Our Town - Silverton, Mount Angel, Scotts Mills

10/25/2025

Our Town football
Silverton scrambles league race with 30-23 win at Dallas

By James Day

“In life,” said Silverton High football coach Dan Lever, “you get knocked down. And you get judged by how you get back up.”
Last Friday night, Oct. 17, the Foxes lost a Homecoming heartbreaker, falling 34-28 at McGinnis Field to visiting Lebanon.
This Friday night Silverton got its mojo back, taking down Dallas 30-23 in perhaps the Foxes’ most complete performance of the season. The win advanced Silverton to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in Class 5A’s Special District III. Dallas is 6-2 and 4-1, with both teams looking up at Lebanon (7-1, 5-0) with one week left in the district race. Silverton, ranked No. 2 by the OSAA, hosts 0-5 Corvallis on Halloween, while the No. 4 Warriors take on No. 5 Dallas at Heath Stadium in Lebanon.
If Lebanon downs the Dragons the Warriors take home an undisputed title, but should Dallas defeat Lebanon, the possibility of a three-way tie exists.
But that’s all next week. The key for the Foxes on Friday was the rebound from the Lebanon loss.
“We’ve overcome a lot of adversity,” said junior defensive lineman Damian Rael, who was in the face of Dallas QB Thomas Hess all night. “But we got it together this week in practice.”
The D-line dropped Hess four times, with the 5-10, 250-pound Rael contributing to three of the sacks.
“We were bringing the pressure and had good energy and we put it all together,” Rael said.
“This feels great,” said Silverton quarterback Chase Dominguez, who had missed most of the past three games with an injury. “We just wanted it more. After coming off that tough loss we needed to bounce back … and we did.”
“We knew this was going to be a tough game,” said two-way standout Levi Schurter, who rushed for a score and led Foxes ball-carriers with 41 yards. “A lot of our guys were back and healthy and we were really dialed in in practice this week.”
Dallas built an early 15-6 lead, but Silverton dominated the middle quarters, running off 24 unanswered points to lead 30-15. The resilient Dragons, however, used a turnover to pull within 30-23 with 4:13 left and advanced to the Foxes’ 35 in the game’s final minute before the defense shut the door.
“They did a great job all night,” Lever said of the defense, which limited Dallas to 240 yards. “That has been a very explosive offense. What a great response by our kids.”
Dallas led 8-0 early when Landon Holbrook rocketed 50 yards up the middle for a score on the Dragons’ first play. They botched the PAT snap, but Hess picked it up and completed a pass for the two points.
Silverton pulled within 8-6 less than two minutes later when Dominguez scrambled to his right and found Lincoln Teeney at the back of the end zone on a 37-yard scoring play. The conversion failed and it was 8-6 Dallas with 7:38 left in the first.
Early in the second quarter Lever gambled on fourth-and-2 at the Silverton 38, but Dallas stuffed the running play and drove 39 yards in 11 plays, with Hess connecting in the right corner of the end zone to Hunter Rivers on third-and-goal at the 17. Nicklas Schneider added the PAT and it was 15-6 Dallas with 6:18 left in the half.
The Foxes then put together two sparkling touchdown drives to take control. First, they marched 70 yards in four plays, with Dominguez finding Uitto open down the right sideline for a 37-yard score. Dominguez also hit Gavin Aguero for 21 yards during the drive and Nash Maser plowed 13 yards up the middle one play before the strike to Uitto. Caden Druliner nailed the PAT and it was 15-13 with 4:37 left in the half.
Dallas then went three-and-out and Holbrook’s 27-yard punt rolled dead at the Silverton 43. Eleven plays later the Foxes were back in the end zone on a 2-yard run by Uitto out of the “wildcat” formation with 22.1 seconds left in the half. Dominguez was on target throughout the drive, hitting Aguero for 13, Sutton Kuenzi for 16, Teeney for 7 and Uitto for 12 to get the Foxes to the 7 with 35.8 seconds left. Moser ran it 5 yards to the 2 and Uitto followed with the score. Druliner’s PAT made it 20-15 Foxes at the break.
Holbrook, who was a thorn in Silverton’s side all night, got the Dragons off well in the third period with a 60-yard kickoff return right up the middle to the Foxes’ 30. But the defense stiffened, aided by a Ryan Kuenzi sack of Hess, and Dallas eventually punted from the 38.
On Dallas’ next possession defensive back Luke Horner picked off a Hess pass and ran it back 16 yards to the Dragons’ 33. Dominguez got the Foxes one first down on an 18-yard QB draw, but the drive stalled and Druliner came on to add three points with a 29-yard field goal.
Hess got the Dragons moving again after the kickoff, finding Nic Walker open down the right sideline for a 46-yard gain. But the Silverton defense clamped down again, with Rael sacking Hess for an 8-yard loss, forcing another Holbrook punt.
The Foxes took over at their own 27 with 1:22 left in the third, and Dominguez and the offense uncorked another masterpiece, going 73 yards in 11 plays in 4:44 of elapsed time. No negative plays. No penalties. No incomplete passes. It was marvelous to watch. Schurter got one first down on a 2-yard blast on 3rd-and-1. Aguero, who tormented the Dragons all night with 6 catches for 90 yards, broke free in the right flat and sped 34 yards to the Dallas 24. Schurter banged up the middle for 10 and another first down. Moments later on 3rd-and-7 at the 11 Aguero used every inch of his 5-8 frame to go up and reel in a Dominguez pass right at the first down stick. Two plays later Schurter found the end zone from 1 yard out and after Druliner’s PAT it was 30-15 Foxes with 8:38 left.
Silverton stopped Dallas’ next drive, but a Holbrook interception moments later had the Dragons in business at the Silverton 17. Hess hit Chase Eriksen for the score from 7 yards out and Rivers ran for the two points to make it 30-23 with 4:13 to go.
Dominguez punted the ball away 36 yards to the Dallas 31, but the Dragons turned in another big play, with Hess hitting Rivers for 30 yards on 4th-and-6 to the Silverton 35. But the drive stalled there as Rael and company combined to sack Hess again and Kellen Kuenzi was there to defend as third- and fourth-down passes by Hess fell incomplete.

