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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 25, 2020)
A8 THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 2020 CONTACT US FOLLOW US Gary Henley | Sports Reporter ghenley@dailyastorian.com facebook.com/ DailyAstorianSports ATHLETES OF THE WEEK AUSTIN LITTLE Warrenton KATELYNN WEAVER Knappa DAWSON LITTLE Warrenton MADELYNN WEAVER Knappa Krissy Barendse-Goodman T he senior (Madelynn) and freshman (Katelynn) put up big numbers in three league games last week. In a 46-43 loss Jan. 13 to Mannahouse Christian, Katelynn led the Loggers with 14 points to go with seven rebounds and three steals. Two days later, Katelynn scored 14 points (eight in the third quarter) and Madelynn added 12 points and eight rebounds in a 35-24 win over Columbia Christian. The two had a combined 14 steals. In a Jan. 17 loss at Nestucca, Katelynn had 10 points, six steals and fi ve boards, with Madelynn chipping in six points and six rebounds. Mindy Little I n back-to-back wins, the Little brothers (senior Austin and freshman Daw- son) played key roles in helping Warrenton. In a Jan. 10 nonleague victory over Colton, 44-30, Dawson scored a game-high 16 points, with four rebounds and two steals, while Austin fi nished with eight boards. After a Jan. 13 game at Gaston was cancelled, the Warriors posted a league-opening win at Taft, 55-39. Dawson had 19 points with fi ve rebounds and three assists; Austin added 11 points and fi nished with three steals and two assists. The Little’s were 9-for-10 on two-point fi eld goals. Knappa girls snag 32 steals in win over Gaston The Astorian Butch Dill/AP Photo Oregon’s Justin Herbert of the South squad runs drills during practice for the Senior Bowl college football game. Herbert, other Senior Bowl players hope staying pays off By JOHN ZENOR Associated Press M OBILE, Ala. — A year ago, Oregon quarterback Jus- tin Herbert decided to stick around for his senior season instead of turning pro. Wisconsin linebacker Zack Baun didn’t really have much choice. Both had impressive fi nal college seasons, including a head-to-head Rose Bowl matchup, and believe they’re more NFL-ready now. They’re among the participants in Saturday’s Senior Bowl game for senior NFL prospects and some junior graduates. Some of them, including Baun, have only recently emerged as legiti- mate prospects. Others like South Car- olina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and Michigan State defensive end Kenny Willekes stayed in college for one more season largely because of injuries. Ditto for Alabama linebacker Terrell Lewis. “I wanted to be a better leader, a bet- ter teammate, a better quarterback,” said Herbert, who would also have been a likely fi rst-round draft pick last year. “All these things that I felt like I accom- plished this year.” He did turn in perhaps his best season with 3,471 yards, 32 touchdowns and six interceptions. Herbert is one of the top quarterbacks in an upcoming draft where LSU Heisman Trophy winner ‘I WANTED TO BE A BETTER LEADER, A BETTER TEAMMATE, A BETTER QUARTERBACK. ALL THESE THINGS THAT I FELT LIKE I ACCOMPLISHED THIS YEAR.’ Justin Herbert | Oregon quarterback Joe Burrow is the likely No. 1 pick and some of the 99 underclassmen granted eligibility by the NFL are among the most coveted prospects. Alabama quarterback Tua Tagov- ailoa is one of them and a potential top-5 pick. Lewis, Arizona State running back Eno Benjamin, Texas A&M wide receiver Quartney Davis and Utah State quarterback Jordan Love are among the juniors in the Senior Bowl who have already graduated. Lewis, a fourth-year junior, and Love are widely regarded as potential fi rst-round picks. Lewis’s fellow Alabama linebacker Anfernee Jennings opted to return for his senior season and try to improve his stock, and feels like he did just that. Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban, who lost six underclassmen to the draft counting Lewis, said he advises all his juniors to leave if they’re likely fi rst- round picks. “I think most of our guys have made a good decision that way,” Saban said. “I think in Anfernee and Terrell’s case, both, they certainly did themselves a lot of good by coming back. I think most of our players who have come back have been able to do that.” Herbert and Baun are hoping that call pays off for players like them, too. Willekes (broken leg) and Kinlaw (torn hip labrum) both indicated they likely would have left after their junior seasons but for the injuries. Kinlaw especially is pegged as a likely fi rst- rounder after earning fi rst-team Associ- ated Press All-America honors. Willekes posted a career-high 10.5 sacks and fi nished as Michigan State’s career leader with 51 tackles for loss. In the last offseason, he spent time at Von Miller’s pass rush summit in Las Vegas and working with former NFL defensive end Chuck Smith. “I do feel a lot more ready, especially mentally,” Willekes said. “I feel like I was still a little young last year and I had some growing up and maturing to do and I was able to do that.” Still very much in the running for the Northwest League playoffs, the Knappa girls are back on the winning track follow- ing a 61-16 victory over Gaston, in NWL girls basketball action Thursday. The win was big for the Lady Loggers (3-6 in league), who had lost six of their last eight. “The girls came out of the gates ready to play,” said Knappa coach Tracie Brockey. “They applied pressure early and didn’t let up. As a coach, but also a Knappa alumna and community member, it was a great game to see.” Knappa improved to 7-10 overall, while Gaston — ranked last in the state — dropped to 1-13, 0-7 in league. The Loggers were taking the ball at will from the Greyhounds, as Knappa fi nished with 32 steals. Freshman Katelynn Weaver had 21 points and nine steals, while senior sister Madelynn Weaver added nine points, eight steals and fi ve assists. “I’m really proud of the way they played tonight,” Brockey said of her play- ers. “We talk a lot about who we are as a team, who sits in our stands, who we rep- resent, and we are a community fi lled with blue-collared, hard working people. “We want to embody that on the court, diving for balls and making hustle plays,” she said. “We want to reward the nitty-gritty performances that don’t always appear on a stat sheet but are vitally important to our success as a program.” The Weaver sisters “owned that blue collar mentality tonight,” Brockey said. “We came away with 32 steals and had double digit scoring in each quarter.” Sophia Carlson chipped in 10 points and four steals, while Hannah Dietrichs returned from an illness to grab nine rebounds to go with six points. Vicki Ramvick also returned for the Loggers, who could be tested next week in games at Vernonia Monday and Portland Christian Wednesday. Knappa boys score another 30-point win over Gaston The Astorian The Knappa Loggers bounced back from their stunning upset loss at Nestucca last Friday and took out their frustrations on Gaston in a 59-29 win Thursday night over the Greyhounds in boys basketball action at Knappa. Knappa — which beat Gaston 72-40 in the fi rst meeting Dec. 16 — led 16-8 after one quarter and 29-11 at halftime, then continued to pound the ‘Hounds in the second half. The No. 2-ranked Loggers are back in charge of the NWL at 8-1 (16-1 over- all), with road contests coming up at Ver- nonia (2-6) and Portland Christian (3-3) next week.
