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Sports
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Written by Arainnia Brown
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Wednesday, 10 March 2010 |
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They gasp for breath running back and forth on the track and football field. They never consider quitting and never take their eyes off the prize. This is the lifestyle of Kenneth Acker and Booker T. Wells. The two athletes' contributions to Grant’s football and track teams have been extensive, and now their efforts are paying off. This month, both Acker and Wells signed letters of intent, meaning that this fall, Acker will be attending Southern Methodist University and Wells will attend Western Oregon University.
Due to their athletic performance, both Acker and Wells have received multiple offers from colleges around the nation. In his sophomore year, Acker was a member of the state champion 4 x 400 relay team. He was also a member of the state champion basketball team in 2008. This football season, Acker, who played wide reciever, kick returner, and cornerback, was named PIL Offensive and Defensive player of the year. Wells has also made contributions to Grant’s track and football teams. He runs the 100 meter, 200 meter and participates in long jump.
Though they are multiple-sport athletes, they have both made the decision to play only football once they start college. “I want to be like my cousin, Mike Callier," says Wells. "He made me want to play football in college. He gave me the burning fire to play." Acker comments, “As a child I always wanted to play in the NFL because of the money; I also enjoy playing as well.”
Acker and Wells both dream of going to the NFL in the future. However, both note that if they end up playing in the NFL, they will continue to pursue other academic goals. Acker is planning on majoring in business, while Wells is looking into the sports medicine field. Family support will also play a big role in their collegiate success. “I will give [Kenneth] whatever he needs to be competitive,” says his father, Karl Acker Sr. “I was proud as a father and as a coach [when he signed his letter of intent.] I hope he takes it seriously and lives up to the qualification for him to accept it.” Likewise, Wells mentions his own support system: “My mom will help me make good choices and she will be there when I need her most.”
For the remainder of their senior year, the Acker and Wells plan to take it slow. “I’m pretty much just cruising,” says Acker. “I’m ready to start a new life.”
Once this new life starts, they know that the work will only get harder. But these two athletes have a history of never giving up. “I don’t want to live the negative stereotype of the black man people think,” says Wells. “I’m planning on being better.” |
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Written by Will Watkins
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Wednesday, 10 March 2010 |
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“If you don’t play club, you don’t play for Grant.” This is Grant womens’ soccer coach Tim Copland’s policy at Grant. While it may seem harsh, it is followed at most all the strong soccer schools in the Oregon 6A division. Last fall, there weren't any players on either of the Grant varsity soccer teams who did not play club soccer.
While the soccer program may be the strictest program at Grant when it comes to playing club sports, many of the other sports are in need of extra experience as well, though they are more lenient about it. The other big example of this is the AAU basketball league, a summer league in which many of the Grant varsity players play.
Club soccer is a program that allows kids to play soccer year-round, with winter and spring seasons as well as summer tournaments, so that soccer players can improve with the help of experienced coaches all year long. The Oregon club soccer program is run through OYSA, the Oregon Youth Soccer Association. Their motto is “To foster an environment that promotes the physical, mental and emotional development of Oregon’s youth through the sport of soccer.”
While that is a strong motto and honorable goal, the problem is that OYSA does not aim to develop all of Oregon’s youth, but the small percentage who are able to pay the funds of playing year-round soccer. The mere cost for league play throughout the winter can be up to $800, but this can be followed by additional fees; players need to pay for coaches, tournaments, travel, and uniforms. Playing one year of club soccer can cost as much as $1300.
However, the absence of club soccer in a player’s life does not completely eliminate their hopes for varsity soccer at Grant. “Kids who don’t play club still have a chance of playing varsity,” says Grant junior and varsity soccer player Eric Germundson. “They just need to put in a lot of work on their own and find good opportunities to get better. Classic gets a player the basic skills they need to play high-level soccer.”
AAU basketball is in the same boat. “It costs about $500 or $600 to play for the paid AAU teams,” says varsity starter DaVonte Jacobs. “There are free teams you can play on as well, but its not the same experience as playing for the paid teams. The paid teams are usually sponsored by Nike or Jordan, so there are more tournaments and more opportunities to play.”
Jacobs has been playing AAU ball for five years, since seventh grade. This is his first year at the varsity level and he is one of Grant’s starting forwards—thanks in part to his practice with AAU. “It would definitely be hard to play varsity without AAU," says Jacobs. "It’s a good experience.” AAU teams practice three or four times a week, and the season lasts from May until August during the summer, maybe longer, depending on the number of tournaments a team plays. While Grant doesn’t require their players to play AAU, it certainly gives those players who do choose to play, an edge.
