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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 2017)
A10 Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, January 4, 2017 WEDNESDAY January 4, 2017 G RANT C OUNTY Youth wrestlers wrap up successful season Contributed photo/Tanni Wenger Photography Studio The Grant County Wrestling Club had a successful season, led by head coach Terry Harper, right, and assistant coach Tye Parsons, left. Taylor Parsons wins first place at regional tourney SPORTS ROUNDUP By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle Grant Union boys beat Baker in overtime The 2A Grant Union Prospector teams com- peted at the Dec. 21-23 Nyssa Tournament. The Prospector boys started things off on a positive note with a 64-58 overtime win against the 3A Baker Bulldogs. Grant Union jumped to a 17-1 lead in the fi rst quarter. The Bulldogs changed up their defense and started cutting away at the Prospectors’ lead. The fourth quarter ended with a 58-58 tie, and Grant Union kept Baker at bay. “They did not score in overtime,” said Pros- pector head coach Kelsy Wright. “We played great defense. It was a great win for us. The boys played their hearts out.” Grant Union followed up the next day with 64-24 loss to the 4A La Grande Tigers, up against some tall competition. “That was a tough matchup for us,” Wright said. “They had 6-foot-8 and a couple 6-foot- 6 players, and a phenomenal guard which was hard to stop.” Grant Union outshot La Grande in the fi rst quarter, but the game went downhill from there for the Prospectors. “We had a game plan of stopping their best guard,” the coach said. “I don’t believe he scored as much as usual. I think we did good against their best defensive players.” Friday morning brought 6 inches of fresh snow, and their game scheduled with Ontario, set to go into the night, was canceled. Lady Prospectors take 16-point win over 4A Ontario Ten Grant County youth wrestlers com- peted at the Oregon Wrestling Association for Youth regional tournament held Dec. 17 in Hermiston. The local wrestlers took 10th out of 17 teams. Taylor Parsons placed fi rst for the 61 weight class in the 7- to 8-year-old division. Owen Parsons placed second in the 61 weight class for the 5- to 6-year-old divi- sion. Jack Knowles placed second, wrestling at 55 pounds, and Beau VanCleave (49) and Talon VanCleave (110) each placed second. Placing third were Zeke Rookstool (67) and Mason Benge (80). Also competing in the tournament were Tatyn Harper, Tristan Clarry and Charley Knowles. Contributed photo The Grant Union Lady Prospectors, com- peting at the Dec. 21-23 Nyssa Tournament, took a win and a loss at the competition. Their fi rst game was a 52-36 victory over 4A Ontario, followed by a 27-16 loss to 3A Nyssa. “In the fi rst game against Ontario, we played a great fi rst half, both offensively and defensively,” said Grant Union head coach Mark Mosley. “In the second half, Ontario came out with more intensity on defense, and at times we did not handle it well, but we made the adjustments to get the win.” Grant Union’s game plan against Nyssa included putting the brakes on their two post players. “We held them to a total of fi ve points,” Mosley said. “But offensively we struggled scoring and the game became a defensive bat- tle. “Overall, I was proud of our efforts against 3A and 4A competition.” he said. “Now we know the things we can improve on and focus on getting better in the next couple weeks.” Friday’s game against 1A Adrian was can- celed due to weather. The Grant Union boys and girls teams are scheduled to host Irrigon Friday, Jan. 6, for a See SEASON, Page A11 Taylor Parsons wrestles his way to first place in his weight division at the Dec. 17 Oregon Wrestling Association for Youth regional tournament in Hermiston. See ROUNDUP, Page A11 By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle Parks and Rec activities are running on schedule Blue Mountain Eagle The John Day-Canyon City Parks and Recreation is abuzz with activity this month. Seven co-ed adult teams will start league volleyball competition at 2-6 p.m. Sun- day, Jan. 8, at Grant Union Ju- nior-Senior High School. Games will be held each Sunday through Feb. 26. Parks and Rec program coordinator Jeff Meyerholz said open gym practices held in December drew 40-45 adult vollebyall players. Rookie co-ed basketball for kids in grades 1-3 begins at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 9, at the Humbolt Elementary School gym. Registration applications are still being accepted, and may be turned in online, at their school or at the Parks and Rec offi ce, at 845 1/2 Bridge St. in John Day. Ski and snowboard bus trips to Anthony Lakes are starting up this month with four trips scheduled for Jan. 14, Jan. 21, Feb. 4 and Feb. 25. Registration forms are available online or at the Parks and Rec offi ce. For more in- formation call Greg Whipple at 541-620-4043 or the Parks 21 enjoy Christmas Trap Shoot in Seneca By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle A little snow didn’t scare away the avid clay-bird shooters at this year’s Sen- eca Range Christmas Trap Shoot. There were 17 adult and four youth shootists. Organizer Nancy Chase said just about everyone went home with a prize, including hams, bacon, sausages and piz- za. “It was a very cold day, but we had a warming fi re in the clubhouse and a pot of homemade chili to warm our insides,” she said. “A good time was had by all.” Contributed photo A total of 21 clay-bird shooters braved cold temperatures for the Dec. 11 Seneca Range Christmas Trap Shoot. Contributed photo Adults take part in a recent open gym practice, preparing for league competitions which start up Sunday, January 8. So far, seven teams have formed. and Rec offi ce. The popular Daddy/ Daughter Dance is set for Saturday, Feb. 11, for girls in grades kindergarten through eighth and their dads or father fi gures at the pavilion at the Grant County Fairgrounds in John Day. The Parks and Rec boys and girls basketball pro- gram for grades 4 through 6 wrapped up a fun season in December. There were 26 girls and 38 boys who competed during the season. “Our volunteer coaches made the season a great learn- ing experience for the kids,” Meyerholz said. For more information, call the Parks and Rec offi ce at 541-575-0110 or visit their website at jdccparksandrec. weebly.com.