Polk County
Sports
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • October 4, 2017 14A
SCHEDULE
PREP FOOTBALL
THURSDAY, OCT. 5
Boys soccer: Central at
South Albany, 7 p.m. Cres-
cent Valley at Dallas, 4 p.m.
Girls soccer: South Al-
bany at Central, 4 p.m. Dal-
las at Crescent Valley, 4 p.m.
Volleyball: Crescent Val-
ley at Central, 6 p.m. Dallas
at Corvallis, 6 p.m. Falls City
at C.S. Lewis, 6 p.m. Perry-
dale at Willamette Valley
Christian, 6:15 p.m.
FRIDAY, OCT. 6
Football: Crescent Valley
at Central, 7 p.m. South Al-
bany at Dallas, 7 p.m. Falls
City at Horizon Christian, 7
p.m. Perrydale at South
Wasco County, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY, OCT. 7
Cross-country: Central,
Dallas at Harrier Classic,
12:40 p.m.
Football: Western Ore-
gon at Simon Fraser, 1 p.m.
Volleyball: Montana
State Billings at Western
Oregon, 2 p.m.
Women’s soccer: West-
ern Oregon at Central
Washington, 11 a.m.
Panthers survive Dragons’ rally
PHOTOS BY LUKAS EGGEN/Itemizer-Observer
Dallas and Central clashed on Friday night. The Panthers escaped with a 21-14 victory over the Dragons.
MONDAY, OCT. 9
Boys soccer: Crescent
Valley at Central, 6 p.m. Cor-
vallis at Dallas, 4 p.m.
Girls soccer: Crescent
Valley at Central, TBA. Dallas
at Corvallis, 7 p.m.
Volleyball: Central at
Lebanon, 6 p.m. Silverton at
Dallas, 6 p.m. Perrydale at
C.S. Lewis, 6 p.m.
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
TUESDAY, OCT. 10
Volleyball: Willamette
Valley Christian at Falls City,
6 p.m. C.S. Lewis at Perry-
dale, 6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 11
Boys soccer: Lebanon at
Central, 4 p.m. Dallas at Sil-
verton, 6 p.m.
Cross-country: Central
at MWC 4-Way (at Crescent
Valley), TBA.
Girls soccer: Central at
Lebanon, 4 p.m. Silverton at
Dallas, 4 p.m.
Volleyball: Dallas at
Central, 6 p.m.
—
Schedules Subject to Change
QUICK HITS
Polk Pedalers to
hold 25-mile ride
DALLAS — The Polk Ped-
alers Bicycle Club will meet
at Courtyard Coffee House,
156 SE Mill St., Dallas on Sat-
urday at 8 a.m. The group
will go on a 25-mile ride to
Independence and take part
in a road cleanup day. Chil-
dren must be accompanied
by an adult. Carpooling
available. For more informa-
tion: 503-623-6533.
DHS bowling
seeks athletes
DALLAS — The Dallas
High School bowling team
seeks recruits. Practices are
Tuesdays and Thursdays
from 3:45 to 5 p.m. at
Starlight Lanes. For more in-
formation: Ray Rogers, 503-
851-1612.
Cross Creek
men’s club results
DALLAS — Cross Creek’s
men’s club results for Sept.
26:
Low gross/low net
Gross: 1, Wayne Weath-
ers, 32; 2 (tie), Bill Karjala
and Jim Schroeder, 33.
Net: 1, Ed Johnson, 27; 2,
Ken Ross, 28; 3 (tie), Darrel
Smedstad, Bob Bennett and
Larry Kuhns, 29.
Cross Creek
women’s club
results
DALLAS — Cross Creek’s
women’s club results for
Sept. 18.
Nine-hole championship
Overall net: 1, Karen
Goodwin; Flight A gross:
Patti Youngren; net, Vera
Flaming. Flight B gross:
Wendy Hudson; net: Sherril
Hurt. Flight C gross: Julie
Hertel; net: Cheryl Gesner.
Sept. 25Friendly fours
1, Loretta Bishop; 2 (tie),
Carolyn Wall, Patti Stapish,
Sherril Hurt and Wendy
Hudson; 5, Sally Dalke.
www.polkio.com
Dallas running back Camden Frizelle tries to break free
of Central’s Josh Rodriguez (81) and Isaiah Abraham (22).
DALLAS — Football is a
game of inches.
That was certainly the
case Friday night as the Pan-
thers held on to defeat Dal-
las 21-14.
With Central leading 21-
14, Dallas’ offense was on
the move. The Dragons had
the ball on the Panthers’ 8-
yard line with less than 50
seconds to go in the fourth
quarter and two timeouts.
Dallas had engineered a
drive down the field that
started from its own 19 in a
sequence of events that was
thrilling and nerve-wracking
for both sides.
The Panthers had a po-
tential game-sealing inter-
ception negated due to a de-
fensive holding penalty, and
a fumble by the Dragons left
players scrambling for the
ball. Dallas recovered and
continued its march down
the field.
