CHS enjoys a
blowout in opener
Photo by Sean Patterson
Robert Street's wins in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle races helped Canby's boys easily topple Dallas Thursday.
By Sean Patterson
for the Herald
Lisa Champ just missed a couple more school records,
and Canby's girls took first and second in every individual event as the Cougars easily
routed Dallas 119-51 in a Pacific-9 Conference swim meet Thursday at Canby Municipal Swim
Center.
Still, as nice as the season-opening blowout was, little can be deducted from the result.
"This really isn't an indication of where we are as a team," Canby head coach
David Biskar said. "A lot of the kids are still trying to figure out which end is up.
It was a nice way to open the season, but at the same time we realize this wasn't one of
the tougher teams on the schedule."
That's an understatement. The Cougars dominated both the boys and girls competition, with
the boys cruising 115-48 by winning all but one individual race.
Champ led the way for the girls, clocking a time of 1 minute, 1.5 seconds in the 100-yard
butterfly and a mark of 1:01.1 in the 100 backstroke to win both races with ease. Both
swims were just shy of being school records.
Michelle Maier also had a big meet, winning both the 100 breaststroke (1:15.57) and the
200 individual medley (2:22.16). Both marked personal-best times.
Also winning were Ashly Scroggy, a freshman whose 2:10.44 was good enough to take the 200
free, and Kari Rittenbach, who went 5:55.21 in the 500 free.
Scroggy was also second in the 100 fly (1:12.2), while Rittenbach got the same placement
in the 200 IM (2:34.72).
Second-place finishes also came from Kayla Scheafer in the 50 free (28.5) and 500 free
(6:13.33); Denise Vaught in the 100 back (1:20.0); Bridget Crorey in the 200 free
(2:22.50); and Dessa Bingley in the 100 breast (1:19.78).
For Canby's boys, Robert Street's wins in the 200 free (2:00.55) and 500 free (5:33.79)
helped the Cougars roll. As a team, the boys won all but one individual event, the 100
freestyle.
Corey O'Brien was also a double winner, taking the 200 IM (2:13.54) and the 100 fly
(58.52), and Alex Laskey claimed victories in both the 50 free (25.07) and 100 breast
(1:06.41).
Canby also earned several second-place finishes, with Ben Dowdy getting that placement in
the 50 free (27.20) and the 500 free (6:47.43). Sage Geisleman (1:19.7 in the 100 back),
Laurance Koenig (53.46 in the 100 free) and Kevin Larkins (1:11.72 in the 100 fly) were
also second in their respective events. Canby returns to the pool on Thursday with a visit
to Silverton at 4 p.m.
Canby takes
home
another Lane County title
By Sean Patterson
of the Herald
EUGENE - It was business as
usual for the Canby High School wrestling team last weekend, as the Cougars added yet
another Lane County Invitational title to their collection with a perfect showing in the
16-team dual-meet event at Cottage Grove High School Dec. 1-2.
It was the program's fourth straight Lane County victory and the Cougars' fifth crown
since 1994.
Canby did it by winning all four of its matches, with the clincher being a 38-30 decision
of Sweet Home in the championship final. Leading the way were four CHS wrestlers - Stephen
Schantin (112 pounds), Ian Gadberry (119), Garret Miyake (130) and Jared Wilson (160) -
who went 4-0 over the weekend.
Remarkably, the Cougars won despite the absence of four key individuals, out for various
reasons.
"We had one guy out of town for a judo tournament, another taking SATs, another out
with an injury and a fourth who quit the team," head coach Dan Nugent said.
"That made other kids step up. In addition to our four undefeated guys, we had
several go 3-1. As usual in our first competition of the year we found out some good
things and things we have to get better at.
''It's also a great tournament to be a part of because it gives the wrestling community a
chance to remember Lorenso West and Jed Kesey, the two University of Oregon wrestlers who
lost their lives in an auto accident while traveling to a wrestling meet in 1984. All
proceeds go to a scholarship in their name.''
Canby wasted no time establishing itself as the tournament favorite. The team started off
with a 73-3 blowout of Sutherlin in the opening round, then blew out Oakridge 61-18 in the
second.
In the semifinals, the Cougars jumped on Junction City early en route to a 37-26 victory
that propelled them into the finals against the Huskies. Once there, Canby recorded three
straight falls at 112, 119 and 125 to get an early lead it would never relinquish. A
technical fall by Miyake at 135 and subsequent pins by Brock Ellis at 140 and Wilson at
160 gave Canby enough of a lead to withstand a late Sweet Home comeback. The Huskies won
three of the final four matches, but it didn't matter.
Looking particularly sharp were Schantin, who pinned all four of his opponents, and
Gadberry, back with the program after a two-year hiatus in Pendleton. The senior had two
superior decisions and one fall among his four wins.
Wilson also looked good, getting three pins, and Miyake was equally dominant with two
falls and a pair of major decisions.
In the upper weights, Canby got a boost from junior transfer Scott Doman, who won three of
four as a heavyweight; Justin Ables, who also went 3-1 at 189; and Emilliano Vargas, who
posted the same record in his first varsity action.
