LOGGERS SWEEP RUMBLE NAILBITERS

Paul Isom's free throw with nine seconds left broke a 46-all tie as the Knappa Loggers held off a strong Warrenton challenge to defeat the Warriors 47-46 in the season opener for both teams.

Earlier in the night, Knappa's Meagan Harn hit a free throw with one second remaining to give the Lady Loggers a 50-49 victory over Warrenton.

In the girls contest, Knappa stormed to a 23-7 lead, holding Warrenton scoreless for the first six minutes of both the first and second quarters. The Lady Warriors closed out the first half with a 10-0 run to close the gap to 23-17.

Knappa led 36-30 going into the final quarter, but freshman point guard Jordyn Holt keyed a Warrenton comeback with ten of her team-high 13 points in the final period. A 3-point shot by Amber Hackwith and a Holt basket gave the Warriors their first lead of the night at 41-40. The lead changed hands six times over the final few minutes until Knappa opened up a 49-45 lead.

Forced to foul and put the Loggers on the line, Warrenton capitalized on missed free throws to score four straight points in the final minute, capped by a driving Holt layup to even the score at 49 with five seconds left. Unfortunately, the Warriors forgot to change their strategy and Hackwith fouled Harn on a reach-in in backcourt with one second left. After missing four straight free throws, the 5-2 senior calmly sank the first of two to provide the winning margin, giving her a career high 13 points on the night. Fellow senior backcourt mate Kirsty Coghill added 13 for Knappa.

The boys game also came down to a late free throw, but it was Warrenton which led much of the way.

Warrenton had the tempo in its favor in the first half and was able to crisply execute its offense, while Knappa struggled with a new offensive approach that may not carry over into the second week of the season.

"It looked absolutely horrible and we're scrapping it," said Knappa head coach Craig Cokley. "We messed with it this summer and it looked pretty good and we thought it had some real possibilities so we spent some time with it. Oh, man! Total disaster."

Warrenton got a steal off the opening tip and scored on its first two possessions on a basket by Kevin Moore and a 3-pointer from Michael Davis. The Loggers recovered to tie the game at nine at the end of one period, but trailed 28-23 at the half and watched as Warrenton scored the first six points of the third quarter to take its largest lead at 34-23.

Knappa was able to sort out its offensive woes, while putting the defensive clamps on Warrenton leading scorer Eric Gantenbein, who torched the Loggers for 14 first half points, but was held scoreless over the final two periods.

"The second half we went to more of a 5-man motion offense and were able to get some isolations in the post. We got Jesse Moreland the ball down inside a few times where he could use his length and ability to score.

"We're just gonna kind of go back to some of the offenses that we've run in the past that have been good for us because, quite frankly, our post players are better than I anticipated they would be."

Moreland, a 6-5 sophomore making his varsity debut, scored 12 points in the game and helped spur Knappa's third quarter comeback with six points in the quarter as the Loggers closed the period with a 13-4 run to close within 38-36 entering the final eight minutes.

Warrenton's Jordan Little hit both ends of a 1-and-1 at the line to tie the game at 46 with just under a minute to play after Warrenton took possession on a Knappa turnover. Ryan Isom, who scored a team-high 13 points for Knappa, was whistled for travelling as the Loggers tried to run their delay offense with a two point lead.

With just under a minute remaining, Knappa played for the final shot, with senior point guard Paul Isom drawing a 2-shot foul with nine seconds left. Isom hit the first free throw and missed the second, but junior post Gary Aho crashed the boards and secured the rebound as the Loggers scrambled to play keepaway and run out the clock with Warrenton desperately trying to foul.

On the rebound, Warrenton guard Ryan Lampi went down on the baseline with an apparent ankle injury. Play was stopped with one second on the clock, until Lampi was able to walk off the court. The Loggers successfully inbounded the ball and ran out the remaining second to seal the victory.

The Loggers converted their first six free throws before going 3-for-8 at the line in the final period. Isom finished with six points, a team high nine rebounds and three assists.

"We've gotten better, but we need to get a lot better," said Cokley of his team's free throw shooting. "We didn't get blanked when we needed to have at least one and that's an important step."

Despite the disappointing loss, it was a solid debut for Warrenton and first-year head coach Josh Jannusch, whose team shot 40-percent from the field, connected on 8-of-10 at the line and only turned the ball over ten times.

"I was real impressed with their first night's showing," said Jannusch, "especially coming back when we didn't get a jamboree.

"I was real impressed with the guys' intensity and overall understanding of what was going on. Especially with me coming in this year, we did a few wrinkles and changes and all the guys just picked right up on it and they ran it well.

"We just have to look at a few places and improve in little areas, which is a lot better than improving on a lot of big areas."

Senior post Michael O'Casey came off the bench to score ten points and grab nine reboudns for the Warriors, who host Naselle Friday night, while the Warrenton girls travel to play the Comets at Patterson gymnasium.

Knappa's boys are off until Tuesday night's OSAA Endowment doubleheader at Astoria, starting with the girls game at 6:30 p.m. KAST 1370 AM will broadcast the games, beginning with pregame coverage at 6:15 p.m. The Knappa girls have rescheduled Monday's snowed out game with Ilwaco for Saturday night, with the J.V. game starting at 6:00 p.m.

GIRLS
WARRENTON (0-1) 5 12 13 19--49
Ju. Marxer 2, Ogren 6, Jo. Marxer 4, Holt 13, A. Dove, Hayward 8, Neahring 9, Wilkins 2, Hackwith 5.
KNAPPA (1-0) 10 13 13 14--50
Harn 13, Nichols 6, Coghill 13, Barendse, Schuyler 7, Kaul 7, Dugan 2, Cameron 2, Cokley, Oja, West, Van Gundy.
FIELD GOALS-WAR: 20-50-40%, KNA: 20-55-36%
FREE THROWS-WAR: 8-30-27%, KNA: 6-29-35%
3-PT FG'S-WAR: 1-6-17%, KNA: 1-10-10%
REBOUNDS-WAR: 41 (Hayward, Dove 8), KNA: 31 (Schuyler 8)
TURNOVERS-WAR: 36, KNA: 28

BOYS
WARRENTON (0-1) 9 19 10 8--46
Davis 5, Gantenbein 14, Garcia, Moore 4, Little 8, O'Casey 10, Lampi 5, Aira.
KNAPPA (1-0) 9 14 12 12--47
R. Isom 13, P. Isom 6, Aho 6, Bokor 2, Riffe 8, Moreland 12, Fry.
FIELD GOALS-WAR: 17-43-40%, KNA: 17-46-37%
FREE THROWS-WAR: 8-10-80%, KNA: 9-14-64%
3-PT FG'S-WAR: 4-10-40%, KNA: 4-20-20%
REBOUNDS-WAR: 23 (O'Casey 9), KNA: 25 (P. Isom 9)
TURNOVERS-WAR: 10, KNA: 10

WINTER PREVIEW-Warrenton Girls Basketball

LEAGUE: Lewis & Clark League (3A)
The new 3A league will be stronger in girls basketball than boys, with O.E.S. and Catlin Gabel both competing for the top spot with Rainier. Warrenton and Neah-Kah-Nie were competitively fairly even last year and should remain so. Vernonia has one of the league's top athletes in Joreigh Landers, but her supporting cast is shaky. Portland Adventist is usually not a postseason factor. The league is solid top to bottom and fairly strong up top with Rainier a clear favorite.

HEAD COACH: John Mattila (11th year, 181-81)
ASST COACH: Jason Elliott (JV), Stephanie Claterbos (C team), Allison Richards (vol. asst.)
The only change here is in Richards' last name (nee Mattila).

2005 RECORD:11-15 (6-8 NWL West Division 3rd tie)
LAST PLAYOFFS: lost at De La Salle 51-31 in league playoffs
LAST LEAGUE TITLE: West champs in '02, NWL champs in '93
CURRENT COLLEGE/PRO ATHLETES:DeeDee Arnall (Pacific U. graduate, training for U.S. Olympic trials in javelin)
KEY GRAUDUATES/LOSSES:Whitney Johnson, Olivia Newbold (both 4-year varsity, 3-year starters)
RETURNING ALL-STARS: none
Newbold was a workhorse inside, but never developed into an offensive threat. Johnson developed into an opportunistic defender by her senior year and was one of the Warriors' only outside scoring threats.

RETURNING STARTERS: Lesleann Hayward (W/P, 5-8, SR), Audrey Dove (P, 5-7, SR), Jordane Marxer (PG, 5-7, SO)
RETURNING LETTERMEN: 12
OTHER KEY RETURNEES: Emily Ogren (P, 5-9, SR), Chelsea Neahring (P, 5-7, JR), Justine Marxer (G, 5-4, SR), Amber Hackwith (W/P, 5-8, SR)
Despite the loss of two longtime contributor, the Warriors should show significant improvement this season. With a glut of post players and some emerging talent in the backcourt, this could be Warrenton best shot at a state berth in four years. Hayward is the most experienced returner. Not the most fluid player, Hayward is blessed with explosive athletic ability and ably answered the call to bring the ball upcourt last year when the Warriors struggled with ballhandling, despite being better suited to playing in the middle. Hayward is a reluctant shooter, who must be more aggressive offensively for the Warriors to be successful. Although nobody on the team is taller than 5-9, the Warriors are loaded with capable post players. Dove is a strong rebounder and Ogren has the wingspan and anticipation to be a top interior defender. Neahring is ferocious on the boards, but has to avoid silly fouls. Hackwith has the strength to play in low, but was used mainly as a 3-point bomber in a zone busting or late-game comeback role. Jordane Marxer was thrown to the lions by necessity last season, when she could have used a year of J.V. seasoning. This year, she is bigger and stronger and should give the Warriors a little more offensive production. Older sister Justine is best suited to a backup role, but will rotate with Pam Wilkins (W, 5-6, SR) at off guard until some younger players sort out personal issues. Justine will also back up Jordane at point. Katie McBride (P, 5-8, SR) gives the Warriors some depth in the post and is longer than she is tall. An effort player, she is selfless to a fault.

KEY NEWCOMERS:Jordyn Holt (G, 5-3, FR)
TEAM STRENGTHS: very good depth through the program
TEAM WEAKNESSES: scoring, good athletes but few pure basketball players
TOP NWL CONTENDERS:RAINIER, Oregon Episcopal, Catlin Gabel
TOP 3A CONTENDERS: BURNS, Rainier, Myrtle Point, Harrisburg
TOP L&C PLAYERS:HEIDI JACKSON (RAI), Mollee Schwegler (Rai), Megan Benson (Rai), Tia McCormick (NKN), Joreigh Landers (Ver)
TOP 3A PLAYERS:JESSICA CLEMENS (BURNS), Jackson (Rai)
PROJECTED FINISH: should contend for top three, state berth
The Warriors have 35 girls out for basketball and have 20 legitimate players who could contribute on varsity, including three quality freshman guards. Holt is the most advanced and may be the quickest player Mattila has coached, which will allow her to defend at a varsity-caliber level, a necessity to get any playing time. The Warriors have two other sophomores sorting out personal health issues that could be major contributors before the season is out. This team is fairly well stocked with athletes, but the big question is who will score? A go-to scorer has yet to emerge. Expect some more low-scoring, defensive games for the time being as Warrenton sorts out player rotations and evaluates talent. This team is good enough to compete at a high level in this league if it can find ways to put the ball in the hole other than offensive rebounds and in transition.

