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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 2016)
Polk County Sports 14A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • December 7, 2016 2016 ITEMIZER-OBSERVER ALL-REGION PREP FOOTBALL TEAM QUARTERBACK Peter Mendazona OFFENSIVE LINEMAN Cody Janssen Central Dallas The junior quarterback had a breakout season. Mendazona threw for 2,743 yards and 36 touch- downs, while also rushing for 155 yards and three touchdowns. He helped direct a potent offensive attack that averaged 28 points per game and earned all-league honorable mention for his ef- forts this season. The senior lineman was one of the rocks of the of- fensive and defensive line. On offense, Janssen helped pave the way for the Dragons’ rushing at- tack. On defense, he recorded 14 tackles and 1½ sacks, despite missing five games. Janssen was named first team all-league on offense for his ef- forts. RECEIVER/DEFENSIVE BACK Peter Mason TIGHT END/LINEBACKER Haylen Janesofsky Central Perrydale Mason stood out as Mendazona’s go-to target throughout the 2016 campaign. He had team- highs in catches (52), receiving yards (1,208) and receiving touchdowns (16). Mason was also a force on defense, recording a team-best six interceptions and 12 pass deflections. Mason earned first-team all-league honors on offense and defense. DEFENSIVE LINEMAN Marlon Tuipulotu LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer file Central quarterback Peter Mendazona threw for 36 touchdowns during 2016. leading rusher in the process. Morales was also a threat on the receiving end, recording 24 catches for 229 yards and three touchdowns. Morales earned second team all-MWC recogni- tion. RUNNING BACK Tanner Earhart Central To put it simply, Tuipulotu, the MWC’s Defensive Player of the Year, was a force to be reckoned with. He made offenses account for his presence at all times and was named the conference’s De- fensive Player of the Year for the second season in a row. Tuipulotu led the Panthers in tackles for loss (14) and fumble recoveries (four) and was second in total tackles (62), sacks (six) and dis- rupted many plays. Tuipulotu has committed to playing for the University of Washington. Dallas Earhart was the heart and soul of Dallas’ of- fense. The senior set school records for single game rush yards (429) most touchdowns in a single game (seven), total rush yards (2,068) and most rushing touchdowns in a season (24). Earhart, the MWC’s Offensive Player of the Year, helped propel Dallas to the 5A state semifinals and one of the team’s best seasons in recent memory. RUNNING BACK AJ Morales DEFENSIVE LINEMAN Cade Caudill Central Dallas The senior running back saw an increased workload after senior Alvin Berroa went down with an injury. Morales stepped up to the chal- lenge. He had 160 carries for 811 yards and three touchdowns, becoming the Panthers’ The senior lineman was a rock for the Drag- ons on defense. He had 31 tackles, five sacks and a fumble recovery and was able to dis- rupt opponents all through the season. Caudill earned first team all-MWC honors on defense. The senior was a force for the Pirates throughout the 2016 season. He was among Perrydale’s most potent offensive threats and earned first team all- Special District 4 honors on defense and second team all-league on offense. RUNNING BACK/DEFENSIVE BACK Austin Burgess LINEBACKER Jacob Collins Falls City Dallas The senior linebacker was an all-around threat on defense. He led the Dragons in tackles with 95, including nine tackles for loss. He also led the team in interceptions with four and had eight pass defenses. He even got involved on of- fense, carrying the ball 19 times for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Collins received The sophomore became one of Falls City’s most potent weapons. He led the Mountaineers with 639 rush yards and added nine touchdowns dur- ing league games. Along with Jeremy Labrado (624 yards, 13 touchdowns) and Noah Sickles (403 yards, 11 touchdowns) Burgess helped Falls City advance to the state playoffs for the first time in more than three decades. TIGHT END/LINEBACKER TJ Dimick COACH Tracy Jackson Dallas Dallas The junior asserted himself in a big way for the Dragons. Dimick was part of an offensive line that paved the way for a ground game that gained 4,045 yards during the 2016 season. He also had seven catches for 144 yards. At line- backer, he was third on the team in total tack- les with 78 and had 1½ sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery. Dimick earned first team all-league offense recognition and re- ceived all-league honorable mention on de- fense. A season ago, Dallas finished 3-6 overall. The Dragons roared back to life in 2016, finishing 9-3 overall. Dallas’ rushing attack was among the most potent in the state. The Dragons advanced to the state semifinals after wins over No. 9 Eagle Point and No. 1 and 2015 state champions Sum- mit. — The All-Region football team was