Girls flag football and boys volleyball
While baseball and softball continue to take center stage, spring club sports are heating up. Thurston girls flag football is undefeated (10-0, 7-0 in league). Colt standout Macy Taylor received an offer at Ferrum College – a Division II college in Virginia.
The Colts will face Creswell on May 1 in their last game of the season. The Bulldogs’ (6-1) only loss came in an 8-7 defeat to the Pleasant Hill Billies two weeks ago.
The Billies (5-3, 4-2) suffered a recent 28-7 loss to the Monroe Dragons. They battle the Marist Spartans on May 1 for the last game of the regular season.
The Springfield Millers (1-6, 1-5) are led by standout Jeweliawna Panko in rushing yards and wide receiver Bayleigh Harshbarger in receiving yards. They’ll see Monroe and the North Bend Bulldogs on May 1 and Sheldon on May 2 to close out their season. …
Boys volleyball has solidified this season as the participation numbers have skyrocketed. According to OSAA, from its inception in the spring of 2022 with five teams, there are now 68 teams and 974 players. In the 2024 season, boys volleyball had state championship brackets for 6A, 5A/4A and 3A/2A/1A. Clackamas, Summit and St. Mary’s in Medford took those championship titles, respectively. In 2025, there can be championship brackets for 6A, 5A, 4A and a combined 3A/2A/1A.
Of the five schools within The Chronicle’s coverage area, four schools are participating in boys volleyball this year. Creswell leads our local schools at No. 20 overall in the 1A-6A rankings. The Bulldogs have gone 10-1 overall and 7-0 in league. Their last regular season game is May 8 against No. 31 Thurston / Mohawk. The Colts have a 2-5 record with 1-2 in league. The Colts’ last regular-season game is May 15 at Junction City.
The Cottage Grove Lions, in their first year, are No. 56 at 1-7 and 0-4 in league. The last chance to catch the Lions play will be at Estacada on Saturday, May 17. Lastly, the No. 67 Billies are 1-9 thus far with a 1-6 record in league. The Billies’ last game is scheduled for Wednesday, May 14.
Horsing around
Oregon High School Equestrian Team (OHSET) is another growing varsity-approved sport that is expanding beyond the mainstream spring sports scene. OHSET is divided into nine districts: Blue Mountain, Central, North East, North Valley, North West, South Valley, Southern, Tri-River Valley and Willamette. All five schools within The Chronicle’s coverage area fall within the South Valley district category. Athletes compete at three meets in the winter at the district level for a chance to compete at the state level. After these three meets, Pleasant Hill’s OHSET state qualifiers are Wylie Blake in the breakaway roping, steer daubing, cow sorting, and working pairs; Reagan Dockery in cow sorting and saddle seat equitation; and Eva Haney in working pairs. Other South Valley schools that qualified were Creswell, Cottage Grove, Springfield and Thurston. OHSET will hold its state meet at the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center in Redmond, Oregon, May 8-11.
Upcoming sports events
The Springfield Drifters opening night is Friday, May 30 … Soccer lovers can gear up for Lane United FC’s upcoming USL League 2 season, kicking off in May. The first men’s home match will be on Thursday, May 15, at 7 p.m. The first women’s home game is Wednesday, May 28 at 7 p.m. There is a Springfield vs. Eugene “friendly” May 3 between the Eugene and Springfield public safety employees.
