Replacing four key varsity boys runners who made an appearance at State last season is among Taft High cross country coach Mandy Weiss’ chief goals. However, having fun in one of the state’s most unique races is assured Saturday, when the Tigers join hundreds of racers for the Ultimook Challenge in Tillamook.
“We have many freshman who have shown up to run, and they are running with such passion and have the ability to secure a spot on varsity and continue the path toS in the next few years,” she said.
The spectator-friendly Tillamook race offers a true cross country experience with two river crossings, a mud pit, a mile of wood-chipped trails and one-half mile on packed gravel.
A return to State is among the team’s chief goals, but getting the girls team there is also on the docket this season, Weiss said.
“The dedication to keep running through injuries, exhaustion, and pain” is among the squad’s chief goals, she said.
The scoreboard might not have showed it, but the effort did, so Taft High volleyball coach Kelsey Hart took a lot of positives away from the Tigers’ 3-0 league-opening defeat at Amity.
The Warriors downed Taft 25-16, 25-17, 25-12 in the Class 3A Coastal Range League opener for both teams.
“Their team came out strong, and our girls [JV and varsity] struggled out of the gates against their controlled passes, and heavy hitters,” Hart said. “But as the match continued, our girls started to find their rhythm.”
Taft returns to action Tuesday, Sept. 4, and Friday, Sept. 7, at home for nonconference matches against Toledo and Sutherlin, respectively, before resuming league play Tuesday, Sept. 11, at Yamhill-Carlton.
“For our first full match, I’m pleased with how things went,” Hart said. “While we would have liked to have a win under our belts, we came away from the match with confidence about what we were doing well, as well as a list of things to work on in practice.”
Hart said she was encouraged by the team’s attitude throughout the match.
“The girls were all very positive, and we ended our team meeting with compliments for other teammates about their performance, attitude, etc., during the match,” she said. “All in all, it was a very positive match, despite the loss.
“I think it showed the girls where their season can go if they work hard and show mental toughness. The coaching staff and players are all very excited for our upcoming home matches next week.”
Lincoln County schools are using the “So Happy” app by Sodexo to display the District’s breakfast and lunch menus and nutritional information.
Sodexo, the French food services and facilities management company headquartered in the Paris suburb of Issy-les-Moulineaux, said they created the mobile app because they recognize most parents turn to mobile devices when they want to know something, such as what’s on the menu and nutritional information.
According to Sodexo, “So Happy provides a level of transparency previously unknown to the school food service industry, with clear product descriptions and graphical representations for every nutritional category.”
Sodexo said students can be stressed having to decide on a meal, and the So Happy app should alleviate the problem.
Students and staff can pre-order up to a week in advance, skip the line and spend more time enjoying lunch.
The 2018 Run to the Rogue has been canceled due to the Klondike fire that’s burning in an area near the event’s finish line.
This annual race held by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians was set to take place Sept. 7-9.
This event is a 234-mile relay run/walk in memory of the Siletz Tribal ancestors who were forcibly removed from their homeland in Rogue River country in the mid-1800s and marched north to Siletz and the confinements of the Coast Reservation. The annual relay run is the closest today’s Tribal members can come to their ancestors’ experience on the journey from their homeland.
As of Aug. 30, the fire stood at 100,996 acres and was 40 percent contained, but continued to burn on the western side. The evacuation level was raised to Level 2 in the Agness zone on Aug. 26 by Curry County Sheriff John Ward due to safety and health concerns for nearby residents and remained at Level 2 as of Aug. 30.
Current air quality is unstable and dependent on wind patterns. With the ongoing risk of the fire continuing to spread, the Tribe has been forced to cancel this event.
This is the second consecutive year the Tribe has had to cancel Run to the Rogue. In 2017, the Chetco Bar fire near Brookings, Ore., caused the event to be canceled due to fire danger, poor air quality and potential evacuation notices.
The Tribe looks forward to continuing the tradition of Run to the Rogue in 2019.
Sutherlin High stepped down in class from 4A to 3A with mixed results Thursday, losing to Taft in boys play, but winning in girls action in season-opening soccer matches at Voris Field.
The Taft boys deployed heavy offensive artillery in defeating Sutherlin 9-1 after building a 6-0 halftime lead, but the Bulldogs defeated the Tigers 6-1 in girls play.
