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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 2005)
^ ‘¡Llnrtlattò © bseruer Page B6 August 17. 2005 EMBRACING DIVERSITY S ports Benson High Baseball Continues Success Junior State Team Qualified for Tournament Over the last four years, Benson High School's baseball program has put together winning summer and fall teams. These teams have included more players, more games, and a higher return of success. Much of the re building of the Benson baseball program and continued success has come with the creditable iden tity of sponsor Elmer’s Flag and Banner. This year, Benson’s summer Junior State D2 team (freshmen) finished as a co-champion and qual i tied for the 16-team State Tour nament. North Portland had some local involvement in Benson’s run; JakeChrest, Michael Mehrens, Jor dan Rogers, and Jay Serhan where all huge pieces for the Techmen’s post season push. Under Head Coach Rob Herder, the Techmen definitely have up ward momentum, finishing fifth the past three spring P1L seasons with very young teams. “Our staff has simply tried to put together a stable program where we can win every year at every level. We knew that was a bold mission going into the Benson job, but re alizing our goal of reaching the play Benson High School's Junior State D2 Team, pictured here, recently qualified for the State Tournament. offs in the spring seems to be get ting closer,” Herder said. In fact, many indicators are point ing just that way. In addition to the Ju n io r S ta te ’s team su c c e ss, Benson’s AAA American Legion Ferrante Chiropractic Center NE/Hollywood Dist. F or A ll Your C h iropractic N eeds Auto Accident Injuries/ On The Job Injuries • • • • club posted wins over Southridge, Jesuit, W estview , L iberty, and league champ Beaverton. “ Playing against the Metro pow ers this summer made us even bet ter,” said Andrew Curtin, who is Martin J. Codino D.C. 4317 NE Tillamook St. Portland, OR 97213 (I block north o f Sandy) (503) 493-9730 Treatment for auto injuries covered by most auto insurance carriers. No referral required. Jefferson Alumni Football Game Date: August 19, 2005 Time: 7:00 pm Jefferson High School Football Field $5.00 Adults $3.00 Students For further information please Assistant Coach Ryan Smith adds, “From day one we have preached that hard workers win in life and hard workers win on the field, and we work as hard as any body.” The Portland Trail Blazers are holding tryouts for the first ever Trail Blazers Hip Hop Dance Team. The team will perform at select re g u la r seaso n hom e gam es throughout the season and will represent the Trail B lazers at events throughout Oregon. Dance team coaches Medora Cesarano and Mari Nakama will join a group of judges for the two- day tryouts. They will select a 12- person team. Tryouts will be held Saturday, Sept. 10 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the team ’s prac tice facility at 7325 S.W. Childs Road in Tualatin. Cesarano has been a premier hip-hop dance instructor and cho reographer in Portland for many years. With more than 25 years of dance experience, she has fo cused on hip-hop and funk as her primary style over the last de cade. Nakam a brings a wealth of various dance backgrounds and styles to the team. Her expertise is wide ranging, including acrobat ics, gymnastics, modern dance and hip-hop. For info em ail H ipHopDanceTeam @ blazers.com New Blazer Coach Faces Challenge Takes on NBA team with youngest talent Back Pain Neck Pain Headaches Massage dueling teammate Nick Breninger for “T op G un” honors on the mound. Furthermore, Seth Weitzel and James Sowards supplied much of the offense in the potent Techmen line-up. Blazers to Form Hip Hop Dancers Cheeks, who was popular with the players and the fans. But as a “player's coach,” Cheeks w asn't able to crack down on a team badly in need of discipline. Portland play ers had several brushes with the law. Former Blazerforward Rasheed Wallace was suspended for seven gam es three seasons ago after threatening a game official on the loading dock of the Rose Garden. Former Guard Bonzi Wells had a couple o f co n fro n tatio n s with Cheeks before he was traded to Memphis in 2004. Then last year. Cheeks had a verbal run-in with forward Darius Miles during a film session. Miles was suspended for just two games, which many saw as a sign that team over the past three years have come straight from high school — for ward Travis Outlaw and guards S ebastian T e lfa ir and M artell Webster. Miles also was drafted out of high school. “W e’ve got our work