8A — THE OBSERVER
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2019
SPORTS
Six named all-conference
Observer staff
Observer fi le photo
Eastern Oregon University’s Chase Van Wyck (41) and Sage DeLong (top left) were
both fi rst team all-Frontier performers on the defensive line.
LA GRANDE — Six members of the
Eastern Oregon University football team —
all defense and special teams players — were
selected to the all-Frontier Conference team,
and two of them went on to earn NAIA all-
American honorable mention nods.
Defensive linemen Sage DeLong and
Chase Van Wyck were selected to the all-
conference fi rst team, while linebacker Isaiah
Cranford and defensive back Zack Jacobs
were named to the second teams.
DeLong and Jacobs also were named hon-
orable mention all-Americans.
Placekicker Jaiden Machuca and punter
Zach Cahill were named to the special teams
second team.
DeLong was among the most disruptive
forces on defense in the conference. The
junior fi nished with 13 tackles for loss and
50 total tackles on the season, with his TFL
total putting him in the top fi ve in the confer-
ence. DeLong also had 4.5 sacks.
Van Wyck, also a junior and the other book-
end on the Mountaineers’ defensive line, had 58
tackles, seven for loss and 3.5 sacks for EOU.
Cranford, a senior, fi nished with 66 tackles
— second on the team — and added six
tackles for loss.
Jacobs, a junior and the Mountaineers’
leading interception-grabber, had 51 tackles
and four interceptions, nearly half of the
team’s total of nine.
Machuca was highly effi cient in his fi rst
year as the full-time place kicker, went 11-
for-12 on fi eld goals and 22-for-24 on extra
points. He also punted 35 times for an aver-
age of 39 yards a kick.
Cahill, who midseason took over as the
full-time punter, had 29 punts at an average
of 42.2 yards a boot, and hit six of the 29 bet-
ter than 50 yards.
Legions from area on all-SD3 Hoops roundup: Cove
girls can’t miss in opener
Observer staff
LA GRANDE — The Elgin
football team led the area Special
District 3 East teams in the all-
league awards following the end
of the season, as seven players
earned a total of nine spots to rep-
resent the Huskies on the field.
Tristan Simpson and Cody
Harvey each garnered two dis-
tinctions. Simpson, the Huskies’
four-year starter at quarter-
back, was named fi rst-team
all-league at QB, and was also
named honorable mention all-
league at kicker. Harvey, mean-
while, was a second-team tight
end/wide receiver and honor-
able mention kick returner.
Deshaun Trudeau was se-
lected as a fi rst-team guard, and
Dawson Larman was chosen as a
second-team defensive lineman.
Jordon Palmer, in his fi rst year
on the football team, was an hon-
orable mention tight end/wide
receiver, and both Gage McKay
and Joe Lathrop were honorable
mention at defensive back.
The Powder Valley Badgers,
who reached the 1A state quar-
terfi nals, had fi ve players lock up
six spots on the SD3-East team.
Roper Bingham was selected
as a fi rst-team defensive end
and a second-team tight end/
wide receiver, and Reece Dixon
earned honors as a fi rst-team
linebacker. Hunter Lind and
Moziss Nesser both landed spots
on the second team, Nesser at
center and Lind at guard, and
Cole Martin was an honorable
mention defensive back.
Wallowa also had six spots
locked down by fi ve players, led
by Zeb Ramsden earning fi rst
team at both running back and
defensive back. On the second
team for the Cougars were
Jesse Duncan at linebacker, Ry-
der Goller at defensive end and
Tristin Bales as kick returner,
and Rubin was honorable men-
tion at center.
Cove’s Caiden Hall was a
fi rst-team selection at punter,
and Bo Ledbetter was honor-
able mention at defensive back.
The SD3-West teams were
led by Union, which had eight
Observer staff
Observer fi le photos
Above: Elgin’s Tristan Simpson was a fi rst-team quarterback
and honorable mention kicker. Below: Powder Valley’s Roper
Bingham was a fi rst-team defensive end and second-team
wide receiver/tight end.
The Cove Leopards simply couldn’t
miss Thursday.