Despite the rout, Taft boys coach RYan Ulicni identified several areas his team will work on as it prepares for its league opener Tuesday at Salem Academy.
“Sutherlin had a great defensive setup, which made it difficult to find our way through,” he said. “Their control and distribution from the back to their midfield caused us some problems in the beginning.”
Frequent substitutions and increased communication kept the Bulldogs on the defensive, the first-year coach said.
“I’m not the coach that will be loud from the sidelines. If something needs to be adjusted, I feel that a simple substitution can work. The players on the bench are just as important as the ones starting. I’ve also left it to the players to fix it on the field with communication, which they did.”
Despite being the season opener, the Tigers benefited from the breakneck speed of the game, he said.
“Not only did these young men play with aggressiveness and speed, they also managed to control the pace of the game, which was a very fast pace” he said. “Our team does not have much in the way of height, but they more than make up for that in speed and heart. Their no-quit attitude all the way to that last minute was fantastic. Nobody could ask for more.”
Ulicni warned not to be misled by the final score or the level of the competition, that all of his team’s goals were earned.
“I know that some will look at the scoreline and say it was a blowout,” he said. “Some might say, ‘Well, it’s nothing newer than last year.’ I think everyone expected us to walk away with a win. What they might not be seeing is the change in the ‘quality of goals.’ I don’t believe any of those goals were a lucky break or a fortunate bounce. They earned every goal and every shot. This game was all theirs. I’m just glad to be a part of it.”
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Sutherlin was playing for the first time since joining the Class 3A Far West League this season after competing in the Class 4A Sky-Em Conference last year. The Bulldogs boys team went 1-12-1 overall and 0-9-1 in league last season, while the girls placed second at 8-5-2, 6-2-2.
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The girls team didn’t learn it would be playing Thursday until late Wednesday morning when Sutherlin was announced as a late replacement for Portland Christian, which only had nine girls.
“Sutherlin had some talent,” said Taft girls coach Joey Arce-Torres.
The Bulldogs took a 2-0 halftime lead before junior Ella Knott notched the Tigers’ only goal from a corner kick early in the second half.
“We missed a couple of opportunities and gave up an own-goal,” Arce-Torres said of the first-half deficit. “We had the momentum and many scoring opportunities [to start the second half], but failed to capitalize when we had them on their heels.”
Taft’s fourth-year head coach said seniors Melody Diggs and Lydia Prins and junior Fatima Lupercio put forth solid defensive efforts.
“It was a big learning experience for us before we start conference play [Tuesday at Salem Academy/Crosshill Christian],” he said. “Sutherlin was just too physical and too organized for us today. We will lick our wounds and come out battling on Tuesday.”
Arce-Torres said he was extremely appreciative of the program’s fan base, which gathered early to watch the boys endowment game prior to his team’s opener.
Three candidates will run for Lincoln City mayor and nine will vie for council positions in the Nov. 6 general election, according to a news release issued Thursday by the Lincoln City City Recorder.
Mayor
Dick Anderson
David Dahle
Susan Wahlke
Councilor Ward 1
Mitch Parsons
Councilor Ward 2
Diane Kusz
Nancy Oksenholt
Jack Sparrow
Councilor Ward 3
Larry Armstrong
Warren Halcott
Michael Holt
Richard Mark
City Recorder Cathy Steere said the candidates have qualified by nominating petition to run for elective office.
A small fire on the roof around the chimney at Salishan Lodge in Gleneden Beach was quickly doused Wednesday evening upon arrival by the Depoe Bay, North Lincoln and Newport fire departments. No injuries were reported.
Three engines, one ladder truck, one rescue unit, four chief officers responded and 21 firefighters brought the fire under control in approximately 15 minutes, a news release issued by the Depoe Bay Rural Fire Protection District reported.
Crews checked for fire spread from the 10-by-30-foot origin, then covered the affected area to prevent further damage. All crews cleared the scene shortly after 10 p.m.
Financial cost of the fire was not available. The cause is under investigation.
For further more information, call Depoe Bay Fire Chief Bill Johnson at 541-764-2202 or email [email protected].
Being the digital age, Taft High coach Jake Tolan has gotten an intimate sneak peak at the Harrisburg football team his Tigers will face Friday when the 2018 prep season kicks off throughout Oregon.
