McKenzie Sports Report - October 31

McKenzie Varsity Sports Schedule This Week

The McKenzie Varsity Cross Country teams will participate in the Special District 4 Championships this Thursday, October 31, at Lane Community College. The Boys 2A/1A-SD4 Special District 5,000 meters race will start at 2:00 pm and the Girls 3A/2A/1A 5,000 meters race will begin at 2:45 pm.

The McKenzie 2024 Varsity Volleyball and Football Seasons have concluded. There are no volleyball or football scheduled contests.

The McKenzie School District will host its annual Fall Sports Banquet on Tuesday, November 12, at 5:30 pm in the District cafeteria. The event will recognize both High School and Middle School academics and athletics.

Meister, Weiss, and Dion Get Personal At Umpqua Invite

McKenzie junior Cross Country runner Will Meister set a new Personal Record 5,000 meters time last Wednesday, October 23, at the Umpqua Invite meet held at Stewart Park in Roseburg. Meister's PR time of 18:33.60 minutes was 11 seconds faster than his finish on October 3 at the Stayton/Regis Invitational. At Stewart Park, Meister finished 80th out of a field of 186 runners.

Benjamin Kehrein of Sheldon won the Boys 5,000 meters race with a finish time of 15:23.00 minutes, while holding off Carson Buergey of Thurston, who finished second in 15:29.10 min. North Eugene's Ashenafi finished the race in third with a time of 15:34.30 min. South Medford won the Boys team race with 70 points on the afternoon and Sheldon finished second with 90 points.

Heading into the SD 4 District Championships this Thursday at Lane Community College, Meister currently has posted the 12th fastest time this season in the SD 4 District. Curtis Heier of Illinois Valley holds the fastest SD 4 District time, 16:16.50 minutes, also posted at the Umpqua Invite.

McKenzie's freshman Claire Weiss led her Eagle teammates at the Umpqua Invite with a Personal Record 62nd place time of 22:34.50 minutes. Weiss improved her best time by nearly 2 minutes (previous PR: 24.30.40 min., Lebanon Open, Oct. 9) and seems to be peaking just right going into the SD 4 District Championships this week. Teammate, junior Myra Dion, is in the same boat, having set her own PR at the Umpqua Invite, finishing in 23:14.60 minutes, good for 77th place. Dion's previous best was 24:41.10 minutes at the September 27 Champs Invite, held in Lebanon. Zyla Drake finished 81st at the Umpqua Invite race, the Eagle freshman running her 5,000 meters race in 23:23.60 minutes.

There were 129 runners in the race, which was won by another freshman, Ella Henthorn of Coquille, who cruised the distance in 18:32.50 minutes. Sylvia Eckman of Roseburg finished second in a time of 18:36.50 min. The South Medford Girls team took home top honors on the day with 105 points earned and Pleasant Hill finished second with 131 points. Looking ahead to the 3A/2A/1A SD 4 District Championships, the Eagle's freshman runner Claire Weiss, has posted the 33rd best District time, Drake has the 45th and Dion is currently sitting at 46th.

Elks Trample Eagles, 32-13

Elkton Earns Last Post Season Berth

The Eagles traveled to the Land of the Umpqua, or one should say, the Home of the Elks. McKenzie was hunting for its second Special District 2 South Six-man football victory, but the hunters became the hunted.

Elkton, winless through seven contests this season, smelled first blood and then some, rolling up 32 straight points, before giving up 13 to their visitors. The Elks were led by senior captain Jordyn Nederhood, who scampered for 3 touchdowns on 112 yards gained in 8 rushing attempts (14 yards per carry average). Elkton teammate Devlin Harper toured the end-zone twice in the first quarter, scoring on runs of 61 and 25 yards, while amassing 136 yards rushing on 8 touches (17 yards per carry). Harper was a force on the other side of the ball too, leading his Elks teammates with 8 tackles, 1 sack, and an interception.

No Eagle stats were available at press time. McKenzie, coached by first year Head Coach Willy Kumle, fell to 1-5 in League play and 2-6 overall. With the victory, Elkton improved to 1-5, 1-7, and a tie with the Eagles for sixth place in the South Division.

Just as important, however, the last post-season berth went with the victor of this game. There were six berths available for both the Special District 2 North and South Leagues, respectively. The SD 2 North has six teams, thus all qualified for the playoffs. The SD 2 South, which McKenzie is a member, however, has seven teams.

The Elks and the Eagles were playing for more than just a League victory, that is, the last SD 2 berth was on the line as well. Hometown pride means a lot in small rural America, and you can bet the Elkton faithful were celebrating last Friday night on the Umpqua. It might last but one night, but hey, you can dance as long as the music's still playing! So the Elks will head North on Friday, November 1, to share celebration mindsets with the Warriors of Siletz Valley.

That kickoff between the two sixth place teams will commence at 2:00 pm and we'll see whose dancing a couple of hours later. Crow, the fifth place SD 4 South team will load a bus on Friday and drift on up to C.S. Lewis Academy, who usually holds six-man football events at George Fox University. That playoff game between the Cougars and the Watchmen will kick off at 4:30 pm if you're in the neighborhood. The fourth place divisional teams, the Falls City Mountaineers will ride over the Cascades to Grizzly Country, as in Gilchrist. Expect the Grizzlies to show a cold shoulder, low temps should hover in the low 20s come the 7:00 pm game time.

