The Buckaroos Finish a Perfect Season
FOURTEEN and ZERO! OSAA 1A STATE CHAMPIONS! Big and bold, the St. Paul Buckaroos stamped their mark in Oregon high school football history with a perfect season of fourteen wins and zero losses. For the season, the Bucks scored a whopping 796 total points against opponents while yielding 334. On Saturday December 5th, the Buckaroos' fourteenth win of the season earned them the OSAA 1A Football Championship state title with a 38-34 win over Imbler. Ryan Pierson was an offensive force for St. Paul as he tallied five touchdowns and rushed for 384 of his team's 398 total yards on the ground. Matt Gooding also scored for St. Paul and quarterback Daley Smith completed four out of seven passes for 60 yards in the air.
After trailing 26-14 at halftime, Imbler was able to pull within four points when quarterback Bryan Mills ran for a seven yard TD with 1:08 left in the game, but the Panthers could not pull off the onside kick letting St. Paul run out the final seconds of the game. Other scorers for Imbler were Jace Eisiminger, Zack Phillips and Wesley Burgess who got into the endzone twice. Burgess led his team with 129 yards on the ground and 74 receiving. Quarterback Bryan Mills threw 16 passes, completing five for 144 yards and one touchdown.
Ryan Pierson of St. Paul splits the defense of Imbler's Andrew Fullerton (left) and Dalton McDaniel as he picks up 22 of his 384 yards rushing. Pierson scored five of St. Paul's six touchdowns as they claimed the OSAA 1A Football Championship by defeating Imber 38-34.
Wesley Burgess of Imbler breaks free into open field as he runs for a 53 yard touchdown for the Panthers' first touchdown with 9:55 to go in the second quarter.
Quarterback Daley Smith of St. Paul dives for extra yardage after being tackled by Imbler's Bryan Mills in the third quarter. Smith fumbled the ball as he fell to the turf resulting in a turn-over after Imber's Dalton McDaniels pounced on the loose ball.
Wesley Burges of Imbler rushes for a seven yard gain in the third quarter. Burgess led his team with 129 yards rushing, 74 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
Daley Smith of St. Paul makes a dramatic change of direction to avoid a tackle by Imbler's Bryan Mills as he picks up five yard late in the third quarter.
Ryan Pierson of St. Paul turns towards the goal line as Imber's Andrew Fullerton (foreground) lines up in hopes to stop Pierson short of the endzone. Pierson dove across the goal line to put the Buckaroos up 26-14 with 50 seconds left in the first half.
Ryan Pierson of St. Paul follows his lead blocker John Merten (17) who is lined up on Imber's Andrew Fullerton during a late fourth quarter run.
St. Paul head coach Tony Smith slips out from the cascading ice water as the Buckaroos begin celebrating their OSAA 1A State Football Championship after defeating Imbler 38-34.
The St. Paul Buckaroos hoist the OSAA 1A Football Championship trophy high after defeating Imbler 38-34 for the state title.
Oregon State Soccer Produces Potential #1 MLS Pick
When I read an article on OregonLive about Oregon State's Danny Mwanga being a potential #1 draft pick in the Major Soccer League SuperDraft, I took particular interest in the story. You see, I played my last year of college eligibility at OSU and then coached the team for three years back in the '80s. The team has come a long way sense then, and has developed a lot of talented players over the years. After OSU, I coached a fair amount of youth soccer in the Portland area and was proud to see some of my past players end up playing on the Beavers' squad.
Last Spring I shot a scrimmage match between the OSU Varsity Team and a team of OSU alumni players played at Pacific University in Forest Grove to support the Banks Youth Soccer Club. This was the first time I saw Danny play; needless to say, I was quite impressed with his skill and commanding presence on the pitch. It's great to see a player of excellent quality and character have the potential to move on to the next level. And it's not so bad that he was a product of my alma mater.
