Polk County
Sports
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • August 31, 2016 11A
SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, SEPT. 1
Boys Soccer: Central at
Sprague, 4 p.m. Eagle Point
at Dallas, 4 p.m.
Girls Soccer: Nor th
Salem at Central, 4 p.m.
Dallas at Franklin, 7 p.m.
Volleyball: Willamette
Valley Christian at Perry-
dale, 5:30 p.m. Western
Oregon vs. Florida South-
ern at Concordia Labor Day
Tournament, noon.
W o m e n ’s S o c c e r :
George Fox at Western
Oregon, 3:30 p.m.
Glow run
comes
to Dallas
FRIDAY, SEPT. 2
Football: Bend at Cen-
tral, 7 p.m. Parkrose at Dal-
las, 7 p.m. Falls City at Per-
rydale, 7 p.m.
Volleyball: Western
Oregon vs. Embry-Riddle at
Concordia Labor Day Tour-
nament, 2:30 p.m.
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
SATURDAY, SEPT. 3
Cross-country: Central,
Dallas at Nike Ultimook
Race, all day.
Football: Western Ore-
gon at Sacramento State, 6
p.m.
Volleyball: Western
Oregon vs. Metro State at
Concordia Labor Day Tour-
nament, 5 p.m.
Quarterback Phillip Fenumiai is locked in a battle for the starting job this fall.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 6
Boys Soccer: McNary at
Central, 6 p.m. Dallas at St.
Helens, 7 p.m.
Girls Soccer: Central at
McNary, 7 p.m. St. Helens
at Dallas, 4 p.m.
Volleyball: Silverton at
Central, 6 p.m. Lebanon at
Dallas, 6 p.m. Falls City at
C.S. Lewis, 6 p.m. Living-
stone Adventist at Perry-
dale, 7 p.m.
Wolves open season Saturday at Sacramento State
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 7
Women’s Soccer: West-
ern Oregon at Academy of
Art, noon.
QUICK HITS
WOU XC picked
fourth, sixth
MONMOUTH — Western
O r e g o n ’s m e n ’s a n d
women’s cross-country
teams were picked fourth
and sixth, respectively, in
the Great Northwest Ath-
letic Conference Preseason
Coaches’ poll released on
Friday.
Alaska Anchorage was
chosen to take the top
spot in both polls.
WOU’s men’s team re-
turns 11 runners from last
year, including junior David
Ribich, an NCAA national
qualifier in 2015.
The women bring back
five runners who compet-
ed in the GNAC title race
last season.
The Wolves’ campaign
begins Sept. 9, when West-
ern Oregon hosts the Ash
Creek Invitational at 5 p.m.
at the Ash Creek Preserve.
Cross Creek
men’s club results
DALLAS — Cross
Creek’s men’s club results
for Aug. 20-21:
Club Championship (36
holes, low gross/low net)
Gross: Flight one: Kevin
Moen, 154 (club champi-
on); 2, Joe Johnson, 157.
Flight two: 1, Darrell John-
son, 168; 2, Brian Halin,
174.
Net: Flight one: Bob
Bennett, 134; 2, Lee Taylor,
143. Flight two: Larry
Hatcher, 133 (net club
champion); 2, Greg Fritz,
147.
Aug. 23
Modified stableford
Gross: 1, Wayne Weath-
ers, 21 points; 2 (tie), Joe
Johnson and Jim Schroed-
er, 18; 4, Rocky Kygar, 17.
Net: 1 (tie), Brian Reed
and Don Seth, 30; 3 (tie),
Eldon Rivers, Larry Hatch-
ers and Rich Dominick, 29;
6, Vern Smith, 26.
Fall Sports Guide
coming Sept. 7
POLK COUNTY — Look
for the 2016 Fall Sports
Guide in the Sept. 7 issue
of the Itemizer-Observer.
Follow the I-O on twit-
ter @PolkIOSports, like us
on Facebook and check
out www.polkio.com for
scores and updates.
www.polkio.com
LUKAS EGGEN/Itemizer-Observer file
WESTERN OREGON FOOTBALL
On the hunt
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
WOU football
MONMOUTH — Western Oregon’s
football team boasts one of the Great
Northwest Athletic Conference’s most
talented — and deepest — rosters. But
if WOU wants to claim a conference
crown, coach Arne Ferguson and his
team must find the answer at a key
position.
—
The Wolves finished second in the
GNAC after going 5-1 in league play.
The team’s lone loss in the conference
came against de-
fending champions
Humboldt State in
WOU’s final game of
the 2015 season.
The Wolves see a
return of a wealth of
weapons in skill po-
sitions.
Senior tight end
Avgi
Andy Avgi, the 2016
GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the
Year, hopes to find success on the grid-
iron. He returned to football in 2015 for
the first time since high school. He had
12 catches for 192 yards and four
touchdowns last season.
