September 17, 2015

McKenzie Varsity Sports Schedule This Week

The McKenzie Varsity Volley-ball team hosts Siletz Valley on Tuesday, September 15. The match will start at 6:00 pm. The McKenzie Cross Country Teams host the EWEB Canal Run on Wednesday, September 16 with the race starting at 4:30 pm. The start of the race is located near the Johnson Creek Road in Leaburg. Further directions may be found on athletic.net or calling the McKenzie High School Office.

The Eagle Varsity Volleyball team will travel to Alsea on Thursday, September 17 and the match time is set for 6:00 pm. The McKenzie Varsity Football team hosts Lowell on Friday, September 18 and kickoff is slated for 7:00 pm. The Eagle Varsity Volleyball team travels to Lebanon on Saturday, September 19, to participate in the East Linn Christian Volleyball Tournament.

Eagles Bedeviled At Lowell

The McKenzie Varsity Volley-ball team traveled to Lowell last Tuesday, September 8. The match was the second Mt. West League match of the season for both teams. Lowell lost to Triangle Lake in the Red Devil's first League contest while McKenzie defeated Mapleton at home. On the shores of Dexter Lake, the Eagles fell to the Red Devils in three straight sets, 25-15, 25-21, and 25-21. By not winning a single set in the match, the youthful Eagle team ran its streak of no-set wins to ten, not a typical happening around Finn Rock. Coming off the prior weekend at the Oakridge Tournament, where McKenzie lost to Lowell in a non-League match, McKenzie Head Volleyball Coach Dan Brenner thought his team played better despite the loss.

Outside Hitter Miyanna Hayes led her Eagle teammates offensively with 6 kills. Middle Blocker Cassidy Campbell added 3 kills and Setter Anna McNutt, Outside Hitter Savannah Oyervides, and Right Side Hitter Paige Lowry each had 2 kills. Katelynn Caulley, Chelsie Smith, and Jade Hayes each added 1 kill. Jade Hayes, a Middle Blocker, served one ace, as did Campbell and Oyervides. McNutt led her team with 10 assists as a setter and Katelynn Caulley added 6 more assists. Jade Hayes and Oyervides each had 1 assist.

Defensively, Jade Hayes, a freshman, showed her strength as she led her team with 15 digs. Senior Libero Taylor Quirk contributed 13 digs followed by Miyanna Hayes with 5 digs, Oyervides with 4 digs and Caulley with 3 digs. Smith, McNutt, and Campbell each added 2 digs and Lowry had 1 dig. Jade Hayes also had 2 total blocks, 1 solo, and sister Miyanna had a block assist. Coach Brenner selected Jade Hayes as the Eagle Player of the Match for her outstanding digging in the back row.

Monroe Extends Eagle Scoreless Woes

The home Monroe Dragons didn't take long to send the visiting McKenzie Eagles to an early dinner in nearby Junction City. The Dragons easily defeated the Eagles in three straight sets, 25-15, 25-7, and 25-10. With the 3-0 victory, Monroe also extended McKenzie's win-less set streak to 13 sets.

The Dragon's crushing victory was the Eagle's low point of the early season evidenced by McKenzie earning just 10 kills as a team in the match. Freshmen Middle Blockers Kanyen Kamrath and Jade Hayes led their team with 4 kills apiece. Anna McNutt and Savannah Oyervides each added 1 kill. McNutt was tops on her team with 4 assists, Katelynn Caulley had 2 assists and Jade Hayes added 1 assist.

Defensively, Taylor Quirk was tabbed for 10 digs, Jade and Miyanna Hayes for 8 digs each, McNutt had 5 digs, Oyervides added 4 digs, Caulley finished with 2 digs and Chelsie Smith, Kamrath, and Chloe Erdahl each had 1 dig. Miyanna Hayes, tough at the net, had 4 blocks, two of which were solo. Sister teammate Jade, added 3 blocks, including 1 solo and Lowry had a block assist. McKenzie Head Coach Dan Brenner selected Kanyen Kamrath as the McKenzie Player of the Match for her solid start in a new position.

The Eagle's Junior Varsity team won the first set over the Dragons, 25-14, but lost the following two sets, 26-28, and 9-15. Earlier in the season the Eagle JV team defeated the Mapleton Sailors in two sets, 25-23 and 25-14.

Streak Snapped! McKenzie Girls Grit-Out Gilchrist 3-2

You might not have heard it, but a dubious streak snapped followed by a loud Eagle sigh of relief Friday afternoon in Gilchrist when the Eagle Varsity Volleyball team won its first set in 16 attempts. McKenzie traveled to Central Oregon with intent to play, and win, and play the Eagles did. But two sets into the match and on the brink of another defeat, McKenzie looked (and listened) to their junior captain Miyanna Hayes, "cut down on mistakes and followed (her) lead," according to McKenzie Head Coach Dan Brenner.

The hard fought opening set ended with the Eagles losing 20-25 and the second set, a ferocious battle as well, finished with the Finn Rock visitors losing 27-29. The streak (or slump if you prefer) had extended to 15 sets. But as Yogi Berra used to proclaim, "It ain't over 'til it’s over," and the Eagles, led by Hayes' leadership, rebounded with a 25-23 third set win. Buoyed with new momentum, McKenzie downed the Grizzlies in the fourth set, 25-12, and captured the fifth and deciding set 15-12 to claim the non-League match victory.

"Miyanna ran our huddles third through fifth set,....That was her best match as a leader," Coach Dan Brenner shared. "And I think we finally have this rotation thing licked."

Eagle Libero Taylor Quirk had a defensive save that helped preserve the final set win, noted McKenzie Assistant Coach Mary Lipp.

