Sports
ON THE SLATE
A9
Thursday, December 9, 2021
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
THURSDAY, DEC. 9
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
Elgin at Four Rivers, 6:30 p.m.
Calvin Hiatt Memorial Basketball Tour-
nament, North Powder
Union vs. Prairie City, Powder Valley Middle
School, 5:30 p.m.
Echo vs. Powder Valley, Powder Valley High
School, 5:30 p.m.
Joseph vs. Adrian, Powder Valley Middle
School 8:30 p.m.
Imbler vs. Jordan Valley, Powder Valley High
School, 8:30 p.m.
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
Elgin at Four Rivers, 5 p.m.
Calvin Hiatt Memorial Basketball Tour-
nament, North Powder
Echo vs. Powder Valley, Powder Valley High
School, 4 p.m.
Union vs. Prairie City, Powder Valley Middle
School 4 p.m.
Joseph vs. Adrian, Powder Valley Middle
School, 7 p.m.
Imbler vs. Jordan Valley, Powder Valley
MIddle School, 8:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, DEC. 10
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
Cove at Central Christian, 4:30 p.m.
La Grande at Molalla, 7 p.m.
Wallowa at Horizon Christian/Hood River,
7:30 p.m.
Calvin Hiatt Memorial Basketball Tour-
nament, North Powder
Adrian vs. Enterprise, Powder Valley High
School, 1:30 p.m.
Union vs. Pine Eagle, Powder Valley Middle
School, 4 p.m.
Jordan Valley vs. Joseph, Powder Valley
High School, 4:30 p.m.
Dufur vs. Imbler, Powder Valley Middle
School, 7 p.m.
Powder Valley vs. Prairie City, Powder Valley
High School, 7:30 p.m
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
Cove at Central Christian, 3 p.m.
La Grande at Molalla, 5:30 p.m.
Wallowa at Horizon Christian/Hood River,
6 p.m.
Calvin Hiatt Memorial Basketball Tour-
nament, North Powder
Adrian vs. Enterprise, Powder Valley High
School, noon
Union vs. Pine Eagle, Powder Valley Middle
School, 2:30 p.m.
Jordan Valley vs. Joseph, Powder Valley
High School, 3 p.m.
Dufur vs. Imbler, 5:30 p.m.
Powder Valley vs. Prairie City, Powder Valley
High School, 6 p.m.
PREP WRESTLING
La Grande, Elgin, Enterprise, Imbler, Union/
Cove at Muilenburg, La Grande High
School, 3 p.m.
SATURDAY, DEC. 11
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
La Grande at Estacada, 12:30 p.m.
Sherman at Elgin, 2:30 p.m.
Wallowa vs. Trout Lake, Hood River,
2:30 p.m.
Cove/Central Christian winner vs. South
Wasco County/Dayville-Monument winner,
South Wasco County High School, TBA
Calvin Hiatt Memorial Basketball Tour-
nament, North Powder
Jordan Valley vs. Enterprise, Powder Valley
Middle School, 11:30 a.m.
Joseph vs. Tri-Valley, Idaho, Powder Valley
Middle School, 2:30 p.m.
Imbler vs. Adrian, Powder Valley High
School, 3 p.m.
Powder Valley vs. Union, Powder Valley
High School, 6 p.m.
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
La Grande at Estacada, 11 a.m.
Sherman at Elgin, 1 p.m.
Wallowa vs. Trout Lake, Hood River, 1 p.m.
Cove/Central Christian winner vs. South
Wasco County/Dayville-Monument winner,
South Wasco County High School, TBA
Calvin Hiatt Memorial Basketball Tour-
nament, North Powder
Jordan Valley vs. Enterprise, Powder Valley
Middle School, 10 a.m.
Joseph vs. Tri-Valley, Idaho, Powder Valley
Middle School, 1 p.m.
Imbler vs. Adrian, Powder Valley High
School, 1:30 p.m.
Powder Valley vs. Union, Powder Valley
High School, 6 p.m.
PREP WRESTLING
La Grande, Elgin, Enterprise, Imbler, Union/
Cove at Muilenburg, La Grande High
School, 7 a.m.
