Woodburn soccer player wins Maps Credit Union boys Athlete of the Week

Woodburn soccer player Jairo Perez Luna is the Maps Credit Union boys Athlete of the Week, winning a poll voted on by Statesman Journal readers.

The Bulldogs' senior captain scored a dramatic second-half winner Sept. 17 to lead the No. 7 Bulldogs to a 2-1 road win over David Douglas that served as the program's first victory of the season.

Perez Luna received 32.55% of the poll, narrowly beating Sprague cross-country runner Dakota Neaman (30.97%).

Here are this week's other candidates:

Ty Cirino, Central cross-country

Central's standout junior clocked the fastest time in the state of Oregon this season on Sept. 14 when he won the Ash Creek XC Festival 5,000-meter race in 15 minutes, 11.9 seconds.

Cirino's time was over six seconds faster than any other runner in the state this fall.

Geovanny Escobar, Blanchet Catholic soccer

Blanchet Catholic's senior forward buried three goals Sept. 19 to lead the way during a 7-1 win over Salem Academy.

Dakota Neaman, Sprague cross-country

The Sprague senior led the Olympians and finished 12th overall at the Ash Creek meet with a time of 15:58.27. In the process, Neaman beat his previous personal best by over 30 seconds.

Eli Willis, Silverton football

Silverton's all-state senior lineman delivered pivotal performances on both sides of the ball Sept. 20 to lead the No. 2 Foxes to a gritty road win over No. 6 West Albany.

Willis opened the scoring by sacking the Bulldogs' quarterback for a safety. Later in the game, he added a sack for a 16-yard loss, delivered a quarterback pressure on a crucial fourth down, blocked a punt, and batted down a pass on another important fourth down. He also started at left tackle for a Silverton offense that scored 44 points.

To submit an Athlete of the Week nomination, please email Statesman Journal sports reporter Jarrid Denney at JDenney@salem.gannett.com with the athlete's name, stats and any other relevant information about the performance they are being nominated for.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Woodburn soccer player wins Maps Credit Union boys Athlete of the Week