Jesuit & Sheldon Pass OSAA 6A Semi-final Tests
It's No. 1 vs No. 2 for the OSAA 6A Football Championship as Jesuit and Sheldon both advance to the championship game after posting semi-final victories at PGE Park in Portland. Jesuit defeated West Salem 21-7 in the first of the semi-final double-header with touchdowns by the Crusaders' explosive runningbacks, Jordan Talley and Keanon Lowe. Talley notched Jesuit's first with a 34 yard run at 8:52 in the first quarter and Lowe added a pair with a one yard charge late in the second quarter and a 22 yard run with 1:42 left in the third. Jesuit's defense kept the West Salem high octane offense in check as they held the Titans to only seven points after averaging over 40 points per game during the season. The lone West Salem touchdown was scored off a four yard run by quarterback Brett Smith.
Sheldon used a dominant aerial attach to out-distance Canby 49-14 during the second game of the night. Quarterback Jordan Johnson threw four touchdown passes and ran into the endzone twice. Johnson completed 19 of 24 passes for an impressive 372 yards. On the tail end of the TD passes were Curtis Write in the first quarter and John Campbell scoring two in the second quarter and one in the third. Cameron Abeene also scored for the Irish with a 14 yard run at the start of the second quarter. Canby's first strike off a 23 yard touchdown pass from Josh Yoder to Adam Bell was the only opportunity the Cougars had to lead the game. A two yard Richy Nanez touchdown in the second quarter was the last Canby was able to change their side of the scoreboard.
West Salem quarterback Brett Smith (left) is stopped by Jesuit's Keanon Lowe (right) after rushing 11 yards for a first down early in the third quarter.
Keanon Lowe of Jesuit attempts to dodge a tackle by West Salem's Mike Faber as he rushes for a five yard gain late in the fourth quarter.
Jesuit's Keanon Lowe gains 11 yards off a screen pass to move the ball down to the West Salem 34 yard line. The Crusaders scored the opening touchdown on the following play off a 34 yard run by Jordan Talley.
Jesuit's Jordan Talley breaks through the West Salem line to rush for a 34 yard touchdown with 8:52 left in the first quarter giving the Crusaders the early 7-0 lead.
Jordan Talley of Jesuit finds an opening during a second quarter series to pick up eight of his 125 yards rushing on the night.
West Salem quarterback Brett Smith breaks free from Jesuit's Nick Rhodes to rush 11 yards for a first down during a third quarter series.
Keanon Lowe of Jesuit (right) rushes 11 yards for a first down during a third quarter scoring drive before being brought down by West Salem's Mike Faber (left).
Curtis White of Sheldon gets a block from teammate Cody Skinner against Canby's Cody Hoffman as he extends a screen pass for a 19 yard gain down to the Canby 24 yard line to set up a touchdown two plays later to give the Irish a 14-7 lead with 1:14 left in the first quarter.
Ryan Wall of Canby takes to the air to tackle West Salem's John Campbell after a 20 yard pass completion early in the third quarter.
Cameron Abeene of Sheldon gains 12 yards off a pass completion during a third quarter series until being brought down by Canby's Marco Zamora (behind).
Sheldon quarterback Jordan Johnson breaks tackles to gain eight yards and earn a first down the hard way during an Irish third quarter scoring drive.
Cameron Abeene of Sheldon rushes for 20 yards early in the fourth quarter.
Sheldon offensive linemen Derek Nielson (left) and Jason Geiger (right) open a hole for Cameron Abeene as he receives the hand-off from quarterback Jordan Johnson on an eight yard gain for a first down early in the fourth quarter.
Defensive Stand Sends St. Paul to Championship Game
It's a common claim in sports...defense wins games! When St. Paul battled a talented team from Mohawk (located in northeastern Oregon) in the OSAA 1A Football Championship semi-final game at Liberty High School in Hillsboro, the honor to compete for the State Championship went to St. Paul as a defensive stand successfully thwarted a two point conversion attempt by Mohawk late in the fourth quarter, giving the Buckaroos a 32-30 victory. The two teams literally traded touchdowns throughout the game as St. Paul struck first in the opening quarter on a 46 yard pass reception by Ryan Pierson with 1:43 left on the clock. Mohawk wasted no time evening up the score when Matt York tapped a 55 yard drive in less than a minute to equalize at 8-8 as each team were successful with the two-point conversions. As time ran out in the first quarter Pierson scored his second of three touchdowns on the day with a 64 yard run.
