Our Town - Silverton, Mount Angel, Scotts Mills

11/26/2025

Silverton football: Foxes take on undefeated Summit for state 5A title

By James Day

HILLSBORO – The Silverton High football team will be seeking its third state title when the Foxes tangle with undefeated Summit at 5 p.m. Friday at Hillsboro Stadium.
Silverton, 11-1 and seeded No. 2, advanced to the championship game with a 35-21 win against No. 3 Mountain View. Top-ranked Summit, 12-0, downed bracket-buster Churchill, seeded 13th, in the other semifinal by a 28-14 score.
“Summit deserves to be here,” Silverton coach Dan Lever told Our Town. “They are a very good football team. Coach (Corben) Hyatt runs a great program and he’s a friend of mine. It’s great to see two programs like this get to play in the final.”
Haytt told Our Town “Coach Lever and I have known each other for a long time, we have even coached on an all-star staff together and have faced each other from his time at Tualatin. He has some tweaks every year to his schemes, but we are all creatures of habit to what we like to run.”
The two teams met twice a year ago, with the Foxes winning both encounters. They downed the Storm 35-12 in the Aug. 30 nonleague opener and 36-23 in the quarterfinals on Nov. 15. Both games were at McGinnis Field in Silverton.
“I don't take much stock into last year's games because it's mostly all new players for both teams,” Hyatt said. “I know our players are excited for the challenge to face one of the premier teams in 5A and we will see who comes out on top Friday night.”
“They had a young team last year and we had an old team,” Lever said. “Now, it’s the reverse.”
Both teams will be seeking their third state title. Summit won 5A titles in 2015 and 2022. The Foxes won the 3A in 1991 and the 5A in 2021.
Lever’s Foxes rang up 35 points on a Mountain View defense that had only yielded 66 during their first 11 games. Silverton used an outside-inside running game and Chase Dominguez’s precision passing to score TDs on their first five possessions. The drives went 82, 73, 85, 75 and 60 yards and the team was 9 for 9 on third downs.
The offensive line of Kane Mack, Trey Carstensen, Ryan Kuenzi, James Stearns, James Collier, Mark Bailey and Cal Kofstad blew open the holes that allowed Silverton’s backs to rush for 263 yards and 4 TDs while averaging 6.9 yards per carry.
“Being that good on third down was the story of the game,” Lever said. “Our offense turned the corner when Chase came back (from a shoulder injury) for the (Oct. 24) Dallas game. We are peaking at the right time.”
Dominguez, a 6-3, 185-pound senior who transferred from McKay, has hit 68 of his 91 passes, 74.7%, starting with the Dallas game.
Silverton also gashed Mountain View repeatedly to the outside using the fly sweep. Versatile senior Nolan Horner rang up 76 yards on 7 carries and produced a 42-yarder that set up a Dominguez 4-yard run for the Foxes’ first score.
“They’re pretty solid inside,” Lever said of Mountain View. “We wanted to get them running from sideline to sideline. That was the plan. The strength of their team is more in the middle than on the perimeter.”
Of course once Silverton established the sweep that opened up the middle for Nash Moser (64 yards and 1 TD) and Levi Schurter (63 yards and 1 score).
“Coach Lever will have Silverton ready,” Hyatt said. “I think he's one of the best coaches in the state no matter the classification. I really respect the program he is building at Silverton and many of the things that he emphasizes at Silverton are similar to us at Summit. “Their team speed stands out on film and causes some concern for us. They will play hard and always are fundamentally sound so they won't beat themselves. We will need to play clean football and hopefully keep it close.”
Summit is led by 6-5 junior quarterback Andrew Guthrie, who hit 12 of 19 passes for 109 yards vs. Churchill. His top receivers are ​​Connor Conneely ( four catches for 56 yards) and Cade Nitzschke (four catches for 44 yards). Jude Anderson, a 5-7, 180-pound senior, rushed 35 times for 171 yards and all four Summit TDs, including three in the second half when the Storm rallied from a 12-7 deficit.
“He’s only as good as his offensive line,” Hyatt told the OSAA after the Churchill game. “Coming into the game, he had rushed for 1,200 yards, but it’s our offensive line. I think it’s the best in the state. We have a college offensive line. We are pretty lucky with this group.”
Silverton has developed a superb offensive line as well. Could be the key to the game right there.