WINTER PREVIEW-Knappa Boys Basketball

LEAGUE: Northwest League (2A)
Realignment has done the Loggers few favors. Gone are perennial patsies Vernonia and Neah-Kah-Nie along with a talent-sapped Warrenton team. Riverdale will scare nobody this year, but the Mavericks opted to play up a level at 3A. Portland Adventist is now playing at 3A, but the Cougars are not the scary force they've been in years past. Portland Christian is very scary, but the Royals are obviously focused on championships and elected to stay at 2A when many of their coaches (and most other 2A coaches in the state) would have rather stepped up a level. PC will begin the season ranked number one and Portland Lutheran, which actually has a 1A level enrollment, returns a strong nucleus of talent. De La Salle will also contend for a state tournament berth with Corbett also bringing back a competitive team. Of the newcomers, Nestucca is the most likely to compete with the upper division. This has become a stronger league in boys basketball.

HEAD COACH: Craig Cokley (13th year, 200-112)
ASST COACH: Dana Ferguson (JV), Bryan Lempea, Will Isom
Recent graduate Will Isom joins the bench this year to help coach his younger brothers. Cokley is as upbeat about his team's prospects has he has been in the last five years, but the Loggers will have a challenge to get out of their league playoffs to state.

2005 RECORD:12-16 (6-8 NWL West Division 3rd)
LAST PLAYOFFS: lost to Clatskanie 76-50 in winner-to-state league playoff
LAST LEAGUE TITLE: West champs in '05, NWL champs in '99
CURRENT COLLEGE/PRO ATHLETES:Brian Jackson (NBDL Arkansas Rimrockers), Derek Jacobson (OIT baseball, FR)
KEY GRAUDUATES/LOSSES:Curtis Olds (1st-team NWL), Sean Ferguson (both players 4-year varsity)
RETURNING ALL-STARS: none
Olds and Ferguson both started games as freshman and have made considerable contributions for four years. Also gone is senior guard Brian Anderson, who transferred to Astoria. Anderson, whose career has been plagued by knee injuries, has started in parts of two seasons, but may have come off the bench had he stayed. He will be lucky to see much of the floor in Astoria's deep backcourt

RETURNING STARTERS: Brian Riffe (G, SR), Ryan Isom (G, SR), Steven Bokor (P, 6-1, SR), Gary Aho (P/W, 6-0, JR), Nate West (P, 6-2, JR),
RETURNING LETTERMEN: 6
OTHER KEY RETURNEES: Paul Isom (PG, SR)
The Loggers will try to make the extra step back into the state playoffs with an experienced core of returning players, five of whom started at one time or another. Brian Riffe and Steven Bokor are the most experienced returners. Riffe, an aggressive slashing guard, has improved his outside shot enough to get the green light to fire away when open. Ryan Isom, a deadly 3-point shooter, always has the green light on. Brother Paul Isom will take over the point guard position after showing strong ballhandling and decisionmaking during the Loggers' typically rigorous summer regimen. Steven Bokor, who missed a chunk of last season with academic difficulties, combines with Gary Aho, who also lost a string of games to injury, giving the Loggers a pair of agile, versatile post players. Nate West is a strong 6-2 with an improving shooting stroke and gave the Loggers valuable muscle in the middle after being called up from the J.V. team last year. With some valuable depth in the post, Aho will move to the wing on occasion.

KEY NEWCOMERS:Jesse Moreland (P/W, 6-5, SO)
TEAM STRENGTHS: physically stronger, ability to score, experienced
TEAM WEAKNESSES: free throw shooting
TOP NWL CONTENDERS:PORTLAND CHRISTIAN
TOP 2A CONTENDERS: PORTLAND CHRISTIAN
TOP NWL PLAYERS:ELIJAH MONNES (PC), Daniel Crofoot and Jesse Severson (PC), Matt Dressler, Scotty Burris and Cody Stiller (PLS), Bruce Farrell (DLS)
TOP 2A PLAYERS:MONNES, Daniel Martin (Western Mennonite)
PROJECTED FINISH: strong team will have to contend with tough district
You know this team will compete every night against whatever competition comes its way. That never changes. The changing face of the Northwest League means that rural Knappa will still have to contend with urban private powers Portland Christian, De La Salle and Portland Lutheran and now adds suburban Faith Bible of Hillsboro to the mix. Nestucca will, more than likely, have something to say come playoff time and Corbett will be in contention. This Logger team can run, defend, shoot and rebound, but are they deep and talented enough to crack the top three in the league? Keep an eye on Moreland. At 6-5, he has the ball skills to play on the wing and has his sights set on playing after high school. His emergence could be a wild card in determining Knappa's fate.
COACH COKLEY SAYS: "I think we're going to have a nice team if we continue to improve defensively. But, we'll be fortunate to to get out of our district and whoever gets out of our district as a number two or three, I would imagine would bode pretty well in the crossover stuff."

"If we can win half of our games in the non-league, that's usually a pretty good sign for league play."

WINTER PREVIEW-Seaside Boys Basketball

LEAGUE: Cowapa League (4A)
Realignment has made the Cowapa League perhaps the toughest 4A boys basketball league in Oregon this season. Gone is Rainier, which was completely overmatched all season and in comes Yamhill-Carlton, ranked number one in the first 4A coaches poll. The Tigers, led by 6-5 wing Zach Anderson and 6-8 post Jake Williams are certainly no lock to take the league title, with Scappoose returning most of its key players and Astoria and Tillamook looking to contend up top. The Seagulls could be the most improved team in the league, but it may not mean much in the standings.

HEAD COACH: Bill Westerholm (9th year, 77-118)
ASST COACH: Jim Poetsch (varsity asst.), Brian Taylor (JC), Wally Hamer (frosh)
Former athletic director and girls assistant Wally Hamer, lately the commissioner of North Coast Basketball Officials, returns to the bench to help veteran coach Westerholm and assistant Poetsch. Former standout Brian Taylor joins the staff as JV coach as Jason Boyd concentrates on administrative duties.

2005 RECORD: 3-21 (2-8 Cowapa League)
LAST PLAYOFFS: 2005
LAST LEAGUE TITLE: ?
CURRENT COLLEGE/PRO ATHLETES:Matt Hendryx (Pacific baseball, SR), Nate Pogue (Trinity Western soccer, SO)
KEY GRAUDUATES/LOSSES:Sean Hamer, Joel Bletscher
RETURNING ALL-STARS: Ed Kauffunger (W, 6-5, JR-hon. mention all-Cowapa)
Kaffunger appeared ready to take his game to another level this summer, showing a more consistent jump shot and the ability and willingness to take over games on both ends. Now in his third varsity year, Kauffunger isn't always the smoothest player and shoots a flat jumper, but with his height and a lefty fadeaway release it is difficult to defend. He always puts out the effort on the defensive end and is one of the league's better shot blockers, but must avoid silly fouls.

RETURNING STARTERS: 4
RETURNING LETTERMEN: 11
OTHER KEY RETURNEES: Kai Watts (P, 6-4, SR), Dennis Olstedt (P,k 6-1, SR), Matt Peinhardt (P, 6-3, JR), Damian Olivar (G, 5-11, JR), Dominick Walker (G, 5-10, JR)
Last year Seaside suffered the residual effects of heavy graduation losses, going from one of Westerholm's best teams in 2005 (14-10 record, second place league finish, state playoff appearance) to one of his worst. The fact is, several players were forced into action that would have been better served with another year of junior varsity. Now those sophomores are a year older and more mature and hopefully better-served by the experience. There are no questions about this team's athletic ability. Olstedt is one of the top athletes in the state at the 4A level. Unfortunately, basketball is not his specialty, but he uses his quickness and wingspan well on defense and is inch-for-inch the best rebounder in the league. Don't expect a lot of scoring in the offensive flow from Dennis, but he will get his share of points off offensive rebounds and garbage plays. Watts gives the Gulls the physical presence they will need in a league where Y-C, Scappoose and Tillamook will all have 6-5 and above post players. Peinhardt is a rapidly improving player, who gives the Gulls another strong rebounder. Olivar and Walker are similar quick, athletic guards who were thrown to the fray prematurely last year, but should be solid contributors this season. Little Donnie Strite, a junior point guard, is a team and fan favorite who is about the most unlikeliest looking basketball player you will see, but gets the job done. He's finally healthy after a horrific injury suffered two summers ago at a basketball tournament and will see plenty of time in a deep guard rotation that will also include junior Chris Senick, who played primarily JV ball in '05-06. Senior Alec Carlson gives the Gulls another long, athletic wing player to complement Carlson and 6-2 senior Mitch DeGandi is a long-range shooting specialist.

KEY NEWCOMERS: Jeremy Carow (G, So.), Kyle Truax (F, Sr.)
TEAM STRENGTHS: good speed, a fair amount of height, lots of opportunities to play
TEAM WEAKNESSES: outside shooting, point guard
TOP COWAPA CONTENDERS:ASTORIA, Scappoose, Yamhill-Carlton
TOP 4A CONTENDERS: MARIST
TOP COWAPA PLAYERS:ZACH ANDERSON (Y-C), Justin Engstrom (Sca), Andy Murray (Ast), Nick Alfonse (Ast), Buster Hartford (Til), Jake Williams (Y-C), Wes Powers (Sca)
PROJECTED FINISH: much-improved but still an outsider in the playoff race
Last year there was a clear dividing line between the top half of the 6-team Cowapa League (Astoria, Scappoose, Tillamook) and the bottom half (Banks, Seaside, Rainier). This year's league is much more competitive top to bottom and that includes the Seagulls. Expect much more competitive games this year and some more wins, but the the upper reaches of the league will be tough to crack, especially with Yamhill-Carlton joining the Cowapa. The Gulls certainly have the manpower to give the top teams in the league a game and an upset is not out of the question, but a third place finish would be an extraordinary achievement.
COACH WESTERHOLM SAYS:"We've got 10 to 12 kids that can come on the floor and make things happen. It's nice to have all of the returners that we have this year. They got a year under their belt. That one year of varsity experience may pay dividends for us this year."

"Everybody had their fair share of time to see if they could make something work last year and finally by the end of the year we were competing pretty well with teams that made it to the playoffs last year. We were competing with them in games down the stretch. We just didn't have the manpower or experience to get things done. We really believe that this year we have guys that can make a difference."

