Polk County Sports
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • October 26, 2016 15A
PREP FOOTBALL
Dallas, Lebanon to clash for league title
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
CORVALLIS — Since Dal-
las’ football team’s seniors
arrived, the Dragons have
never won a Mid-Willamette
Conference title.
That may change on Fri-
day.
The Dragons defeated
Crescent Valley 49-12 on Fri-
day from a season ago set-
ting up a showdown with
Lebanon Friday at 7 p.m.
Both teams enter with
identical records: 7-1 overall,
4-1 in MWC play.
Dallas’ lone loss was a
one-point setback to Cen-
tral. Lebanon fell 16-14 to
South Albany on Friday.
Central: Girls and
boys in contention
Continued from Page 14A
“There’s a narrow part of
the course that’s a bit tight,”
Cirino said. “It’s right at the
beginning of the race, not
even half a mile I think. We
talked about making sure
they make their move before
they get to that narrow strip
out there and not getting
caught behind people who
are going to hold them
back.”
In a hypothetical race
based on season-best times
recorded on athletic.net,
Central boys rank tied for
fifth, but the second-
through seventh-ranked
schools are separated by
only 28 points.
“They’re full of confidence
right now, but fully aware
that this is going to be a bat-
tle,” Cirino said. “They feel
like they could finish any-
where from third to sixth or
seventh. Our league is just so
tough. They don’t expect to
get to state, but they are
going down there Wednesday
(today) with the intention of
absolutely going for it.”
The girls are ranked
fourth, behind Corvallis, set-
ting up a possible showdown
between the two teams for
the final team berth to the
state meet on Nov. 5.
Bailie Hartford hopes for
a top-10 finish to lead the
way, with fellow varsity run-
ners Beatriz Trujillo, Diana
Nye, Bethanie Altamirano,
Aliza Camero and Annie
Taylor looking to run to-
gether.
“That’s what makes this
fun,” Cirino said. “Central,
for years, we were a target in
Class 4A. It’s kind of fun
going into these meets
dreaming of trying to get to
one of these spots. They are
positive, but also realistic. It
would take not only a per-
sonal record, we’d need one
or two girls to have a real
breakout performance for us
to have a chance.”
The winner becomes
league champion.
—
The Dragons dominated
the Raiders on Friday to set
up its showdown against
Lebanon.
Dallas gained 420 yards of
total offense. Senior running
back Tanner Earhart rushed
for 144 yards and two touch-
downs. Tristan Evans ran for
83 yards and two touch-
downs.
Senior quarterback Caed-
mon Blair also ran for two
touchdowns, while Aaron
White had one.
“We just went out and
dominated,” Earhart said.
“We were really ready to go
from the first whistle. It was
really fun. … It was another
example of how tough our
guys are.”
The team’s attention turns
to Lebanon — and the
chance to win a league title.
“Ever since we were
freshmen, we knew that
when we got older, this is
what we wanted,” Earhart
said.
But the Dragons won’t let
the pressure get to them.
Instead, they’ll focus on
what’s gotten them this far
— heart.
“I don’t think our mindset
should — or will — change,”
Earhart said. “All we can do
is focus on a good week of
practice and continue to
play at a high level.”
CENTRAL ROUNDUP
Boys soccer preps for postseason
Itemizer-Observer staff report
INDEPENDENCE —
Central’s boys soccer team
defeated Dallas 3-1 on Oct.
18 before falling to Corvallis
1-0 on Thursday.
The Panthers played
Woodburn Tuesday after
press time.
Central entered the week
in second place in the Mid-
Willamette Conference. If
the Panthers finish second,
they will automatically ad-
vance to the first round of
the state playoffs on Nov. 2.
If Central drops to third,
it will host the Midwestern
League’s sixth-place finish-
er in the play-in round
scheduled on or before
Saturday.
A win against Woodburn
clinches the second seed. A
loss and the Panthers could
drop to third.
FOOTBALL DROPS GAME
TO SILVERTON: Central’s foot-
ball team lost to Silverton 28-
25 on Friday.
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer
Central’s Evan Hoover and Dallas’ Josh Dudley fight for a loose ball on Oct. 18.
Peter Mendazona threw for
256 yards, three touchdowns
and one interception.
Peter Mason had three
catches for 112 yards and two
touchdowns, while Jackson
Holstad had six catches for 34
yards and a touchdown. A.J.
Morales carried the ball 12
times for 57 yards and a touch-
down. Will Cable and Jesse
Cable recorded nine tackles
each to lead the defense. Mar-
lon Tuipulotu had eight tack-
les and two sacks.
The Panthers (4-4 overall, 3-
2 MWC) play at Corvallis to
close out the regular season.
