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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017
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Gulls’
soccer
Roberts is back in
ready to
the saddle again bounce back
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
J
eff Roberts is back for more, and
looking to pick up where he left
off.
Well, maybe not right where he
left off. In his last year as the Seaside
football coach, the Gulls were a disap-
pointing 1-4 in league, just two years
after going 8-3 and making the state
playoffs.
Roberts stepped down following
the 2015 season to focus on his job as
the Seaside principal, but Chad Smith
left the post after 2016, which is why
Roberts is back in the saddle again.
And he’s got work to do, as Sea-
side finished 0-5 in league last season.
On the plus side, the Gulls have
four returning all-league play-
ers, including a running back and a
receiver. And after missing much of
last season with an injury, their quar-
terback could be one of the best in the
Cowapa League.
The 2016 season was
loaded with promise for the
Seaside boys soccer program.
The defending league
champion Gulls had only lost
three players to graduation,
with six all-league return-
ing players and the Cowapa’s
Coach of the Year.
And following a 3-0 win
over Cottage Grove in the
regional play-in round, Sea-
side was set to make a huge
run in the state playoffs.
But it all came crashing
down in a first-round con-
test at La Grande, where the
Tigers scored two second-half
goals in a 3-1 win, and the
season came to a premature
end for the Gulls.
Seaside has regrouped,
they’ve still got the league’s
best player, and coach John
Chapman is talking league
championship once again,
as the Gulls hope to steal the
league crown from Tillamook.
“It’s not rebuild, it’s
reload,” said the always-opti-
mistic coach Chapman. “We
lost some good guys, but
we’re going to be OK.”
The Cowapa
In his previous four years with the
Gulls (2012-15), Roberts’ best record
in league was 3-2, accomplished in
2013 and ‘14. It’s a tough league, with
the challenge always being the same
three teams — Astoria, Banks and
Scappoose.
“The history of the league the last
five or six years, (the league title) runs
through Banks and Scappoose, with
us and Astoria battling it out the last
few years,” Roberts said.
It’s going to run through Asto-
ria this year, as the Fishermen are the
defending league champs with a 5-0
mark in league play last year.
The Fishermen have won nine of
the last 11 Clatsop Clash meetings,
although Roberts is quick to note,
“Howard (Rub) and I are 2-2 against
each other,” he said. But, “We’ve got
some making up to do. We didn’t per-
form well last year (a 50-12 Astoria
win), and the kids are hungry. It left
a bad taste in their mouth, and that’s a
huge motivator for some of these kids.
They’re hungry and ready to roll, and
we look forward to a real successful
year.”
The Gulls
Big offensive lines always equal
big success. The Gulls had a big line
when Roberts had Calvin Pollard in
the backfield during his last stint as
coach. And they’ve got another big
line this year.
Seaside’s strength, however,
is “Our overall athleticism,” Rob-
erts said. “Even the guys up front. It
reminds me a lot of the 2013 class,
when (Aaron) Tadei, Andrew Owens
… Kevin (LaCoste) and Calvin (Pol-
lard) were juniors — it reminds me
a lot of that class from an athletic
Gary Henley/The Daily Astorian
Gio Ramirez is already striking the “Heisman” pose, as he makes the
switch to running back.
SEASIDE FOOTBALL
Coach: Jeff Roberts, 1st year (5th
overall)
2016: 2-6 (0-5 Cowapa)
Playoffs: None
All-League losses: None
All-League returners: Cameron King,
Sr., RB; Gio Ramirez, Jr., LB; Alex
Teubner, Jr., DB; Duncan Thompson,
Jr., WR
standpoint.”
Although, he said, “I had the lux-
ury of handing the ball to Pollard 30
to 35 times a game, and we’re just
not built that way this year. With that
being said, I’ve got a lot of kids to
hand the ball to and not have to rely
on one kid to tote the ball that many
times.”
A “stable of running backs”
includes Garrett Kiser, Astor
Landwehr, Alex Teubner, Duncan
Thompson and Gio Ramirez, who
was an all-league linebacker last sea-
son. Ramirez has traded his uniform
number 52 for No. 25 and a spot at
running back.
“Those are the five guys who will
get the bulk of the carries,” Roberts
said.
Running the offense will be junior
quarterback Payton Westerholm, who
missed much of last season with a
leg injury suffered in a preseason
jamboree.
“Payton is back,” Roberts said,
“and he has put on some weight and
has been in the weight room. He’s got-
ten a lot stronger. A lot of our success
will hinge on his health.”
And the success of the old Wing-T
offense, which the Gulls will run
again.
“When I first took over in 2012, we
implemented our offense, from third
through 12th grade,” Roberts said.
“These kids ran that offense for four
years, prior to coach Smith coming in.
“As we return to what I did in my
first reign, a lot of it is coming back
quick.”
Quotable: “What was difficult
last year was being really young. That
will pay significant dividends to us
this year, with the experience they
gained. They worked their tails off in
the weight room this summer.”
Prediction: The expectations
are high — and the Gulls will come
through, with a return to the state
playoffs.
The Cowapa
Too many ties cost the
Gulls last year. While the
Cheesemakers coasted to
the league title with a 7-0-1
mark, Seaside finished at 4-1-
3, with ties against Scappoose
and Valley Catholic, and a 1-1
deadlock with Tillamook in
the league finale — the only
league game the Cheesemak-
ers did not win.