Photo caption (offense): Silverton’s Nash Moser looks for running room as offensive linemen Ryan Kuenzi, left, and Cal Kofstad (77) seal off the Mountain View defense. The O-line helped fuel a 263-yard rushing outburst by the Foxes in their 35-21 Class 5A semifinal win against Mountain View on Nov. 21.
Credit: Becki Little

Photo caption (defense): A trio of Foxes puts pressure on Mountain View quarterback Alex Toolan during the semifinals. Damian Rael is at the far right, with Ryder VanDeweghe and James Collier closing in on the passer.
Credit: Becki Little

Photo caption (coach): Foxes coach Dan Lever speaks to the Foxes and their supporters after Silverton nailed down its slot in the Class 5A finals. Lever is 39-8 in his four years with Silverton.
Credit: Becki Little

Notes: The Foxes have invited all former players and coaches to watch the team’s walk-through on Thursday, Thanksgiving as the team prepares for Summit. Practice is from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., with coffee and doughnuts being served in the team room at the northwest corner of McGinnis Field. … The Storm and Foxes faced three common opponents. Both squads defeated No. 7 Wilsonville, No. 8 West Albany and No. 3 Mountain View on the way to the finals. … The weather report keeps getting more favorable. As I write this the forecast is showing only a 14% chance of rain Friday in Hillsboro. … This is Silverton’s fourth playoff game at Hillsboro Stadium in recent years. The Foxes lost 17-0 to West Albany in the 2013 semifinals and 34-12 to Hermiston in the 2014 final before downing Thurston 26-20 there in the 2021 championship game.

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

11/26/2025

Silverton High football coach Dan Lever is inviting all former Foxes players and coaches to McGinnis Field on Thanksgiving morning to be on hand for the team’s final walk-through as they prepare for the state championship game.

No. 2 Silverton, 11-1, downed Mountain View 35-21 last Friday night in the Class 5A semifinals in Eugene and will take on No. 1 Summit, 12-0, at 5 p.m. Friday at Hillsboro Stadium for the state title.

Silverton High football coach Dan Lever is inviting all former Foxes players and coaches to McGinnis Field on Thanksgiving morning to be on hand for the team’s final walk-through as they prepare for the state championship game. No. 2 Silverton, […]

11/24/2025

Silverton FFA hosts Christmas tree sale

Silverton FFA is hosting a Christmas tree sale from November 30th through December 20th at Silverton Wilco! Trees are available to purchase at all times, or you could purchase directly from Silverton FFA Members Mondays through Thursdays, 4-6 pm and on weekends. Three different types of trees, Noble, Douglas, and Nordmann Fir are available for purchase. Trees come in varying sizes from three to eight feet tall. All profits go towards Silverton FFA!

Silverton FFA is hosting a Christmas tree sale from November 30th through December 20th at Silverton Wilco! Trees are available to purchase at all times, or you could purchase directly from Silverton FFA Members Mondays through Thursdays, 4-6 pm and […]

