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.