Polk County Itemizer-Observer • June 17, 2015 11A
Polk County Sports
CLASS 6A-5A PREP FOOTBALL
Riddell ready to take on state’s best
Trio of Polk County athletes prepare to play in Les Scwhab Tires Bowl
By Lukas Eggen
Les Schwab Tires Bowl
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE —
When one of Central High’s
newest graduates, running
back/defensive back Wes
Riddell, takes the field for
the South squad at the Les
Schwab Tires Bowl in Hills-
boro on Saturday, he knows
it’ll be a challenge.
The all-star game for sen-
iors in Class 6A and 5A fea-
tures some of the best foot-
ball players in the state of
Oregon.
“I’m expecting quite a bit
of good competition,” Rid-
dell said. “I get to go against
some of the best players in
Oregon. It’s going to prepare
me, and I’m just excited to
have some fun with it.”
Riddell is one of three
Polk County players partici-
pating in the game, joining
teammate Alberto Meza (of-
fensive/defensive line) and
Dallas’ Spencer McCarron
(tight end).
Panthers coach Shane
Hedrick will serve as one of
the assistant coaches for the
South team.
“Having coach there and
a teammate will help me feel
more comfortable, and I
think it will help me fit in
better,” Riddell said.
For Meza, Saturday pro-
vides the perfect end to his
high school career.
“I’m really thankful to get
one last opportunity to play
one last high school football
game,” Meza said. “I’m very
What: Les Schwab Tires Bowl.
When: Saturday, 6 p.m.
Where: Hillsboro Stadium, Hillsboro.
Tickets: Adults, $15; students/seniors $12 reserved; $8 and
$6 general admission.
Local participants: CENTRAL — Wes Riddell (running
back/defensive back), Alberto Meza (offensive/defensive line),
Shane Hedrick (assistant coach). DALLAS — Spencer McCarron
(tight end).
AARON YOST/ Itemizer-Observer file
Central running back Wes Riddell (32) will take part in the Les Schwab Tires Bowl.
excited to play with some of
the region’s best players. I
think it should be a really
fun and neat experience.”
But for Riddell, Saturday’s
all-star game isn’t the end of
the journey.
—
Riddell may have played
baseball in the spring, but
football has always been the
sport on his mind the most.
“I’ve been missing foot-
ball since it ended,” Riddell
said. “I’ve been doing work-
outs through baseball sea-
son to get ready for football.
I’ve been preparing myself
for a while now.”
Riddell’s taste of high
school football came early,
when he was the Panthers’
ball boy during his sixth
grade year. Since then, he’s
racked up numerous acco-
lades, including being
named the Itemizer-Observ-
er’s football player of the
year for the 2014 season.
While Saturday marks the
SPORTS BRIEFS
Polk Pedalers rides open to cyclists of all ages
POLK COUNTY — The Polk Pedalers Bicycle Club wil host its longest day of the year ride Wednesday
(today).
The ride will go from Sisters to Smith Rock and Madras Bikeway for a total of 70 miles. The ride is
rated moderately difficult.
All are welcome, but children must have an adult with them. All riders must wear a helmet.
Carpooling will be available.The group’s next ride will be July 15 at 8 a.m. at Perrydale School. The
annual breakfast round-trip ride from Perrydale to Amity is 30 miles long.
For more information: 503-623-6533.
Silver: Pirates hope
for top five finishes
Continued from Page 10A
“I’d like to place in the top
five in all of my events,” Sil-
ver said. “To get top three,
that would be amazing, but I
would really like to finish
top five.”
Zoe Couey is competing
in five events for the Pirates.
And while she’s hoping to
be among the leaders in
each, Couey will be happy
with whatever happens dur-
ing competition.
“It’s going to be a very in-
teresting
week,” Co-
uey said. “I
feel like it
would he-
lp
me,
even if I go
up there
and it’s not
Price
how
I
imagined it, it’s just going
to make me grow a little bit
more and realize what I
need to work on for the
next show.”
For Taylor Price, state
competition is about the
culmination of countless
hours of practice.
“You just have to trust
that your horse will guide
you and no matter what,
that you will succeed,” Price
said. “Good runs or bad,
they’re what got you there in
the first place and you al-
ways let them know they did
good because they give it
their all. ... That’s all I could
ever ask for.”
Western Oregon University
WOLVES
end of his high school ca-
reer, Riddell’s football jour-
ney appears far from over.
This fall, Riddell will join the
Oregon State Beavers.
“I always loved Oregon
State,” Riddell said. “It’s al-
most in our backyard. My
parents went to school
there, which kind of swayed
me a little bit. Talking to the
coaches, they seem really
cool, down-to-earth guys.”
But Riddell had to take
things into his own hands to
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Western Oregon University is committed to improving the athleticism and team skills of our local student
athletes by providing a safe, fun, skill based experience for kids ages 7 to 17 years old. WOU speed camps help
young athletes gain a step up on the competition through expert instruction in a collegiate environment and
interaction with collegiate student athletes.
Riddell is confident that
he’s ready to face the step up
in competition.
“The way (Central coach
Shane Hedrick) ran prac-
tices, he ran it like a college
practice,” Riddell said. “He
also made sure that academ-
ics came before sports and
everything. He taught me
work ethic and how to carry
myself on and off the field.
He helped me build great
character through the years.
