris Vanderburg in the circle, with sophomore Kait- lyn Truax behind the plate. Rounding out Knappa’s ros- ter are junior Desiree Andrade; sophomores Ryain Killion, Mikayla Rethati, Emaly Roberts and Emma Taggert; and fresh- men Katie Patterson, Lily Rob- erts and Jordan Walter. Assistant coaches include Jeff Kaul, Paul Olheiser, Lisa Graham, along with Kacie Cameron as the pitching coach and Nestucca graduate Emily Menefee. Prediction: With no seniors on the roster, the Lady Loggers are certainly the team of the future in the Northwest League. Why not get a head start on a dynasty? Knappa will chal- lenge Vernonia for the league title. Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian The Loggers return senior Chris Montano, who competed at last year’s OSAA Track and Field State Championships. Logger track season under way By GARY HENLEY The Daily Astorian The Knappa track team tuned up for the 2016 with their ¿rst meet last Satur- day, as the Loggers took part in the Tillamook Invitational. Competing against mostly bigger schools, the results were predictable for the Loggers, who ¿nished eighth out of nine teams on the boys’ side, and ninth on the girls’. Still, there’s plenty to be encouraged about for Knappa Track, ’16. Knappa returns three- fourths of its state-qualify- ing 400-meter relay team, with juniors Chelsea Sapp, Meranda Godwin and Devin Vandergriff. Go Loggers! We Deliver! 3693 LIEF ERIKSON DR. ASTORIA (JUST EAST OF SAFEWAY) 503.325.4927 HOURS: SUN-THUR 11AM-10PM; FRI-SAT 11AM-11PM Knappa Office (503) 458-6671 42894 Old Hwy. 30 Knappa, OR 97103 Rainier Office (503) 556-0410 29191 Dike Road Rainier, OR 97048 www.teevinbros.com • CCB #133907 THE LOGGERS Girls Tabitha Adams, Sr. Meranda Godwin, Jr. Ressa Inman, So. Emerald Mason, Fr. Mikayla Morton, So. Chelsea Sapp, Jr. Devin Vandergriff, Jr. Alyssa White, So. Boys Noah Bagnall, Jr. Levi Christie, So. Vandergriff will be the top returner in the district 200 meters, and she’s in the top two in the 100 and 400 meters. The Knappa boys lost their state points from Devin Lewis Allen (100-, 200- and 400- meter ¿nalist at state, district champ in all three), but the Loggers return senior Chris Braedon Eltagonde, So. Josh Fulton, Fr. Spencer Fulton, So. Keenan Gebhart, So. Noah Gothro, Jr. Cody Hobbs, Jr. Nathan Hoikka, Fr. Josh Jones, Fr. Patrick Maize, Sr. Chris Montano, Sr. Elijah Patterson, Sr. Trentne Smith, Sr. Montano (long jump and tri- ple jump), who won the long jump competition in the Til- lamook Invitational, beating out Class 4A jumpers from Molalla, Banks, Taft, Astoria and Tillamook, with a leap of 19 feet, one inch. He placed second in the triple jump (39-2 ½). GO ! S R E G G L O (503) 458- 6886 42929 O ld Hw y 30 • Asto ria
