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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 2015)
SPORTS 7+856'$<129(0%(5 HERMISTON Sports shorts Manziel to start against Bengals CLEVELAND (AP) — Welcome to The Jungle, Johnny. With starting quarterback Josh McCown unable to play because of a painful rib injury, Johnny Manziel will start Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals, who treated him so rudely as a rookie on the road last year and now get him on their home turf. ,QKLV¿UVW1)/VWDUWODVW season, Manziel was chased, sacked, intercepted and taunted by the Bengals in a 30-0 embarrassment. Now, Manziel’s facing one of the league’s four remaining unbeaten teams on short notice. McCown was unable to practice Tuesday night because of his ribs — and sore shoulder — and Browns coach Mike Pettine announced the decision to start Manziel on Wednesday before the team left for Cincinnati. 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS Pro Sports Dawgs prepare to defend title Pro Football The Bulldogs lost the stretch...We’re WKRVH ¿UVW WZR JDPHV excited, the kids by a combined score are excited that RI DQG ORVW they’ll be hosting starting wide receiver Hermiston Wilsonville the game. Then we Wildcats Ethan Snow in the Bulldogs (4-5, 3-0) (8-1, 6-1) saw the draw, not too process. excited.” By SAM BARBEE • Friday, 7 p.m. The injuries began The Bulldogs got East Oregonian • at Kennison Field to mount. Next to go huge contributions from new varsity ([SHFWDWLRQVIRUWKH+HUP down was starting running back Jonathan Hinkle, then players. Vaemu Ena, who sat out the iston Bulldogs football couldn’t starting quarterback Dayshawn :DU RQ ZLWK D VKRXOGHU LQMXU\ have been higher. )UHVK RII WKH ¿UVW VWDWH IRRWEDOO Neal, then the offensive line was hit stepped into a safety role and had key interceptions against Sandy title in school history, the Bulldogs hard. Even with all that adversity, the and Hood River Valley, both wins. would be playing with an almost entirely new group after the gradu- +HUPLVWRQ %XOOGRJV DUH Nathan Hunsaker, whom Neal beat ation of most of the state title-win- Columbia River Conference cham- for the starting job out of fall camp, QLQJVTXDG%RE&ROHPDQVDLG pions, again, and in the playoffs broke out against Pendleton with a huge game on the ground. Tre Neal any expectations short of repeating — again. “We’re pretty excited,” Bulldogs has led a defense that got stronger would be “selling ourselves short.” Two games into Hermiston’s KHDG FRDFK 'DYLG )DDHWHHWH VDLG and tougher as the season wore on. Now, seeded eighth, the Bulldogs season, just having the opportunity “We knew we’d be in the this See HERMISTON/2B to defend its title seemed far off. situation if we executed late in Bulldogs earn way back to playoffs to defend their state title PENDLETON T:olYes ¿ nish strong Kaepernick benched by 49ers SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been told he won’t start Sunday for WKH6DQ)UDQFLVFRHUV and is being replaced by backup Blaine Gabbert, a person with of FACES knowledge the decision said Monday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Kaepernick Press because the decision wasn’t to be discussed publicly. The team had not made an announcement, though coach Jim Tomsula offered a pretty good hint earlier in the day “we’re evaluating everyone,” on the heels of a 27-6 loss at St. Louis and a second straight game without a touchdown. Kaepernick has passed for just 286 yards the last two games for the Niners (2-6), raising questions for weeks now whether a big change was needed. “I was frustrated with my shot, I couldn’t make a bucket, so like I said, I had to take it out on something.“ — LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers F explaining why he ripped the sleeves of his jersey after missing a three-pointer with 7:08 remaining in the sec- ond quarter of a game againstthe New York Knicks on Wednesday night. James has been critical of the short- sleeved jerseys in the past and fi nished 9-for- 23 from the fi eld in a 96-86 win. THIS DATE IN SPORTS 1994 — George )RUHPDQ UHJDLQV SDUW RI WKH heavyweight title he lost to 0XKDPPDG $OL LQ stopping Michael Moorer in WKHWKURXQG)RUHPDQ FDSWXUHV WKH ,%) DQG :%$ championships to become the oldest champion in any weight class. 1997 — The Milwaukee %UHZHUV EHFRPHV WKH ¿UVW major league baseball team to switch leagues this century, moving from the AL to the NL when baseball’s ruling executive council approved the shift. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com Staff photo by E.J. Harris BMCC’s Kirstin Williams (12) and Klaree Hobart go up to block a shot from Columbia Basin’s Morgan Wilder in the Timberwolves’ win against the Hawks on Wednesday in Pendleton. Blue Mountain sweeps Columbia Basin in final home match Baty has an alternate scoring system he prefers his players to use to gauge their success in matches. It’s called the effort game and PENDLETON — They didn’t points are awarded for “hustle Blue Mtn. Col. Basin always make it look pretty, but when plays” like diving to save a live ball, they did it was a beauty to behold despite the outcome of the play. as the Blue Mountain Timberwolves %DW\ WKRXJKW WKH 7:ROYHV “It just seemed like when some 13-0) got away from that at times polished off an undefeated home schedule with a three-set sweep of those key moments came