Notes: Lever threw a lot at Dallas, with Dominguez, Nolan Horner and Uitto all taking snaps at QB. Horner ran the ball five times for 29 yards. Dominguez threw for 205 yards and two scores. … Holbrook had a monster game for Dallas, with the 5-10, 180-pound senior rushing for 88 yards, returning a kickoff for 60, handling the punting and also intercepting a pass. … The Foxes were back at nearly full strength as Moser, Teeney, Dominguez and Luke Horner all returned from the injury list. RB Keysean Davis is out for the season with a shoulder injury, but Lever and his offensive staff have been successful with a running-back-by committee approach. Schurter had 41 yards, Nolan Horner 29, Moser 25 and Dominguez 21. The Foxes outrushed Dallas 119-82. … Special District III, like all 5A districts, only receives two automatic playoff berths, but the Foxes, Lebanon and Dallas all will be in, given that there are 6 at-large berths. West Albany, now 5-3 and ranked ninth, seems a likely playoff team, especially if the Bulldogs take down Central in the Oct. 31 finale. … Statewide the top 5 consists of Summit, Silverton, Mountain View, Lebanon and Dallas, with perennial contenders Thurston and Wilsonville, lurking at No. 6 and No. 7, respectively. The 16-team playoffs begin Friday, Nov. 7. … It rained much of the day Friday in Dallas, but it was dry throughout the game. Next Friday’s early forecast calls for showers and a 64% chance of rain for the Corvallis-Silverton game. Who knows? I’ve got thunder and lightning crashing against the Our Town building as I write this on Saturday afternoon.

