By James Day
Silverton took down host West Albany 49-28 on Oct. 20, to move to 8-0 and clinch the Mid-Willamette Conference title. The Foxes have won or shared the past three league titles.
The Foxes broke a 14-14 tie right before halftime on a 20-yard TD pass from QB Sawyer Teeney to WR Elijah Howard, who made a spectacular catch in the back of the end zone. Silverton boosted the lead to 35-14 with a pair of third-period TD runs by Brody Sullivan and never was seriously threatened.
The contest marked the 11th time that West Albany and the Foxes have played since 2012. Silverton has a 6-5 edge in the series, which includes a 2-2 split in four playoff games. The Foxes closed the regular season with an Oct. 27 game at home vs. Lebanon on Senior Night.
The West Albany contest featured 40 penalties, with 19 being enforced against West Albany for 165 yards and 18 against the Foxes for 150. In addition, two penalties offset each other and the Bulldogs declined one.
Kennedy, meanwhile, moved to 7-1 with a 45-8 home win vs North Marion. The Trojans, ranked 3rd in Class 3A, are 4-1 in Special District 1 and closed the regular season with an Oct. 26 home game. Kennedy already has clinched a playoff berth.
Alumni Watch: Former Silverton High athlete Jori Paradis captured the PacWest Conference women’s cross country championship on Oct. 21 in Fresno, California. Paradis, a senior at Concordia of Irvine, equaled her personal best for 6 kilometers with a 20:51.9 clocking on the course at Woodward Park.
Paradis is the first Concordia women’s runner to win a conference title, and the 1-2 finish provided by Paradis and teammate Porsche Eismann helped the Lady Golden Eagles claim second place in the team race.
The strong performances by Paradis and her teammates qualified Concordia for the NCAA Division II West Regionals on Saturday, Nov. 4, in Monmouth at the Ash Creek Preserve course. Paradis and the rest of the women’s field will get the starting gun at 10 a.m. The preserve is at Western Oregon University in the far northwest corner of the campus.
Soccer: The Silverton girls squad has clinched a Class 5A playoff berth. The Foxes were 6-5-2 overall and 5-2 in Mid-Willamette play heading into their season-finale against McKay (0-21, 0-13). Silverton, the No. 9 team in Class 5A, currently is third in league play, with the MWC set to receive four automatic playoff berths. The Foxes, who sealed their playoff entry with a 1-0 blanking on Oct. 19 of Crescent Valley, a 5A semifinalist a year ago, were scheduled to find out their first round playoff opponent last weekend.
The status of the Foxes’ boys team is a bit more tenuous. Silverton was 2-4-1 in league play and 7-5-1 overall heading into the finale vs. defending 5A champion McKay (3-2-1). The Foxes are tied for 6th with Central, but still have playoff life because they are ranked 11th and there are two statewide at-large berths in addition to the four automatic MWC slots.
Volleyball: Silverton has clinched a spot in the 5A playoffs, and the Foxes were scheduled to face an opponent to be determined on Oct. 28, after Our Town’s presstime. A win would put the Foxes in the state quarterfinals on Nov. 3 in Forest Grove. Silverton was 12-6 overall, 9-4 in the MWC (good for fourth place) and was ranked No. 9 in Class 5A.
Winter Officials: Practice begins for the winter high school sports of basketball, swimming and wrestling on Nov. 13 and the Oregon Athletic Officials Association and the Oregon School Activities Association are recruiting officials for all sports. There is an immediate need for officials in basketball and wrestling, said OAOA Executive Director Jack Folliard.
Becoming a high school official has several benefits including staying involved in athletics, maintaining good physical condition and earning money, Folliard said.
“Officials provide valuable service to high schools and students, make a positive impact in the community and build relationships.”
Those interested should visit www.newofficials.org.
