 |
Tigers lose second game in as many tries
Newberg girls prepare to defend state title
B. Scott Anderson: When bad new suddenly
turns into good news
|
Good news, bad news for Tigers |
A talented team can be both good and bad for NHS
water polo coach Jim McMaster |
By B. Scott Anderson, Newberg
Graphic sports editor
E-mail Scott at banderson@eaglenewspapers.com
|
Newberg High School boys water polo coach
Jim McMaster might experience a few headaches this season.
That’s nothing a few wins won’t cure, though.
McMaster has arguably one of his best teams ever this season. It’s
a talented group that is not only technically sound, but is
lightning fast in the water. In fact, the group finished 17th in the
National Junior Olympics in Los Angeles this summer.
“We have a lot of talented kids and that’s good and that’s bad,” he
said. “My top 12 guys can start on any team without a problem, so
it’s difficult to know who to play and when to play them. So I have
to look at their intensity, attitude and everything else right now.
So like I said, it’s a good thing, but it’s a tough thing.”
With only so many minutes to spread around among his players, it
seems as if game days are almost relaxing to players. But McMaster
gave the Tigers a workout anyway Wednesday, instructing the players
to practice for 90 minutes prior to the game. The practice consisted
of players swimming 1,500 yards (roughly a mile), followed by a
scrimmage.
By the time the game rolls around, players are already somewhat
tired. However, they weren’t too tired to snag a 19-3 win over
Sunset in the team’s home-opener Wednesday. It seems the
conditioning has paid off for the team.
“We’re so fast ... so fast,” McMaster said. “That’s probably
because a lot of those kids swim (on the Chehalem Swim Team) and it
shows. People can’t stay with them. If we were in a 30-meter pool,
it would be worse.”
McMaster said because his team is as talented and as fast as it is,
it won’t likely be tested much against Oregon competition. Most of
the teams in the state aren’t as talented as in years past and
McMaster doesn’t see any teams challenging Newberg for a state
title.
Instead, the team will be tested on road trips to Mercer Island,
Wash., and Modesto, Calif., this season.
“Really, there’s no competition in Oregon right now so it’s kind of a
down year for teams,” he said. “But that happens in cycles.”
But why is Newberg heads and shoulders above the competition this
year?
“Every once in awhile you just get a good group of guys to work
together and you’re just going to have that edge,” he said.
McMaster, though, said the Tigers still have work to avoid injuries
and out-of-the-pool issues.
“I never count on anything because kids get in trouble, get sick,
get injured and so right now we’re playing well, but who knows?” he
said. “But one of the best things out of these kids I’ve seen so far
is that they’re starting to mature, not only in the water, but out
of the water.”
The Tigers, who were 38-1 last season, return just about everyone
from last season’s state title team with the exception of Ricky
Rogers and Kyle Travers (graduated). Keary Schlactus, last year’s
state tournament MVP, returns for his senior season as does junior
Cray Rogers (first team state tournament), junior goalkeeper Chase
Hansen (first team state tournament) and Casey Brown (second team
state tournament). The Tigers also return all-league selection Jon
Maxwell, along with Jordan Anderson, Jeff Hockema, Paxton Roy,
Austin McKenzie, Jon Maxwell, Ben Sheldon, John McCarthy and others. |
|
From
Sept. 9, 2006, Newberg Graphic
Click Here to Subscribe |
|
|
