Polk County
Sports
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • September 28, 2016 10A
PREP FOOTBALL
SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, SEPT. 29
Volleyball: Silverton at
Central, 6 p.m. Dallas at
Lebanon, 6 p.m. C.S. Lewis
at Falls City, 5:30 p.m.
Simon Fraser at Western
Oregon, 7 p.m.
Women’s Soccer: West-
ern Oregon at Central
Washington, 3 p.m.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 30
Fo o t b a l l : D a l l a s at
Central, 7 p.m. Lowell at
Falls City, 7 p.m. South
Wasco County at Perry-
dale, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPT. OCT. 1
Cross-country: Central,
Dallas at Harrier Classic,
12:40 p.m. Western Oregon
at Charles Bowles Invita-
tional, 9:30 a.m.
Football: Azusa Pacific
at Western Oregon, 1 p.m.
Volleyball: Western
Washington at Western
Oregon, 7 p.m.
Women’s Soccer: West-
ern Oregon at Simon Fras-
er, noon.
TUESDAY, OCT. 4
Boys Soccer: Central at
Silverton, 6 p.m. Lebanon
at Dallas, 4 p.m.
Girls Soccer: Silverton
at Central, 6 p.m. Dallas at
Lebanon, 4 p.m.
Volleyball: Central at
South Albany, 6 p.m. Cres-
cent Valley at Dallas, 6 p.m.
Crosshill Christian at Perry-
dale, 5:30 p.m.
—
Schedules Subject to Change
QUICK HITS
Tickets available
for auction
DALLAS — Tickets are
available for the Dallas
Booster Club Auction on
Oct. 22.
The auction will take
place at the Col. James Ne-
smith Readiness Center,
730 Oak Villa Road, Dallas.
The event will begin at
5:30 p.m.
Tickets cost $25. The
evening will include a
silent and live auction. At-
tendees are encouraged to
bring food to share at their
table. Water, coffee, tea
and soft drinks will be pro-
vided.
D o n a t i o n s a re a l s o
being accepted for the
event.
For more information:
Heidi Classen, heidi.-
classen@salemhealth.org.
Peter to Peter a dangerous combination
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE — Cen-
tral’s football team went on
an air raid against South Al-
bany on Friday — and the
team’s two Peters led the
charge.
Quarterback Peter Men-
dazona threw for 294 yards
and five touchdowns, while
receiver Peter Mason had
five catches for 119 yards
Central football
game to feature
fireworks
INDEPENDENCE — Cen-
t r a l ’s f o o t b a l l g a m e
against Dallas on Friday
will feature fireworks. The
fireworks will begin at 6:50
p.m. and continue at vari-
ous points throughout the
game until approximately
9:30 p.m.
Revis, Braxton
earn GNAC honors
MONMOUTH — West-
ern Oregon football play-
ers Malik Braxton and Paul
Revis earned Great North-
west Athletic Conference
honors on Monday.
Braxton was named
GNAC Co-Offensive Player
of the week, while Revis
earned Co-Special Teams
Player of the week recog-
nition.
Braxton ran for 191
yards and three touch-
downs during Western
Oregon’s 48-42 win over
Humboldt State on Satur-
day.
Revis accounted for 216
all-purpose yards for the
Wolves, including four
kickoff returns for 94
yards.
www.polkio.com
offense.
—
Mendazona, a junior, is
off to a strong start in 2016.
Showdown
• Central will host Dallas
Friday at 7 p.m. in the team’s
homecoming game.
• Dallas enters the game
with a 4-0 mark overall and
1-0 in Mid-Willamette Con-
ference play.
He has thrown for 929 yards,
13 touchdowns and no in-
terceptions and has hit six
different receivers for touch-
weapons, one has emerged
as his favorite: Mason.
The senior receiver has 26
catches for 504 yards and six
touchdowns.
“He’s just really reliable,”
Mendazona said. “I know if I
throw a 50-50 ball, he’s going
to get it almost 100 percent
of the time. He has great
speed. He’s the most reliable
receiver I’ve ever had, real-
ly.”
See CENTRAL, Page 11A
downs.
“It’s defi-
nitely fun,”
Menda-
zona said.
“ P e t e r
Mason is
one
of
t h o s e
Mason
w e a p o n s.
Isaiah Abraham is on the
other side. They make my
job really easy.”
But among his numerous
CROSS-COUNTRY
SPEED DEMON
Ribich running away from competition
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
MONMOUTH — David Ribich has competed on big stages
before. But Ribich, a junior cross-country runner at Western
Oregon, hasn’t quite found a challenge like the one he had in
high school.
“Our high school choir took seventh at state my senior
year,” Ribich said. “I had a solo. It was the most terrifying
competitive thing I’ve ever done. … I’d definitely choose run-
ning over singing competitively.”
WOU has been reaping the benefits of that choice.
Through the Wolves’ first three meets, he has finished first
at the John Frank Oregon State Invitational and the Ash
Creek Invitational and second at the Sundodger Invitational.