11/22/2025

Our Town football playoffs
Foxes paint a masterpiece, advance to 5A title game

By James Day

EUGENE – Silverton High football coach Dan Lever had some “bad” news for the families and friends of the Foxes after Friday night’s Class 5A semifinal contest against Mountain View of Bend.
“We’re going to be practicing on Thanksgiving,” he thundered to roars of approval from the huge crowd surrounding the team’s post-game huddle.
The team is practicing on Thanksgiving because its magical season continued with a 35-21 win against the Cougars at Willamette High. Just two teams are left in the bracket, which means that only two teams will be practicing next week, the Foxes and Summit of Bend.
Summit downed Churchill of Eugene 28-14 at McCulloch Stadium in Salem in the other semifinal. The Foxes and Storm meet next Friday, Nov. 28, at 5 p.m. at Hillsboro Stadium. Silverton will be seeking its third state title, following victories in 1991 and 2021.
“It feels so good,” said junior offensive lineman James Collier, who helped the Foxes accumulate 35 points and 263 yards rushing against a team that had yielded just 66 points in its first 11 games. “I’ve never experienced this feeling. I’m nervous. I’m excited. I have so many feelings about it that I just can’t explain it right now.”
“We just played great today,” said senior quarterback Chase Dominguez, who hit on 14 of 19 passes for 175 yards and a TD and rushed for 42 more and another score. “We just executed. Our O-line … they were crazy today. I never thought I would be here. I want to thank my coaches and teammates. It just feels great.”
“We know we can run our stuff,” said senior running back Nash Moser, whose 31-yard TD run up the gut got the Foxes off to a 14-0 start. “It’s a dream come true, for sure. “This is my third trip to the semifinals and we finally got there. It’s a dream come true.”
Junior center Kane Mack said “we can score from anywhere. We had a pretty good plan and we knew we had to be the more physical team.”
Mack was asked how it felt in the huddle when the play came in and the Foxes just KNEW it was going to work?
“I would just look around at the guys and just kind of shine,” he grinned.
How dominant was the Silverton offense? The Foxes scored on their first five possessions and didn’t punt until the fourth quarter. The shortest TD drive was 60 yards. And five different players, Dominguez, Moser, Logan Uitto, Levi Schurter and Ryder VanDeweghe scored touchdowns.
“It’s not easy scoring on every drive,” said Uitto, who was at the back end of perhaps the game’s most significant play, an 85-yard TD pass in the second quarter that made the score 21-7. “Our offensive line played great. It (the final) is gonna be fun.”
Here is how those five drives played out:
Drive 1: After forcing a Mountain View punt on the Cougars’ first possession, Dominguez drove the Foxes 82 yards in 11 plays, with the transfer from McKay scoring from 4 yards out. After a 15-yard penalty the Foxes faced a first-and-25 from their own 39 but converted via a 42-yard fly sweep around the right side by Nolan Horner. Caden Druliner’s PAT made it 7-0 with 3:50 left in the first quarter.
Drive 2: The Cougars then went 3-and-out, with Foxes defensive back Sutton Kuenzi emphatically batting down an Alex Toolan pass on third-and-6. Silverton then went 73 yards in 11 plays, with Moser erupting 31 yards up the middle for a score on 2nd-and-12. “It was an amazing feeling,” said Moser, who finished with 64 rushing yards. “It was like the Red Sea just opened up. I couldn’t have done it without the line.” Again, the Foxes had to overcome a penalty, converting after being backed up on 1st-and-20. Sutton Kuenzi caught passes of 10 and 16 yards to keep the chains moving.
Drive 3: Mountain View cut it to 14-7 with 6:55 left in the half on a 5-yard pass from Toolan to Jackson Urbach. The drive was fueled by a 56-yard run by Ryder Carpenter. The Foxes took over at their own 15 after the kickoff. Three plays later it was 21-7. On 3rd-and-10 at the 15 Dominguez went back to pass. His line gave him all day to throw and he finally found Uitto streaking down the center of the field. Dominguez hit him in stride and Uitto sped into the end zone to complete the 85-yard play.
Drive 4: Mountain View proved its resiliency by scoring on the final play of the first half to cut the margin to 21-14. But the Foxes received the second half kickoff and drove 75 yards in 13 plays to make it 28-14. Schurter got the score from the 2. The Foxes had to overcome the lone sack of the evening against Dominguez that set up a 2nd-and-16. The Foxes were methodical on this one, with a 12-yard scramble by Dominguez the longest gain of the march, which consumed the first 6:30 of the period.
Drive 5: A Nolan Horner interception on a ball that was underthrown by Toolan set up the Foxes at their own 40 with 3:51 left in the third. They went 60 yards in 10 plays that spanned the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth. VanDeweghe earned the TD with a tackle-busting 13-yard run. Druliner’s fifth PAT made it 35-14 with 11:19 left.
Mountain View added a score with 5:30 left on a 1-yard run by Carpenter, but the Cougars’ final possession went nowhere, with Zach Purdy and Druliner breaking up the third- and fourth-down plays. The Foxes then ran out the clock, finishing the game at the Mountain View 5.
How dominant was the Silverton offense? Let’s look at some more stats. The Foxes had 21 first downs, 10 more than the Cougars. They outgained M.V. 438-261. Silverton was 9-12 on third downs. Four Foxes rushed for 42 yards or more – Horner had 76, Moser 64, Schurter 63 and Dominguez 42. Dominguez connected with six different receivers, with Sutton Kuenzi catching 5 for 55 and Uitto 3 for 100.
How good was the offensive line? Here’s more from Collier:
“Our O-line really stepped it up. When I did something bad, they had my back. We run the ball really well and always have each other’s backs.”