Central entered the week in
fourth place in the league
standings.
GIRLS SOCCER FALLS: Cen-
tral’s girls soccer team lost to
Dallas 7-0 on Oct. 18 before
falling to Corvallis 9-0 on
Thursday. The Panthers (1-10-1
overall, 0-6 MWC) played
Woodburn Tuesday after press
time in the team’s final match
of the season.
DHS: Cross looks to contend for conference title
Continued from Page 14A
Dallas hopes to make a
serious run at qualifying for
state as a team.
At the Dragons’ home
meet on Oct. 19, Ryan Bibler
(17:30.1), Kenny Sutton
(17:35.0) and Gavin Grass
(17:37.2) all cracked the 18-
minute mark for the first
time this season.
“We’re going in with the
mentality that we’re stronger
if we run as a pack,” Bibler
said.
The battle for third in the
team standings will likely be
hotly contested, but Dallas
enters with cautious opti-
mism.
“I think it’s going to be a
good race,” Sutton said.
“What happens will happen,
I just want to run the best
race I can and place the best
I can for my team.”
In a hypothetical race
based on each runner’s sea-
son-best time, Dallas ranks
seventh out of eight teams.
“We’re in striking dis-
tance,” Lankheet said. “…
You have to develop an ap-
petite for feeling really un-
comfortable to enjoy this
sport. They understand that
and aren’t afraid of that any-
more. We can test their lim-
its. Before they were holding
back and thinking, I don’t
want to die. Now they’re not
afraid to die.”
The boys know they will
be in a battle if they want to
WESTERN OREGON ROUNDUP
Football’s rally falls short
Itemizer-Observer staff report
MONMOUTH — Western
Oregon’s football team fell
just short on Homecoming
day against Humboldt State
on Saturday.
The Wolves trailed 42-14
entering the fourth quarter
after the Lumberjacks
outscored WOU 35-7 in the
third quarter.
Quarterback Phillip Fen-
umiai threw for 122 yards
and two touchdowns in the
fourth quarter and a 19-
yard touchdown catch from
Javontae Perry with 38 sec-
onds left brought WOU to
within two. Humboldt State
recovered the ensuing on-
side kick to preserve the vic-
tory. Western Oregon (2-4
overall, 3-5 Great Northwest
Athletic Conference) has a
bye week before returning
to the gridiron to play at
Azusa Pacific on Nov. 5.
MEN’S XC PLACES
FOURTH: Western Oregon’s
men’s cross-country team
placed fourth at the GNAC
Championships Saturday at
Bellingham, Wash.
Junior David Ribich took
fifth overall, finishing the
8,000-meter race in 25 min-
utes, 23.04 seconds. Sopho-
more Dustin Nading took 10th
in 25:40.70 as both runners
earned all-conference honors.
The women’s squad finished
ninth in the team standings.
Kennedy Rufener placed 16th
overall, finishing the 6,000-
meter race in 11:41.30.
WOU will compete at the
NCAA Division II West Regional
Championships in Billings,
Mont. on Nov. 5.
VOLLEYBALL WINS TWO:
Western Oregon’s volleyball
team defeated Saint Martin’s
25-19, 25-22, 19-25, 25-17 on
Thursday and Seattle Pacific
25-19, 25-18, 20-25, 25-22 on
Saturday. Sophomore outside
hitter Mariella Vandenkooy
had a career-high 16 kills
against the Saints to lead the
Wolves, while senior Christie
Colasurdo recorded 24 digs.
Junior Alisha Bettinson had
15 kills and 12 digs against
Seattle Pacific.
Western Oregon (8-11 over-
all, 5-7 GNAC) plays at Western
Washington on Thursday and
at Simon Fraser on Saturday.
SOCCER LOSES TO SIMON
FRASER: Western Oregon’s
women’s soccer team lost to
Simon Fraser 1-0 on Saturday.
The Clan scored the match’s
lone goal on a shot from
Emma Pringle. WOU (4-10-1
overall, 1-8-1 GNAC) played
Saint Martin’s Tuesday after
press time. The Wolves close
out the regular season on
Thursday when WOU hosts
Seattle Pacific at 3 p.m.
FALLS CITY ROUNDUP
Football to face Yoncalla again
Itemizer-Observer staff report
YONCALLA — Falls City’s
football team defeated Yon-
calla 66-6 on Friday.
Coach Laric Cook knows
the matchup that really
matters is this Friday, when
the teams face again in the
league playoff at Panther
Stadium at 7 p.m.
“We talked about how we
can’t be overconfident,”
Cook said. “They’re going to
have a little feel for us and
we have a little feel for
them. We have to tear them
down brick-by-brick.”
