Sports
6A
Saturday, March 13, 2021
The Observer
La Grande tromps Nyssa in football opener
By ALEX WITTWER
The Observer
NYSSA — The La
Grande High School foot-
ball team in its season
opener took off right where
it left off at the end of 2019
— with a big win.
The Tigers traveled
Thursday, March 11, to face
the Nyssa Bulldogs in the
first game since winning
the OSAA Class 4A Foot-
ball State Championship
against the Banks Braves on
Nov. 30, 2019. La Grande
defeated Nyssa 42-8.
“I was extremely proud
of our boys for their effort,
they really gave 110%,
you could say,” La Grande
head football coach Rich
McIlmoil said.”I was proud
of them — they really
came together as a group
and played well as a team.
There wasn’t any individ-
uals trying to, in a sense,
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Players with the La Grande High School varsity and junior varsity football teams practice
Tuesday, March 9, 2021 behind the school in preparation for varsity’s first game of the
season. The Tigers on Thursday, March 11, defeated the Nyssa Bulldogs 42-8.
steal the show — they
really played well together.
With this whole COVID
experience that’s been
Sports Briefs
Little League
registration closes
March 17
LA GRANDE — La
Grande Little League base-
ball and softball registra-
tion for minors, majors and
juniors closes Wednesday,
March 17 and the first
season begins April 1.
The league announced it
canceled tryouts to prepare
for extra precautions for
the 2021 season due to the
coronavirus pandemic.
Teams will draft players
March 18. The first season
runs April 1 through May
28, with a closing day
parade May 29. The second
season runs June 1 through
July 2.
The league also reported
it extended the waitlis-
ting period for the T-Ball
and Coach Pitch programs.
Waitlisting closes April 30
and open registration runs
May 1-14.
You can find more infor-
mation and updates on the
La Grande Little League
Facebook page and its web-
site: www.lagrandelittle-
league.net.
going on, it’s been really
good for them to come
Ronald Bond/The Observer, File
La Grande Little League
player Derek Begin swings
during batting practice in
July 2017. Little League
registration for 2021 closes
Wednesday, March 17.
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Russian folk song rejected as Olympic anthem
Eastern Oregon Universi-
ty’s volleyball team moved
By GRAHAM DUNBAR
fight against Nazi Germany in December settled Rus-
up one spot in the latest
Associated Press
sia’s long-running dis-
in World War II.
national rankings.
GENEVA — Rus-
pute with the World Anti-
The National Associa-
“The CAS panel con-
siders that ‘any anthem
tion of Intercollegiate Ath-
sia’s wish to use a patri-
Doping Agency over a
letics on Wednesday, March
otic Soviet-era folk song
linked to Russia’ extends to state-backed doping pro-
gram and cover-ups.
10, released its second edi-
as a replacement anthem
any song associated with,
tion of the Women’s Volley-
for the Tokyo Olympics
The IOC asked the Rus-
or with links to, Russia,
ball Coaches’ Top-25 Poll
sian Olympic body last
was rejected by the Court
which would include Katy-
usha,” the court said in a
and Eastern Oregon Uni-
month to submit an alterna-
of Arbitration for Sport on
versity now sits at No. 8,
tive piece of music for use
Friday, March 12, in further statement to The Associ-
ated Press.
according to a press release
at medal ceremonies.
fallout from a years-long
It is unclear which piece
from EOU.
Similar restrictions
doping scandal.
of music Russian Olympic
The Mountaineers
apply to world champi-
The court said its panel
onship events in Olympic
moved up one after starting
of three judges was asked to officials could propose
sports, and most governing
the season a perfect 9-0,
clarify what music it would in consultation with the
bodies have played their
International Olympic
including an 8-0 start to
allow within the two-year
own anthems for Russian
Cascade Collegiate Con-
ban on Russia’s team name, Committee.
ference play. Eastern is
athletes and teams.
Russia will compete
flag and national anthem
just one of two undefeated
A piece of music by
in Tokyo and next year’s
from Olympics and world
our selection
of imposed in Winter Olympics in Bei-
teams in the top-10.
19th-century Russian com-
championships
jing as “ROC,” an acronym poser Pyotr Tchaikovsky
In the Mountaineers start
December.
Living
Room
was approved by the Inter-
for the Russian Olympic
to the spring campaign Ashley
they
Russian
officials pro-
posed the “Katyusha” song, Committee.
national Skating Union for
have already garnered CCC
Furniture
its world championships.
which is identified with the
The CAS judges’ ruling
Team of the Week honors,
picked up three CCC Player
of the Week awards and one
NAIA Player of the Week
honor. Along the way to
the 9-0 start, head coach
Kaki McLean Morehead
also reached career win No.
