The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current, August 29, 2018, Page 9A, Image 9

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    9A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2018
KNAPPA LOGGERS
FOOTBALL • VOLLEYBALL
LOGGERS AIMING FOR LEAGUE THREE-PEAT
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
KNAPPA
FOOTBALL
T
he Northwest League
has grown in size and
strength, as the 2018
high school football campaign
kicks off.
A few programs that have
struggled in recent years have
high hopes, as do two more
that were playing at the 3A
level last year.
But there’s only one team
that’s won two straight league
titles, with 4-0 league records
three of the last four years.
The pressure won’t be on
the Knappa Loggers — the
pressure will be on every other
team trying to knock Knappa
off the top spot.
And while Knappa must
replace some all-star players,
they’ve got healthy numbers
and plenty of talent ready to
step up and keep the mighty
Loggers rolling.
Knappa made the state
semifinals last year, and will
be looking for a third straight
league title this season.
Logger coach Aaron Bar-
endse had his biggest turnout
ever this season, with 31.
“We’ve got a big, young
class,” he said. “They’re
hardworking kids and eager
to learn. It’s no secret — we
lost eight or nine seniors, and
however many all-league and
all-state players. We took
a healthy hit, especially in
experience.”
THE NWL
The former five-team
league has grown to seven
in 2018, with the addition
of Portland Christian and
Warrenton.
The Royals are a member
Coach: Aaron Barendse,
7th year
2017: 10-1 (4-0 league)
State playoffs: Defeated
Bandon and Oakland, lost
to Monroe in semifinals.
All-league losses: Mason
Hoover (Defensive MVP),
Kaleb Miller (Offensive
MVP), Reuben Cruz,
Braeden Eltagonde, Jacob
Ford, Reece Hunt, David
Patterson, Cody Stuhr.
All-league returners: Jax-
son Goodman, Jr., Isaac
Goozee, So., Luke Goo-
zee, Sr., Cameron Miethe,
So., Kanai Phillip, Jr., Joe
Ramvick, Jr., Eli Takalo, Jr.,
Spencer Teague, Jr.
Krissy Barendse-Goodman/For The Daily Astorian
Kanai Phillip, in playoff action here against Monroe last season, will be a big target this
year for Knappa quarterback Eli Takalo.
of the NWL in every sport,
while the Warriors are still a
3A school, but will play 2A
football for the next two years.
While Warrenton coach Ian
O’Brien has made Knappa the
league favorite, Barendse is
speaking highly of Warrenton
and Neah-Kah-Nie.
“Neah-Kah-Nie has a lot of
guys back, and they will be a
handful,” he said. “They’ll be
the team to beat on paper.
“Warrenton is also in the
mix to be in that No. 1 spot.
They have a lot of guys back,
Ian’s a good football coach
and is building a good pro-
gram. I would say they’re the
team to beat.”
Vernonia should be pretty
good too, he said, with junior
running back Joshua Rice.
Still, most of the above
schools have not had a lot of
success against the Loggers.
Knappa has topped War-
renton the last two years by
scores of 41-0 and 54-0. Neah-
Kah-Nie hasn’t beaten Knappa
since 2002, and the Loggers
are 10-2 against Gaston since
2006. Knappa also has wins of
40-7, 50-6, 63-0 and 64-6 over
Vernonia, just since 2013.
Not much changes in the
ol’ NWL. Whether it’s foot-
ball, boys basketball or base-
ball, Knappa just doesn’t lose
when it comes to league play.
Last school year, the Log-
gers were a combined 33-1 in
all three sports (the only loss
coming to Columbia Christian
in boys basketball).
“Just being healthy will be
big for all of us,” Barendse
said. “You have to be healthy.
It’s not always X’s and O’s.
Things have to go your way.
I think it will be a three- or
four-team battle for the top
two spots. It’s been a while
since we’ve had three or four
teams that are very compet-
itive. We’re four deep, and if
all falls right, No. 4 could end
up first.”
THE LOGGERS
The Loggers have done it
with talent and coaching. Bar-
endse has been the league’s
Coach of the Year three out
of the last four years, and last
season saw all-league hon-
ors for every single Knappa
starter — offense and defense.
On offense, the line makes
it all go, and two of Knappa’s
five all-league offensive line-
men return.
In the backfield, senior
Luke Goozee is another can-
didate for the league’s Offen-
sive Player of the Year, fol-
lowing in the footsteps of
Andrew Goozee (2016) and
Kaleb Miller (2017). Knappa
also has the last two Defensive
Players of the Year (Andrew
Goozee and Mason Hoover).
As good as they are, the
Loggers have just four seniors.
“The four seniors have paid
their dues and been around the
program for four years,” Bar-
endse said. “Tyler Green and
Luke Goozee have seen a lot
more time on the field, but the
other two are big, strong line-
men. Our junior group is ath-
letic and talented, and the
same with the sophomores.
“Jaxson Goodman (Jr.) was
one of our better linemen last
year as a sophomore. He’s a
beast. Then we have Ryson
Patterson (Jr.) and Isaac Goo-
zee (So.).
“Kaleb Roe (Jr.) is back
off a leg injury and will help.
Dominique Rizzo, Will Shad-
ley and Andrew Pederson
played some center and guard
— I like where we’re at.”
At the skill positions, “Eli
Takalo (Jr.) is at quarterback,
with Cameron Miethe (So.)
backing him up. Watching Eli
play other sports, I’ve seen
his confidence and work ethic
really come out.”
With Kanai Phillip and
Devin Hoover, “we’ve got
receivers who are 6-1 and 6-2,
and both can run pretty well.
Cameron Miethe will play
some slot receiver and running
back. He has wheels and great
hands. Kayden Stuhr has great
hands and has been working
hard to be on the field, and the
same with Tyler Green.”