WINTER PREVIEW-Seaside Girls Basketball

LEAGUE: Cowapa League (4A)
The league loses Rainier, which stayed at the 3A level and joined former Northwest and West Valley League teams in the newly-formed Lewis & Clark League where they will be a favorite. Yamhill-Carlton switches from the Valco League to the Cowapa League after a 3-20 season including an 0-5 record against Cowapa competition. Slightly less travel for the Gulls and considerably less competition.

HEAD COACH: Mike Jacobson (2nd yr, 17-11, 8th year overall, 133-62)
ASST COACH: Lindsay Robison (JV), Jennifer Glasson (JVA), Nikki Gascoigne (vol. asst.)
The Seagulls responded well to Jacobson's fast-paced, aggressive style--developed over a successful 6-year run at Knappa--to reach the second round of the state playoffs in 2005-06. The staff returns intact this season, but so do the top teams in the Cowapa League, while the Seagulls must make up for the loss of talented twins Brenna and Jenna Archibald.

2005 RECORD: 17-11 (6-4 Cowapa League 3rd)
LAST PLAYOFFS: lost at Douglas 63-42 in state 2nd round
LAST LEAGUE TITLE: 2000
LAST MISSED STATE TOURNAMENT: 2005
CURRENT COLLEGE/PRO ATHLETES:Jenna Archibald (Pacific volleyball/basketball), Brenna Archibald (Pacific Lutheran volleyball), Stephanie Chesnut (George Fox soccer)
KEY GRAUDUATES/LOSSES:Archibalds, Chesnut, Ellie Warmbrodt
RETURNING ALL-STARS: none
Jenna and Brenna Archibald have been matchup nightmares for the rest of the Cowapa League for three years with their size and athleticism and ability to play in the post and score from the outside and in transition. The impact of their loss will be most felt on the interior, where the Gulls will be somewhat thin and experienced, especially following the knee injury to returning senior Becca Weaver that will keep her out until at least mid-January if not the entire season.

RETURNING STARTERS: Ashley Mayfield (PG, So.), Marla Olstedt (W, Jr.)
RETURNING LETTERMEN: 8
OTHER KEY RETURNEES: Lynzee Johnson (PG/W, Sr.), Tessa Pfund (P, Sr.)
The Gulls will still be able to play the agressive, trapping defense that is a hallmark of Mike Jacobson coached teams, thanks to an athletic pair of experienced guards in the backcourt. Ashley Mayfield is one of the emerging athletic stars in the Cowapa League. Still just a sophomore, Mayfield was the district champion in cross country and played with poise beyond her years as a freshman starter in '05-06. Mayfield can handle and score, but is a tough defender with her energy and wingspan. Combined with athletic junior Marla Olstedt, the Gulls should net plenty of steals, with Olstedt setting a team record for thefts in her sophomore season. She can give the Gulls a little bit of everything, including 3-pointers, rebounds and a strong finisher on the break. Johnson is not nearly as athletic as Mayfield and Olstedt, but is a heady player with a good handle with an improved outside shot. In the post, Pfund will combine with fellow senior Megan Macomb (P, 5-10, SR) and a pair of sophomores. The Gulls lack proven scoring punch at this position, but Pfund has had her moments and Macomb is very athletic! Alix Richardson saw some limited action in the paint last year and fellow soph Megan Potter (5-10) had a breakthrough volleyball season.

KEY NEWCOMERS: Becca Lent (P, 5-8, So.), Ellie Wiese PG/W, So.), Ashley Stinnett (PG/W, Jr.), Randie Falleur (P/W, Jr.), Natasha Adams (P, Sr.)
TEAM STRENGTHS: guard play
TEAM WEAKNESSES: lack of post experience, especially if Weaver can't return
TOP COWAPA CONTENDERS:SCAPPOOSE, Tillamook
TOP 4A CONTENDERS: GLADSTONE, Stayton
TOP COWAPA PLAYERS:STEPHANIE BEELER (TIL), Katie Smith (Sca), Molly Frogge (Sca)
TOP 4A PLAYERS: COURTNEY KREMER (STAYTON)
PROJECTED FINISH: contend with Astoria for third place, state berth
Coach Jacobson bemoans his lack of quality depth, but the Seagulls backcourt tandem of Mayfield and Olstedt should drive the Gulls into state playoff contention for the second consecutive year. It will be difficult for Seaside to gain ground on Scappoose and Tillamook after losing the Archibald twins, but if Pfund can play with confidence and young post players Richardson and Potter show they are ready for extended varsity minutes, the Gulls should be able to contend for a higher spot in the league standings. Any more injuries or attrition could potentially be devastating and Seaside must play smart defensively without sacrificing effort to stay out of foul trouble. Astoria has improved, but has had difficulty matching up with Seaside. Look for the Gulls to hold their ground in what should be some good Cowapa League battles.
COACH JACOBSON SAYS:"Ashley is only a sophomore and Marla is a junior coming off her first full year of varsity. They'll be our strong suit offensively and defensively. They are going to be tough for teams to handle."

"We should be in the top three. I think us and Astoria will be right there in that third spot. I imagine Tillamook and Scappoose will be the top teams in the league."

SNOW FORCES OPENING DAY CANCELLATIONS

Snow in the Northwest has whited out the first day of the winter season in the Lower Columbia-Coastal region.

Tonight's scheduled jamborees at Astoria and Tillamook have been cancelled and tonight's season opening game between Ilwaco and Knappa's girls basketball teams has been postponed.

Keep checking in to the Last Dam Blog for preview articles, schedules, standings and game write-ups for teams in the Cowapa, Lewis & Clark, Northwest, Trico, Pacific 2B and Casco Leagues.

WINTER PREVIEW-Knappa Girls Basketball

LEAGUE: Northwest League (2A)
Founding NWL members Knappa and Corbett and longtime members Portland Christian and Portland Lutheran join junior member De La Salle in a new league that welcomes Gaston, Nestucca and Faith Bible from the West Valley League. Warrenton, Vernonia, Neah-Kah-Nie, Portland Adventist and Riverdale move up to the 3A Division. Neither league will be split into East and West Divisions as the old NWL was for basketball.

HEAD COACH: Chuck Hagland (1st year current, 9th year overall, )
ASST COACH: James Nichols (JV), Matt Robinson (frosh)
The Lady Loggers will have their third head coach in three years as Chuck Hagland takes over for Matt Robinson, who will remain on the bench in an assistant role. Hagland is no stranger to this program and no stranger to being an interim fix, as he begins his fourth separate stint as head coach of the girls team. Hagland has piloted powerful playoff teams and some less talented groups as well and should be a good steward to get the Lady Loggers through what could be a rough patch after significant graduation losses sapped the program of top talent.

2005 RECORD: 25-7 (13-1 NWL West Division 1st, 2nd in NWL, 4th in state)
LAST PLAYOFFS: 1-2 at state tournament, lost to Central Linn 38-36 in 3rd place final
LAST LEAGUE TITLE: 2003-finished 5th at state
LAST MISSED STATE TOURNAMENT: 2001
CURRENT COLLEGE/PRO ATHLETES:Tracie Nygaard (Jr., Willamette basketball), Nadra Evans (Fr., Lower Columbia basketball)
KEY GRAUDUATES/LOSSES:Evans (2005-06 Oregon 2A Player Of The Year, 3-yr 1st-team NWL, 4-yr starter), Ali Gertulla (3-yr starter), Kasha Klauser (3-yr starter)
RETURNING ALL-STARS: Kirsty Coghill (PG, 5-3, SR-hon. ment. all-NWL)
Coghill and fellow senior Rachele Schuyler (P, 5-9, SR) go from being complementary players to offensive focal points on a team lacking in varsity minutes. Both have three varsity years under their belts and have seen significant action in pressure situations at the state tournament. Coghill deferred to Evans when the going got tough in the playoffs. Now, she must be the one to bring the ball up against the top defensive teams. Schuyler is not the most fluid player and struggled with balance, particularly during the playoffs. Like everybody who has played for Knappa the past few years, she can run the floor well and has surprising range on her shot. Her improvement on offense could be a key to Knappa being competitive this year.

RETURNING STARTERS: 2
RETURNING LETTERMEN: 8
Plenty of players with a modicum of experience return, but the scoring punch lost with the graduation of Evans, Gertulla and Klauser will be impossible to replace. Megan Harn (G, SR) gave Knappa some quality minutes off the bench at the point and off guard positions last year. She and undersized post player Jo Barendse (5-6, SR) have the most experience of the Loggers bench players and will likely be starters in '06-07. Barendse is fearless in the paint, but is not an offensive threat and her minutes have been limited by fouls in the past. Amanda Nichols, daughter of former official now assistant coach James, rounds out a large group of senior returners. Again, most of these players are unproven, having deferred to "The Big 3" when it came to scoring. Nichols will see extended action in the backcourt, which is bolstered by junior McKenzie Cokley, who swung last year, and Brittany Dugan, who saw very limited minutes on varsity. In the post, juniors Alyssa Oja and Christina Kaul will share court time with Kirsty Van Gundy, a senior who did not play last year. Schuyler is Knappa's tallest experienced post player at 5-9. This was not a big team last year and got a lot smaller!

KEY NEWCOMERS: Chelsea Cameron (JR-transfer from California-could have an impact), Cassie West (P, Fr-powerfully built player will likely play significant minutes)
TEAM STRENGTHS: senior experience, some speed, tough-minded, focused group
TEAM WEAKNESSES: not very tall-will have to defend and box out well
TOP NWL CONTENDERS:PORTLAND CHRISTIAN, Nestucca
TOP 2A CONTENDERS: HEPPNER, Central Linn
TOP NWL PLAYERS:KIM HILL(PC-6-4 junior post)
PROJECTED FINISH: should contend for playoff spot
This is Knappa's biggest rebuilding job since Mike Jacobson took over a freshman-dominated team in 1999. The Loggers have not missed the state playoffs in six years, but will have a tough road to return this year. The relative lack of strength in the restructured Northwest League will play in Knappa's favor. Portland Christian should grab the league's top seed and De La Salle will likely be tough. The rest of the league may be up for grabs, however, with newcomer Nestucca a threat to contend. If some new players step comfortably into more prominent roles and holdover increase their offensive production, Knappa could be in the hunt for the league's third seed and keep its state playoff streak alive.
COACH HAGLAND SAYS:"We lost some great talent, but we've got some good kids with experience coming back."

"We're going to try to play uptempo. We like that style. We're so small that I told the girls that we're gonna have to start guarding the other team when they get off the bus and hand them their bags when they get back on it. That's just the style we're gonna have to play and that's for survival."

WINTER PREVIEW-Ilwaco Girls Basketball

LEAGUE: S.W. Washington 1A-Trico Division
Only Kalama follows Ilwaco into the newly restructured 1A division. The rest of the Trico is comprised of Ilwaco's former 2A Trico rivals (Castle Rock, La Center, White Salmon, Stevenson) and a former 2A Evergreen foe (Rochester). Toledo, Ilwaco's nemesis last year, is no longer a league opponent, but waits in the Evergreen (North) half of the district along with former 1A league opponents Onalaska and Winlock. Napavine and White Pass drop down a classification to terrorize the 2B ranks.

