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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2018)
6A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2018 SEASIDE SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW 2018 • MORE ON PAGE 8 Seaside golf team in state title contention By GARY HENLEY The Daily Astorian It’s been a great year for boys sports at Seaside High School, with state play- off appearances in foot- ball and boys soccer, and of course another state title in basketball. One team that’s always competitive: coach Jim Poetsch’s boys golf squad. After winning state titles in 2014 and 2015, the Gulls are once again part of the state championship discussion. Especially after their per- formance in the first two meets of 2018. The Gulls came up 20 strokes short of state con- tender Valley Catholic in a Gary Henley/The Daily Astorian Samson Sibony is one of several good, experienced golfers for the Seaside boys golf team. dual meet March 21, and two days later, Seaside finished ahead of a field that included all 5A schools in The Dalles Invitational. If they don’t win a state title this year, the Gulls will be right back in the running in 2019, with most of their golf- ers returning and more on the way. The leader and lone senior for the varsity this season is Jackson Kunde, who placed ninth individually in last year’s district meet. Rounding out Seaside’s usual top five are juniors Con- nor Merrell, Mason Shamion and Samson Sibony, along with freshman Curtis Kunde, who tied his brother Jackson for Seaside’s top score in The Dalles Invite. After the loss to the Val- iants, Poetsch said, “We had 14 double bogeys, two triples and two quadruples today. If we can turn those into bogeys, we win this match. Even with those holes, we are light years ahead of where we were at this time last season. “All of our returners scored much better than their opening scores from a year ago and our freshman, Curtis Kunde, was able to get those first match jitters out of the way. “Valley Catholic is a team I expect to compete for the state title in May, and they only got us by 20 on a day we gave 42 strokes away on blowup holes. As the sea- son progresses, we will learn to limit damage and I expect we will have a very success- ful year.” Junior Mason Crawford has also seen time with the varsity, while Seaside’s cur- rent junior varsity includes Chris Bodner, Leif DeWin- ter, Nick Mace and John Whittle. Seaside most improved in Cowapa League By GARY HENLEY The Daily Astorian Seaside High School Left to right: Madi Grimm, Tristyn McFadden, Sydney Rapp and Caitlin Hillman. Young athletes on the course for Seaside By GARY HENLEY The Daily Astorian The Seaside girls golf team enters the 2018 sea- son in much better shape than they finished 2017. Last year, the final tour- nament of the year for the Gulls was the district tourney at Forest Hills, in which Seaside had only three scoring golfers (to qualify for state as a team, you need at least four). For now, the Gulls are back to four. And maybe five. Either way, it’s still going to be a young group for second-year coach Mike Verhulst. Seaside played its first two tournaments of 2018 with sophomores Caitlin Hillman and Sydney Rapp, and freshmen Madi Grimm and Tristyn McFadden, who is currently listed as the Gulls’ No. 1 golfer. Hillman is the only returner from last sea- son, one of the three Sea- side players in the Cowapa League meet and region- als. Top golfer Caroline Kotson has graduated. Only three of the Cow- apa schools had four or more golfers in last year’s league meet, won by Val- ley Catholic, ahead of Astoria and Scappoose. Oregon Episcopal won the district meet, which serves as the qualifying tournament for state. “I’m excited to see how the girls progress through- out the season, and look for- ward to continuing to grow the program,” Verhulst said. “The girls are eager to move into league play and get experience with the new scoring format for the matches (modified Stable- ford). A huge focus for our program will be developing our short game.” And the Gulls may add one more golfer to the roster at some point. “It looks like we may be adding a fifth golfer to the mix with a recent out-of- state transfer student,” Ver- hulst said. “We look forward to adding her into the mix for league matches.” It’s the price you pay when you have a great basketball team. While other baseball teams are out practicing, many of your players are still shooting 3-pointers and winning championships. So it is with Seaside. After most teams began practices Feb. 26, the Gulls had exactly four days between their last basketball game and the first The Daily Astorian baseball contest. In his 21st year as the Seaside Seaside baseball is armed with talent coach, Joel Dierickx was pleased with this year, including pitcher Duncan Thompson. a 2-2 start after four games. “It’s a good measuring