In the second quarter, on cue, Mohawk tied the score again when Matt York closed out a 75 yard drive in 4 plays with a 6 yard touchdown. With that, St. Paul returned the favor to close out the first half with a 24-16 lead as Pierson scored his third TD with a 38 yard run with 6:10 remaining in the second quarter. Dillon Tuyls scored the only touchdown in the third quarter to once again level the game at 24-24 with a 9 yard run, plus a conversion by Matt York. St. Paul went into the lead for the last time at 11:10 in the fourth quarter when quarterback Daley Smith ran for a three yard touchdown and completed a pass to David Furguson for the conversion making the score 32-24.
To finish out the trading of touchdowns, Mohawk marched 72 yards in 13 plays to score on a Cord Wilkins two yard run to set up a chance to tie the game with the two-point conversion. Mohawk quarterback Cord Wilkins rolled right and sent a high pass to Anthony Wallace in the corner of the end-zone, but St. Paul's Ryan Pierson's coverage was just enough to disrupt the play and preventing the catch to tie the game. The Buckaroos were able to hold off one last Mohawk drive in the final minute as their defense played a major role in their 32-30 win to go on for the OSAA 1A Football Championship game the following week at Hillsboro Stadium.
Dillon Tuyls (left) of Mohawk squeezes out a five yard gain for a first down early in the first quarter before being caught by St. Paul's Josh Turner (right).
Quarterback Cord Wilkins of Mohawk works his way around the outside on a keeper in the first quarter. Cord completed 6 of 13 passes for 168 yards and rushed for 78 yards.
Ryan Pierson of St. Paul celebrates after scoring the second of his three touchdowns of the game. Pierson rushed for 196 yards and hauled in two receptions for another 52 yards.
Ryan Pierson of St. Paul (right) throws a move on Mohawk's Anthony Wallace as he attempts to avoid the tackle during a second quarter possession.
Ryan Pierson of St. Paul looks for the down markers to check his progress as Mohawk's Anthony Wallace ends up on top of him in reverse position after making the stop.
Ryan Pierson of St. Paul leaves all players in the dust as he breaks away for a 38 yard touchdown with 6:10 left in the second quarter.
Matt York of Mohawk (right) eyes St. Paul's TJ Weisz as he attempts to get around the outside after a screen pass reception late in the second quarter.
St. Paul quarterback Daley Smith dives through the Mohawk line for a first down on a third-and-one play in the third quarter.
A helmet discarded during St. Paul's celebration after defeating Mohawk 32-30 lay in the middle of the field while the players exchange handshakes after the OSAA 1A Football Championship semi-final game.
OSAA Soccer Championships
The OSAA Soccer Championships were held November 21st for 5A and 6A boys and girls at Liberty High School in Hillsboro, Oregon. The first three matches were played in favorable weather with cloudy skies and calm wind, but the final match of the day found Jesuit and Westview girls battling in driving rain and gusty winds as a storm front moved into the area as night fell.
In the 5A boys match, the Corvallis Spartans survived a late surge by Mt. View of Bend when Zane Meehan converted a penalty kick with 8:05 remaining in the match to give Corvallis the 3-2 victory. The Spartans' 2-0 lead evaporated in the span of one minute when Mt. View's Cam Riemhofer scored a goal with 14:20 remaining and tallied another with 13:49 left to equalize at 2-2.
The 5A girls were up next in a battle were the defenses of Sherwood and Bend refused to give way as the teams ended 80 minutes of regulation play in a 0-0 draw, only to repeat with the same result in 20 minutes of extra time. The championship was settled on penalty kicks where Bend was able to put away four of their spot kicks with Sherwood only converting two.