He’s not concerned with early season finishes, however. He’s
got his eyes set on much bigger goals.
—
Ribich’s cross-country career began with a bang.
“I won the first race I ever ran in seventh grade,” Ribich
said. “I told my coach, I thought that’s what I was supposed
to do. I think that’s when my coach knew that this would be
a good thing for me to invest time on.”
That same year, Krista Stangel won a state title while run-
ning for his high school, Enterprise.
See SPEED, Page 11A
By The
Numbers
67th
2
1
The place David
Ribich took at the
Division II Cross-
Country champi-
onships last year.
The number of
first-place finishes
Ribich has in
Western Oregon’s
first three races.
The number of
state cross-coun-
try titles Ribich
won at Enterprise
High School.
Cross Creek
men’s club results
DALLAS — Cross
Creek’s men’s club results
for Sept. 20:
Low gross/low net
Gross: 1 (tie), Lee Taylor
and Wayne Weathers, 38;
3, Joe Johnson, 39.
Net: 1, Randy Wiley, 32;
2 (tie), Eldon Rivers, Brian
Halin and Larry Hatcher,
35; 5, Greg Fisher, 36.
Mendazona
and two
t o u c h -
downs –
the latest
success in
what has
become a
dynamic
duo for the
Panthers
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer
Western Oregon junior cross-country runner David Ribich has two first-place finishes
and one second-place so far this season. WOU has competed in three events so far.
PREP VOLLEYBALL
PREP VOLLEYBALL
Lammers learns how to Dallas earns key
become a team leader win over Bulldogs
By Lukas Eggen
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
The Itemizer-Observer
FALLS CITY — When
Anna Lammers stepped
onto the volleyball court for
the first time as a freshman,
she was looking for a way to
be more involved in school.
The only problem? Lam-
mers was reserved — not
two attributes for a success-
ful volleyball player.
“The hardest part was ac-
tually keeping up with it
even though I didn’t know
anybody,” Lammers said.
“I’m generally pretty shy, es-
pecially around people I
don’t know and it was hard
sticking with it not knowing
anyone.”
Lammers is no longer the
shy player on the court.
As Falls City’s lone senior,
Mountaineers coach Roxi
Barnhart called on Lam-
mers to become a team
leader — one who was
more vocal on the court.
That required a big
change in personality.
“It’s something that is
new to me,” Lammers said.
“I’m usually timid and shy.
I’ve had to really step up to
lead these girls. That has
been a big improvement
for me and will serve me
well. I’ve been really enjoy-
ing it.”
DALLAS — As Dallas’ vol-
leyball team scored the
clinching point in a 25-11,
25-16, 25-14 win over Wood-
burn on Thursday, coach
Shana Lavier knew the victo-
ry was important.
T h e
Dragons
opened
M i d -
Willamette
Conference
play losing
four of five
matches,
including a
Ronco
25-15, 25-
13, 25-19 loss to Central on
Sept. 20.
“We needed this one,”
Lavier said. “We want them
to start strong and stay
strong. The girls did a good
job of that tonight.”
Dallas played Thursday
without Tristin Savage, who
missed the game due to an
illness.
Among the team’s high-
lights, Megan Ronco has es-
tablished herself as one of
Dallas’ most consistent lead-
ers.
“I think my defense has
improved,” Ronco said.
“When they serve at us, I’m
better at being able to hit the
RACHEL BEST/ Itemizer-Observer
Falls City senior Anna Lammers has become a vocal
leader for the Mountaineers’ volleyball team.
Lammers credits co-cap-
tain Amara Houghtaling for
helping her develop into a
true team leader. Now, she’s
more outgoing and willing
to speak up.
“It’s a fun switch,” Lam-
mers said. “I like being able
to share what I know with
them.”
Falls City, which hosts
C.S. Lewis Thursday at 5:30
p.m. hopes to break a three-
match losing streak.
“Coach keeps telling us
we’re right on the brink of
being really competitive,”
Lammers said. “…We have
to pick up the intensity.
We’re working through
these little kinks. I think as
soon as we get that winning
mindset we’ll be able to
break through.”
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Volleyball
• Dallas’ volleyball team
entered the week with a 4-
8 record overall and a 2-4
mark in Mid-Willamette
Conference play, good for
sixth place.
• The top six teams from
the MWC advance to the
postseason.
ball where it’s supposed to
go.”
But Ronco provides so
much more to the Dragons.
“Megan is that steady
player,” Lavier said. “Every
single match, every single
practice we always know she
is going to be cool and
calm.”
Ronco also provides a ver-
satile player that Lavier can
use almost anywhere on the
court.
“She’s played every posi-
tion except libero and center
in a match,” Lavier said. “She
always brings a positive atti-
tude and a big smile. She’s
one of the most coachable
players I’ve ever gotten to
coach. She never falters with
whatever challenges she
faces.”
Dallas will need her lead-
ership if the Dragons want to
move up the league stand-
ings.
See DALLAS, Page 11A
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