selected by the Itemizer-Observer Sports Editor Lukas Eggen along with heavy input from area coaches. Earhart: Football career will continue in college Continued from Page 13A In hostile territory against the defending state champi- ons, Earhart wasn’t going to let illness keep him down. “I just went out there and did my best,” Earhart said. The will to fight — a theme among the Dragons’ players — helped drive Earhart to a spectacular season. The senior was the heart and soul of Dallas’ offense, helping the Dragons reach the semifinals of the 5A state playoffs — and helping make him the Itemizer-Ob- server’s Player of the Year. — Earhart was born to run. “Ever since I had been in flag football, I loved to run the ball,” Tanner said. “You don’t really have to think very much, you just let your body react.” He grew up idolizing Uni- versity of Oregon running backs such as Jonathan Stewart. “You have to be willing to take a lot of hits,” Tanner said. “And you have to run hard. I love that about run- ning back.” The Earhart family has a long history with Dallas football. Tanner’s dad, Jeff, played on Dallas’ 1982 foot- ball team that won a state title. Jeff coached Tanner through his youth football years. “Sometimes it’s a little hard,” Tanner said with a smile. “It’s different. Your coach, you have to listen to him. If he’s your dad, I al- ways wanted to talk back, but I tried not to.” When he entered high school, Tanner had years of experience as a running back and seemed to be a perfect fit for the Dragons’ run-first offense. The start of his junior year tested his resolve. Dallas experimented with a new offense — but the team struggled to execute. “It seemed like a pretty good idea,” Tanner said. “But it was new, and I feel like not everyone bought into it. It’s hard to explain, it just wouldn’t work for us.” The Dragons switched back to what they do best, but finished the season 3-6 overall. “All of us, we knew what it felt like to not win very much,” Tanner said. “We didn’t want that. We didn’t want to go out on that note this year.” Tanner made sure they wouldn’t experience a sea- son like that again. Dallas opened the year with wins over Parkrose and North Eugene — which in- cluded a 429-yard, seven touchdown performance against North Eugene. “That was a super, super fun game,” Tanner said. “It’s funny because everyone asked me if I was super sore the next day. I actually wasn’t. Our offensive line blocked so well, I didn’t get tackled too much.” It was the following week against Silverton that proved to be a turning point. The Dragons defeated Sil- verton 20-13. “I knew we were good, but we hadn’t proven it yet,” Tanner said. “After we beat them, everyone realized we had something good going.” The senior played a major role in the team’s success. He was the focal point on of- fense. He gained 100 or more rushing yards in all but two of Dallas’ games. “Tanner is a guy who is PERRYDALE ROUNDUP going to fight and compete and go hard,” Dallas coach Tracy Jackson said. “When he played, a lot of his yards came after he was hit two or three times and kept moving for- ward. I think that’s pretty in- dicative of him as an individ- ual as a person and a player.” But a running back is only as successful as the line in front of him, Tanner said. And in his case, he said his line made life easy. “They had confidence and a willingness to fight,” Tanner said. “That was the case for our entire team. We were undersized against everyone, but (the team) was willing to fight and be tough. They were the tough- est kids around.” Never the big talker, Tan- ner was a quiet leader — though his actions spoke louder than any word could. “Well I think one thing is he’s not a diva, never been and never will be,” Jackson said. “If a lineman comes up to him after a good run and tells him good job, Tanner would return the compli- ment. I used to be a lineman and, to me, that’s what keeps them fighting for you. Whenever I had a running back telling me nice job, I was ready to jump off the stadium for him.” Tanner’s football journey isn’t over. The senior said he is considering playing foot- ball at Western Oregon or Linfield. But his time as a Dragon will be one that he’ll never forget. “I’ve played with a lot of these guys since I started playing as a kid,” Tanner said. “I’ve made a lot of memories that will last for- ever, and that’s something we won’t have ever again.” DALLAS ROUNDUP Pirates open with wins Dragons fall to Glencoe Itemizer-Observer staff report PERRYDALE — Perry- dale’s girls basketball team opened the 2016 season with a pair of victories. The Pirates defeated Alsea 45-24 on Friday before downing Dufur 41-31 on Saturday. “I’m happy with the fact that we won,” coach Terry Newton said. “We got to Alsea with our press, but we are extremely young and had some turnovers on our part. I am happy with the team returning to the floor on Saturday less than 24 hours later and competing well. I was really happy with our leadership.” The Pirates