By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

STAYTON, Ore.–  Ty Borde’s transition from McNary to Stayton halfway through his freshman year was a smooth one.  He was welcomed in as a fresh face to the school and the community just as the Covid Pandemic was just striking, but he adjusted to his new community in Stayton and had slowly become one of the top weapons for the Eagles Football team this past Fall.

Earning first-team Running Back and Outside Linebacker honors in the 4A Special District 3 Conference, all while helping Stayton to an 7-3 record and a first round appearance in the 4A State Playoffs this past Fall.

“It was really smooth, surprisingly with everything happening at that time.  Sports got disturbed and all of that so I didn’t have a chance to connect with everybody, but the guys did a really good job taking me underneath their wing and showing me the ropes here, showing me what Stayton is all about and it’s been really good to me.  The guys have been really good to me, the staff has been good to me, everything was super smooth.  I couldn’t have asked for a better transition,” Borde describes the transition into Stayton.

“I feel like my contribution has been in helping my team grow and they’ve done the same for me.  Everyone here feeds off each other and the excitement, the energy that we bring to the game is great and it really starts with the guys here.”

Friday afternoon, just as the lunch bell rang, Borde was in the library signing his Letter of Intent.  A Student-Athlete to a T, Borde has hit the books hard and will be majoring in Psychology around playing football at George Fox University, the reason for the gathering on this day as he signed the paperwork to play collegiate football with the Bruins.

“It’s an amazing feeling to know that I don’t have to hang up my pads yet.  That I get another four years of playing football.  I’m really excited to get to George Fox, I know the coaches, they’re great.  I hope to make some great teammates and I know I will.  The program has a lot of success ahead of them in the future, it’s growing and getting bigger.  The campus is improving, the football team is improving so I’m eccastic about going there,” Borde said of GFU.

Psychology has been a recent passion pick-up for Borde, the senior athlete crediting Eagles assistant coach Brad Emmert as the individual who sparked the interest in the field.  Something that Borde has fell in love with and hopes to own his own private practice in therapy, focusing on marriage and family therapy.

“That’s what I’m looking forward to at George Fox and I think they’re going to do a good job getting me there.  They got a lot of programs to put me in too.  Hopefully I get licensed as a therapist within three or four years and I’ll be ready to get out there and do my thing,” Borde said.

Photos By Jeremy McDonald