Sports
A7
Tuesday, November 30, 2021
IMBLER WRESTLING
Burns
leads the
way for
growing
team
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
season for Adrian, and would
hold the lead until midway
through the fourth quarter.
Within just two minutes, both
teams had found the end zone in
what looked to be a fast-paced
game. While the teams heated
up in the second half, the first
half was more of a defensive,
ground-and-pound matchup.
Late in the first quarter, the
Powder Valley defense came up
with a huge stop on fourth-and-
goal at the team’s own eight-yard
line. Just when it looked like the
Antelopes were going to retake
the lead, the Badgers gathered
steam and started the march
down the field as the first quarter
ended at 8-6.
Early in the second quarter,
senior Case Olson broke loose
for a 65-yard rushing touchdown
that put the Badgers up 16-6
and ignited the Powder Valley
sideline.
In the midst of Powder Val-
ley’s momentum, Adrian stayed
calm and kept to its game plan
— this was the case throughout
the entirety of the contest.
Conley Martin concluded a
productive drive with a two-
yard touchdown run to cut the
lead to 16-14. Despite delving
IMBLER — When Garrett
Burns defeated Central Linn’s
Blake Owens by a 6-2 decision
last June, he made Imbler wres-
tling history.
Burns dominated the 120-
pound weight class and became
the first Imbler wrestler to win
two individual state titles. The
best part for Imbler head coach
Doug Hislop is that Burns still
has his senior year to build on
his legacy. The senior will be
the cornerstone of an Imbler
wrestling team that has seen a
sizable increase in turnout over
the last several years.
“Last year was a great year
with just four wrestlers — they
all placed at the district tour-
nament,” Hislop said. “I would
like to say that’s a possibility
this year, that’s the goal.”
Hislop expects eight boys
wrestlers and two girls wres-
tlers to compete for the Pan-
thers this year, a major uptick
from having four wrestlers each
of the last two seasons. In 2019,
two wrestlers were injured and
Imbler had only two competing
by the end of the season.
Burns will lead the way
once again this year, looking
to defend his state title. In his
junior campaign, Burns went
9-1 and helped Imbler capture
18th place out of 48 schools
at the 2021 2A/1A state tour-
nament. His only loss last
season came at the hands of
La Grande’s Kai Carson, a 4A
opponent.
“It’s going to take a heck of
a kid at the 1A or 2A level to
beat Garrett,” Hislop said.
Burns wasn’t the only wres-
tler to make history last year —
teammate Alex Hunter became
the first Imbler freshman to
qualify for a state tourna-
ment. Hunter switched schools
to Lighthouse Academy, but
will be eligible to compete for
his home district (Imbler) this
season. Hislop has not been
able to practice Hunter yet in
following OSAA guidelines.
Hunter competed at the 113-
pound weight class last season
and could be a crucial piece
of Imbler’s plans this year as a
sophomore.
See, Thriller/Page A8
See, Wrestling/Page A8
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Powder Valley’s Case Olson (25) pushes his way through the center against Adrian High School on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021, on the Baker High School field. The
Badgers lost to the Adrian Antelopes 46-38 during the final match for the OSAA 1A State Championship in a heartbreaking finale that saw Adrian come back in the
fourth quarter to take the title.
CHAMPIONSHIP
THRILLER
Powder Valley
football team
comes up just
short in 1A
title game
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
B
AKER CITY — In
a game of inches,
Powder Valley came
up just shy of a state
championship.
The Badgers exchanged
blows with top-seeded Adrian
in the OSAA 1A State Champi-
onship, but the Antelopes ulti-
mately came out on top. Despite
leading through the first three
quarters, the Powder Valley
football team was bested 46-38
at Baker Bulldog Memorial Sta-
dium in Baker City on Saturday,
Nov. 27.
“The boys played out-
standing,” Powder Valley head
coach Josh Cobb said. “We just
ran out of time.”
Coming into the title
matchup, top-seeded Adrian
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Casey Vaughan (4) hypes up his fellow Powder Valley Badgers during halftime
inside the Baker High School locker room on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021. The Bad-
gers just missed winning the OSAA 1A State Championship against the Adrian
Antelopes.
had not trailed to an opponent
all season and had outscored
its opposing teams 618-54. The
Antelopes bested Powder Valley
38-0 on Oct. 1, but the cham-
pionship game proved to be a
much more competitive contest.
The action between the two
teams was neck-and-neck for
four quarters, with both fan-
bases packing the stands in
Baker City.
The Antelopes started things
at their normal pace, taking an
early lead. Adrian quarterback
Conley Martin, this year’s 1A
Special District 2 East player of
the year, ran in a 61-yard rushing
touchdown on Adrian’s first
play of the game to take a quick
6-0 lead. The quarterback fin-
ished with 211 rushing yards,
57 passing yards and four total
touchdowns.