Jake Tolan
“We do know some things about them now that we live in a day and age where video footage of other teams is easily accessible,” he said. “We know that they are big up front on both the offensive and defensive lines, and they have a running back and quarterback that are very good athletes.”
Here’s something else he might know about the Eagles – and you should, too:
They have reached the Class 3A State quarterfinals the past five years and won the State championship as recently as two seasons ago.
“We will know after this game where we stand in the 3A ranks, considering Harrisburg made it deep in the playoffs last year and return a very good team this year,” Tolan said of Friday’s 7 p.m. road opponent. “I like our chances, though. I feel confident we will come out Friday and compete.”
Harrisburg is approximately half the size of Lincoln City off Interstate 5 about 97 miles from the Central Oregon Coast — 63 as the crow, er Eagle, flies. You’ll need about 15 bucks for five gallons of gas and spend around two hours to get there.
Upon arrival, you’ll discover a tiny town wrought with football fever that sticks together like birds of another feather, the Oregon Ducks, just 25 miles south in Eugene.
Coached by Edmund Rivera, the Eagles won the 3A State championship as recently as 2016 with a 34-27 victory over Salem Academy, and have been State quarterfinalists or better the past five seasons. They also reached the State title game in 2014, when they fell to Vale at Hillsboro Stadium.
Harrisburg went 5-6 overall last season and 3-2 for third place in the Mountain Valley Conference, then defeated fifth-ranked Amity 42-34 on the road in the first round of the State playoffs. The purple-and-gold clad Eagles fell at eventual State champion Cascade Christian in the State quarterfinals.
“I just want our kids to come out Friday with the mindset that they will do whatever it takes to compete and battle to give us a chance to win,” Tolan said.
Taft went 0-5 in the Class 3A West Valley League, but is bigger in numbers, larger in size and stronger in commitment, Tolan said, while being more experienced on the offensive and defensive lines. The Tigers are coming off a couple of impressive 7-on-7 summer camp showings and a breakneck 60-47 home victory over Jefferson to close out a 2-7 season last year.
In addition to Class 4A Corbett and Madras, Taft will move to a new 12-team “super conference” in 2018 that includes seven teams (Amity, Blanchet Catholic, Clatskanie, Dayton, Rainier, Scio and Willamina) that reached the 16-team Class 3A playoffs. The Tigers will play in a six-team sub-region comprised of Amity, Clatskanie, Dayton, Rainer and Willamina.
Led by skill players such as quarterback David Jin, running backs Logan Gilleo and JJ French, and receivers Tyee Fisher, Logan McLendon and Kam Kessler, Taft should benefit from protection from a more experienced line that features Victor Carrasco, Elin Fitch, Tyrese Hellman and Chris “Biz” Byrum.
Improvement on defense will also be a key for the Tigers, which surrendered a porous 51 points per game last season.
“They [Harrisburg] would prefer to run the ball offensively, which is where our focus has been the past couple of weeks defensively,” said Tolan, who emphasized that being competitive and playing hard in the non-league opener was more important than winning or losing. “This will be a great test for our team this early in the season.”
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Under the leadership of Wayne Swango, Harrisburg has won four State baseball championships (1970, 1976, 1980 and 1993) and State titles in 2A softball in 1999, 2000, and 2001. In addition to their 2016 Class 3A State football title, the Eagles won the 1A Division B football crown in 1966.
Saying they knew “something was up” and calling the incident “an unusual crime,” an Oregon woman’s despair over being lost and afraid ended in her arrest Tuesday night following a welfare check by Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department deputies.
Deputies responding to a 9-1-1 call from the Keys Place near the Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge found Desirae J. Zaher, 32, of Merlin, on private property at about 8:40 p.m. after driving her vehicle into dense brush.
Following further investigation, deputies located a boat and a riding lawn mower near Zaher’s location and determined the items were stolen from nearby storage buildings. Deputies located evidence linking Zaher to the alleged burglary and thefts.
Zaher was taken into custody and lodged at the Lincoln County Jail for Burglary II, Aggravated Theft, Criminal Mischief I, Criminal Trespass II with a bail of $180,000.
Two dozen energetic underclassmen will join a trio of experienced seniors and a pair of talented juniors on Taft High Ryan Ulicni’s first boys soccer head coaching roster before the home crowd Thursday at Voris Field.
