Sports briefs

Grizzlies snag all-league football selections

Ten McMinnville football players earned all-Pacific Conference honors for the 2021 fall season. The Grizzlies finished the year with an overall record of three wins and six losses, while compiling a 1-4 mark in league play.

Two Grizzlies were selected for first-team, all-conference: junior linebacker Mason Yochum and senior placekicker Bryan Blank.

Mac’s second teamers included junior defensive lineman and offensive guard Jesse Jones-Nguyen, senior safety Kade Weeks, senior wide receiver Braden Woods and junior tailback Austin Rapp.

Honorable mentions for the Grizzlies were senior offensive tackle Alexis Paloblanco, junior offensive tackle Hunter Hopkins and senior quarterback Ky Hoskinson.

Local volleyball players named to all-state teams

Three local volleyball athletes were recently selected to the 2A and 3A all-state teams. Sheridan’s Haley Ayala was a second team selection in the 2A classification, while Amity’s Brooke Lopez and Willamina’s Hallee Hughes were honored on the 3A second team.

Ayala, the Spartans’ standout outside hitter, was a versatile force for Sheridan this season. She led the team in kills, aces, digs and also served as the Spartans’ backup setter.

Lopez, a senior, also served a multi-faceted role for the Warriors. She used her diverse skillset to lead the team in spikes, passes and assists.

Hughes made a huge leap from her sophomore campaign to lead the team as a junior outside hitter this fall. Her offseason workout regimen allowed her to increase her lethality as the Bulldogs’ primary offensive weapon.

Portland’s CW to broadcast Linfield athletics

Linfield University joined a television broadcast agreement with Portland’s KOIN-TV and sister station KRCW/Portland’s CW. Portland’s CW will broadcast Linfield athletic events through the 2022-23 academic year.

 “NCAA Division III universities don’t typically have television broadcast deals like this,” said Miles K. Davis, Linfield president. “It speaks to the sustained excellence of Linfield athletics and to the innovative leadership at KOIN and KRCW. We hope this is the beginning of a long and bountiful partnership.”

Future athletic broadcasts are still being determined, and will be announced by KOIN and the university in the months ahead.

“Today’s announcement between Linfield University and KOIN 6 and KRCW – Portland’s CW – underscores the importance of local partnerships and the demand for local content,” KOIN 6 and KRCW’s Vice President and General Manager, Tom Keeler, said.  “Located right here in McMinnville, Oregon, Linfield University is one of the most successful college football programs in the country with an unparalleled record of winning seasons and several national championships.

“I am grateful for the vision of Linfield University President Miles Davis and his willingness to partner with KOIN 6 and Portland’s CW to bring live sporting events featuring the student athletes at one of the distinguished gems of our community,” Keeler added.  “It is our intention to expand this relationship and tell the positive stories that happen every day in our own backyard to a local viewing audience on live broadcast television.  I am confident viewers and advertisers alike will support our efforts.”

Linfield football this year broke its own all-divisions record for consecutive winning seasons, which now stands at 65.

This is Linfield’s 106th season of football, dating back to 1896. The Wildcats’ all-time record at Maxwell Field is 331-79-11. This year also marked Linfield’s 20th unbeaten, untied regular season, the first of which came in 1900.

Since the start of the 2009 season, Linfield has an overall football record of 118-17, including 17 wins in the NCAA playoffs. It has won the Northwest Conference title and qualified for the postseason 11 of the past 12 years.

“Linfield student-athletes have a long history of high performance, on the athletic fields and in the classroom,” said Davis. “This broadcast agreement offers sports fans across KOIN’s service area a chance to see some of that high performance for themselves. We look forward to it.”