Mugs: Damian Rael, Levi Schurter

Caption: Foxes linemen Cal Kofstad (77), Ryan Kuenzi (67), Damian Rael (54), Kane Mack (55), Trey Carstensen (58), Mark Bailey (71) and James Collier (70) protect QB Chase Dominguez after Silverton downed Dallas 30-23 on Friday night.
Credit: James Day

Individual statistics
Rushing, Silverton: Schurter 10-41, N. Horner 5-29, Moser 6-25, Dominguez 9-21, Aguero 2-1, Uitto 2-3, VanDeweghe 1-0, Teeney 1(-1). Dallas, Holbrook 14-88, Rivers 3-5, Hess 11-(-8), Galusha 4-(-3).
Passing, Silverton: Dominguez 13-21-205, 2 TDs, 1 int; N. Horner 0-1-0. Dallas, Hess 12-23-158, 2 TDs, 1 int.
Receiving, Silverton: Aguero 6-90, Teeney 3-47, Uitto 2-49, S. Kuenzi 1-16, Schurter 1-3. Dallas, Walker 3-67, Rivers 3-65, Eriksen 4-26, Holbrook 1-0.

Scoring summary
Silverton 6 14 3 7 – 30
Dallas 8 7 0 8 – 23
First quarter
Dallas: Holbrook 50 run (Walker pass from Hess), 9:47
Silv: Teeney 37 pass from Dominguez (pass failed), 7:38
Second quarter
Dallas: Rivers 17 pass from Hess (Schneider kick)
Silv: Uitto 37 pass from Dominguez (Druliner kick), 4:37
Silv: Uitto 2 run (Druliner kick), 0:22.1
Third quarter
Silv: Druliner 29 FG, 3:57
Fourth quarter
Silv: Schurter 1 run (Druliner kick), 8:38
Dallas: Eriksen 7 pass from Hess (Rivers run), 4:13
Records: Silverton 7-1, 4-1 Special District III; Dallas 6-2, 4-1.

Got a news tip? Email me at [email protected]. Follow me on X (Twitter) and Our Town on Facebook.

10/23/2025

Photos: Nolan Horner (Silverton) and Kennedy coach Joe Panuke

Our Town football:
Foxes have showdown at Dallas; Kennedy visits Willamina

By James Day

The Silverton High football team faces another critical test at 7 p.m. on Friday. The Foxes, who lost 34-28 in the final two seconds against Lebanon on Oct. 17, travel to Dallas to take on the Dragons, the longest-standing football rivalry for Silverton.
It’s a matchup with league and statewide implications along with the usual bragging rights. Silverton is 6-1 overall, 3-1 in Class 5A’s Special District II, and ranked No. 2 in Class 5A. Dallas (6-1, 4-0) is ranked third. No. 5 Lebanon (6-1, 4-0) hosts 2-2 Central, with the Warriors currently holding the hammer. If Lebanon beats Central on Friday and then Dallas the following week the Warriors take home the district title. Other outcomes are possible, including a three-way tie should Silverton beat Dallas (and 0-5 Corvallis next week) and Dallas beat Lebanon.
“We don’t have a lot of time to pout,” Foxes coach Dan Lever said of the Lebanon loss. “We’re facing a good Dallas team with a lot of league and playoff implications. We’re not going to hang our heads because Dallas doesn’t care what happened to us against Lebanon.”
Silverton led the Warriors 28-27 with just more than a minute left after Levi Schurter scored on a 3-yard run up the middle. But Lebanon QB Brison Edwards overcame an intentional grounding penalty that left his team with a 2nd-and-30 and connected with Logan Large on a 21-yard TD pass into double coverage with two seconds left to seal the deal.
Edwards finished with 326 yards passing and four touchdowns, with Large catching eight for 179 yards and three scores.
The Foxes were almost as productive. QB Nolan Horner threw two TD passes to Logan Uitto and another to Sutton Kuenzi while finishing with 212 passing yards. Uitto caught nine balls for 138 yards. Lebanon outgained the Foxes 445-314.
Lever said he thinks the Foxes will be close to full strength for Dallas. QB Chase Dominguez and two-way players Lincoln Teeney, Nash Moser and Luke Horner all should be ready for Dallas.
”This week we’re getting our guys back and getting ready for a good Dallas team,” Lever said, adding that “I would love to see Lebanon again when we are at full strength.”
Dallas’ lone loss was last week against Class 6A No. 2 Willamette. Lever is strongly impressed by the Dragons.
“They are scrappy and they are physical and they are tough, there’s no other way to look at it,” he said. “They are tough in every phase and more balanced than they have been in the past.”
Notes: Silverton has owned the matchup in recent years, winning six in a row and nine of the past 10. Dallas last won by a 20-13 count at home in 2016. The two teams did not play last year because the Foxes were in a different district for football. … The district only receives two automatic playoff bids, but there are six at-large spots, with Silverton, Lebanon and Dallas all essentially in the 16-team field. West Albany is just 1-3 in league (with losses to the three teams noted above) but ranked 8th. Win out against South Albany and Central and the Bulldogs are likely to wind up an at-large team. The Foxes close against Corvallis on Halloween, with the playoffs starting the following week.

