High School Sports: Big honor at Columbia River; new baseball coach at Heritage

Columbia River junior Alex Harris is the State Player of the Year in boys soccer, and Heritage picks Jason Castro, the school’s athletic director, to take over its baseball program.

Gatorade State Player of the Year in boys soccer goes to Alex Harris of Columbia River

In the final week of classes at many of the area’s high schools, Columbia River boys soccer and Heritage baseball is in the news.

Alex Harris, who amassed 51 goals this spring for the Columbia River Rapids, has been named the Gatorade Washington Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

Harris, a junior, had 10 hat tricks on the season, plus added 12 assists. He was credited with scoring eight of the team’s 12 goals in the state tournament.

Columbia River was undefeated into the state semifinals. The Rapids lost in penalty kicks. They rebounded the next day to win the third-place match.

A member of the school’s International Baccalaureate program, Harris has a weighted grade-point average of 4.30.

According to a press release from Gatorade, the player of the year program annually recognizes one winner from each state as well as the District of Columbia in football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball and boys and girls track and field. There is also a national player of the year in each sport.

Heritage hires familiar face

The Heritage Timberwolves’ search for a new baseball coach took them to the athletic office.

Jason Castro, the school’s athletic director, is the school’s new baseball coach as well. And no, he did not interview himself. Officially hired by the school’s principal, Derek Garrison.

This 2020 photo of Jason Castro and his family was taken at the baseball field in Iowa, home of the famous Field of Dreams. Castro was recently hired as the head baseball coach at Heritage High School. Photo courtesy of the Castro family

Castro was the 2010 state baseball coach of the year, as determined by the Seattle Times, and 2010 and 2012 coach of the year in the Class 2A Greater St. Helens League when he was at R.A. Long in Longview. He helped R.A. Long reach the state championship game in 2010.

In the past six years, he has been in athletic administration at Prairie High School and then at Heritage.

Castros said he missed coaching and still has a passion for it.

“We look forward to Jason’s vision, experience, and enthusiasm for the game having a huge impact on the T-Wolves,” Garrison said.

We look forward to Jason’s vision, experience and enthusiasm for the game having a huge impact on the T-Wolves.

Bonus for Castro: He gets to keep his day job, too. Athletic directors in Evergreen Public Schools are allowed by the district to coach during one season. Christian Swain is the AD and football coach at Evergreen. Adam Mathieson is the AD and football coach at Mountain View. Castro will be the only AD in the district who coaches in a spring sport.

Gatorade State Player of the Year in boys soccer goes to Alex Harris of Columbia River

Heritage hires familiar face

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