300 at the helm of leading
Eastern Oregon. And senior
Kiley McMurtrey also
became the all-time career
leader in digs at EOU.
Two other CCC teams
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also garnered national
attention with one being in
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the top-25.
Corban University in
Salem checks in at No. 14
after starting the year at No.
13. And Bushnell Univer-
sity, Eugene, continues to
receive votes in this edition
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action next weekend on
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Brady signs extension with Bucs
TAMPA, Fla. — Tom
Brady has agreed to a con-
tract extension with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers that
provides the Super Bowl
champions with salary cap
relief and will help the sev-
en-time NFL champion
reach a goal of playing until
he’s at least 45.
Brady posted a picture of
himself on Twitter, signing
the extension Friday with
the message: “In pursuit
of 8 ... LFG@ Buccaneers
we’re keeping the band
together.”
The extension con-
firmed by the team frees
about $19 million in salary
cap space, a move that
improves Tampa Bay’s
chances of returning as
much of its championship
sive to me.”
He said no one should
get the wrong idea that
Nyssa was not a good team.
“A lot of people are
going to think Nyssa wasn’t
very good because we
countered them, but actu-
ally they’re a pretty good
team, and we just played
very well,” he said.
And while Nys-
sa’s players were bigger,
McIlmoil said La Grande’s
were faster and stronger.
He also said the real victory
here was getting youths
back on the playing field.
“It’s so nice to get
the kids out there again,
playing,” McIlmoil said.
“They just really enjoyed
themselves. It’s less about
the score and more about
that — don’t get me wrong
we played great, a lot of kids
really stepped up, it’s just
fun watching them play.”
Be Number 10,000 and WIN $1,000*
a passing league. EOU’s
coaching staff also will
evaluate players and offi-
ciate matches.
The second camp is an
11-player team camp July
12-15 on the campus of
Eastern Oregon University,
La Grande. Price is $170 for
day participants and $225
for overnight participants.
Was $129.99/mo.
Mountaineers
Athletes again must be
high school aged (ninth-
football announces
12th $1,599.99
grade). The second
two camps Cash
for Price:
camp
offers controlled
summer
scrimmages, individual
LA GRANDE —
drills and a passing league.
Eastern Oregon Univer-
For information on the
sity head football coach
both camps, please con-
tact Tim Camp at tcamp@
Tim Camp announced two
eou.edu or at 541-805-
camps that will take place
58969. Those interested in
this summer.
The first will be for
the first camp date also can
eight- and six-player teams
contact Andrew Woody
June 20-23 at Elgin High
at woodya@eou.edu or at
School, Elgin Price for
541-805-8844. Those inter-
ested in the second camp
the camp is $125 per stu-
date also can contact Bryan
dent-athlete and $50 per
coach. This price will
Mills at millsbk@eou.edu
541-975-3206.
include lunch and dinner for or at 60”
coaches.
EOU volleyball
High school students in
ninth-12th grade are eli-
moves up one spot
gible to attend. The first
in national rankings
camp includes scrimmages,
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
individual coaching and
Associated Press
together and bond.”
The key moment in the
game came early.
“Our first drive, we just
marched down the field and
scored, and it set the tone
for the rest of the game,” he
said.
But the win was such a
team effort, he said, there
wasn’t one play that stood
out to him as a coach,
although the offensive line
did. Jarrett Armstrong,
Ryan VanderZanden, Nick
Bornstedt, Cole Jorgensen,
Noah McIlmoil, the coach’s
son, and Lukas Schelin, he
said, were outstanding.
“Our offensive line —
every guy playing on the
offensive line, every one
of my players, it was their
first true varsity game,”
McIlmoil said, “and so to
play that good their very
first game and as young as
they are, was really impres-
roster as possible for 2021.
Seven starters from the
Super Bowl were among
two dozen Buccaneers eli-
gible to become free agents
next week.
“When we acquired
Tom a year ago, we were
extremely excited about
the leadership, poise and
winning track record that
he would bring to our
locker room. Since that
time, he has proven him-
self to be the ultimate
competitor and delivered
in every way we had imag-
ined, helping us capture
the Lombardi Trophy,”
general manager Jason
Licht said. “Year after year,
Tom proves that he remains
one of the elite quarter-
backs in this game and we
couldn’t be happier to keep
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him in Tampa Bay as we
continue to pursue our goals
together.”
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his contract. The Bucs can
now turn their attention to
trying to reach a deal with
linebacker Shaquil Barrett,
the 2019 NFL sack leader.
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