STEVE POEHLER

Sports articles and opinion from Hillsboro Argus columnist

PORTLAND — All season long, the Glencoe Crimson Tide girls basketball team played well beyond its years. With no seniors and a whopping seven sophomores, Glencoe still earned the No. 2 seed out of the Northwest Oregon Conference. So what did the ninth-ranked Tide get in return? A first-round bye, followed by a second-round match at No. 1 Jefferson. Full story »

Two teams, two seasons, two trips to the state playoffs for the first time in school history. Yes, Sade Elliott enjoyed quite the two-year run competing for a pair of Hillsboro girls basketball clubs. Last season, the guard averaged some 11 points per game to lead Liberty into the OSAA Class 5A playoffs, where the Falcons lost a tough one,... Full story »

Sometimes, a group of high schoolers remind us what sports are supposed to be all about. Yes, the Liberty girls basketball team came back to beat Parkrose last Tuesday, 54-47 after trailing by three points entering the fourth quarter. But it’s what happened afterward that had the most meaning. Full story »

It’s a day dominated by football. Yes, “National Signing Day” has turned into quite the annual affair, with tons of media scrutiny and attention focused on where the top high school players are headed for college. But last Wednesday, inside a conference room at The Courtyard By Marriott in Hillsboro, it was a group of 15 — count ‘em —... Full story »

During the second game of her senior season, Payton Ottum went down with an ankle injury late in the second half. At the time, all signs pointed to the Century standout soccer player being out for the rest of the year. Ottum even thought so herself. “The moment it happened, yeah,” Ottum said, “but I was hoping so bad that... Full story »

It’s been the year of the ankle and the concussion in local girls soccer. And that’s certainly not a good thing. Yes, four teams have seen arguably their top player go down with an injury. While two of those setbacks weren’t as serious as originally thought, one ended a season, while the other has continued to keep the player out... Full story »

For the first time, local runners got a taste of the district course — beforehand. Yes, the inaugural Northwest Oregon Conference District Preview took place Wednesday at Meriwether National Golf Club. All eight league teams — with a few Christian schools mixed in — competed, and they will be back to Meriwether on Oct. 28 for the real NWOC district... Full story »

Superstar runner Galen Rupp started his high school career as a soccer player. "Somebody plucked him out and said, 'You know, this kid might be a decent runner,'" said Jenn Kulle-Jones, Liberty's co-head cross country coach. "And look at him now." Indeed. Rupp has already turned in quite the star-studded career in cross country and track -- for Central Catholic... Full story »

PORTLAND -- The Springwater Corridor starts at S.E. Fourth Ave. and S.E. Ivon St. and extends 21 miles southeast to Boring. The trail itself, however, is anything but that. On any given day, runners, bikers, walkers, roller bladers, nature enthusiasts and bird watchers alike take over this 10-to-12-foot-wide paved surface. Railroad tracks stretch for miles, just east of the trail,... Full story »

PORTLAND -- As I sat in the stands for Wednesday's Triple-A All-Star Game at PGE Park, I couldn't help but notice: This town sure has a lot of potential. But there's the key word: Potential. Nobody ever won a world title or accomplished anything because of "potential." Just ask Ryan Leaf. Yes, a sellout crowd of 16,637 packed the stands... Full story »

A sign at the entrance reads, "Welcome to Hare Field Athletic Complex." Below, two lines say, "Elden Kellar Track" and "Craig Ruecker Stadium." The latest addition? "Ad Rutschman Baseball Stadium." Yes, in a tribute that most in attendance said was long overdo, the Hillsboro High School community honored local legend Ad Rutschman with a ceremony Saturday afternoon at newly renamed... Full story »

Josh Garlington enjoyed staying in the Portland State dorms last week with the rest of the North all-stars. Except for the cranky elevator. "Yeah, we've had to take the stairs a couple of times," the recent Century graduate said after a morning practice Wednesday. "Some of our keys don't let us go to the floor we need to be on,... Full story »

Following last Saturday's OSAA state baseball and softball championships at the Class 6A, 5A and 4A levels, the 2008-09 high school sports year is officially done. So what's a fan to do until the fall regular seasons kick off in football, soccer, volleyball and cross country in early September? Well, quite a bit, actually. In fact, Hillsboro and the surrounding... Full story »

PORTLAND -- It's 8:30 on a Saturday morning. The weather is cool and overcast. The Portland Rose Festival's Grand Floral Parade is scheduled to kick off in 90 minutes. In other words, it's a perfect day for a trip to Forest Park. And not just any trip. A trip to run. Trail run. With large crowds expected at the Parade,... Full story »

The team trailed by five runs going into the bottom of the seventh inning, only to promptly score six to win it. But unfortunately for the Hillsboro Spartans, it's wasn't them this time that carried out the dramatics. No, on this day that title belonged to Bend, as the host Lava Bears pulled off the improbable, the unthinkable -- when... Full story »