12A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2016
CONTACT US
FOLLOW US
facebook.com/
DailyAstorianSports
Gary Henley | Sports Reporter
ghenley@dailyastorian.com
Coach Branson calls it a career
Will step down
at end of season
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
Jeff Ter Har/For the Daily Astorian
Seaside coach Neil Branson talks
with a reporter during the 2013
3-Course Challenge.
A simple statement earlier this
week from a legendary coach, it was
typical Neil Branson: “As I conclude
my 39th year of coaching cross coun-
try, I have decided this will be my
last.”
Branson — who always passes the
credit on to his runners — will hang
up his stopwatch after the current sea-
son, as head coach of the Seaside
cross country program.
“I had 37 years as an assistant and
head coach here at Seaside High, and
one year each at the helm at Illinois
Valley High in Cave Junction and
another at Sisters High.”
Branson also happens to be the
head coach of the defending 4A state
champion boys cross country team,
which will be running in the Cow-
apa League championship meet next
Wednesday.
From there, the Seaside boys are
hoping to defend their state title in
the OSAA state meet, Nov. 5 at Lane
Community College in Eugene.
Branson will likely continue to
have a hand in Seaside track and cross
Caruana
third in
Valiant
Invite
SCOREBOARD
PREP SCHEDULE
TODAY
Girls Soccer — Banks at Astoria, 7:30
p.m.; Tillamook at Seaside, 7:30 p.m.
Boys Soccer — Seaside at Tillamook,
7:30 p.m.
Volleyball — L&C Playoff: Warrenton
at Catlin Gabel, 6 p.m.
FRIDAY
Football — Astoria at Scappoose, 7
p.m.; Seaside at Banks, 7 p.m.; Warren-
ton at Clatskanie, 7 p.m.; Knappa at Ver-
nonia, 7 p.m.; Ocosta at Ilwaco, 7 p.m.
Volleyball — NWL Playoff: Faith Bible
vs. Knappa, at Vernonia HS, 3 p.m.
The Daily Astorian
STANDINGS
FOOTBALL
Cowapa League
League Overall
Astoria
4-0
6-1
Scappoose
3-1
4-3
Banks
2-2
4-3
Valley Catholic
2-2
5-2
Tillamook
1-3
1-6
Seaside
0-4
2-5
Northwest League
Knappa
3-0
Gaston
1-1
Neah-Kah-Nie
1-1
Nestucca
1-2
Vernonia
0-2
AP Photo/James Kenney
Browns free safety Jordan Poyer is attended to after being injured in the first half against the Titans Sunday.
4-3
3-4
2-4
2-5
2-5
VOLLEYBALL
Cowapa League (Final)
League Overall
Valley Catholic
9-1
19-3
Banks
8-2
18-5
Tillamook
7-3
14-5
Scappoose
4-6
13-8
Seaside
2-8
7-12
Astoria
0-10
4-13
Lewis & Clark League (Final)
Rainier
11-0
16-4
Portland Chr
10-2
15-4
OR Episcopal
9-3
15-6
Portland Adv
7-5
11-6
Catlin Gabel
6-6
8-11
Warrenton
5-6
9-9
Clatskanie
3-8
5-13
Riverdale
1-11
4-14
De La Salle
0-11
2-16
Northwest League
Gaston
11-0
Delphian
9-3
Vernonia
8-3
Faith Bible
7-5
Columbia Chr
5-6
Knappa
5-6
Nestucca
4-8
City Christian
1-10
Neah-Kah-Nie
1-10
13-4
15-8
12-6
9-10
7-11
9-8
5-12
4-11
1-14
GIRLS SOCCER
Cowapa League
League
Valley Cath
8-0-0
Scappoose
7-1-0
Banks
4-4-0
Astoria
2-5-1
Seaside
2-5-1
Tillamook
0-8-0
Overall
9-3-0
7-3-2
5-5-2
3-8-1
2-8-2
0-12-0
BOYS SOCCER
Cowapa League
Tillamook
6-0-0
10-2-0
Seaside
4-1-2
7-2-3
Scappoose
2-3-1
4-3-4
Astoria
2-5-0
4-7-0
Valley Cath
0-5-1
1-7-3
SPORTS
IN BRIEF
Cleveland
reliever chosen
MVP of ALCS
TORONTO — MVP: Most
Versatile Pitcher.
The humble workhorse in a
wipeout bullpen, Andrew Miller
was selected AL Championship
Series MVP after his latest spot-
less outing sent the Cleveland
Indians to their irst pennant since
1997.