Austin Kendall scored 21 points to
lead three players in double fi gures,
and the Cove girls basketball team shot
61% and rolled over Cascade, Idaho,
72-33, to win what head coach Doug
Girdner called the “best fi rst game” of
his coaching career.
“Everybody was hitting,” he said. “It
didn’t matter. When you’re open, you
shoot. The other team was a little slow
on the rotation and we made them pay.”
Cove (1-0 overall) scored 21 in the
fi rst quarter, when it shot 10-for-13,
and built a 42-12 lead by halftime. The
Leopards stretched the lead to 42 by
the end of the third. Seven of the eight
players on the team scored.
Kierra Moore added 12 points and
Elli Hines-Dunlap had 10 for the Leop-
ards. Maggie Frisch added 10 rebounds
and Raegan Duby had eight of the
team’s 24 assists.
Cove faces Adrian today at the Union
Lions Tournament.
Also Thursday
LA GRANDE GETS BY NYSSA
The La Grande girls basketball team
opened the 2019-20 season with a road
win against Nyssa Thursday, 48-27.
Camryn Collman led the Tigers
with 17 points, scoring more in the
fi rst quarter (seven) than Nyssa did as
La Grande built a 20-5 lead after one.
The Tigers didn’t let up, stretching the
margin to 34-12 at halftime and 45-18
after three.
Grace Neer added eight points and
Kenzie Williams scored six for La
Grande (1-0 overall), which next hosts
Hermiston Monday.
BADGERS TOP NORTH LAKE
players fi ll six spots, including
fi ve fi rst-team nods. Senior Grif-
fi n Nash was selected as a fi rst-
team offensive lineman and a
second-team defensive lineman
to lead the Bobcats. Anthony
Goodwater also earned two
spots as he was named fi rst-
team defensive end and honor-
able mention running back.
Also on the fi rst team for
Union was Cameron Dillman at
running back, Breese Stenkamp
on the offensive line and Gannon
Carreiro at wide receiver.
Imbler’s Jayce Burnette
earned fi rst-team honors at
linebacker. Wyatt Frost was
named to the second team on
the offensive line and Isaac
Herron was an honorable men-
tion running back.
Enterprise did not provide its
all-league list.
Six Bobcats named all-league
The Powder Valley girls basketball
team used a second-half scoring burst to
open the 2019-20 season with a road win
against North Lake Thursday, 51-41.
The teams were tied at 24-24 at
the break, but the Badgers outscored
North Lake 14-8 in the third to gain
some breathing room, then fi nished the
win in the fourth.
“We saw some really good things. We
were excited on some of the things they
did,” head coach Allen Bingham said.
Josi Krieger led the way with 17
points, Autumn Davis added 12 and
Dallee Jo Bingham chipped in with eight
for the Badgers (1-0 overall), who resume
action today against McKenzie in North
Lake then travel to Dufur Saturday.
Observer staff
Boys
LA GRANDE — The Union
volleyball team landed six ath-
letes on the Blue Mountain Con-
ference all-league team, including
three on the fi rst team, following
a sweep through the conference
on its way to a fourth-place fi nish
in the state tournament.
A trio that offense earned
fi rst team honors in senior
outside hitter Autumn Daggett,
junior outside hitter Kylie
Marriott and sophomore setter
Callie Glenn.
Senior libero Brianna Kohr,
a mainstay on defense for the
Bobcats, earned second team
accolades.
Senior right side Taylar
Daggett and junior middle
Ahnica Shoemaker earned
honorable mention.
The six, all of whom started
for the Bobcats, powered the
team to a 24-4 record and the
program’s best fi nish at state
since placing fourth in both
2006 and 2007.
The Enterprise Outlaws
CASCADE PULLS AWAY IN
SECOND HALF TO TOP COVE
The Cove boys basketball team hung
with Cascade, Idaho, for the fi rst half
Thursday before Cascade pulled away
for a 62-28 win in the Leopards’ season
opener.
Cove trailed 22-15 at the break before
Cascade broke the game open with a
16-3 third quarter run, then tacked on
24 more points in the fourth for the win.
