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FEATURE ARTICLES
Area athletes achieve distinction
America’s largest Christmas choral festival
City, neighborhood leaders celebrate 102nd Avenue Project completion
Elmer’s exit ends era on 82nd Avenue
Council holds rare session in Mid-County
Parkrose Colts go 8-0
Fine Arts Guild decks the walls of neighborhood spaces

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Area athletes achieve distinction (continued)

PC football players earn post-season honors
Portland Christian senior Kyle Seemuth, named to the 2A Northwest all-league second team, makes an over-the-shoulder catch during a PC game.
COURTESY MICHAEL WORKMAN
The Portland Christian High School football team finished the regular season with an 8-2 record. The Royals then went on to defeat Central Linn 23-12 in the first round of the state 2A playoffs.

Football is of course a team sport, but any team that consistently advances to post season likely also boasts talented individual players. This year is no exception. Nathan Rowlett was named the Northwest League Defensive Player of the Year. Eric Lemieux, Chris Workman, Mike Rossi, Rowlett, Bobby Chavez and Sam Swerhone received first-team all-league honors. Rossi was tapped as a running back and defensive lineman. Workman was named to the first team for his play as a wide receiver and the second team as a punter. Kyle Seemuth and Preston Dace also received second-team honors. Rowlett and Workman were named Shriner candidates.

Parkrose volleyball all-stars
The Bronco volleyball team advanced to the OSAA 5A state tournament for the first time in a number of years. While they were eliminated in a first-round game by Mountain View, the eventual second-place team, three players were named as Northwest Oregon Conference All-Stars. Anhthu Tran, a junior defensive specialist, was tapped for the first team. Senior Kyla Henry made the second team for her all-around play, along with junior hitter Megan Young.

DDHS football wins, loses at state
The David Douglas High football team along with four other Mt. Hood Conference teams qualified for state this fall, but the Scots were the only team to post a win in first-round play. They defeated Newberg 31-28 in an exciting come-from-behind win. The Scots then traveled to South Medford, but the Panthers handed them a 42-20 second-round loss. David Douglas finished the season 8-4, winning five of their last six games.
All-star team includes Royals players
The Portland Christian volleyball team lost a first round state playoff game to eventual fourth-place finisher Weston-McEwen – but not before seeing three players named to the 2A Northwest Conference all-star team. Junior Amada White was selected to the first team; Joell Fulps, a junior, made the second team and senior Berti Bearden received an honorable mention.

Parkrose football has bright future
Sensing the first homecoming win since 1992, from left, first-year varsity Head Coach Tim Price has a light moment with Assistant Coach Jeff Thomas and players Vy Hung and Armando Flintroy.
MEMO PHOTO: TIM CURRAN
First-year Parkrose football Head Coach Tim Price got results after installing his off-season training regime last year; he also brought knowledge, experience and professionalism to the school and its football program. After going winless in 2007 and yoked to the weighty burden of being perennial losers, the Parkrose varsity football team had its best season in years as they posted a 2-7 record. And, for the first time since 1992, they won their homecoming game against Madras, the highlight of the year for the program. The future looks bright for the beleaguered Broncos.

“We were in a couple of games we should have won,” Price said. “We should have won four or five games this year, but the kids have to learn how to win, so we took our bumps and bruises this year.”

Price received what he needed from the superintendent to start putting together a winning program. He has a five-year plan, culminating with the state title in 2012. Price was pleased with the progress the team made this year toward that goal. “School spirit was up during football season. I got great support from everybody, (which) made it real easy for me.”

As far as next year, Price has 22 returning players, including team Defensive Player of the Year Vy Hung, wide receiver and defensive back Daniel Pavlenko, tight end Trimaine Carson and linebacker Jordan Carter, who rushed for 500 yards this season. Steve Maier and William Castro also return to anchor the offensive line for the team.

Price has freshman talent too. He’s looking forward to the off-season and working with running back Marquis Hammick, lineman Jerry Hunter and quarterback Zachary Abney. The latter, Price said, is going to be a very good quarterback in the next three years. Part of Price’s five-year plan is to schedule tougher 5A teams in 2009 as the team improves – part of the challenge his players will face if they want to win a championship one day.

