This is the complete list of the Statesman Journal All-Mid-Valley boys track and field team.

The athlete of the year was announced at the Mid-Valley Sports Awards on June 7.

West Salem’s Ahmed Muhumed competes in the 1500 meters during the final day of the OSAA Track and Field State Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Athlete of the year: Ahmed Muhumed, West Salem

Sophomore Israel Garza is nominated for an award in the Statesman Journal’s Mid-Valley Sports Awards to be held in June. Photographed at McKay High School in Salem on Wednesday, May 11, 2016.

Israel Garza

School: McKay

Year: Sophomore

District results: Greater Valley Conference champion in 100 and 200, fourth in long jump, third in 400 relay

State results: Sixth in 6A 100, eighth in 200, 11th in 400 relay

Season personal records: 10.85 (100), 22.14 (200), 6-2 (high jump), 21-5 (long jump)

Senior Matthew Gille stands for a photo before basketball practice at Crosshill Christian School in Turner, Ore., on Monday, Feb. 22, 2016.

Matthew Gille

School: Crosshill Christian

Year: Senior

District results: 1A Special District 1 champion in javelin and high jump, second in 200, fourth in 1,600 relay

State results: 1A state champion in javelin, second in high jump, sixth in 200

Season personal records: 23.52 (200), 185-1 (javelin), 6-0 (high jump)

Sprague’s Austin Kleinman accepts his silver medal for the boys shot put at the Greater Valley Conference District Championships track and field meet at McMinnville High School on Friday, May 13, 2016.

Austin Kleinman

School: Sprague

Year: Junior

District results: Greater Valley Conference champion in discus, second in shot put

State results: Third in 6A discus, ninth in shot put

Season personal records: 51-.5 (shot put), 162-7 (discus)

West Salem’s Micah Masei is a finalist for swimmer of the year.

Micah Masei

School: West Salem

Year: Junior

District results: Greater Valley Conference champion in pole vault, second in 110 hurdles

State results: 6A state champion in pole vault

Season personal records: 14-6 pole vault, 15.72 (110 hurdles)

Bishop Mitchell

Bishop Mitchell

School: Kennedy

Year: Junior

District results: Tri-River Conference champion in long jump and 400 relay, second in 200, third in pole vault

State results: Second in 2A long jump, second in 200, fourth in pole vault, second in 400 relay

Season personal records: 22.65 (200), 12-7 (pole vault), 21-9 (long jump)

Ahmed Muhumed stands for a portrait at West Salem High School on Thursday, June 2, 2016.

Ahmed Muhumed

School: West Salem

Year: Junior

District results: Greater Valley Conference champion in 1,500, 3,000 and 1,600 relay

State results: Third in 1,500 and 3,000, second in 1,600 relay

Season personal records: 1:53.70 (800), 3:52.44 (1,500), 8:25.87 (3,000)

Regis High School track athlete Josh Mumey is photographed for the Mid Valley Sports Awards on Wednesday, May 18, 2016.

Josh Mumey

School: Regis

Year: Junior

District results: Second in Tri-River Conference in high jump

State results: Second in 2A high jump

Season personal records: 6-8.5 (high jump)

Junior basketball player Lance Nelson. Photographed at Amity High School on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015.

Lance Nelson

School: Amity

Year: Senior

District results: West Valley League champion in high jump and long jump, second in triple jump

State results: 3A state champion in high jump, fourth in long jump, eighth in triple jump

Season personal records: 6-5 (high jump), 20-5 (long jump), 40-9 (triple jump)

Silverton’s Brock Rogers places second in the 110 meter hurdles during the final day of the OSAA Track and Field State Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Brock Rogers

School: Silverton

Year: Junior

District results: Mid-Willamette Conference champion in 100 and 110 hurdles, second in 300 hurdles, fourth in 400 relay

State results: Second in 5A 110 hurdles, seventh in 300 hurdles, 14th in 100

Season personal records: 14.85 (110 hurdles), 40.23 (300 hurdles)

McNary’s Brendan Van Voorhis after competing in the finals of the boys 400 meter dash at the Greater Valley Conference District Championships track and field meet at McMinnville High School on Friday, May 13, 2016. Van Voorhies placed first.

Brendan Van Voorhis

School: McNary

Year: Junior

District results: Greater Valley Conference champion in 400 and 400 relay, second in 200, third in 1,600 relay

State results: Sixth in 6A 400, 10th in 200, ninth in 400 relay

Season personal records: 10.97 (100), 22.18 (200), 48.94 (400)

Regis High School’s track and field coach, Mike Bauer. THOMAS PATTERSON | Statesman Journal

COACH

Mike Bauer

School: Regis

Year: 42nd

District results: Second in Tri-River Conference

State results: Class 2A state champions

North Salem’s Rebekah Miller wins the 200 meters during the final day of the OSAA Track and Field State Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

North Salem freshman Rebekah Miller

This is the complete list of the Statesman Journal All-Mid-Valley girls track and field team.

The athlete of the year was announced at the Mid-Valley Sports Awards on June 7.

Amity’s Lindsay McShane competes in discus at the OSAA Track and Field State Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene on Thursday, May 19, 2016. McShane won her third consecutive state championship in the discus with a throw of 140-8.

Athlete of the year: Lindsay McShane, Amity

Willamina High School Senior, Kasey Anderson

Kasey Anderson

School: Willamina

Year: Senior

District results: Second in the West Valley League in high jump

State results: Class 3A state champion in high jump

Season personal records: 5-2 (high jump).

McNary senior Danielle Duran

Danielle Duran

School: McNary

Year: Senior

District results: Greater Valley Conference champion in 400 and 300 hurdles, third in 400 relay, fourth in 1,600 relay

State results: Second in 6A in 300 and 13th in 400

Season personal records: 400 (58.60), 300 hurdles (44.37).

Maddie Fuhrman is photographed on Friday, April 15, 2016, at Silverton High School for the Mid-Valley Sports Awards.

Maddie Fuhrman

School: Silverton

Year: Senior

District results: Mid-Willamette Conference champion in 800, 1,500 and in 1,600 relay

State results: Fourth in 5A in 800 and sixth in 1,500, fourth in 1,600 relay

Season personal records: 800 (2:14.00), 1,500 (4:41.94), 3,000 (10:26.68).

Amity sophomore Amy Kraemer

Amy Kraemer

School: Amity

Year: Sophomore

District results: West Valley League champion in 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and triple jump, fourth in 400 relay

State results: Class 3A state champion in 100 hurdles and triple jump, fourth in 300 hurdles

Season personal records: 15.75 (100 hurdles) 49.52 (300 hurdles), 35-5.25 (triple jump)

Senior Lindsay McShane is nominated for an award at the Statesman Journal’s Mid-Valley Sports Awards to be held in June. Photographed at Amity High School in Amity, Ore., on Thursday, May 26, 2016.

Lindsay McShane

School: Amity

Year: Senior

District results: West Valley League champion in shot put, discus and javelin

State results: Class 3A state champion in shot put and discus, third in javelin

Season personal records: 44-1 (shot put), 143-8 (discus), 135-0 (javelin)

Keira McCarrell

Keira McCarrell

School: West Salem

Year: Junior

District results: Greater Valley Conference champion in 100 hurdles, javelin, high jump and 400 relay

State results: Second in 6A javelin, 10th in high jump, sixth in 400 relay

Season personal records: 15.89 (100 hurdles), 154-3 (javelin), 5-4 (high jump)

North Salem freshman Rebekah Miller

Rebekah Miller

School: North Salem

Year: Freshman

District results: Greater Valley Conference champion in 100 and 200, fourth in triple jump, second in 1,600 relay

State results: 6A state champion in 200, fifth in 100, sixth in triple jump, 15th in 1,600 relay

Season personal records: 12.26 (100), 24.85 (200), 16-6 (long jump), 36-7.75 (triple jump).

West Salem High School track and field athlete Angela Mumford

Angela Mumford

School: West Salem

Year: Senior

District results: Greater Valley Conference champion in shot put and discus

State results: Second in 6A in shot put, sixth in discus

Season personal records: 42-2 (shot put), 124-8 (discus)

Santiam Christian’s Rebeka Preston

Rebeka Preston

School: Santiam Christian

Year: Sophomore

District results: West Valley League champion in 400 and 1,600 relay, second in 200 and 400 relay

State results: 3A state champion in 400, fifth in 200, third in 1,600 relay, fifth in 400 relay.

Season personal records: 13.09 (100), 26.48 (200), 58.80 (400).

