McCaffrey, Sampson are Players of the Year

Sisters Outlaws football players Cory McCaffrey and Jeff Sampson are Oregon's 4A Players of the Year. McCaffrey was selected the Offensive Player of the Year last week, and Sampson was named Defensive Player of the Year.

Coach Bob Macauley praised the extraordinary abilities of both his players. Macauley told The Nugget that not only does McCaffrey have great ability but he is also a great competitor.

"Every snap is a new season for Cory," said Macauley. "He plays with great heart and emotion and besides that he's a great student and teammate who has a great sense of humility. He's a gifted athlete and has maximized his ability through his workout schedule."

Macauley said that Sampson is an outstanding athlete and a serious competitor and as a defensive player changes the other team's game plan.

"It's very difficult to run at Jeff because he's so strong and athletic, and when the other team tries to run away from him, he's fast enough to run them down," said Macauley.

Seven other Outlaw players were selected to the All State team: Nate Jackson; Nick Pepperling; Spencer Freeland; and Trevor Summers earned first team on offense and Todd Bell; Trevor Summers; and Nate Jackson were named first team on defense.

Nate Jackson earned first team honors as wide receiver on offense and as a safety on defense. Jackson is only the fourth receiver in Sisters' history to accumulate over 1,000 yards receiving in a single season.

Macauley said, "Nate is a game breaker and can score on one play or he can eat up chunks of yardage on a single play. He's so athletic and a very intelligent player. I'm very proud of him and love watching him play."

Pepperling (guard) was one of the Outlaw captains this year and was a strong leader. He's one of the toughest players on the Outlaw squad and his quickness and strength were great assets to the team.

Freeland's size - 6-feet-4-inches and 220 pounds - and quickness allowed the Outlaws to pull the center on some of their more basic plays.

"Most teams can't pull their center but we could because Spencer is so athletic," Macauley said.

Rounding out the offensive first team awards was offensive tackle Trevor Summers.

Macauley said, "Trevor is extremely athletic and very tough-minded. He's a great team player and cares about the success of the team above himself. He's very unselfish. I'm very proud of him. He's a great kid."

Summers also earned first team recognition as defensive tackle. Summers played tremendous defense coupled with great heart for the Outlaws. Trevor is very athletic and strong at 6-feet-3-inches and 220 pounds.

Todd Bell rounded out the Outlaws' first team defense awards at nose guard.

"I'm amazed at how quick and athletic Todd is," said Macauley. "He was constantly double teamed all year and only on rare occasions was he successfully blocked. He's a tremendous athlete and has a great nose for the ball."

Honorable mention on offense went to quarterback Jarred Hasskamp and tight end Jake Kleint and to linebacker Dominic Neiri on defense.