The Alsea/Days Creek, 3rd place hookup, features Wolverines and Wolves respectively. And you can bet there will be a ton of snarling and biting going on down at Days Creek on Saturday, November 2, 1:00 pm. Days Creek's football field is unique in that it is set down in a bowl next to the Creek and you can bet the howling will be loud from both of these proud schools. Second place playoffs will feature a couple of Lakes, one East of the Cascades, the other West. That feature in itself is usually good for conversation but this game, 3:30 Saturday on the East side, will be one to watch.

The North Lake Cowboys, ranked 5th in the State with a 4-1, 6-1 record will be ready to drain the hopes and dreams of the Triangle Lake Lakers, who roll into Silver Lake town with an equally fine 4-1, 5-2, 8th ranked bragging right. But, you've got to consider when you place your bet, that the Cowboys have been averaging 56.5 points scored per game while holding their opponents to about 18.5 pts. And oh by the way, North Lake's lone loss came at the pleasure, one sided, by the Powers Cruisers, second ranked six-man team in the State with a perfect 8-0 record, who laid an old fashioned 66-19 whooping on the high scoring Cowboys back in September.

Speaking of Cruisers cruising, Powers will entertain the 3rd ranked, also undefeated 8-0 team, the Eddyville Charter Eagles. The game of the weekend will kickoff in Powers at 6:00 pm and it might be well worth a trip to the Southwest corner of the State for this clash.

These are the situations that rural folks talk about for many years following, but rest assured, both of these teams plan to make a big dent in the 2024 OSAA State 1A Six-man Football Championships that will begin First Round play on November 8-9. Maybe if you choose the Southern rode trip Saturday, you can be one of those that say you were there for the show!

Siletz Valley Bus Accident/Forfeit Closes Regular Volleyball Season

The final regular season Mt. West League Volleyball match between the visiting Siletz Valley Warriors and host McKenzie, finished on an unexpected and some might say, dramatic finish. And it didn't take place on the court.

Fortunately, and thankfully, the visiting Warriors were all safe, if not a bit shaken, following a vehicular accident involving the Siletz Valley bus, while on its travel upriver to the match. McKenzie sent a bus to the rescue and delivered the visiting Warriors to Finn Rock, but the season finale was forfeited by Siletz Valley, due to the circumstances and direction from the OSAA State Volleyball Director.

The Warriors were delivered home by Bethel School District, which sent a bus up to Finn Rock to pick up the 9 athletes and their coaches.

McKenzie finished the Regular Mt. West League 2024 season with a 1-15 record, 2-17 overall, last in the MWL standings and an OSAA State ranking of 73rd out of 73 Class 1A teams. Siletz Valley finished its season 4-12, 4-13, 7th out of 9 MWL teams and a final ranking of 63rd. Neither team qualified for post-season action.

Triangle Lake Wins MWL Volleyball Title

The Triangle Lake Lakers outright won the 2024 Mt. West League Volleyball League Championship with a 14-2 regular season record. The Lakers two MWL losses were provided courtesy of Eddyville Charter, 1-3, there, on September 12, and at Alsea on October 8, also a 1-3 defeat. The 23rd OSAA ranked Lakers sealed the deal with a 3-0 defeat over second place Mohawk 13-3, 15-11, at the Mt. West League Volleyball Tournament held at Junction City High School on Saturday, October 26.

The Lakers earned the top MWL seed to the 2024 OSAA State First Round playoffs beginning on Wednesday, October 30. Mohawk defeated Alsea, 3-1, on Saturday, to advance to the MWL Championship match with the Lakers and will represent the League as a second seed. Alsea upended Eddyville Charter, 3-0, to earn the match opportunity with Mohawk and will move on to the First Round as the third MWL seed. Triangle Lake will host South Wasco County in their First Round match at 6:30 pm on Wednesday.

The Big Sky League Redsides of SWC travel West with a 12-1, 21-10, record. South Wasco County is the third seed out of the Big Sky. Mohawk travels East to Union where the Mustangs will tangle with the Old Oregon League's second seeded Bobcats. Union has posted a 9-1 OOL record and a 20-7 overall record, which has earned the Bobcats an OSAA State 3rd ranking. You can bet the Mustangs will have their hands full of Bobcats on Wednesday, first serve set for 6:00 pm.

And then enter the Wolverines of Alsea, who will be the featured guests of the Umpqua Valley Christian Monarchs on Wednesday, match time yet to be decided. The Monarchs, are the second ranked Class 1A team in the State this season, impressively winning their Skyline League with a 10-1 record and notching a 21-5 overall record. UVC has always been a good host to its visiting rivals.

Don't expect to see anything but a good ole fashioned thrashing, however, in the spirit of the occasion. The Monarchs’ school lies in the shadows of Roseburg, and the teams down South know how to celebrate a good victory. The Wolverines of Alsea better have their best fight on and you can bet the Head Coach Ricki Hendrix will have her team ready for the challenge. The Hendrix family residing in the Valley of the Wolverine has been associated with many a fine Alsea athletic season.

Mady Groggins And Grace Weiss

Earn Mt. West League Honors

Eagle juniors Mady Groggins and Grace Weiss both were honored by the Mt. West League Coaches with selection to the 2024 Mt. West League Honorable Mention Volleyball All League team. MWL All League team honors were announced at the 2024 Mt. West League Championship Tournament last Saturday held at Junction City High School.