Amanda Wiebenga, Cascade

Amanda Wiebenga

School: Cascade

Year: Junior

District results: Oregon West Conference champion in pole vault, 400 relay and 1,600 relay, fifth in 300 hurdles

State results: 4A state champion in pole vault, ninth in 400 relay

Season personal records: 11-0 (pole vault), 50.64 (300 hurdles)

In many club sports, the best players from Salem join teams based in Portland to play for more successful teams and get noticed.

In the case of the Captial FC Timbers Boys 98 Red, players from the Portland area come to play for a Salem team.

The Capital FC Timbers 98 Red won its sixth state championship in seven years this season.

While the core of the team of Salem-based players has been together for seven years – and won six state championships in that span – Jack Moothart and Alejandro Lee commute from West Linn to play for the CFC red team.

“I think people started realizing what we have here in Salem, which is different,” said Marcos Ochoa, who was a key player in West Salem’s run to the 6A state championship this season.

“Obviously Portland is a much bigger city so a lot of our competition is against the Portland area within state, but this year we got first.”

The core group of players – including Armando Lopez, Diego Olvera, Sam Sinks, Conner Karsseboom, Benje Orozco Jr., Joshua Bailey, Stuart Aeschliman and Ochoa – have been together since they won their first state championship in 2009, mostly under the team name of Real Madrid.

Some players were already playing competitive soccer for the club when the team came together, some were recruited in to it and some had other coaches recommend they join it.

“I think it’s a little bit of everything,” said Miguel Ponce, who attends South Salem.

When the red team won the U17 Boys Oregon OYSA State championship in May, it was the team’s sixth state championship in seven years – 2015 was the one season they didn’t win it.

Some of the players, such as Orozco, left the team, but returned to it.

“It was pretty cool, just being with the same group of guys,” said Karsseboom, who plays at Woodburn. “We all have been successful together, like the same core group, that’s pretty cool.

“We’ve had like new additions each year basically, but the same group of guys have stayed together. That’s pretty cool because the chemistry’s always, always there.”

Mike McGrew was the coach of the team through the state championship game, but took another coaching position and Jared Rust took over for the regional tournament.

Rust, who was the men’s coach at Simpson University the past two seasons and has taken an assistant coach position at Willamette, took over the team heading to the regional tournament.

“They’re able to read each other,” said Rust, who formerly was Sprague’s coach in 2012 and 2013. “They’re able to communicate with each other. They know the gestures. They know people’s strengths, their weaknesses, and it does give them an advantage.

“I think that the only thing that is disadvantage in that regard is that we get a little comfortable with it, and we don’t necessarily hold each other accountable to the level that we’d like because we’re so used to each other and we accept the inconsistencies or the weaknesses of some players, instead of pushing them to become even better than they can be.”

The team next plays in the USYSA Far West Regionals Monday-Sunday in Boise.

The core of the team have made a half dozen trips to the regional tournament and their best result in it was reaching the semifinals when they were U12.

“I think this is our year for Regionals because we’ve always gone there, we’ve done okay, quarters, semis, came home with nothing,” said Aeschliman, the Gatorade Oregon Boys Soccer Player of the Year for West Salem last fall. “I’m just excited to go out there and I think we have a good chance of taking it this year.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

This is the complete list of the Statesman Journal All-Mid-Valley softball team.

The player of the year was announced at the Mid-Valley Sports Awards on June 7.

Silverton shortstop Maggie Buckholz waits for the ball against Central during the first game of a doubleheader, on Friday, April 24, 2015, in Independence.

Player of the year: Maggie Buckholz, Silverton.

Silverton High School athlete Maggie Buckholz is photographed for the Mid Valley Sports Awards on Wednesday, May 18, 2016.

Maggie Buckholz

School: Silverton

Year: Sophomore

Position: Shortstop

Statistics: Buckholz batted .624 with .683 on-base and .917 slugging percentages. She hit 15 doubles, two triples, two home runs, stole 24 bases, had 23 RBIs, scored 21 runs and had a .958 fielding percentage.

Honors: First-team all-Mid-Willamette Conference; second-team Class 5A all-state.

Dayton junior pitcher Haley Couch

Haley Couch

School: Dayton

Year: Junior

Position: Pitcher

Statistics: Couch batted .455 with .515 on-base and .602 slugging percentages. She hit seven doubles and three triples, had 36 RBIs, scored 22 runs and had a .911 fielding percentage. She also was 27-4 with a 1.36 ERA and struck out 178 batters against 33 walks in 126 1/3 innings pitched.

Honors: First-team all-West Valley League; West Valley League Player of the Year; first-team Class 3A all-state.

Mid Valley Sports Award nominee Tayler Gunesch stands for a portrait at West Salem High School on Monday, May 23, 2016.

Tayler Gunesch

School: West Salem

Year: Senior

Position: Shortstop

Statistics: Gunesch batted .519 with .613 on-base and .716 slugging percentages. She hit nine doubles, three triples, two home runs, stole 19 bases and had 26 RBIs.

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference; Greater Valley Conference Player of the Year; first-team Class 6A all-state.

Kylee Hill of Dayton

Kylee Hill

School: Dayton

Year: Junior

Position: Catcher

Statistics: Hill batted .570 with .624 on-base and 1.100 slugging percentages. She hit 13 doubles, five triples, 11 home runs, had 61 RBIs, scored 42 runs and had a .986 fielding percentage.

Honors: First-team all-West Valley League; first-team Class 3A all-state; Class 3A state player of the year.

West Salem junior Bailey Holmquist

Bailey Holmquist

School: West Salem

Year: Junior

Position: Second base

Statistics: Holmquist batted .533 with .570 on-base and .638 slugging percentages. She hit seven doubles, two triples, stole 32 bases and had 42 RBIs.

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference; second-team Class 6A all-state.

Dayton’s Teddi Hop

Teddi Hop

School: Dayton

Year: Senior

Position: Center fielder

Statistics: Hop batted .486 with .548 on-base and .514 slugging percentages. She had three doubles, stole eight bases, had 19 RBIs, scored 54 runs and had a .943 fielding percentage.

Honors: First-team all-West Valley League; first-team Class 3A all-state.

Sprague senior Alex Ledgerwood

Alex Ledgerwood

School: Sprague

Year: Senior

Position: Catcher

Statistics: Ledgerwood batted. 453 with .605 on-base and .811 slugging percentages. She hit five doubles, two triples, five home runs, had 29 RBIs and a .973 fielding percentage.

Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference; first-team Class 6A all-state.

Scio High School student athlete Ashton Phillips is photographed for the Mid Valley Sports Awards on Wednesday, May 18, 2016.

Ashton Phillips

School: Scio

Year: Sophomore

Position: Shortstop

Statistics: Phillips batted .554 with .619 on-base and .821 slugging percentages. She hit 10 doubles, four triples, three home runs, stole 29 bases, had 34 RBIs, scored 41 runs and had a .922 fielding percentage.

Honors: First-team all-PacWest Conference; first-team Class 3A all-state.

Kennedy’s Tressa Riedman

Tressa Riedman

School: Kennedy

Year: Sophomore

Position: Pitcher

Statistics: Riedman batted .424 with .462 on-base and .635 slugging percentages. She had 11 doubles, two triples, a home run, had 29 RBIs and scored 21 runs. She also was 18-6 with a 3.87 ERA, struck out 135 batters against 65 walks in 126 1/3 innings pitched.

Honors: First-team all-Tri-River Conference; Tri-River Conference Player of the Year.

Kennedy coach Walt Simmons was named the 2A/1A Special District 2 coach of the year.

COACH

Walt Simmons

School: Kennedy

Year: 13th.

Honors: Tri-River Conference Coach of the Year.

Team accomplishments: The Trojans went 18-6, swept the Tri-River Conference at 10-0, and reached the 2A/1A state semifinals for the first time since 2010.

The marching band learns their steps during band camp at North Salem High School, Thursday, August 20, 2015, in Salem, Ore.

North Salem High athletics hired three new coaches for its girls programs.

Rebecca Johnston has been hired as the volleyball coach.

Anna Marchbanks has been hired as girls basketball coach. The former all-state player at McKay played at Oregon State from 2010-12. She averaged 8.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a junior and led the Beavers with 12.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game as a senior.

Jay Elders has been hired as the softball coach. He was the softball coach at McKay in 2005.

Signings

Sprague graduate Ben Tinnell signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Olympic College.

Tinnell attended Montana State University Billings this season, but redshirted.

