2B COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL SEPTEMBER 19, 2018
Sky-Em football preview
By Zach Silva
zsilva@cgsentinel.com
While Cottage Grove has
gone undefeated over the last
two seasons in league-play,
a shake-up in the Sky-Em
presents the team with new
challenges coming into the
season.
“We’ll see what we’re made
of because we’re going to
go down and play a load-
ed Marshfield team in Coos
Bay,” said head coach Gary
Roberts after last Friday’s
loss to Stayton.
Here’s a look around what
the Lions will be facing
across the league.
Elmira (3-0)
With what looked like a
three-headed monster of
Cottage Grove, Marist and
Marshfield, it is the Falcons
of Elmira who come out of
non-league play as the high-
est ranked team in the Sky-
Em sitting at number four in
all of 4A.
The Falcons have moved
up the rankings beating up
on weaker opponents in a
Siuslaw (0-3) team that is
playing down in 3A this
season (and feature 20 un-
derclassmen on the 31-man
team), North Valley (0-3)
and Philomath/Alsea (2-1).
Philomath/Alsea’s
record
may not be an indication of
the team’s success as their
victories came over a strug-
gling Junction City and Siu-
slaw.
While the team has looked
great on paper – tied for the
third-most points scored this
season in 4A – the Falcons
will see if their non-league
success translates to league-
play as they host Marist this
Friday.
Marshfield (2-1)
Sitting a spot below in the
rankings are the Pirates at
number five in 4A. Marsh-
field opened the season with
a loss to North Bend (3-0), a
team that is currently ranked
number one in all of 5A. since
then the team has rattled off
a win at Gladstone and a
49-0 victory over Klamath
Union. This week the Pirates
host Cottage Grove and are
looking for revenge from last
year’s loss in the State cham-
pionship.
“I would think in the
back of their mind (my
team) would remember the
butt-kicking that we received
up in Hillsboro last year,” said
head coach John Lemmons
this summer. “Sure hope that
FOOTBALL from B1
would be a motivating factor.
I know that us coaches will
be working extra hard.”
Marist (1-2)
The Spartans return to
4A has not been what they
had hoped for. After a vic-
tory over Sweet Home in
week one, Marist lost to sec-
ond-ranked Seaside at home
and were blown out by Banks
51-13 last week. Currently
20th in the state, the Spar-
tans, who have previously
been dominant in the Sky-
Em, will look to compete
with the top of the league
starting this week at Elmira.
Junction City (0-3)
A season after going 3-6 on
the year, it will be an uphill
battle to get back to that win
total this season. The Tigers
lost 48-19 in their opener
(though it is listed as a 1-0
forfeit on the team’s OSAA
page) to Philomath/Alsea,
fell 54-20 to Woodburn in
week two and on Friday were
shutout 57-0 at home against
Tillamook.
While their schedule cur-
rently optimistically notes
they will have a play-in game
at the conclusion of the sea-
son, it will take an incredible
turnaround effort to get to
that point this season.
did our best to claw back into it.
I’m proud of our kids and the way
that we fought in the fourth quar-
ter, I just wish that we would have
done a better job of execution in
the first half and the third quarter.”
Friday’s game was Cottage
Grove’s first regular-season loss
since October 9, 2015 when the Li-
ons fell 28-21 at Sisters. The coach-
ing staff made sure to remind the
team that despite the loss, the sky
BOYS SOCCER
is not falling.
“We said this is a bump in the
road, not the end of the road. And
we can either let one loss define
our season or we can regroup and
rally. I told them in the huddle,
you never let one win define your
season and you never let one loss
define your season,” said Roberts.
With just one non-league game
left this season for Cottage Grove,
the penultimate game of the sea-
son against Phoenix, the Lions
from B1
intensity, a lot more desire. And I think we did a great
job,” said Stewart.
When Cervantes checked back into the game, he
was ready for one more goal. As Nichols-Ferguson
controlled the ball at midfield and drew in a host of
defenders, Cervantes was ready for the moment.
“I caught Jasper’s eye and was like, 'Send it!' And
he sent it and there was no one on me because they
were all over there and it caught them by surprise and
it was an easy touch, dribbled up to the goalie, look
the goalie in the eye and just go the other way,” said
Cervantes.
In the second half, and up four goals, the Lions
had sparing chances but were not attacking in the
same manner as the first half. Cottage Grove’s defense
stayed resolute throughout the game and Hidden
Valley was never able to get a solid shot on freshman
goalie Ty Kishen.
“That’s the whole key of having a young keeper is
that you have a strong defense in front of him so it
builds his confidence,” said Stewart. “So he’s going to
feel better and then the times he does get called into a
save he’s going to step up.”
On Saturday, the continued their winning-form as
now head to league play. This Fri-
day, the Lions travel to Marshfield
(2-1) in a rematch of last season’s
State championship game. With
a number of players injured, the
team looks to get healthy and pre-
pare for league.
“We’ve got to regroup and we’ve
got to get some kids dialed in but
we’ll do our best as coaches, the
kids will do their best and we’ll
keep this thing going the best we
can,” said Roberts.
they defeated Astoria 2-1 on the road. The team be-
gins league play Thursday at home against Marshfield.
PHOTO BY SAM CRUDEN/CGHS PHOTOGRAPHY
Cottage Grove's Lathan Van Wagner battles for the
ball.
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6:30 p.m. Volleyball vs. Marshfield
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