12A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 2017
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Gary Henley | Sports Reporter
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Preds even
Stanley Cup
Final, beat
Penguins
By TERESA M. WALKER
Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Fred-
erick Gaudreau sure is doing his
best to earn his own locker with
the Nashville Predators with a
Stanley Cup Final debut for the
ages.
For now, he insists he is happy
enough just to sit on the floor as
long as he plays.
An undrafted free agent play-
ing in just his sixth postsea-
son game, Gaudreau scored the
go-ahead goal 3:45 into the sec-
ond period and Pekka Rinne made
23 often-spectacular saves as the
Predators beat the Penguins 4-1 on
Monday night to even the series at
2-2.
It’s now a best-of-three sprint
to the Stanley Cup, and Nash-
ville is riding a wave of momen-
tum after outscoring the defending
champions 9-2 in the Games 3 and
4 of their Final debut.
Game 5 is Thursday night in
Pittsburgh.
Gaudreau, a 24-year-old
rookie, only has a chair in the
locker room, but he now is the
second player in NHL history to
score his first three career goals
in a Stanley Cup Final, join-
ing Johnny Harms with the 1944
Blackhawks.
“He’s been unbelievable for
us the way he’s come in, and he’s
just been so good, timely goals
and composed,” Nashville captain
Mike Fisher said. “He definitely
belongs, and he’s been a huge part
of our success.”
Submitted Photo
Seaside Kids Inc. U14 softball team. Front row, left to right: Emily Philbrook, Gracie Rhodes, Briana Boyd, Tristyn McFadden, Emma
Taylor, Haley Hughes. Back row: Coach Jason Boyd, Zoey Alexander, McKenzie Cole, Victoria Soprano, Ella Jesberger, Kandice
Flaigg, Shelby Chester, Kiara Breckenridge, Coach Tobi Boyd. Seaside tied with Scappoose for third place.
Seaside softball teams finish strong
The Daily Astorian
SEASIDE — Seaside Kids Inc. and the
North American Fastpitch Association com-
bined to host U14C and U12C softball tourna-
ments, Saturday and Sunday in Seaside.
Seaside Kids’ U14 team defeated Gaston
13-10 to open the tournament Saturday in pool
play.
Their second game was against the Griz-
zlies of McMinnville, which posted a 13-6 win
over Seaside.
In Sunday’s eight-team bracket play, Sea-
side was the No. 2 seed from the A pool and
was matched against the Lady Royals from
Eugene, the No. 3 team from the B pool.
Going into the bottom of the fifth inning,
Seaside trailed by five runs, but they rallied
with six runs, capped by a game-winning sin-
gle from Gracie Rhodes, which allowed Emily
Philbrook to score the tying run and McKenzie
Cole to slide into home plate for the 14-13 win.
The win advanced Seaside to the semifinal
game against Ignite from Vancouver, Wash.
Ignite won, 18-0, then defeated the Leg-
ends of Gresham 20-0 in the championship
game. Seaside and Scappoose tied for third.
The U12 Seaside team lost to O’Brien Tim-
ber 9-3, and then fell 12-5 to Gaston Saturday.
Sunday in bracket play, Seaside defeated
Amity 13-4, then suffered a 10-5 loss to Rene-
gade. Playing in the third-place game, Seaside
lost 14-12.
Seaside Kids’ softball program started
playing in the fastpitch tournaments last year.
Up until this weekend, the U12 and U14
teams had been winless. It was a very success-
ful weekend for both teams, as they recorded
their first wins, with third- and fourth-place
spots, respectively.
Both tournaments brought 17 teams to Sea-
side for the two-day weekend tournament.
UP NEXT: GAME 5
• Nashville Predators (2-2)
at Pittsburgh Penguins (2-2)
• Thursday, 5 p.m. TV: NBC
County racks up coaching, officiating awards Seahawks
add depth at
quarterback
The Daily Astorian
Are you ready?
Hank Williams
Jr. returns to
Monday games
Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Hank
Williams Jr. is bringing his rowdy
friends back to “Monday Night
Football” six years after ESPN
dropped the country singer for his
comments about President Barack
Obama.
ESPN says a new version of
Williams’ longtime “MNF” theme
and its “Are you ready for some
football?” catchphrase will debut
before the first regular-season
Monday night game — a Sept. 11
matchup between the New Orle-
ans Saints and Minnesota Vikings.
The network says in a state-
ment that it’s bringing back what it
calls “most iconic music video in
sports television history” because
fans missed it.
ESPN dropped Williams in
2011 after he compared Obama
golfing with then-House Speaker
John Boehner to Adolf Hitler golf-
ing with Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu.
ESPN executive Stepha-
nie Druley tells USA Today Net-
work-Tennessee that she’s not
concerned about any backlash
over Williams’ return.
SCOREBOARD
LOCAL SPORTS SCHEDULE
TODAY
Junior State Baseball — Neah-Kah-
Nie at Warrenton, 5:30 p.m.
THURSDAY
Junior State Baseball — Warrenton
at Neah-Kah-Nie, 5:30 p.m.
