McKenzie Sports Report – September 18
McKenzie Varsity Sports Schedule This Week
The McKenzie Eagle Varsity Volleyball team travels to Mapleton on Thursday, September 18; to play the Sailors at 3:00 pm. McKenzie follows at 4:30 pm versus Central Linn, also at Mapleton. The Eagle Football team travels to Gilchrist on Friday, September 19. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 pm. The McKenzie Cross Country teams travel on Saturday, September 20, to Seaside to participate in the Three Course Challenge.
Zyla Drake Finishes 27th and Myra Dion 29th
At Country Fair Classic
Will Meister 35th In Boys 5K
Eagle sophomore Zyla Drake brought home McKenzie’s top finish at the 2025 Country Fair Classic in Elmira last Wednesday, September 10. Drake toured the 5,000-meter course in 23:36.9 minutes, which placed her 27th out of a field of 78 runners representing 18 High Schools. Philomath won the Girl’s Varsity team competition with 48 points and Cottage Grove finished with 63 points earning second place. Ella Henthorn, a sophomore athlete from Coquille won the Girls Individual title finishing in 18:59.9 minutes. Cassidy Smart, another sophomore out of Philomath, captured second with a time of 19:07.5 minutes. Drake was the highest Class 1A finisher in the race. Senior Eagle Myra Dion finished her race in 29th place with a time of 23:39.9 minutes and sophomore teammate Claire Weiss finished 70th with a time of 27:48.9 minutes. In the Boys Varsity 5K race, senior Will Meister finished 35th out of a field of 110 runners. Meister’s time was 19:03.2 minutes. Corbin Sage of Marist won the Boys Individual title with a 5K time of 16:04.4 minutes and Jaxson Stovall of Marshfield finished second in 16:16.2 min. Cottage Grove took the team title honors with a low score of 67 points and Philomath finished in second with 97 points. Other Eagle boys finishers were senior Allen Acevedo who took 87th with a time of 21:37.8 minutes, junior William Valtinson at 105th with a time of 24:07.6 minutes and freshman Cyrus Bennett finishing 109th in a time of 28:24.9 minutes.
Hard To Watch!!
Watchmen Roll Over Eagles 70-13
It was an old fashioned thumping that C.S. Lewis Academy laid on host McKenzie in a non-league six-man football game last Saturday night. A 70-13 rout in other words. The win was the first for the Watchmen whose previous outing was a jamboree at Eddyville Charter the week prior. As for McKenzie, it was Eagle Head Coach Willie Kumle’s team’s second loss of the season in as many games. The Eagles dropped their opener over in Halfway, losing to Pine Eagle 42-26. The Eagle next opponent is the Gilchrist Grizzlies, who sit 1-1 on the season, defeating Falls City 12-6 and next losing to Chiloquin, 40-26.
Eagle Girls Swept By Crow/Northwest Christian Academy
The McKenzie Varsity Girls Volleyball team is three matches into the 2025 season and is still searching for their first victory. Last Thursday, the Eagles hosted Crow/Northwest Christian Academy and lost all three sets by scores of 26-24, 25-20, and 25-18. All highly competitive sets, but unfortunately no high fives after. With the victory, Crow/Northwest Christian Academy sports a 3-2 overall record and 2-1 in Mt. West League play. Next Thursday, in Mapleton, McKenzie will face a Sailor team that is 1-3 in MWL action and 2-6 overall. The Eagles other opponent at Mapleton in the three-way, is Central Linn, a Class 2A team representing the Valley Coast Conference. The Cobras are 3-4 overall on the new season.