Head coach: Arne Ferguson, 12th
season.
2015 record: 7-4 overall, 5-1 Great
Northwest Athletic Conference.
Key returners: Paul Revis, jr., re-
ceiver, returner; Andy Avgi, sr., tight
end; Malik Braxton, soph., running
back; Tyler Johnson, jr., linebacker;
George Swartzlender, sr., defensive
lineman.
Newcomers to watch: Nick Duck-
worth, jr., quarterback; Hudson
Kennedy, jr., offensive lineman.
Since then, he’s worked on improv-
ing every aspect of his game.
“Andy is such a detailed player,”
Ferguson said. “He’s so explosive.
Last year, he was still learning the
position. It’s hard to jump in a sport
four years later and be really good at
it, but he’s picking up pretty fast. He’s
increased his ability to accelerate,
his timing and knowing where the
defense is.”
At 6-foot-6, 280 pounds, Avgi may
be the Wolves’ biggest target.
Just as dangerous is the team’s
smallest receiver, junior Paul Revis.
The 2015 first team all-conference se-
DALLAS — Dallas’ adult
recreation program is ready
to get in the Halloween spirit
with the Glow Run, set for
Oct. 15 at 7:15 p.m.
The 5-kilometer run will
begin and end in downtown
Dallas. All runners will receive
a T-shirt, head lamp, glow
stick and glow paint (register
by Oct. 7 to receive a T-shirt).
The cost is $25 and proceeds
will go to Christmas Cheer, a
nonprofit that provides holi-
day meals for families in need
in the Dallas area.
“We’re excited to do this
event,” Brautigam said. “We
saw that we have people who
leave town to do running
events all the time. If you look
on Facebook you see 25 friends
going to Portland or Salem or
Corvallis to do this run.”
See RUN, Page 12A
Glow Run
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer file
Running back Malik Braxton led the
Wolves in rushing yards in 2015.
lection is an all-around threat, record-
ing 710 receiving yards and six touch-
downs, and 243 return yards and two
touchdowns.
“Both Andy and Paul have amazing
ball skills,” Ferguson said. “Paul’s foot-
work is extremely good. He’s worked
harder at his speed. He’s a player you
get the ball to and you’ll see positive
outcomes.”
See WOLVES, Page 12A
• The Dallas Glow Run
will take place Oct. 15 at
7:15 p.m.
• The 5-kilometer race
begins and ends in down-
town Dallas.
• The cost is $25 and in-
cludes a T-shirt, head lamp,
glow stick and glow paint
• Must register by Oct. 7
to receive T-shirt.
• Registration forms are
available
online
at
www.dallasor.gov/adult-
sports.
• Proceeds from the run
will go to Dallas Christmas
Cheer, a nonprofit that pro-
vides holiday meals to fam-
ilies in need.
• The city hopes to offer
more unique runs in 2017,
including a mud run and
warrior dashes.
CENTRAL HIGH ATHLETICS
Panther Club hopes for a comeback
Athletics department ready to recruit new volunteers for fundraising group
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE — The Panther
Club has long played an integral role
behind the scenes for Central athlet-
ics.
But the club disappeared during
the 2015-16 school year — some-
thing that Central’s athletic depart-
ment knows can’t continue.
—
The Panther Club’s primary role is
to raise money for the high school’s
athletics program
for athletic im-
provements or
equipment when
needed.
Athletics Director
Shane Hedrick said in recent years
the school has been in a good budg-
et position — lessening the need for
outside fundraising.
That may change over the next
few years thanks to things like PERS
requirements, Hedrick said.
This school year, the athletics de-
partment wants to build up the club
to be ready to put on the Panther
Club auction in 2017.
“What will happen, just like when
it first started, is it will be driven by
the coaches,” Hedrick said. “Newer
volunteers, they’re pretty raw and we
need to let them know what the Pan-
ther Club does.”
The Panther Club relies on parent
volunteers to put on fundraising
events — including the Panther Auc-
PETE STRONG/ Itemizer-Observer file
The Panther Club raises money to help Central High School’s athletic programs.
tion — and to distribute funds for
various athletic needs.
As seniors graduate, parents who
are involved move on, Hedrick said
and more emphasis needs to be on
bringing in new volunteers to the or-
ganization. In previous years, mem-
bership has ranged from eight to 50
couples, Hedrick said.
See CLUB, Page 12A
Panther Club
• The Panther Club raises money for Central High School’s athletic programs
for athletic improvements or equipment when needed.
• The Panther Club did not operate during the 2015-16 school year.
• Athletics director Shane Hedrick said he and other coaches will get the word
out to parents to recruit new volunteers to join the Panther Club.
• The school hopes to see the Panther Club Auction, the group’s largest
fundraiser, return in 2017.
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