By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
KEIZER, Ore.– West Salem’s Deacon Shinkle had a golden opportunity to get better this Summer when he took part in the Les Schwab Bowl coming out of his Junior Year.
That week’s worth of contact, to go up against those high-caliber athletes, it’s something that Shinkle knows will go a long way for his Senior Year knowing the standards that the West Salem Football team has every year.
“A lot of good guys, a lot of talent there. Everybody’s solid. It was helpful getting some contact early on in the season and playing against those high-level players out there and I thought I did pretty well. Knowing that I can go out there and play well against those guys,” said Shinkle.
A Second Team All-South-Central Conference Tight End and an Honorable Mention Linebacker, Shinkle knows how big this year will be for him to step fully into that Senior Leadership role and leave his mark. High energy, being positive, portraying the West Salem Way that has turned the Titan program into a respective program through the years at the 6A level.
“I just want to enjoy every minute of it. There’s sometimes where practice isn’t always great, it’s not always super fun, but I think if I can take it day-by-day and never take it for granted…every game, you just cherish it. Everyone is your last one,” said Shinkle. “We have a lot of really young guys on the team. It’s a big responsibility for me this year to go be an example of great energy. We have a lot of really, really good guys and they’re all learning, we all can learn together and build each other up.
“Coach (Shawn) Stanley, he expects a lot of us every year, so we have to give him a lot in return. When you make a mistake, there’s a big accountability, if you make a mistake, you do something wrong, you better go fix that. You better come out every single day ready to go your best and give it your all.”
West Salem opens the season with a jamboree on August 28 before heading to Sprague on September 5 to play their first game of the season.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
