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James Day

Decade of dominance: Fox girls state title caps historic period

The Silverton High girls basketball squad’s Class 5A title last month capped 10 years of staggering success by the boys and girls programs, both in terms of league accomplishments and statewide achievement. Consider: In the ten-year span from 2015-2024 the girls team has won or shared seven Mid-Willamette Conference titles, won two state Class 5A titles (2016 and 2024) and took […]

James Day

Special squads – Foxes shining in boys, girls hoops

The craziest piece of Jamie McCarty’s five-year run as Silverton boys hoops coach from 2017 through 2022 was that he was 69-1 in Mid-Willamette Conference games, a record of consistency that is almost blinding in its brilliance. And that one 2018-19 loss in OT at Corvallis was a strange beast, perhaps a column for another day. McCarty stepped back from […]

James Day

No more 1-and-1: Oregon follows lead of national federation on foul shots

It’s a new dawn for the free throw in high school sports in Oregon. Following the lead of the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) the Oregon School Activities Association has instituted new rules on fouls shots for the 2023-24 season. Instead of teams moving to 1-and-1 free throws upon the seventh team foul of each half the system […]

James Day

Consistent threats – Aqua Foxes will count on depth, relays

There are certain things in the sports calendar you can always count on. Silverton swimming is one of them. The Aqua Foxes, in their ninth year under coach Lucky Rogers, will fill the pool with swimmers, assemble crackerjack relay squads and try to wash away competitors with depth. This season Rogers has 62 swimmers in the Silverton Community Pool and told […]

Update: Failing pieces – Unexpected repairs impact budget, emergencies threaten safety

Editor’s note: Our Town is presenting a school-by-school review of the facility challenges at each building covered by the Silver Falls School District bond proposal on the Nov. 7 ballot. For previous stories go to ourtownlive.com.  By Stephen Floyd Mark Twain and Robert Frost elementary schools both recently had extreme examples of building failures during the start of a school […]

Solid ground – Robert Frost Elementary regroups

By Melissa Wagoner After nine administrators in only three years, the staff and students at Robert Frost Elementary School are looking forward to some much-needed stability.  “I’ve never seen a situation like that,” Jamie McCarty – the school’s new principal – said of the unprecedented turnover rate. “The staff is really looking for consistency and normalcy.” But first new policies […]

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 […]

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 […]

Hoops newcomers – Foxes debut under coaches Ogle, Allen 

In this year of change for Silverton athletics, fall saw new football coach Dan Lever, new volleyball coach Reilly Rosecrans and new girls soccer coach Renee Cantrell all succeed in their roles. All three teams made the playoffs, with football and volleyball advancing to the state quarterfinals. Now, we’re about to see what happens with hoops. The Foxes have new […]

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 […]

Phenomenal year – Foxes awash in titles for 21-22

“What a year for the Foxes!” said Silverton athletic director James Rise. With two teams – baseball and softball – still in the playoff hunt, the 2021-22 school year has produced state titles in football and boys track, runner-up finishes for boys basketball and girls golf and quarterfinal appearances for volleyball, boys soccer and girls basketball. How did all this […]

Coaching changes – Foxes have key openings to fill

By James Day In the midst of one of its most successful sports seasons ever Silverton High finds itself posting a series of help wanted signs. The good news is that Athletic Director James Rise and school administration already have filled one slot. Josh Craig, who led the football program to a 41-11 record in five years and last fall’s […]

Hoops success – Foxes take second in 5A boys tournament

Both Silverton High basketball squads advanced to the state tournament in Corvallis after sparkling Mid-Willamette Conference championship seasons. The boys team advanced to the state title match against Wilsonville, falling 34-30 in a defense-oriented game in which Silverton led 11-6 at halftime after shutting out the Wildcats in the second period. The No. 4 Foxes opened with a thrilling 49-47 […]

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 […]

Craig steps down – Foxes looking for new football coach

Silverton High football coach Josh Craig, who led the Foxes to the Class 5A state title this past season, has announced his resignation. Craig, 31, is stepping down because of family considerations. “My wife gave birth to our second daughter (Colby on Jan. 4), and now we have a 19-month-old (Murphy) and a newborn,” Craig said. “When I got the […]

Hoops showdowns – Foxes boys, girls in thick of title races

The Silverton boys basketball team outlasted top-ranked Crescent Valley 58-52 on Jan. 24 to take sole possession of first place in the Mid-Willamette Conference. The Foxes, ranked 7th in Class 5A, improved to 11-5 overall and 7-0 in league play while winning their sixth consecutive game overall. C.V. dropped to 11-4 and 5-1. The two teams play again Feb. 25 […]

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 […]

Swimming champs: Silverton boys win post-season meet

The Silverton High swim team turned in a series of sterling performances June 26 at an end-of-the-season meet at Osborn Aquatic Center in Corvallis. Five teams participated, West Salem, Crescent Valley, Corvallis, Central and the Foxes. Silverton ran away with the boys team title, scoring 393 points to 227 for runner-up Crescent Valley. Silverton’s girls finished third behind West Salem […]

June basketball? Both Foxes teams lose – just once – in near-perfect season

The Silverton High basketball teams finished their 2020-21 seasons on June 23, ten days after the seniors graduated and 15 months after a global pandemic left them waiting at the altar at a state tournament which held such promise. There. That’s a weird sentence, isn’t it? Somehow the hoopsters were able to finish a truncated six-week season, just like their […]

Best in class: Foxes hoops squads win 6A challenge

The Silverton High basketball squads have just completed a stunning 10-0 run through the Class 6A Salem squads. The boys team went 6-0, winning the games against Sprague, South Salem, West Salem, North Salem, McKay and McNary by an average of 22 points. One asterisk: North Salem, although a Class 6A school in terms of enrollment, is “playing down” at […]

Ready to serve: McCarty named principal

By Mary Owen New principal Jamie McCarty has a four-step plan for heading Silver Crest and Victor Point schools next year. He replaces Silver Crest Principal Mark Recker, who resigned for health reasons. Heidi Ostrom served as interim principal. At Victor Point, McCarty replaces Linda Myers, who is now working at the district office. “I want to listen to what […]