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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 2016)
Polk County Sports 12A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • January 13, 2016 Mark: Pirates recover from slow start Continued from Page 10A The surgery was sched- uled for October of 2014. Bibler had the support of family and friends, but it was his faith that helped him stay positive. “I prayed and I prayed and said if I make it out of this, I’m going to do every- thing for you Lord,” Bibler said. The surgery was success- ful, but Bibler was forced to miss school and sports as he recovered. “I was in ICU for a couple of days and I was out of school for two weeks,” Bibler said. “I never got to play football that year.” His recovery didn’t keep him down for long. By De- cember of 2014, Bibler was back on the basketball court and he was ready to approach his play on the court, and life in general, with a new-found determi- nation. “I went and got this tattoo to represent my faith and my love for God,” Bibler said. “I know my teammates will give everything they have and I’m ready to give it my all, too.” Bibler entered his senior season ready to grow on the court, but began on the bench. The senior wasn’t about to let that deter him. “I felt like I could have done better than being on the bench,” Bibler said. “If we’re going to succeed, we’re all going to have to improve, so I’m going to start that.” Early in the season, Bibler’s workouts weren’t done once practices ended. He continued to do speed workouts at home, dribbling before lunch at school, and focusing on his defense and 3-point shot during prac- tices. The result has been earn- ing a role in the starting line- up, providing the Pirates with a versatile player who can play in the paint or be- yond the arc. “Spencer first got in be- cause Kirk (Fairchild) went down with some health is- sues,” Perrydale coach Mike making his mark this sea- son. Devin Cruickshank LUKAS EGGEN/Itemizer-Observer Devin Cruickshank has become a starter for Perrydale. Lowry said. “We didn’t miss a beat. He’s gotten better on offense and gives us a little better shooting. I’m sure our point production has gone up since he’s been in the lineup.” Bibler’s not the only one During his freshmen, sophomore and junior sea- sons, Cruickshank rarely saw significant minutes on varsity. “I didn’t really expect to start that much (this season) because I hardly ever got in the games in varsity,” Cruickshank said. “All of sudden, I was kind of thrown into it.” He has responded well, not only as a scoring leader, but as a calm presence run- ning the offense. “Devin has been one of those guys who constantly h a s s c o re d a ro u n d 1 0 points,” Lowry said. “He has improved a lot with han- dling the ball and handling the pressure to help us get into what we need to do on offense.” Much of Cruickshank’s success has come from a willingness to sacrifice indi- vidual statistics to help the team win. “I don’t like individualism on the court,” Cruickshank said. “I want to move the ball around and get us an open shot. As long as we win, if I don’t get any points, I’m fine with that.” That unselfishness has coincided with the Pirates’ five-game win streak. “Everyone was doing more individual things than as a team,” Cruickshank said “We started looking at why we were losing. We started playing more as a team and saw that we play a lot bet- ter.” The Pirates host Crosshill Christian on Friday, which entered the week in first place in the Casco League. The game represents a test to see just how far Perry- dale has come — and a mo- ment that could help define their season. “We have room to get bet- ter, but I think we could have a fun run for the rest of the year,” Lowry said. “I think the sky’s the limit for us. I think we can do some big things.” Legacy: Senior places fourth at Brunner Invitational Continued from Page 10A While he looked up to his older siblings, they weren’t about to let him off easy. “Not so much advice, just beating up on me,” Duna- gan said, smiling. “At home, we’d always get into fights and wrestle at home.” Dunagan isn’t alone as the youngest of a trio of broth- ers. Senior Cody Janssen has also seen two older brothers wrestle for the Dragons, while the Rebischke family had three former wrestlers at Dallas. A competitive nature be- tween siblings is essential for