played Living- stone Adventist Tuesday after press time. Perrydale plays at Willamette Valley Christian on Thursday be- fore hosting Crosshill Chris- tian Dec. 14 at 5:30 p.m. “We keep reinforcing the fact that we are going to make mistakes, and we have to understand why and learn from them,” Newton said. “It just takes patience and going through the process so in a month and a half, they will still be young, but will be playing the game a lot better.” BOYS BASKETBALL WINS BIG: Perrydale’s boys basket- ball team defeated Alsea 69-11 on Friday and Dufur 53-43 on Saturday. “It was good to see the kids out on the floor,” coach Brian Domes said. “We saw a lot of lit- tle things that can be fixed, but they played with a lot of good energy and worked hard.” Though the Pirates opened with a pair of victories, Domes said he’s looking for better bal- ance on offense and an in- creased focus on defense. “It can be difficult because everyone wants to score the basketball, but I’m adamant on the defensive end,” Domes said. “It’s fun to watch the kids play.” FALLS CITY ROUNDUP Boys defeat McKenzie Itemizer-Observer staff report FALLS CIT Y — Falls City’s boys basketball team defeated McKenzie 39-34 on Nov. 30 before falling to Eddyville Charter 48-45 on Friday. “The guys work hard,” coach Micke Kidd said. “Every single one of them has a tremendous work ethic. The hardest part has been slowing them down and teaching them that sometimes you have to rec- ognize situations and slow the game down.” Austin Burgess led the Mountaineers scoring 14 points against McKenzie and Eddyville Charter. Jeremy Labrado added 12 points against Eddyville. Falls City played Crosshill Christian Tuesday after press time. The Mountaineers play at Eddyville on Thursday be- fore hosting Mapleton Fri- day at 7 p.m. GIRLS DROP TWO: Falls City’s girls basketball team lost to McKenzie 44-31 on Nov. 30 before losing to Gaston 38-29 on Friday. Amara Houghtaling scored 14 points against McKenzie and 19 points against Gaston to lead the Mountaineers. Emma Burgess added six and eight points. The Mountaineers played Crosshill Christian Tuesday after press time. Falls City hosts Mapleton Friday at 5:30 p.m. “We want the kids to go through as much in-game ad- versity as we can get,” coach Micke Kidd said. “It does us a lot of good to play in games where we have to compete the whole game.” Itemizer-Observer staff report HILLSBORO — Dallas’ boys basketball team lost to Glencoe 37-32 on Friday in the team’s season-opener. The Dragons led 21-15 at the half. “I thought we played well enough defensively to win,” coach Trent Schwartz said. “The kids executed the game plan well, limiting a 6-foot-6 post to 12 points. We had some flashes offen- sively, particularly in the second quarter. We need to do a better job playing with a lead and extending the lead.” Jason Richey scored 10 points to lead Dallas, while Jacob Collins added eight points. The Dragons saw a host of players contribute on defense. “I thought Jake Ronco, TJ Dimick, Johnathan Bennett and Zach Wallace all did a great job battling to deny their big guy good looks all night, and our help defense was tremendous,” Schwartz said. Dallas plays at Churchill on Friday before hosting Hillsboro Tuesday at 7 p.m. GIRLS BASKETBALL FALLS TO MARIST: Dallas’ girls bas- ketball team lost to Marist Catholic 61-38 on Friday. The Dragons played The Dalles Tuesday after press time. Dallas hosts Churchill Friday at 7 p.m. before play- ing at South Eugene on Tues- day. W R E S T L I N G TA K E S FOURTH: Dallas’ wrestling team finished fourth at the Perry Burli- s o n Wre s t l i n g Classic on Saturday. T h e Dragons finished behind Marshfield, Bibler S w e e t Home and North Marion. Ryan Bibler (113 pounds) and Clay Coxen (182) finished second to lead the Dragons. Jacob Jones (126) finished third, while Dawson Barcroft (120) and Nicholas Nelson (160) finished fourth. The Dragons also finished second at the McNary Duals on Friday, falling to Roseburg in the first-place match. Dallas will compete at the Rose City Championship on Friday and Saturday. Central: Wrestling takes third place at Tillamook Continued from Page 13A BOYS BASKETBALL DE- FEATS NORTH EUGENE: Cen- tral’s boys basketball team opened the 2016-17 season with a 61-27 win over North Eugene on Nov. 30. “The kids came out with a lot of energy and caused some early turnovers, which allowed us to pick up a few quick points,” coach Tim Kreta said. Alec Barba scored 12 points to lead the Panthers. Jesse Cable added 11 points. Central played Liberty Tues- day after press time. The Pan- thers host Philomath Friday at 7 p.m. WRESTLING TAKES THIRD: Central’s wrestling team fin- ished third at the Tillamook Country Smoker on Friday. The Panthers scored 121 points, behind Tillamook (161) and Willamina (159½). Noah Worthington (106 pounds), Sam Crow (195) and David Negrete (220) placed first to lead Central. Chris Polanco (170) finished second, and Manuel Martinez (120) took third.