Notes: The Foxes played Summit, their finals foe, twice a year ago, downing the Storm 35-12 in the Aug. 30 nonleague opener and 36-23 in the quarterfinals on Nov. 15. Both games were at McGinnis Field in Silverton. Summit is 12-0 heading to the final. The Foxes are 11-1. The Storm downed Mountain View 21-14 on Sept. 19 in the de-facto Intermountain Conference championship game. That 21 point total was the most M.V. had allowed until facing the Foxes. Summit also faced West Albany and Wilsonville. Both the Foxes and Storm were 2-0 against the common opponents. … The Cougars played without Angel Valenzuela, a standout at RB and DE. Valenzuela was ejected from the quarterfinal game vs. Dallas on an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and the OSAA rejected M.V.’s appeal. Silverton played without two-way standout Lincoln Teeney, who broke a foot Monday, Nov. 17 in practice. … Foxes donors paid for a pair of rooters buses to accompany the team to Eugene. Silverton had twice the number of backers as the Cougars. … It was a cool and foggy night, with temperatures dipping below 40 in the second half. The early forecast shows a high of 53, a low of 37 and a 38% chance of showers next Friday in Hillsboro.

Photo caption: Nash Moser raises a fist in triumph as he completes a 31-yard TD run to give Silverton a 14-0 lead vs Mountain View in the Class 5A semifinals.
Credit: Becki Little

Photo caption: Levi Schurter pounds the rock up the middle behind 6-5, 240-pound tackle James Collier (70). Schurter rushed 13 times for 63 yards and a score during the Foxes’ 35-21 win against Mountain View. Collier and his offensive line mates were superb throughout. Silverton rushed for 263 yards and 4 TDs.

Scoring summary
Mountain View 0 14 0 7 – 21
Silverton 7 14 7 7 – 35
First quarter
Silv: Dominguez 4 run (Druliner kick), 3:50
Second quarter
Silv: Moser 31 run (Druliner kick), 9:48
M.V.: Urbach 5 pass from Toolan (Brand kick), 6:55
Silv: Uitto 85 pass from Dominguez (Druliner kick), 5:54
M.V.: Urbach 9 pass from Toolan (Brand kick), 0:00.0
Third quarter
Silv: Schurter 2 run (Druliner kick), 5:30
Silv: VanDeweghe 13 run (Druliner kick), 11:19
M.V.: Carpenter 1 run (Brand kick), 5:30