Hayes had a monster game, leading by example with 8 kills, 5 service aces, and 2 assists offensively while also leading the defensive effort with 35 digs and 8 total blocks (1 solo). Hayes' inspired play motivated her young team.

"They  reacted,  corrected  mistakes, played with caution, served well aggressively, cheered and screamed," reflected Coach Bren-ner. "It was a true volleyball team effort including the bench."

Hayes was honored by the McKenzie Coaching Staff with the Eagle Player of the Match for her leading huddles, motivation, and playing with intensity and purpose.

Offensively, the Eagles were dynamite at the serving line. As a team McKenzie finished with 22 service aces. Jade Hayes contributed 7 kills and 3 aces. Savannah Oyervides added 6 kills and 4 aces, Kanyen Kamrath had 5 kills and 3 aces, and Chelsie Smith led McKenzie with 6 aces while adding 2 kills. Katelynn Caulley, Taylor Quirk, and Anna McNutt each had a kill and McNutt also had 1 ace. McNutt led her team with 18 assists, Caulley added 3 assists and Smith, Quirk, and Kamrath each had 1 assist.

Defensively, the Eagles had five players with double figures in dig stats. Following Miyanna Hayes, Kamrath also had an outstanding defensive effort with 20 digs, Quirk finished with 19 digs, Oyervides with 15 more, and Jade Hayes ended the match with 13 digs. McNutt added 8 digs, Smith finished with 5, and Caulley had 1 dig. Jade Hayes also had 2 total blocks, 1 solo, while Kamrath and Oyervides each added a block assist. McKenzie's Junior Varsity team defeated Gilchrist in two matches by scores of 25-20 and 25-16.

Eagles Experience Grizzly Attack

McKenzie's Varsity Football team might have figured things don't get worse than a wolf attack. That might be true, unless you stumble onto and irritate a hungry griz'. And that's never proven out to be advantageous. The Eagles did stumble, irritate and were, well, devoured unceremoniously.

Host Gilchrist punished visiting McKenzie with a 92-6 point eight-man football thrashing, the worst defeat in the Eagle's storied history. Worse yet, the rout came just one week following the devastating 85-6 loss to Days Creek. At least, Days Creek is a team returning speed, skill, a fast scoring offense and an improved defense. Gilchrist, on the other hand, is a relatively young team with just two seniors, and is coming off a 3-5 and 2014 last place Special District 2 season.

Currently, McKenzie's defense has given up 177 total points in its two games thus far this year, more than any other football team in all the six OSAA State Football classifications. And don't blink, but look who’s coming to dinner next. The Lowell Red Devils roll into Finn Rock this coming Friday. Out of the frying pan and into the fire?!

Many have the Red Devils playing a strong suit for the State Championship this season. The non-League game last Friday was essentially over in the first quarter as Gilchrist held a commanding 44-0 lead and at halftime led 70-0. With the 45-point mercy rule in place throughout the rest of the game, the Grizzlies scored 14 more points in the third and finished with 8 additional points in the final quarter.

McKenzie's Chance Hamlow put 6 points on the board for the Eagle's lone touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Hamlow led his team with 135 yards rushing on 16 carries and running back Kevin McCarrick added 21 yards on 9 carries. Drew Hamlow rushed twice for minus 12 yards, Austin Van Curler carried 5 times for no net yards and Danny Quirk rushed 3 times for minus 13 yards. Drew Hamlow also caught 2 passes for 52 yards. (No other passing stats were available). Chanse Hamlow returned 8 Grizzley kickoffs for 92 yards, Quirk had 3 kickoff returns for 27 yards and James Rimmer had 2 kickoff return yards.

Defensively for the Eagles, Chanse Hamlow led his team with 6 total tackles, 5 of which were solo, Malakai Taylor-Ide had 6 total tackles (3 solo with 1 tackle for a loss), McCarrick had 4 total tackles (1solo), Cassidy Bergen added 2 tackles (1 solo), and Rimmer, Quirk, and Van Curler each had 1 tackle. McKenzie Head Coach Neil Barrett tabbed Rimmer as the McKenzie Overall Player of the Game. Coach Barrett also named Chanse Hamlow as the McKenzie Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Game and Taylor-Ide as the Eagle's Defensive Player of the Game.

Mt. West League Update

Siletz Valley,  McKenzie's  Varsity Volleyball opponent on Tues-day, arrives in Finn Rock with a 2-1 overall record, with League wins over Alsea and Mapleton and a hard fought 5 set loss to Triangle Lake. The Triangle Lake Lakers lead the League, perfect at 4-0 (4-2 overall, 9th ranked). Alsea is 2-2 this season thus far with victories over Eddyville Charter and Mapleton and two losses to Siletz Valley (a five set defeat at Alsea) and Mapleton. McKenzie, entering the week of September 13, sits in fifth place in Mt. League standings, behind Triangle Lake, Lowell, Siletz Valley, and Alsea.

The Mt. West League opens with League Football play this week following a two game pre-season schedule. Lowell, the Eagle's opponent this week, arrives with a 1-1 overall record, having lost to Dufur, 6-58, while defeating Camas Valley, 40-24. Yoncalla (2-0) from the Mt. West League, defeated McKenzie's season opening opponent, Days Creek, last Saturday, by a score of 64-16. Mapleton (1-0) is the only other Mt. West League team to have a winning record starting the League schedule. Besides Lowell, Siletz Valley and North Douglas are the two other teams with 1-1 records. McKenzie, Triangle Lake, Falls City/Kings Valley Charter, Mohawk, and Alsea all currently stand at 0-2 on the season.