“I think more of the kids in the stands that should be playing football or did play football saw our kids competing,” Price said. “It’s our kids getting sacks and tackling the opponent for losses, interceptions; they saw our team competing. Now a lot of kids want to come back out and play football next year.” Price, a usually stolid pragmatist, was effusive and enthusiastic. “If we can get those kids from Parkrose Middle School to play for Parkrose, we can get things going around here. We have a five-year plan; we’re going to stick to it. We’re looking forward to next year. We’re looking forward to putting Parkrose back on the map.”

Message to long-suffering Parkrose football fans: There is now light at the end of the long tunnel. The road is long and steep but, with Price leading, they’ll get there.

DDHS girls league champs, advance to state
The David Douglas girls water polo team was perched atop the Mt. Hood Conference when the state tournament began last month. They were matched against Newberg in quarterfinal action, but were sent to the consolation bracket by the eventual state champs in a 15-1 defeat. The Scots went on to beat South Eugene 5-4 and Lake Oswego 6-3 to earn fifth place in state.

Conference MVP Malena Prlain was named to the second team all-state. Her coach, John DeRoest, believes she may have been overlooked due to the team’s fifth-place finish. He went on to say, “I feel like we were better than a fifth-place team, but we ran into a buzz saw in Newberg.” He said the Scots will have many of their players back next year including Prlain, a junior, so he has high hopes for next season. The team finished 14-4 for the season.

Scots runner qualifies for state
Ariel Clark, a David Douglas High senior, ran the cross-country course in Hood River in 21:05:73 to finish in 10th place at the Mt. Hood Conference district meet and earn a spot at the state meet. In Eugene, she ran 20:54:8 against the top cross-country runners in the state, putting her about mid-pack.

CYO team wins title
St. Therese 5th/6th-grade football champions.
Submitted Photo

The Catholic Youth Organization’s Region 9 5th/6th-grade football team won the CYO Gridiron Championship in Stayton last month, beating the previously undefeated Region 8 team 20-18.

All of the players live in the Mid-county area; many of them attend St. Therese Catholic School, 1260 N.E. 132nd Ave. Coaches Nick Vanoudehaegen, Tee Mackley and Jacob Fischer are Argay residents. Vanoudehaegen and many of his players also won the 3rd/4th-grade title in 2006.

Area athletes excel in classroom too
Thanks to the Dairy Farmers of Oregon, every student athlete in Oregon’s high schools can earn recognition both on the field and in the classroom through the Oregon School Activities Association Scholar Athlete Program. The Dairy Farmers of Oregon Academic All-State Team Awards honor high school teams based on their combined grade point averages, regardless of won-loss records.

A team’s combined GPA must be 3.0 or higher to qualify.

This award recognizes that it takes added effort to keep up on schoolwork while spending time in extracurricular activities. Mid-county sports teams rise to the top in academics as well as athletics.

David Douglas student athletes placed in the top 10 academically statewide in both boys cross-country (3.67 GPA) and football (3.11 GPA). The Reynolds girls cross-country team (3.76 GPA) and volleyball team (3.61 GPA) also ranked in the top 10. Portland Christian earned top 10 honors in boys soccer (3.36 GPA) and football (3.21 GPA).

Other area teams to receive recognition for maintaining a combined GPA of 3.0 or better include:
• Centennial boys cross-country (3.43 GPA) and boys soccer (3.20 GPA)
• David Douglas girls cross-country (3.58 GPA), volleyball (3.18 GPA) and girls soccer (3.14 GPA)
• Parkrose boys cross-country (3.31 GPA), volleyball (3.53 GPA), boys soccer (3.34 GPA) and girls soccer (3.34 GPA)
•Portland Christian volleyball (3.50 GPA) and girls soccer (3.48 GPA)
• Reynolds boys cross-country (3.54 GPA) and girls soccer (3.39 GPA)
Congratulations to all of these student athletes, their coaches and their teachers for working hard in the classroom and on the field. Your Mid-county neighbors are proud of you.

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