A right-handed pitcher, he was a second-team all-Greater Valley Conference selection in 2015.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Sprague graduate Ben Tinnell has signed to play baseball at Olympic College.

When Josh Riddell was hired as McKay High School’s football coach – his first head coaching position – he knew the first person he wanted to hire for the coaching staff wasn’t available.

That’s because his father, Duane Riddell, accepted the head coaching position at Perrydale a month ago.

When the high school football season starts this fall, there will be two Riddell’s walking sidelines of football fields in the Mid-Valley.

“It’s going to be a crazy time,” Duane Riddell said. “It will be a lot of fun. And we’ll all lie to each other about it on Saturday mornings.”

Duane has a 122-80 record in 20 years as a head coach, including a 31-24 record as coach at McKay from 2000-04; this is Josh’s first head coaching job.

“It’s funny because I’ve had quite a few talks with him, before I interviewed for the job,” Josh Riddell said. “I wanted him on my coaching staff.”

Josh Riddell replaces Brett Rhodes, who was 4-24 in three years as coach including 1-8 last season.

Josh Riddell graduated from McKay in 2004 where he was an all-state defensive back.

He played quarterback for two years at Foothill Junior College in Los Angeles, one injury-shortened season at Mississippi State and two years at Western Oregon.

Josh Riddell spent one year as an assistant coach at McNary, two years as an assistant coach under Duane Riddell at Gervais and the past three years at West Salem.

Josh Riddell said he plans to use multi-receiver, pistol offensive sets as opposed to the wing-T offense it ran the past few years.

“I’m going to be the quarterback coach and call the offense,” said Josh Riddell, who will work on staff at McKay in an undetermined role. “I’ve been around some great minds, offensive minds, and I’ve been able to pick their brains a lot.”

He has existing relationships with many of the coaches who have been, and will remain, on the coaching staff at McKay.

Greg LaFountaine was his baseball coach while playing at McKay, Darnell Hall was in the same graduating class at McKay and he played at Western Oregon with Bryan Huber.

LaFountaine was the defensive coordinator when Duane Riddell was the head coach at McKay.

“Josh isn’t afraid to ask questions,” Duane Riddell said. “He coached for a couple of guys I think are great coaches in the West Salem coaches. He’s had some pretty experiences.”

Since Josh Riddell wasn’t hired until school was out, one of the biggest tasks he’s had is finding players at the school. He said there will be a player meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday followed by a workout.

While Josh Riddell has a rebuilding job to do at McKay, Duane Riddell is taking over an established program.

Perrydale was 10-1 last season, losing to Dufur in the state semifinals. Duane Riddell takes over for Chris Gubud, who resigned to spend time watching his two children play college sports this fall.

“With excellent coaches and really good kids,” said Duane Riddell, who coached Central to a state championship in 1983. “There’s not a lot of players.

“There’s very few players, but the ones we have are very good kids. I’m learning a lot from my coaches and the kids and so it’s been a fun experience for me.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Duane Riddell has been hired as Perrydale’s head football coach.

Josh Riddel, shown playing for Western Oregon, has been hired as McKay’s football coach.

When most coaches talk about rebuilding a high school sports program, they’re talking about a superficial process.

Many think that moving a couple all-league players into different positions and filling out the roster with varsity reserves and JV starters who have years of competitive experience constitutes rebuilding.

Most rebuilding projects are like remodeling a kitchen once you move in.

Former McKay and Oregon State basketball player Anna Marchbanks leads the North Salem High School girl’s basketball practice as head coach on Wednesday, June 22, 2016.

What Anna Marchbanks – best known as an all-star basketball player at McKay High and Oregon State – has undertaken as coach of North Salem High School’s girls basketball program is akin to a total teardown of a house to the foundation.

“Pretty big, pretty big for sure,” said assistant coach Jonathan Abrams, who played in college at Morehouse and Berry and professionally overseas. “It’s a big deal. There’s no way around it.

“I think getting the right group of girls to buy in to a system, to just change their mentality, I think that’s the biggest thing.”

As part of Marchbanks’ rebuilding plan is North Salem won’t field a varsity team next season.

It seems like a drastic step – it’s something a Salem-Keizer Public School hasn’t done in a team sport in decades – but it’s one that can’t hurt in the case of a team that went 0-24 last season and has been through five coaches in the past 10 years.

“Them losing every single game, I feel like we were drowning them,” said Marchbanks, who played for North Salem as a freshman in the 2004-05 school year. “Taking the freshman and moving them to varsity, I feel like it was drowning all the girls.

“When you’re winning you were a lot happier person. You want to come to practice. You want to play harder, and I just knew making them play varsity, especially bringing all the freshman up. For me to even coach here, I had to have the varsity cut.”

Marchbanks has been part of the rebuilding process of basketball programs at different levels.

When she transferred to McKay for her sophomore year that program was pretty much in the same place North Salem is now, but as a player she helped that team to two league championships.

When she transferred to Oregon State – after leading Yakima Valley Community College to the 2010 NWAACC Championship – that program was in dire shape.

Marchbanks transformed herself into a first-team all-Pac-12 Conference selection as a senior by leading the Beavers in points (12.5 per game), rebounds (7.6), assists (3.7) and steals (2.3) and helped elevate Oregon State to a 20-13 record and a place in the WNIT.

She went on to play professionally for teams in Finland, Luxembourg, Germany and France before a nagging knee injury forced her to retire as a player.

“I think from her going from North Salem to college ball and overseas, it helps us think that we can do it and succeed through North Salem when everybody tells we can’t,” said sophomore-to-be Emmalee Haburn. “She knows. She’s been there and she did it.”

When Marchbanks first told the players that there won’t be a varsity team next season, some were fine with it and committed themselves to the process – such as rising junior Janel Urbina, an honorable mention all-league player last season.

Not all of them did.

Former McKay and Oregon State basketball player Anna Marchbanks, left, leads the North Salem High School girl’s basketball practice as head coach on Wednesday, June 22, 2016.

“We had like four girls quit because they played varsity last year,” Marchbanks said. “They were like, oh, I need to play varsity. I’m like, you averaged .9, not even one point. You can go to any other school in our league and you will not start because they were sophomores on varsity.

“This is the part when we ran stuff in practice and then go to a game and varsity team would shut it down. We couldn’t even get the first pass. The girl couldn’t even get open. We couldn’t run stuff. They couldn’t get shots off.”

By North Salem dropping its varsity girls basketball team, it will have unintended positive consequences for other teams in the league.

South Salem has won the past two OSAA Class 6A state championships, but each year was dragged down in the power rankings by playing low-ranking teams such as North Salem and got lower seeds for the state playoffs, No. 4 each of the past two years.

Add in that South Salem has blown out North Salem by scores including 92-5 and 74-8 among their games the past two years, and no one had fun in those games.

“No, we don’t look forward to those kind of games because we’re trying to get better,” South Salem coach Nick McWilliams said. “We also don’t want to embarrass another team or whatever. Some people thought that we’ve done that. We never purposely do that.

“It’s probably more disrespectful if you go out there and don’t try. We’re not going to do that. On the other hand, we played a lot of people off our JV’s and didn’t press very much. We would rather go into a game thinking that we’ve really got to play our best in order to win, and when we do that we’re more successful, but you’re not able to do that in that kind of game. I don’t think it helps them at all when they get beat up.”

The hope is that in a few years that North Salem’s program can grow to the level of being a state playoff team.

Former McKay and Oregon State basketball player Anna Marchbanks, left, leads the North Salem High School girl’s basketball practice as head coach on Wednesday, June 22, 2016.

Marchbanks has four cousins who are in the seventh or eighth grades, and she plans to coach competitive travel teams of fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders at The Hoop next season.

She is in this rebuilding for the long term.

“I think it’s a good thing that we’re going to have a JV team because that’s going to give us more experience dealing with upper people who know what they’re doing,” said sophomore-to-be Rosemaline Watley. “It’s like a ladder, going up every time.”

In the first years of high school girls basketball being sanctioned by the OSAA, North Salem was competitive.

The Vikings were in the state playoffs seven times between 1981 and 1992 – including state tournament appearances in 1981 and 1989.

But 1992 was a long time ago.

In the past 12 seasons – dating back to Marchbanks’ 2004-2005 season as a player at North Salem – the program has gone 36-215, including a 15-141 league record.

North Salem has been in the bottom three of the OSAA’s power rankings each of the past two seasons in the 6A classification.

“We have a lot of work in front of us right now, but I think if we just stay committed to the process and have the girls committed to the same process, we’ll be okay,” said assistant coach Rodney Nelson, who played Chemeketa and Adams State.