Kennedy at Willamina
The Trojans rallied for a 17-14 win last week at Gervais, which all but cinched a Class 3A playoff berth and gave coach Joe Panuke his 100th victory at JFK.
Kennedy (5-2 overall, 4-1 Special District I) trailed Gervais (4-3, 2-3) 14-0 at halftime, but Jaden Traeger’s 38-yard TD run in the third period made it 14-7 and Landon Kline’s 36-yard interception return tied it in the fourth period. Trojans senior Jesus Morales nailed a 20-yard field goal to supply the winning points.
Panuke is 100-29 in his 12 years in Mt. Angel, with five appearances in the state finals, including the Class 2A title in 2018. He has won 10 or more games six times and only lost more than 3 games once, in 2017. Panuke served six years under the legendary Randy Traeger before taking over for Traeger for the 2014 season.
Kennedy visits Willamina (2-3) at 7 p.m. on Friday night. The Bulldogs are playing an independent schedule. Willamina and Kennedy have one common opponent, Yamhill-Carlton. The Trojans rallied to beat Y-C 35-15, while Willamina fell 49-20. Kennedy finishes with Valley Catholic (4-3, 1-3). A win there cements the second automatic playoff bid in the district.

Got a news tip? Email me at [email protected]. Follow me on X(Twitter) and Our Town on Facebook.

10/22/2025

Our Town girls soccer
Silverton, Crescent Valley play to a 0-0 tie

By James Day

The Silverton and Crescent Valley girls soccer squads played to a 0-0 draw on a cool Tuesday night at McGinnis Field, leaving their battle for Mid-Willamette Conference supremacy unresolved.
The Foxes, ranked fourth in Class 5A, and the sixth-ranked Raiders remain tied for the league lead at 5-0-1 with three matches remaining. It’s a mixed bag with regard to which school has the tougher closing schedule. C.V. has to face cross-town rival Corvallis, which is 5-1, while the Foxes must face McKay and Woodburn, who are tied for fourth at 3-2-1. Silverton dealt Corvallis its lone loss by a 4-0 count on Oct. 7.
“Their defense was solid and our defense was solid,” said Silverton co-coach Don Holland. “And it was the soccer we like to play … playoff, physical soccer.”
Holland and his co-coach Eric Lay, both thought the Raiders got the better of the action in the first half, while the Foxes dominated the final 40 minutes.
“I thought we played with a lot of urgency in the second half,” Lay said. “It was a great turnaround.”
One look at the goals allowed slot in the league standings would give spectators a good sense of what Tuesday’s match would be like. Silverton came in allowing just six goals in 11 matches, while C.V. had permitted just four, despite starting a freshman goalkeeper.
Despite Silverton’s stronger second half, the visitors had the best shot at a goal down the stretch. Junior forward Grace Reese broke free about 40 yards from the goal and appeared to have a clear path with eight minutes left. But Foxes goalkeeper Madeline Neideigh came way out of the 18-yard box to cut off Reese’s advance and then deflected the shot with her left leg in an action that looked similar to an ice hockey kick save.
The Foxes had three solid chances in the final moments, but Kensley Tegman’s dangerous free kick into the box was broken up, ditto for a Silverton corner kick and Sofie Baldridge was just wide right on a shot from long range in the final 15 seconds.