HEAD COACH: Ned Bittner (3rd year, 23-28)
ASST COACH: Rob Snow
One of the nice things about coaching a winter sport if you are a football coach: no time to dwell on the disappointments of fall. Bittner's last two teams have played their best in the postseason. This team fell only a game short of the state tournament last year despite a 7th place finish in league, one year after upsetting Toledo to earn a state berth and grabbing a win at Yakima. Bittner's bunch is now an experienced unit that will be operating in a less competitive league after realignment sent two of the District IV powers to a lower classification and separated Ilwaco from this year's favorite (Toledo) during league play. Expectations will be for a winning regular season and a legitimate shot at a state tournament berth come district tournament time in February. Experienced assistant coach Snow, a former head coach in the 80’s and '90's who specialized in shooting technique, returns to the bench after assisting in ’05-06.

2005 RECORD: 10-14 (6-10 S.W.W. 1A League 7th place)
LAST PLAYOFFS: 2-2 at districts, lost to Toledo 54-31 3rd place final
LAST LEAGUE TITLE: 2001 (tied w/Onalaska, won district championship)
LAST STATE TOURNAMENT: 1-2 in 2005, 3rd place in 1995
CURRENT COLLEGE/PRO ATHLETES: none
KEY GRAUDUATES/LOSSES:none
RETURNING ALL-STARS: Anna Kitzman (G, 5-7, SR, 1st-tm all-lg.)
Kitzman, an average athlete, averaged 15.7 points per game with a savvy combination of smarts, strength and sharp shooting. A threat from beyond the arc, Kitzman is most effective selling the long bomb to beat her defender inside, either scoring from 12 feet and in or drawing contact and getting to the line where she shoots above 70%. She shoots from a low trajectory but is able to muscle up inside, powering through contact to get her shot away and draw free throws. Her nickname could be “And 1”. The development of Kitzman’s supporting cast will only make her more effective in 2006-07 and she could lead the Trico in scoring.

RETURNING STARTERS: 5
RETURNING LETTERMEN: 7
Lanie Kary (P, 5-11, SO) and Bonnie Perez (PG, 5-5, SR) were honorable mention all-league selections last year. Kary has a powerful upper body, which allows her to bang inside, but complements that with quick feet and a soft shooting touch that gives her an effective baseline game with range out to 17 feet from the basket. Her feet allow her to defend smaller opponents. Perez has outstanding speed and quickness and is a capable ballhandler, who is not lacking in confidence, but must make better decisions and limit turnovers. She doesn't have a classic outside shot, but will burn you if you leave her alone. Alison Brooks (F, 5-9, SR) and Melany Bliss (P, 5-10, JR) bolster the front line to round out Ilwaco's starting five, which returns intact from last year. Tara Hankins (G, 5-4, SR) and Sara Morris (P, 5-11, SR) were both fulltime varsity players last year, meaning Ilwaco returns as much experience as anybody and a lot of good size, defense and rebounding ability in the post.

KEY NEWCOMERS: Alex Moses (G, Jr.-transfer from R.A. Long), Aimee Banuet (G, Fr.-may swing up to varsity)
TEAM STRENGTH: experience, expect good offensive production
WEAKNESS: team speed
TOP TRICO CONTENDERS:KALAMA, Castle Rock
TOP DISTRICT CONTENDERS: TOLEDO, Forks
TOP 1A CONTENDERS: TOLEDO, Lynden Christian, King's
TOP TRICO PLAYERS:AMANDA CLARK (KALAMA), Lacey Seidl (CASTLE ROCK)
PROJECTED FINISH: contend for league title, district berth to state
It's a question debated all the time. Is it always a positive to return a lot of players from a team that didn't experience much success? Usually, at this level it is, because these are young players still developing physically and emotionally and learning the game. There are certainly pieces in place for a winning season: Kitzman's ability to score and leadership, Kary's versatility and continued development, depth and balance in the post and an experienced point guard. This team should show some advancement in ability and confidence and the depth is superior to last year's club. Ilwaco finished the season strong with two wins at districts and an improved showing against a Toledo club that blew out the Lady Fishermen by 40 points in the playoff opener and dominated the season series with four wins. A top two or three finish in the Trico and top four finish at the district tournament are reasonable goals, which would have the Lady Fishermen returning to that winner-to-state, loser out final game once again.
COACH BITTNER SAYS:"It's kind of nice this year having a few non-league games. The last two years we had to open up against Toledo. I think we have six games before we start league. By the time we start league we should have all the kinks out and be playing some good ball."

"I feel that there's no reason that we can't be a top three team if not battle for a league title. Our goal as soon as we left that locker room last February after we lost to Toledo was to get back to state. We haven't talked about that lately. We've been working hard working on our conditioning and worrying about these early season games, but I feel when we look on paper we have a pretty solid group."

FISHERMEN CAN'T CATCH KEENEY

Mike Fanger, La Salle's first-year head football coach, called the program "a sleeping giant" after he accepted the position.

Make no mistake. Nobody is sleeping on La Salle anymore.

In a shocking turnaround, the Falcons overcame a 16-0 halftime deficit to upset previously unbeaten Astoria 20-16 Friday night, advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1995.

"We were so flat in that first half," said Fanger, a former assistant coach at Portland State and head coach at Lewis & Clark who led the Falcons to the playoffs for the first time since 1996. "I had no explanations why or what. It was embarassing. We were just so bad on one side of the ball and very good on the other side of the ball."

"I praised the defense at haltime. They were playing with a ton of heart, desire and pride. I told the offense to thank them that were still in the game."

With Astoria seemingly in control after two quarters, the potent Fishermen offense sputtered in the second half, while junior wide receiver Cameron Keeney repeatedly torched Astoria's vaunted secondary, almost singlehandedly leading the Falcons to their fourth win in four playoff openers.

Keeney, held without a catch in the first half, finished with 165 yards and two touchdowns, combining with junior running back Chris Nagel to accumulate 248 of the Falcons' 272 yards of offense.

"Vince [Hicks, starting QB] and him played a lot of defense, which we haven't done all year," said Fanger of his quarterback-receiver connection, "because of the way Astoria spreads it out and all the playmakers they have. Obviously our best guy on offense receiving the ball is Keeney and all we have at QB is Hicks. It's a different situation now that it's win or go home so we pulled out all the stops. It gave us a little more athleticsim on the field."

"Keeney dropped a couple of balls he usually gets and didn't punt ball well early. I took him aside and told him, 'You need to make plays or we don't have a chance.' He made some big plays on both sides of the ball. He made couple of big stops on defense and caught a few balls and obviously the interception at the end."

The all-Capital Conference receiver's 48-yard catch and run with 2:25 left in the game put the Falcons in scoring position for Nagel, who powered into the end zone from one yard out for the go-ahead score with 2:05 to play.

Astoria scoring drives on average have lasted less than two minutes this season, but their final march down the field ended when Jordan Poyer's pass intended for Andy Murray was picked off by Keeney at the Falcons 38-yard line, effectively ending the game with 1:03 left.

"We missed on a couple of opportunities in the first half," said Astoria head coach Howard Rub, who led the Fishermen to the playoffs for the second time in three years. "Obviously, that came back and haunted us."

Astoria dominated the first half, holding the Falcons to 34 yards of offense and no points while taking a 16-0 lead, but two plays would loom large later in the game.

Leading 6-0 in the first quarter, Astoria mounted a long drive deep into Falcons territory, only to be turned away at the goal line and forced to settle for three points on a Tony Robinson 22-yard field goal. Dylan Jensen and Jordan Poyer were both stuffed short of the end zone on successive goal line runs and an illegal procedure penalty on a Poyer 4th and goal plunge wiped six points off the board and forced a change of strategy.

The Fishermen defense forced three Falcons turnovers in the first half, leading to two touchdowns, mirroring the turnover-prone Falcons' problems the last time these teams met in a 20-12 Astoria victory in week two of the season.

La Salle quarterback Vincent Hicks coughed up the ball on the first play of the game, giving Astoria the ball at the Falcons' 32-yard line. La Salle appeared to have stopped Astoria on 4th and 3 from the ten yard line when Poyer was bottled up in the middle of the line on a quarterback draw, but the slippery sophomore QB stayed on his feet. Driven back far behind the line of scrimmage, Poyer outran his pursuers to the sideline, weaving his way through traffic to negotiate yet another highlight-reel gem of a run all the way to the end zone.

"He's just a remarkable athlete and he'll continue to get better," said Rub of Poyer, who fell just short in his bid to rush and pass for over 1000 yards this year. "The sky will be the limit for him."

Robinson's field goal later in the quarter was set up by a Brook Smith interception. Defensive end Jake Banta deflected a Hicks pass setting up the all-Cowapa League middle linebacker's second pick in as many games.

The Fishermen would gain favorable field position again in the second quarter when Smith partially blocked a Keeney punt from near the goal line. The ball carried just 15 yards, giving Astoria the ball at the La Salle 26 with 3:56 to go in the half. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Poyer found Adam Koehnke in the end zone for six.

Leading 16-0, Astoria recovered a Hicks fumble at the La Salle 27-yard line or so it appeared. The Corvallis officiating crew converged and determined that an inadvertent whistle had stopped play before the change of possession. An infuriated Howard Rub had come all the way to the middle of the field to tend to an injured player and voiced his objections. Meanwhile, Fanger also made the trek out to the field, objecting to Rub's presence between the numbers without a time out being called. The down was replayed and Nagel was stopped for no gain, forcing a Keeney punt. Keeney, who happens to be an all-Conference punter as well as a top receiver, unloaded a 53-yard bomb of a kick all the way to the Astoria 20-yard line. So, thanks to an official unable to hold his water, Astoria had 80 yards to go with 1:31 on the clock instead of two minutes-plus to traverse 27 yards of real estate.

"The rule is you replay the down," said Rub. "We feel that we already had the ball. Our player was hurt, that's why I was out there. It should have been our ball."

"Coach Fanger and I didn't really exchange words with each other. I just told him I was leaving because they were kicking me off and they were trying to kick him off. He was arguing, 'Well, he's on the field, why can't I be on the field.' That's all that was. It's unfortunate. Obviously, it would have been a big play."

La Salle nearly got an even bigger break when defensive lineman Jeff Sawyer got in between Poyer and Koehnke on an attempted shuffle pass and intercepted the ball, only to have it stripped away and recovered by Smith. Astoria ran out of time as Poyer threw underneath to Koehnke for 16 harmless yards from the La Salle 42 instead of launching a Hail Mary pass on the final play of the half.

The Fishermen had ten first downs to just one for La Salle and a 198-34 edge in total offense in what was the most dominating half of defense they played all season long. But instead of what easily could have been a 28-0 lead, Astoria led by just two scores entering the second half.

"I gave the team two choices at halftime," said Fanger. "Quit and lose the credibility we've built for the program by going 5-1 in a pretty good league or go out and fight and try to win a football game. I didn't put one play on the board. It was all about playing and digging deep."