After Marchbanks’ overseas professional career ended, she moved back to Salem and became depressed. She stopped working out and gained a lot of weight.

But then she got a job at North Salem and took a position as an assistant basketball coach. She coached the JV team two years ago and the freshman team last season.

“Right after that happened, they changed everything for me,” said Marchbanks, who graduated from Oregon State earlier this month with a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in Spanish. “They made me look forward to coming to work and practice and enjoying it and working out again.

Former McKay and Oregon State basketball player Anna Marchbanks, center, leads the North Salem High School girl’s basketball practice as head coach on Wednesday, June 22, 2016.

“Coming in here, working with them and coaching, it changed everything for me. It made me want to play again. It made me miss the game. It made me want to help them out and just be a better person so that they could be better people.”

The players relate to Marchbanks on a different level than they do with most coaches.

She’ll dance with her players during practice and play 3-point shooting games with them, but when they consistently mess up plays, she’ll yell at them and the players will be running the same sorts of sprints she hated running when she was a player.

But the players demonstrate their commitment to the process every time they run, something they do frequently at this point.

“They want to play basketball, they want to be good, I need the time and the effort and they need …I can’t put in more than you,” Marchbanks said. “I’ve already done everything I had to do.

“I need you guys to come out here to sweat and cry and bleed and dive on the floor and sell out and believe in this program because at the end of the day, no matter how good of a coach or how good of a player I was, it’s all up to you putting that ball in the hoop.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

The body of Cody Watson, a 16-year-old student at Central High School, was recovered by the Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office on Monday morning from the John Day River.

Cody Watson

The sheriff’s office reported that officers were called to the river eight miles west of Spray at noon Sunday after it was reported that Watson had disappeared beneath the surface while swimming with friends.

“He was there with a family friend and was just there for the weekend,” Central football coach Shane Hedrick said. “He went over Friday and was coming back (Sunday) night. They were on the tail end of the water excursion.”

Multiple police and rescue agencies searched for his body for two hours Sunday, but couldn’t locate him. The search resumed Monday morning and his body was recovered before 10 a.m.

Watson, who lived in Monmouth, played basketball and football at Central and carried a grade-point average of over 3.0.

“He was going to be fighting for a starting position this fall,” Hedrick said.

Watson is survived by two parents, three brothers and a sister.

A gofundme page has been set up at https://www.gofundme.com/2bk4y2k to help pay for transport of his body home and for funeral costs.

There will be a vigil at Panther Stadium at 9 p.m. Tuesday. A celebration of life will be held at Panther Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday.

Recent Cascade High graduate Christy Seaton signed a letter of intent to compete in track and field at Northwest Christian University.

Seaton won Oregon West Conference district championships in the 100 hurdles, high jump and 400 relay as a senior

As a senior she placed third at the OSAA Class 4A state meet in the 100 hurdles (15.75), fifth in the high jump (5-1), ninth in the 400 relay and 14th in the 200 (28.11).

She also placed fifth in the high jump at the state meet her final three years of high school.

Track and field

Sheridan alumni Joni Huntley will be the Grand Marshall at the Aug. 27 Dragging the Gut Festival in McMinnville.

Huntley, a national record hold high jumper, was a bronze medal Olympian in 1984 and recently was inducted into the National Federation of High School’s National High School Hall of Fame.

She will be driven along Main Street in the 7 p.m. parade.

Baseball, softball rules

The National Federation of State High School Associations will require a pitching restriction for high school baseball pitchers starting next season.

Oregon will limit pitchers to throw no more than 110 pitchers per day, though he will be allowed to finish pitching to a batter if he reaches the maximum during an at bat.

Pitchers will be allowed to throw 1-25 pitches on no days of rest, 26-45 on one day of rest, 46-60 on two day’s rest, 61-85 on three day’s rest of more than 86 pitches on four day’s rest.

Also among the new rules for softball is one that will require all equipment to be placed outside of the dugout prior to each game for inspection by umpires.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Recent Cascade graduate Christy Seaton placed third in the state in the 100 hurdles as a senior.

North Salem High School sophomore Taylor Gibson won the American Legion national championship in precision shooting.

North Salem sophomore Taylor Gibson won the precision championship at the American Legion Junior 3-Position National Air Rifle Championship July 23 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Gibson, competing for Four Corners Rod and Gun Club and sponsored by American Legion Post 9, received a $5,000 college scholarship for winning.

Taylor Gibson won the Junior Air Rifle Championship.

Gibson won with a score of 2,476.7 points, six points more than second-place Sarah Osborn. She set the American Legion national record for precision with a score of 104.7.

She will attend the Aug. 26 through 30 American Legion national convention in Cincinnati where she will be honored alongside other American Legion youth program champions.

Camp

McNary’s volleyball program will host camps for high school and middle schools players Aug. 8 through 11.

A middle school camp for those in grades six through eight will run from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day and those in grades nine through 12 will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The camp will be run by McNary’s volleyball coaches and guest coaches from local middle schools.

Players can register by picking up a form in McNary’s athletic office, downloading it off the McNary Volleyball twitter page or registering the day of the camp. The cost is $50 and includes a t-shirt.

For more information, contact McNary coach Bruce Myers at 541-580-1780 or myers_ronald@salkeiz.k12.or.us.

Physicals

Salem Health’s Medical Clinics and Community Health Education Center will offer complete sports physicals for $10 for 200 student athletes in the Salem area.

Doctors will perform the exams to middle and high school students, but they must bring a parent or guardian.

The exams will take place from 9 a.m. to noon today at South Salem High School, 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 3 at West Salem High School, 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 4 at North Salem High School and from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 8 at McNary and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 9 at North Salem High School.

Students must preregister for the physicals. To preregister, call 503-814-2432 or at www.salemhealth.org.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

School officials and athletes representing volleyball, boys and girls basketball and wrestling unveil the new McNary High School gymnasium floor during a ceremony on Monday, Aug. 8, 2016, in Keizer. Athletic Director Ron Richards said the previous floor was about 20 years old. The new floor features a large M in the center of the floor, as well Keizer, OR and a mascot logo on the edges of the floor.

School officials and athletes representing volleyball, boys and girls basketball and wrestling unveil the new McNary High School gymnasium floor during a ceremony on Monday, Aug. 8, 2016, in Keizer. Athletic Director Ron Richards said the previous floor was about 20 years old. The new floor features a large M in the center of the floor, as well Keizer, OR and a mascot logo on the edges of the floor.

Recent South Salem High graduate Ruben Salvador-Benevides signed a letter of intent to run cross country at Corban.

In his one year of competing at South Salem he placed 37th at the Greater Valley Conference district meet.

Officiating

The OSAA approved the use of three-person officiating crews for playoff and state tournament games at the Class 6A, 5A and 4A levels beginning in 2017.

The three-person crews were used in nine leagues in Oregon in the 2015-16 season, though the option for three or two person crews is allowed in all levels this winter.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Chris Vandiver, the linebacker coach, leads a drill during football practice at West Salem High School on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016.

There’s always something new on the first day of high school football practices each fall.

Monday morning at West Salem High there was one small difference that broke up the team’s traditional monochromatic black look: Flat grey helmets, a welcome change from its previous flat black over black uniforms.

“We were flat black before Sprague,” said West Salem coach Shawn Stanley, in his 12th year at the school. “We had a chance to do it. I thought we’d change it up a little bit. The one thing I was considering a little bit was the heat. I would imagine that black color’s going to absorb a lot more heat.

“As I’m taking my heat illness awareness test, I’m thinking hmm, what can we do to cool off our guys. It’s something different. The kids voted on it. I could really, to be honest with you, care less. I really don’t want to be the team that looks good and plays bad.”

While the players were sweating while working in drill after drill Monday, a construction crew was working in the north end zone to install a new scoreboard.

Football teams have been preparing for the season for months in weight rooms, in 7-on-7 passing leagues and summer conditioning programs.

But Monday was the first day for helmets.

“We’re used to it because we come out here almost every day to do weights or whatnot,” West Salem senior quarterback Jared Oliver said. “It’s different with the helmets, but it’s nice getting close to our first game.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Coming Aug. 31

A special preview section of the high school football season featuring the secret weapons from teams throughout the Mid-Valley.

Head Coach Shawn Stanley gives drill instructions during football practice at West Salem High School on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016.

Head coach Jeff Flood talks to his players during football practice at North Salem High School on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016.

With football season rapidly approaching, my assignment for the Statesman Journal’s preview of Mid-Valley high school teams was to take a look at North Salem.