“We’re playing with a lot of young
kids — a lot of youth,” Cove head coach
Doug Wiggins said. “We have only two
seniors, and only one is a returning
starter.”
Bo Ledbetter led Cove (0-1 overall)
with eight points. Braden Dickenson
added six points.
The Leopards face Adrian today at
the Union Lions Tournament.
Observer fi le photo
Autumn Daggett was one of three fi rst-team all-league per-
formers for the Union volleyball team.
battled through a tough 10-14
season, but landed two players
on all league.
Senior outside hitter Ashlyn
Gray was named to the league’s
second team, and junior libero
Claire Farwell was honorable
mention.
POWDER VALLEY DROPS OPENER
The Powder Valley boys basketball
team opened the 2019-20 season with a
road loss against North Lake Thursday
in overtime, 67-63, in a wild season
opener.
Ethan Stephens led the Badgers
with 13 points. Roper Bingham had 11
and Moziss Nesser scored 10. But the
Badgers were hampered by foul trouble
as they were called for 34 fouls and
saw fi ve players foul out. Powder Valley
fi nished with just four players on the
court in overtime.
The Badgers (0-1 overall), who
resume action today against McKenzie
in North Lake then travel to Dufur
Saturday.
Wednesday
UNION BOYS TAKE DOWN IMBLER
The Union Bobcats played lockdown
defense and had balanced scoring as they
ran past the Imbler Panthers Wednes-
day, 55-22, to give new head coach Odin
Miller his fi rst win on the bench.
“Obviously just going over those
scores they played outstanding
defense,” Miller said. “I was so happy
with their effort on defense. We’ve been
working on that since day one. It’s an
athletic group that with the right focus
can be strong defensively.”
Keegan Glenn scored 15 points and
Jace Phillips had 14 to lead Union (1-0
overall), which had eight players score.
Jayce Burnette had nine points to
pace the Panthers (0-1) while Wyatt
Frost added six.
Union faces Echo tonight at its home
Union Lions Tournament, while Imbler
faces Pilot Rock in Joseph.
WALLOWA RALLIES IN THE FOURTH
The Wallowa boys basketball team
rallied in the fourth quarter to secure
a win in its regular season opener
Wednesday as the Cougars edged the
Enterprise Outlaws at home, 38-35.
The Cougars trailed for a large por-
tion of the night, including 28-23 enter-
ing the fourth, before stringing enough
offense together for the win. Quinten
Tillery, who led the Cougars with 10
points, had a key 3-point play down the
stretch that boosted Wallowa, according
to fi rst-year head coach Cody Lathrop.
“We capitalized on some key mo-
ments,” Lathrop said.
Zeb Hermens added eight points
for Wallowa (1-0 overall), while Devin
Greer and David Salim both had eight
points for Enterprise (0-1).
The Cougars are back in action today
against Council, Idaho, at the Elgin
Lions Tournament, while the Outlaws
travel to Crane.
Girls
ENTERPRISE HOLDS OFF WALLOWA
Ashlyn Gray scored a team-high nine
points, and the Enterprise Outlaws
pulled away in the second half Wednes-
day to open the 2019-20 season with
a 39-28 road win over the Wallowa
Cougars.
The Outlaws (1-0 overall) held just a
17-13 lead at the half, but doubled their
lead to 28-20 after three quarters and
held on.
Zari Bathke added eight points for
Enterprise, while Shanna Rae Til-
lery led the Cougars (0-1 overall) with
13 points and 10 rebounds. Wallowa,
though, was unable to shake off a slow
start, as it scored one point in the open-
ing quarter.
Enterprise travels to Crane tonight,
while Wallowa faces Council, Idaho, at
the Elgin Lions Tournament.
BOBCATS TOPPLE PANTHERS
The Union Bobcats opened the sea-
son with a strong defensive effort and
a big scoring night from Callie Glenn
Wednesday as they defeated the Imbler
Panthers on the road, 41-17.
Glenn outscored the Panthers on her
own, and fi nished with a game-high 22
points.
The Bobcats (1-0 overall) host Echo
tonight at the Union Lions Tourna-
ment, while Imbler (0-1) faces Pilot
Rock in Joseph.