Big plays key to Columbia win
Andrew Christiansen
Reporter
“I like this team even more than I did.” Who could blame Coach Don Strother for his post game assessment, following a loss to Columbia High School. His team bounced back from adversity time and again, and although they came up on the short end of a 28-14 score, they showed a great deal of character.
The same could be said about the White Salmon school, managing to overcome three fumbles and turn away Goldendale in the face of a first and goal at the one.
Columbia’s Jensen Ladiges put up awesome numbers, carrying the ball 31 times for 265 yards. While Ladiges did the heavy work inside, Luis Roque scampered for another 88 yards, including a 45-yard dash when the Timberwolves seemed to have gained the upper hand.
Goldendale was shaky in the opening minutes, but quickly took over momentum, thanks to two Columbia fumbles, the first stopping a Bruin drive at the Goldendale 22 and the second resulting in a nine-play, 35-yard Goldendale drive for a touchdown with 1:19 left in the first quarter. Austin Ross took it in from five yards out, but the extra point attempt was blocked.
Things could have been tough for Columbia, as Goldendale dominated the first half, until missed opportunities allowed Columbia back into the game. Goldendale failed to capitalize on a fumble recovered by Darren Stelter at the Bruin 15-yard line. With first and goal at the one, the Timberwolves gave it back on a fumble.
Columbia did a nice job working out to the 32, but had to punt. Moments later, Goldendale pinned the Bruins at their own 15 and this time it was three and out.
Columbia was stymied again, and Goldendale was back on offense at the Bruin 40 with less than two minutes on the clock. Disaster struck on a third a 10, as a Ross pass tipped off Anthony Dobson’s hands and was picked off by Connor Warner, who ran down the sidelines to the Goldendale 27. The Bruins took advantage of the change in fortune, driving for the tying touchdown with 12 seconds to spare. They took an 8-6 lead into halftime following a two-point conversion by Latiges.
The second half opened with another big play. After botching the kick return, Columbia started from their 12 yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Ladiges shed arm tackles and raced down the right side-line for an 88-yard touchdown.
But, the Wolves shrugged it off, and came right back with an impressive, 11 play, 73-yard drive, capped by a Spaulding one-yard touchdown. A two-point conversion pass from Ross to John Bartkowski tied the game at 14. The drive was highlighted by an eight-yard run from Ross on fourth and six to keep the drive alive, and a bruising 15-yard romp by Spaulding.
The parity of the match-up showed, as Columbia answered with an 11 play drive of their own. Ladiges picked up a first down on third and eight, and Pate converted a fourth and one to set up Roque’s 45-yard gallop with 48 seconds left in the third quarter.
Goldendale was still unfazed, and drove back to the Bruin 37 on their next possession. This time the drive stalled, and it was the beginning of the end.
Seven plays and 63 yards later, Columbia went up 28-14. Ladiges added 48 yards to his total on the drive, including a six-yard touchdown and two-point PAT run.
By this time, Goldendale’s defense was tiring under the relentless Bruin running game. Andrew Pate put the ball in the air just four times, with one, eight-yard completion.
Goldendale would not quit, however, something that impressed Coach Strother. “I saw senior linemen step it up in the second half even though they were really tired, playing both ways,” said Strother.
Indeed, over the last seven minutes of the game, Goldendale turned back the Bruins twice, stopping fourth down plays at the Timberwolf 29 and 17.
Ross found some success throwing to Cole Cameron on sideline passes, but the lurking Bruins picked off two passes in the waning moments, the last at the Bruin 10, with 46 seconds left in the game.
Goldendale travels to Ki-Be, a 27-13 winner last year behind a wide-spread passing attack. The Bears have a new quarterback this year, but they still like to throw, putting the ball in the air 40 times against Wapato last week. Coach Strother looks for his team to execute better and concentrate on wrapping up runners on tackles.
The Bruins go up 4-2 in the series against Goldendale. They host Heppner in their home opener, this Friday.
Columbia 0 8 12 8 28
Goldendale 6 0 8 0 14
Individual Statistics
Rushing - Bruins-Ladiges 31-265-3, Roque 10-88-1, William Nybroten 3-0, Pate 5-3. Wolves- Spaulding 12-55-1, Ross 6-38-1, Kyle Cairns 8-18, Justin Garrigus 2-5.
Passing - Bruins- Pate 1-4-0-8. Wolves- Ross 11-29-3-157.
Receiving - Bruins - Ladiges 1-8. Wolves - Cameron 6-92, J.D. Moss 2-32, Dalton Jaekal 1-12, Anthony Dobson 1-6, Bartkowski 1-3.
Timberwolf volleyball team favored for a sixth straight SCAC west title
ANDREW CHRISTIANSEN
Reporter
It is hard to establish dominance in a high school sport. There are notable exceptions such as football at Prosser or Royal, but it almost requires a community culture for that to happen. Unlike colleges that recruit, sometimes communities have a dearth of talent for a particular sport. So, fortunes often rise and fall.
