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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 2017)
Polk County Sports Polk County Itemizer-Observer • January 11, 2017 10A CENTRAL WRESTLING SCHEDULE WEDNESDAY, JAN. 11 Boys basketball: South Albany at Central, 7 p.m. Dallas at Crescent Valley, 7 p.m. Wrestling: Corvallis at Central, 6 p.m. South Al- bany at Dallas, 6 p.m. THURSDAY, JAN. 12 Boys basketball: Ore- gon School for the Deaf at Perrydale, 7 p.m. Girls basketball: Ore- gon School for the Deaf at Perrydale, 5:30 p.m. M e n ’s b a s k e t b a l l : Simon Fraser at Western Oregon, 7 p.m. FRIDAY, JAN. 13 Boys basketball: Cres- cent Valley at Central, 7 p.m. Dallas at Corvallis, 7 p.m. C.S. Lewis at Falls City, 7 p.m. Girls basketball: Central at Crescent Valley, 7 p.m. Corvallis at Dallas, 7 p.m. Wrestling: Dallas at Ore- gon Classic, TBA. DALLAS GIRLS BASKETBALL Morales seeks rhythm on mat Dragons find stride entering league play By Lukas Eggen The Itemizer-Observer INDEPENDENCE — Two years ago, Central senior A.J. Morales wasn’t doing much with his time during the win- ter sports season. He tried basketball his freshman year, but didn’t care for it. As a sophomore, he didn’t play a winter sport. Last sea- son, Morales thought that something had to change. “I thought I have to do something,” Morales said. He chose wrestling in part because of suggestions from his brother and his friends. See MORALES, Page 11A By Lukas Eggen The Itemizer-Observer LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer Central senior A.J. Morales wrestled for the first time as a junior during the 2015-16 season. DALLAS — Dallas’ girls basketball team entered the season optimistic about the coming campaign. With seven seniors and four juniors, the Dragons featured a roster loaded with upper classmen. But all that potential sput- tered out of the gate. Dallas opened the season with losses to Marist Catholic, The Dalles and Churchill. “We had a fairly good dis- cussion after we lost to Churchill,” c o a c h D a v i d Brautigam said. “You could say it Nelson was our come-to-Jesus-type speech.” Brautigam made a few ad- justments to lineups and some changes in strategy, but the focus was simple: trust. See DRAGONS, Page 11A SATURDAY, JAN. 14 Boys basketball: North Clackamas Christian at Per- rydale, 5:30 p.m. Girls basketball: North Clackamas Christian at Per- rydale, 4 p.m. Men’s basketball: West- ern Washington at Western Oregon, 7 p.m. Women’s basketball: Western Oregon at Mon- tana State Billings, 4:15 p.m. Wrestling: Dallas at Ore- gon Classic, TBA. MONDAY, JAN. 16 Boys basketball: Sher- man at Perrydale, 5:30 p.m. Girls basketball: Sher- man at Perrydale, 4 p.m. TUESDAY, JAN. 17 Boys basketball: Crosshill Christian at Falls City, 7 p.m. Girls basketball: Central at Lebanon, 7 p.m. Dallas at Silverton, 7 p.m. Crosshill Christian at Falls City, 5:30 p.m. Swimming: Central at Corvallis, 4 p.m. Lebanon at Dallas, 4 p.m. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18 Boys basketball: Lebanon at Central, 7 p.m. Silverton at Dallas, 7 p.m. Crosshill Christian at Perry- dale, 7 p.m. Wrestling: Silverton at Central, 6 p.m. Dallas at Crescent Valley, 6 p.m. — Schedules Subject to Change QUICK HITS Tuipulotu records four tackles at All-American Bowl SAN ANTONIO — Cen- tral senior Marlon Tuipulo- tu recorded four tackles, in- cluding 1.5 tackles-for-loss, during the U.S. Army All- American Bowl on Satur- day. The annual game brings together some of the best high school football play- ers from across the coun- try. The East squad defeat- ed the West squad 27-17. Tuipulotu has commit- ted to playing football at the University of Washing- ton. Volunteer coaches sought for club DALLAS — Dallas Track Club is looking for volun- teer coaches. No experience is neces- sary. Training will be pro- vided. The track club runs from March through May at LaCreole Middle School. For more information: Malia, 503-383-8138. Registration open for golf tourney DALLAS — Registration is open for the 15th annu- al Brockway Memorial Golf Tournament on Feb. 4 at Cross Creek Golf Course. The two-person, 