By James Day
Silverton High basketball coach Darren Shryock is moving on to a new challenge. The longtime teacher and highly successful coach is taking over as the athletic director at Stayton High School.
“It has always been my long term goal to be an AD,” Shryock told Our Town. “There is a lot of time away from family with that job so I was waiting until my kids were almost graduated before actively pursuing it. My youngest will be a sophomore next year, so when the opportunity presented itself, it seemed like a good time to jump in.”
Shryock has been at Silverton for 12 years, winning Mid-Willamette Conference championships in 2010 and 2013 while finishing third in the Class 5A state tournament both years. He will not be coaching in his new job.
“That will be different for me,” Shryock said. “I have been coaching for 25 years now. It is going to be incredibly difficult to leave Silverton and these boys. I am excited about the chance to work with the administrative team at Stayton. Good things are in store for them and I want to be a part of the process.”
Foxes athletic director Greg Kaatz told Our Town that assistant coach Steve Roth will take over head coaching duties on an interim basis.
“Darren has been a great role model for kids and does a tremendous job with our basketball program,” Kaatz said. “He will be missed as a teacher, coach and role model. Silverton appreciates his hard work and dedication. We also wish him and his family the very best as he moves forward to pursue this opportunity.”
Kennedy baseball: The Trojans won their fourth consecutive Tri-River Conference title this season and made another strong run in the playoffs before losing May 30 to rival Regis in the Class 2A-1A quarterfinals. The Trojans, who beat the Rams twice during the district season, led 5-2 heading to the top of the seventh. But Regis rallied for three runs to tie game and then added three more on Tim Frith’s bases-clearing double in the top of the eighth to take an 8-5 lead.
Kennedy pushed across a run in the bottom of the inning and had two men on with cleanup hitter Sam Moreno at the plate representing the potential winning run. But Moreno’s towering fly ball to deep right was caught in front of the wall by Colby Moll, preserving Regis’ 8-6 victory. Kennedy, which took a 17-game winning streak into the game, finished 25-4.
“That was a tough one,” said Trojans coach Kevin Moffatt, who led Kennedy to the 2012 state title. “It’s tough to beat a good team three times. We played better for six innings, and they played better for two. Sadly, those two were the difference.”
Silverton baseball: Kaatz, who helped coach the baseball team this spring, told Our Town, “I was real happy for them” as the squad closed with a 7-7 record after opening 0-12. “They deserved some success. The seniors were content with how things ended and appreciated a good senior year improving from how things have been in the past. Coaching was a challenge time wise, but it was great to work with the kids.”
Foxes Cody Hernandez (designated hitter), Patrick Doyle (catcher), Dustin Meyer (shortstop) and outfielder Austin Miller received honorable mention on the all-Mid-Willamette Conference team.
Equestrian: Silverton will participate in national competition June 27-29 at Redmond. This is the first year that Oregon-based teams will be participating in national competition. Silverton will send seven athletes to nationals. The Foxes qualified at the Oregon High School Equestrian Team meet May 14-18, also in Redmond.
Sophomore Elise Guenther will represent Silverton in three events. Guenther took first in driving and second in saddle seat equitation at state, while teaming with senior Naomi Hare, sophomore Angeline Starrs, sophomore Sarah Potter, sophomore Nicole Kuenzi and freshman Breanne Hook to take first in the freestyle 6+ drill competition.
Senior Anne Moore took second behind Guenther in driving and also finished third in trail equitation. Hare, meanwhile, took fifth in working rancher.
Other team members include freshman Ashley Kuenzi; sophomores Joy Smith, Heidi Moore and Nichole Worden; junior Anneliese Doerfler; and senior Amalea Graham.
Softball: Silverton fell 4-1 in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs and finished 18-10. Kayla Stocker, Jessice Horsey, Destinee Sandlin and Alex Molloy were first-team all-MWC picks. Kelly Barth, Dani Schaecher, Taylor Norris and Isabella Marez made the second team. Kennedy, meanwhile, lost to North Douglas/Elkton in the 2A-1A playoffs and finished 17-7.
Stephanie Wells: Wells, a sophomore at the University of Montana from Silverton, took fifth in the javelin at the Big Sky Conference championships and advanced to the NCAA West Regionals where she finished 13th. She recorded her best mark of the season, a 155-2 at the regional meet.
Follow me on Twitter @jameshday.
Send a news tips to [email protected]
