Royal Scots build off success pg. 5 New blue blood for the Celtics pg. 8 Vikings set sail for 6A pg. 12 South Salem seniors set pg. 17 Olympians look to take place at top of mountain pg. 20 Reloaded Titans ready to rock pg. 24 A season of change pg. 4PAGE 2, KEIZERTIMES, FOOTBALL PREVIEW, SEPTEMBER 2022 USED CAR CENTER ORDER YOUR NEW TOYOTA, SUBARU OR CHEVY TODAY! PAYMENTS FOR $ 0 CASH DOWN 90 800.888.1391 NEED CASH? NEED A LOWER PAYMENT? WE WILL BUY YOUR CAR EVEN IF YOU OWE MONEY! DAYS * NOW OFFERING! From almost new to budget! SUV’s • Hybrids Electric • Trucks *Purchase only, excludes leases. No payments for 90 days Financing through SELCO 670 beacon or higher. Up to 84 months. Interest accrues at time of inception, does not include lic. title or $115 dealer doc fees. Not all customers will qualify. See dealership for details. Offer ends10/31/2022.SEPTEMBER 2022, FOOTBALL PREVIEW, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE 3 P l a y e r s t o W a t c h Braiden Copeland West Salem Sr. WR/DB Justice Anthony McKay Jr. WR/DB TC Manumaleuna North Salem Jr. QB Kyrin Fuimaono McKay Jr. QB Hunter Ruberto McNary Sr. RB/LB Josiah Davis North Salem Sr. RB/LB Daschel Smith South Salem Sr. QB Ugochukwu Odoemelam West Salem Jr. WR/DB Casen Collins Sprague Sr. RB/LB Jackson Alt McNary Sr. QB Tini Tinitali III South Salem Sr. WR/DB Drew Rodriguez Sprague Sr. WR/DB Make a CAREER TOUCHDOWN at Chemeketa Community College! Explore our 90+ programs and SCORE! We’ve passed the ball to you; take it and run! go.chemeketa.edu/apply EO/AA/ADA/Title IX institutionPAGE 4, KEIZERTIMES, FOOTBALL PREVIEW, SEPTEMBER 2022 K eizer times Presented by: 2022 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW WHEATLAND PUBLISHING CORP. 142 Chemawa Road N, Keizer, Oregon 97303 Phone: 503.390.1051 • www.keizertimes.com PUBLISHER & EDITOR Lyndon Zaitz publisher@keizertimes.com ADVERTISING ACCOUNT REP. Robin Barney, advertising@keizertimes.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER & PRODUCTION MANAGER Logan Turbes, graphics@keizertimes.com SPORTS REPORTER Joshua Manes, news@keizertimes.com The 2022 football season brings with it many changes to the landscape of Salem- Keizer high schools. All six area schools changed leagues and there’s a new look to the postseason format from OSAA By JOSHUA MANES Of the Keizertimes The landscape of Salem- Keizer high school football, and football in the state of Oregon as a whole, will look a lot different for the 2022 season. A new conference brings together five of the six SKPS schools — McNary, a North Salem team moving up from 5A, South Salem, Sprague and West Salem — along with five southern Oregon schools — Grants Pass, North Medford, Roseburg, Sheldon and South Medford — in the 6A Special District 1 super conference. The change means a big shift to travel. No more going through the mountains, instead just a three to four-hour drive south. “I didn’t like going over the pass, there was always just that what if?” West Salem head coach Shawn Stanley said. “I don’t mind the flat bus ride down I-5. We’re used to that trip. People that complain about travel at the 6A level haven’t been part of the OSAA or coaches association and listened to what the smaller schools deal with.” New McNary head coach Connor Astley echoed Stanley’s thoughts on the ease of the drive. “You don’t have to worry about the twists and turns and guys getting sick on the ride over,” Astley said. “I’m excited for the new conference.” But not everyone is excited about the changes. South Salem head coach Scott Dufault said they got lucky this year, the farthest south they go is one trip to Roseburg. “We’re lucky that way, but the travel sucks,” Dufault said. “Where it sucks the most is our Thursday night kids who play, get home late then have to get up and come to school the next day.” While McKay remains in 5A, they move to a strong Mid- Willamette Valley Conference that has the defending state champion Silverton and six of the nine teams made the playoffs. Conference alignment isn’t the only change. This year, the OSAA postseason will look different as well. Instead of a single 32-team tournament to determine