Notes: Neideigh and C.V.’s Elizabeth Frus both had four saves, with the back lines of both squads playing so well that none of the shots seriously tested the keepers. … The game was a physical encounter, as Holland noted, with both teams drawing a yellow card for rough play. Elizabeth Merten of Crescent Valley was booked 7 minutes into the second half as was Silverton’s Megan Wavra with 11 minutes left. … The Foxes played without senior defensive midfielder Lilly Miller, who was away on a recruiting trip.

Photo caption: Silverton co-coaches Eric Lay, center, and Don Holland, center right, talk to the team after the Foxes played to a scoreless draw with Crescent Valley on Tuesday night at McGinnis Field. The tie left the two teams deadlocked for the Mid-Willamette Conference lead with three matches remaining.
Credit: James Day

Got a news tip? Email me at [email protected]. Follow me on X(Twitter) and Our Town on Facebook.

10/21/2025

Update on November SNAP benefits.

The federal government shutdown is affecting funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). If the shutdown continues into November, SNAP benefits for November will not be issued until federal funding starts again.

You can still use any SNAP benefits already on your EBT card. SNAP funds do not expire right away. Your current balance will stay available during this time.

When federal operations resume, ODHS will issue November benefits as quickly as possible. The timing will depend on national systems that process benefits for many states, which may cause some delays.

We know this is stressful for many people who rely on SNAP. We are watching the situation closely and will share updates as soon as we have them.

Get more details here: https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/news/Pages/snap-updates.aspx

10/20/2025

Hundreds join Silverton ‘No Kings Rally’ amid large national turnout

An estimated 500-plus demonstrators gathered for a “No Kings Rally” Saturday in Silverton, held on the sidewalks and in the parking lot of the former RiteAid on McClaine Street.

The event, spearheaded by the Silverton Progressives, was part of a much larger, nationwide movement by similar organizations protesting what they view as President Donald Trump’s monarchical wielding of his presidential powers.

More at: https://ourtownlive.com/ourtown/?p=18213

10/18/2025

Scotts Mills county park survey.

Marion County Parks is exploring ways to reduce parking issues at Scotts Mills County Park during the busy summer season. On peak days, the number of vehicles often exceed available parking, leading to illegal parking within the park, blocked fire lanes, and spillover into surrounding areas of the C...

10/15/2025

Our Town football
Silverton begins stretch run with big one vs. Lebanon; JFK visits Gervais

By James Day

The preliminaries are over for the Silverton High football team and its district contenders. Now, the real work begins.
There are three unbeaten teams in Class 5A’s Special District III, the No. 2 Foxes, No. 7 Lebanon and No. 3, and they all face each other on the next three Fridays.
It all starts Friday night at McGinnis Field in Silverton when the Foxes host Lebanon at 7 p.m. on Homecoming night. Silverton visits Dallas on Oct. 24 and Lebanon and Dallas tangle on Oct. 31, the final Friday of the regular season. The top two teams in the district earn automatic berths in the Class 5A playoffs, with six other at-large berths available.
“Every week we’re striving to get better and go after the next one,” said fourth-year Foxes coach Dan Lever about his squad, 6-0 overall and 3-0 in league play. “This group has the desire to get better every week and we’re able to throw a lot at them and they have been able to pick it up really well for a young group.”
Last week the Foxes went up a class and took out Grants Pass, No. 13 in Class 6, by a 40-16 count. Lebanon (5-1, 3-0) defeated South Albany 49-3 last week. The Warriors’ lone loss was in the season opener at No. 5 Mountain View.
“We’ll have to be ready,” Lever said, “because they are a really physical football team, well-coached. Their quarterback (Brison Edwards) is one of the better ones we have faced. And their wide receiver (Logan Large) has made some really big plays. They are good at stretching the field and we really have to make sure we know where he is.”
Notes: On the injury front, Foxes RB Keysean Davis (shoulder) still is out, with QB Chase Dominguez (shoulder) and WR-DB Lincoln Teeney (appendicitis) questionable for Lebanon. … Sutton Kuenzi and Logan Uitto continue to shine both ways for Silverton. Kuenzi caught six passes for 79 yards and a 19-yard score and Uitto reeled in five for 81 yards and a 47-yard score vs. Grants Pass.. Both players also made some big plays in pass defense against the Cavemen. … The Lebanon-Silverton series has featured some terrific matchups in recent years, although the Foxes hold an 8-2 edge in the past 10 encounters. The Warriors forced Silverton into a league co-title with South Albany and Central with a 41-20 upset on the final Friday of the 2022 season, and Silverton won three memorable games from 2017-19 that all included late-game heroics, including the brilliant QB relief appearance by Aaron Rieskamp in the 2018 game, won by the Foxes 37-36.