I’ve always had an affinity with North, in part because the old brick building and diverse student body reminds me of my high school days at Columbus (Ohio) Eastmoor.

But unlike Eastmoor, which always featured a strong football program and produced Archie Griffin, a two-time Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State, North continues to fight an uphill battle on the gridiron.

It typically comes down to numbers. North doesn’t have as many student-athletes in their football program as other Greater Valley Conference schools such as South Salem, Sprague and West Salem. The reason for that predicament is fodder for a future column.

What stood out on my visit to practice this week was the passion of North’s players. The Vikings expect to win, “and we don’t like to use excuses,” senior quarterback Hunter Sullivan said.

North won three GVC games last season and qualified for the Class 6A state playoffs – a worthy achievement for a program that has an abundance of heart and grit, but a lack of depth. Most starters will be asked to play both offense and defense this season, which often leads to fatigue late in games.

Head coach Jeff Flood, who is entering his ninth season at North, doesn’t win as many games as he once did during his 10-year stint at Amity. The Warriors won four consecutive 2A state football titles under Flood from 1998 to 2001.

But Flood has enjoyed his tenure at North every bit as much as the state championship run at Amity because he recognizes that coaching football is about more than the final score.

“Absolutely, you’re still coaching kids and making young men out of boys. That’s always the goal,” said Flood, who teaches Japanese at North. “Success should always be measured by things other than wins and losses.”

Having his players learn the importance of hard work and commitment, and instilling values is what matters most to Flood.

Make no mistake. Winning is important and the Vikings could emerge as a surprise team in the GVC this season.

Their starting quarterback returns to lead the Wing-T offense, and undersized senior middle linebacker Alexis Valenzuela, at 5-foot-4, 185 pounds, is an inspirational leader on defense.

“They can win, absolutely,” Flood said.

But when the dust settles on the 2016 season, whether the Vikings are GVC champs or fall short of that goal, they will be winners in Flood’s mind.

“Successes come in different degrees and I think the ones that are measured outside of what you do here (on the football field) are the more tangible things,” Flood said.

And that’s a life lesson Flood’s players will take with them well after their high school careers end.

ghorowitz@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6726 or Twitter.com/ghorowitz

DALLAS — Unless you are a fan of a certain contemporary Christian rock band from the 1990s, you don’t know how to pronounce Caedmon Blair’s first name.

And the chances are that unless you have an extraordinary vantage point you will have a hard time spotting him on the football field.

Senior Caedmon Blair, photographed at Dallas High School on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016.

At 5-foot-6 and 160 pounds he’s towered over by many of his teammates on the Dallas High football team, but his play at quarterback in the single-wing offense overshadows everything else.

“He’s really taking control of our team, leading by example, leading with his voice, being a great role model for not only our younger quarterbacks, but for everyone,” senior running back/linebacker Tanner Earhart said.

“Everyone can look up to him because he’s a great role model for how to work hard. He does everything right. I think he’s doing a really amazing job, and we definitely need him to bring us together because he does that really well.”

In Dallas’ first game of the 2015 season at Crater, the Dragons had two quarterbacks injured and with no other options they moved their diminutive slot receiver, Blair, to quarterback.

Head Coach Tracy Jackson talks to his players during football practice at Dallas High School on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016.

With him at quarterback – and despite the fact his only experience at the position was in fifth and sixth grade and as a backup as a freshman – he pulled the team back from a 28-point halftime deficit to within six points in the third quarter.

After Dallas started the season 1-5, Blair became the starting quarterback for the first time and led the team to a 20-0 win against Crescent Valley, a win against playoff team Lebanon and a 2-1 record to close the season.

“Cade, he’s a guy his linemen are coming back to the huddle and he’s high-fiving them,” Dallas coach Tracy Jackson said. “Everybody’s like dang, and then pretty soon we just turned.

“The thing is Cade took that thing over. He took it over. He’s strong and he’s positive and everybody loves the guy. He’s the guy that people really wanted to play for.”

In Dallas’ run-heavy offense, Blair will carry the ball, but he has worked on his throwing mechanics in the offseason and has the ability to pass the ball significantly more than before.

Senior Caedmon Blair runs a drill during football practice at Dallas High School on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016.

He showed flashes of brilliance in 7-on-7 play over the summer and proved his size doesn’t limit his passing ability.

“It’s not resting all on my shoulders,” Blair said of commanding the offense. “I would say knowing what I’m doing. Just realizing that the guys are trusting on me. I need to step up to the ability.

“I’m having a lot of fun now so it’s a blast.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Mid-Willamette Conference

Central

Coach: Shane Hedrick, 16th year.

Last year’s record: 7-4 overall, 5-2 Mid-Willamette, lost in second round of state playoffs.

Key athletes: Marlon Tuipulotu, sr., OL/DL: A preseason All-American and the 5A defensive player of the year as a junior, he has verbally committed to play at Washington.

Peter Mendazona, jr., QB: Passed for 1,927 yards and 22 touchdowns against nine interceptions as a sophomore.

Peter Mason, sr., WR/CB: Caught 40 passes for 843 yards and nine touchdowns last season and is one of the toughest players in the state to cover.

Outlook: The Panthers have the talent to compete for the league championship as well as the state championship.

Senior running back Alvin Berroa, a second-team all-state player last year, rushed for 1,606 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior.

The team returns almost every skill position player – including receiver Isiah Abraham, AJ Morales, Jackson Holstad – and has some formidable defensive players in linebackers Luis Amador and Marcos Cedillo.

The team’s biggest holes to fill are on the offensive line where only Tuipulotu and junior Braden Fiszek return, but the team adds in a transfer in all-league player Shun Talmadge from Dallas.

Dallas

Coach: Tracy Jackson, fifth year.

Last year’s record: 3-6 overall, 3-4 Mid-Willamette.

Key athletes: Tanner Earhart, sr., RB/LB: The team’s leading rusher last year and a standout at linebacker.

Cody Janssen, jr., OL/DL: An undersized all-league lineman who plays with a lot of heart.

Jason Richey, sr., WR/DB: A returning starter at defensive back.

Outlook: The Dragons have the pieces to be successful in their single wing offense, but the team won’t outsize any opponent.

An offensive line that includes Timothy Hensley, Josh Willden and Janssen plays hard and is experienced in run blocking.

Dallas has three players currently injured – junior running back Treve Earhart, tight end Zach Wallace and lineman Justin Ingram – and they’re expected back sometime after the third week.

Silverton

Coach: John Mannion, seventh year.

Last year’s record: 5-5 overall, 4-3 Mid-Willamette, lost in first round of state playoffs.

Key athletes: Perry Davis, sr., RB/DB: A second-team all-league selection on both sides of the ball who rushed for 763 yards and 12 touchdowns late in the season.

Dustin Guebbles, sr., OL/DL: A second-team all-Mid-Willamette player on the offensive line as a junior.

Levi Nielsen, soph., QB: Started the final four games of the season as a freshman and showed great potential in going 2-2 in those games.

Outlook: The Foxes were plagued by injuries last year, but that gave younger players experience and should benefit the team this season.

Silverton has some big spots to fill on the offensive line, but David Espe and Guebbels are a good group to build around.

Woodburn

Coach: Nick Federico, fifth year.

Last year’s record: 0-9 overall, 0-8 Mid-Willamette.

Key athletes: 3J Contreras, sr., WR/DB: An honorable mention all-league player on both sides of the ball and an athletic player.

Josiah Torres, sr., RB/LB: An all-league defensive player last season.

Outlook: The Bulldogs, who haven’t won a Mid-Willamette game since 2011, are playing an independent schedule for the next two seasons.

Woodburn’s schedule features teams in a mixture of classifications, and includes one game against a Mid-Willamette team when it plays Silverton in the season finale.

Also in the Mid-Willamette

Corvallis: The Spartans (3-6, 3-4 MWC in 2015) have an experienced and quality group up front including junior Marco Brewer, senior Laurin Suchaneck and senior Jackson Ray, but need skill players to step up to fill spots and compete for a playoff spot.

Crescent Valley: The Raiders (5-4, 4-3 MWC) are one of the most dangerous teams in the league with a team led by highly recruited junior quarterback Talonoa Hufanga. He has an athletic group of upperclassmen with him and makes the team a threat to win the league championship.

Lebanon: Senior quarterback Ty Hargis was the conference’s offensive player of the year in 2015 and with a strong group of seniors the Warriors could improve on their 6-4 record last year and challenge for the league championship.