Miller tossed 2 2/3 innings
in a 3-0 victory Wednesday over
Toronto, capping a ive-game
series in which the lanky left-
hander overpowered the danger-
ous Blue Jays.
He had one strikeout in Game
5 and inished the series with 14
— an ALCS record for a reliever.
Miller gave up three hits in 7 2/3
shutout innings against Toronto
and earned a four-out save in
Game 3.
After capturing their sixth pen-
nant, thanks in large part to Miller,
the Indians are four wins from their
irst championship since 1948.
country. He will still serve as the
meet director for the annual 3-Course
Challenge meet, held every Septem-
ber at Camp Rilea.
“Each of you, in one way or
another, has played a role in my years
of coaching cross country and I thank
you for your contributions,” he said.
“The rewards have been immeasur-
able. And yet as (daughter) Ann Bran-
son would echo to her dad, time to
expand the horizons.”
Poyer teammate blasts
Titans player for bragging
Former Astoria star
will miss remainder
of NFL season
By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer
B
EREA, Ohio — One violent
hit on Jordan Poyer was bad
enough.
Browns wide receiver Terrelle
Pryor wasn’t going to let his team-
mate take another vicious shot without
striking back.
Pryor blasted Tennessee running
back Antonio Andrews for posting a
video of the devastating hit he made
on Poyer that sent Cleveland’s starting
safety to the hospital with a lacerated
kidney.
Andrews delivered an illegal blind-
side hit during a punt return Sunday,
and while Poyer was still recover-
ing at Nashville’s Saint Thomas Mid-
town Hospital, he posted the video of
his hit on Instagram with the caption:
“Relentless.”
Pryor said that was over the line.
“I love Poyer like a brother, and
that really angered me,” Pryor said
Wednesday, adding something more
colorful to convey his feelings.
Pryor didn’t have an issue with the
hard, high hit by Andrews, who was
penalized 15 yards for the infraction.
He took exception to Andrews boast-
ing about hitting a player who had no
chance to defend himself.
“If you’re going head up with a
man face to face and he sees you,
you see him, all right, cool,” Pryor
said before the Browns (0-6) prac-
ticed in advance of Sunday’s game at
Cincinnati.
“But if you’re a special teams guy
and you’re popping that stuff on there
like you’re some type of superhero or
something just because you’re hitting
a guy blindsided and you think that’s
cool, that’s where the problem comes
in.
“So I think he should stay to his
special teams and what he does and
don’t post stuff when a man’s not
looking and taking a hit like that.”
Pryor agreed the hit was within
what’s accepted behavior in the
NFL, but feels Andrews’ bragging is
intolerable.
“Obviously it’s a game,” Pryor
said. “I was ine with it (the hit)
because it’s a game, it’s what happens.
We put ourselves in that situation by
signing the contract to play here. But
the only thing that I didn’t like was
when the guy posted about it, bragging
— relentless. What is relentless about
that? Hitting a guy, another man when
he’s not looking.”
Andrews, who will be ined the
NFL for his personal foul, has made
his Instagram account private.
Poyer, who will miss the remainder
of the season, also took exception to
Andrews on Twitter.
“Buddy posted the hit to his Social
Media page?” Poyer wrote. “Wow.
Not complaining about the hit... its
football.. stuff happens... but dam.. idk
(I don’t know) why but thats wild to
me.. good for him tho.”
Andrews didn’t back down and
responded to Poyer, posting, “Ha this
contact sport get well soon tho kid.”
After his timeline illed with com-
ments, Andrews defended his decision
to post the video.
“Man these cats all in they feel-
ings,” Andrews tweeted. “Its not
gloating its just a simple post. Idc (I
don’t care) either way. i’m gonna get
paid and get my 8 hrs of sleep.”
Browns Pro Bowl tackle Joe
Thomas also felt Andrews went too far
in making so much of his hit on Poyer.
“I think there should be some sen-
sitivity involved with that type of a
thing,” he said. “And you’ve got to be
careful with what you’re promoting
because obviously when you’re pro-
moting a play that was a penalty and
that got somebody hurt, maybe that’s
not the right thing that you want to
promote for your own brand.”
While acknowledging the inherent
violence in any game, Thomas thinks
the league comes off as hypocriti-
cal when promoting player safety and
showcasing ierce collisions.