La Salle's first drive of the second half continued the offensive frustration, ending in a Koehnke interception at the Fishermen 5-yard line. However, Keeney provided a sign of things to come when he toasted cornerback Justin Tikkala on a sideline route, picking up a 37-yard gain on a 3rd and 24 play, putting the Falcons into Astoria territory for only the second time in the game.

Even though the Falcons didn't score, the shift of field position proved significant, as the La Salle defense was beginning to rise to the occasion. Back-to-back incompletions forced an Astoria punt from deep in Fishermen territory. The 26-yard kick gave La Salle its best field position of the night. Four plays later, the Falcons were in the end zone as Hicks connected with Keeney on a beautifully-thrown 24-yard pass deep in the left corner of the end zone. We'll have to assume that Keeney was inbounds because none of the five officials was anywhere near the play! The linesman who eventually signalled the touchdown was a good 15 to 20 yards upfield and couldn't possibly have seen whether Keeney got a foot inbounds or not.

The rapid changes in momentum on the Falcons sideline were enough to give a less hearty rooter the bends, as the fans roared to life after Keeney's long catch earlier in the half only to deflate on Koehnke's interception, firing up again on the touchdown catch. A failed two-point conversion pass, intercepted in the end zone by Brent Culver, dimmed the celebration somewhat, considering that La Salle was still down two scores trailing 16-6.

What was consistently clear was that Astoria's high-powered offense simply was not clicking.

"It was the weirdest night," said Rub. "Even the first half we didn't execute well. We didn't feel like we were in any rhythm even though we were winning. We didn't feel like we were getting any great breaks, even in that first half. The second half that certainly held true."

Andy Murray, who missed two weeks of the season with an ankle injury only to aggravate it on his return in the regular season finale at Tillamook, was hobbled again early in the contest.

"He didn't feel like he could go in a certain direction on the field," said Rub of his all-Cowapa League running back, "so we were trying to manipulate a couple of our plays for him in there so that wouldn't happen. It caused some confusion on a couple of play calls on where to line up, which took us out of our rhythm. Hindsight being 20/20, maybe you just go with Jawarski and Joey [Dursse, a senior running back] and go from there. But here's a senior leader on this team and one of the greatest football players I've ever gotten to coach. You want to give him a chance to help us."

Murray would return to play in the second half, but was simply not up to speed, finishing the game with 36 yards on ten carries. Poyer, the Cowapa League co-Offensive Player of the Year, brimming with confidence and bursting with big plays all year long, was simply off target a lot of the time and the confident gunslinger of previous weeks showed some indecisiveness.

"We should have done a much better job in the passing game," said Rub. "It was not the best playcalling in terms of what you've seen us do to get in rhythm and I take responsibility for that. And some of it is also having a young quarterback that's seeing some things that are all new. It's a first-time experience and he'll learn from those experiences and the things that he'll see because he's going to watch this film. He's not going to be done evaluating it just because we're done. That's the kind of of competitor he is. He wants to learn from it and he wants to get better."

La Salle's defensive play in the second half was inspired, as the Falcons were able to pressure Poyer while Keeney and fellow defensive backs Hicks, Thomas Loyola, Tony Titrud and Joshua Griffin locked up Astoria receivers. Inside linebacker Mark Meek, an all-Capital Conference selection, had one of the biggest defensive plays of the half, stopping Poyer dead in his tracks with a crunching hit on a 3rd and 1 carry, one play after Eric Whalen had stopped Murray for no gain. The Fishermen opted to punt instead of going for it on 4th and short from the Falcons' 46-yard line.

"It was one of those things where you call the blitz and it's the right one," said Fanger. "That can turn bad on you in a hurry with a player the caliber of Poyer. We guessed right and it worked out well for us."

Astoria's three 3rd-quarter drives ended in punts, but the third punt was a beaut! Nick Alfonse corraled a high snap and calmly booted the ball 41 yards to the La Salle 5-yard line where it died in the moist grass with 1:13 to play in the third quarter.

The Falcons began their longest drive of the night from there, with a pair of Hicks runs setting up a 15-yard pass to Joshua Griffin and a first down. A 12-yard strike to Keeney converted another third down. But the third time would not be a charm, as Hicks' 3rd-and-12 pass to a streaking receiver was picked off by Brent Culver inside the Astoria 1-yard line with 8:40 to go in the game.

The Fishermen were able to get some breathing room, as Poyer scrambled 14-yards on 3rd and 4 to move the chains. But a costly holding penalty and another incomplete pass, Poyer's fourth of seven straight incompletions in the second half, ended the drive and forced Astoria's fourth straight punt of the half.

A short kick gave La Salle the ball at the Fishermen 44-yard line and Hicks went for the big score on the first play, again finding Keeney behind the Fishermen defense on a post route for a devastatingly quick touchdown. Suddenly, the Falcons were only down 16-13 with nearly four-and-a-half minutes left. In a situation where Astoria needed nothing more than to force the Falcons to use some clock, to get beat deep on the first play was costly.

Still playing with time, a first down incompletion was not what the Fishermen needed, but that's what they got on the ensuing drive when Poyer's pass to a double-covered Koehnke was tipped and nearly intercepted. Thomas Jawarski was tackled by Keeney at the end of a two-yard run and Poyer's keeper netted only three yards on 3rd and 8, forcing Astoria's fifth straight punt. A 26-yard Alfonse kick was fair caught by Keeney at the Falcons' 41 with 2:35 to play.

Hicks' first pass attempt went in Keeney's direction, but was nearly intercepted. Flushed out of the pocket by pressure from defensive end Grady Parker, the 6-2 junior QB threw off balance toward his favorite receiver as Alfonse and Poyer converged on the ball. The two safeties collided and neither came up with it. One play later, Hicks found Keeney open in the middle of the field on a crossing route. Brent Culver dived for the receivers legs but missed and Keeney rambled all the way to the Astoria 11-yard line.

Suddenly time was no longer a factor in the Falcons comeback. Nagel took a handoff and ambled ten yards, tackled inside the one. The Capital Conference Offensive Player of the Year got the call again and surged across the goal line, giving La Salle the lead. An important PAT by freshman kicker Austin Thul made it 20-16 La Salle, with 2:05 left.

As any Fishermen fan knows, 2:05 on the clock is an eternity for Astoria to score from anywhere between the goal lines, but Astoria's offense looked a lot more like the one that slugged it out in the mud against Tillamook than the one that sliced and diced sixth-ranked Yamhill-Carlton and carved up Scappoose the two previous weeks.

Thomas Jawarski returned a short kickoff 14 yards to the 40-yard line, giving the sizable playoff crowd hope. On the first play of the drive, tight end Nathan Stinnett shifted to quarterback with Poyer splitting out to the left side as a single receiver. This trick formation netted a short gain on a pass to Culver in the first half, and a pass to Jawarski gave Astoria a sizable gain and a first down. But an illegal block in the back by Murray negated the play and cost Astoria precious time and a loss of five yards. After an imcomplete pass, Poyer connected with Jawarski for 19 yards and a first down to the La Salle 47-yard line. On the next play, Poyer scrambled to his right buying time as the Falcons dropped their linebackers back in coverage. Murray appeared to be open mirroring Poyer toward the right sideline, but Keeney closed from behind and stepped in front of the receiver to intercept the pass at the 33-yard line with 1:03 left.

With only one time out left, all Astoria could do was watch Hicks take a knee three times. Hearts stopped around the stadium as Hicks fumbled the center snap on the second play, but the Falcons were able to cover the ball and run out the clock, setting up a wild celebration on the visitors sideline.

After completing two passes for a total of 11 yards in the first half, Hicks was 8-for-13 in the second half for 189 yards and two touchdowns. The Falcons outgained Astoria 231-82 over the final two quarters and had 10 first downs to Astoria's three. Nagel, who rushed for over 100 yards eight times during the regular season, was relatively quiet, but thanks to a couple of long second half runs finished with 63 yards on 14 carries and also caught four passes for 20 yards.

For the first time since taking over fulltime starting quarterback duties in week three of the regular season, Poyer was held under a 50% completion rate. The 15-year-old emerging star suffered the first significant setback in his rapid ascension, as he was held to 1-of-7 passing for 19 yards and an interception in the second half.

In a moving display of team togetherness that exemplified their "One Beat" theme for the season, Astoria's 17 senior players emerged from the locker room about 15 minutes after leaving the field, lining up straight across the goal line in the west end zone and walking the field hand-in-hand to the opposite goal line, where they assembled in a huddle for several minutes saying their final goodbyes.

"This team is very unique in their camaraderie," said Rub. "A lot of times with a larger senior group, you have some cliques within it. These guys are all for one and one for all and that's from the first one to the 17th one. That is very unique and very special and they have a very special bond. The great thing about it is it will be that way forever. What happened tonight won't change that. That's a pretty special thing. That's what helps make what we do a very special thing and great for the kids."

Astoria's 10-0 regular season was a school record and the first unbeaten regular season since the Hall Of Fame 1951 team won 11 straight games to reach the state semifinals. La Salle improved to 7-4 on the season and 4-0 all time in playoff openers. The Falcons will host a playoff game on Saturday, Nov. 25 against Greater Oregon League co-champion Baker, which defeated North Bend 53-14.

"We have so much respect for the Astoria program and Howard and their athletes," said Fanger. "They are going to be good for a long, long time. It's a great scheme and they have great athletes. I just hope the number two Capital team doesn't play the Cowapa number one every single year."

The Cowapa League won 10 out of 12 games against Capital Conference competition during the regular season, including Astoria's wins over the three Capital playoff qualifiers (La Salle, Molalla and Gladstone). Yet two Capital teams, La Salle and Gladstone, a 19-14 winner at Newport, have advanced to the quarterfinals, while all three Cowapa teams lost their playoff openers. Second seed Yamhill-Carlton joined Astoria in the losing column, ending up on the wrong end of a 49-35 Old West shootout at Ontario, while Scappoose fell to Cottage Grove 22-14 last week in the first round of the playoffs.

LA SALLE 0 0 6 14--20
ASTORIA 9 7 0 0--16
1stQ-AST: Poyer 10 run (kick failed)
1stQ-AST: Robinson FG-22
2ndQ-AST: Koehnke 26 pass from Poyer (Robinson kick)
3rdQ-LAS: Keeney 24 pass from Hicks (pass failed)
4thQ-LAS: Keeney 44 pass from Hicks (Thul kick)
4thQ-LAS: Nagel 1 run (Thul kick)
RUSHING-LAS: 26-72 (Nagel 14-63-td), AST: 33-126 (Poyer 15-69-td)
PASSING-LAS: Hicks 10-20-3-200-2td, AST: 12-25-2-140-td (Poyer 11-24-2-135-td)
RECEIVING-LAS: Keeney 5-165-2td, AST: Koehnke 8-94-td
PENALTIES-LAS: 6-40, AST: 9-70
TURNOVERS-LAS: 5, AST: 2

FISHERMEN NET FIRST VOLLEBALL TROPHY

The Astoria Lady Fishermen volleyball team made history by winning its second match at the OSAA 4A State Championships, ensuring a top six finish and the first tournament trophy in school history.