Joe Ramvick and Spen-
cer Teague are two more all-
league returners, both juniors.
Never a team to duck a
challenging schedule, the
Loggers are slated to kick off
the season Friday at home
against Grant Union.
“We’ve got a tough sched-
ule,” Barendse said. “Grant
Union will be a huge test.
They have arguably the best
lineman in the state. We’ll be
tested right out of the gate.”
Barendse’s coaching staff
includes Chad Harrington,
Rusty Hebert, Chris Jackson,
Doug Montgomery and David
Patterson.
Prediction: The league
championship may come
down to the winner of the
“All-In Bowl,” Warrenton at
Knappa, Sept. 21.
Young Knappa players dive into action
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
The Knappa Lady Loggers had
higher hopes for the 2017 volleyball
season.
It started on a positive note, with a
three-game sweep over Clatskanie in
the second match of the season.
But there’s not much time to get
things straightened before league
play begins in Northwest League
volleyball.
After splitting a pair of nonleague
matches, the Loggers were in league
play by Sept. 5. And after getting
swept by Gaston in the league opener,
Knappa never did quite recover from
an 0-3 start in league, finishing 3-8 in
the NWL standings, 4-12 overall.
If Jeff Kaul wanted a challenge in
his ninth year, he’s got one, as Knappa
must replace six seniors lost to gradu-
ation. The Loggers head into the sea-
son with just four returners with var-
sity experience.
“But they want to play, and they
play hard,” Kaul said of this year’s
group. “I think we’ll have a fun sea-
son, once they gel. They’re play-
ing across from people they’ve never
played with before, so it’s all new.”
THE NWL
Speaking of new, even the North-
west League has a slightly different
look, having lost Delphian and gained
Portland Christian, which has dropped
back down from the 3A level.
“Portland Christian did well last
year at the 3A level, so obviously
they’re going to be a dominant team in
the 2A,” Kaul said. “Faith Bible grad-
uated pretty much their whole team,
but their JV was nothing to sneeze at.
So I’m sure they will be a contender.
“Vernonia is always tough. Those
girls just always seem to be big and
KNAPPA
VOLLEYBALL
Coach: Jeff Kaul, 9th year
2017: 4-12 (3-8 league)
Playoffs: Lost league playoff at
Delphian.
Key losses: Jaden Miethe, Mack
Strain, Kaitlyn Truax, Paris Van-
derburg.
Key returners: Sophia Carlson,
Aiko Miller.
Knappa Logger Volleyball
The 2018 Knappa volleyball team.
strong. Their coach gets them going
for everything. I wish I knew their
secret.”
While the Loggers struggled after
the league-opening loss to Gaston, the
Greyhounds never looked back, finish-
ing 12-0 in league play before going
two-and-out at the state tournament.
Gaston lost five players to gradua-
tion, including middle blocker Char-
ity Hall.
“Gaston lost a lot, but they’ll still be
tough and I don’t think they will suffer
that much,” Kaul said. “Nestucca was
coming on strong at the end of last sea-
son, so they might surprise some peo-
ple this year.”
As for his own team, Kaul said,
“after watching these girls playing and
hitting all summer, I’m thinking — if
Go Loggers!
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
we can stay healthy — we should be
able to compete.”
THE LOGGERS
A small senior class includes team
captains Kourtney Tischer and Jordan
Walter. There’s also just two juniors,
Sophia Carlson and Aiko Miller.
“Sophia and Aiko are both very
strong players,” Kaul said. “Aiko will
step into Jaden Miethe’s spot and be
our Libero. But those four are my only
experienced varsity returners.”
The rest of the varsity roster is made
up of four sophomores (Raven Corcoran,
Cassidy Engblom, Megan Hellberg,
Vicki Ramvick) and two incoming
freshmen, Hannah Dietrichs and Taylin
Regier, a promising outside hitter.
“Hannah and Taylin made every
open gym this summer,” Kaul said.
“We worked with them a lot, and this
is the first time in a long time we’ll be
starting two freshmen. They will be
fun to watch.”
He added, “We did conditioning
during the hottest week of the summer,
and of course our gym is like a blast
furnace. But they all showed up and
kept coming back.”
Kaul’s setters will likely be Tischer
and the freshman, Regier.
“They’re not seasoned setters, but
Kourtney will step up and be a setter
for us, and we’re working with Tay-
lin to help out with setting. Right now,
we’re doing good. They were get-
ting the ball up and setting it nice the
first week of practice. Basically we’re
training two brand new setters.”
Go
!
s
r
e
g
g
Lo
Miller “was pretty excited” about
playing Libero. “She can hit pretty
well out of the back row. She’s a good
passer, she’s fast and she knows the
court.”
On the downside, “we have no
height coming back,” he said, as the
Loggers must replace Kaitlyn Truax
and Paris Vanderburg. “Vicki and
Hannah are pretty tall, and Taylin can
jump to the moon.”
The early returns for 2018 have
been positive for the Loggers.
Following Knappa’s appearance
in the annual Warrenton tournament
Aug. 25, Kaul said, “Our two fresh-
men, Taylin Regier and Hannah Diet-
richs are getting stronger and more
confident each outing, and it is great
to have some young players who are
already getting very confident with
their jump serving.
“Together they combined for
almost half of the team’s aces,” he
said.
In addition, “Kourtney Tischer,
who has stepped up to take on the set-
ting position this season, has been get-
ting stronger and stronger and when
she gets good passes from the back,
she is getting the ball where it needs to
go so our hitters can make the plays.”
Good
Luck
Loggers!
We Deliver!
3693 LIEF ERIKSON DR. | ASTORIA
(503) 458-6886
42929 Old Hwy 30 • Astoria
(JUST EAST OF SAFEWAY)
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