success, Dallas coach Tony Olliff said. “A family has to foster a culture of, ‘I’m not going to baby you,’ in order for the boys to be successful in this sport,” Olliff said. “Once the family has fostered that cul- ture, my work is mostly done FALLS CITY ROUNDUP Mountaineers down Crosshill Christian Itemizer-Observer staff report FALLS CITY — Falls City’s girls basketball team cruised to a 49-22 win over Crosshill Christian on Friday. Brittany Va r n e y scored a game-high 19 points, while Alli- son Kidd added 16 points to lead the M o u n - Varney taineers. “The girls came out with a lot of energy, intensity and focus,” Falls City coach Micke Kidd said. “It was nice to see them taking the basketball to the basket rather than set- tling for outside shots.” The Mountaineers opened the week with a 30- 25 loss to Perrydale on Jan. 5. “We were down one with about a minute left, and down three with 10 seconds Kidd left,” Kidd said. “It was a very close game in the s e c o n d half.” Va r n e y had seven p o i n t s against the Pirates. Falls City (6-5 overall, 2-3 Casco League) played Jewell Tuesday after press time. The Mountaineers host C.S. Lewis Academy on Friday and Willamette Valley Chris- tian on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. BOYS BASKETBALL DROPS TWO: Falls City’s boys basket- ball squad lost a pair of league contests. The Mountaineers fell to Perrydale 62-26 on Jan. 5 and Crosshill Christian 69-36 on Friday. Falls City (2-8 overall, 0-5 Casco League) faced Jewell Tuesday after press time. The Mountaineers host C.S. Lewis on Friday and Willamette Valley Christian Tuesday at 7 p.m. Itemizer-Observer Athlete of the Week Andy Avgi Western Oregon Avgi, a senior, showed why he is the leader for Western Oregon’s men’s bas- ketball team. Avgi scored a game-high 34 points against Seattle Pacific, helping the Wolves to a 96-90 overtime win. He then scoured a game-high 24 points in a win over Saint Martin’s on Saturday. Avgi was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s Player of the Week for his efforts as WOU improved to 12-3 overall. Kylie Nash Central High Nash, a senior, helped Centrals’ girls basketball team end nonleague play and begin Mid-Willamette Conference play with a bang. Nash scored a game-high 18 points on Jan. 5, leading the Panthers to a 46-31 win over Beaverton. Nash then added nine points during Central’s 44-26 victory over South Albany on Friday night. The victories helped Central enter the week 6-4 over- all and 1-0 in MWC play. To submit nominations for the Itemizer-Observer Athlete of the Week, contact Sports Editor Lukas Eggen at 503-623-2373 or leggen@polkio.com by 9 a.m. on Monday. because the boys have a drive to compete with their older siblings. That drive leads to success.” Dunagan, who placed fourth in the 160-pound class at the Brunner Invita- tional on Saturday, finished sixth at state as a junior. Down to his final year with the Dragons, Dunagan wants to make his senior year his best one yet. “The goal is a state cham- pionship as a team and indi- vidually,” he said. “That’s ba- sically it. That’s all I want this year.” On the mat, Dunagan has become more thoughtful in his approach, always think- ing about his next three moves and adjusting on the fly. He’s also bringing more focus and intensity during practices as he hopes to achieve the perfect ending to his high school career. “Because it’s my last year, I know I don’t have another chance,” Dunagan said. “I have to make the most of this year. I’m work- ing the hardest I’ve ever worked this year. I know there are guys out there who can beat me. I’m just going to have to work on my technique, get better cardio and work harder than them.” Team results • Dallas placed second in the team standings at the Brunner Invitational on Sat- urday. Redmond took first. • Clay Coxen (182 pounds) placed first. • Dawson Barcroft (106), Sammy Chung (126), Noah Sickles (132), Cody Janssen (152) and Tanner Earhart (160) placed second in their respective weight classes. Identity: Dallas to host rival Central Continued from Page 10A “I think every single kid we had was in foul trouble,” Brautigam said. “We have to be more disciplined on de- fense.” On offense, the Dragons found success to varying degrees. Savage, a 6-foot-7 post, gave the Dragons a tower- ing player inside the paint. Her presence inside al- lowed teammates to find