Astoria defeated La Grande 22-25, 25-12, 25-14, 25-21 Saturday morning, one day after a somewhat disappointing loss to the Henley Hornets in the quarterfinal round. Astoria closed out the tournament with a 14-25, 22-25, 25-18, 25-22, 15-12 loss to the La Salle Falcons in the consolation final for fourth and sixth place. The Fishermen finished the season with a 16-4 overall record in match play, the most wins and best winning percentage for an Astoria volleyball team.

"It's one of those kind of bittersweets," said fourth-year Astoria head coach Angee Hunt, who has led the Fishermen to their only two Cowapa League volleyball titles and two of their four state volleyball tournament appearances. "We win the first two games. We had it and we just couldn't finish it. But its a learning process."

"It always sucks to lose, but you take a step back and look at the big picture. It is our first trophy. We were ranked fourth and sixth all year and we were in the match for fourth and sixth. It was fitting."

Henley was expected to defeat Astoria, as the Skyline League champs came into the tournament ranked third in the state. After the Klamath Falls-based school took a competitive first game 25-19, Astoria stormed ahead in game two. Back-to-back kills by Kristin Saulsbury put the Lady Fishermen up 16-6 as Amelia Hernandez served six straight points. The Hornets closed to 10-17 before a pair of kills by Sophie DeWitt and a kill by sophomore Emily Bunnell reignited Astoria and bumped the lead back to ten points at 22-12.

With Astoria three points from evening the match, the Hornets rallied, winning 14 of the next 16 points, closing out the game on back-to-back kills by Mikayla Morgan for a shocking 26-24 win. Morgan had five kills during the game-closing run.

The Hornets would again rally from behind in game three, as Hernandez served Astoria to a 6-0 start. Henley had four hitting errors and a ballhandling error in the run and Saulsbury capped it with a kill. The Fishermen maintained leads of 13-7 and 17-12 before the Hornets began yet another comeback. Four straight errors on Astoria allowed Henley to tie the game at 17. With Astoria up 20-18, Megan Christiansen, the Skyline League MVP, earned a sideout with a kill, then served up three aces on a 5-point run to put Henley at match point 24-20.

Astoria grabbed brief hope after senior setter Rachel Gascoigne executed a perfect back-set over the net for a dump kill, catching the Hornets defense off-guard. Astoria's flickering hopes for a semifinal appearance were extinguished when Morgan put away a Sierra Patzke set for the match-winning point.

"That's just Henley being a team that's always at state and having that tournament savvy," said Hunt of the Hornets, who have missed only one state tournament in twenty years. "We came out not really knowing what to expect. We get eager and we get a lead and we're used to once you get to a certain point, having teams fold. Henley didn't fold and that kind of took us for a little bit of surprise. We're not used to seeing that."

Things looked bleak indeed for the Lady Fishermen when they dropped their first game 22-25 to La Grande, but for the balance of the match Astoria showed the talent and confidence that boosted them to their second Cowapa League title in three years, taking it to the perennial volleyball contender from east of the mountains with 25-12 and 25-14 results in games two and three, two of the most dominating games played by any team at the tournament.

Eight of La Grande's 26 points in the middle of the match came on Astoria service errors as the Fishermen committed an uncharacteristic 11 errors on serve.

Astoria managed to work out the service kinks in game four, with Hernandez, their toughest server, providing a key 6-point run with an ace as the Fishermen closed out the match with a 25-21 result.

"It was nice to see that," said Hunt. "I think we made and impression. I think maybe people realized the Cowapa is a tough league and there's tough teams there and we can compete, kind of getting over that hurdle of getting some respect from around the state."

Sophie DeWitt, Astoria's kill leader at the tournament, recorded a match high 20 kills to go with three solo blocks against La Grande. The Cowapa League runner-up for Player of the Year, DeWitt had 14 kills and four blocks in the Henley loss. Senior Rachel Gascoigne, Astoria's All-Cowapa League setter, had 41 assists and a career-high five kills. Wendi Agalzoff had seven of her 15 kills in the first game of the match and Saulsbury finished with 12 kills.

Against La Salle in the consolation finals, Astoria appeared to continue the momentum of the La Grande match, whacking the Capital Conference runners-up 25-14 in game one. DeWitt came up big again in game two, smacking seven kills in a 25-22 win.

Tough-serving La Salle regained its footing and grabbed an early 6-1 lead in game three. Astoria rallied for a brief lead at 16-15 with DeWitt scoring three straight points on a solo block and back-to-back kills. But the Falcons' top hitter, Kate Eichhorn, finally started finding the floor in game three, knocking down six kills. Mallory Lopas took took serve with the game tied at 16 and piloted the Falcons to eight straight points behind three Eichhorn putaways and two kills by Bridget Dixon, who successfully executed slide plays with strong crosscourt shots throughout the match.

La Salle's middles began to get into the act in game four as the Falcons got two key kills from 6-0 senior Elizabeth Skurdahl to take a 23-20 lead. Impressive-looking freshman outside hitter Jenny Pliska pulled out a strong left-handed jump serve and aced game point 25-22, forcing a fifth game.

For only the third time in twelve games, Astoria did not win the first point, as La Salle, a private Catholic school located near Clackamas Town Center in Milwaukie, took a 4-0 lead on the serve of Megan Coughlin. Down 10-5, Saulsbury earned a side out for the Fish and Sara Cullen served Astoria to a 10-10 tie behind kills by Saulsbury and Agalzoff and a double block by Agalzoff and junior middle Meredith Barnes. An Agalzoff kill on an overpass put Astoria in front for the only time in the game 12-11, before a Jenny Pliska kill tied things up.

Once again, Pliska took her sharp jump serve behind the line, serving out the match with three straight points capped by kills from Eichhorn and Skurdahl.

"We really played solid in that first game," said Hunt. "Everything was working well. Our serve-receive was on. Our offense was pretty pretty much firing at will. It was happy hunting to the hitters.

"Then LaSalle gradually got their composure and built themselves up, slowly made adjustments and did what they had to to win the match."

DeWitt closed out an all-tournament first team performance, the first in school history, with 17 kills in the match, giving her 51 in three games of the tournament. Saulsbury (12) and Agalzoff (11) also reached double figures in kills for the second straight match and Gascoigne finished with 34 assists. Eichorn finished with a match-high 18 kills for La Salle, a perennial volleyball contender which missed the tournament last season.

The Fishermen played the entire tournament without starting outside hitter Hilary O'Bryan, who sprained her ankle in the playoff win over Douglas and will remain in a walking boot for at least another week and a half. Sophomore Emily Bunnell, a 5-9 outside hitter, made her first varsity start in the Henley match and played exceptionally well, rarely leaving the floor.

"I don't think people really realize the situation we put this kid in," said an emotional Hunt, who had to console her despondent young player after she felt the burden of responsibility in the Henley loss. "She played maybe a combined 15 points for the season at the varsity level!

"She stepped in beautifully. I mean, I couldn't ask her to do any more than what she did. The pressure...everything! I would challenge anybody in that gym to say there's one girl in here who's never played varsity before and you pick her out. I can guarantee you, there's not very many people here that would be able to do that. She fit right in and did everything we needed her to do."

The double-bonus for Astoria is that both O'Bryan and Bunnell return for next year, along with their top two outside hitters, DeWitt and Saulsbury, who had her ups and downs after an outstanding 20-kill performance against Douglas to put Astoria in the tournament. The 5-9 outside hitter made a quantum leap in her junior year to make the All-Cowapa League first team and similar improvement into next season will give Astoria one of the top outside hitting tandems in the state in 2007, along with what should be an improved defense. The Fishermen will have a tough time replacing Gascoigne, who was rock-steady all season long and played one of her best-ever matches in the La Grande win.

"The nice thing is this year compared to last year we bring back a lot of players," said Hunt. "Two years ago, we pretty much graduated the whole squad and had to start over from scratch. Now we have a solid core to return and build from. They know what it's about and they've been in those tight situations.

"We didn't play perfect, but we're learning. You take those lessons with you and build for next season."

In a rematch of the 2005 title game, North Bend turned the tables on Estacada, defeating the Rangers 28-26, 22-25, 25-21, 25-21 for the Bulldogs first-ever volleyball championship. Those same teams met in the finals of Seaside's Invitational Tournament, with Estacada beating a North Bend team that was without top outside hitter Kelcy McKenna, who was on a tennis recruiting trip. McKenna, who received a full ride scholarship to play tennis at Arizona State, was one of two unanimous all-tournament team selections, along with Estacada's athletic junior middle hitter Shikara White. Estacada was making its fifth consecutive appearance in the championship game.

In the 3A finals, also played at Lane Community College, Burns defeated Gervais 3-1. The Hilanders Jessica Clemens--who was 3A co-player of the year in 2005 with McKenna--and Libby Morrison of Oregon Episcopal School were both unanimous all-tournament team selections. Burns defeated O.E.S. 3-1 in the semifinals in a matchup of the state top two ranked teams, handing the Aardvarks their first loss of the season. O.E.S., the Lewis & Clark League champs, finished third, defeating Myrtle Point on Saturday 3-0.

REGIS ROLLS TO QUARTERFINALS

The top-ranked Regis Rams used a tough swarming defense and big-play running game to clobber Warrenton 35-0 Friday night in the first round of the OSAA 3A State Football playoffs.

Regis will travel to Bandon for a quarterfinal contest this weekend, while Warrenton's season ends with a 6-4 record.

While the Rams defense limited Warrenton to 1 yard rushing in recording its fifth consecutive shutout, the Rams dynamic backfield combo of Dylan Wells and Eric Derschon each topped the 100-yard mark.

The speedy Wells ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns, scoring on runs of 7, 28 and 35 yards in the first half as the Rams built a 28-0 lead.

Warrenton set the table for Regis' first score with a pair of turnovers early in the first period. The Warriors' Beau Torres fumbled on the first play of the game, giving Regis the ball at the Warrenton 20-yard line. Warrenton's defense held, though, forcing a 4th down incompletion. But five plays later, the Rams again had the ball deep in Warrenton territory after Andy Brentano intercepted an Eric Gantenbein pass and returned it to the Warrior 22. Wells rambled in from seven yards out two plays later to put Regis on the board.

The Warriors defense did what it could to keep Warrenton in the game, holding another Regis drive on a blocked Derek Piete field goal attempt with 1:19 to go in the first period. But a holding penalty forced Warrenton to punt from deep in its own end and after a short kick, Derschon raced 33 yards to paydirt on the first play of the ensuing Rams drive to bump the lead to 14-0.

