Former Silverton High standout Cole Chandler had a strong junior season at quarterback for Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash.
Chandler, who compiled a 33-4 record as QB of the Foxes, helped lead the Lutes to a 4-4 mark and a 4-3 record in the Northwest Conference.
The 6-2, 190-pound Chandler completed 77 of 141 passes for 1,009 yards and seven touchdowns with just three interceptions. In addition, Chandler rushed for an additional 121 yards and three scores.
Chandler accounted for all three Lutes TDs in a 27-21 season-opening loss to California Lutheran, scoring twice on the ground and once in the air. Chandler threw a pair of TD passes in a 23-13 win vs. Puget Sound and threw for a career-high 301 yards in a 24-20 loss to Pacific. Chandler added a scoring run and a TD pass in 17-14 loss to Whitworth and threw two more TD passes in a 27-14 win against Willamette.
PLU played in tough luck all season, losing games by six points, four points and three points as well as an overtime loss against NWC champion Linfield.
Chandler suffered a season-ending injury against Linfield and missed the final two games against George Fox and Lewis & Clark.
Here is a look at how other athletes from our area fared:
Sheyenne Brusven, Silverton: The former Foxes soccer standout had a 9-6-1 record in goal in her senior year for Corban University while posting a 1.18 goals against average, fifth best in Warriors history. Brusven turned in three shutouts this fall and her career total of 10 ranks seventh all-time at Corban. Brusven was also named an NAIA scholar-athlete, which requires a grade-point average better than 3.5.
Ethan Crofts, Silverton: The freshman soccer forward for Northwest Christian in Eugene played in all 18 matches for the Beacons, with five starts. Crofts tied for fourth on the squad in shots on goals with eight.
Aiden Bahr, Silverton: The sophomore soccer defender at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul played in five matches for the Eagles.
Baylie Cameron, Silverton: The sophomore soccer player at Linfield played in 16 matches, starting 10, and scored one goal for the Wildcats.
On college rosters but not seeing action were Kennedy’s Bishop Mitchell (Portland State football), Silverton’s Maddie Fuhrman (Hawaii cross country), Silverton’s Elijah Nielsen and Dustin Gubbels (Linfield football) and Kennedy’s Brett Traeger (Western Oregon football).
Did I leave anyone out? I’ll fix it in the next column. Shoot me an email at the address below.
Hoops: The Silverton boys served notice that they will be a force to be reckoned with statewide via a strong showing in the Capitol City Classic at Willamette University. The tournament featured six Class 6A teams from Oregon as well as four squads from out of state. The Foxes advanced to the semifinals with wins against Springfield and Cleveland and played a strong game against San Diego-area power Mater Dei Catholic before falling 63-52. Silverton improved to 7-1 on Dec. 22 with a convincing 65-29 win against Woodcreek of Roseville, Calif., in the game for third place.
“This tournament has been a great experience for us,” said coach Jamie McCarty. “Mater Dei might be the best team we will face all year, and I thought we left it all out on the court.”
The Foxes, behind the shooting of David Gonzales (21 points) and Cade Roth (18 points), led 11-2, 18-8 and 23-13, but the Crusaders outscored Silverton 41-24 in the second half behind sharpshooter Josh Tawhiao (24 points and five 3-pointers).
The Foxes’ girls squad, meanwhile, took a 5-3 record into the holidays. Two of the losses were to Class 6A squads Tigard and Tualatin, and Silverton has been short-handed recently without injured senior point guard Brooke McCarty.
Silverton won the 2016 Class 5A title and finished second to La Salle Prep a year ago, but lost seven seniors, including five who were three-year varsity players.
“The girls are doing a good job,” said coach Tal Wold. “We have a long way to go, but we are getting better daily. Half the battle is competing mentally day in and day out. We really like our girls and the team as a whole. The challenges we have faced have been replacing so many girls who had played so many varsity basketball games.”
Four-year starter Maggie Roth leads the way for Silverton, which should be in the thick of things in the Mid-Willamette.
“The league is really good,” Wold said. “I am not sure if there is a state champion in the bunch, but there are a bunch of teams that can get to Gill” Coliseum for the state tournament in March.
Silverton opens league play Jan. 9, with the boys visiting Crescent Valley and the girls hosting the Raiders.
The Kennedy girls, meanwhile, have blasted out to a 9-1 record and are ranked No. 1 in Class 2A. The Trojans, who finished third in last year’s state tournament, are 1-0 in Tri-River Conference play via a 30-26 win against St. Paul. The Kennedy boys are just 5-5 but ranked fourth in 2A. The Tri-River currently has four of the top eight squads.
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