South Albany: The Rebels made a big step forward by going 5-2 in the MWC and winning the co-league championship, but graduated a large portion of that group. The Rebels return senior quarterback Cade Perrizo and running back Cheyce Baum, but South Albany will need the development of younger players around them to compete for the top spot in the league again.

At first glance, North Salem High senior middle linebacker Alexis Valenzuela appears to be a player opposing offenses would try to exploit.

After all, at 5-foot-4 and a beefy 185 pounds, Valenzuela is barely tall enough to see over the defensive line.

Senior Alexis Valenzuela, photographed at North Salem High School on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016.

“You see guys in our league that are twice his size and width,” senior quarterback Hunter Sullivan said. “Seeing a guy like that, that’s definitely what our game plan would have been, to go at him.”

But Valenzuela falls into the category of looks can be deceiving.

“You watch him play and then you try to run away from him,” Sullivan said. “He makes his presence known on the field. He’s the smallest guy, but he also hits the hardest.”

Valenzuela, who will also start at fullback for the Vikings, is easy to spot on the field despite his diminutive size. He has long black hair that extents to his shoulder pads.

The hair style is a tribute to Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews, a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year who also has shoulder-length hair. Like Matthews, Valenzuela is all over the field.

Senior Alexis Valenzuela runs a drill during football practice at North Salem High School on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016.

Greater Valley Conference opponents would be wise not to overlook Valenzuela.

“They definitely underrate me when I’m on the field,” Valenzuela said. “They target me since I’m the smaller guy, but once it comes to playing I just play with a chip on my shoulder.”

Actually, Valenzuela said a lack of size works to his advantage.

“I just hide behind the D-line and blitz,” said Valenzuela, adding that vision and agility are keys to his success.

North Salem coach Jeff Flood appreciates Valenzuela’s heart and desire.

“He just makes plays for us,” said Flood, who is beginning his ninth season with the Vikings. “He doesn’t back down from anybody.”

That attribute describes the entire North team.

The Vikings don’t have the numbers compared to other GVC schools and many players on the roster play both offense and defense. Fatigue can be a factor, especially late in games.

Players run drills during football practice at North Salem High School on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016.

But a rigorous training program led by strength and conditioning coach Jon MacInnes helps compensate for a lack of numbers.

The Vikings went 3-5 in the GVC last season and qualified for the state playoffs. They expect to make a return trip to the playoffs in 2016.

“We have a lot of returners this year, also a lot of new faces,” senior running back/cornerback Alex Vasquez said. “I feel like we have a good chance to surprise some people this year.”

ghorowitz@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6726 or Twitter.com/ghorowitz

North Salem

Coach: Jeff Flood, ninth year.

Last year’s record: 3-7 overall, 3-5 GVC, lost in first round of state playoffs.

Key athletes: Junior Sandoval, Sr., RB/S: The team’s standout on defense last year, he was a first-team all-league selection as a junior. Hunter Thompson, Sr., QB/DB: An honorable mention all-league selection and returning starter at quarterback. Giovanni Gonzalez, Sr., RB/DB: As a starter in his sophomore year he showed great promise, but he was injured in the first game of his junior year and missed the remainder of the season. Quille Bonner, Sr., OL/DL: A returning starter on the offensive line. Alex Vasquez, Sr., RB/DB: Emerged as an injury replacement on offense.

Outlook: The Vikings made a step up by reaching the state playoffs last year despite an injury-depleted team. The team has a good group of skill players with experience back and should contend for a state playoff spot this season.

Colton Daniels has every attribute you look for in a high school quarterback.

The 6-foot senior from Salem Academy is a 4.0 grade-point average student with a strong arm and good mobility in the pocket.

The only thing that’s missing is experience.

Senior quarterback Colton Daniels during practice on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2016, at Salem Academy.

Daniels spent his entire high school career as a backup quarterback, but though he is still a virtual unknown, he has displayed great ability when given the chance.

“He was just starting to get there,” said senior receiver Skyler Williams. “Coming out like that how he did was really good for him moving into the next year.”

He’s beat out, at least so far, Koby McCallum for the starting quarterback spot.

McCallum was the starting quarterback at Horizon Christian the past two seasons, and Daniels said he learned about the mental side of the position and footwork from McCallum.

Senior quarterback Colton Daniels during practice on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2016, at Salem Academy.

And having McCallum playing receiver gives Daniels another athletic receiver in a group that includes returning starters Williams (646 yards, 12 TDs), Rylan Stamback (669 yards, seven TDs) and Wilson McLean (461 yards, TD) in the team’s blur offense.

“He’s helped me because we were doing a competition so it’s raising each other’s level of play,” said Daniels, a second-team all-conference punter as a junior. “I definitely think it’s been good for me. Having him out there throwing passes against me has made me want to bring my level up. I think it’s been very beneficial.”

In a backup role as a junior, Daniels was 17 of 40 passing for 263 yards and three touchdowns with one interception as a backup.

That also means that Daniels is ready for his chance to help his team.

Salem Academy players practice on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2016, at the school.

“He’s a really, really strong student of the game,” Salem Academy coach Gary Johnson said. “He’s got a lot of arm. Some college coaches have looked at him throw. He’s got a great character. Kids will follow that anywhere.

“That’s what Colton can do really well. A lot of it’s based on his confidence. He hasn’t had the number of reps that maybe a lot of quarterbacks shave had, but he’s a gem at quarterback. He’s going to play quarterback at the next level somewhere.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

PacWest Conference

Blanchet

Coach: Justin Hubbard, fifth year.

Last year’s record: 10-2 overall, 6-0 PacWest, lost in state semifinals.

Key athletes: Nick Orlandini, Sr., RB/DB: A four-year starter, the speedy runner was a first-team all-league player on both sides of the ball as a junior. R.J. Veliz, So., QB/DB: Displayed his athleticism as a freshman as the team’s starting quarterback. Denver Bogat, Sr., RB/LB: A second-team all-league selection at running back and a strong rusher.

Outlook: The Cavaliers have an athletic and experience group of skill position players returning, but their biggest questions are on the offensive line. Blanchet has the athletes to compete for the league championship this season.

Chemawa

Coach: Steve Crane, third year.

Last year’s record: 1-6 overall, 1-5 PacWest.

Key athletes: Shey Lopez, Jr., QB/S: A second-team all-conference defensive player as a sophomore last season.

Outlook: The Braves had a successful senior group last season that won the program’s first league game in a decade.

Gervais

Coach: Josh Crawford, second year.

Last year’s record: 0-9 overall, 0-6 PacWest.

Key athletes: Derrick Jaramillo, Sr., P/QB/DE: A first-team all-conference and all-state selection at punter as a junior. Alex Gostevskyh, Sr., RB/LB: A second-team all-conference player on both sides of the ball as a junior. Noel Vasquez, Jr., WR/CB: An all-conference selection on offense as a sophomore.

Outlook: The Cougars have the talent to make a step forward this year. With the addition of River Moss, the starting quarterback at Woodburn a year ago, Gervais has the potential to compete for a state playoff spot.

Jefferson

Coach: Calvin Griggs, first year.

Last year’s record: 2-7 overall, 2-4 PacWest.

Key athletes: Marshall Montgomery, Sr., OL/DL: A second-team all-conference player on offense as a junior. Dane Bruggeman, Sr., WR/DB: An honorable mention all-conference receiver last year. Layne Newman, Sr., OL/LB: One of the team’s top defensive players, he was an honorable mention all-conference player last season.

Outlook: The Lions return all but two starters from last year’s team, but have a first-year coach in Griggs and a lot of room for growth.

Salem Academy

Coach: Gary Johnson, third year.

Last year’s record: 8-3 overall, 4-2 PacWest, lost in state quarterfinals.

Key athletes: Rylan Stamback, Sr., WR/DB: Caught 39 passes for 669 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior and was a first-team all-conference on offense as a junior. Skylar Williams, Sr., WR/S: Caught 43 passes for 646 yards and 12 touchdowns last year and was first-team all-conference at receiver. Zach Ramillosa, Sr., OL/LB: A first-team all-conference offensive lineman who moves to middle linebacker to take advantage of his athleticism and experience.

Outlook: The Crusaders have a proven group of receivers for whoever wins the starting quarterback spot. The biggest question for the team is on the offensive line where only Ramillosa and Sam Schmidt return.

Scio

Coach: Kyle Braa, seventh year.

Last year’s record: 11-1 overall, 6-0 PacWest, lost in state semifinals.

