High School Sports Zone April 16



Lifelong friends – stars for the Billies – heading to same college




Athlete of the Week

Grady Saunders – Thurston Baseball

The senior went 6-of-10 with 2 HR, 12 RBI, 3 BB, a double, triple, and two SB in Thurston’s series win over Churchill. His 12 RBI came in Saturday’s doubleheader, which the Colts swept.




Top Stories, Recaps & More

By Eli Thomas

PLEASANT HILL – Jacob Neely and Landen Melvin, two of the Pleasant Hill Billies’ standout senior athletes this past season, have committed to play for George Fox University next year,…

By Eli Thomas

Creswell’s baseball facility hosted a Bulldogs Invitational earlier this season. This story was updated after print deadlines. Creswell School District Superintendent Mike Johnson posted a…

By Knight Jarecki

SPRINGFIELD – Keenan Anzai, who will join the Drifters this summer, tossed a complete game one-hitter against Cal State-Bakersfield on Thursday for UC Davis in his best start of the…

By Eli Thomas

THURSTON (7-4, #7) Leading off: Thurston has three league matchups this week. On Saturday, they travel to No. 8 North Eugene (5-3, 1-1) for a doubleheader to finish a…

By Eli Thomas

THURSTON took two games out of three against Churchill in its first league series of the season. The Lancers won Game One, 6-4. The Lancers’ top five hitters had…

By Chronicle Staff Report

THURSTON (0-12, #28) Leading off: Thurston has three league matchups this week. On Saturday, it travels to No. 12 North Eugene (5-4, 0-1) for a doubleheader to finish their…

By Eli Thomas

THURSTON lost to Churchill 15-11 in its league opener. The Colts held an 11-9 lead heading into the top of the seventh, when a walk, an error, and two…

By Eli Thomas

SPRINGFIELD hosts Churchill in a dual meet on Wednesday. In the Millers other dual meet so far this season, against Marist, it dominated the throwing events, led by Noah…




In Case You Missed It

Thurston’s Liberatore resigns with championship legacy

Thurston boys basketball coach Blaine Liberatore coaches his team during a game in January. CRAIG STROBECK / THE CHRONICLE

THURSTON – After leading Thurston to three straight Midwestern League boys basketball titles for the first time in more than a half-century, Blaine Liberatore is leaving on top.

Liberatore, who led Thurston to the 2018 Class 5A boys state basketball title, announced his resignation as coach during a team banquet on Monday night after 12 years leading the Colts. The Colts went 33-3 in Midwestern League play during the past three seasons to claim the school’s first three-peat in league since 1965-67.

“It is special and the record part of it is awesome, but the kids were even better,” he said. “The relationships and connections, that goes beyond any feeling I can explain or comprehend. It is special to go 33-3 during that time and I don’t know if I ever imagined that could be the case, but I am happy that I got to be around those boys and be part of their lives and develop long-lasting relationships.”

Liberatore, who is a regional manager at Dutch Bros., decided to step down so he could have more time with his wife, Josie, and 6-year old daughter, Scarlett.



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