TUESDAY, DEC. 14
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
Fruitland, Idaho, vs. La Grande, 6 p.m.
Enterprise at Joseph, 7 p.m.
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
Enterprise at Joseph, 5:30 p.m.
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Elgin freshman Collin Smith dribbles between Enterprise JV defenders Levi Ortswam, left, and Ethan Lyon, right, during a matchup on Tuesday, Dec. 7,
2021. Smith is one of fi ve freshmen on Elgin’s roster that will be looking to lead the way this season.
FROM THE BOTTOM UP
Elgin rebuilding
after graduation of
nine seniors from
last year’s team
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
E
LGIN — The Huskies are building
from scratch.
After a season with no basketball
last year that saw nine seniors graduate
from the school, the Elgin boys basket-
ball team is looking for its young players
to step up. While wins may be tough
to come by this season, the Huskies are
looking to establish an identity.
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
See, Boys/Page A10
Elgin’s Brandon Medlock (22) drives as teammate Austin Bergman (21) sets a pick on Enterprise JV
player Levi Ortswam on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. The Huskies fell to Enterprise 57-10.
Huskies ready to be back on the court
Elgin did not play any
spring season games
By JEFF BUDLONG
For The Observer
E
LGIN — Last season was a lost cam-
paign for the Elgin girls basketball
team and head coach Brian Evans.
The third-year coach did not get a chance
to lead his team into any games because of
the pandemic, and it is having an impact on
this year’s deep but inexperienced squad.
“We were able to do a monthlong bas-
ketball conditioning camp where we just
did fundamentals and conditioning drills,”
he said. “We never got the green light to
play games.”
Because of that, Evans believes he is
starting from where his team left off two
years ago. The Huskies have 15 players on
the roster this season, but just two seniors
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
in guard Gracie Evans and post Erika
Adams. The remaining members are either Elgin’s Erika Adams (25) drives between Enterprise defenders Jada Gray, left, and Rilyn Kirkland, right,
at Elgin High School on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. Adams, along with teammate Gracie Evans were part of
sophomores or freshmen.
See, Girls/Page A10
an Elgin team that went 20-6 two seasons ago, but their most important contribution — at least early
on this season — may be leadership.
SPORTS SHORT
La Grande set to host 2021 Muilenburg tournament
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — One of the
biggest wrestling events of the
year is set to return to La Grande
this weekend.
The Muilenburg Wrestling
Tournament is set to welcome
in elite wrestlers from Oregon
and out of state to take part in
the competition at La Grande
High School. The action begins
at 3 p.m. on Friday Dec. 10, and
concludes after a full day of
wrestling on Dec. 11.
According to La Grande head
coach Klel Carson, 16 teams will
be in attendance for the tourna-
ment. Several out-of-state wres-
tling programs will be attending
from Idaho, as well as power-
house schools from across the
state.
The tournament honors Brian
Muilenburg, a district champion
wrestler at La Grande who went
on to wrestle at Oregon State
University. Muilenburg died in a
traffi c accident in the 1980s.
The top four wrestlers in
each weight division will receive
awards, which takes place at the
conclusion of the fi nal match of
each division. The top placing
teams will be selected for the
6A/5A/4A/3A division and the
2A/1A team scores.
A new feature of the event
will be an honorary award ded-
icated to Ryan Jorgensen, a
former La Grande wrestler who
recently died at the age of 41.
Jorgensen graduated from La
Grande in 1999 and wrestled for
Oregon State University for two
years. Outstanding wrestlers of
the tournament will receive an
honorary award named in Jor-
gensen’s honor.
Tournament passes are $10 for
adults and $8 for students, while
daily passes are $6 for adults and
$5 for students.
The Observer, File
La Grande’s Braden Carson tries to break the grip of Tillamook’s Quintin
Metcalfe on Saturday, March 2, 2020, during the 126-pound fi nal in Portland
in his state-title victory. Carson and the Tigers are set to host the Muilenburg
Wrestling Tournament, which begins on Friday, Dec. 10.