Key athletes: Dru Cook, Jr., RB/S: Rushed for 536 yards and eight touchdowns and made 51 tackles last season when he was a second-team all-conference defensive back and will take on an increased role in the offense. Ayden Zimmerman, Sr., OL/DL: A second-team all-conference offensive lineman as a junior. Nathan Yoder, Jr., RB/LB: Rushed for 308 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore.

Outlook: Scio graduated a huge and prolific group of seniors from last year’s team, but has an athletic junior class that will put the team in contention for the top spot in the league again.

Also in the PacWest

Colton: A playoff appearance as an at-large team last season (5-5 overall, 3-3 PacWest) was the shot that the Vikings needed, and the team should be a playoff team again this year.

McNary High School senior A.J. Johnk warms up at a team practice on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. After recovering from a torn ACL in 2014, Johnk is back and ready to play for the varsity team again.

KEIZER — Chances are that you heard A.J. Johnk’s name once and then never again.

In his first snap as a high school football player as a sophomore at McNary High in 2014, Johnk booted a 30-yard field goal with one second on the clock to give the Celtics a 42-39 win at McMinnville and was subsequently mobbed.

“My first experience was a great thing,” Johnk said.

He kicked a few more field goals for the varsity team that season, but in a 7-on-7 tournament in the summer before his junior year, he made a sharp cut and tore the ACL in his left knee, requiring season-ending surgery.

Johnk returned to run track and field last spring and was almost as fast as his sophomore year.

Though he’s relatively unknown, the 5-foot-5, 130-pound senior is poised to make his mark as more than a kicker.

“As you can tell he’s recovered from his injury and he’s a good leader to have on the team as well,” said senior receiver Brendan Van Voorhis. “He’s just a great all-around person, honestly. He’s a great guy and it’s good to have him back.”

The reason Johnk was stashed on the JV team as a sophomore was he showed so much promise as a running back, the coaching staff wanted to give him time to develop there.

Now that he’s back and 100 percent – except for the bulky left knee brace that he says slows him slightly, Johnk can finally show people he’s more than a kicker.

“He’s quick on quick,” McNary coach Jeff Auvinen said. “He’s going to have that ability to find little crevasses and creases and get through those. He can cut on a dime.

“He’s going to be able to duck behind and get through that little crease when he opens up. He’s going to be our starter.”

A.J. Johnk is a senior running back and kicker for the McNary High School football team. After recovering from a torn ACL in 2014, Johnk is back and ready to play for the varsity team again.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

McNary

Coach: Jeff Auvinen, second year.

Last year’s record: 4-6 overall, 4-4 GVC, lost in first round of state playoffs.

Key athletes: Kolby Barker, Sr., OL/LB: A two-year starter at defensive line and first-team all-conference player as a junior, he moves to the offensive line to take advantage of his skill and to middle linebacker on defense. Brendan Van Voorhis, Sr., WR/CB/S: The two-time state placer in the 400 meter dash is a returning starter who brings speed to the passing game. Caleb Kiefluk-Yates, Sr., OL/DL: An honorable mention all-conference offensive lineman as a junior who will play more on defense this season. Xavier Martinez, Sr., RB/LB: Was a starter for half of his junior year while he was healthy. Lucas Garvey, Jr., RB/CB: Played some varsity last year, but will be a starter on defense this season.

Outlook: The Celtics have a quarterback battle under way between seniors Tyler Ellertson, the JV starter last year, and Josiah Gilbert, the baseball standout and varsity backup last year. “Tyler has a little more experience,” Auvinen said. “Josiah’s naturally been more of a receiver, more of a DB. When Tyler quarterbacks he’s going to play elsewhere. It’s a good situation to have. You have two guys who can play.” On the offensive line, starters Sam Farr and Yates return and Barker moves to the offensive line to help out. Senior Drew Postma will play at one guard and powerful 295 pound sophomore Josh Meltzer takes over at tackle. The team has a lot of starting spots on defense, especially up front, to fill, but its secondary that includes Van Voorhis, Gilbert and Lucas Garvey will be athletic.

Secret Weapons

Everyone in the valley knows the big names in high school football – players such as Central High’s Marlon Tuipulotu, South Salem’s Tyler Coates and Blanchet’s Nick Orlandini – but the Statesman Journal is highlighting the lesser known players who will make their presence felt on football fields this fall.

Here’s the schedule:

Aug. 24: McNary, Dallas and the Mid-Willamette Conference.

Aug. 25: North Salem, Salem Academy and the PacWest Conference.

Aug. 26: West Salem, Cascade and the Oregon West Conference.

Aug. 27: Sprague, Amity and the West Valley League.

Aug. 28: McKay, Kennedy, the Tri-River Conference and Class 1A.

Aug. 29: South Salem and Central.

Aug. 30: Volleyball.

Aug. 31: Soccer.

Sept. 1: Cross country.

If you want to shore up a weakness on defense, moving one player is a good start.

When you move Emmanuel Miranda into a new spot, it can solve a lot of problems.

Emmanuel (Manny) Miranda is photographed following practice on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016.

The 5-8, 170-pound senior moves to safety from his outside linebacker spot and brings experience and his football smarts to the defensive backfield for the McKay High football team.

“Especially for this defense it helps tremendously,” senior middle linebacker Matthew Jarding said.

“Manny, he used to play linebacker last year, but I believe he played safety his freshman and sophomore year so he’s experienced with it so with this defense when we send a linebacker on a blitz we can have him roll down and play linebacker like he did last year. He’s going to be helpful on the pass tremendously and the run.”

Also moving to safety is senior Justin Kemble, who started at cornerback last season, making it one of the strongest points in the defense.

Emmanuel (Manny) Miranda, right, and teammates practice on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016.

Miranda recorded 46 tackles as a junior, and his ability to cover a lot of ground makes him an ideal candidate to play safety.

“I feel like I’m going to have a breakout year, along with a lot of other players,” Miranda said. “If one player breaks out, other players are going to follow that.”

In McKay’s new spread offense, Miranda will continue to play running back – he rushed for 129 yards and one touchdown on 36 carries last season – but not as much.

He will rotate with Jarding and Leo Silvia in the backfield because those players will rarely come out on defense.

McKay players practice on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016.

“Right now it’s kind of defining roles for those kids and understanding who we need to get the ball in the hands of,” first-year coach Josh Riddell said. “We do have a pretty good number of running backs.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

McKay

Coach: Josh Riddell, first year

Last year’s record: 1-8 overall, 1-7 GVC.

Key athletes: Matthew Jarding, Sr., RB/LB: A first-team all-conference linebacker as a junior who led the team in rushing as a junior with 586 yards and eight touchdowns on 128 carries. Hector Diaz Lopez, Sr., WR/DB: Caught four passes for 17 yards in an injury-shortened junior season. Noah Tavera, Sr., QB/DB: The team’s leading receiver last year with 17 receptions for 237 yards and a touchdown, he is fighting with Joey Davis for the starting quarterback spot. Damon Coronado, Sr., OL/DL: A transfer from Willamette High School. Carlos Garcia, Jr., OL/DL: A returning player up front.

Outlook: McKay has a first-time had coach in alum Josh Riddell, and he is bringing a spread offense back to the school with him. The team has lots of questions on the line, where there are players with potential, but not much depth up front. “That’s the thing as coaches we want to develop something is some depth,” Riddell said. “We don’t have 11 starters on offense and 11 different guys on defense.”

Secret Weapons

Everyone in the valley knows the big names in high school football – players like Central’s Marlon Tuipulotu, South Salem’s Tyler Coates and Blanchet’s Nick Orlandini – but the Statesman Journal is highlighting the lesser known players who will make their presence felt on football fields this fall.

Here’s the schedule:

Aug. 24: McNary, Dallas and the Mid-Willamette Conference.

Aug. 25: North Salem, Salem Academy and the PacWest Conference.

Aug. 26: West Salem, Cascade and the Oregon West Conference.

Aug. 27: Sprague, Amity and the West Valley League.

Aug. 28: McKay, Kennedy, the Tri-River Conference and Class 1A.

Aug. 29: South Salem and Central.

Aug. 30: Volleyball.

Aug. 31: Soccer.

Sept. 1: Cross country.

Dane McKinney, left, and Noah Mellen. Sprague players practice on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016, at the school in South Salem.

The Sprague High football program has a strong tradition at running back, and that could continue this season with senior Dane McKinney and junior Noah Mellen.

But if you ask them, they are more focused on helping the Olympians get better as team every day.

