Polk County Sports
12A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • November 2, 2016
Anderson eager to make her mark at Central
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE — As a
high school student, Katie
Anderson loved going to
school sporting events.
Unlike most, her greatest
interest didn’t focus on what
was happening during the
game.
“I would always go to the
football games to see what
was going on,” Anderson
said. “I would see athletic
trainers run onto the field to
help the player, or they
would treat something with
pregame taping and preven-
tative things. It really in-
trigued me.”
That was the beginning of
Anderson’s path toward
sports medicine — one that
has led her to become Cen-
tral’s new athletic trainer.
—
Anderson’s interest in
sports medicine began her
freshman year in high
scho ol , but sh e never
thought it would lead any-
where.
“I didn’t realize I could
make a career out of it,”
Anderson said. “My head
athletic trainer in high
school told me he went to
Central Washington, and I
could go to a university
and get a degree in athletic
training.”
Anderson graduated from
George Fox University in
2011, and worked at Corban
University for five years and
Blanchet Catholic High
School for a month prior to
coming to Central.
“I wouldn’t say this was
my dream seven years ago,”
Anderson said. “Now in the
past year, for sure. I plan to
be at Central for a while.”
Working with high school
athletes provides a new
challenge for Anderson —
one that can be fun and ex-
citing to conquer.
“I’m super grateful I can
work with this age group,”
she said. “They are fun, and
they press boundaries to see
where you are at.”
Anderson replaces long-
time trainer Jeremy
Ainsworth, who now works
with Oregon State’s baseball
team. Though she replaces
an athletic trainer who
coaches and players loved,
stepping into his role has
been as smooth as possible,
she said.
“There is great support
from (athletic director)
Shane Hedrick,” Anderson
said. “All of the coaches are
encouraging and support-
ive. There’s an appreciation
for athletic training at this
school.”
Anderson, who officially
joined Central in early Octo-
ber, has been working on
building relationships with
students — gaining their
trust and learning how best
to communicate with them.
“Molding young minds is
PREP VOLLEYBALL
Pirates eliminated at state
Itemizer-Observer staff report
OREGON CITY — Perry-
dale’s volleyball team lost in
the first round of the 1A state
playoffs to North Clackamas
Christian 25-11, 25-19, 18-25,
25-18 on Oct. 26.
“ We played the best
match we have all season,”
coach Denise Dickey said. “I
am very proud of how the
girls came out to play.”
Dickey said strong per-
formances from everyone
on the team, from senior
McKenna Desnoyers to the
team’s numerous freshmen,
shows that the Pirates have a
promising future.
“I am definitely looking
forward to next year with
this team,” Dickey said. “We
had a great season and I am
hoping to build on our expe-
rience we had this year
going to the first round of
state playoffs.”
Central: Panthers respond
with strong second half
Continued from Page 10A
They showed patience in
the second half, and it wasn’t
long before Central capital-
ized on an opening.
“We noticed their center
backs were pretty slow,”
Muller said. “We have good
speed up top and on our
wings. Tony (Rincon) and I
talked, and I said find me on
the through ball. We did and
it worked out.”
Once Ortiz gave Central the
lead, players settled down and
preserved the victory.
“We were all so pumped,”
Muller said. “We knew once
we got ahead, an air of calm
would come through us.”
No. 13 Central plays at No.
4 Hillsboro Wednesday
(today) at 7 p.m. in the first
round of the state playoffs.
The Panthers have ad-
vanced to the first round of
the state playoffs each of the
past two years, but lost those
matches by a combined
score of 8-1.
Players are eager to show
they are ready to take the
next step and advance.
“We want to go out there
and prove that we can do
more,” Rincon said. “We
want to show that we can be
up there with these teams.”
Hillsboro finished 10-2-2
overall and 6-1 in Northwest
Oregon Conference play, fin-
ishing first.
Central won’t be intimi-
dated by Hillsboro’s success,
Orozco said.
“I think the key is for our
players to play their game
instead of trying to score off
every pass,” Orozco said. “It’s
about who wants it the most
now. If we want it hard
enough, I think we’ll ad-
vance. If we don’t, we’re just
going to come home.”
State: Burgess has big game
Continued from Page 10A
“We have to take it one
game at a time and work
hard in practice,” Sickles
said.
The Rangers provide a
difficult challenge. Dufur,
the defending state cham-
pions, went 8-1 overall, in-
cluding a 54-12 victory
over Falls City on Sept. 9.
“They expect to be in
the state championship
every stinking year,” Cook
said. “They don’t let up.
They put their foot on your
throat and get it over with
quick.”
But the Mountaineers
won’t just lay down. In the
teams’ first meeting, Falls
City was missing several
key starters, and the
Mountaineers are a far-im-
proved team than the one
that took the field against
Dufur in September.
“Nothing is set in stone,”
Cook said. “If we play de-
fense the way we’re taught
to play defense, they’re not
just going to go up and
down the field on us, and
we’ll come up with a game
plan to move the football
on offense, which we are
capable of doing.”
Friday will be uncharted
territory for Falls City’s
players — but they don’t
have the luxury of getting
acclimated slowly.
“They can’t admire the
scenery,” Cook said. “All
you can ask for is a chance.
We’re one of the last 16
teams playing. We’ll throw
our hat in the ring and see
what happens.”
The last time Falls City’s
football team made the
playoffs, none of its cur-
rent players were born yet.
While players know they
can’t afford to sit back and
relax just yet, for at least a
few hours on Friday night,
players enjoyed the mo-
ment and the pride of
what they accomplished
against Yoncalla.
“It’s exciting,” Sickles
said. “We haven’t done
anything like this in Falls
City for a long time. It’s
great to be a part of it.”
something I desire to do,”
Anderson said. “I’m not
here to take them out. I’m
here to get them back in. I
have to be able to talk to
them and let them know
there’s more than just ten-
nis or football. ... You might
want to have a family one
day and want to be able to
run with your kids or coach
their soccer team. Being
positive now in the educa-
tion process can improve
their future life.”
She is also beginning to
establish her own way of
doing things and getting her
student athletes on board.
“It takes time to make
something my own — some
things won’t change, but I’m
not going to do everything
the exact same way they’ve
been done before,” Ander-
son said. “Just because it’s
new, doesn’t mean it can’t be
good. It’s just different. It
can be great.”
Perhaps the most impor-
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer
Central athletic trainer Katie Anderson prepares to help
a student-athlete.
tant role Anderson sees for
herself as is as an educator.
And it’s something she
hopes to fully embrace at
Central.
“I would love to, if possi-
ble, to mold into more of a
teacher like my athletic
trainer was in high school,”
Anderson said. “Education is
the general reason we do
what we do.”