Titans USA Tour 2023

“I already want to take a nap tomorrow” – Anon

We may be many things, but you can’t say we’re quitters! We (scratch that, Bucks) decided that no amount of rain or flooding was going to stop us from seeing Multnomah Falls, so after checking out of our hotel this morning, we went back. It added an hour to our trip, but we were going back, Titans ain’t no quitters!

While it may still have been raining (hey we’re from the South East, nothing new to us there) thankfully sandbags had been used to clear the path and with a bit of gentle manoeuvring we made it past the raging creek. Victory! Once on the other side we headed up the winding path (our experience from Lombard Street proved beneficial) as we oohed and aahed our way through the magnificent scenery. The walk was worth it as we headed out onto the bridge with the waterfall crashing behind us, the sound was deafening but the views were impressive. After our cold shower, we made our way back to the bus, a tad damp but all agreeing it was a worthwhile trip. Good call Bucks, good call.

Back on the bus we made our way for a quick visit to the University of Oregon. One thing I can say, is that when we hit the bus, we nap. It’s generally a very quiet trip – not that there’s anything wrong with that.

After an hour’s nap we arrived at our destination, and had time for a quick drive through, visit to the shop and a chance to grab a bite to eat. The students were impressed that the U of O campus was actually bigger than Mount Gambier.

University of Oregon….you don’t say!

• The school Mascot is a Duck. This is the only school in the US that has a mascot that is also a Disney character. Donald Duck is the inspiration for the school mascot who is well-known around the US.
• The track and field facility on campus, called Hayward Field, has hosted the US Olympic trials five times and it is the only location in the US to have hosted more than three Olympic team trials in a row. 
• The school motto for the University of Oregon is “minds move mountains”.
• Co-founder of Nike, Phil Knight, is a former alumni.

After our lightening quick visit we got back on the bus (we do this a lot) and headed off to Sutherlin ready for fourth game against Sutherlin High School.

When the signs tell you you’ve entered Bulldog Country, I’ll admit there was a moment of concern. But thankfully, the welcome at Sutherlin High School turned out to be friendlier than the sign indicated. Home to approximately 350 students in Years 9-12, the school might be smaller on scale than some of the others that we visited but their passion was definitely not indicative of their numbers.

While they were comfortable wins for all four teams, it was the after game catch up that was the real winner. As we enjoyed a meal fit for a king complete with slow cooked brisket, chicken, macaroni cheese and salads, it was the international conversation between all the students that really impressed. And that conversation is no doubt continuing as I write with the students off for their first homestay thanks to the hospitality of our new Sutherlin friends. The students will even be spending half the day at school tomorrow, so we look forward to many exciting tales when we get back on the bus (there we go again) tomorrow.

Sutherlin…you don’t say!

• Sutherlin is the gateway to the Umpqua Valley wineries, boasting six wineries within 15 minutes of downtown 😊
• A hunting and fishing paradise, salmon and steelhead can be caught year-round at the nearby Umpqua River. Cooper Creek Reservoir also provides water-skiing, swimming and hiking opportunities.
• Sutherlin is surrounded by beautiful natural scenery, including the nearby Umpqua River, Cooper Creek Reservoir and the Cascade Mountains.

Junior Varsity Boys – 55-26
Fantastic win for the boys today, lead tenaciously by Jonty and Finn with plenty of grit and speed. Charles and Johnny really stepped up to give us plenty of scoring opportunities with Vaughn ripping down defensive boards. Geoffrey was attacking the basket with ferocity. Great win boys!

Junior Varsity Girls -51-23
Once again we were the first game up, setting the standard for all Titans. Arriving a little late, we warmed up quickly and took to the court. The Sutherlin Bulldogs were keen but struggled against the athletic Titans girls. We played four good quarters pulling away to 28 point win. Some great passages of play made it fun to be a part of . Tess and Mia were strong for us today.

Varsity Boys - 61-28
The home side was clearly outmatched physically and with skill in this contest. All players managed to hit the court. Both Mackye Baron and Addi Noble had solid games on both ends of the court. An easy win and good opportunity for extended minutes for some of the JV team.

Varsity Girls – 68-37
This contest was shaping up to be a tough one coming up against a strong female basketball program with a number of state championships to its name. The game started tight and with some early foul trouble to Ellie Bouchier and Ava Collins we appeared to be in a bit of trouble. Cara Nulty stepped up controlling the game and putting points on the board from the perimeter and inside. Siobhan Adams played a fantastic game on both ends of the court, playing clean defence and sensible offense to be a huge positive for our side. A great and comprehensive win by the girls.

The Flag
It gives me great pleasure to announce the winner of the flag is……..Sam Domaschenz aka Domo. As you can imagine, he’s very excited about the win 😊

Within our tour group, we have eight smaller groups led by adults, my little posse aptly named ‘Team Tan’ (we’re considering t-shirts) comprises Domo, Cayde, Mackye, Finn and Jonty. Now and again, we head out in our groups, yesterday we lunched together and the boys decided that they had a hankering for ‘Raising Cane’s’, apparently it’s big on Tik Tok, so not to disappoint my young charges, we got out google maps and under the direction of Finn and Mackye we set off. After a couple of laps of the block, and a left and a right, a veer into Nike when we thought we were lost and then a down the escalators, would you believe we actually found it. The Holy Grail. The lads were excited, they got their feast and started sampling. They were impressed, chicken was great, chips were good, dipping sauce not bad, but for Cayde and Domo the drinks were just not up to par. They moaned about it a lot, and in the end they decided enough was enough, and they went in search of a Coke. They returned with chests puffed that they’d found the nectar of the gods, and sat back down, gloating with their full cups of Coke. They were chuffed. Domo was going on about it so much, Mackye decided to film his euphoria, so Domo obliged with a few gang signs (as you do) and goading the others about how much he was enjoying his drink. Unfortunately, he put a bit too much enthusiasm into his gang signs and consequently knocked the entire drink off the table and straight into his lap. Carnage ensued, my fellow Team Tan members were full of support (!) and while the napkins could soak up the Coke on the floor, seat and table, ain’t nothing soaking up the Coke on those pants. It was a dejected Domo that made the walk out of Raising Cane’s, drinkless and accompanied by a squelching sound that’s hard to describe. You know what Domo, it’s okay, you can cry over spilt milk/Coke. (For those interested, footage is available for viewing 😊).

Footnote: Cosmo is still with us, in her exuberance to get down to breakfast this morning, Heidi may have omitted to bring the flag, and as a consequence will be caring for Cosmo today – I feel your pain Heidi, it happens to the best of us. Look after my little poppet.