cut out for us. It takes four or five years to figure it out. Even Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett— very few come in here and dominate quickly,” McMillan said. How long will it take? “I don’ t know. I didn’ t come here to lose. I know I have to be patient and I know what I’ m working with. But 1 don’t like losing. I don’t take it well,” he said. McMillan compiled a 212-183 record with the Sonics, who pro moted him from assistant in No (AP) — Nate McMillan is em barking on one of the most chal lenging jobs offered in the NBA this offseason: head coach of the PortlandTrail Blazers. It’s a team that over the past five years has dealt with player misbe havior, personnel changes from the front office down, fan disenchant ment and tw o years w ithout a postseason. McMillan comes to Portland af ter five years as head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics, where before that he was an assistant coach after a 12-year career as a player. He was so beloved he won the moniker “Mr. Sonic.” B1 azers owner and M icrosoft co founder Paul Allen clearly coveted the 6-foot-5 former guard, waiting until McMillan was ready to ven ture beyond Seattle while rumors swirled about other candidates — including former BlazerTerry Por te r and S u n s a s s is ta n t M arc — Blazer Coach Nate McMillan Iavaroni. On the surface, McMillan ap pears like the perfect solution for management did not support its vember2000. Not much was expected of the the Blazers. He is known for his coach. S o n ic s th is p a st se a so n , but C heeks was fired in M arch and strict rules, including bans on McMillan led them to 52 wins and headbands and on cell phones on Blazers director o f player person they took the San Antonio Spurs to the team bus. He enforces a dress nel Kevin Pritchard served as in six games in the Western Confer terim coach the rest o f the sea code. ence semifinals. “Character and talent are the son. McM illan was originally se McMillan, who by NBA coach things w e're looking for in aplayer,” he said. “It’s important that the ing standards is young at just 41, is lected by the Sonics out of North players understand they have to taking on one of the N BA ’s young Carolina State with the 30th overall respect the game. They have to est franchises. Three years of thor pickofthe 1986 draft. In his 12 years respect the league. And they have ough housecleaning has resulted with the team, the Sonics made 11 to respect the fans. You must be a in a team with an average age hov postseason appearances — and McMillan appeared in 98 playoff ering around 23. professional at all times.” The team 's top three draft picks games, more than any other player M cM illan replaces M aurice in team history. “There’s a guy who understands his strengths and weaknesses, and understands the importance o f self- discipline. He w asn’t the greatest athlete, but he worked hard and was able to overcome his short comings,” said Bernie Bickerstaff, coach and general manager o f the Charlotte Bobcats. Today, M cM illan’s No. 10 je r sey hangs from the rafters at Seattle’s KeyArena. MeMiI lan said he’ s spoken to al 1 o f his new players, either in person or on the phone. He watched O ut law, Telfair and W ebster play in the Las Vegas summer league. He has spoken with forward Ruben Patterson, one of the team ’s few remaining veterans who was / didn’t come here to lose. I know 1 have to be patient and 1 know what I ’m working with. But I don’t like losing. distraught when Cheeks was fired, and Zach Randolph, the N BA ’s Most Improved Player in the 2003- 04 season. The coach said he’ll come up with new rules to usher in the new era as he goes along. “I’ll take a look at who we are and what we need to do to be focused. There are some things I demand: Y ou’ve got to show up on time. You’ve got to work hard,” he said. “And you have to respect who you work for, from the league to the fans.” contort (503) »14-5180 ei«. 1352 Silver Bullets Finish Third in Oregon All procioni go to tha Jaffartan High School footholl program. Advertise with diversity in ü 1,1 JìJnrtlanb Call 503-288-0033 or email: ads@portlandob$ei vei.coiii The 18A Silver Bullets Girls Softball Team recently celebrated finishing third in the state o f Oregon. Led by Coach Winston, the Portland team has student athletes that graduated in 2005 going to a variety o f colleges. Tryouts for the upcoming season begin Sunday. Aug. 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Westview High School. Clinics are also held throughout the year. For more information, visit www.silverbullets. org.
