McKenzie Sports Report – October 2

McKenzie Varsity Sports Schedule This Week

The McKenzie Varsity Volleyball team travels to Triangle Lake on Tuesday, September 30 and the match starts at 6:00 pm. The Eagle team travels to First Baptist Church on Thursday, October 2, for a 6:00 pm match with Eugene Christian. The McKenzie Cross Country teams travel to Stayton on Thursday, October 2, to participate in the Stayton Regis Invitational. The McKenzie Varsity Football team travels to Powers on Friday, October 3, and the kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 pm.

BINGO! Eagles Fill Card With Two Wins!!

Losing Streak Broke At 6 (Or 23)

Well, well, well! The Eagle Varsity Volleyball team has been “oh, so close‚” frustratingly, battling each set closely, even leading the match at times, but always falling just short of a match win. But, now, not always! Indeed, the Eagles shed the proverbial monkey off their back and notched the team’s first two victories this season and it was a long time coming. McKenzie’s streak this year was six losing matches and if one doesn’t count the forfeit win (last match of last season) versus Siletz Valley, the streak was another 17 straight. So it was last Thursday, over near the Coast at the home of the Siletz Valley Warriors, the Eagles of McKenzie lost their first set 19-25. And then the tide turned and McKenzie won the succeeding sets 25-14, 25-17, and 25-15 to claim the long sought match win. This was to be a three-way event and the Eugene Christian Lions were next to take the court versus the ecstatic Eagle crew. With remaining momentum hanging around the Eagle bench like a Newport fog, McKenzie Head Coach Rachele Mark coached her team to a first set, hard fought victory, 25-23. And then the Lion roared and Eugene Christian fought back. The two teams, both looking for new beginnings this season grappled in a marathon match, until the Lions finally clawed out the set win, 31-29. But this match was to be a ring for the Eagle and they proved it with a 3rd set victory, 25-19 and a closer in the fourth set, 25-17. Two match wins in a night and a new streak started. With the wins, McKenzie improved its Mt. West League record to 2-5 and its overall season record to 2-6. The Eagles sprang out of the MWL basement and sit currently in sixth place. Siletz Valley is right behind at 2-6, 2-7, followed by Mapleton at 2-7, 2-11, and Eugene Christian at 1-7, 1-8. On another note, the question at hand, how will the progress the Eagles have shown recently translate when they take the road to Blachly and face the MWL leading Triangle Lake Lakers on Tuesday. The Lakers are sitting smug with an unblemished 7-0 League record and brag an 8-3 overall mark. Might it be the Lakers would look past their Eagle counterparts on Tuesday toward the pending match with North Clackamas Christian the following Monday. NCC is currently ranked #1 in Class 1A State rankings and makes the long bus trip down to Eugene that day to First Baptist in Eugene to see what the Lakers have to offer. One (all Eagle Community) might wish for a bit of Laker overlook, but it’s true, that wish grants are like all other grant types, competitive, and so it is advisable the Eagles step off the bus with a mission, game plan and a good lunch under their belts. No assumptions just a determined grit attitude and execution, execution, execution. And whatever becomes at Lakerville on Tuesday, McKenzie must re-focus for Thursday, when they travel to the Lion’s lair of Eugene Christian, First Baptist of Eugene. You can bet the Lion’s would like to return the favor to McKenzie. Interesting week for sure.

Unanimous!! All Eagles Set New Personal Records!

Champs Invite Results

The Champs Invite Cross Country meet course is surely a new favorite for the McKenzie Cross Country teams. Every Eagle runner established a new Personal Record at Cheadle Lake Park, in Lebanon, last Friday, September 26. For senior runner Will Meister, it was especially important, as one of his 5,000 meters goals this season is to break into the 17-minute marks and his new PR was timed at 18:00.20 minutes. That’s an 18.3 second improvement from his best 2024 time. Meister placed sixteenth out of a field of 178 runners, which was won by Tytus Janssen, a freshman from Santiam Christian, who finished in 16:36.20 minutes. Senior Jonah Higdon of Nestucca finished second in 16:40.00 and Neah-Kah-Nie senior Liam Gibson took home third in 16:41.40 minutes. Eagle senior Allen Acevedo finished the race in a PR time of 20:00.00 minutes, good for 81st place and sophomore Liam Acevedo set his PR time of 21:42.90 minutes and finished in 130th place. In the Girls Varsity 5K race, Eagle sophomore Zyla Drake dropped her previous PR of 22:53.9 minutes down to 21:57.0 minutes and finished the Champ Invite as the top Eagle girl finisher, 21st place. Teammate, senior Myra Dion finished her 5K races in 24th place, likewise lowering her PR time from last season’s 23:14.6 minutes to 22:35.7 minutes. The two Eagle lady runners competed against a field of 110 runners. The lone Eagle Middle School runner, 7th grader Conrad Drake, finished his 3,000 meters race in fourth place. Conrad’s new Personal Record time at the Champs Invite was clocked in at 11:24.4 minutes, bettering his 2024 PR time of 11:30.8 minutes.

Cougars Prowl Eagle Endzone All Night

Crow Defeats McKenzie 46-12

Friday night lights on the McKenzie! A Fall tradition in our neck of the woods and the setting along Elk Creek was perfect in every sense of the word. Great stadium, green grass mowed just right, beautiful new stands, concession stand, new walkway, all courtesy of the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire disaster and subsequent rebuild. Lights tuned in, fans ready to be loud and proud, a long time rival, all a great set up for an upset win for the Finn Rock boys and a fine weekly finish for McKenzie High athletics. But, whoops! Somebody forgot to send the script to the Cougars of Crow and the Valley Boys took it upon themselves to perform their own song and dance, well, runs and passes, their version of a rout and indifference of all that was to be home cooked. At the final horn, Crow laid a 46-12 old fashioned whoopin’ on their Upper River hosts and McKenzie can begin to look forward to the long trip down South to Class 1A 4th ranked Powers. The Cruisers are sitting at the top of the Special District 3 League standings,

2-0, 3-2, and their two non-league losses have come at the efforts of the top two six-man football teams in the State, #1 Eddyville Charter and #2 Triangle Lake. So, it’s out of the fire and into the frying pan, an invite down at the neighbors place and the menu will probably feature “drumsticks”. But hey, no problem. As former Oregon State University Head Baseball Coach Pat Casey used to opine prior to a contest, “Time to get-er-did-it.” So there you go boys! By the way, how about introducing a desert item, cougar “upset-down” cake! Now that would be downright neighborly and by the way, have some fun on the way.?!