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Foxes second-year coach Dan Lever works with his linemen on footwork at a practice Aug. 7. Silverton opens at home on Sept. 1 vs. Dallas.  James Day

Football preview – Silverton, Kennedy getting ready for openers

By James Day It’s year two for Silverton football coach Dan Lever, who led the Foxes to a 7-4 record and a Class 5A quarterfinals berth a year ago. “Year two is a lot better than year one,” he said Aug. 7 as the team opened fall camp. “In year one you are just trying to get everything in place.” […]

James Day

Football memories – Top 10 moments from ten years on the beat

This is the 10th anniversary of my sports column in Our Town. Well, actually, it’s the 11th, but I’m not counting the COVID year. With football season almost upon us I thought it was a good time to look back on those ten-plus years and note the top moments from our two teams, Silverton and Kennedy. During that stretch both […]

James Day

All-around winners: Kennedy once again rules Class 2A in Oregon

Kennedy High has returned to the top of the leaderboard in Oregon’s Class 2A. And the accomplishment involves elements way beyond just athletic competition. The Trojans have captured the 2022-23 OSAA Cup, the all-sports trophy that also includes academic and sportsmanship components. It’s an honor that’s dear to the heart of Kevin Moffatt, who coached the baseball team to its […]

James Day

Equestrian athletes – Silverton takes seventh in state championships

The Silverton High equestrian team finished seventh in the large division of the Oregon High School Equestrian Teams state championships May 11-14 at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond. Silverton scored 141 points. Oregon City (588) and Mountain View of Bend (411) dominated the team race. Silverton scored well in numerous events, with Adeline Kuenzi taking third in hunt seat […]

Silver Falls School District math teacher Stacy Barker participates in a breakaway roping competition at a rodeo. Submitted Photo

Rodeo, teaching star – Stacy Barker proves expert in two paths

By Naiya Brown Stacy Barker is the math teacher at Sequoia Falls Academy in Silverton, but she has other strong interests, as well as a second career in rodeo. Barker, who grew up in Oregon City and graduated from Canby High, has been breakaway roping for 32 years and competing for 30 of them after initially enrolling at the University […]

Coronation time – JFK boys end sterling session with repeat baseball title

31-0. We should have seen this coming. The team that coach Kevin Moffat sent out in last June 3’s title game vs. Umpqua Valley Christian featured senior Riley Cantu and eight juniors.  Returning this year were Charlie Beyer, Luke Beyer, Brian Beyer, Ethan Kleinschmit, Andrew Cuff, Owen Bruner, Brett Boen and Matt Hopkins. Sophomore Brody Kleinschmit took over at second […]

State champs – Mucken wins long jump, places in 3 other events for SHS

  By James Day Silverton High’s Steeley Mucken scored in 4 events on May 26-27 to lead the Foxes to a tie for 5th in the OSAA Class 5A track and field meet at Hayward Field in Eugene. Mucken won the long jump and took 5th in the 100, and 6th in the 200 and the javelin to help Silverton […]

Back in the arena – Short ‘rest’ periods for McCarty, Wold

Basketball fans in the Silverton High area suffered a double blow about a year ago when both Foxes coaches, boys coach Jamie McCarty and girls coach Tal Wold, resigned. Arguably they were the two most successful coaches in school history. McCarty lost just one league game in his five seasons, while finishing second, third and fourth at state. Wold won […]

Track stalwarts – Kennedy takes home two district titles

  By James Day The Oregon School Activities Association moved Kennedy into an unfamiliar district for track and field this season. The Trojans wound up in Special District 1, which featured numerous teams from the northwest corner of the state, including Knappa, Vernonia, Clatskanie and Nestucca. “Our athletes made the most of it,” said veteran JFK coach Steve Ritchie after […]

Trojans resilient – Baseball squad scores huge win in wind tunnel

Baseball is played in a wide range of climates in Oregon. Hot, cold and rainy for sure. Even hail at times. But May 8 at Kennedy High in Mount Angel it was the wind that challenged the host Trojans and St. Paul as they met in a showdown series in Class 2A-1A’s Special District 2. Both teams came in undefeated, […]

Silverton AD wins national award

By James Day Silverton High Athletic Director Andy Jones has received a national honor. Jones, who is finishing his first school year as AD of the Foxes, was given the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) state merit award at the Oregon Athletic Directors Association (OADA) conference on April 17 in Sunriver. The award also represents Jones’ achievements at previous […]

Weather toughened – JFK, Silverton track getting in gear

The Silverton and Kennedy track and field programs have battled through weather adversity this spring and seem primed to make strong runs in the second half of the season. “We are pleased with our very young team,” said Erik Cross, who is in his 26th year leading the Foxes, including a state Class 5A boys team title a year ago. […]

Foxes tennis squads in top form

By Naiya Brown  The Silverton High girls and boys tennis teams are enjoying undefeated dual match seasons to date and showing positive momentum, both coaches said.  “It’s been good,” said long-time girls coach Shawn Pool. “We have a very strong team, especially in the doubles, but our singles team is very good as well. We are returning our doubles that […]