Warrenton responded with its longest sustained drive of the night, as Gantenbein completed all four of his passes and picked up a pair of first downs. But the Rams sacked the Warrenton QB on third and four, forcing a punt. Later in the quarter, a fumbled snap led to the third Warriors turnover of the half. Just three plays later, Regis was in the end zone again on a 28-yard run by Wells.

The Rams put their fourth score on the board with 1:49 left on a 35-yard Wells run, just one play after a Brett Woodley pass bounced off the hands of Warrior safety Dan Wolfe. Wolfe caught just about everything else, finishing with seven receptions for 81 yards and picking off a Woodley pass in the fourth quarter.

The teams played to a virtual stalemate in the second half, as Regis kept its starters in to the final horn, presumably in order to preserve the shutout. Woodley capped the scoring on a 14-yard scramble in the third period. The senior QB finished 4-of-8 for 93 yards and an interception. Derschon had 104 yards rushing on 13 carries.

Record-setting Warrenton quarterback Eric Gantenbein closed his career with 161 yards passing, completing 15 of 28 passes with three interceptions in the driving rain. Gantenbein was sacked eight times with Regis' junior defensive lineman Robert Keudell collecting three sacks. Dallas Moses caught six passes for 62 yards for Warrenton.

WARRENTON 0 0 0 0--0
REGIS 7 21 7 0--35
1stQ-REG: Wells 7 run (Piete kick)
2ndQ-REG: Derschon 30 run (Piete kick)
2ndQ-REG: Wells 28 run (Piete kick)
2ndQ-REG: Wells 35 run (Piete kick)
3rdQ-REG: Woodley 14 run (Piete kick)
RUSHING-WAR: 29-1 (Michael O'Casey 11-21), REG: 48-307 (Wells 14-144-3td)
PASSING-WAR: Gantenbein 15-28-3-161, REG: Woodley 4-8-1-93
RECEIVING-WAR: Wolfe 7-81, REG: Wells 1-66, Brentano 2-19
TURNOVERS-WAR: 5, REG: 4
PENALTIES-WAR: 3-25, REG: 9-60

STUNNED FISHERMEN FALL TO PHOENIX

Who would have thought that a team that uses the hot, dry Southern Oregon climate to its advantage would steal a game from a heavily favored opponent in a November rainstorm.

The unheralded Phoenix Pirates upset previously unbeaten and top-ranked Astoria 2-0 in an OSAA 4A Boys Soccer State Tournament second round game at Warrenton, ending the most promising season in school history much sooner than expected.

The Fishermen were looking forward to potentially avenging last year's semifinal loss to McLoughlin, instead they will be transitioning to other winter pursuits on Wednesday as the Pirates move on to face another unbeaten team in the quarterfinals.

Head coach Jerry Boisvert was at a loss of words when trying to console his heartbroken team at the end of what most expected to be an easy win.

"I've never seen a more emotional bunch of kids after game," said Astoria's 8th year head coach, who was guiding his seventh state playoff team. "There were a lot of tears out there."

Even 30-45 minutes after the final whistle sent a jubilant band of Pirates to the sideline, there were still red eyes and streaked faces on the handful of players still making their way off the field, shocked that their season had come to an end on their home pitch.

The Fishermen appeared to have the early edge, owning possession of the ball for the first five minutes as Christoph Mundt put a strong shot just outside the upper right corner of goal on a strong corner turn in the box. Astoria had three of the first four shots before the Pirates turned momentum slightly.

Countering Astoria with a couple of quick runs, Phoenix outshot the Fishermen 7-to-1 for the remainder of the half as Astoria struggled to penetrate the Pirates back line.

"We struggled with their flatback [four across defensive alignment, designed to draw offsides infractions]," said Boisvert. "We got our scouting report over the weekend and really only had a day to work on offsides traps. They closed on the ball very well and shrunk the defensive zone."

The Pirates missed on a golden opportunity when leading scorer Naoki Tsujimori, who had fired a pair of long-range rocket shots that had just missed earlier in the half, found himself with an open look at the goal from 15 yards. As many players did on this moist afternoon, the Japanese exchange student did not get a clean shot on the wet ball. The dribbler was bobbled by Astoria goalkeeper Gabe Davis, making his first start in eight games after a quadriceps tear. The ball bounced free a few yards in front of goal, but Tsujimori did not chase his shot and Davis was able to corral it.

Moments later, the Pirates had another close range opportunity and did not miss. Absalon Castillo took a feed from fellow midfielder Albaro Gonzalez and poked a low shot past Davis just inside the right post in the 32nd minute.

The Pirates had an 8-4 edge in shots on goal in the first half and had five corner kicks to Astoria's three.

The Fishermen came out with increased energy early in the second half and took it to Phoenix aggressively, but could not capitalize on a couple of early opportunities. Midfielder Josimar Macareno made a left flank run close to goal but slipped as he shot and fired into the side netting. Kyle McMullen got between a couple of Phoenix defenders but went down in the box with no foul called. Moments later, an offsides call, one of nine on the Fishermen, got coach Boisvert's dander up and he drew a yellow card.

When successfully penetrating Phoenix's flatback four defense, the Fishermen had to contend with speedy Cody Shilts. The junior sweeper nullified a number of Astoria attacks with strong tackles, using his shoulder to get under the Fishermen forwards to move them off the ball.

McMullen had Astoria's two best opportunities in the flow of play. A deep run into Phoenix's box in the first half went for nought when the senior forward carried the ball a little too long and was unable to get a strong shot off. A loose ball scramble in the second half following a misplayed shot by Phoenix goalkeeper Francisco Padilla ended up with McMullen powering the ball over the crossbar.

Astoria had numerous corner kick opportunities, but could only create two shots in ten attempts, both headers by senior sweeper Matt Brause. One shot flew wide of the mark in the first half and another glanced off the head of a Phoenix defender and over the goal.

Astoria outshot the Pirates 14-to-12 for the game and had a 10-8 edge in corner kicks, limited Phoenix to one shot off a corner. Astoria was whistled for 17 fouls to Phoenix's nine.

"They played extremely well," said Boisvert. "We certainly had some chances but we couldn't take advantage of it. We got called offsides so often."

Astoria finished the season with a 12-1-2 record. Phoenix moves on to play McLoughlin in the quarterfinals. The defending champion Pioneers defeated Stayton 3-1 and will play at Phoenix on Saturday.

FISHERMEN SCOOP COWAPA TROPHY WITH RECORD WIN

With all of the hype surrounding Astoria's quick strike offense, the regular season ended with something for the old school football fan. A defensive-oriented shutout.

Astoria blanked Tillamook 20-0 Friday night at Doc Adams Field, ending a perfect regular season with their tenth win, a regular season record for the school. The Fishermen will try to tie a 55-year-old record as they go for their 11th consecutive victory in two weeks, hosting the La Salle Falcons in a second round state playoff game at John Warren Field.

Friday's shutout was the second of the season for the Astoria defense, which also goose egged Philomath in week four of the season. Last night, mother nature provided the best defense of all.

With constant rain vacillating between steady and biblical deluge and a howling southwesterly wind a constant, both teams struggled to move the ball effectively all night.

All of the scoring took place in the second period, with Astoria forcing three consecutive Cheesemakers turnovers, all of which were converted into touchdowns.

Tillamook running back Blaise Bennett coughed up a fumble at the 50 yard in with 7:52 remaining in the first half. That was the only time Tillamook's offense touched midfield until the Cheesemaker's final drive of the game, as Astoria held the Mooks to 130 total yards and seven first downs.

Three Jordan Poyer runs and a shuffle pass to Adam Koehnke put the Fishermen in the end zone with 6:28 to go in the half. Poyer scored on a 16-yard run on an option keeper, but a 21-yard run to set up the initial score was the highlight of the night. Running around right end, the athletic sophomore quarterback appeared to be upended by a Cheesemaker defender, but somersaulted over the the tackler without his knees or elbows touching the ground and continued down the right sideline.

Poyer finally met his match with the foul coastal weather, which negated his favorite weapon, the deep ball, and made throwing even the simplest short patterns challenging. Poyer completed 5 of 10 throws for a measly 43 yards with two of the completions on safe shuffle passes to Koehnke. He also threw an interception for the first time in four weeks and coughed up a fumble.

Unfortunately, the Cheesemakers were unable to take advantage of Astoria's two turnovers, while they provided the Fishermen with two more short drives to the end zone in the second period.

Poyer intercepted a Jake Pugh pass, returning it 18 yards to the Cheesemaker 32-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Andy Murray tried to change direction in a mud puddle and lost his footing and two yards. The senior running back also aggravated a right ankle injury and hobbled off the field, returning in street clothes in the second half. Poyer would handle the majority of the ballcarrying duties on the night on a mix of draws and options. A pass interference penalty on Tillamook gave Astoria a first down at the Cheesemaker 15-yard line and three plays later Poyer ran it in from three yards out.

On the ensuing Tillamook drive, Brook Smith picked off his first pass of the season, returning it all the way to the Cheesemaker 13-yard line. A Poyer run of five yards set up 2nd and five at the eight yard line. On the next play, Hans Lund appeared to take a handoff from Poyer and hit a brick wall at the line of scrimmage, bouncing straight backwards. While the Cheesemaker players and coaches on the sideline celebrated a great hit, Poyer tiptoed into the end zone on a perfectly executed bootleg run, fooling nearly everyone in the stadium and giving his linemen cause to chuckle as they jogged to the sideline.

Poyer rushed for 95 yards on 21 carries and his three touchdown runs give him 14 on the season to go with a school record 17 touchdown passes. The super soph also leads the team in rushing with 874 yards and interceptions with five, including a touchdown return on his first defensive series of his varsity career in the week one endowment game against Molalla. Despite his low passing totals Friday night, the 15-year-old phenom is the leading candidate to win Cowapa League Offensive Player of the Year honors, a remarkable acheivement in a league that contains two proven Division I recruit quarterbacks in Scappoose's Justin Engstrom and Yamhill-Carlton's Zach Anderson.

Anderson, who is probably the other top candidate, struggled Friday night, completing only 13 of 32 passes for 133 yards and a pair of interceptions, but did lead his team to a big win over Scappoose. Anderson was intercepted four times in Yamhill-Carlton's 48-27 loss at Astoria on Oct. 27, while Poyer nearly had 200 yards rushing and passing with two rushing touchdowns and three passing TD's with no interceptions.

It could be a clean sweep of postseason awards for Astoria. Head coach Howard Rub should be a unanimous choice for coach of the year and cornerback Brent Culver's play this year has been outstanding on a defense that missed him terribly a year ago when he broke his thumb in early September. Coach Rub has also consistently praised the play of middle linebacker Brook Smith and expects him to get consideration for the honor.

Astoria now has two weeks to prepare for an opponent it has already played and beaten. The Fishermen beat the three Capital League playoff teams this year, including second seed La Salle in a 20-12 win at home in week two. The Nov. 17 playoff matchup will be broadcast live on SportsRadio 1230 ESPN with pregame coverage beginning at 6:40 p.m.