BEAVERTON — Astoria’s
Lucas Caruana ran another solid
race Tuesday, as he helped the
Fishermen boys to an eighth-place
team inish in the Valiant Invita-
tional cross country meet, hosted
by Valley Catholic.
Caruana took third in the boys’
3,000-meter varsity race, inishing
in 9 minutes, 43 seconds, in the
ield of 153 runners.
Valley Catholic won the boys’
team championship with 51
points, followed by Scappoose
(69) and Tillamook (71).
Scappoose junior John Kavu-
lich was the individual champion,
crossing the line in 9:22, followed
by Tillamook junior Gabe Lachen-
meier (9:37) and Caruana.
Parker Ivanoff was Asto-
ria’s next-highest inisher, 38th in
10:57.
Tillamook was the girls’ team
champion, with 48 points to edge
Catlin Gabel (50). Astoria was
ninth.
Junior McKenzie Burnett was
the top runner for the Lady Fish-
ermen, taking 12th in 12:07. Scap-
poose junior Linnaea Kavulich
was the girls’ individual cham-
pion, as she inished in 10:53,
just ahead of Tillamook freshman
Solace Bergeron (10:54).
File photo/The Daily Astorian
Astoria’s Lucas Caruana com-
peted in the 800 meter race in
last year’s state track meet.
Cubs homer twice in win over Dodgers to tie series
By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES — After striking
out in his irst two at-bats, Anthony
Rizzo needed something to bust his
slump. He found it in teammate Matt
Szczur’s bat.
Using the borrowed lumber, Rizzo
homered and ended a postseason skid
with three RBIs. The rest of the Chi-
cago Cubs’ hitters broke out equally
as big in routing the Los Angeles
Dodgers 10-2 on Wednesday to even
the NL Championship Series at 2-all.
“I know Szczur’s bat has a lot of
hits in it,” Rizzo said. “I’ve done it a
few times this year, just switching up
the bat, switching up the mindset.”
Addison Russell’s two-run homer
highlighted a four-run fourth that
stopped Chicago’s 21-inning score-
less streak and ensured the NLCS will
return to Wrigley Field for Game 6 on
Saturday.
“It’s deinitely a sigh of relief to
have a big night,” Russell said.
Kenta Maeda is set to pitch for
the Dodgers in Game 5 on Thursday
against Jon Lester. Manager Dave
Roberts said he will not start Clayton
Kershaw on short rest after the Los
Angeles ace threw a bullpen session
AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Cubs’ Albert Almora Jr. loses his bat during the ninth inning of Game 4
of the NLCS against the Dodgers Wednesday in Los Angeles.
Wednesday.
“It’s not an elimination game,”
Roberts said.
Following consecutive shutout
losses, the Cubs rapped out 13 hits
on an 80-degree night with the warm
Santa Ana winds luttering the lags in
center ield.
Rizzo used Szczur’s bat on Tues-
day night and got a broken-bat sin-
gle. Szczur, left off the NLCS ros-
ter, didn’t mind. He wrapped another
one for Game 4, iguring Rizzo might
want to use the bat that is the same
weight and size but a different model
than his.
“I just saw him walking up with
my bat, and I started laughing,”
Szczur said. “And then he hits a
homer with it.”
Rizzo and Russell had three hits
each. Chicago’s 3-4-5 hitters — a
combined 2 for 32 in the irst three
games — busted out. Every Cubs
starter got at least one hit except Kris
Bryant, who walked twice and was
hit by a pitch.
“It’s contagious, just like the lack
of it is contagious,” Cubs manager
Joe Maddon said. “When you start
hitting, it’s contagious, defense, this
whole game really follows itself.”
Los Angeles was limited to six hits
and made four errors in a game that
dragged on for 3 hours, 58 minutes.
“It happens, but we haven’t had a
game like that in a long time,” Rob-
erts said . “You’ve got to brush off
and get ready for tomorrow.”
Mike Montgomery won in relief
of John Lackey, removed after con-
secutive walks opening the ifth. Four
days shy of his 38th birthday, Lackey
allowed two runs, three hits and three
walks.
“I thought we put ourselves in
a position to get to Lackey, but he
escaped,” Roberts said.
At 20 years, 68 days the youngest
postseason starting pitcher in major
league history, loser Julio Urias gave
up four runs and four hits in 3 2/3
innings. He was the third consecutive
left-hander to start for Los Angeles.
“I wish I had taken advantage
of this outing,” he said through a
translator.
Chicago rattled off three straight
hits to open the fourth, sparked by
Ben Zobrist’s leadoff bunt single to
third.