Powder Valley did not back
down, as junior Cole Martin ran
the ensuing kickoff for a 94-yard
touchdown. The Badgers con-
verted the extra point to take an
8-6 lead, the first deficit of the
IMBLER GIRLS BASKETBALL
IMBLER BOYS BASKETBALL
Imbler a combination of Unproven boys team looking
to hit the ground running
experience and youth
By JEFF BUDLONG
For The Observer
IMBLER — Imbler
will look to incorporate a
mixture of experience and
youth into a successful girls
basketball team this season.
The Panthers return six
upperclassmen to lead a
team that will be supple-
mented by 14 freshmen and
sophomores. It is a bit of a
chemistry experiment for
head coach Darci Sweet and
her team coming off an 0-7
pandemic-shortened season.
“Win-loss, it didn’t go
as well as it could have, but
just getting that time in the
gym and having the chance
to work together helped us,”
Sweet said.
The Panthers have a
four-year varsity post player
in Joelle Treat returning.
She is the team’s go-to
option, but Sweet said it is
her growth as a leader that
has impressed her the most.
“She has really worked
on finding a way to become
a scoring threat for us,”
Sweet said. “She is a great
rebounder.”
She is joined by fellow
seniors Audree Treat,
Joelle’s cousin, and Kendra
Counsell. Treat handles
the point guard duties with
Counsell working next to
her as a shooting guard.
Three juniors also return in
Elidia Rivas, Alyssa Jen-
nings and Sadie Bingaman.
Rivas joins Joelle Treat
in the post to give the Pan-
thers size and experience,
entering her third year
on varsity. She will help
offset the graduation of
Anika McDonald. Jennings
and Bingaman both have
experience at the guard
positions.
Sweet knows the six
upperclassmen will play an
important role in helping
develop their young
teammates.
“With all those
freshmen, the majority
of them have been in our
program since the fourth
grade,” she said. “It is a ton
of young, eager and athletic
girls. They need leadership
from the girls who have
been in the varsity program
for three and four years.”
Sweet said several
freshmen will have the
opportunity to carve out a
role for the varsity team,
with some bringing a dif-
ferent dynamic to the floor.
“There are a couple of
great athletes in that group,”
Sweet said. “Defensively, I
feel like we will have more
speed and quickness than
we have had in the past,
which allows us to do some
other things.”
Sweet is using practices
and the early season to help
determine what the identity
of this team will be. Youth
provides possibilities, but
See, Girls/Page A8
— as many new names and
faces work to merge into a
IMBLER — It’s a fresh
cohesive unit.
new start for the Imbler
“I’m going to lean on
Panthers.
them quite a bit,” Had-
dock said. “Bingaman is
Coming off a 1-6 spring
season, the Imbler boys bas- chomping at the bit to get
ketball team is banking on
going, and Carter Crook
its two seniors to lead
is coming off a real
a very young group
good football season
in the 2021-22 season.
and will give us good
With a large group
leadership.”
of inexperienced
Another key ele-
ment for Imbler will
players, the ceiling is
be 6-foot-3-inch soph-
high for the potential
Haddock
omore Justin Frost,
of this year’s team.
the team’s tallest
“We’ve got work
player.
to do. We’re going to go
“He’s a big kid and he’s
through the bumps and
learning. He’s got some
bruises that I think any
obvious size that we’ll be
young team goes through,”
looking to use,” Haddock
Imbler head coach Tony
said. “The best thing about
Haddock said.
Justin is as he’s gotten older,
The Panthers come into
the season with two seniors, his athleticism has caught
up with his growth spurt.
one junior and 16 under-
classmen. Haddock empha- He’s got pretty good feet for
sized the importance of
a bigger guy.”
his two seniors — Carter
Frost is one of the many
Crook and Nate Bingaman
underclassmen on the
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
Imbler roster who will be
looking to carve out a big
role with the team. Haddock
emphasized the impor-
tance of protecting the paint
in high school basketball,
noting that Frost will be
crucial in the team’s efforts.
“We’re going to lean
on him quite a bit in the
middle,” Haddock said.
“He’s going to have to do
some back-to-the-basket
scoring, rebound and defend
everybody’s big. He’s going
to have to be physical and
not back down. He’s cer-
tainly our main source of
size.”
Imbler gets off to a fast
start this season, facing off
with 2A schools Union and
Stanfield. The Panthers will
compete at the Calvin Hiatt
Memorial Tournament at
Powder Valley High School
and the Union Bobcat
Classic before their league
See, Boys/Page A8