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53 °F 5 Day Forecast Monday, October 20, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend October 6, 2003 Ryan Fiegi, left, watches South Medford quarterback Jon Weaver warm up before last Friday�s game against North Medford at Spiegelberg Stadium. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Fiegi has no regrets The South Medford senior, who broke his collarbone, now sets his sights on the upcoming basketball season By DON HUNT Mail Tribune Some may question why Ryan Fiegi was fooling around with football this fall when basketball is clearly where his future lies. But Fiegi has no regrets serving as the South Medford High quarterback, even though his season ended abruptly on Sept. 19 when he broke his right collarbone in a 34-6 victory over Crater. The 6-foot-5, 180-pound senior is expected to be almost fully recovered when basketball practice starts early next month. Advertisement "I could get hurt just as easily playing basketball; I could break my leg walking down stairs," Fiegi says in rationalizing his decision to play football. "I was having a great time and a good season. I don’t look back and regret playing football one bit." In his first season as a varsity player, Fiegi was the top-rated quarterback in the Southern Oregon Conference when he got hurt. He completed 55 of 95 passes for 640 yards, seven touchdowns and — perhaps most impressively — no interceptions in the Panthers’ first three games. "I surprised myself a little bit," says Fiegi, who didn’t turn 17 until Sept. 30 and is one of the youngest seniors at South. "I’ve been around the program for four years and know the system, but I missed four games last season (with an inflamed rotator cuff and broken wrist) and I hadn’t really taken any varsity reps. "It makes me wonder what I could have done the second half of the season," Fiegi adds. "I was just starting to get comfortable." Fiegi could possibly return to football should South Medford make the state playoffs, but he doesn’t want to jeopardize his senior season in basketball and has made the decision to move on. "Basketball’s a little too important for me to risk going back," he says. Fiegi averaged 10.5 points and 4.5 assists per game last season in helping South Medford to a 22-4 record, the Southern Oregon Conference championship and a berth in the Class 4A state tournament. He was picked up by a Portland-based all-star team — Portland Legends Elite — last summer and made trips to Las Vegas, Neveda, Augusta, Ga., and Minnesota. His team, which included Marty Leunen of Redmond, James Loe of Hillsboro and Jeremiah Dominguez of South Salem, won the tournament in Minnesota. "I was a little intimidated by some of the competition at first, but I got used to it," Fiegi says. "And that’s going to help me in the upcoming season. "My confidence level is way up over last year." Fiegi played mostly shooting guard and small forward for Portland Legends Elite, but will return to point guard for the Panthers, even though he has sprouted to 6-5¼ and hasn’t stopped growing. A good shooter, strong defender and excellent passer, Fiegi has worked to improve his ball-handling and 3-point range. "I want to be able to pull up and drill the 3-point shot, just like I do the 15-footer," he says. Fiegi, who is being recruited by the University of Portland, Seattle University, Eastern Washington and Oregon Tech, can hardly wait for the hoop season to begin. With most of its roster intact, South Medford is expected to have one of its best teams in school history. "I’m so excited to get started," he says. "We’ve already decided we’re going to win the conference and then the state title." A more confident player indeed. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times