Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 2019)
A8 THE ASTORIAN • SATuRdAy, AuguST 24, 2019 CONTACT US FOLLOW US Gary Henley | Sports Reporter ghenley@dailyastorian.com Banks’ Gobel named Athlete of the Year The Astorian Blake Gobel, who graduated in June from Banks High School, has been selected as the 2019 recipient of the Johnny Carpen- ter 4A/3A/2A/1A Prep Athlete of the Year award. The honor, announced last month, rec- ognizes the most outstand- ing male ath- lete across the Oregon Schools Activities Asso- ciation’s 4A, Blake Gobel 3A, 2A and 1A classifications. Gobel was an integral part of the most successful boys sports season in Banks’ history. A three- sport athlete, he led the Braves to 4A state championships in foot- ball, boys basketball and base- ball, with wins over Seaside in the football and basketball state title games. It was the first time since North Valley in 1984-85 that a school has won state champi- onships in all three sports in the same school year. The 6-7, 230-pound Gobel played tight end and defensive end in football. He caught six passes for 88 yards and a touch- down and finished with six tack- les and one sack in Banks’ 31-20 victory over the Gulls in the championship. He earned 4A and Cow- apa League first team honors as a tight end after finishing the season with 47 receptions for 689 yards and 14 touchdowns. Defensively, Gobel recorded 33 total tackles (11 for lost yardage), 4.5 sacks and one interception. Gobel will continue his foot- ball career as a defensive end at Eastern Washington University this fall. On the hardwood, Gobel was named the 4A and Cowapa League Player of the Year after leading the Braves to a 27-3 over- all record and their first-ever state title. He averaged 14.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game, and tallied 24 points and 13 boards in Banks’ come-from- behind win over Seaside in the state championship. In the spring, Gobel played pitcher and first base for Banks, which earned the No. 1 overall seed in the 4A state playoffs, and finished league play with a 12-0 record en route to a state title. He hit over .300 and served as both a starter and reliever on the mound, posting a sub-2.00 ERA. Gobel is the first boys ath- lete from Banks to receive a Prep Athlete of the Year honor, which has been awarded annually since 1966. Baylee Touey of North Valley was selected as the 4A/3A/2A/1A Prep Girls Athlete of the Year. Businesses should beware of company soliciting advertising The Astorian Astoria High School is send- ing out a warning to local busi- nesses, about a company from Texas trying to solicit advertis- ing dollars for sports schedule posters. “Sports Media, from San Antonio, Texas is falsely rep- resenting themselves as solici- tors for the Astoria High athletic department,” Astoria athletic director Howard Rub said in a news release. “This company is falsely trying to solicit advertis- ing dollars from our local busi- nesses for sport schedule posters. “Please do not purchase an advertisement from this com- pany … always contact the Asto- ria High athletic department directly at 503-325-3911, ext. 317, or email hrub@astoria.K12. or.us, with regard to advertising and donations supporting Astoria High School athletic programs.” The Astoria High athletic department does not contract with outside agencies for the pur- poses of fundraising, Rub said. facebook.com/ DailyAstorianSports Ducks freshman Thibodeaux should get plenty of playing time By ANNE M. PETERSON Associated Press E UGENE — Most college freshmen struggle with things like laundry. Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux is not your typical freshman. The 6-foot-5, 242-pound defensive end enrolled early so he could get a jumpstart on his college career. He said the biggest adjustment came with the realization that no one was going to cod- dle him. “There’s no one to get on you,” Thibo- deaux said. “There’s a lot more self-dis- cipline here, which for me wasn’t that hard because I’m more of a self-disci- plined person, but that was a challenge that I faced.” So, a bit more esoteric than laundry and scheduling classes. “I’ve always been told I’m ahead of my years as far as my maturity so I guess you could say it’s been different for me than most freshmen, but I feel like it’s been pretty easy,” he said. No. 11 Oregon landed the five-star recruit from Westlake Village, Califor- nia, on the first day of the early signing period, beating out Alabama along with a host of other interested schools. Thibo- deaux was ESPN’s top overall prospect and easily the highest-ranked signee in Oregon’s history. He is among several promising pros- pects in coach Mario Cristobal’s 2019 recruiting class, considered to be in the top 10 nationally. Eleven of those recruits, including Thibodeaux, enrolled in school early. “I’ve said this a few times, and I really mean it, the most impressive part about Kayvon is not the five stars that sit beside his name, it’s his five-star attitude and work ethic,” Cristobal said. Known for his agility and athleticism, even at his size, Thibodeaux was impres- sive in spring drills. He’s been battling Gus Cumberlander for the starting nod during fall camp. The Ducks open the season against No. 16 Auburn on Aug. 31 at AT&T Sta- dium in Texas. Thibodeaux is brimming with confi- dence, proclaiming that his aim is to get 10 sacks a season. The Pac-12 leader last year was Utah’s Bradlee Anae with eight. Thibodeaux said his mentality is “no AP Photo/Anne M. Peterson Kayvon Thibodeaux speaks to reporters at media day in Eugene. UP NEXT: DUCKS • No. 11 Oregon Ducks (0-0) at No. 16 Auburn Tigers (0-0) • August 31, 4:30 p.m. TV: ABC excuses.” “Even though you guys, I’m answer- ing questions (but) I’m not gonna go watch the video. I’m not gonna go watch the videos or listen to what’s being said or what’s going on,” he said. “It’s just about focusing on what we have to do to get better, what I have to do personally, what we as a team have to work on.” Among the other newcomers who stood out in preseason camp was receiver Mycah Pittman, but he injured his shoulder during a scrimmage and is not expected to be back for six to eight weeks. Pittman was