South Salem and South Medford faced each other for the 6A boys title in a match of two half. South Medford dominated play in the first half and took a 1-0 lead into halftime off a Kory Kellum goal in the eight minute. After the break South Salem found their offense, equalizing 17 minutes into the second half on a goal by Pablo Ceja. After a hand ball on the edge of the South Medford's penalty box resulted in a free kick, South Salem's Ethan Jones scored the go-ahead goal with 13:45 remaining after Cameron French's shot rebounded of keeper Mitch North and rolled to Jones' foot at the back post.
The final match of the day was played under miserable conditions when a storm front moved in as darkness fell, bringing driving rain and very gusty winds that lasted throughout the match. Metro league rivals, Jesuit and Westview, played in the girls 6A championship match. After a fairly evenly played first half, Jesuit took the upper-hand when Sarah Bridges scored six minutes into the second half and the Crusaders added insurance five minutes later with Emily Fellows scored a ten yard shot, with the score ending 2-0 giving the title to Jesuit.
Corvallis 3 - Mountain. View 2
Austin Kins (right) of Mt. View beats Corvallis' Jesus Vidrio (left) to the ball during a first half midfield battle, but pays the price as Vidrio's challenge is late as he connects with Kihs' legs.
Jamal Abdoul of Corvallis goes full stretch as he attempts to win the ball against Mt. View's Eduardo Lopez (entering photo).
Brian Cronk (left) of Corvallis shields off the defense of Mt. View's Mike Wood (right) at he advances the ball through midfield.
Zane Meehan of Corvallis throws his arms into the air in celebration after converting a penalty kick that put the Spartans into the lead for good at 2-1 with 8:05 left in the match after a deliberate hand ball in the box resulted in the sending off of Mt. View's Mike Wood.
Bend 1 - Sherwood 0 (4-2 penalty kicks)
Sherwood goalkeeper Kassee Flint goes high to pull in a cross to foil a goal-scoring opportunity for Bend's Kelsey Corney.
Erika Whitehurst (11) of Bend makes a quick turn to free herself from the pressure of Sherwood's Alezandra Teesdale (behind).
Amelia Salazar (behind) of Sherwood resorts to fouling Bend's Daniela Solis (foreground) to prevent her from breaking into the attacking third.
Kelsey Greene (left) of Bend beats Sherwood's Mallory Edmunson (right) down the left wing during a second half attack.
Amelia Salazar (left) of Sherwood and Kelsey Greene (right) of Bend battle for the ball as Salazar attempts to turn towards goal near the Bend endline.
South Salem 2 - South Medford 1
Brian Avila (right) of South Medford pushes back against the defensive pressure of South Salem's Matt Long (left) during first half play.
Jose Reyes (18) of South Salem goes down to the turf after being tripped up by South Medford's Josue Rodriguez (off camera left).
After recovering from a collision with South Salem's Pablo Ceja (13), South Medford goalkeeper Mitch North dives in a despirate attempt to block Ceja's shot onto an open net. North could not get a hand on the ball but was saved by teammate Cody Anders who miraculously headed the ball wide of the post at the last second.
Cameron French lays out full stretch as he hits a first-time ball off a free kick from the edge of the box in an attempt to score. His shot was blocked by South Medford keeper Mitch North, however the ball rebounded to the back post where South Salem's Ethan Jones tucked it into the net for the game winning goal.
Ethan Jones (center in white) sticks away a rebound off a save by South Medford keeper Mitch North (in orange) to score the game winning goal for the Saxons with 13:45 left in the match.
Ethan Jones of South Salem cellebrates his game winning goal as South Medford keeper and his defensive players look hopelessly at the ball resting in their goalnet.
Jesuit 2 - Westview 0
Rebe Wolverton (left) of Jesuit heads the ball past Westview's Amanda Minter during second half play.
Sarah Bridges (left) of Jesuit edges past Westview's Kelsey Henningsen (right) as she works her way down the wing.
Kelli Crandall (left) and Sarah Bridges (center) of Jesuit embrace and leap into the air in celebration of Bridges' goal with 34:11 left in the match giving the Crusaders a 1-0 lead. Teammate Emily Fellows (right) also joined in the celebration.