The winner advances to
the 1A state playoffs.
The loser stays home.
“In the past, we’ve been
the underdog,” Cook said.
“Now we’re the two seed. I
told them to embrace it and
go out there and play better
than what we did last week
and we’ll let the chips fall
where they may.”
VOLLEYBALL FALLS IN
LEAGUE TOURNAMENT: Falls
City’s volleyball team lost to
Jewell 21-25, 25-17, 24-26, 25-
18, 15-7 in the Casco League
tournament on Saturday.
“The district tournament
was a really great experience
for our young team,” coach
Roxi Barnhart said. “Our lone
senior, Anna Lammers, was a
strong, positive leader and
kept her teammates calm.”
PREP FOOTBALL
State playoff bert at stake for Pirates
Itemizer-Observer staff report
PERRYDALE — After a
62-22 loss to Sherman on
Friday, Perrydale’s football
team enters its final regular
season game at Arlington
tied for third place in Spe-
cial District 4 with 3-2 mark
in league play.
The top three teams from
the league advance to state.
“I try to make every game
important,” coach Duane
Riddell said. “We will ap-
proach it as we’re going to
prepare the best we can and
play the best we can.”
Despite the loss to Sher-
man, Riddell said there
were positive signs, includ-
ing solid games from quar-
terback Daniel Domes, run-
ning back Cooper Butler
and center Colton Moore,
Riddell said.
“We took away that there
are things we need to be
more consistent in,” Riddell
said. “... Sometimes i think
we dwell on the mistakes
and successes a little too
long and we have to re-
member to move on ot the
next play.”
With a win-or-go home
game ahead of them, Rid-
dell said Perrydale will be
ready for a stiff challenge
from Arlington on Friday.
“I think they’re a compet-
itive team and we have to
really prepare for them and
take them seriously,” Rid-
dell said.
qualify for state as a team,
but they know anything can
happen.
“Our boys, if we run really
well and get some things in
our favor, we have a shot,”
Lankheet said.
The girls hope for a strong
showing as well.
“I hope to see everyone
on my team pushing them-
selves to do their best,”
Bekah Rocak said.
The girls face a tall order
to move up spots in the
team standings, and
Lankheet is excited to see
them compete.
“They’re working hard
and have personal goals on
where they want to finish,”
Lankheet said.
Dallas: DHS to hit
the road for play-in
Continued from Page 14A
The loser finishes in sixth
place and will take on the
Midwestern League’s third-
place team in the play-in
round.
Play-in matches will take
place on or before Saturday.
The Dragons will spend
some of the week practicing
on turf, in case they face an
opponent with a turf field.
Dallas should receive a
boost with Olivia Dalke,
Katie Senger and Kloe Tot-
ten, all starters, set to return
from injuries prior to the
play-in round.
The first round of the state
playoffs begins on Tuesday.
Boys soccer: Dallas’ boys soc-
cer team fell to Central 3-1 on
Oct. 18 before losing to Wood-
burn 10-0 on Thursday. The
Dragons (1-11-1 overall, 0-5-1
MWC) played South Albany
Tuesday after press time in the
team’s final match of the season.
Krug: Also worked
at Silverton High
Continued from Page 14A
There’s more to recovery
than simply giving someone
rehabilitation.
A key part is learning how
best to communicate with
an athlete, Krug said. That’s
where a sports background
is advantageous.
“I think that it really is
beneficial,” Krug said. “I can
relate to an athlete. They
know my best interest is for
them. I want to get them
back out there. Sometimes,
the best way to do that is to
take some rest.”
Krug has been pleasantly
surprised with the Dallas
community’s support in
working toward the benefit
of the athletes.
“I’ve been really im-
pressed,” she said. “Every-
one enjoys working together
and they want the best for
the athlete.”
Krug is grateful for the ca-
reer advice she received in
college.
And for as difficult as
telling an athlete they can’t
play right now can be, see-
ing that athlete come back
from an injury is a reminder
of why she does what she
does.
“When an athlete who
has been injured finally re-
turns to play, you can just
see the excitement on those
kids’ faces,” Krug said.
“Knowing how hard they
worked to get back out
there, that is awesome. I
love that part.”
Dallas volleyball ends year
Itemizer-Observer staff report
DALLAS — Dallas’ volley-
ball team closed out its sea-
son with a split. The Dragons
defeated Woodburn 25-16,
25-16, 11-25, 25-13 on Oct.
18 before falling to South Al-
bany 25-16, 25-22, 25-23 on
Thursday. Dallas finished
with a record 5-14 overall, 3-
11 Mid-Willamette Confer-
ence, good for seventh place.