stick of where we’re at and what we need to work on,” other sport — the Cowapa League is going Dierickx said. “There’s a lot of areas that to be very, very strong.” need work. (The basketball players) had Seaside finished 4-11 in league play last only three practices, for the most part. year, which included three wins over Til- lamook and a season-ending victory over We’ll figure it out.” Scappoose. THE COWAPA “I think Banks is head and shoulders above everybody else,” Dierickx said. “They’re a real solid team, in all facets. From athleticism to speed, good pitch- ing and contact hitting. They’re just super solid. “And Astoria’s always going to be there,” he said. “They will always be tough. Tillamook is a much-improved team. Scappoose has quality. It’s like any THE GULLS Most area coaches see the Gulls as pos- sibly the most-improved team. “We’re hoping,” Dierickx said. “We have a lot of experience coming back, and some athleticism. Combined with some baseball knowledge and doing things the right way, maybe we can win some of the closer games we’ve had.” Call it “young experience,” because the Gulls only have four seniors. Several juniors have been starting since their fresh- man season. The Gulls had six pitchers listed on their preseason roster, but “we’ll see how that pans out,” Dierickx said. “Three of the six have just started throwing. They still need time to grow, learn the mechanics and gain the arm strength. That’s a big ques- tion mark. Once April rolls around, we’ll see how it pans out. I think all of them have the capability to be pretty solid pitchers.” Among the throwers are juniors Travis Fenton, Gage McFadden, Duncan Thomp- son and Payton Westerholm. The last three also start in the infield when the others pitch. The seniors are Dawson Blanchard, Ashton Boyd, Astor Landwehr and Parker Moore, with additional juniors Isaias Jantes, Dylan Meyer and catcher Alex Teubner, who missed action early in the season with a high ankle sprain. Rounding out the roster are sopho- mores Brayden Johnson and Gavin Rich. Hoekstre to lead Seaside girls track team By GARY HENLEY The Daily Astorian They’ve got the depth, the athletes and the talent to compete. Now it’s just time for the Seaside track team to turn it all loose on the Cowapa League. Head coach Jeff Kilday’s team is loaded with athletes and will be looking to improve on their finish in last year’s district meet — a tall task in the Class 4A’s “Conference of Champions.” The Seaside boys are coming off a 10th-place finish in the 2017 state meet, even after taking third in their own league. Meanwhile, the Lady Gulls (and everybody else) will be chasing the • 2 LOCATIONS • Easy & Convenient Downtown Cannon Beach 256 N. Hemlock & Seaside Outlet Mall CELEBRATING OVER 55 YEARS OF MAKING SWEET MEMORIES! SEASIDE BASEBALL Coach: Joel Dierickx, 21st year 2017: 7-15 (4-11 Cowapa) Key losses: Otto Hoekstre, Scott Plampin, Brent Walsh Key returners: Dawson Blanchard, Isaias Jantes, Gage McFadden, Duncan Thomp- son, Payton Westerholm Astoria girls’ track dynasty, as the Fishermen look to win their fourth straight state championship. The big point-scorer for the Seaside girls — this year and next — will be junior thrower Gretchen Hoekstre. Hoekstre dominated the shot put and discus events in the Cowapa League, winning both district titles on her way to second- and third place fin- ishes, respectively, in the same events at the state meet as only a sophomore. Hoekstre is the top returner, state- wide, in both events. Also on the girls’ side, junior Katie Zagata is back as one of the top dis- tance runners in the Cowapa. The Seaside boys took a big hit in the graduation department. Gone are district champions Will Garvin (300- meter hurdles), Jackson Januik (two- time state champion in the 800 meters) and Phoenix Johnson (high jump and triple jump, second in the long jump). Talented distance runner Bradley Rze- wnicki also graduated. Seniors Colton Carter (hurdles, jumps) and Rafi Sibony (distance events) are the returning mainstays, while the Gulls will pin their hopes on some young talent. Freshman Henry Garvin and Dodger Holmstedt took first and sec- ond, respectively, in the 400 meters in Seaside’s first meet this season. Sophomore thrower Derrick Ben- nett could be a big point-scorer in the shot put and discus. Kilday is assisted by Jo Ellingson, Jarom Bowles and Margie Leary. GO SEAGULLS!! SCORE BIG WITH YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS THIS SPRING SEASON BY SHOPPING AT BRUCE’S!! GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE SPRING ATHLETES & COACHES! CB: 503-436-2641 Seaside: 503-738-7828 www.brucescandy.com Candy Makes the Sweetest Top Brands. Factory-Direct Prices Free Coupon Book at The Wine & Beer Haus. 12 TH AVE. & HWY. 101 SEASIDE, OR www.seasideoutlets.com OPEN MON-SAT 10-8 & SUN 10-6 visit Our Newest Store: Bath & body works! Gift! Go, Gulls!