Now, the Dragons were 8
yards away from a potential
game-tying score. Quarter-
back Jaret Stewart handed
the ball off to running back
Brycen Grillo, who charged
forward, advancing to the 1-
yard line. Grillo fought to
reach the end zone.
“Brycen is a true warrior,”
Dallas coach Tracy Jackson
said.
Central defensive back
Isaiah Abraham met Grillo.
He wasn’t thinking tackle.
“I knew it wasn't fourth
down and it would have been
hard to stop them,” Abraham
said. “They didn't have very
good ball security, so I fo-
cused on going for the strip.”
See FOOTBALL, Page 15A
Isaiah Abraham celebrates as he scores a touchdown.
COLLEGE CROSS-COUNTRY
Nading ready to own his destiny
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
MONMOUTH — Western
Oregon University junior
cross-country runner Dustin
Nading was looking for a
way back to the Northwest.
Nading, born and raised
in Washington, was attend-
ing Colby Community Col-
lege in Colby, Kan.
"I felt like there were other
schools that had opportuni-
ties for me," he said.
Specifically, he started
looking at schools in the
Great Northwest Athletic
Conference.
As luck would have it, the
NCAA Division II Indoor
Track and Field Champi-
onships were being held in
Pittsburgh, Kan., that year
and one of the schools that
had piqued his interest,
Western Oregon, had ath-
letes competing.
Nading made the four-
hour trip to watch the
Wolves compete, and talk to
track and field and cross-
country coach Mike John-
son in person for the first
time.
“We were standing there
looking at the track and the
first question he asked me is,
‘do you believe in free will,’”
Nading said. “Normally, a
coach asks what are your
best marks or what are you
looking to achieve? We had a
discussion about whether I
believed in free will or if
everything is predestined in
life. That first conversation
still attracts me because
there’s a sense on the team
that you own your destiny.”
—
Nading never planned on
being a runner.
“All my life, I was a
wrestler,” Nading said. “My
family wrestled for a long
time. My grandpa was a
state champion at the colle-
giate level in Oregon.”
It appeared wrestling was
a Nading family tradition.
That is, until his high
school wrestling coach un-
wittingly sent him toward a
different path.
See NADING, Page 15A
COURTESY OF WOU ATHLETICS/Itemizer-Observer
Western Oregon junior Dustin Nading (240) runs at the
San Francisco Invitational in September.
Booster Club kicks
Injuries challenge Panthers off turf fundraiser
PREP VOLLEYBALL
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE — The first half of
Mid-Willamette Conference play has not
been kind to Central’s volleyball team.
Injuries, including to both of the team’s
setters, has left the Panthers in a difficult
spot.
Central entered the week with a 6-7
record overall and a 2-6 mark in league
play.
“It’s been a little rough for us,” junior
libero Elizabeth Chavez said.
But the Panthers are optimistic they are
close to turning things around and through
the challenges, players are stepping up.
—
Senior outside hitter Krista Omlid isn’t
much of a talker on the court. She lets her
play speak for itself.
“As a freshman, I was so nervous to make
Volleyball
• Central’s volleyball team defeated
Woodburn 25-22, 27-25, 25-18 on Sept. 6
before losing to Silverton 25-21, 25-23, 25-
15 on Thursday.
• The Panthers played South Albany Tues-
day after press time. Central hosts Crescent
Valley Thursday at 6 p.m. before playing at
Lebanon Monday at 6 p.m.
mistakes,” Omlid said. “Now, I’ve accepted
I’m not the best passer or I’m not the best
hitter. If I hit a ball out, as a freshman I
would tell myself that I suck. Now, I’m like
I’m not going to blame anyone, but I’ll get
the next one. Having that mindset has
helped a lot.”
Omlid has developed into the Panthers’
top offensive threat — the player Central
looks to when it needs a point.
See VOLLEYBALL, Page 16A
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — The Dallas
Booster Club officially
kicked off its campaign to
raise funds for a turf field at
Dallas High School on Fri-
day prior to the Central vs.
Dallas football game.
The night included
speeches from Tim Larson,
D y a n Au g u s t a n d J i m
Boutin. Members of the Au-
gust family were also present
for the opening coin toss of
the football game and alum-
ni were honored during half-
time.
Information about the
project was available and all
who attended received free
www.facebook.com/pages/Polk-County-Itemizer-Observer/205062686252209
entry into the football game
later that evening.
To date, the Booster Club
has raised $375,000 in
pledged cash and in-kind
work toward the project.
Bill McNutt said the
$600,000 figure stated in last
week’s paper combined
money raised for the field
turf project and the estimat-
ed cost of the track, which
the school board voted to
fund, contingent on the
completion of the turf field.
The Booster Club is look-
ing to raise $850,000 by April
of 2018 to have enough time
to purchase and install the
field in time for the 2018-19
school year.
See TURF, Page 16A
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