Ruth Daniels has been working for nearly 10 years to make Stayton volleyball a success. After a few years working with the junior varsity players she took over as the head coach in 2019. COVID-19 wiped out the 2020 season and Daniels had to step away from coaching a year ago for health issues.
This year, Daniels was back and the Eagles were ready to turn the corner. They were 7-3 in Oregon West Conference play, just one game behind co-champs Cascade and Philomath. And then they caught fire in the playoffs.
Heading into the post-season with the No. 12 seed the Eagles opened by going on the road for 175 miles to North Bend and blanking the host Bulldogs, the No. 5 seed, 3-0. The victory earned Stayton its first final-eight appearance since 2001. And it meant traveling 175 miles back to North Bend, where the Eagles opened with an emphatic 3-0 win against No. 4 Pendleton in the quarterfinals. The dream ended there as the eventual champion downed the Eagles in the semifinals and Crook County bested Stayton in the match for fifth place.
Eagles senior Kenzi Hollenbeck was named second-team all-tournament and the Eagles also took home the sportsmanship trophy.
“I have been working hard over the last four years to change the culture with the Stayton volleyball program,” Daniels told Our Town. “I have high expectations and standards for my players and parents as far as how they treat officials and opponents… It is my passion to not just train good athletes but also respectful humans that can make a difference in the world.
“Winning this award was huge for the program because it has been our goal since I took over. We want Stayton to be a place where teams want to come because they feel respected.”
Hollenbeck had lots of help. In the North Bend game Zuri Andersen had six blocks, Kathryn Samek had 12 kills and Kayla Neal Welke contributed 20 assists. Against Pendleton Raegan Nightingale had 11 digs, Samek added 15 kills and Welke turned in six kills and 25 assists.
“I am so proud of this team and all they have accomplished,” Daniels said. “My last brag is that this team also had the top GPA in the state for 4A volleyball. I’m training these girls to be successful in life by caring about their schoolwork, working hard on the court, and being good humans with integrity and respect. Really proud of what’s happening here in Stayton!”
Cascade, meanwhile, finished sixth in the state tournament and landed junior Irene Roche-Ibarra on the all-tournament second team. The Cougars, coached by Cristina Williams, won the 2021 4A title and were second in 2022. Cascade lost its opener to eventual champion Marshfield, outlasted Pendleton in a 5-setter in the elimination game and fell in the battle for fourth place to The Dalles.
Soccer: The Stayton boys turned in another exemplary season, finishing 15-1, with the lone loss a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Henley in the Class 4A semifinals. The Hornets went on to defeat North Marion, Stayton’s Oregon West Conference league rival, on penalty kicks in the final. The Eagles were short-handed against Henley, missing goalkeeper Roman Gould for the entire match, while Addison Samuell, the state’s leading scorer with 40 goals, was limited to less than ten minutes.
“It was a really good year,” said Chris Shields of his 23rd season coaching the Eagles. Shields ticked off the accomplishments of Gould and Samuell and noted that the team had just five seniors and another strong squad is likely for 2025.
Excellent performance is standard performance with the Stayton boys, who won a state title in 2010 as well as the eight-team “showcase” tournament during the 2020 COVID-19 season. Shields’ teams also have finished second five times.
Football: Cascade fell one game short of the Class 4A title match. The injury-riddled Cougars played a spirited semifinal on Saturday, Nov. 23 at Grants Pass High before falling to defending champion Henley 21-14 in overtime. The Hornets faced Marist, Cascade and Stayton’s Special District 3 rival, in the title match after Our Town’s presstime. The Cougars, who finished 10-2, were missing two-way standout Bryce Kuenzi and another two-way star, Matthew Hinkle, saw limited action. Henley played with a backup QB, Mark Carpenter, because of a knee injury to the starter. Senior Carter Condon played a heroic game at RB for Cascade, rushing 39 times for 128 and one of Cascade’s TDs. Junior QB Cade Coreson was an efficient 8 for 12 passing for 96 yards and a TD for the Cougars.
Stayton, meanwhile, advanced to the 4A quarterfinals before falling to Marist. The Eagles, who finished 7-4, were easily the best fourth-place team in Class 4A. The Eagles lost twice to No. 1 Martist, once to No. 2 Cascade and the fourth loss was to No. 6 Philomath.
Cross Country: Senior Haley Butenschoen led the Stayton girls cross country squad to a sixth-place finish at the Class 4A state cross country meet on Saturday, Nov. 9 at Lane Community College in Eugene. Butenschoen ran the five-kilometer course in 19:58.04 to finish 14th overall. Other Eagles scoring included junior Evelyn Welch (40th, 21:31.5), sophomore Amelia Bell (41st, 21:31.6), freshman Leslie Hunt (63rd, 22:48.9) and sophomore Madison Schacher (22:57.5). Makaila Kuenzi, the lone Cascade girls participant, was 35th in 21:09.5. Stayton freshman Brandon Wagar was 36th in the boys race in 17:42.9.
Regis, meanwhile, finished seventh in the boys Class 2A-1A competition. Sophomore Stuart McLaughlin led the way with a 25th-place finish in 17:58.02. Also scoring for the Rams were sophomore Harper Stoops (40th, 18:25.3), freshman Kaison Acker (49th, 18:45.8), sophomore Kingston Whitmire (54th, 18:58.7) and junior Lucas Koehnke (67th, 19:34.1).
