Outlaws take all-state honors

The Sisters football team took home more honors this week. Outlaws players claimed the top three individual awards in The Oregonian newspaper's Class 3A all-state football team.

Coach Bob Macauley was named coach of the year. Sisters quarterback Dusty Mac-auley was named offensive player of the year, and linebacker Eli Pyke was named defensive player of the year.

The awards were announced in the Tuesday, December 28, issue of The Oregonian, the state's largest newspaper, published in Portland. The all-state recognition came two weeks after the Outlaws claimed their second-in-a-row Class 3A state championship.

Coaches throughout the state voted on the selections. It is also the second consecutive year that Sisters has swept the top three individual awards (After the 1998 season, Coach Macauley was named coach of the year, running back David Martin and linebacker Cody Hill were offensive and defensive players of the year).

"These individual awards are the result of the team's success. This is a very special team. A team like this doesn't come along very often," Coach Macauley told The Nugget on December 28.

In addition to the top three awards, Sisters absolutely dominated the First Team placement, according to The Oregonian.

Sisters players named to the first-team offense were: Dusty Macauley, quarterback; Shane Crowder, wide receiver; Luke Seile, center; Jered Coffield, guard; Mike Mills, tackle.

Sisters players named to the first-team defense were: Jered Coffield, defensive line; Mike Mills, defensive line; Eli Pyke, linebacker; Shane Crowder, defensive back; and Chris Small, defensive back.

Coach Macauley emphasized that the individual awards reflected the Outlaws' success as a team, and the ability of the players to stay focused as a team.

"Because of what (other teams) were throwing at us, (in the play-offs) we used players who hadn't been starters. On a lot of teams, that could have caused frustration. This team stayed focused," Macauley said.

"Grant Cyrus is a great example of this team spirit. All year he played as part of the inside core of the defense. We moved him from middle linebacker to defensive end. His playing time went down.

"He never complained, and he practiced hard," continued Macauley." All we got from him was 100 percent, every time he was on the playing field or the practice field."

Of course, that kind of focus and attitude are the result of great coaching, hence Coach Macauley was named Coach of the year, for two consecutive years.

But again, Macauley turns the spotlight to others.

"Coach of the year is really a staff award. There are some great coaches on this staff. But if the kids don't succeed, there won't be the award," Macauley said.