Many athletes believe in the concept "if you work harder to become better, you can achieve anything". Nike has the famous slogan “Achieve the impossible.” The problem facing Grant now is that just trying hard sometimes isn’t enough. Players need to have the resources to pay and play higher-level ball, in addition to their high school sport. Grant has a sort of unsaid agreement with its players that they need to do this extra training to get playing time on a varsity squad. This causes problems for players both in terms of time and finance, because sometimes working hard just isn’t enough. |
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Written by Emma Forslund
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Wednesday, 10 March 2010 |
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At Grant, club sports are responsible for creating their own rules and regulations. In contrast, the OSAA imposes its own rules on school-based sports teams. This important difference allows club teams to occasionally ignore eligibility rules. The gap between educational requirements for club and school sports means that the responsibility to "self-police" in the words of snowboarding coach Amy Bernhart, falls into the hands of club team student athletes. This issue has not been raised in thep ast, but now some club sports at Grant are fighting to establish the same rules that other school sports are required to follow.
The OSAA rules mandate that student-athletes maintain a 2.0 GPA or above, take five classes, and receive no F’s. Surprisingly, these rules don’t apply to Grant’s many club sports. There are three different levels of sports at any given high school; the first are school sports like basketball and track, the next step down are activities like cheerleading, and at the bottom of the bracket are the club sports which include the lacrosse, ski and snowboard teams.
While club teams aren’t required to follow OSAA rules, coaches like to implement them anyway. “Although we aren’t a sport, we still like to follow the guidelines,” says varsity women’s lacrosse coach Megan Looney. Since there are no requirements about GPA or class schedule, it’s up to the coach to decide whether or not students are eligible to play. Senior Erin Burns, captain of the women’s lacrosse team, says, “Most of the players are pretty responsible about keeping up with grades and classes.” Bernhart adds, “I feel like I have a really good group of students.” Jacque Sage, athletic director at Grant, says that club teams choose to follow the rules on their own, and have no real rules implemented by the OSAA. Recently there have been some changes within the women’s lacrosse program; the team is trying to implement a GPA requirement. Burns thinks that the changes are reasonable. “I think it’s fair, because other sports have it and we want to be a PIL team; the change would make it easier to transition when we become a school sport.” Senior lacrosse player Morgan Battaglia agrees, saying, “I think that if we get treated like a sport there’s a bigger chance that we’ll become one.”
Nancy Christiansen, team manager and member of the board for women’s lacrosse, is one of the main members trying to make the change. Christiansen says, “We as a community are trying to adhere to the OSAA rules,” but without having a representative in the school, being able to regulate GPA is proving to be a problem. "I don’t know if we even have the legal right to check up on grades.”
Sue Davis, cheerleading coach, says that activities, like cheer, are basically the same as sports as far as rules go. “We have to follow the same grade eligibility, and with state competitions, everything is the same as a regular sport.” Davis claims that club coaches are coming to check up on their students, saying, “They’re starting to crack down on clubs.” Recently, the Grant bowling team went to state, causing them to follow rules set out by the OSAA. So the question is, where do the clubs rules stop and the OSAA rules start? Davis thinks that the rules should be the same across the board, and that all clubs should have the same rules as sports.
With the switch for lacrosse from club to school sport still an estimated two years away, the team still has some problems regulating their rules. For now they’re going to have to stay in what Christiansen calls a “grey area” without the needed funding or a representative from the OSAA. |
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Written by Desmond Jones
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Wednesday, 10 March 2010 |
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Much has changed at Grant since 1956.
Teachers that once wrote lectures on chalkboards have
been replaced by teachers that use white boards and
power points. Leather jackets and poodle skirts that
were once a fashionable have been traded in for skinny
jeans and LRG. Saddle shoes and ballet slippers have
evolved into Air Jordans and Chuck Taylors.
1956 also marked the year that Grant won
their last of seven consecutive state titles in swimming.
Now, 54 years later, Grant has brought the glory back
home, after winning the closest state meet of the decade.
Grant won with a final score of 104 points, with secondplace
winner Newberg only four points behind.
Grant entered the state meet as an underdog
after placing second in the PIL district meet, sending
only five athletes to state. “It was a big surprise, because
we were such a small team,” recalls senior Robert Macy.
“After an amazing performance in the
preliminary round last Friday Night, the men’s team was
positioned to easily come in third place,” coach Laura
Tyrell said in an email to team members: “A first place
finish was a long shot.”
The first race of Saturday’s action was the
200-meter medley relay, where the Generals placed
second to Roseburg. At the state championships for
swimming, the coaches of the winning teams present
the awards to the top six relay finishers. Everyone stood
up, surprised, when the Grant coaches were called up
to present. As it turns out, the third-leg swimmer on
Roseburg’s relay team started too soon, leading to a
disqualification and Grant receiving first place. After
freshman Max Bley-Male finished third in the 200
intermediate, along with fourth and sixth place finishes
by sophomores Will Tyrell and Henry Fellows in the
backstroke, the Generals held a small lead over Newberg
for first place.
“Intense,” is the word Bley-Male used to
describe the last few races leading up to the 400-meter
free relay. “There was a lot on our minds. We knew
fourth-place or better [in the last race] would win.”
