Les Schwab Bowl kicks off today.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Sheldon's Alex Brink, the Class 4A offensive player of the year who led the Irish to the state championship this past December, concludes his high school football career today at the 2003 Les Schwab Bowl at Portland's PGE Park at 7 p.m.

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

Brink, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound quarterback who has signed a letter of intent with Washington State, is one of 11 Midwestern League players representing the South team, which is coached by Sheldon's Marty Johnson. Three other Irish players are on the squad: linebacker Chris Baltzer, lineman Gabe Smith and wide receiver Jared Souder.

The other Midwestern League players are defensive backs Jeff Wheeler (Willamette) and Kery White (Churchill); wideout Ben Looney (Marshfield); linebacker D.J. Robinson (Willamette), and linemen Phil Hubbard (Willamette), Cole Smith (Thurston) and Zach Hagemesiter (Lebanon).

The South team is made up of players from the Midwestern, Valley, Southern and Intermountain leagues.

The North squad, which includes players from the PIL, Metro, Mount Hood, Three Rivers and Pac-9 leagues, is coached by Lake Oswego's Steve Coury. The North team features Lake Oswego linebacker Andy Darkins, the 4A defensive player of the year, and Central Catholic quarterback Ryan Gunderson, an Oregon State recruit.

All proceeds from the 56th annual all-star football game benefit the Multnomah Athletic Foundation and the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association general scholarship fund.

The MAF supports athletic programs for disadvantaged youths in Oregon, while the OACA funds participation fees, equipment and sportsmanship education for underprivileged youths in Oregon high schools.

Lebanon High School hires new football coach

Dave Kline, who spent the past three seasons as defensive coordinator at Nease High School in St. Augustine, Fla., has been hired as the head football coach at Lebanon High School.

This will be the first head coaching job for the 29-year-old Kline, who also spent four years coaching football at the small college level in Illinois and Indiana. The Chicago native is eager to make the move to Oregon in part because his wife's family hails from the Salem area.

Kline's first order of business is to get the community involved with the Lebanon football program.

`I want to get them excited about Lebanon football again,' Kline said. `It's going to take some time and a lot of hard work, but I want to bring back some intensity and discipline to the program.'

The Warriors, who moved from the Valley League to the Midwestern League last season, finished in sixth place in the conference with a 3-5 record. Kline said Lebanon faces a `big, uphill battle' as it attempts to get back into the playoffs.

`I know the Midwestern League is extremely competitive,' Kline said. `And I know the defending state champions happen to be on our schedule.'

Oregon's Lewis nominated for Jim Thorpe Award 

Oregon senior safety Keith Lewis has been named as one of 37 leading candidates for the 2003 Jim Thorpe Award in a preseason `watch list' released by the Jim Thorpe Association.

Lewis, a second-team all-Pac-10 pick last year, tied for second in the conference in interceptions with five, and was the Ducks' third-leading tackler with 80. He is one of four Pac-10 players on the list, along with Washington State's Jason David, UCLA's Matt Ware, and Arizona State's R.J. Oliver and Jason Shivers.

Fregoso joins Beaver

athletic training staff

Tom Fregoso has been named assistant athletic trainer at Oregon State, it was announced Friday.

Fregoso will serve in several capacities within the OSU training department with an emphasis on the women's soccer program. Fregoso spent the past 19 years as the head trainer at the University of Portland. He oversaw the entire training staff for the 16-team sports program.

Former OSU all-American Mandic dies at 83

John Mandic, a former basketball all-American at Oregon State, died Sunday in Portland at the age of 83.

Mandic led the Beavers in scoring all three years of his varsity career (1940-42), and earned all-American honors in 1942. He helped OSU win the Pacific Coast Conference Northern Division title in 1940 and '42, and he was the first player in the history of the PCC to be named all-Northern Division three times.

Mandic's achievements at Oregon State were further recognized with his induction into the State of Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1982 and the OSU Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.

Memorial donations in John Mandic's name can be made through the OSU Foundation at [phone].

Reign open tournament

with two victories

DENVER - The Oregon Reign 18-and-under softball team opened pool play in the Fireworks Tournament with back-to-back victories Friday.

In the first game, Alicia Cook pitched a one-hitter through six innings and Stephanie Zellner had two doubles as the Reign blanked Texas Impact Gold, 4-0. Shannon Stacy added two hits, while Lacy Gorman, Stephanie Bour and Zellner each had one RBI.

Caley Peterson tossed a two-hitter with five strikeouts as the Reign downed the Maryland Green Hornets 5-1 in the second contest. Gorman had two hits for the Reign, who picked up a single RBI from Maggie DeWall, Lauren McCarthy, Melissa Bour, Kim Hoiting and Zellner.

Today's schedule pits the Oregon Reign (21-6) against the California Breeze at 3:15 p.m., followed by the Tennessee Outlaws at 5 p.m.

Titans blank Wilson

at Klamath Falls tourney

KLAMATH FALLS - Derek Dmouchowsky threw a five-hit shutout and Tyler Brown belted a three-run home run to spark the Emerald Valley Titans to a 6-0 win over Wilson High School of Portland at the Klamath Falls Wood Bat baseball tournament Friday.

Neil Barrett and Dane Shapper both added RBI hits for the Titans, who are scheduled to play a doubleheader today against Klamath Falls at 11:30 a.m. and Vancouver, Wash., at 2:30 p.m.

CAPTION(S):

Sheldon quarterback Alex Brink leads the South against the North in today's Les Schwab Bowl at Portland's PGE Park.