“As players, we obviously want to improve on what we did last year. Anything you do in life, you can always compare against other people, but you want to make sure that everything you do, you’re getting better yourself,” McKinney said. “So you do better than you did last year, in every snap that you have and every drill that you do. And in games, you’re hoping to improve as well.”

Last season, Anthony Nunn rushed for 1,620 yards and 28 touchdowns to lead Sprague to a 7-3 record, including 7-1 in the Greater Valley Conference.

The Olympians’ only loss in the conference last season came against South Salem, and they also fell to Grant in a nonconference game and to Sunset in the OSAA Class 6A state playoffs.

“This year, we plan to have a good game against South (Salem), and we want to have a deep playoff run,” Mellen said. “We have to make sure we’re all playing hard every week, practicing hard, staying focused on our plans.”

Last season, McKinney rushed for 437 yards and four touchdowns, and Mellen had 217 yards and two touchdowns.

Sprague coach Jay Minyard said he expects to use more of a rotation at running back than in past seasons.

“We’ve got several backs that we have confidence in right now. Both these guys played at the varsity level last year and performed well when Anthony Nunn rolled his ankle pretty bad and got hurt, these guys stepped in and did a good job,” Minyard said. “And we also have (junior) Michael Murphy, so we really have a three-headed monster, I think. I could start any of them, and they would perform admirably. I really think that we could end up being a team that rotates them to keep them fresh.”

Mellen said that he and McKinney are competing hard in practice.

“Right now, there’s a pretty good competition between me and Dane,” Mellen said. “And I’m just pushing myself as hard as I can, trying to get the starting spot.”

McKinney said that Sprague’s tradition at offensive line has helped the running back tradition.

“I obviously want to do really well at running back, but the reason we’ve always had good running backs, and anybody who knows a lot about football knows this, is that we always have really good linemen,” McKinney said. “And our coaches are extremely good at just breeding all-league, all-state type linemen. You really can’t take anything that you do for granted. Everything that you do is based on what your line does for you.”

McKinney said that a successful season for Sprague would mean, “as a team, we just need to make sure that we never give up. I think last year in a couple games, we kind of gave up when we shouldn’t have given up, and we can attribute our losses to that. This year, more than anything, wins or losses, just as long as we can look back and say that we fought our hardest the whole game, I’ll be proud to say that I played for us this year.”

Minyard said he expects the GVC to be competitive this season.

“I do think there’s several schools with a lot of seniors coming back and some pretty good talent, so it’ll be a matter of seeing what we have come playoff time,” Minyard said. “You’ve got to prove it on the field, so we’ve got to continue to work hard and develop. And if we do that, and we stay healthy, then I think we should have a pretty good season.”

Sprague players practice on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016, at the school in South Salem.

Sprague

Coach: Jay Minyard, fifth year.

Last year’s record: 7-3 overall, 7-1 GVC, lost in first round of state playoffs.

Key athletes: Justin Culpepper, Sr., QB: Took over part-way through his sophomore year and passed for 981 yards six touchdowns with eight interceptions as a junior. Alex Altringer, Jr., WR/DB: Emerged in the second half of the season and caught 12 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns and was an honorable mention all-conference selection. Austin Kleinman, Sr., TE/DL: A three-year starter and honorable mention all-conference player at fullback last season. Spencer Nofziger, Sr., TE/OL/DL: An honorable mention all-conference player on defense as a junior. Dane McKinney, Sr., RB/LB: An honorable mention all-conference defensive selection last year, he is the team’s leading returning rusher with 437 yards and four touchdowns.

Outlook: On paper, Sprague is the favorite to win the GVC championship this season. But for Sprague to do that, it’s offensive line will have to grow up quick. The Olympians return starters in Kyle Rosenau and Bryce Perkins up front and have a good core to build off of. Sprague’s defense has a lot of experienced players and will be the strength of the team early.

Secret Weapons

Everyone in the valley knows the big names in high school football – players like Central’s Marlon Tuipulotu, South Salem’s Tyler Coates and Blanchet’s Nick Orlandini – but the Statesman Journal is highlighting the lesser known players who will make their presence felt on football fields this fall.

Here’s the schedule:

Aug. 27: Sprague, Amity and the West Valley League.

Aug. 28: McKay, Kennedy, the Tri-River Conference and Class 1A.

Aug. 29: South Salem and Central.

Aug. 30: Volleyball.

Aug. 31: Soccer.

Sept. 1: Cross country.

Secret Weapons

Everyone in the valley knows the big names in high school football – players like Central’s Marlon Tuipulotu, South Salem’s Tyler Coates and Blanchet’s Nick Orlandini – but the Statesman Journal is highlighting the lesser known players who will make their presence felt on football fields this fall.

Here’s the schedule:

Aug. 24: McNary, Dallas and the Mid-Willamette Conference.

Aug. 25: North Salem, Salem Academy and the PacWest Conference.

Aug. 26: West Salem, Cascade and the Oregon West Conference.

Aug. 27: Sprague, Amity and the West Valley League.

Aug. 28: McKay, Kennedy, the Tri-River Conference and Class 1A.

Aug. 29: South Salem and Central.

Aug. 30: Volleyball.

Aug. 31: Soccer.

Sept. 1: Cross country.

When Manny Bravo is on the football field, people notice him.

Senior linebacker Manuel Bravo, photographed at West Salem High School on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016.

The problem is that the 5-foot-9, 185 pound Bravo hasn’t been on the field a lot.

The few teams that have played against West Salem’s senior outside linebacker and running back know they must account for him, but he’s still a secret to most teams.

“I really think, and I know there’s lots of other good players, but he’s one of the best football players we’ve ever had,” West Salem coach Shawn Stanley said. “He’s valuable enough that he’s not going to be lined up at running back and carry it 30 times a game, plus we have other talented guys, too.

“He’s going to be a guy that has to touch the ball. When he’s in there, he’s a playmaker, as good as any of the playmaker as good as any of the playmakers we’ve had on both sides of the ball, we just got to be smart about how we use him.”

Senior Manuel Bravo kicks a ball during football practice at West Salem High School on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016.

Last season as a junior Bravo fractured an ankle in the preseason and had to sit out the team’s first three games. He came back and played in the next four games before breaking a bone in the ankle. Bravo made a triumphant return in West Salem’s season-ending playoff game against West Linn.

But when he was on the field he recorded 67 tackles, including three for loss, and forced a fumble.

And he was an honorable mention all-Greater Valley Conference linebacker despite not being 100 percent until the playoff game.

“It was a bit frustrating because I just couldn’t play because of an injury to my ankle,” Bravo said. “Once I got out here I just had to get the most of the opportunity given to me.”

Though Bravo’s biggest impact is on defense, he makes his presence felt elsewhere.

He is a powerful north-south runner with a burst of speed as a running back, will play in the return game and is the Titans’ likely punter.

He says he’s 100 percent now after months of rehab and strength training for his ankle.

Not that he shows any weakness he’s not full strength.

“He’s tough,” said senior quarterback Jared Oliver. “He’s always going. He always has the energy. He’s always hitting people. He’s just always there no matter what’s happening with him.”

Chris Vandiver, the linebacker coach, leads a drill during football practice at West Salem High School on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

West Salem

Coach: Shawn Stanley, 12th year.

Last year’s record: 7-4 overall 6-2 GVC, lost in second round of state playoffs.

Key athletes:

Anthony Zellner, sr., WR/CB: A first-team all-league defensive player who leads a solid secondary.

Keonte McMurrin, sr., WR//RB/CB: An athletic player who was honorable mention all-league on defense as a junior and is practicing at receiver to get him on the field more.

Christian Janes, jr., DE/TE: A second-team all-league player on defense as a sophomore, he currently is injured and his return is unknown.

Owen Barrett, jr., OL/DL: A second-team all-league center as a sophomore.

Blake Buchheit, sr., OL/DL: A returning starter and honorable mention all-league defensive player.

Outlook: An injury-plagued season in 2015 gave lots of players varsity playing time, which should play dividends.

The offensive line of seniors Brenton Reddy, Blake Buchheit and Taylor Adams and juniors Owen Barrett and Maui Manu all played a lot last year.

Strong-armed senior Jared Oliver takes over at quarterback and has an athletic group of receivers including Cole Rumrill and Valeriy Yurchak and a running back in Noah Whitaker who took over for a time last season.

“On top of that, he’s a 6-4, 6-5, 200, 205 pound kid with a great arm,” Stanley said. “He can run for a big guy. I think he can be a college quarterback. 4.0, honors classes, national honor society kind of guy.”