up that on Wednesday, which accounted for of Columbia Basin on Tuesday at it was ‘OK let’s put this one down.’ many of their issues. We just weren’t doing something Mosby Court. “That’s intrinsic of this team, The NWAC East Region cham- smart in the other moments, they LQVWHDGRIUXQQLQJKDUGWRWKH¿QLVK SLRQVJDYHWKHLUVRSKRPRUHVD¿WWLQJ were doing something unneces- line they’ve got to look over they’re send-off while a pair of freshmen sary,” he said. shoulder and see how far ahead they Columbia Basin (10-27, 7-6 are. That’s why I told them, ‘Stop gave the home crowd their last look at what’s to come next season in East) exploited soft spots in the looking a the scoreboard and play BMCC defense to stick around to the effort game,’” he said. “Our ZLQVRI But in between moments of WKH PLGZD\ SRLQW RI WKH ¿UVW WZR intention was to have (sophomores) brilliance, the T-Wolves also made matches, then capitalized on a GRPLQDWHWKH¿UVWWZRVHWVWKHQWU\WR enough mistakes to keep coach few early hitting errors to build its have the (freshmen) walk out there Dave Baty from declaring the match ODUJHVW OHDG RI WKH QLJKW DW LQ DQG WKHQ ¿QLVK LW RII LQ WKH WKLUG the third set. a complete success. See T-WOLVES/3B By MATT ENTRUP East Oregonian Volleyball 3 0 teams paid to honor troops U.S. Senate reveals deals with Pentagon By MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press WASHINGTON — Patriotic ceremonies at halftime of sporting events may not just be about honoring the troops. Arizona’s two Republican senators said Wednesday that the Defense Department spent more than $10 million in marketing and advertising contracts with professional sports teams between 2012 DQG A new report by Sens. John McCain and Jeff )ODNHWLWOHG³7DFNOLQJ3DLG Patriotism,” calls for an end to the taxpayer-funded practice of sponsoring such military celebrations at games, an effort that is often used for recruiting efforts and community outreach. The report found 72 contracts in which the Pentagon paid for patriotic tributes at professional sports games. Earlier this year, the senators added a provision to a defense bill barring the Defense Department from entering into paid contracts for honoring members of the $UPHG)RUFHVDWVSRUWLQJ events. Soon after, the Pentagon said it would stop funding and approving contracts in which teams pay to honor members of the Armed )RUFHV The report praised that move, but the senators said they wanted to highlight the practice so it is stops once and for all. Some of the examples mentioned by the report include the Army National Guard paying the Minnesota Vikings football team to sponsor its military appreciation night; the Air )RUFHSD\LQJWKH&LQFLQQDWL Bengals football team IRUFOXEOHYHO WLFNHWVDQGWKH$LU)RUFH paying the LA Galaxy soccer WHDPIRU³UHFRJQLWLRQRI¿YH KLJKUDQNLQJRI¿FHUVRIWKH $LU)RUFH´LQDJDPH and four sideline season tickets. The senators noted that much of this money was paid out as the military asked Congress for additional dollars. The report said the ceremonies should be genuine displays of national pride, not taxpayer-funded marketing gimmicks. Prep Football 6WDQ¿HOGUHDG\WRSURYHLWVHOILQSRVWVHDVRQ head coach Davy Salas says his team is motivated to break that trend. “We’re not happy with just making it now,” he said. “We’re more hungry to get it done, and there is a real By ERIC SINGER sense of the guys believing East Oregonian in themselves that they can In each of its last seven do this.” The Tigers rebounded state playoff appearances, from a down season in WKH 6WDQ¿HOG 7LJHUV KDYH not been able to escape the WRDEUHDNRXW\HDUWKLV VHDVRQ ¿QLVKLQJ ZLWK DQ ¿UVWURXQG The most recent attempt 8-1 record — their only loss was a 61-0 drubbing in to CBC champion Heppner 2013 to eventual Class 2A ²DQGDVHFRQGSODFH¿QLVK in the Columbia Basin runner-up, Regis. 6RLQWKH7LJHUV¿UVWWULS Conference. The Tigers to back to the postseason DOVR¿QLVKHGWKH\HDULQWKH VLQFH WKDW JDPH ¿UVW\HDU 1R VORW LQ WKH 26$$¶V Tigers get tough ¿UVWURXQGWDVN with Vernonia a little slighted. “To be honest, yeah, we were (disappointed),” said Salas. “You can pick apart Stanfi eld Vernonia things, but ultimately we Tigers Loggers felt we proved ourselves (8-1, 4-1) (9-0, 3-0) enough to get a home • Friday, 7 p.m. game.” • St. Helens High School But after having some Class 2A rankings, which time for he and the team to they thought would help digest the match-up, Salas in getting a home playoff believes that the game could be a great chance for his JDPHLQWKH¿UVWURXQG Instead, the Tigers saw team to make their mark in their name listed as a No. the postseason. “It’s just one of those VHHGVFKHGXOHGWRSOD\RQ things that’s out of our the road against the No. 8 seed Vernonia Loggers on control, so now we have a )ULGD\ DW 6W +HOHQV +LJK chance to go out and show School. Salas said that the the (OSAA) just who we seeding left his team feeling are and prove ourselves,” he Football said. The Tigers will have their hands full with 9HUQRQLD RQ )ULGD\ as the Loggers boast one of the best offenses in the HQWLUH VWDWH ZLWK WRWDO points scored on the season ²¿IWKPRVWLQWKH26$$ The Loggers have been one of the biggest surprises in Class 2A, improving from a dreadful team that compiled just a 2-16 record over the last two seasons combined is back in the SOD\RIIV IRU WKH ¿UVW WLPH since 2008. Vernonia’s offense thrives on home run plays See STANFIELD/2B