BASEBALL
Clatsop County Baseball
State Champions, Coach
1957: Seaside (A-2) Baily Brim
1960: Seaside (A-2) Everet Clary
1972: Seaside (AA) Jim Auld
1994: Warrenton (2A/1A) Lennie Wolfe
2006: Astoria (3A) Dave Gasser
2009: Astoria (4A) Dave Gasser
2010: Knappa (2A/1A) Jeff Miller
2011: Astoria (4A) Brian Babbitt
2015: Knappa (2A/1A) Jeff Miller
2017: Knappa (2A/1A) Jeff Miller
The Oregon Athletic Coaches
Association named Seaside’s Teena
Toyas, Clatsop Community College
physical education instructor and
longtime sports official, a 2017 Offi-
cial of the Year.
The organization honors two out-
standing officials each year and was
awarded May 20 at the Coach of the
Year Banquet in Eugene. The coaches
association selects from nominees
that exemplify the highest standards
of sportsmanship, ethical conduct
and moral character and carry the
endorsement of the association.
Toyas has 38-plus years of service
officiating basketball, volleyball and
soccer in several states. She became
a member of the North Coast Bas-
ketball Officials Association in 1983,
the North Coast Volleyball Officials
Association in 1984 (in which she
currently holds the commissioner
role), and has been commissioner
of the North Coast Soccer Referees
Association since 1996.
Toyas will be stepping down from
her soccer commissioner role as she
steps into the basketball commis-
sioner role this fall. She has been
selected for numerous state champi-
onship tournament assignments over
the years and has been selected to
work many state championship final
games.
Along with her officiating and
teaching duties, Toyas will also be
stepping into a new role at Clatsop
Associated Press
RENTON, Wash. — The Sea-
hawks’ search for some depth at
quarterback has led them to jour-
neyman Austin Davis.
Submitted Photo
Bill Westerholm, left, and Teena Toyas both had big years, with Wester-
holm leading Seaside to a state title and being named Coach of the Year,
and Toyas earning one of two Official of the Year awards.
Community College where she will
take on the dean of transfer education
starting July 1.
Other winners from Clatsop
County:
• Seaside’s Bill Westerholm was
the 4A Boys Basketball Coach of the
Year, after leading the Gulls to their
first state championship;
• Astoria’s Garrett Parks earned
the 4A Girls Track Coach of the Year,
following the third straight title for
the Lady Fishermen;
• Astoria retiring baseball coach
Dave Gasser was given a “Coaching
with Character” Award;
• And Jewell’s Mark Fick was
honored with a “Years of Service”
milestone award, as Fick reached his
40th year of coaching.
Seattle released Jake Heaps to
make room on the roster for Davis,
who was signed Monday after
spending time with the Rams,
Browns and Broncos.
The 28-year-old Davis will
be added to the backup compe-
tition with Trevone Boykin, last
year’s No. 2 behind starter Russell
Wilson.
Davis is in his sixth
NFL season after entering the
league as an undrafted free agent
out of Southern Mississippi in
2012.
Davis has appeared in 13 reg-
ular-season games with the Rams
and Browns, including 10 starts.
He has gone 236-for-378 for 2,548
yards with 13 touchdowns and 12
interceptions. He spent part of last
season with Denver.
Durant’s menacing defense leads way for Warriors
By JANIE MCCAULEY
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. — Kevin
Durant is growing a little tired of
questions about his ability to play
defense.
“Underrated?” Durant responded
when recently asked about the per-
ception of his D. “My coaches don’t
feel like that.”
Neither does he, and KD’s men-
acing, 6-foot-9 presence from the
paint to the perimeter is a big reason
unbeaten Golden State is closing in
on its second championship in three
years.
While best known for his sensa-
tional scoring and shot-making from
every corner of the court, Durant has
been tough on LeBron James so far in
UP NEXT: GAME 3
• Golden State Warriors (2-0)
at Cleveland Cavaliers (0-2)
• Wednesday, 6 p.m. TV: ABC
AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez
Golden State Warriors forward
Kevin Durant, center, celebrates
with Draymond Green, left, and
Klay Thompson during the second
half of Game 2 of basketball’s NBA
Finals against the Cleveland Cava-
liers in Oakland, Calif., Sunday.
these NBA Finals by smothering the
Cavs superstar. The Warriors are two
wins from a title going into Game 3 at
Cleveland on Wednesday night.
Durant is chasing his first cham-
pionship and seems determined to do
whatever it takes.
So versatile with his length and
ability to alter shots, he even played
center during Sunday’s Game 2 when
Draymond Green dealt with foul trou-
ble in the 132-113 victory.
“I don’t think there’s many teams
in the league who their backup is bet-
ter than their starter,” Green said. “So
I think that’s a luxury that we have
with KD here, and when I went out
with foul trouble, obviously he —
to say pick up the slack is kind of a
ridiculous term, because he’s a great
player, an MVP, one of the best play-
ers in the world. So just the way he
played on the defensive end, the way
he played on the offensive end, he’s
been doing it all playoffs long, but in
these Finals, he’s really picked it up,
and it’s been huge for us.”
Durant and Green have set the tone
all season on the defensive end, estab-
lishing an intensity and toughness —
and the rest of the Warriors had no
choice but to do more during Durant’s
19-game absence this spring with a
knee injury.
“If we’re locked in on the defen-
sive end, we’ll score enough points,”
Green said. “Even on an off night,
we’ll score enough points.”