pushing for a start- ing role before he was hurt. Cornerback Mykael Wright should also see ample playing time, as should stud end Mase Funa. An intriguing pros- pect is tight end Patrick Herbert, who is senior quarterback Justin Herbert’s little brother. “I could go on and on about guys like Mase Funa, Mycah Pittman, Mykael Wright, Kayvon. It goes on and on and on, (running back) Sean Dollars,” Cris- tobal said. “All these guys, they’re really talented guys, and we expect these guys to be contributors, and we expect them to contribute quickly. They’ve played at high levels. They’ve had extraordinary coaching at the high school level.” Thibodeaux said the freshman class is ready to show what it can do. “I can’t really speak for anybody else but I know that Coach Cristobal pushes us. And even for the guys that might not play, he’s pushing us like we’re gonna play,” he said. “So regardless of how it turns out on Aug. 31, everybody’s work- ing hard and getting ready for football.” Quiet Seahawks hoping to make noise in NFC West By TIM BOOTH Associated Press SEATTLE — There is an unusual and notable lack of noise surround- ing the Seattle Seahawks. The loud personalities of the past are gone. There are no contract dis- putes. The general buzz around the franchise is at a murmur. There are no outlandish Super Bowl expec- tations, but there remains a belief Seattle is a good team that should be in the NFC playoff conversation. After years when Seattle was among the loudest teams in the NFL, it’s a stark change. “We had so many names that people were paying attention to that were doing so many different things that it’s just kind of different now. ... I think a little bit of that, too, is I think the league is sleeping on our team,” Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner said. “They kind of did it last year, but we had lost so many players there was no expectation. This year kind of has that same vibe, but we know what we’ve got in our locker room and know how good our team can be.” Last season was supposed to be the transition year in a remodel. Instead, the Seahawks found a for- mula that worked with a revitalized run game, an efficient Russell Wil- son, and a defense that while taking a step back from the past was still good enough for Seattle to win 10 games and earn a wild-card berth. Seattle should be able to pick up where it left off, but might not be ready to challenge the Rams in the NFC West. The Seahawks’ offense could be dynamic with a run game led by Chris Carson and an expe- rienced, veteran offensive line, but will need to find a replacement for the loss of go-to wide receiver Doug Baldwin. Seattle has one of the best linebacker groups in the NFL led by Wagner, but has major questions UP NEXT: SEAHAWKS • Seattle Seahawks (1-1) at Los Angeles Chargers (0-2) • Tonight, 7 p.m. TV: NFLN AP Photo/Jim Mone Russell Wilson watches from the bench during the second half of the preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. about the pass rush and whether vet- eran Ezekiel Ansah — coming off shoulder surgery — can be the dis- ruptive answer. The Seahawks seem to be equal parts potential and questions going into the 10th season with Pete Car- roll in charge. “I’m hoping we can be a very complete team,” Carroll said. “In years past, we’ve been able to be good at a lot of areas and it’s hard to find a way to get at us.” Here’s what else to watch for the upcoming season: Locked up The Seahawks avoided a major distraction by locking up Wilson to the richest contract in league history in April. With his long-term future set, Wilson can focus on building off one of his most efficient seasons. With Seattle producing the best run game in the NFL, Wilson set career highs in touchdown passes (35) and passer rating (110.9) while match- ing his career low with seven inter- ceptions. Wilson threw for only 215 yards per game, but that number was similar to the two seasons when he helped lead Seattle to NFC titles. Wilson’s task will be finding a new No. 1 wide receiver. Tyler Lockett is coming off a career year, but Baldwin often drew coverage, leaving Lockett open. Look for rookie DK Metcalf to be another favored target, but minor knee sur- gery during training camp could slow his start. In the middle Wagner also got a contract exten- sion at the start of training camp that keeps the four-time All-Pro as the center of Seattle’s defense going forward. Wagner will team with K.J. Wright and Mychal Kendricks to form what could be the best line- backer trio of Carroll’s tenure. There is depth as well with capable backup Austin Calitro and promising rookie Cody Barton. The three starters will be asked to make plenty of plays with questions elsewhere on the defensive side. Causing chaos Seattle lost its primary pass rusher when Frank Clark was traded to Kansas City, sending away 13 sacks to acquire more draft picks. The Seahawks will also be with- out Jarran Reed and his 10 ½ sacks for the first six games due to sus- pension. If healthy, Ansah can be part of the answer. He’s two years removed from having 12 sacks in 14 games, and Seattle needs that kind of production. The Seahawks would be helped if youngsters Jacob Martin, Quinton Jefferson or vet- eran Cassius Marsh could provide a boost. Pass rush will be key to take pressure off a secondary that was exposed at times last season. Rock solid For a rare change, the offensive line is not a concern. Seattle returns four of five starters, with veteran Mike Iupati stepping in for J.R. Sweezy as the one change among the starting five. Left tackle Duane Brown continues to play extremely well going into his 12th season. Germain Ifedi has matured at right tackle and is entering a contract sea- son. And right guard D.J. Fluker is a massive run-blocking star if healthy. Back loaded If Seattle can handle a midsea- son stretch of challenging tests it could benefit from playing three of its final five games at home, includ- ing the final two weeks against divi- sion foes San Francisco and Ari- zona. But the Seahawks face a tough stretch from Weeks 5 thru 10 with road games at Cleveland, Atlanta and San Francisco to go with home games against the Rams, Baltimore and Tampa Bay.