Others winning three of four were Marc Koch at 171 (with three falls), Drew Bayless at 125
(three falls and a controversial overtime loss) and Pete Savory at 145. Winning twice were
Joe Kuznetsov at 103, Ellis at 140 and Ross Doman at 152.
Jeff Wilson, battling score ribs, wrestled only once, but it was a key 11-4 win over Sweet
Home's David Helfrich that turned out to be the match-clinching win at 189 pounds.
In the end, the Cougars claimed first place over runner-up Sweet Home, third-place
Thurston, fourth-place Junction City and fifth-place Churchill. Oakridge was sixth, South
Eugene seventh and Creswell eighth.
Looking ahead, the Cougars open their Pacific-9 Conference dual-meet schedule with a visit
to McMinnville Wednesday at 7 p.m. The team is also in a David Douglas tournament Thursday
beginning at 3 p.m.
Canby's home opener comes Dec. 14, when Forest Grove pays a visit for a Pac-9 dual.
Huskies get split in a pair
By Jason Horton
Canby Herald
New head coach Jason Scanlon started out his North Marion career just the way he wanted
- with a victory. The Husky boys basketball team defeated The Dalles, 74-61, last Tuesday
night on the road.
"It was a nice win," Scanlon said. "It was a typical first game, though. We
made some mistakes, but the kids also did some nice things."
The Huskies jumped out to a first-quarter lead and never really looked back, extending the
edge to 38-27 by halftime.
"They played a zone defense on us the whole game," Scanlon said. "We had
just put in our zone offense the day before, so I was happy with the way the kids
played."
The keys to the win were North Marion's ability to shoot free throws and play solid
defense.
"We shot 22 for 34 from the (free-throw) line, and that helps when you can shoot as
many free throws as we did," Scanlon said. "We were also able to press and play
up-tempo, which is what we want to do. Our half-court defense was okay, but they (The
Dalles) got a lot of rebounds, especially on the offensive end."
Ryan Krause led North Marion with 23 points while Adam Kraft poured in 21.
The Huskies weren't as fortunate, however, in their second game against La Salle Friday at
home. The Falcons left North Marion with a 75-51 victory.
"They are one of the top three teams in the state," Scanlon said. "We were
missing a couple kids, Jeremy Miller and Kraft, with illness and injury, and they (La
Salle) took advantage of their size advantage."
The visiting Falcons jumped out to a 22-13 first-quarter lead and were never threatened
the rest of the way. North Marion could only manage eight points in the second quarter
while giving up 18.
The Huskies were only outscored by four points in the second half, but the damage was
already done.
"The kids played hard the whole game despite what the score was," Scanlon said.
"We played better in the second half and were able to get some offensive sets
done."
North Marion played at Estacada Tuesday in another nonleague game and returns home on
Saturday to play a 3 p.m. game against Seaside.
Despite lack of bodies,
Huskies excel in Rainier
By Sean Patterson
of the Herald
RANIER - North Marion didn't have the numbers to
compete as a team, but the Huskies still made quite an impression at a five-team high
school wrestling tournament Saturday in Ranier.
Even with only eight varsity competitors, North Marion managed to land three individual
titles and a pair of second-place finishes in action against Yamhill-Carlton, Mark Morris
of Washington, Ranier and Sherwood.
Coach Mike Robinson tabbed 215-pounder Dallas Branum as his wrestler of the day after the
senior pinned three of his four opponents while also earning a 7-6 victory over a ranked
Rainier opponent.
Two of Branum's pins came in the first round - against Sherwood and Mark Morris - and the
third came in the second round.
"He's probably the hardest worker on this team, and it showed Saturday,"
Robinson said of Branum. "He was dominant."
Also winning all four of their matches were freshman Ross Newkirk at 103 pounds and senior
Jason Roberts at 140. The former pulled off one of the more exciting victories of the
weekend when he upended a Mark Morris opponent 8-6 in overtime.
Roberts, meanwhile, won all four of his bouts without much trouble.
Unfortunately, with a lack of numbers, the Huskies weren't able to keep pace as a team,
falling to Ranier (48-24), Sherwood (52-29), Mark Morris (48-21) and Yamhill-Carlton
(33-24) in dual meets.
"We had to forfeit six weights, so we were giving up 36 points before we even
started," Robinson said. "We had a few no-shows for some reason, which is
something we'll have to address. I'm not sure what the deal is with that."
In addition to its three champs, North Marion had a couple of runner-up finishers in Zach
Martushev at 135 and Justin Willis at 189.
Also wrestling well was Orin Newkirk, who won a pair of hotly contested matches to get
third at 145.
Robinson was also pleased with the efforts of three junior varsity competitors: Scott
Bozarth, who won all three of his 189-pound matches; Larry Lisoff, who won two of four at
140; and Brian McLain, who went 2-2 at 145.
The tournament comes as North Marion prepares to host a four-team tourney this Friday
beginning at 3:30 p.m. North Marion opens the event against Toledo at North Marion High
School. Woodburn and Sherwood will also be in attendance.
