The local football squads have gotten off fast this fall.
Silverton and Kennedy are both 2-0 and ranked in the top 10 in their respective classes.
The Foxes are ranked No. 2 by the OSAA in Class 5A after opening with Special District 3 wins against Central, 51-14, and South Albany, 56-23. The new 10-team league means that Silverton does not play any nonconference games.
“We are putting up a lot of points because we are really being efficient,” said Foxes senior quarterback Levi Nielsen, who has thrown for 423 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 100 yards and three more scores.
His top target has been junior Grant Buchheit, who made the switch from running back to wide receiver. Buchheit has caught 14 passes for 334 yards and three touchdowns.
Another junior, running back Hayden Roth, has been the key ball-carrier with 241 yards and five touchdowns.
“We’ve had a good start,” said second-year coach Josh Craig. “It’s good to have some guys who can make big plays.”
Silverton hosted No. 8 Lebanon on Sept. 14 after Our Town’s presstime.
Kennedy, meanwhile, downed Class 3A Blanchet Catholic 47-6 and longtime rival Regis 40-6, and is entering Special District 2 play ranked ninth in Class 2A. Sheridan and Santiam, which Trojans Coach Joe Panuke says likely will be his squad’s toughest league tests, are ranked No. 5 and No. 10 respectively.
Santiam, which was state runner-up a year ago, visited Kennedy on Friday,
Sept. 14, after Our Town presstime.
Volleyball: Kennedy has started fast with an 8-0 record and a 3-0 mark in the Tri-River Conference. The Trojans have lost just two sets and are ranked fifth in Class 2A by the OSAA. New conference foe Culver is 7-0 overall, 2-0 in league and ranked No. 1. The two teams meet Oct. 2 in Mount Angel and Oct. 10 in Culver.
Silverton, meanwhile, is 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the Mid-Willamette Conference. The Foxes, who are tied for third in the league with West Albany, are ranked No. 13 in Class 5A. No. 2 Corvallis leads the MWC at 4-0, with No. 5 Dallas a half-game back at 3-0.
Oregonian Cup: Kennedy High keeps piling up the hardware. A shiny new Oregonian Cup has joined the trophy case noting the school’s first-place slot in the Class 2A competition for the third consecutive year.
The Cup is awarded to the top school in each classification based on a formula that includes athletics, sportsmanship and academics.
The Cup was presented to the Trojans at an all-school assembly Sept. 4 by Kelly Foster, associate director of the Oregon School Activities Association.
“A lot of hard work was put in by student-athletes,” Kennedy athletic director Kevin Moffatt told the student body. “They did a great job academically and on the field. We do pretty well in sports… and that’s cool. But if you are doing well in the classroom that follows you the rest of your life.”
Last school year Kennedy won state championships in girls basketball and softball, took third in volleyball, fourth in boys basketball and fifth in girls cross country.
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