open shots. That inside-out found success in spurts, but play- ers must be more consistent in their execution, Brautigam said. “We moved the basket- ball in and out well to start the second half, and then we stopped,” Brautigam said. “That consistency is something we have to find.” The Dragons (5-5 overall, 1-0 MWC) host Central Wednesday (today) and South Albany Friday at 7 p.m. before playing at Cor- vallis on Jan. 20. This three- game stretch will help set the tone for league play, but the team could be missing some key players. Dallas hopes to have Sarah Zwicker, who has missed multiple games be- cause of a box fracture in her right hand. Starting point guard Olivia Nelson left Fri- day’s game with a concus- sion and will be re-evaluated later this week. Injuries have been a constant presence throughout the season, pre- venting the Dragons from playing at full strength. “We’ve dealt with more adversity this year than all my coaching years com- bined,” Brautigam said. “We’re still figuring out who we are as a team and what kind of identity we’re going to have this year, but I saw more positives than nega- tives (on Thursday) and I think we’re just going to keep getting better.” The Dragons will get a chance to show how much they’ve grown starting Wednesday (tonight). In re- cent years, Dallas worked to realize its potential on the court with varying degrees of success in league play. This season, players are eager to show things may be different this year and that the Dragons are ready to stand amongst the league’s top teams. “I think (Thursday’s) win will help us show other schools that we’re not the same team as last year,” Savage said. DALLAS ROUNDUP Boys basketball opens league play with win Itemizer-Observer staff report WOODBURN — Dallas’ boys basketball team de- feated Woodburn 54-30 on Friday to open Mid- Willamette Conference play. Senior Everett Minahan scored 20 points to lead the Dragons (5-5 overall, 1-0 MWC) to the victory. Minahan Dallas played Central Tu e s d a y after press time. T h e Dragons play at South Al- bany on Friday before host- ing Corvallis Tuesday at 7 p.m. SWIM TEAMS FALL TO CORVALLIS: Dallas’ boys and girls swim teams lost a dual meet to Corvallis on Jan. 5. Jolie-Rae Ford placed irst in the 200-yard freestyle in 2 minutes, 5.36 seconds to lead the girls. Elizabeth Dressel took irst in the 500 freestyle (6:00.86). Ryan Kennedy led the boys with a irst-place inish in the 500 freestyle (5:49.59 and a second-place inish in the 200 freestyle (2:09.98). Parker Ford took irst in the 50 freestyle (27.26). The Dragons will host the Dallas Invite on Jan. 21. CENTRAL ROUNDUP Nash, Chavez lead Panthers to wins Itemizer-Observer staff report INDEPENDENCE — Central’s girls basketball team opened Mid- Willamette Conference play with a 44-26 win over South Albany on Friday. Fre s h m a n E l i z a b e t h Chavez scored a game-high 12 points, while seniors Kylie Nash and Alex Alvarez added nine points each. The Panthers (6-4 overall) also defeated Beaverton 46- 31 on Jan. 5 to close out their nonleague season. Nash scored a game-high 18 points to lead Central. Chavez scored 13. The Panthers play at Dal- las Wednesday (today) at 7 p.m. before hosting Cres- cent Valley Friday at 7 p.m. Central plays at Lebanon on Jan. 20. BOYS BASKETBALL OPENS MWC PLAY WITH WIN: Cen- tral’s boys basketball squad defeated South Albany 68-54 CALEB WALLACE/for the Itemizer-Observer Central senior Kylie Nash looks to drive to the hoop against South Albany on Friday night. on Friday in its MWC-opener. Harkie Bal scored a game-high 23 points, while Alec Barba added 22 points to lead the Panthers to the victory. “The kids came out strong in the irst half, led by Harkie Bal and Alec Barba,” coach Tim Kreta said. “I was r e a l l y proud of the way they com- municated on the loor a n d worked to get their Barba teammates open shots.” The win snapped a three-game losing streak. Central (5-5 overall) hosted Dallas Tuesday after press time. The Panthers play at Crescent Valley on Friday be- fore hosting Lebanon Tuesday at 7 p.m. WRESTLING GOES 1-2: Central’s wrestling team went 1-2 at Lebanon’s four-way duals on Jan. 6. The Panthers defeated Corvallis 48-33 and lost to Dallas 63-15 and Lebanon 57-22. Central hosts South Albany Wednesday (today) at 7 p.m. before taking part in the Oregon Classic on Friday and Saturday in Red- mond.
