As the Mid-Willamette Conference basketball season heads toward the midway mark both Silverton squads have roared to 5-0 starts in dominating fashion.
The boys squad, in its first year under coach Jamie McCarty, is outscoring league opponents by an average of 72-46 per game. The boys were 13-1 and ranked No. 1 in Class 5A by the OSAA at Our Town’s presstime. The lone loss was to San Diego area power Mater Dei in the semifinals of the Capitol City Classic at Willamette University in Salem.
The boys boast sharpshooters Cade Roth and David Gonzalez, but the key to the team’s success lies in its balance, defense and rebounding. Levi Nielsen and Clay Martinson have been terrors on the boards and fifth starter Josiah Roth is the consummate team player.
“No game is any bigger than any other,” McCarty told Our Town after the Foxes dismantled previously unbeaten South Albany 69-42 on Jan. 23. “We play every game the same way. We play defense and rebound with heart and passion. That’s Silverton basketball.”
The girls, coached by Tal Wold, have outscored MWC foes by an average of 58-33, are 12-3 overall and ranked fifth. Two of the three losses were to Class 6A squads, including No. 2 Tigard. The lone 5A loss was against top-ranked Marist Catholic.
Wold has veteran three-year starters Maggie Roth and Brooke McCarty back for their senior years, but the squad has received a boost from underclassmen Ellie Schmitz, Jori Paradis and Riley Traeger.
“We needed some girls to step up and not blink,” Wold told Our Town after the trio combined for 30 points in a hard-fought 49-43 win at Corvallis on Jan. 12. “They’re doing a lot of learning under fire. I’m really proud of them.”
The Kennedy girls, meanwhile, are proving to be a dominant force in Class 2A. The Trojans are 18-1 overall and 7-0 in the Tri-River Conference. St. Paul and Central Linn are tied for second at 5-2, but Kennedy already is 3-0 against the two teams.
Swimming: The Foxes girls squad is 7-1 overall while the boys are 6-2 as the athletes get ready for the Mid-Willamette Conference district meet Feb. 9-10 at Osborn Aquatic Center in Corvallis.
“We are progressing towards districts just fine,” said coach Lucky Rogers, who added that he was “still hoping to break a few school records at the district meet.”
Silverton finished second in both boys and girls at last year’s Mid-Willamette meet.
Looking ahead to state, where the Foxes qualified five relay squads a year ago, Rogers noted his girls relays teams already have surpassed last year’s marks and the boys are within striking distance.
The state meet is Feb. 16-17 at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham.
Dance: The Silverton squad finished its fall season with the categories championships in Tualatin, where the Foxes placed second in contemporary, fourth in hip hop and fourth in Jazz. The team now will focus on its state meet routine, with competitions scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 3 at Stayton and Feb. 24 at Sprague.
In addition, the squad will be hosting its junior dance camp Feb. 13-15 for individuals in kindergarten through sixth grade. Campers will practice from 3:30 to 5:15 p.m. and then perform at halftime of the Foxes’ Feb. 16 girls varsity basketball game against South Albany.
The camp costs $30 for one person and $50 for two (fees include a camp T-shirt and admission to the game). Registration is due by Feb. 7. Call Brittany Zurcher at 503-931-5954 or stop by the Silverton Ballet Studio,
209 Oak St.
Wrestling: Silverton heads toward district competition with a pair of wrestlers ranked No. 1 in Class 5A, Kaden Kuenzi (120 pounds) and Jacob Whitehead (126). In addition, Robert Guenther is eighth at 132 and KC Hitchcock is 13th at 145. Whitehead has been out with an injury but coach Keegan Davis is hoping to have him competing again before districts.
The Foxes host the Mid-Willamette Conference meet Feb. 9-10.
In recent tournament action Silverton finished 22nd in the 60-team Gut Check in Seattle and finished seventh at The Classic in Redmond. Madison Shockley of the Foxes’ three-athlete girls team took fourth in her weight at The Classic. Also wrestling were Hailee Burton and Taylor Ward.
Fun run: Registration is open for the Wurst Run, which will be held in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of Wurstfest at the Festhalle in Mount Angel. Race day is Feb. 10, and online signups are available at www.racenorthwest.com. Included are 5K and 10K races, Adult entrants will receive a pint glass and a beverage ticket for the festival.
Follow me on Twitter.com @jameshday. Got a news tip? Email me at [email protected].
