The INDEPENDENT, December 15, 2005
Page 15
Vernonia High School Sports Report
By Ben Schorzman
Basketball
Above, Sam Sears (left) and Dalan Lee, Advanced Art stu-
dents at Vernonia High School, were part of a crew last week
painting holiday scenes on business windows around town.
Zoo offers WinterZooVenture Day
Camps during winter breaks
Winter break at the zoo is
sure to be an adventure for kids
four years of age through fourth
grade when they attend Winter-
Z o o Venture Day Camps De-
cember 19-22 and 27-29. The
Oregon Zoo’s winter camp pro-
gram is designed and led by
the same professional staff that
oversees the summer program.
Proceeds help fund the zoo’s
conservation and education
programs.
Each day’s activities focus
on a unique animal theme. Dur-
ing “How Do They Do That?”
children discover how animals
climb, fly, glide, dive and sur-
vive in the wild world. “Some
Like It Cold” has campers ex-
amining how animals (like polar
bears) are built for winter. Dur-
ing “Short Days, Long Nights”
campers discover the diff e r-
ences between nocturnal ani-
mals (tigers and bats) and day-
time animals (elephants, ze-
bras and monkeys).
Camp activities include guid-
ed trips through the zoo that al-
low kids to explore various ar-
eas in detail. In addition, touch-
able animals are on hand to
make special visits to campers
each day. Games, crafts and
stories with zoo animal themes
add to the daily experiences.
Children may attend one
day, a few days or all seven
days. Half-day sessions for
four-year-olds through kinder-
gartners take place from 9:00
a.m. to noon or 1:00 p.m. to
4:00 p.m. Fees for zoo mem-
bers are $12 per day, and $14
per day for nonmembers. Full-
day sessions for first through
fourth graders begin at 9:00
a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m. Fees
for zoo members are $27 per
day, and nonmembers are $32
per day.
For registration or more in-
formation
about
Wi n t e r
ZooVenture Day Camps, visit
< w w w.oregonzoo.org> or call
503-220-2781.
The zoo opens at 9:00 a.m.
daily and is located just off
Highway 26. It is also accessi-
ble by MAX light rail line and
visitors who take the bus or
MAX receive 50 cents off zoo
admission. General admission
is $9.50 (12-64), seniors $8
(65+), children $6.50 (3-11 ) ,
and infants two and under are
free. A parking fee of $1 per car
is also required.
Games have started for the Loggers, with
games for both Boys and Girls against Catlin
Gabel and Banks, Boys’ games against Amity
and Scappoose, and a Girls’ game against
Southwest Christian.
The season opener was on November 29, at
Catlin Gabel. The girls came close, but could
not pull it out, losing 35-32. Junior guard Joreigh
Landers led the team in points with 16. Senior
post Laura Brookins also had a good game, get-
ting 10 points. In the boys’ game, the victor was
decided in the last minute, with the Eagles and
Loggers trading three-pointers. Senior guard
Ben Schorzman put the Loggers up 34-32 with a
three, with 40 seconds left. Then the Eagles hit
a three pointer in the next possession, making
the score 35-34. Unable to score again, the Log-
gers lost 36-34. Seniors Tim Hein and Schorz-
man led the team in scoring, each with 13 points.
December 1, the boys’ team traveled to
Banks. In a blowout, the Braves won 52-14. Hein
led the team with 7 points; Junior Brent Thomp-
son had 5 points. The next night, both teams
played their home-openers, the girls against the
Banks Braves, and the boys against the Amity
Warriors. In the girls’ game, a technical foul by
Coach Doran Lower shifted the momentum from
Vernonia to Banks, and the Braves won 39-35
on late free throws. In the losing effort, Landers
had 23 points to lead all scorers. In the boys’
game against Amity, the Loggers showed some
resolve, coming back from nine points down –
twice. Down nine at half time, the boys’ came out
and scored nine straight points, and tied it up
with two three pointers by Schorzman. But im-
mediately after, the Warriors answered with
three 3-pointers of their own to take the score
back up to nine. It would remain nine until late in
the fourth quarter. Led by junior guard Brent
Thompson, the Loggers held Amity scoreless the
last three minutes, and cut the lead down to two
points. With one second left, Hein was fouled in
the act of shooting, but hit only one of two free
throws. Final score: Amity 37, Vernonia 36. Hein
and Schorzman led the team with 12 points
each.
December 6, the Lady Loggers got their first
win of the season against Southwest Christian,
defeating them 58-39. The girls led at half time
25-8, and even though SW Christian came back
a little in the third quarter, the Loggers put them
away in the fourth. Landers led the team with 16
points, followed by Senior Mackenzie Bassett
with 10 points. The boys faced another 3A team,
this time playing the Scappoose Indians. The
Loggers were beat 66-38, with Hein getting 14
points.
Next up for both teams is Gaston, on Decem-
ber 9, followed by a tournament at Gervais, De-
cember 17-18.
Wrestling
Under new head coach Dominic Nardelli, the
wrestlers have done very well in the first two
weeks of the season. December 2 they traveled
to Banks and wrestled in the Banks Tournament.
Junior Willie Hansen, at 171 pounds; Junior Mike
Potter, at 119 pounds; Sophomore Tyler Bernar-
di, at 125 pounds; and Senior heavyweight Wert
Russert all won matches. As a team, the Log-
gers were 1-2, losing to Rainier and Willamina,
and beating Banks.
December 8 the team held a dual meet with
Seaside and Amity in Vernonia. Vernonia wres-
tled Amity first, followed by Seaside wrestling
Amity, then Vernonia wrestling Seaside.
In team scoring, the Loggers won against
Amity by 10 points, 43-33. Mike Potter, Burdette
Robb, Willie Hansen, and Tyler Corey helped out
the team, with each of them winning by pins.
Against Seaside, after all matches, Seaside and
Vernonia were tied at 42. Under the tie breaker
rules set up for dual meets, statistics from the
first round determined the winner. Vernonia won
on statistical criteria, because they had more
takedowns in the first round than Seaside.
The team competed in a tournament Decem-
ber 10 at Scio, then hosted another home meet
today, December 15.