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Shelton-Mason County Journal
TRA(:K
Courtesy photo
Former North Mason
High School football
coach Phil Pugh.
NMHS to
rename
stadium
a rter former
coach Pugh
By DEAN SIEMON
During Thursday's
North Mason School Dis-
trict's board meeting, it was
decided that North Mason
High School's football sta-
dium would be renamed
"Coach Phil Pugh Stadium"
in time for the 2011 season.
"Well it's somewhat
overwhelming but certain-
ly I feel very gratified," said
Pugh, the former Bulldogs
football head coach for 27
I
years, as well as 22 years
as the track and field coach.
Pugh began as the head
football coach in 1974 until
1994 wherP-he decided'o --
retire. He would return in
2004 and then retire after
a loss in the state playoffs
in 2009.
Pugh's resume includes
eight trips to state tour-
naments, four seminfinal
appearances and a Class
1A state championship in
1982.
"This is a big bonus for
all of Belfair," said Bud
McKay, a 1978 North Ma-
son graduate. "There will
now always be a connection
to our great coach."
While McKay admitted
he was part of the only los-
ing team under Pugh's ten-
ure in 1978, McKay was
one of the masterminds
behind the renaming of the
stadium.
In the spring of 2010,
McKay spoke with former
coaches and athletic staff
about ways the community
could honor Pugh.
"It seemed a no-brainer
to name the football stadi-
um after the coach," McKay
said.
After writing a letter
to NMSD superintendent
David Peterson, McKay
learned that there was no
school policy on renaming
the stadium.
According to a press re-
lease sent by North Ma-
son athletic director Mark
Swofford back in January,
the school board revised
Policy 6870 and Procedure
6970P to "give the group a
path to follow in attempt-
ing to rename the facility."
After gaining support,
with students, parents and
alumni, as well as a Face-
book page "Coach Phil Pugh
Stadium," the district's
school boad mnanimously
approved the renaming
of the NMHS Stadium on
Thursday.
"Phil is a popular man
that supports the commu-
nity," Swofford said.
Swofford said that the
Associated Student Body
has helped raise money
through a golf tournament
See Pugh on pageC-6
Journal photo by Dean Siemon
SheRon High School's Bryton Rodgers was one of several Highclimbers to earn personal best records this week.
Highclimbers break streak to Oly
By DEAN SIEMON
To say the least, it was a busy week for Shel-
ton High School track and field.
For the first time in 85 years, the Shelton
boys defeated Olympia High School during a
home meet on April 20.
The Highclimbers won 91-54 against their
4A Narrows League rivals, while the girls lost
to Olympia 89-60.
Shelton head coach Doug Sells said the win
at home for the boys showed the track and field
program has progressed, "primarily due to in-
creased numbers of athletes and a stable coach-
ing staff."
"A win over the Olympia boys is significant,
but we need to stay grounded knowing that
Olympia is an outstanding program and we
need to back up this win in years to come if we
want to put ourselves on Olympia's level," Sells
said.
Junior Skylar Core (boys 400 meters)junior
Kyle Cloyd (boys 800 meters) and freshman
Cody Williamson (boys 1,600 meters) were two
of the Highclimbers that had first place finish-
es.
While Olympia's top distance runner, Nate
Bennard, was not at the meet, Sells said Shel-
ton still would have won the overall meet.
"Kyle [Cloyd] has been working very hard
in practices and it is beginning to show on the
track," Sells said. "Both Skylar [Core] and Kyle
are important members of our 4x400 meter re-
lay as well."
The girls also had a number of personal
bests, with eight first place finishes.
Senior Brenna Thompson gained her best
time of the season in the girls 400-meter dash
with a time of 59.63 seconds, which Sells said
brings her closer to her goal of a 4A state cham-
pionships.
"Brenna is an outstanding competitor who
knows just what it will take to be successful at
the end of the season," he said.
But Shelton also competed in the Viking Re-
lays on Saturday at Curtis High School in Uni-.
versity Place.
Shelton's boys team finished in seventh,
while the girls finished 10th. There were 13
schools represented at the event.
"This is a very unique and fun meet for the
kids," Sells said. "The field events are contested
as a 'relay,' combining the top three marks for
each competitor of the same team and scoring
it for placing."
In the boys pole vault, Shelton junior Bry-
ton Rodgers had a personal best of 13 feet and
three inches, which qualifies him as the top
seed at the league and West Central District
meets.
"Bryton's technical side is improving through
great coaching and focused practices," Sells
said. "As the season takes a turn, he will have
to focus on competing as he will be facing some
great competition."
The Highclimbers are now prepared for the
51st Shelton Invite, which is scheduled for
12:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 30 at Highclimb-
er Stadium.
More than 60 schools throughout the state of
Washington will bring some of the top athletes
in each event to Shelton.
See Climbers on page C-6
: BAS E BALL
Journal photo by Dean Siemon
North Mason High School's Riley McKean
delivers a pitch to a Klahowya Second-
ary School batter during Thursday's home
game,
Strong pitching gives North
Mason league win at home
By DEAN SIEMON
North Mason High School
pitching got back on the
winning track .with strong
pitching at home on Thurs-
day against Klahowya Sec-
ondary School in the 5-1
win.
The Bulldogs (7-8, 7-6
1A/2A/3A Olympic League)
were led by starting pitcher
Riley McKean, who earned
his first win of the season
with a complete game.
McKean allowed one run
on four hits while collect-
ing seven strikeouts against
Klahowya (2-7, 1-7 Olympic
League), including three
from the bottom of the sev-
enth to close out the game.
"[McKean] was always
ahead all day," said North
Mason head coach Bill Gey-
er. "He threw a first pitch
strike and stayed ahead."
The Bulldogs also turned
Klahowya's ground balls
into outs, which Geyer said
was important for the win.
"When Riley pitches, we
have to play good defense,"
Geyer said.
North Mason first scored
on an RBI single from Bran-
don Dunham in the second
inning, who led the team
with two hits out of his three
at bats.
But two errors from the
Eagles helped North Mason
score four runs in the bot-
tom of the fifth inning.
"We got hits but [Klahow-
ya] had a lot of passed balls
that helped us," Geyer said.
North Mason's Nick Acos-
ta was one for three, but his
big hit was in the fifth in-
ning with a two-run double.
The Bulldogs combined
for seven hits with leading
hitter Kasey Bielec held to
one out of two with a walk.
Different North Mason
players could be moved
around in th lineup with
the handful of regular sea-
son games left before the 2A
See Bulldogs on page C-6
Thursday, April 28, 2011 - Shetton-Mason County Journal - Page C-1