Individual rushing
Mountain View: Carpenter 20-98, Toolan 3-12, Bottenmiller 1-1, Wray 1 (-5). Silverton: N. Horner 7-76, Moser 6-64, Schurter 13-63, Dominguez 9-42, VanDeweghe 1-13, L. Horner 1-7, K. Kuenzi 1 (-2).
Individual passing
Mountain View: Toolan 10-23-155, 2 TDs, 1 int. Silverton: Dominguez 14-19-175, 1 TD.
Individual receiving
Mountain View: Urbach 4-45, Wray 3-25, Goewey 2-47, Capers 1-38. Silverton: S. Kuenzi 5-50, Uitto 3-100, N. Horner 2-2, L. Horner 1-12, Aguero 1-5, VanDeweghe 1-3. Team 1 (-2).
Records: Silverton 11-1, Mountain View 10-2.

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

11/20/2025

Our Town football playoffs
Silverton tangles with Mountain View in 5A semifinals

By James Day

EUGENE – The No. 2 Silverton High football team takes on No. 3 Mountain View of Bend at 7 p.m. Friday night at Willamette High in the OSAA’s Class 5A semifinals.
It is the fifth visit to the semifinals for the Foxes since 2019 and their third in a row. Silverton won the 2021 title and lost to Mountain View (2023) and Wilsonville (2024), respectively, in its most recent semifinal visits.
The Foxes, 10-1, avenged the Wilsonville loss with a 35-32 quarterfinal win last week at McGinnis Field and has a chance to do the same against the Cougars, who raced out to a 21-0 lead and cruised from there to a 42-19 win against Silverton in 2023 semis at McNary High in Keizer. Wilsonville won the state title in 2023 and 2024.
“I’m proud of the work our kids have put in to earn this trip to the semis,” fourth-year Foxes coach Dan Lever told Our Town. “It’s a year-round process, and we paid the price in the offseason to get there.”
Levi Schurter had a monster game for the Foxes against Wilsonville. The 5-10, 190-pound junior rushed for 113 yards and four touchdowns and added nine tackles ( six solo and three assists) on defense. Senior wide receiver Sutton Kuenzi caught seven passes for 112 yards, with senior quarterback Chase Dominguez hitting 15 of 21 passes for 225 yards and a TD to Logan Uitto. Perhaps the most versatile player in 5A, Uitto caught two passes and had a team-high eight solo tackles.
Silverton took a 35-24 lead in the fourth quarter, but Wilsonville rallied to score with three minutes left despite playing without injured quarterback Trevor Glos. A two-point conversion made it 35-32, but the Foxes ran out the clock.
“McGinnis was rocking!” Lever said.
One of the key matchups Friday will be Lever’s offense against the Mountain View defense, which has allowed just 66 points on the way to a 10-1 record. The Cougars have pitched five shutouts, including a 14-0 home victory against Dallas last week in the quarterfinals.
“Their defense is a good one,” Lever said. “They have two of the better defensive ends in the state. That will be a challenge. They hit hard and swarm to the ball.”
Lever added “we will need to use our speed to our advantage. We have not played a team that’s faster than us.”
The Foxes will be playing without WR/DB Lincoln Teeney, the Mid-Willamette Conference defensive player of the year. Teeney broke his foot in practice on Monday. The Cougars will be without RB-DL Angel Valenzuela, who was ejected during the third quarter of the Dallas game. Mountain View appealed the decision, but the OSAA denied the appeal.
Valenzuela, then a sophomore, was a handful for the Foxes in the 2023 semifinal, rushing for 145 yards on 26 carries with two TDs.
“We’re executing at a high level,” Lever said. “I’m proud of both our offensive and defensive lines.”
Dominguez, the transfer from McKay, “has been lights out for us. I’m super impressed with our quarterback,” Lever said.
The 6-3, 185-pounder has completed 41 of 51 passes for 10 TDs in his past three games.