Goldendale volleyball will need to win some state tournaments in order to be considered one of the best, but 14 league titles and 11 top 10 finishes at State in the 38-year history of the program are pretty impressive. Over the last five years, the Timberwolves are 57-1 in league play.
The Timberwolves just seem to reload each year with a steady influx of talented players who understand the system. It is a system where each player knows their role and they are dedicated enough to play the game nearly year-round.
The 2007 league champions were 14-0. They graduated three all-conference, front-line players. Those players will be missed for what they brought to the court, but there are always players waiting in the wings.
The 2008 team returns the Coach of the Year, Jodi Bellamy, Player of the Year, Kylee Bellamy, and three other all-conference players.
Moving to the middle hitter role is first team all-conference senior, Sydney Bloom. Also returning to the front line is second team all-conference hitter, Hannah Swigart. Ryell Carley will be expected to carry a bigger load as an outside hitter with help from big sophomores, Sadie Shattuck and Ashley Barrett. Shattuck saw a great deal of playing time as a freshman. Barrett was a force on junior varsity.
Back-court support is also strong. Seniors Nikki Williams, all-conference honorable mention, and Becky Gourley are solid defensive players. They are joined by experienced juniors Monique Scherf and Cassie Kelly.
Bellamy is the number one setter, but gets her share of kills. Coach Bellamy expects all of her players to pass and set well. That versatility makes it difficult for opponents to find a weak spot.
Two other newcomers this year are Hailey Hoffman and Lexi Cameron. Of Cameron, Coach Bellamy says, “she has the best footwork she has ever seen on defense.” She is also a leaper who will chalk up plenty of kills this season.
So, what about the competition? The two teams that tied for runner up in the SCAC west, Zillah and Cle Elum, each will be learning from new coaches this year. District champion, Connell, who kept Goldendale from the 2007 title, lost 10 of their 12 girls to graduation. Second place River View will be a strong contender.
The opener was Tuesday at Granger against KiBe, Cle Elum and Connell, so an early taste of what is to come will be known after press time.
Next will be the SunDome Festival, Saturday, the Sept. 13. Goldendale opens at 8 a.m. against North Central, of Spokane, a 3A team. Other teams in the pool are Davis and Othello.
The JV squad, under coach Cora Heid, will also play on Saturday, in a satellite tournament at YVCC with seven other schools. They open against Grandview.
You have to play the matches to win the matches, and high school sports can be full of surprises. If Goldendale doesn’t defend their title this year, it will be a major upset.
Freemantle gains 169 yards in LKW opener
It was a long ride to Lowell, Ore. last Friday, for the Lyle-Klickitat-Wishram (LKW) first season game of football, but they were well prepared when they got off the bus, according to Coach Don Smith. “We had them scouted well,” says Smith, and it paid off as the Cougars were all over Lowell during the first half.
The trio backs, Ty Freemantle, Henry Matai, and Seth Davis piled up yards and won the battle of field position. A first quarter 15-yard pass from Jeromie Mason to Nolan Smith put the ball inside the one-yard line. Freemantle punched it in and converted for two points in the game’s first score.
Early in the third quarter, Matai was blindsided on punt coverage and had to leave the game with bruised ribs. He had gained 66 yards on the day, including a 38-yard touchdown run that gave LWK a 14-8 lead at half.
Freemantle raced 55 yards for LWK’s only score in the third quarter. Lowell took the lead on a pair of touchdowns in the third. During the extra point attempt on the second touchdown, Davis sustained a concussion and left the game.
Lowell would score twice in the fourth quarter and Freemantle exploded for a 57-yard touchdown, but the game was out of hand, and LWK had a long ride home.
Matai and Davis are probable for this Friday’s home opener against Dufur.
LWK 8 6 6 8 28
Lowell 0 8 16 12 38
Individual statistics
Rushing: Freemantle 13-169-3, Matai 8-66-1, Davis 7-24.
Tackles: Mason 11 solo 3 assists, Davis 4 solo 7 assists, Smith 5 solo, Matai 3 solo 3 assists.
Swimmers make it all the way
Goldendale’s Lori Anderson made her 12th trip across the Columbia River last week. It might not be worth noting, except that Anderson swam across. Anderson was one of eight Goldendale residents to make the swim this year under what Anderson described as “bad” conditions. The weather was windy and white caps pummeled the swimmers as they made their way from the Washington shore to Hood River, a distance of 1.1 miles. It was the 66th annual river crossing, sponsored by the Hood River Chamber of Commerce.
Anderson has quite a ways to go to set a record in the event. According to Anderson, Joe Pig bowl to benefit local Walter familySullivan has made 38 crossings. Perhaps an even greater number was set by Roy Webster, the man who started the tradition in 1942. Webster is said to have made the swim through 1986, when he retired at the age of 86.
The conditions this year caused a large number of the 465 swimmers to surrender to the river and ride part way by boat.
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