October 24, 2013

McKenzie Varsity Sports Schedule This Week

The McKenzie Varsity Football Team will host the Mohawk Indians on Friday, Oct. 25, with kickoff set at 7:00 pm. McKenzie will host the District 4 3A/2A/1A Cross Country Championships at Aaron and Marie Jones Community Track, in Finn Rock, on Sat., Oct. 26. The meet will feature a Boy’s and Girl’s Junior Varsity 5,000 m. race starting at 12:15 pm., followed by a Girl’s Varsity 5,000 m. race slated for a 1:00 pm. start and a Boy’s Varsity 5,000 m. race set to start at 1:45 pm. The McKenzie Varsity Volleyball Team will travel to Bend on Monday, Oct. 21, for a three-way match with Trinity Lutheran and Condon/Wheeler. The first match with Condon/Wheeler will start at 3:00 pm. and the second with Trinity Lutheran is scheduled for 6:00 pm. The Varsity Volleyball Team will next travel to Junction City High School on Sat., Oct. 26 to participate in the Mt. West League Tournament. The Eagles first match will start at 11:00 am. versus Mapleton. If McKenzie wins the match they will play at 3:30 pm. in the Championship match versus Lowell. Should the Eagles lose their first match, they will play at 2:00 pm. with the opponent to be decided.

Levi Sturgill Competes at Country Fair Classic

McKenzie’s Freshman Cross Country runner, Levi Sturgill, participated in the annual Country Fair Classic held at Elmira this past Wed., Oct. 16. The meet was moved to Fern Ridge Reservoir at the last minute as the course originally scheduled was too muddy. Varsity runners representing 36 high schools, 1A through 6A class, participated in 5,000 meter races in the Boys and Girls Junior Varsity and Varsity divisions. Sturgill’s finish time of 20:02 placed him 188th out of 236 Varsity runners.

Eagle Netters Look to Repeat As Mt. West League Champs

McKenzie has won the last three Mt. West League Tournament Championships and is looking to repeat for an unprecedented fourth time. At stake, also, is a sixth consecutive appearance in the OSAA State Volleyball Championships. The first round of the State playoffs is slated for Oct. 30 and the second round scheduled for Nov. 2. McKenzie would earn the number one seed from the League with a Mt. West League Championship, a bye in the first round of the playoffs, and the opportunity to host a second round match. Head Coach Dan Brenner’s team is confident and well prepared but the task will not be a cakewalk for the Eagles, currently 7th ranked. McKenzie will face-off against 18th ranked Mapleton, who finished the regular League season in third place, next Saturday, Oct. 26, at Junction City. Match time is 11:00 am. With an Eagle win, McKenzie (14-2, 18-5) would then match up with League rival, Lowell, who claimed the Mt. West League regular season Championship, undefeated at 16-0 (22-3 overall), and ranked number one in the OSAA State rankings. Some may feel the Eagles are the Cinderella of the Tournament, but who knows, this is the pumpkin season and perhaps a carriage will transform and the slipper fit once more.

McKenzie Savors First Football Victory

The Eagles probably could have saved the electricity and not turned on the field lights. With a full, bright moon high in the clear October night-sky and a Homecoming celebration on tap, McKenzie provided all the high voltage energy necessary to decisively defeat the visiting Crow Cougars, 50-26, in a Mt. West League 8-man football game, last Friday, Oct. 18. The Eagles drew first blood, scoring on their first possession and didn’t look back as they posted their first victory of the 2013 season. McKenzie knew they had an opportunity to notch the win as the Cougars arrived in Finn Rock with just one League win of their own, a 62-40 victory over winless Mohawk. Although Crow had posted a 4-4 overall record, all those wins had come at the expense of very weak teams. The Eagles, on the other hand, have appeared to be improving, evidence the contest at Mapleton the previous week, that saw McKenzie with the lead late in the fourth quarter only to lose 58-60. The Eagle offense has been scoring more points lately but the defense has been very porous, giving up a State leading 434 pts. McKenzie’s defense rose to the occasion on Friday night and reversed that trend as they gave up only one touchdown in the first half. With players going both ways in the fast paced contest, the Eagle defense appeared to be tiring in the third quarter and the Cougars took advantage, scoring twice and looking to mount a comeback. But it was short lived as McKenzie caught its second wind and held the visitors scoreless in the final quarter. Thus, on a beautiful, idyllic Friday night, under the lights, with vintage cars shining, their chrome engines revving, a fine victory on one of the finest football fields in the Northwest set the stage for the Reign of Homecoming Queen Shyla Harlan and her Court. A movie scene for sure.

Senior Eagle quarterback Bailey Adams led his team as he accounted for six touchdowns, four rushing and two passing. Adams rushed for a total of 57 yds. on 13 carries and passed for another 100 yds., completing 5 out of 7 attempts. Casey Mitchell, the Eagles leading running back, bruised the Cougar defense for 141 yds. on 33 carries with one fumble lost. Mitchell also caught 2 of Adam’s passes for a total of 53 yds. and one TD. Junior Eric Huffman carried nine times for 67 yds. and caught a 26 yd. pass for a TD. Fellow Junior Alex Nastasiuk also caught one pass for 10 yds. and one TD. Jorden Smith rushed twice for 6 yds. and Drew Hamlow hauled in a pass for 11 yds. Defensively, the Eagles were led by Adams and Huffman, each with 7 total tackles, 2 solo, and Mitchell, who also had 7 total tackles, 1 solo. Jeffrey Bayer and Nastasiuk each earned 5 total tackles, with 2 solo and teamed up for a sack of the Cougar quarterback and Senior Lane Kruse added 4 total tackles, 2 of which were solo. Kruse also had 1 interception and was responsible for 4 pass deflections.

Images above by Corey Culp: Casey Mitchell (55) rushes for a chunk of his game high 141 rushing yards.

Chris LaVoie (13), Alex Nastasuik (44) and Dylan Garr (64) all get their blocks on a key play.