18-hole scramble will begin at 9 a.m. Cost is $45 and in- cludes green fees, and hole and tee prizes. For more information: 503-623-6666. Sign-ups are due by Feb. 1. www.polkio.com Chasing the thrill of victory DALLAS — From a young pounds and competing at state, Foster soon saw he had plenty age, Dallas sophomore wrestler By Lukas Eggen Joseph Foster was enamored of work to do if he wanted to The Itemizer-Observer with the image of victory — the compete with the best. “I was really good in middle moments after a wrestling match when the victor’s arm school,” Foster said. “But was raised in the air. everyone in high school has His father wrestled in high been wrestling for a really school in Montana and now long time against really tough serves as a referee in Oregon. guys. I got beat up a lot last Foster got an early peek of year.” what wrestling was like. Foster spent the rest of the “I’d see those guys winning, season preparing for the winter, and they looked really cool. I taking part in wrestling camps wanted to be like them,” Foster and competing for different said. club teams around the state. This season, Foster began His family moved to Dallas in 2007. When Foster entered wrestling at 132 pounds. LaCreole Middle School, he “When you wrestle at 132, had been wrestling since the they’re a lot stronger,” Foster age of 8. said. “You have to use more Things didn’t go quite as he technique to beat them.” He has since switched to imagined. “In middle school, my sixth- 126. Foster knows he continues and seventh-grade years, I got to be a work in progress, but he beat up every day in practice,” expects a big season from him- Foster said. “It was the worst self — he’s always looking to feeling. I went home crying like improve, even when he goes home. half the time. It was bad.” Foster could have let that “My dad and I always talk deter him. Instead, it drove about my matches and watch him to improve. them,” Foster said. “We talk “It really built me up,” Foster about what I did right and how said. “I started to win more and I can improve. I’m always into more matches. It made me wrestling.” His biggest advantage may want to train harder.” By the time he entered his be his mental toughness and freshman year, Foster figured his desire to become the best. he was ready to break out. See FOSTER, Page 11A Despite placing fourth at the Continued from Page 10A Mid-Willamette Conference dis- “You can’t quit on yourself,” trict championships at 126 Foster said. “You can see some LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer Dallas sophomore Joseph Foster placed fourth at the Mid-Willamette Conference district championships last season, but he wasn’t satisfied. PERRYDALE ROUNDUP Boys basketball defeats WVC, Jewell Itemizer-Observer staff report PERRYDALE — Perry- dale’s boys basketball team earned a pair of Casco League victories last week. The Pirates defeated Willamette Valley Christian 59-47 on Jan. 3 and Jewell 50-28 on Thursday. “Willamette is one of the top three or four opponents in our league,” coach Brian Domes said. “I know we Pope came out and won the first and sec- ond quar- t e r, b u t c o u l d n’t quite pull away in the second half.” Domes was pleased with several individual perform- ances against Willamette Valley Christian. “We had a couple kids that came out and really helped on the scoring and rebounding side,” Domes said. “Jacob Pope had a good game in both cate- gories. He was the high scorer for the game. Coop- er Butler was pretty solid defensively. We put him on Willamette’s best scorer who is a p r e t t y good ath- lete.” Against Jewell, Domes said the goal was to get Butler as many of his players time on the court as possible. The Pirates’ game against www.facebook.com/pages/Polk-County-Itemizer-Observer/205062686252209 Damascus Christian, on Sat- urday was canceled due to weather. Perrydale played Living- stone Adventist Tuesday after press time. The Pirates host Oregon School for the Deaf Thurs- day at 7 p.m.; North Clacka- mas Christian Saturday at 5:30 p.m.; and Sherman Monday at 5:30 p.m. See PIRATES, Page 11A www.twitter.com/PolkIOSports
