Sports
8A
Thursday, April 15, 2021
Th e Observer
Powder Valley volleyball
wraps up perfect season
By JAYSON JACOBY
Baker City Herald
NORTH POWER —
Powder Valley doesn’t have
a shiny new, offi cial Class
1A state volleyball champi-
onship trophy to grace the
school’s display case.
But the Badgers, who
recently completed a 14-0
season, believe they are the
best team in Oregon at their
level.
“I really don’t hesitate
to say that,” Powder Valley
coach Marji Lind said. “I
think the girls feel that
they’re the top dog in Class
1A.”
Because the Oregon
School Activities Associ-
ation didn’t schedule state
tournaments as usual due to
the pandemic, schools were
free to arrange their own
“culminating events” during
the fi nal week of the abbre-
viated season.
Powder Valley played
host to an event for Class
1A and 2A schools on
Friday, April 9. The Badgers
won three matches, beating
Alsea, Joseph and Class 2A
Union.
Lind lauded parents and
school offi cials for working
so hard to make the event
“as big a deal as possible.”
When the Badgers fi n-
ished their three-set sweep
of Union in the fi nal
match, spectators released
streamers and balloons in
the gym.
Badgers overcame
disappointment
The cancellation of
the usual fall volleyball
schedule was particularly
disappointing for the Bad-
gers, Lind said.
The team expected to be
a top competitor to win the
Class 1A state title.
This was not a case of
excessive optimism, either,
as Powder Valley had fi n-
ished as state runner-up in
2018 and 2019. The Badgers
lost to St. Paul in the state
championship match both
years.
Lind said the team, and
in particular the core group
of fi ve seniors, felt strongly
that “this was their year.”
The seniors — Brooke
Allen, Belle Blair, Keanna
Corey Kirk/Baker City Herald
Powder Valley’s Brooke Allen (front left) battles above the net with Bak-
er’s Lacy Churchfi eld, No. 9, during a match March 31, 2019, in Baker City.
Powder Valley went 14-0 this season.
Bingham, McKenzie Leg-
gett and Bailey Cole —
“have played together for-
ever,” Lind said.
The Badgers were excited
to learn that the volleyball
season would happen, albeit
in the spring rather than the
fall.
But their enthusiasm
waned when OSAA
announced it would not have
a state tournament.
“There was disappoint-
ment,” Lind said.
Rather than dwell on
something they couldn’t
control, Lind said the Bad-
gers decided instead to make
the shortened season as
challenging as possible.
“We said, ‘Let’s just play
every tough team that we
can fi nd,’” Lind said.
Powder Valley ath-
letic director Brad Dunten
assembled a schedule quite
diff erent from what the Bad-
gers would play during a
normal season.
Rather than playing pri-
marily Class 1A schools,
the Badgers’ slate included
Class 4A Baker (twice),
Class 3A Burns and Vale,
and Class 2A Union.
“It was a really fun
schedule to play for the
girls,” Lind said. “They
enjoyed being challenged
and they enjoyed being
together. It felt real again.”
Powder Valley didn’t just
win all 14 matches in that
imposing schedule — they
dominated most of their
opponents. In 11 of those 14
matches the Badgers won in
three straight sets.
Just two teams pushed
Powder Valley to a decisive
fi fth set — Crane, on March
5, and Burns, on March 15.
That was the only loss of
the season for Burns, which
went on to win the Class 3A
culminating event.
Another highlight, Lind
said, was traveling to St.
Paul and sweeping the
Buckaroos March 12. That
victory was especially sat-
isfying after St. Paul denied
the Badgers a state title in
2018 and 2019.
“That was really fun to
go down there and beat St.
Paul on its home court,”
Lind said.
As dominant as the Bad-
gers’ performance was
on the court this season,
Lind said she was equally
impressed with her players’
attitudes as they dealt with
an unprecedented situation.
“I think the girls were
super grateful and excited to
play,” Lind said. “These kids
had a lot of fun together.”
During the Badgers’ fi nal
practice, it’s a tradition for
the seniors to impart advice
to their younger teammates.
This year, the fi ve Powder
Valley seniors didn’t waste
a single word talking about
the disappointments of their
fi nal season.
“There was no nega-
tivity,” Lind said. “They
said don’t take anything
for granted, and enjoy it
while you can. They
have an amazing, really
mature, perspective.”
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Cougars football team ends with win
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
WALLOWA — Zeb
Hermens saved his best for
last, and stepped in a major
way when the Wallowa
Cougars needed him to.
The senior, who fi lled
in for an injured Lute
Ramsden at quarterback,
rushed for 224 yards and
four touchdowns and
passed for two more scores
as the shorthanded Cou-
gars fought off the Elgin
Huskies Friday afternoon,
April 9, in their season
fi nale, 58-42.
“Essentially we
were playing without
three all-state two-way
starters,” head coach Matt
Ellen Morris Bishop/For the Wallowa County Chieftain
Brockamp said. “Elgin
has some big, strong phys- Wallowa High’s Zeb Hermens shakes Husky tacklers on a touchdown
run in the fourth quarter during the Cougars’ fi nal game of the season
ical kids and they ran the
ball well. They ran the ball Friday, April 9, 2021, in Elgin.
hard. ... It was neat to see
our kids keep playing hard the way, Wallowa rushed
and 14 assists, and
Ramsden had three tackles
and keep scoring and keep for 405 yards, and fi n-
and six assists.
ahead of them.”
ished with 484 yards of
Brockamp said the
The Cougars were
total off ense. Bales had 99
defense had to
without Lute Ramsden
shuffl e players
and Colby Mandal in
“It was neat to see our
around until Wal-
the Elgin game, both
lowa was able to fi nd
injured in last week’s
kids keep playing hard
a combination to get
win over Powder
the stops needed.
Valley, and lost Zeb
and keep scoring and
“It was musical
Ramsden in the second
keep ahead of them.”
chairs for a little bit
quarter due to injury.
until we got some-
Hermens engi-
— Matt Brockamp, Wallowa football
thing we felt a little
neered the Cougar
head coach
more comfortable
off ense — largely with
with,” Brockamp
his legs, carrying the
said. “And we made
ball 27 times to pile
up his yardage. He also
yards rushing and a touch- a couple stops, we forced
a couple turnovers, and
was 5-for-10 passing for
down and also had 48
were able to keep scoring
79 yards and two scores
yards receiving, and Zeb
and stay ahead of them,
— one to Tristin Bales
Ramsden had 52 yards
and make plays on special
and one to Ryder Goller.
rushing and 20 receiving
teams as well.”
Defensively, he had six
before leaving with an
With the win, Wallowa
solo tackles and assisted
injury.
wraps up the spring with a
on six more.
Defensively, Jesse
record of 4-1.
With Hermens leading
Duncan had fi ve tackles