Chapman said, “With Til-
lamook, it comes down to,
do they get another hand-
ful of international exchange
students who know how to
play the game? They had five
exchange students — guys
from Germany and Italy, and
they could all play.”
The Gulls
Gone are Januik, Thomp-
son, Wallis, Walsh … among
others. Seaside graduated nine
seniors off last year’s team.
The Gulls will miss their
future Hall of Famers, but the
shelves are still stocked with
talent.
After all, Seaside still has
the league’s two-time Player
of the Year, senior Colton
Carter.
“And we’ve got his lit-
Gary Henley/The Daily Astorian
Seaside senior Colton Car-
ter is the Cowapa League’s
two-time Player of the Year,
as he enters his final sea-
son with the Gulls.
SEASIDE
BOYS SOCCER
Coach: John Chapman, 5th
year
2016: 8-3-4 (4-1-3 Cowapa)
Playoffs: Lost state playoff at
La Grande, 1-3
All-League losses: Jackson
Januik, Hunter Thompson,
Dylan Wallis, Brent Walsh
All-League returners: Colton
Carter, Sr., Irving Peon, Jr.,
Rafi Sibony, Sr.
tle brother (freshman Westin
Carter), who plays at a high
club ball level,” Chapman
said. “We’re going to be OK.
I’m optimistically confident.”
Starting goalkeeper Jesus
Perez has also graduated, but
again, the Gulls have replace-
ments ready.
“We’ve got four guys who
are pushing for goalkeeper
roles,” Chapman said, includ-
ing senior Ashton Boyd,
and juniors James Petie and
Mason Shamion. “I’m feeling
a lot more confident with the
keeper side.”
Other varsity returners
include seniors Henry Chap-
man and Rafi Sibony; and
juniors Parker Conrad, Wes
Corliss, Bryce DeWinter,
Chase Januik and Irving Peon.
“We only have four
seniors, so we’re poised for
another good couple years,”
coach Chapman said. “We
have a few guys throughout
the grades who are stepping
up this year that will make the
team pretty enjoyable.”
Besides Westin Carter, the
Gulls will also carry freshman
Dodger Holmstedt on the var-
sity roster.
Prediction:
League
champions.
Varsity experience will keep Seaside girls soccer competitive
SEASIDE
GIRLS SOCCER
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
“It gets easier the second
year.”
Seaside girls soccer coach
Josh Garhofer has proba-
bly heard that a few times, as
the 26-year-old Seaside High
graduate enters his second
season as head coach.
Garhofer and the Gulls had
mixed results in 2016, as a
3-6-1 league record included
a close, 2-0 loss to Valley
Catholic, which advanced to
the state championship game
last season, losing 2-1 to
North Valley.
The Cowapa
“It’s going to be just as
tough as it was last year,”
Garhofer said of the league,
Coach: Josh Garhofer, 2nd year
2016: 3-9-2 (3-6-1 Cowapa)
Playoffs: None
All-League losses: Elizabeth
Barnes; Morgan Brown
All-League returners: None
been outscored 33-1 in five
previous games against the
Valiants.
The Lady Gulls
Jeff Ter Har/The Daily Astorian
Corrie Falleur, left, hopes to have the Gulls kicking up
some wins in 2017.
“with Banks, Valley Catholic
and Scappoose. Every team is
beatable, but those three espe-
cially, having that close Port-
land club connection. Los-
ing to Valley Catholic 2-0 last
year was amazing,” especially
considering that the Gulls had
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Seaside lost seven seniors
to graduation last year, includ-
ing all-leaguers Lizzy Barnes
and Morgan Brown, along
with goalkeeper Kirstin Lent
and defender Sydney Ville-
gas. Senior GeriAnne Klaffke
has moved to the Philippines.
On the plus side, the Gulls
have a load of varsity-experi-
enced players returning, with
a couple solid candidates at
keeper.
“Sydney Owsley (So.) was
the JV keeper last year and is
looking good,” Garhofer said.
“And we also picked up Ane-
sha Smart (Sr.), who could be
molded into a keeper, because
she’s tall, athletic and strong.”
Elsewhere, “We’re look-
ing good,” he said. “We
have (seniors) Bryre Bab-
bitt and Corrie Falleur back.
They were mainstays on the
defense last year. They’re a
year older, and being seniors
makes a big difference in their
outlook. It’s their team.”
Additional
returners
include juniors Jessica Angu-
lo-Joli, Chloe Bartel, Maddie
Brown, Audrey Kunde and
Katie Zagata. Bartel, Brown
and Kunde are entering their
third year with the varsity.
Senior Sonoma Moon
makes the step up from JV,
while the Gulls have added
juniors
Taylor
Carson,
Annaka Garhofer and Trinity
Turner to the varsity mix.
“(Annaka Garhofer) is my
youngest sister,” Josh said.
“And she’s been on a hia-
tus from soccer since middle
school. She has a pretty strong
leg.”
Sophomores
Adamari
Anguiano and Angela Flores-
Reyes round out the roster.
“We have some spots to
fill on defense, and maybe
in the forward area,” coach
Garhofer said, “but every-
body seems to be catching on
quick.”
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