So it’s Oct. 1. If things had gone the way they were supposed to this column would be chock full of updates on how local football, soccer, volleyball and cross country teams have been faring.
But first we had the pandemic. And then we had fires and smoke. And even though the Big Ten (and likely the Pac-12) are joining other top college conferences in restoring football this fall, Oregon School Activities Association Executive Director Peter Weber told Our Town the association is not reconsidering its plan to hold off on “official” sanctioned practices and games until Dec. 28.
Thus, we are left with the oddity of Season 1, kind of an off-the-grid open season for teams and schools to try things … as long as they don’t run afoul of state orders, the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Education.
“Prior to the smoke,” Stayton athletic director Darren Shryock told Our Town, “we were self-imposing a two week break from workouts to help our students get acclimated to distance learning and so forth.
“The fires have set school back a bit, but once we are up and going, we will be pursuing competitions for the sports that are allowed to compete following the state guidelines. Outside sports have much more flexibility right now. We will not have any fans in attendance, but the chance for our kids to safely get out and compete is something we are going to explore.”
The Eagles also will have a new softball coach, Bill Baxter, when spring’s Season 4 takes place. Baxter, a Stayton resident, takes over for Jeff Silbernagel who retired earlier this summer. After many years coaching youth baseball and softball, Baxter was the head coach at Regis High School before moving to Molalla the past two years. He helped turn around a Molalla program that had struggled to be competitive prior to his arrival.
“Bill is a man of integrity and comes highly recommended,’ Shryock said. “Our girls are in good hands. Now if we can just get to a place to play some games!”
Alumni watch: Tyrell Williams, the former Cascade High standout who has caught 197 passes and scored 23 touchdowns in his past four professional seasons, is having to sit out as the Raiders start their new tenure in Las Vegas.
The 6-4, 205-pound Williams, who turns 29 in February, currently is on the injured reserve list with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. The Raiders putting Williams on the injured reserve list means he will miss the entire season.
Williams, who played his college ball at Western Oregon, played his first four NFL seasons with the Chargers before signing a free-agent contract in 2019 with the Raiders.
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