I’m grateful for what he and
my teammates have done.”
—
Riddell has come a long
way since the days he
roamed the sidelines as a
ball boy in sixth grade. Now,
he’s ready for the next chap-
ter in his career.
“It’s incredible,” Riddell
said. “Growing up, you al-
ways see the guys on TV, and
I thought that it’d be awe-
some to be there someday.
It’s an awesome opportunity
for me to get to play and be
one of the guys I’ve been
watching my whole life. I’m
ecstatic just thinking about
it.”
Dallas: Dragons look
for strong showing
Continued from Page 10A
Mauk hopes for a top five
finish in at least one of her
events.
But she’s already proud of
how far she’s come this sea-
son.
“I’ve been working with a
new mini,” Mauk said.
“We’re doing what other
horses have done for years.
I’m already pleased with
where I’m at. Just making it
to state is an awesome
thing.”
—
Teammate Kelsey Riemer
has also seen riding change
her life, fully devoting her-
self to riding in middle
school.
“It’s been the best time of
my life,” Riemer said. “I’ve
played other sports, and it
just got really hard for me to
keep up with those sports. I
wanted a change of scenery
and to try something differ-
ent, which I did by coming
here and experiencing
horses.”
Since that decision, rid-
ing has become more than
a hobby.
“When I’m on an animal,
I feel like I’m untouchable,”
Riemer said. “I love the way
the horse moves under my
body. I love the experience.
I love the thrill of it. Any-
thing you can imagine
about a horse, I love it.”
—
As Dallas makes final
preparations before travel-
ing to Redmond, riders are
optimistic about their
chances.
“We’ve worked really
hard,” Karlie Dalke said.
“We just want a solid per-
formance and hopefully
come out on top if we
can.”
Most of all, Dallas’ riders
hope the state champi-
onships provide them with
one more chance to com-
pete together.
“My teammates have
been there for me,” Mauk
said. “We’re not friends;
we’re family, and they’ve
b e e n t h e re f o r m e. I
wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t
for them.”
OREGON HIGH SCHOOL EQUESTRIAN TEAM
Central trio looks to earn
high finish at state meet
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
BOYS AND GIRLS AGES 7 - 10, 11 - 14, 15 - 17
$25 PER WEEK: 3 SESSIONS
$80 FOR 4 WEEKS: 12 SESSIONS
get there.
The Beavers hired Gary
Anderson, formerly head
coach at Wisconsin, to take
over the football program
this fall. With the program
busy adjusting to a new staff,
Riddell reached out to OSU
during the winter. Within a
matter of weeks, Riddell had
made up his mind.
“It really is cool to come
in with a new coaching
staff,” Riddell said. “No one
knows anyone, and it’s time
to make a name for yourself.
They are all new. You’re new.
It’s cool to come in and
build with them.”
The Panthers have seen
several players compete at
the Division I level in recent
years. Grant Hedrick, a 2010
graduate, played quarter-
back at Boise State, while
Riddell’s cousin Jordan Pratt
competed at Stanford.
“He didn’t have much to
say except that it’s a whole
new experience,” Riddell
said. “It’s a major step up,
and it’s going to be a lot of
work. Most of my schedule
will revolve around football.”
INDEPENDENCE —
Times, they are a-changing
for Taylor Knauss, Madeline
Francis and Mari Whelton.
The three members of Cen-
tral’s Oregon High School
Equestrian Team (OHSET)
entered the season never
having worked together be-
fore.
They’re looking to end
their year by placing at the
OHSET State Champi-
onships June 24-27.
The trio will compete in
team penning and in-hand
obstacle relay, while Whel-
ton will also participate in
driving and keyhole, and
Knauss will compete in in-
dividual flags. While their
initial success may have
come as a surprise to many,
i n c l u d i n g t h e m s e l v e s,
they’re no longer satisfied
with having qualified.
“We deserve to be here,”
Francis said. “We put in a
lot of time and work togeth-
er. I never expected to be
here. Now that we’ve gotten
here, we’ve shown we’re
g o o d
enough to
be
at
state.”
The fo-
cus will
be
on
having
fun, espe-
Knauss
cially for
seniors
Knauss
and Fran-
c i s. Ju s t
don’t mis-
take hav-
ing fun
for lack-
ing focus.
“I think
Francis
t h e r e’s
more pressure on us,”
Whelton said. “This is state,
so we want to do really well
and represent our school
the best that we can.”
The final months of the
school year have been
memorable for Knauss.
She won a district track
and field title in the long
jump and competed at the
state track and field cham-
pionships to go along with
her performance during the
OHSET
season.
“ I t ’s
been odd
for me,”
Knauss
said. “I’m
not used
to being
Whelton
the center
of attention. I’m not used to
succeeding, I guess. People
know who I am now. It’s
nice to finally be noticed
after four years of track and
one year of (riding).”
The trio hopes this sur-
prise run to state ends in
fairy tale fashion, especial-
ly for Knauss and Whelton,
who graduated from Cen-
tral High School June 5. But
regardless of their finish,
the journey to this point
has made this experience
one they won’t soon forget.
“I’m beyond happy I did
this,” Knauss said. “This
has brought me closer to
so many people. I can’t
imagine where I’d be with-
out all this going on. I un-
expectedly have so many
more people I call my
friend.”