Sports Datebook: May 2023 – Home contests only

Monday, May 1 Baseball 4:30 p.m. Kennedy vs Willamina Tuesday, May 2 Boys Tennis 4 p.m. Silverton vs Dallas Thursday, May 4 Softball 4:30 p.m. Kennedy vs Regis Friday, May 5 Track & Field 2:30 p.m. Garden City Relays, Silverton Baseball 4:30 p.m. Kennedy vs Willamina 5 p.m. Silverton vs Crescent Valley Softball 5 p.m. Silverton vs West Albany Monday, […]

Spring update: Softball, baseball prospects… plus Mannion retires

Last season veteran Silverton softball coach Ralph Cortez sent out one of the younger squads in the state. The Foxes featured only four seniors on the roster and included a cadre of talented freshmen. As one might expect, Silverton took its lumps early, at one point losing four consecutive Mid-Willamette Conference games. But the team gelled, closed on a 9-2 […]

State champs again: Silverton dance earns 1st, 2nd at OSAA event

The Silverton dance and drill program has once again brought home a state championship. The 2022-23 squad, coached by Alex Reese and Emily Sword, took home first place in Class 5A in jazz and second place in traditional March 17-18 at the Oregon State Fairgrounds Pavilion in Salem. The state title was the fifth in school history, following 1998, 1999, […]

Sports Datebook: April 2023 – Home contests only

Tuesday, April 4 Girls Tennis 4 p.m. Silverton vs Woodburn Baseball 4:30 p.m. Kennedy vs Umpqua Valley Christian Wednesday, April 5 Track & Field 3 p.m. Silverton vs Corvallis, Dallas Baseball 5 p.m. Silverton vs Woodburn Softball 5 p.m. Silverton vs Woodburn Thursday, April 6 Boys Tennis 4 p.m. Silverton vs Lebanon Softball 4:30 p.m. Kennedy vs Gervais Monday, April […]

Mountain biking club gears up for new season

A Silverton-area mountain biking club is getting ready for a fourth season and is looking for new riders to become members. The Silver Falls MTB started in 2020 and focuses on riders in grades 6-12. The club started with 12 riders and was at 22 last season. Club members practice Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. starting in […]

Winter wrapup – Foxes 4th in girls hoops, JFK’s Geschwill wins title

By James Day A light snow was falling in Corvallis at 9 a.m. Friday when the Silverton High girls tipped off against Rex Putnam of Milwaukie in the game for 4th place at the OSAA Class 5A basketball tournament. The Foxes started cold as well, missing 20 of their first 21 shots while falling behind by 7 points. But Silverton […]

Coming home – Former Foxes McCarty, Ratliff regroup

In the quarterfinals of the Class 5A boys basketball tournament last March, Silverton was locked in a tight struggle with Crescent Valley. The Raiders led throughout, but the Foxes kept answering. With 2:40 left, point guard Jordan McCarty uncorked a blistering no-look cross-court pass to a wide-open Austin Ratliff cutting to the hoop. He laid it off the glass to […]

Making history: Aqua Foxes capture first district title

“We just had an amazing year,” said Silverton High swimming coach Lucky Rogers. What else could he say? Rogers’ Aqua Foxes, who historically have used their huge turnouts, depth and relay strength to even up the odds against schools with a high volume of club participants, won the Mid-Willamette Conference district girls title Feb. 10-11 at Osborn Aquatic Center in […]

Sports Datebook: March 2023 – Home Game Varsity Contests

Monday, March 13 Girls Tennis 4 p.m. Silverton vs Stayton Baseball 5 p.m. Silverton vs Roosevelt Wednesday, March 15 Softball 5 p.m. Silverton vs Sprague Friday, March 17 Boys Tennis 4 p.m. Silverton vs Philomath Saturday, March 18 Baseball 2 p.m. Kennedy vs Warrenton Monday, March 20 Girls Tennis 4 p.m. Silverton vs McNary Tuesday, March 21 Baseball 5 p.m. […]

Still undefeated – Foxes girls hoops 12-0 in league play

The Silverton High girls basketball continues its unbeaten march through the Mid-Willamette conference. The Foxes, ranked No. 2 in class 5A, moved to 12-0 in league play with a 38-30 win Feb. 7 against visiting Central. Silverton is 15-3 overall under first year coach Alyssa Ogle, with two of the losses to Class 6A teams and the other to Springfield, […]

In a groove – JFK hoops boasts squad of 3 sport stars

They say winning breeds more winning, and that is definitely true at Kennedy High. The Trojans captured the Class 2A-1A baseball title last spring, finished second in Class 3A football this fall and as the basketball season rounds the midway pole the JFK boys are 13-3 and ranked No. 3 in Class 2A by the OSAA. And because Kennedy emphasizes […]

Family affair – Katie McWilliams joins father as a Silverton High coach

By James Day The 2022-23 school year marks the 44th in which Nick McWilliams is teaching and coaching. The Silverton High English/language arts teacher is in his sixth year as an assistant coach for the boys basketball program. Coach McWilliams, 65, won a boys state title in 1984 at Santiam Christian and two girls championships at South Salem (2015-16). His […]