Playoff season and district competition are approaching for area high schools. Here is a look at how the races and matchups are shaping up:
Football: Silverton (5-3 overall, 3-3 in the Mid-Willamette Conference) has clinched a playoff spot heading into the Foxes’ nonleague season-finale at Woodburn. Because Silverton is ranked seventh in Class 5A the squad still has a shot at a home game when the playoffs start Friday, Nov. 3.
Kennedy, meanwhile, is ranked No. 13 in Class 2A despite their 1-2 Tri-River Conference record and 2-6 overall mark. The high ranking is the result of playing in the perennially tough Tri-River, which sent all five league teams to the playoffs last season. A win in its regular-season finale against visiting Regis would give the Trojans’ playoff hopes a boost.
Cross Country: Kaylin Cantu of Kennedy continued her hot streak, winning the Heiser Farms Invite in Dayton on Oct. 13, besting a pair of top Class 4A runners in the process, while also adding a victory in the district preview meet Oct. 20 at Bush’s Pasture Park. Alejandra Lopez took fourth in a personal best 19:01.7 at Heiser Farms and second behind Cantu at the preview meet. In addition, senior Azaris Velazquez also set a PR at Heiser Farms, showing Kennedy’s depth as the Trojans head toward district competition back at Bush Park.
Meanwhile, at Our Town’s presstime, the date of Silverton’s participation in the Mid-Willamette Conference district meet was up in the air because of high water at Willamette Mission State Park.
The state meet for all classes is Nov. 4 at Lane Community College in Eugene. Look for special reports on the district and state meets on Facebook with a wrap up in the Nov. 15 Our Town.
Volleyball: Silverton turned in a solid first league season under coach Linda Riedman, finishing 8-6 in the Mid-Willamette Conference and earning the league’s No. 4 seed. The Foxes played visiting Churchill in a Class 5A play-in game after Our Town’s presstime.
Kennedy, meanwhile, finished second in the Tri-River at 10-2, one game behind champion Central Linn as the league playoffs got underway. The Trojans, ranked No. 4 in Class 2A, will host a home playoff match after Our Town’s presstime on Saturday, Oct. 28 with a visit to the state tournament on the line. Kennedy finished one match short of state last year.
Soccer: Silverton, last year’s Class 5A runner-up, went into the final days of the Mid-Willamette season battling with Corvallis for second place in league. Earning the No. 2 spot in the league would give the Foxes (5-1 in league, 6-6 overall) a first-round playoff bye. Third place means a play-in match at home against a team from the Midwestern League, most likely Thurston.
The Silverton boys, meanwhile, are in the hunt for a playoff spot as well. A likely No. 6 seed in the Mid-Willamette would lead to a road play-in match with the No. 3 from the Midwestern, most likely Churchill.
OSAA: It’s official. The Mid-Willamette Conference will be a 10-team league next fall. The final decision from the OSAA adds Cascade, West Albany and North Salem to the league core of Silverton, Dallas, Lebanon, South Albany, Corvallis, Crescent Valley and Central, with Woodburn moving down to the Class 4A Oregon West.
One possible result of the larger league is that schools could play nine league games in football, meaning no nonconference contests.
Kennedy, meanwhile, will be part of the new Class 2A Central Valley League with Chemawa, Colton, Culver, Delphian, Gervais, Santiam, Sheridan and Western Mennonite.
Hoops tryouts: A reminder that tryouts for the new boys and girls Silverton traveling basketball teams are coming up.
Girls tryouts (grades fifth through eighth) will be Wednesday, Nov. 1 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 5 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Boys (third through eighth grades) will try out Wednesday, Nov. 8 from 7-8:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 12 from 3-4:30 p.m. All tryouts will be at the high school. For information contact [email protected].
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