Kallie Neimann (left) of Westview picks up a fould for bringing down Jesuit's Alison Martin (right) with a tackle from behind late during the second half.
Alison Martin (left) of Jesuit beats Westview's Desiree Tyner (right) to the ball in midfield during second half action.
One Step Away
The Glencoe High School boys soccer team had their season end one game short of their goal as they fell to Corvallis High School 0-2 in the semi-finals of the OSAA 5A Soccer Championships at Hare Field in Hillsboro, Oregon. The match was played at a furious pace the entire 80 minutes as Glencoe's quickness and skill up front could not break the Corvallis defense which stayed compact and industrious.
After failing to capitalize on a great opportunity early in the match, the Tide fell a goal behind in the 27th minute when Andres Nieves-Bernal of Corvallis ripped a 35 yard shot into the upper-far post. Glencoe continued to throw attacks at Corvallis, but could not get their chances solidly on net. The final goal of the match was scored off a 20 yard free kick when Banner Schaffer of Corvallis tucked a driving shot past the left side of the defensive wall and just inside the left post.
The Glencoe wall watches the flight of Banner Schafler's free kick as keeper Dillon Vanaken dives in attempt to stop it from tucking inside the left post. Schafer's 20 yard blast put Corvallis up 2-0 in the 28th minute of the second half.
The Glencoe defense reacts after going down 0-2 as Corvallis goal-scorer Banner Schafer (in black) celebrates by sprinting to the stands after hitting a laser accurate 20 yard free kick.
Eirik Sagstad (right) of Glencoe challenges Corvallis midfielder Jamal Abdoul for a ball during first half play.
Luis Echeverria (right) of Glencoe avoids a tackle in midfield by Corvallis' Jesus Vidrio (left).
Brandon McPheeters (right) of Corvallis rides over the back of Glencoe's David Cazares (left) in an attempt to win possession. Cazares was able to bring the ball to his feet and evade the pressure of McPheeters.
David Cazares of Glencoe sprints through midfield during a second half break.
Zim Mayfield of Glencoe advances the ball through midfield as the Tide press late in the second half for a goal.
Andres Nieves-Bernal (left) of Corvallis looks for a pass upfield under pressure from Alan Portilla (right) of Glencoe.
Youth Football
As the Fall sports season comes to a close, I can't let it wrap up without a youth football post. Shooting the young guys is always a lot of fun, and they provide some great action to capture. I shot a couple my nephew's games, who plays for the Sunset youth football program...the duty of being a good uncle. Below are a handful of shots from the games.
The West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta
Perhaps in his quest to find the Great Pumpkin, Linus should have hung out in Tualatin, Oregon during the 6th Annual West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta on Halloween this year. If "the" Great Pumpkin wasn't there, he surely would have found plenty of monstrous gourdes that would renew his faith that the Great Pumpkin did exist.
The West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta held on the Lake at the Commons in Tualatin, Oregon has become one of my favorite events of the year to cover. The sight of adults sitting inside a pumpkin and paddling around the lake is a hoot. The good folks at the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers once again donated the giant pumpkins which ranged between 600 and 1,200 pounds. Four races were held during the festival with Brett Savage of McMinnville, Oregon defending his title by winning the prestigious growers' race for the second consecutive year in the first race of a day of pumpkin paddling.
Appearing to be an angle 'sent from above,' giant pumpkin grower Brett Hester carves a giant pumpkin in preparation of the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta on the Lake at the Commons in Tualatin, Oregon. Despite what his appearance may leed one to think, Brett is actually just from Canby, Oregon.
Giant pumpkin grower Mel Gandee of Estacada, Oregon paddles his way towards the front of the pack in the early going of the growers' race during the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta.
Brett Savage, a giant pumpkin grower from McMinnville, Oregon, leads the pack during the growers's race of the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta. Brett never looked back as he paddled to his second consecutive victory after winning the growers' race last year.
Matt Hess of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers paddles his way across the Lake at the Commons in Tualatin, Oregon as he and other corps members particpate in a challenge race against members of Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue.