a state champion, there will be two different tournaments. The top 16 schools will play for a chance at the state championship, while the next 16 will play for the Columbia Cup. This change would have had a big impact last season as McNary finished as No. 16, but would have been knocked down to Columbia Cup competition from an automatic qualifier ranked lower. The changes bring a lot of questions for the 2022 season, but there’s one thing that’s for sure — football is back again New & Improved Check out our new and improved website, engineered to bring you the local news you need. You think you know. To be sure, read the Keizertimes.SEPTEMBER 2022, FOOTBALL PREVIEW, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE 5 McKay Royal Scots 2021 (fall): 4-6 (3-3) 2021 (spring): 0-6 2019: 2-7 2018: 1-8 Heading into the fourth year of Brandis Piper’s reign, the Royal Scots look to continue building after reaching the postseason and hitting the three-win mark for the first time in a decade By JOSHUA MANES Of the Keizertimes Heading into the fourth year under head coach Brandis Piper, the Royal Scots continue to build and grow as a program. They had won just one game in 2018, the season prior to Piper’s arrival. In his first season, McKay won two games. Last season, Piper led the Royal Scots to a 4-6 record and a playoff berth, their first postseason appearance in a decade, and the first three-win season since 2012. Now, the freshmen from Piper’s first season are seniors, and the coaching staff has seen the culture shift in the program. “We’ve been working year after year on how do we create those leadership qualities in our players so they can take some ownership and accountability for themselves and the program,” Piper said. “They’re the ones bringing guys to workouts.” And they haven’t lost much leadership. McKay only graduated six seniors from last year’s team, and they bring back 17 of 22 starters, with a good mix of juniors and seniors. Two of those juniors will be key to the Royal Scots success, quarterback Kyrin Fuimaono and receiver Justice Anthony. Both are third year varsity players, but their connection goes much further back than the start of high school. The two have been best friends for years, and their years of closeness off the field has led to a special connection on it. “We can come out onto the field and, I guess, talk to each other on the field without saying anything,” Fuimaono said. “We have a good connection and we know that we can beat other people around the state. PAGE 6, KEIZERTIMES, FOOTBALL PREVIEW, SEPTEMBER 2022 Sept. 2vs. Lebanon7 p.m. Sept. 9@ Dallas7:30 p.m. Sept.16@ South Albany7 p.m. Sept. 24@ Galena H.S. (NV)4:30 p.m. Sept.30@ Crescent Valley7 p.m. Oct. 8vs. Central7 p.m. Oct. 14vs. Silverton7 p.m. Oct. 21vs. Corvallis7 p.m. Oct. 28@ West Albany7 p.m. Schedule When I see a mismatch on a DB I know I can have an easy matchup with Justice.” Piper credited not only the long standing friendship between his quarterback and receiver for their success, but also their football I.Q. with their understanding of coverages and leverage. The payoff of their relationship could be seen last season when, as a sophomore, Anthony led the conference with 55 receptions, finding the end zone six times. This season, Anthony has some high hopes, aiming for 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns. But Anthony has some other goals for the season as well. “We’ve got a lot of respect to earn still,” Anthony said. “A lot of people, they’re kind of sleeping on us, so I think we’re going to earn a lot of respect this season, prove ourselves.” The success they’ve seen under Piper has made it easier for the Royal Scots. Their numbers have grown, going from 20-30 at workouts the previous two seasons to 60 this year, according to Fuimaono.SEPTEMBER 2022, FOOTBALL PREVIEW, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE 7 Anthony believes that seeing a successful team out there has made it easier for people to come out for the team. “McKay’s always been talked down on, so I feel it’s harder for people to come out here and play for a team when they’re getting talked down on,” Anthony