Clackamas jumped out to a 38-25
halftime lead, then held on to defeat host Oregon City, 68-65 in a key
Three Rivers League contest Jan. 25. The loss was the first home loss
for the No. 4 Pioneers (12-3) in 18 years. By winning, No. 2 Clackamas
(15-1) moved to 7-0 — two games ahead of Oregon City — to put another
Pioneer streak in jeopardy: winning the last 17 Three Rivers League
titles.
COACHES EARN NFHS PRAISEThree Oregon coaches who have a knack for winning state championships are among the 21 coaches selected 2010 National Coaches of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).
National honorees include Joe Volk, girls cross country coach at
St. Mary's (Medford); Rex Watkins, girls swimming and diving coach at
Crescent Valley (Corvallis) and Jeff Wood, boys tennis coach at
Jesuit (Portland).
Volk has guided St. Mary's to three-straight 3A/2A/1A cross country titles. Watkins has led CV's girls to four-straight 5A State swimming titles. Under Wood, Jesuit has won three-straight 6A tennis titles.
According to the NFHS, criteria for the award includes career coaching record, community service, involvement in school activities, involvement in the profession at the local, state and national levels and basic coaching philosophy.
Several other Oregon coaches were honored as Section 8 (encompassing Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming) coaches of the year. They include: Billy Snow, boys track,
Sweet Home; Dennis Murphy, boys basketball,
South Medford; Dave Gasser, baseball,
Astoria; Eric Johansen, boys soccer,
South Salem; Steven Lander, wrestling,
Roseburg; John Hamilton, boys golf,
Catlin Gabel (Portland); Daniel Zimmer, boys swimming,
Henley (Klamath Falls); Cindy Anderson, girls basketball,
Wilsonville; Rosie Honl, volleyball,
Crook County (Prineville); Dennis Metzger, girls golf,
Molalla; and Lee Lowe, 8-man football,
Imbler.
State coach of the year award winners from Oregon were Marty Johnson, football,
Sheldon (Eugene); Joan Kintz, girls track and field,
Gladstone; and Steven Baker, softball,
Centennial (Gresham).
The coaches will be honored at the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association awards banquet this spring.
ROSEBURG, HERMISTON STAY ATOP WRESTLING POLLSLarge school powers
Roseburg and
Hermiston continued atop
the 6A and 5A wrestling polls. Hermiston is on track for its fifth straight state title
and improved to 10-1 with a dual meet win (69-6) over The Dalles
Whatonka. Coach Curt Berger is 280-66 in his 20-year career. Roseburg
excelled with a 58-9 dual win over Eagle Point.
MELANCON WINS GATORADE HONORSheldon (Eugene) senior Matthew Melancon, who won the Class 6A boys cross country state title in November, has been selected the 2010-11 Gatorade Oregon boys cross country runner of the year. He is the first Sheldon runner chosen for the award. Melancon, who carries a 3.88 gpa, also won the Concordia/Puma Classic and the Midwestern/Southern Oregon Conference championships. He will attend the University of Oregon on a track scholarship.
SHELDON FOOTBALL COACH RETIRESRecently named Oregon Prep Football Coach of the Year, Marty Johnson won 137 of 164 games and took
Sheldon (Eugene) to the playoffs in each of the last dozen seasons. Under Johnson, the Irish won nine league titles and three state championships (2002, 2007, 2009). Johnson had a winning record in each season, including two perfect seasons and six one-loss seasons. Sheldon won 57 straight league games from 2000-08.
THREE FORMER OREGON PLAYERS EARN NFL ALL-PRO HONORSDetroit rookie defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was one of three former Oregon High School players to be named first-team All-Pro. Suh was the only rookie named to the first-team. Suh, out of Nebraska and Portland's Grant High School, joins Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu out of Douglas High School on the first team. A former Willamette High School player, Philadelphia safety Quintin Mikell was named second-team.
TITLE IX CHANGES GAME TIMESIn order to comply with Title IX guidelines related to athletics, all Klamath County high schools will use alternating starting times for boys and girls basketball games. Effective immediately, all game times will alternate for contests scheduled when both boys and girls play on the same date and at the same facility.
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