Nisha Georga of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers paddles her way across the Lake at the Commons in Tualatin, Oregon as she and other corps members participate in a challenge race against members of Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue.
Costumes of all types added a festive atmosphere to the races. Here a participant in the third race of the day shows his patriotism as he paddles away.
Two racers battle for position during a game of capture the flags, pumpkin regatta style.
Looking to work her way up in the pack, a female racer all pinked-out paddles furiously to catch up.
Suited up as a joker, Carina Christensen of Tualatin, Oregon keeps a lead over Santa Claus during the third race of the day.
A contestant in the growers' race paddles her giant pumpkin in the spirit of the Vikings who are rumored to have crossed the Atlantic in the very same manner during the 18th century.
Fully expecting to go into the drink, a member of the Giant Vegetable Growers Association dons full scuba gear to participate in the growers' race.
Shame was not a consideration when it came to costume selections for the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta.
Homecoming Fun
A good friend of mine has two daughters in high school. Last year, at the spur of the moment, we took a few photos before the big homecoming dance in their garage using a portable studio setup. They asked if we could do the same this year, and they invited a few friends over to join in the fun.
We used a white paper seamless background with two main studio lights and two strobes bounced off the white ceiling for added fill light. The kids did most the posing themselves and pretty much let their personalities come out. Here's a handful of shots from the shoot.
St. Paul Bucks Perrydale at the Rodeo Grounds
I am not the biggest football fan. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy football...I'm just not fanatical about it. However, I love Oregon 1A high school football. Eight man football! It's a wide open game played in the purest element of high school sports. I try to get out to St. Paul, Oregon at least once a year to shoot the St. Paul Buckaroos on their home field...the St. Paul Rodeo Arena.
I have blogged previously about St. Paul football and their very unique home field...a 10,000 seat stadium that host the world famous St. Paul Rodeo on the Fourth of July, but is converted to a football field courtesy of the local Willamette Valley Grass Seed Growers who donate seed and labor to plant a grass football field in the arena in time for football each Fall. Understand...there are only 85 students in the high school at St. Paul and 354 folks in the entire town. Here's a link to one of my previous blog stories about St. Paul Football.
The Buckaroos hosted the Perrydale Pirates on October 16th to determine which of the two teams was to going to take sole possession of first place in the Casco League standings as both teams entered the contest with a 6-0 record. St. Paul got out to a two touchdown lead heading into half-time and was able to hold off the Pirates as they battled back into the game in the second half. The No. 2 ranked Buckaroos kept a lead over the No. 3 ranked Pirates throughout the final two quarters to claim a 34-24 homecoming victory.
The St. Paul Buckaroos gather in the cottage adjacent to the rodeo arena for their pre-game talk as they prepare to take on league rival Perrydale Pirates.
The St. Paul Buckaroos host the Perrydale Pirates at the St. Paul Rodeo Grounds. The 10,000 seat arena provides one of the most unique settings for high school football in the nation as the local grass sead growers donate grass seed and labor to install a football field in the arena following the St. Paul Rodeo in July in time for Fall football.
Ryan Pierson of St. Paul runs for an eight yard gain during the opening drive against Perrydale. Pierson rushed for over 300 yards and scored four touchdowns during the Buckaroos’ 34-24 home victory.
Pierson of St. Paul flies for a few extra yards after being up-ended on a first quarter run.
Blake Barnes of Perrydale earns four yards the hard way as he is hit hard by St. Paul’s Ryan Pierson as he leaps high to pull down a pass reception.
David Ferguson of St. Paul questions a penalty call with the referee after the Buckaroos scored the two point conversion with 1:20 left in the second quarter for a 14-0 lead. The flag was ultimately withdrawn the the conversion was good.
TJ Weisz of St. Paul pulls in a pass reception for a 20 yard first down with 4:00 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Being all smiles after they celebrate their 34-24 victory over Perrydale, Matt Brown (Left) and David Ferguson of St. Paul shout out to fellow students as the bus leaves the St. Paul Rodeo Arena to head back to the high school.