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James Day

Winning streak – Moffatt, Trojans set new state record

The Kennedy High baseball team won its final 7 games in the 2022 season, ending up with a state Class 2A-1A title. Last year, a veteran team that started eight seniors went 31-0 and repeated as state champions. This season a young squad with just one returning starter, Brody Kleinschmit, won its first eight games. That’s 46 in a row […]

James Day

Football powers – Silverton, Kennedy off to the races – again

We’re two-thirds of the way through the regular season as I write this and it has been a stunningly impressive one for our two local football teams, Silverton and Kennedy. The Foxes were 6-0 and ranked No. 3 in Class 5A heading into Thursday, Oct. 12’s Homecoming encounter with 5-1 McKay. The top-ranked Trojans are 5-1 and ranked No. 1 […]

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

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

A class above – Kennedy an immediate state power at 3A level

One of the challenges of this job is explaining things that are difficult to explain. But I am going to give it my best effort. What the Kennedy High football squad was able to achieve this season was just off the charts. The Trojans finished 12-1, losing only to Cascade Christian of Medford in the Nov. 26 Class 3A title […]

Football all-stars – Foxes, Trojans dominate all-league squads

Silverton earned 17 spots on the all-Mid-Willamette Conference football teams as selected by league coaches. The Foxes were playing Wilsonville in the Class 5A quarterfinals on Friday after the Our Town presstime. Top honors went to Jackson Pfeifer, offensive player of the year, and Xavier Orozco, defensive lineman of the year. Pfeifer was on the first team at running back […]

Football frenzy – Foxes, Trojans getting ready for openers

The Foxes lost tons of contributors from a 12-1 2021 squad that took home the school’s first state title since 1991. But the program, which has made the playoffs every year since 2011 (minus the COVID year), boasted a 25-2-1 record for its 3 teams a year ago and new coach Dan Lever clearly has a lot of talent to […]

New coaches: Allen, Ogle take over high-powered Foxes hoops teams

Silverton has selected replacements for its two open basketball positions, hiring Tyler Allen to coach the boys and Alyssa Ogle to lead the girls. Allen replaces Jamie McCarty, who led the Foxes to a runner-up finish in the Class 5A tournament in March. McCarty lost just one Mid-Willamette Conference game in his 5 years with the program, while taking 4th […]

Kennedy on top – Trojan baseball dominant on way to state title

By James Day The Kennedy High baseball team took hold of this year’s Class 2A-1A tournament and ruled it from start to finish. The No. 2 Trojans finished a superb run to their second state title under coach Kevin Moffatt with an 11-1 win June 3 against top-ranked Umpqua Valley Christian at Volcanoes Stadium. Kennedy outscored its four opponents 41-3 […]

Strong showing – Silverton wrestlers take 9th at state

The Silverton High wrestling squad had three wrestlers place and two more score points in an impressive performance at the Feb. 26 Class 5A state meet in Redmond. The Foxes finished ninth in the team race with 63 points. Silverton was third among Mid-Willamette Conference teams (behind champion Crescent Valley and No. 5 Dallas). At the district meet the Foxes […]

Hoops previews – Foxes, Trojans already off and running

The Silverton High boys basketball team, which blazed through a 14-1 COVID season last spring, is off to a strong start for 2021-22. The Foxes were 4-0 and ranked third in Class 5A at Our Town’s presstime and were battling in the Capitol City Classic in Salem. Post-Christmas the squad will play at a tournament in Arizona. The Foxes are […]

Trojans fall to Coquille 38-28 in tough 2A football final

By James Day Kennedy’s shot at a second Class 2A football title ended Saturday with a 38-28 loss to Coquille at Cottage Grove High. Gunner Yates, the Red Devils’ standout running back, rushed for an OSAA title game record 388 yards and 5 TDs. Yates, who carried 23 times and only once was stopped for a loss, scored on runs […]

Football frenzy – Foxes, Trojans getting ready for openers

Silverton was 3-2 in last spring’s shortened football season and the Foxes are hoping for a full nine-game regular season – and perhaps success beyond that point as well, starting with the Sept. 3 home opener against Grant of Portland. Fifth-year coach Josh Craig noticed a surge of energy, particularly after the state opened up from COVID restrictions June 30. […]