Weird high school football season, wasn’t it? Games in March and April. COVID postponements.
The record shows that Silverton finished 3-2, while having its annual showdown with West Albany postponed because of a Silverton outbreak. But it was a season full of highlights and accomplishment, said fourth-year head coach Josh Craig.
“Highlights would be how mentally tough the team stayed through all the adversity and the positive attitudes they exhibited,” Craig said. “We played a tough schedule, which was really good for us I think and the guys embraced that. We also hung tough during a very shaky offseason and other challenges throughout a wacky year.”
Craig gave the credit to his players.
“They really didn’t let the COVID challenges become a hindrance on our focus. We had a week where we had to practice with a third of our guys missing due to a COVID exposure, and we just took it in stride. I never had to field any complaints or belly aching from any of them, which to me says the world about their character as young men, to be
able to have things going against them continuously and just keep on going.”
Craig noted the April 2 cancellation of the West Albany game as a low point.
“That was one of the tougher things
I’ve gone through as a coach because I felt that I could have prevented it even though we followed all the right protocols to a T, and I’ve stressed COVID safety since day one. But I learned a terrific lesson in flexibility and taking things in stride this season.”
Craig is giving his squad the spring off so the athletes can play other sports “and just get a break in general. We had been
practicing in some capacity since April
of last year, so they need to not think about football for a little bit. But we’ll get it going in June and will hit the weight room hard in the summer.”
Craig said he took pride in the fact that amid COVID there were more than 100 players in the program and the Foxes were able to field three teams, a rarity this season.
“I’m fired up for next year… It should be a very fun fall.”
Kennedy turnaround: Monday, April
12, the Kennedy baseball squad, which includes 13 members of the football team, participated in a jamboree at Toledo.
Since Wednesday, April 14, the team immediately began to show the same dominance. Through April 26, Kennedy is 6-0 overall and 4-0 in Special District 2 and has outscored its opponents 87-6.
“Yeah, it’s been crazy, football done on a Friday and we played a game Monday,” coach Kevin Moffatt said. “Not the typical pre-season to get arms in shape, but it’s been a great start.”
Leading the way has been senior Dylan Kleinschmit, who broke his collarbone playing football March. Other standouts have been seniors Brady Traeger and Camryn Biegel at the plate, junior Riley Cantu on the mound, seniors Cole Boen and Clay Beyer solid all-around, with Moffatt also noting the contributions
of sophomores Charlie Beyer (catcher), Luke Beyer (2nd base) and Andrew Cuff and Ethan Kleinschmit (1st base).
Western Christian and Culver also are undefeated in District 2, with the Trojans starting four consecutive games against the two schools May 7.
The Kennedy softball team, meanwhile, also is undefeated and has outscored its opponents 82-0 in its five wins. The Trojans’ squad features five players from their unbeaten volleyball team, but unlike with baseball, there were six days between the final volleyball match and the first softball game.
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