Sports Memory Lane 120624

A look back at Yamhill County sports

10 years ago

n Never mind that Newberg came into The Furnace on Wednesday night with two starters standing 6-foot-6 or taller, looking for revenge following a McMinnville sweep in 2013-14.

The host Grizzlies, with a single starter over 6-2, played big.

Joey Chapman’s marksmanship, Tanner Autencio’s aggression and Kyle Brooker’s big game propelled McMinnville to a season-opening 75-63 victory against the Tigers. The game now stands as a Class 6A nonleague game but the rivalry spirit remains strong.

n Already the best in her conference, McMinnville forward Carlisle Topping was recognized as one of the best soccer players in the state as she was named to the Class 6A all-state team.

n Success at the 2013-14 state wrestling tournament is leaving local teams hungry. McMinnville Grizzlies senior J.T. Barnes became the sixth individual state champion in Mac High history, winning the 6A 152-pound title in March 2014.. McMinnville brought eight wrestlers to state last spring, with two scoring.

In Sheridan, for the fourth consecutive year, Justin Acuff will be the headliner. The senior is a two-time Class 4A state champion and fell in the 2013-14 final to Willamina’s Coty Brown, a close friend.

25 years ago

n Amity successfully defended its Class 2A state football championship with a 20-12 victory over No. 1-ranked Dayton Saturday in Hillsboro. The win avenged a 34-14 defeat suffered at the hands of the Pirates on Oct. 15, the sixth week of the regular season. An estimated 3,000 Yamhill County football fans jammed Hare Field for the game. The Warriors won it with a stifling defense that limited the powerful Dayton rushing attack to 111 yards. “I just wanted to get back there again. It just feels awesome,” said Warrior Justin Hubbard, who carried the gall 25 times for 73 yards and two touchdowns, finishing with 1,978 yards on the season.

The back-to-back titles put Amity in that upper echelon of football programs, a place that usually has been reserved for the Pirates. Amity also won the state volleyball title this season. Dayton won consecutive football titles in 1985-86 and 1995-96, and had never lost a state title game.

n The Sheridan girls basketball team, which had lost 30 games in a row, broke the streak in a big way with a 40-24 hammering of Pacific in the Monroe Tournament. Tara Schmidt led the Spartans with 11 points, Camille Millroy added 10 and Johnna Jager 8.

50 years ago

n Basketball season is upon us and we can put away our pigskins and stadium blankets for a while. And looking around, things seem to be moving in a somewhat orderly fashion. Over at Linfield, rumors started spreading that head ‘Cat Ted Wilson had some secret weapons that he was going to unleash on the Northwest Conference. “Someone is just having some fun,” chuckled Wilson this week.

n With four seniors and four returning lettermen, the Amity High Warrior basketball team is in good shape to start its second campaign under coach Gordy Hagglund. Returning seniors include Ed Lee, Jim Fisher and Alan Brandon, while Brad Johnston, a junior, is also on the varsity roster. Senior Bruce Compton and Rick Vanderhoof, a junior, round out the upperclassmen. Five sophomores are also playing for Amity, including Mike Halter, Doug Drader, Jerry Buczynski, Loren Stairs and Bruce Hubbard.

n Top finishers in the Thanksgiving six-mile run, hosted by Mac Roadrunners and city parks and recreation, were Ron Galvin, Dave Peterson, Holger Pagel, Vic Casteel, Joe Cox and John Rentz.