The Generals also had to avoid fifth place, which would
cause a tie, or sixth place, which would give Newberg
the title.
After the first two legs, the Generals had fallen
to sixth place. As the pressure mounted in the last half of
the race, Tyrell was able to fight back into fourth place.
When Fellows dove into the water, a state championship
was only 100 meters away. “That was the fastest 100
of my life!” Fellows exclaimed. The team erupted into
celebration after Fellows touched the wall in fourth
place, and thus sealed the General’s place in history.
With the 2010 championship in the bag, a
bright future lays ahead for the Generals; only two of
the five state qualifiers this year were seniors. Fellows
and Tyrell are sophomores, and Bley-Male is a freshman
this year.
“This is just the beginning of what we can
do,” says Bley-Male. The Generals hope to return to
the status of the team that dominated the 1950’s. “I
definitely want to three-peat before my senior year is
over,” says Fellows. “This is the dawn of a new day for
us.” |
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Written by Desmond Jones
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Tuesday, 26 January 2010 |
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Gray clouds covered the skies of northeast Portland, and a cold breeze helped set the scenery as the Grant Generals strapped on their pads and laced up their cleats to start practice. It was evident in their demeanor while going through their warm ups that these football players dreaded practicing in the cold weather. There were some players who practiced hard in the beginning, but that was before it started to rain. Their pads, soaked with water from the downpour, became heavy and uncomfortable. Complaints grew heavy in the bowl, mostly related to how bad practicing in the rain is. It was soon obvious that players were more concerned with staying clean and dry than working hard. Even the players that had positive attitudes soon joined the others; no one wanted to be out there. No one, that is, but one player. A player not noticed for being an outstanding athlete, but for keeping a positive attitude; a committed player who would be at practice in rain, sleet, or snow. A developmentally disabled player, who never let a disability hold him back. A player named Kiernan “Captain” Currie.
The 2009 football season was Currie’s “breakout season.” He earned the respect of all football players and coaches with his hard working attitude and friendly personality. “He always had a smile on his face, and he always approached me with a smile and a handshake,” said junior varsity football coach Marty Williams. Although Currie didn’t see much game action, he was voted as the “Most Inspirational Player” by his teammates.
Currie began his football career in 2003, after persuasion from his mother’s co-worker. “I was worried about letting him play because of his disorder, but the doctor said he was more than capable of playing,” remarked Julie Currie, Kiernan’s mother. He played three seasons of youth football for Jefferson, and quickly gained interest in the sport. “He really started to like football once he got out there,” recalled Julie Currie.
When Kiernan Currie joined the freshman football team at Grant in the fall of 2006, he quickly gained the attention of coaches, but not for his condition. “This dude’s hair was really red!” Williams joked. Bill Griffin, a varsity assistant coach, credits his “Will to be a leader, and his red athletic glasses that remind me of a space captain.” That helped Kiernan earn the nickname “Captain.” The same traits were apparent to his teammates, and the nickname soon stuck. He played two seasons on the JV team before moving up to the varsity program for his senior season.
Despite his hard work and dedication, Currie wasn’t able to make the starting lineup on varsity. “It kind of bugged me,” Currie said of his lack of playing time. “But I’m not a quitter.” Even if he wasn’t going to make a stint on the field, his family would be there to show him support. “Every member of his family has been there to support him,” says Julie Currie. “Sure we’d loved to have seen him play more, but he was out there. That’s all that matters.”
On October 6th, the Generals were up big against Wilson. It had been an amazing game for Grant, who dominated from the start. In the beginning of the fourth quarter, varsity head coach Diallo Lewis called Currie’s number to go out on defense. “I swear to you, the stadium didn’t need lights,” Julie Currie remembered, eyes welling with tears. “Kiernan’s smile was enough to light it up that night.” Currie’s hard work had finally paid off, and he would at last play varsity football. “He was actually a football player after that,” Julie Currie conveyed. Currie was on top of the world that night, even attending the Homecoming dance to celebrate his effort. “He felt like he was finally a part of the team.” Julie Currie described.
Outside of football, Kiernan also participates in bowling and sings with the Harmonaires. Kiernan Currie says he aspires to pursue a career in television broadcast, the weather being his favorite part. Members of the Channel 2 News have even reached out to him, and he has built close relationships with Steve Dunn and Katy Brown. On Thursdays and Fridays, he works at the Dollar Tree as a part of a job program.
Walking through the hallways, Currie is most noticeable for stopping and talking to all of his teammates, greeting them with his signature handshake. He can also be seen from time to time wearing Oregon Duck’s gear: they’re his favorite football team.
“I had a lot of fun this season,” Currie commented. “I learned a lot from my teammates and I had a good time.” He will be leaving this year, but he definitely won’t forget his experience. “Grant has been wonderful to Kiernan for making him feel welcome and embracing him. It’s been very special,” says Julie Currie. Currie describes his football career in one sentence, saying happily, “I got my swag on this year.” |
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