June 14, 2007

Sports Fan

By Jim Walker

Lotsa kids in Gold Beach in the coming weeks

If you see large groups of kids meandering through town this weekend…don't worry. They're not a bunch of kids on summer break looking for trouble.

They're a bunch of kids who want to improve their football skills and prepare for next season's competition.

And they're participants in Coach Kevin Swift's annual football camps, arguably the best high school football camps in the nation. It's a camp that stresses discipline, and the kids are kept busy in scheduled activities from almost dawn to late night.

Each camp lasts the better part of a week, and these young men, many with their families in tow, will eat at our restaurants, visit our stores and shops, enjoy jet boat rides up the river…all when they're not busy with the all-day sessions organized by Swift and his staff, including "Pops"—Kevin's father.

The families, of course, will either camp out—or stay at one of our fine motels or bed and breakfasts. So Swift's camp gives the community a lot of positive fallout, too, as visitors utilize our many services.

So if you see one of those bunches of kids (or two) at the supermarket to stoke up on their fuel supply, say "hi" and ask them where they're from. You'll find that many young people are still polite and respectful of adults—especially the kind who come to Gold Beach with their coaches to participate in the prestigious Gold Beach Football Camps.

Beavs are Omaha-bound again

The OSU baseball team, Omaha-bound for the College World Series for the third consecutive year, has a date with Cal State Fullerton this Saturday.

The fact that the Beavers even had a shot at a return trip is remarkable.

Thus, it was a surprise to some that the Beavers were selected for the regional round.

And it was even more of a surprise that the Pat Casey-coached club won that regional, qualifying for a home stand against Michigan last weekend in one of eight super regionals.

But the Beavers, who seem to possess a quiet confidence that holds the team together when the going gets tough, won the first game Sunday by a 1-0 score. In that game, OSU had only one hit, but utilized the opportunity to score what turned out to be the winning run late in the game.

The pitching, obviously, was nothing short of superb.

In the series-deciding game Monday, the Beavers took an early 4-0 lead and basically dominated Michigan the rest of the way, adding a run here and there when the opportunity presented itself.

The final score of 8-2 demonstrated just how serious the Beavers were in getting the job done and earning a third straight trip to the College World Series.

And, again, the pitching performance—except for the two solo homers by Michigan—was superb. The once-proud Wolverines were systematically retired by Stutes and company as the junior gave up only one walk in his almost complete game stint on the mound.

So here they are—back in the CWS—and just like last year, not among the favorites to win the title.

But don't count the Beavs out just yet. Let's just savor the moment and be proud that Pat Casey and his club are giving Oregon sports fans something to cheer about in the post-season.

OSU might even surprise some more talented teams like Rice and North Carolina in the 2007 CWS.

If the Beavers get past Cal St. Fullerton in their opener Saturday, maybe the top ranked teams will begin to worry just a little…

The game begins at 4 p.m. PDT.