First-year head coach Ryan Ulicni
“These young men have been playing together for so long [in youth league] they may have overlooked the single most important part of this sport — to have fun,” Ulicni said. “If you can get them to relax on the field and just ‘play the game’ with their friends, you’ll see soccer in a way that would surprise even them.”
“All of them bring a different aspect to the game, but each of them will bring their own experience in the sport,” Ulicni said.
“A fantastic outside back,” according to his coach, Genaro Flores will join fellow senior Jacob Mayoral, whose “no- quit energy can pace and control the middle back.”
Returning senior goalkeeper William Brooks, who will also be the Tigers’ only returning varsity golfer next spring, will strengthen Taft on the defensive end.
“His leadership is going to be a key,” Ulicni said. “The rest of the team will be driven by his hard work both on and off the field.”
Two returning juniors — striker Edson Fuentes and midfielder Estib Melo — also promise to be major contributors, he said.
“[Melo’s] movement and capability to control the field is also nice for the younger classmen to watch,” he said.
The presence of 11 sophomores and arrival of 13 freshmen bodes well for “exciting times to come.”
“There are some fabulously talented young men up and coming,” Ulicni said. “Both classes bring everything from offense, defense, midfield and the potential to be leaders among their peers.”
Most of the underclassmen make up the JV squad, “but could hold their own in a varsity match,” Ulicni said.
“We will be keeping an eye on their development for the early part of the season. Expect to see most, if not all at some point, playing up a level,” he said.
A playoff team last season, Taft outscored opponents 66-22 while going 13-3-2 overall and placing second in 3A/2A/1A/ Special District 2 play at 9-1-1. The Tigers will play in the eight-team SD2 league, featuring Class 2A Gervais, Western Christian/Perrydale and Delphian, and fellow 3A members Blanchet Catholic, Dayton, Salem Academy and Yamhill-Carlton.
“I am just very excited to be coaching here at Taft,” Ulicni said. “My main goal for this team is to teach them the variety this game has to offer — to show them there are different ways to pass, shoot even communicate. This season will not only teach these players how to be better, this will also teach me how to be a better coach.”
Based on its personnel, with most of the upperclassmen in the back, Ulicni said he expects Taft to pose a strong defensive stance when it opens its season in Thursday’s endowment game (admission charged).
“We need to focus on positioning and how to slow down the attack and transition up the field,” Ulicni said. “We will be rotating out a few sophomores in these positions.”
Ulicni said sophomore Ivan Cortez promises to be a great addition to the back line.
“His ability and willingness to cover defense and move up the field for a counterattack will be a great asset to show all of our upcoming players,” he said.
Look for sophomores William Calderon and Jose Flores to control the midfield.
“They have already shown the fluidity needed to control the game and show leadership to their teammates,” he said.
“Honestly, the only thing to work on now would be to keep them reminded of teamwork,” he said. “There has to be communication out on the field. If there is a mistake made, leaders need to step up, calm it down and get their team back in the game.”
Ulicni said the communication process and having the more experienced players passing their expertise down to the newcomers will prove pivotal in his team’s success.
“There is a sense of responsibility out on the field that is also coupled with a sense of accomplishment when you get them to work it out,” he said. “If I see something I believe they might be overlooking, I can talk it over with a substitute on the bench and tell them the goals they will be setting when they go in, then have the team respond to the change in a positive way.”
Taft got a glimpse of where it stands last Thursday at the Yamhill-Carlton Jamboree.
“It was a fantastic time to show what it would be like to play with 11 on the field,” he said following 5-0 and 4-1 exhibition wins, the second over the host team that included a dominating 15-minute second half after trailing 1-0 at intermission.
Ulicni said he will benefit from having two qualified assistant coaches. Dayton Mays is assisting Ulicni and is the JV coach, while Daniel Haehl has been working with the goalies.
Dayton Mays
“I come from a striker background in my playing days, so having this kind of variety in coaching is going to benefit all of us,” Ulicni said. “Dayton’s background in playing defense is a great asset to this team and my ability to coach. Being a former goalkeeper, Daniel will be able to help our keepers’ individually progress.”
Taft opens its league season at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday at Salem Academy.
“I really don’t know much about the toughness and level of competition at this level. I have told the team this,” Ulicni said. “I have also told them I am not preparing them for the next game. I am preparing them for the playoffs. If they can grow their individual game, along with their teamwork now, they will be able to play any game with confidence and will emerge victorious.”
Taft Roster
Harrisburg Roster