ASTORIA 0 20 0 0--20
TILLAMOOK 0 0 0 0--0
2ndQ-Poyer 16 run (Robinson kick)
2ndQ-Poyer 3 run (Robinson kick)
2ndQ-Poyer 8 run (kick failed)
RUSHING-AST: 38-143 (Poyer 21-95-3td), TIL: 41-111 (Bennett 23-66)
PASSING-AST: 5-11-1-43 (Poyer 5-10-1-43), TIL: Pugh 1-8-2-19
RECEIVING-AST: Koehnke 3-15, Dursse 1-20, TIL: Miller 1-19
TURNOVERS-AST: 2, TIL: 4
PENALTIES-AST: 1-10, TIL: 4-35

WARRIORS WHITEWASH-WARRENTON TO STATE

Be careful what you wish for.

The Warrenton Warriors closed out the regular season with a necessary win, blanking Riverdale 26-0 at home for their fifth shutout in six victories. With the victory, Warrenton earns its sixth straight trip to state and a date with the top-ranked Regis Rams Friday night.

Head coach John Mattila has seen the film and its a little unsettling.

"They are athletic at every position on the field," said Mattila.

"They have the top running back in the state and maybe the second and third best, too."

Warrenton's running game, stuck in the non-existent mud at Rainier last Friday night, was back in form in the real wet, brown stuff. Michael O'Casey rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries before giving way to younger players in the second half.

"We had 236 yards in the first half," said Mattila. "Everybody got a chance to play in the final home ball game. The seniors all had some good plays."

O'Casey got the Warriors on the board with a short touchdown run in the first quarter, adding a 30-yard run before halftime to make it 19-0 Warriors.

Eric Gantenbein tossed two touchdown passes to Dallas Moses, who ended up with 100 yards receiving on five catches. Gantenbein had three interceptions and completed just 8 of 24 passes, but the weather conditions and personnel factored into the below par numbers.

"He had two picks that really weren't his fault," said Mattila, who calls the offensive plays. "We had some guys on the field who I wanted him to throw to. I told him to pass the ball to them no matter what. One of the interceptions was in the end zone."

The rainy, windy conditions led to 12 combined turnovers in an ugly game. Riverdale lost five fumbles and the Mavericks offense stayed well shy of the 50 yard line throughout the game. The Mavericks were also flagged repeatedly for illegal participation with too many players on the field.

Eric Gantenbein recovered three of the fumbles and Dan Wolfe and Brandon Garcia each intercepted passes for Warrenton.

Warrenton's first round opponent tuned up for the playoffs with a 41-0 non-league thrashing of 4A patsy Estacada. Regis, a private Catholic school located in Stayton, enter the tournament as the top-ranked 3A team in the state, with an average points differential of 41 points per game, which is more than most teams score.

Coach Mattila knows Friday's game will be the stiffest challenge of the season for his Warriors, whose three losses have come to Rainier, Clatskanie and Portland Christian, all playoff teams.

"We've had a pretty good season. We won all the games we should have won. Had we had a little better running game...who knows?"

The Warriors, now 6-3 on the season, finished in third place in the Lewis & Clark League and will play at Regis High School Nov. 10 at 7:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on SportsRadio 1230 ESPN with pregame coverage beginning at 6:40 p.m. Friday.

RIVERDALE 0 0 0 0--0
WARRENTON 7 12 7 0--26
1stQ-O'Casey 5 run (Engebretson kick)
2ndQ-Moses 7 pass from Gantenbein (kick failed)
2ndQ-O'Casey 30 run (pass failed)
3rdQ-Moses 28 pass from Gantenbein (Engebretson kick)
RUSHING-RIV: 36-117 (Fettig 22-82), WAR: 43-163 (O'Casey 18-126-2td)
PASSING-RIV: Henderson 4-18-2-25, WAR: Gantenbein 8-24-3-120-2td
RECEIVING-RIV: Peterson 1-9, WAR: Moses 5-100-2td
TURNOVERS-RIV: 7, WAR: 5
PENALTIES-RIV: 7-55, WAR: 7-40

FOOTBALL ROUNDUP

Seaside 36, Banks 17...The senior-dominated Gulls closed out a frustrating season on an up note, ending a 4-game Cowapa League losing streak with a win at Banks.
Knappa 44, Chemawa 0...The Strickland brothers, junior Jordan and freshman Cody, accounted for all seven Loggers touchdowns in a non-league rout at Chemawa. Unfortunately for Knappa, Corbett blanked Nestucca 21-0 at Cloverdale, ending Knappa's season on the wrong end of an OZZI tiebreaker for third place in the Northwest League.
Country Christian 36, Jewell 6...Country Christian kept the Blue Jays out of the playoffs as Jewell finished the season 1-8.

RAIN, WIND, ANOTHER LOSS FOR ILWACO

It seemed fitting.

A driving storm, howling winds, rain pummeling everything in sight, and the Ilwaco Fishermen yet again building a lead, and again, letting their opponent off the hook, On Saturday at Tumwater Stadium, Ilwaco burst out to a 20-0 lead early in the third quarter, but couldn't hold on as Rainier rallied past the Fishermen 21-20 in a Southwest Washington 1A cross-over football game.

The Fishermen started the game by taking advantage of a strong running attack and moving the ball on their opening series from their own 20 to the Rainer two-yard line. But QB Jake Nesbitt lost control of the center exchange and the Mountaineers jumped on the ball at the 1. Ilwaco took the lead on the next play and seized a 2-0 lead when Anthony Wirkkala tackled the Mountaineers' Jacob Fox in the end zone for a safety. On the Rainer free kick after the safety, Fishermen Senior Alex Martin plucked the ball out of the air after it struck the turf at the 26 yard line of Ilwaco, and ran through the Mountaineer coverage for a scintillating 74-yard punt return for an 8-0 advantage.

Martin's 7-yard touchdown run in the second period gave Ilwaco a 14-0 halftime cushion as the running back garnered the majority of the carries after Junior running mate Eddy Knick rolled an ankle on the opening series and only saw extremely limited action for the rest of the game. A turning point came at the end of the first half, when Ilwaco was denied the end zone as Rainer stuffed Ilwaco on three straight running plays from the Mountaineer 2-yard line. Martin had amassed 113 yards on the ground in the first half and the Fishermen seemed to have things under control. That feeling was amplified when Matt Kaino picked off an errant Kyle Lyon pass on the first lay of the second half and Martin scampered 21 yards on the next play to paydirt for the 20-0 Fishermen lead.

Little did Ilwaco know that it was the last points they would score. Rainer came storming back with the fervor of the malestrom against which the teams were playing. In the latter part of the third quarter, taking advantage of consecutive fumbles by Ilwaco, the Mountaineers scored twice. The first came on a Fox 12-yard run, and the second on a powerful 21-yard sprint to the end zone by Ricky Peace. With a pair of Kevin Volesky extra points, the game went to the final quarter with Ilwaco now clinging to a 20-14 lead.

The offense continued to sputter for Ilwaco, as Martin, who finished with 139 yards on 21 carries, was slowed by a leg strain. With the Fishermen starting running tandem both hobbled and ineffective, Ilwaco couldn't muster a sustained drive in the final period. The Mountaineers finished the comeback with 7:22 left in the game as Lyon found Alex Gudgel on a 22-yard pass, and Volesky added the final margin with his third extra point of the afternoon.

And in a driving storm, Ilwaco couldn't answer. The Fishermen finished the season with a disappointing 1-9 mark and can only ask themselves...what if?

ILWACO 8 6 6 0 -- 20
RAINER 0 0 14 7 -- 21

1stQ-ILW: Jacob Fox sacked by Wirkkala - Safety
1stQ-ILW: Alex Martin 74 punt return (run failed)
2ndQ-ILW: Martin 7 run (pass failed)
3rdQ-ILW: Martin 21 run (run failed)
3rdQ-RA: Fox 12 run (Kevin Volesky kick)
3rdQ-RA: Ricky Peace 21 run (Volesky kick)
4thQ-RA: Alex Gudgel 22 pass from Kyle Lyon (Volesky kick)

RUSHING-ILW: 52-213 (Martin 21-139-3td), RA: 44-172 (Peace 6-53-1td)
PASSING-ILW: 2-5-28 (Nesbitt 2-5-28), RA: 2-6-22-1 (Lyon 2-6-22-1td, 1int)
RECIEVING-ILW: Wirkkala 1-21, RA: Gudgel 1-22, 1td
TURNOVERS-ILW: 4, RA: 4
PENALTIES-ILW: 5-45, RA: 3-35

COMETS SEASON ENDS IN RAINY DEFEAT

Needing a win to keep state football playoff hopes alive, the Naselle Comets fell to Ocosta 22-12 at Pentilla Field Wednesday night.

A Naselle victory could have set up a potential 3-way for third place in the Pacific 2B League between the Comets, Tacoma Baptist and Raymond. Instead, the Crusaders and Seagulls will in all likelihood finish in a 2-way tie for third, barring a Raymond upset of Willapa Valley tonight. Tacoma Baptist will travel to either Wahkiakum or Toutle Lake in the first round of the state playoffs, having beaten Raymond in their regular season matchup.

The Wildcats had a slight 262-246 in total yards, but three turnovers proved to be Naselle's undoing, with a couple fumbles in the red zone particularly costly.

Kyle Burkhalter rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 110 yards for the Comets. Ocosta's Anthony Rogers rushed for 94 yards on 12 carries and Anthony Bowley added 77 yards on 24 attempts.

"We're disappointed with the loss," said Comets third-year head coach Robin Andrea, "but we're not disappointed with the growth of the football program."

Naselle's 5-5 overall record is its best in a decade, eclipsing the 4-5-1 mark of the 2001 Naselle playoff team. Only five seniors graduate from this year's roster.

WARRIORS CLINCH STATE BERTH

The Warrenton Warriors volleyball team will head to Hilander country after clinching a state tournament berth with a 26-24, 25-14, 25-14 victory over the Clatskanie Tigers in a winner-to-state, loser out match at Rainier High School Wednesday night.

Senior middle hitter LesleAnn Hayward had a big night at the net with five blocks and eight kills on 16-for-18 hitting.

"She went after it," said Warriors head coach Jim Hackwith. "She was all over the court. She was both sides of the net, playing both sides blocking every ball that came over. She was working very hard. It's the hardest game I've seen her play and she's played some good games this year."

Emily Ogren added five blocks and Ashley Poole contributed four kills.

The Warriors trailed 23-21 before coming back to win game one, then took care of business in games two and three to earn the sweep.

Warrenton's prize for making it to state: a long road trip to Burns to face the powerful top-ranked Hilanders, who reached the old 3A state semifinals last year and are just two years removed from a state championship against higher-enrollment competition.

"I've heard they're pretty good," said Hackwith of the team that features senior Jessica Clemens, younger sister of former Oregon and current New York Jet quarterback Kellen, who is one of the most heavily recruited female athletes in Oregon. "We're just going to go there and enjoy every minute of it."