Photo captions: Three-way Silverton standout Logan Uitto celebrates after busting up a play against Wilsonville in the quarterfinals last Friday at McGinnis Field.
Credit: Becki Little

Photo caption: Levi Schurter (5) receives congratulations from teammates after scoring one of his four TDs against Wilsonville. The Foxes tangle with Mountain View in Friday’s Class 5A semifinals at Willamette High in Eugene.
Credit: Becki Little

Notes: The forecast for Eugene calls for temperatures in the high 30s with little chance of rain. … The winner moves on to face No. 13 Churchill or No. 1 Summit in the Nov. 28 title game. The 8-3 Lancers and 11-0 Storm tangle at 7 p.m. Friday at McCulloch Stadium in Salem. Churchill is the bracket-buster in 5A with wins against No. 4 Lebanon and No. 5 Thurston. … The Foxes also played Mountain View in the 2017 quarterfinals, falling 46-42 in a wild one in Bend. … Silverton and M.V. have faced two common opponents, Dallas and Lebanon. The Cougars scored shutout wins in both games, blanking Dallas 14-0 and Lebanon 42-0. The Foxes outlasted Dallas 30-23 and fell 34-28 against Lebanon.

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

11/18/2025

Oregon Schools: What Went Wrong?

Oregon’s K-12 spending ranks 15th in the nation, however the state is 50th in reading and 49th in math when adjusted for demographics, and also ranks among the lowest in regular attendance.

The Oregon Journalism Project has started a new series asking why so many tax dollars are doing so little for Oregon students, and why lawmakers seemingly shrug at the problem.

The initial article in the series features an interview with education policy expert Christine Pitts, president and CEO of Portland-based nonprofit Open School Inc.

Readers are also encouraged to take OJP’s survey (bit.ly/ojpeducation) and describe the successes and failures they have experienced with the Oregon public education system.

https://ourtownlive.com/ourtown/?p=18384

Oregonians believe in public education. And we put our money where our values are. K-12 schools claim the largest share of Oregon’s general fund, and our spending per capita ranks 15th in the nation, according to educationdata.org. But as the […]

11/17/2025

Wanted Scotts Mills man arrested after standoff

A Scotts Mills man suspected of injuring two people in a hit-and-run, among other offenses, has been taken into custody following a lengthy standoff with authorities.

Darren Lee Lake, 40, was arrested Friday morning at his home on the 300 block of 2nd Street, according to a Saturday news release from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office...

A Scotts Mills man suspected of injuring two people in a hit-and-run, among other offenses, has been taken into custody following a lengthy standoff with authorities. Darren Lee Lake, 40, was arrested Friday morning at his home on the 300 […]

11/17/2025

11/17/2025

Just after 10 p.m. on Nov. 13, Marion County deputies responded to the 300 block of Second Street in Scotts Mills regarding a wanted subject, 40-year-old Darren Lake. When deputies arrived, Lake refused to come out or surrender.
SWAT and SWAT negotiators were called in, and for several hours, officers attempted to communicate with Lake. He refused to cooperate and would not engage in negotiations.
With no progress, SWAT entered the residence, and Lake was taken into custody with assistance from a K-9 unit.
Lake was treated at a nearby hospital and later lodged at the Marion County Jail on multiple charges and outstanding warrants, including:

Elude – Felony
Criminal Mischief in the First Degree
Failure to Perform Duties of a Driver to Injured Persons (two counts)
Reckless Driving (two counts)
Stalking
Recklessly Endangering Another
Attempted Assault in the Second Degree
Failure to Perform Duties of a Driver – Property Damage
Failure to Appear – Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree

11/15/2025

https://ourtownlive.com/ourtown/?p=18302

Over the years I’ve thought of several pieces of advice I would give to my younger self, that young mom, just starting out, doing the best she could with the information she had at the time. I wouldn’t make any […]

11/15/2025

https://ourtownlive.com/ourtown/?p=18305

The Silverton High girls and boys squads both advanced to the Class 5A quarterfinals before falling in an unusual doubleheader on Nov. 8 at Summit of Bend. The luck of the bracket placed both matches at Summit. The Foxes’ girls […]