said. “McKay’s not always known for being successful, but now that we’re showing that push for success, being more successful, a lot of people are going to want to come out here and be part of the program.” Finally being back full- time in school with a real offseason has been a huge benefit, according to Piper. The players have had access to a newly finished weight room during the summer, and Piper credits it towards the culture shift as well. One of those players making use of the weight room is lineman Michael Menzie. He was a two- way starter for McKay last season, but Piper said he’s flying under people’s radar. “He has completely transformed himself in the weight room. He’s a guy that has really bought in,” Piper said. “I’d say he’s the strongest kid in the building now, and has really changed his mentality in how he works. He’s had a phenomenal summer. I think he’s going to be a big surprise to people this season.” As Piper and the Royal Scots look to continue to build on their success, it won’t be easy this season. Now in the 5A-3 Mid-Willamette Valley Conference, six of the nine teams made the playoffs, including 2021 state champion Silverton.PAGE 8, KEIZERTIMES, FOOTBALL PREVIEW, SEPTEMBER 2022 INSURANCE YOU CAN TRUST • CALL US AT 503-588-0095 • 2735 Liberty St NE LETS GO M C NARY! can’t wait to see you this season McNary Celtics 2021 (fall): 7-4 (3-3) 2021 (spring): 3-3 (0-3) 2019: 4-6 (4-0) 2018: 4-6 (4-0) By JOSHUA MANES Of the Keizertimes In a season filled with changes, no Salem-Keizer school is dealing with a bigger one than McNary. New head coach Connor Astley takes the reins after Jeff Auvinen stepped down heading into the summer. And the changes can be seen at practice, where, according to players, the energy is just different compared to the more subdued feel under Auvinen. “He brings a lot more energy,” senior Jackson Alt said. “We’re loose and New coach on the block, Connor Astley, helped craft the Celtics spread of- fense as an assistant to former head coach Jeff Auvinen, but now Astley takes the reins to lead a McNary squad that graduated nine all-conference playersSEPTEMBER 2022, FOOTBALL PREVIEW, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE 9 Sept. 2@ Tigard7 p.m. Sept. 10vs. Tualatin5 p.m. Sept.16@ South Medford7 p.m. Sept. 23vs. Sheldon7:15 p.m. Sept.30vs. North Salem7:15 p.m. Oct. 7@ South Salem7:15 p.m. Oct. 14@ West Salem7 p.m. Oct. 21vs. North Medford7 p.m. Oct. 28@ Sprague7 p.m. Schedule we’re having fun. Football’s supposed to be fun.” Astley said that as a staff, they’ve tried to find ways to make the daily grind more enjoyable for the players. Along with the change, with Astley comes a lot of new faces, both on the coaching staff and the field. “We’ve got a lot of fresh blood here,” Astley said. “We’ve got a lot of new coaches, a lot of young guys who are stepping up.” And the Celtics will need those guys to step up after graduating 14 starters. And not just starters, all-conference level talent. Nine of them earned first or second team honors last season, while quarterback Tyler Copeland took home conference player of the year. McNary also lost another key piece by transfer, Tyler’s younger brother Braiden Copeland. Braiden transferred to West Salem to take part in their EMT program, while also playing football in his senior year for the Titans. Astley got the news from Braiden in early July. “I told him ‘I’m disappointed, obviously. You’re a great kid, a great football player, but more than anything I just like having you around because you’re a good energy. But I respect what you want to do, I respect your decision,’” Astley said. “I hope nothing but the best for him and it sounds like he’s already having an impact over there.” With all the turnover, the Celtics still have some questions at key positions. There’s still a bit of a quarterback battle. Astley likes the leadership that his senior signal caller Alt brings, but Astley said junior Gage Smedema has “it.” Smedema put on a show at McNary’s Blue Day, and Astley will look to get him involved whether it’s behind center or as a wide receiver. Alt likes the outlook of the season with the talent that Next >