TigerScots open season with speed, rookie QB

ATHENA — First-year Weston-McEwen football coach Nick Stanford was excited to see 14 seniors on his roster, but he admits the TigerScots are still pretty young and inexperienced.

“We have eight seniors who did not play last year, but have played in the past,” Stanford said. “Between Myrtle Point, Gold Beach and Culver, it will be three great preseason games for us. That is going to be big time for us to figure out where we are and where people will help us succeed.”

Stanford, who was on staff last year, threw his hat in the ring when the team was without a coach in June. 

“A couple of the boys asked me if I would consider it,” Stanford said. “If the boys hadn’t asked me, I wouldn’t have pursued it. To me, we are all one coaching staff, one team, one community.”

The TigerScots lost speedy receiver Wyatt Parson, running back Jace Dunlap, running back/linebacker A’Tish Williams and two-way lineman Cason Pettyjohn to graduation.

Weston-McEwen does return receiver/running back Colby Perkins, linebacker/tight end Michael White and 5-foot-9, 180-pound outside linebacker/running back Jonathan Leighty.

“Jonathan is a strong kid who lives in the weight room,” Stanford said. 

The TigerScots will have speed with Perkins and Logan Ray, who were both on the state championship 4×100 relay team.

“Logan gets sideline, good luck catching him,” Stanford said.

Aidenn Mahaffey, who played last year but broke his collarbone in the last preseason game, will line up as a slot receiver.

Sophomore Titus Hodgins (6-2, 185) will be at quarterback.

“Last year, he came in and we had high expectations,” Stanford said. “This year, he’s made some pretty good leaps. The past couple of days we have seen his arm and he’s seeing the field a lot better.”

At center will be senior Branson Rabb (5-10, 190), who went down with an ACL injury last year the day before the season started.

“He is strong and quick at that position, which will help us,” Stanford said.

Senior Angel Romero also returns at wide receiver and inside linebacker.

Weston-McEwen finished 5-4 overall last season, and 5-1 in the Blue Mountain Conference with a 61-6 loss to Heppner.

“Riverside had some good young guys last year, and Grant Union will have some key seniors,” Stanford said. “They will be tough and ready to play us. Heppner, I think, will be ranked at the top after the first week. I know we are just excited as a staff and a team. Whenever you get a team with 14 seniors, whether they haven’t played for a year or two, but when you get them back together, it’s exciting.”

Weston-McEwen Football

Hansell returns to lead strong Weston-McEwen team

ATHENA — Weston-McEwen lost just two key players from last year’s team that finished sixth at the 2A state tournament, giving coach Marie Cain a veteran squad that is ready to improve on last year’s performance. 

“We are working on some options,” Cain said. “After a week of tryouts, we have some really good competition. I have 12-13 girls competing for spots. They get better playing against each other.”

The TigerScots will be dominant at the net, led by senior Charlotte Hansell.

Hansell and Heppner’s Isa Payne earned unanimous votes for the Blue Mountain Conference first team last year. Hansell finished the season with 280 kills and 19 blocks. She also had 365 digs, a pass rating of 1.71 and 30 ace serves.

“Her coachability, leadership and drive to do her best is unmatched,” Cain said of Hansell. “She is not only competing against her teammates and others, but herself. We are so excited for her senior year.”

Also vying for time at the net will be Reagan Pickard, Kayli Choin, Elsie Springer, Lola Hasting and freshman Eloise Hansell.

“Kayli can jump out of the gym, and Elise and Lola are tall, giving us good front row options,” Cain said. “Eloise, her hunger for the game is a family trait. From the beginning of summer to now she has come a long way. She is tall (5-9) and also has some good setting hands. She is competing for a spot. We believe if you get it, you earned it.”

Weston-McEwen lost setter Mya Bryan to graduation, but Addy Hall has proved she is ready to take on the role.

“She is very quick, has good hands and has the leadership that a setter needs,” Cain said. “She hit outside for us last year. I just need to look at what we need as team need. We need a big hitter and a big block since we lost Bre (Ward).”

Defensively, the TigerScots will look to Bre Perkins and Megan McLouth, as well as Joselyn Flores and Brianna Romero, who saw key time in the junior varsity team last year.

“I have a good pool of defensive specialists,” Cain said. “The back row is an overlooked position, but if you can’t pass the ball, you can’t play volleyball.”

Heppner won the regular-season title last year with a 9-2 record, but W-M won the district title with an epic four-set win over the Mustangs to win the Blue Mountain Conference district title for the first time since 2013.

The TigerScots finished sixth at state last year, losing a five-set battle to Trinity Lutheran in the fourth-sixth-place match. They finished the season with a 16-12 record.

Cain has stacked her schedule with tough matches against Imbler, Echo and Pendleton to help prepare her team for conference play and hopefully another run at the state tournament.

“If you have easy games all season long and have a good record, that looks good in the rankings,” Cain said. “But if you have adversity, it prepares you for what is down the road. “We really like a tough season. We are playing some good teams. In our conference, Heppner is going to be really good.”

Weston-McEwen Volleyball

Shaul, Hodgson setting the pace for W-M cross-country team

ATHENA — Senior Arden Shaul leads a group of 14 runners at Weston-McEwen, some with hundreds of miles on their shoes and others hitting the road for the first time.

Shaul was 22nd at the Special District 3 Championships last fall as a junior. W-M coach Bill Dobos has high hopes for Shaul to earn a state berth this season.

“Our district is so tough that he can’t get out of his head sometimes,” Dobos said. “People in our league are insanely fast. I think he worked on that part last year during track. I think he is in a better place.”

Shaul will have fellow seniors Hunter Bissonette and Spencer Craigen by his side. Craigen is a first-year runner.

“Hunter ran for us last year,” Dobos said. “I think he will do better this year. He’s already off to a good start.”

The TigerScots also have freshmen Tristan Gilliam and Grant Waldher and sophomores Tyler Smith and Nash Miller.

“Tristan is a really good runner,” Dobos said. “I anticipate he is going to do quite well. He is really into running and is not far behind Arden. Tyler is also going to play football, but cross-country will be his main sport. Grant and Nash are new to the sport.”

On the girls’ side, the TigerScots return state qualifier Evelyn Hodgson, who was sixth at the Special District 3 Championships and 21st at state as a freshman.

“I think Evelyn has a good shot at making state again this year,” Dobos said. “She ran during the summer, so when we started she was ready to go. I have her on her own plan. She is a hard worker.”

Alethea Bond returns for her fourth year and will be joined by fellow senior Nelly Barahona, who is making her cross-country debut.

Sophomores Stella Wolf and Ashlyn Hoehna are back and are looking to improve on their performance from last year.

Freshmen TownesLee Fuller and Victoria Kosirog round out the team.

This season, the Special District 3 Championships will see a change as the 3A girls will be separated from the 2A/1A runners when it comes to earning state berths.

Weston-McEwen Cross-Country