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--> --> Oct. 19: AHS boys water polo team grabs league title By Larry Berteau Ashland Daily Tidings COTTAGE GROVE - The Ashland High boys and girls water polo clubs wrapped up their regular seasons Friday night, with decidedly different results but the same goals for the postseason. The Grizz boys clinched a Southern League co-championship with South Eugene by turning back Cottage Grove 11-7, while the girls were unable to overcome the stern defense of the league champ Lions in the second contest, falling to the hosts 9-5. "It's all about winning the tournament (next Friday and Saturday)," said boys coach Andy Younger. "We need to avoid that subtournament before the state playoffs." "It turns out all right for us, in the long run," said girls coach Lara Bishop. "We won't have to face Cottage Grove in that first game." Ashland's boys finished 9-1, mirrored by South Eugene, but will have to settle for the No. 2 seed in the league tournament next weekend at Willamette. The Grizz bowed to the Axemen by a pair of goals in their first meeting, and a 7-6 AHS overtime win at home - that preserved a three-year home pool win streak - handed the No. 2 seed to Ashland by the one-goal differential. The Grizz blew the host Lions out of the tank in the first quarter, with juniors Tyler Foley and Michael Stout igniting the outburst. Stout netted a goal off a steal in the first 12 seconds and the pair combined for five goals and two assists to build a 6-0 first period advantage. Ashland treaded water through the next two periods and took a 10-2 lead into the final frame. The Lions made a game of it by running off five consecutive goals before another Stout goal - off a cross-pool assist from sophomore Geoff Berteau - stopped the bleeding. Foley and Stout finished with three goals each, and senior captain Brian Westerberg, juniors Daniel Armitage, Nate Jessop and Arron Nelson, and sophomore Caleb Salmond added goals for the balanced Grizz offense. Jessop, Stout, Salmond and senior goalie Kyle Asher led the ballhawking defense, evenly dividing 12 steals. Senior captain Keely Zodrow scored four goals for the Grizz girls but it wasn't enough. Zodrow found the Lions' net twice in the first quarter, but those were the last goals the Grizz scored until the final period. Sophomore Ursula Barton rounded out the scoring for the visitors off a Zodrow assist in the waning seconds. Zodrow and Barton combined for 12 steals, while junior Michelle Smith picked off the Lions five times and soph Angie Scarminach added three steals. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing