NEWBERG, Ore. — The George Fox University football team clinched its first winning record since 2022 with a 23-14 win at Pacific University on Saturday, Nov. 7, according to the university. The Bruins (6-3, 3-3 Northwest Conference) led 10-0 at halftime and finish their season Saturday, Nov. 14, against Pacific Lutheran.
George Fox’s other teams also wrapped up a busy stretch. The volleyball team won its final two matches to finish the season with three straight wins, and both soccer teams closed their seasons with draws against Pacific. The swimming team lost a dual meet to Linfield, and the women’s basketball team opened its season with a loss and a win, while the men’s team went 2-1 with a win at Thiel.
As the high school fall season winds down, the boys water polo team finished second at the Oregon 6A state tournament, according to a post on the team’s Instagram account. The Newberg eighth-grade football team lost 21-16 to Century in the championship game, according to Coach Bryan Long.
Next up, the George Fox women’s basketball team plays its first home game Wednesday, Nov. 11, against Howard Payne. The swimming team hosts Lewis & Clark on Friday, Nov. 13, and the football team plays its Senior Day finale Saturday, Nov. 14. Read the recaps below.
Newberg High School Tigers
Newberg High School’s fall seasons are complete. Winter sports begin in early December.
Information from the Newberg Water Polo Instagram account.
Boys water polo: The Tigers finished second at the Oregon 6A state tournament, losing to Lake Oswego 17-11 in the championship game, according to a post on the team’s Instagram account.
Newberg Eighth-Grade Football
Information from Coach Bryan Long.
Newberg eighth-grade football lost to Century 21-16 in the championship game on Saturday, Nov. 7, according to Coach Bryan Long. Century was undefeated this season, and Newberg lost once earlier in the season.
Newberg led 8-7 at halftime on a 35-yard touchdown run by James Whitmore and a 2-point conversion by Graydon Wright. Century took the lead in the second half and extended it to 21-8. The Tigers cut the deficit to 21-16 in the fourth quarter when Whitmore threw a touchdown pass to Ray Flowers on a double pass, and Wright again converted the 2-point play.
Newberg had the ball with 21 seconds left, needing 35 yards to score, but its final pass attempt was intercepted. Long said the players were proud of their effort. They will be freshmen next year, he said.
George Fox University Bruins
Scores and statistics from George Fox University Athletics.
George Fox Football (6-3, 3-3 Northwest Conference) beat Pacific 23-14 on Saturday, Nov. 7, in Forest Grove to clinch its first winning record since 2022, according to the university. The Bruins led 10-0 at halftime and outgained Pacific 382 yards to 155. Lyal Viers rushed for 74 yards and two touchdowns, quarterbacks JJ Leman and Austin Ramsey combined to complete 17 of 20 passes for 196 yards, and Karsen Denault caught eight passes for 115 yards. Jacob Erickson recorded a sack and two tackles for loss.
“Our guys showed grit today,” George Fox head coach Spencer Crace said. “The second half was ugly, but our guys found a way to finish. Excited to learn from this game. Situational football is an area that we are still learning and growing. Can’t wait to get back to work for one more opportunity to chase excellence.”
George Fox finishes its season Saturday, Nov. 14, against Pacific Lutheran (3-6, 2-4 Northwest Conference). Kickoff is at 1 p.m., with Senior Day festivities beforehand.
George Fox Volleyball (8-15, 6-10 Northwest Conference) swept Lewis & Clark 3-0 on Tuesday, Nov. 3, in Newberg (25-7, 25-17, 25-18), then beat Pacific 3-1 on Saturday, Nov. 7, in Forest Grove (25-20, 22-25, 27-25, 25-22) to end the season with three straight wins. Freshman Eden Cha had 14 kills, 22 digs, and four aces against Lewis & Clark, and 15 kills and 15 digs against Pacific. Chloe Wiersma had 20 assists against Pacific, and senior Gracie Bearden had five kills and 16 digs in the final match of her career.
“Really grateful to end the season with a win, it was a tough-fought match. Proud of our team and their improvement this year,” George Fox head coach Emily Davis said.
George Fox Women’s Soccer (2-13-3, 1-12-3 Northwest Conference) closed its season with a 0-0 draw at Pacific on Friday, Nov. 6. Pacific outshot the Bruins 11-6. Goalkeepers Myann Johansen and Camille Cresap each made four saves, and Cresap, a freshman, made her first collegiate appearance.
“This has been a fun season but more importantly we’ve learned a ton,” George Fox head coach Brooke Alteneder said.
“These players, whether they’re returning or not, built the foundation for the future of the program and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s next.”
George Fox Men’s Soccer (4-10-4, 4-8-4 Northwest Conference) finished its season with a 1-1 draw at Pacific on Friday, Nov. 6. Zac LeVin scored for the Bruins at 28:02, and Carter Zeiset tied the game for Pacific at 78:46. George Fox outshot Pacific 17-5, including 10 shots on goal to three.
“It’s always difficult to have a season come to an end,” George Fox head coach Paul Karver said.
“Tonight may have been the most dominant performance we have had all year, and we couldn’t be more proud of this group of young men and the effort they put forth.”
George Fox Swimming lost a dual meet to Linfield on Saturday, Nov. 7, in McMinnville. Linfield won the women’s meet 106-96 and the men’s meet 124-77. Gabbie Patti, Leah Meeuwsen, Ellie Hoover, and Donna Talmadge placed first in the 400-yard relay in 4:13.30. Patti won the 200-yard freestyle in 2:01.53, and Hoover won the 200-yard individual medley in 2:22.54 and the 200-yard butterfly in 2:26.54. The men’s second-place finishes included Micah Hugo in the 1,000-yard freestyle (11:08.23), Strom Nordeng in the 200-yard individual medley (2:08.30), Tobin Jansen in the 200-yard butterfly (2:17.10), Mitchel Gray in the 100-yard freestyle (51.83), and Christopher McLellan in the 200-yard backstroke (2:07.91). The Bruins host Lewis & Clark on Friday, Nov. 13, at 6 p.m.
George Fox Women’s Basketball (1-1, 0-0 Northwest Conference) opened its season Saturday, Nov. 7, with a 67-65 loss to No. 18 Hardin-Simmons in Santa Cruz, Calif. Addi Dippel scored 15 points, Hanne Hopkins had 12 points and seven rebounds, and Emma Boehm scored 11. Freshmen Emma Burlison and Rylee Stupnik scored their first collegiate points. Hardin-Simmons made a free throw in the final 14 seconds, and a Fox pass down low was deflected on the last possession.
The Bruins bounced back Sunday, Nov. 8, with a 64-58 win over UC Santa Cruz for their first win of the season. Boehm scored a career-high 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for her first career double-double, going 6-for-6 at the free throw line. Hopkins had 14 points and 12 rebounds. George Fox led 32-25 at halftime and out rebounded UC Santa Cruz 41-24.
“Emma stepped up for us in a big way, as well as some freshmen who contributed down the stretch,” George Fox head coach Lauren Howard said.
“UCSC did a great job of knowing what to expect and I thought we did a good job adjusting and finding a way to grind out the win.”
The Bruins play their first home game Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m. against Howard Payne.
At the Tip-Off Classic in Oberlin, Ohio, George Fox Men’s Basketball (2-1, 0-0 Northwest Conference) lost its opener to York (Pa.) 84-82 on Friday, Nov. 6. Donovan Cooks scored 19 points for the Bruins, and Nico Cervantes and Jamar Mitchell each scored 14. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Cervantes and Noah Marte, followed by two Cervantes free throws, cut York’s lead to 81-80 in the final two minutes, but Cooks’ final driving layup was blocked. York’s Ben Troyer scored 45 points, according to George Fox Athletics, the first 40-point game by a York player since 2017.
The Bruins beat Hiram 73-68 on Saturday, Nov. 7, for their first win of the season. Cervantes scored 19 points, Cooks had 16 while making 10 of 11 free throws, and Marte and Mitchell each had 10. George Fox led 40-39 at halftime.
“Our second half toughness and focus defensively was key to the win,” George Fox head coach Maco Hamilton said.
“Hats off to our freshmen group who sparked our energy in the middle part of that half!”
George Fox beat Thiel 97-79 on Monday, Nov. 9, in Greenville, Pa., to improve to 2-1. The Bruins led 47-31 at halftime, and 15 players scored, the most since a November 2023 game against Portland Bible, according to George Fox Athletics. Donovan Cooks scored 19 points while making 12 of 13 free throws, Nico Cervantes had 16, Noah Marte had 13, and Jamar Mitchell had 10. George Fox plays Northwest on Friday, Nov. 20, at 5 p.m. in the first game of the Ken Schumann Classic in Forest Grove.