Photo mugs: Sutton Kuenzi and Logan Uitto
Credit: James Day

Kennedy at Gervais
The Trojans and Cougars battle at 7 p.m. Friday night in a game that likely will affect the playoff possibilities for both teams. No. 12 JFK comes in at 4-2 overall and 3-1 in Class 3A’s Special District 1. Host Gervais, ranked 10th, is 4-2 and 2-2. No. 2 Banks is undefeated in league, while No. 7 Warrenton is 3-1. Kennedy beat Warrenton handily, 47-7, while Gervais fell to the Warriors 19-12. Warrenton and Banks also will tangle Oct. 30.
The key math problem is that only two teams in the district receive automatic playoff berths, although there are four at-large slots available statewide.
Kennedy is coming off a 42-7 loss at Banks on Oct. 10. It marked the third consecutive win in the series for the Braves, coached by former Ducks defensive line standout Cole Linehan. The game was still close in the second period when Colby Rich scored on a 26-yard TD pass from Brody Panuke to make it a 14-7 game. But Banks tacked on three more scores in the period, including a 76-yard punt return by Jarrett Martin to make it 35-7 at the half. Martin added a 45-yard TD run in the third period to slam the door.
The Kennedy-Gervais series has been one-sided in recent years, with the Trojans holding a 4-0 edge since 2014. JFK outscored the Cougars 243-51 in the four games.

Got a news tip? Email me at [email protected]. Follow me on Twitter and Our Town on Facebook.

10/15/2025

https://ourtownlive.com/ourtown/?p=18158

My family owns an electric car. I’ve written about it before in a column describing my experience with range anxiety. But now, several years later and a with a whole lot more experience under my belt, I would like to […]

10/15/2025

https://ourtownlive.com/ourtown/?p=18164

Don Holland and Eric Lay are in year two of their co-coaching duties with Silverton girls soccer. Last year was a ringing success, with the Foxes running the table in the Mid-Willamette Conference with a perfect 9-0-0 record. Silverton, seeded […]

10/15/2025

https://ourtownlive.com/ourtown/?p=18167

Duane Kenneth Setness, age 92, of Salem, Oregon, passed away peacefully on Sept. 28, 2025. Duane was born on July 2, 1933, in Silverton, the only child of Kenneth and Anna Setness. He grew up in Silverton and graduated from […]

10/15/2025

https://ourtownlive.com/ourtown/?p=18169

James Albert Farmer, Jr., 87, passed away peacefully at his home Sept. 17, 2025. He was a beloved brother, husband, father, grandpa, great-grandpa and friend. Jim was born on May 10, 1938, to James Albert and Helen Farmer in Portland, […]

10/15/2025

https://ourtownlive.com/ourtown/?p=18171

Donna Mae Predeek Annen, 89, a lifelong resident of Mount Angel, died peacefully on Sept. 24, 2025. She was born in Mount Angel on Nov. 5, 1935, the youngest child of William and Elizabeth (Hug) Predeek. She married Alcuin (Ed) Annen in […]