2021: YEAR in REVIEW
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021
Continued from Page C6
In his fourth full season at
Eastern, McCullough broke
the individual all-time scoring
record in a game against Warner
Pacifi c on April 4. The Post
Falls, Idaho, native broke Randy
Dolven’s previous record of
1,790 points, a mark that stood
since 1967.
Despite suff ering a sea-
son-ending injury in an exhibi-
tion at Gonzaga to start off the
2021-22 season, the star point
guard tallied a career total of
2,129 points — a record that
will likely stand for quite some
time. McCullough has worked
to be the ultimate teammate,
improving his assist numbers
every season and growing as a
leader on and off the court.
On the pitch, Farrington
topped a record that stood since
2006. The senior scored her
30th career goal in a match
against Carroll on Oct. 22, to
become the program’s all-time
leading goal scorer. The forward
hit two goals in the same contest
to both tie and break the pro-
gram record on the same night.
Cambree Scott has been
one of the most electric vol-
leyball players at Eastern in
MacMillan’s assertive run-
ning style became the identity of
a La Grande team that went 7-2
on the year and made it to the
quarterfi nal round of the OSAA
4A state tournament.
“His drive and love for the
game is unmatched,” head
coach Rich McIlmoil said. “I’ve
never seen a kid with that much
love for football. He absolutely
loves the game and will leave it
all on the fi eld.”
MACMILLAN OVERCOMES
SEVERE INJURY, COMES
BACK TO DOMINATE ON MOUNTAINEERS TRAVEL
THE GRIDIRON
TO PLAY TOP-RANKED
GONZAGA
LA GRANDE — Watching
Brody MacMillan’s brutal run-
ning style from the stands
during the 2021 fall football
season, one might not even be
aware that the star running back
suff ered a catastrophic injury
less than a year before.
The La Grande tailback and
linebacker suff ered ACL, LCL
and meniscus injuries in a game
against Vale on March 19 during
the 2021 spring season.
After working endlessly to
rehab and recover during the
summer, MacMillan returned
to the team in Week 3 against
Estacada and never looked back.
The senior dominated the run-
ning lanes game in and game
out, regularly rushing for sev-
eral touchdowns per game and
easily topping 100 yards.
SPOKANE, Wash. — In a
once-in-a-lifetime experience,
the Eastern Oregon University
men’s basketball team traveled to
Spokane to face the NCAA No. 1
Gonzaga Bulldogs on Oct. 31.
Fans at The Kennel packed
the stadium as the Bulldogs
came away with a 115-62 vic-
tory. While the learning expe-
rience was substantial for the
Eastern players and coaches,
a handful of injuries sustained
during the game cast a dark
shadow over the trip north. Star
guard Max McCullough was
injured early in the game, put-
ting an end to his season.
The AP No. 1 team in the
country opened up its season in
front of a packed house, just one
season removed from coming a
game shy of an NCAA champi-
onship. The stakes in this exhi-
bition might not have been as
high, but the intensity in the sta-
dium was immense.
Eastern held its own
throughout the game, despite
the heavy skill diff erential. The
Zags maintained a 52-27 lead
at halftime that extended in the
second half when Eastern had to
dig deep into its rotation due to
injuries.
Aside from the injuries,
the players took away quite
the experience. Playing in
a packed arena against the
nation’s top talent in the sport
set an example of what can be
achieved in the sport of basket-
ball. Battling against All-Amer-
icans and potential top NBA
draft picks set the stage for the
remainder of Eastern’s schedule
in the 2021-22 season.
LOCAL LITTLE LEAGUE
TEAMS TAKE HOME
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
LA GRANDE — It was
a memorable year for Union
County Little League teams,
taking home two state titles.
The Union County Junior
softball team won the Oregon
Junior League Championship
on July 11, at Eastern Oregon
University, defeating Warm
Springs 10-7. The victory marks
the fi rst time a Union County
All-Star Little League team has
won a state championship since
2004.
“This group was deter-
mined to play hard and had
great attitudes,” head coach
Meghan Counsell said. “They
really worked at it and were
determined.”
On the boys side, the La
Grande Junior baseball team
defeated South Central 14-12 in
the championship game of the
Oregon Little League Junior
Baseball Tournament on July
21, in Turner.
“The kids went into the
game knowing that we were
going to fi ght hard and give it
all we got,” La Grande head
coach Kirk Fenley said.
La Grande earned its spot
in the state tournament after
defeating Wallowa 19-8 in the
District 3 tournament in Baker
City. The juniors, whose ages
range from 12 to 14, competed
against Baker and Wallowa in
a double-elimination district
tournament before traveling to
Turner’s Cascade Sports Com-
plex for the state tournament.
Neither team was able to
advance to a regional or state
competition because of the
pandemic, but the two Union
County teams represented the
county well in Little League
play this past year.
SPORTS TOP STORIES
un SPORTS:
recent memory, dominating
defensively at the net. Scott
broke the program record for
career blocks and ended the
2021 season with 525. She is set
to return to the program next
season, presenting Scott with an
opportunity to further distance
herself as the all-time leader in
blocks at Eastern.
THE OBSERVER — C7
2021 Year in Review: In Memoriam
The Observer bids
farewell to residents
of Union and
Wallowa counties
who died in 2021.
Crawford “C.J.” Bryan
Barbara Buce
Carol Buckley
Melvin “Mel” Buffi ngton
Joshua Burright
Beverly Bushman
Leroy Bushman
Kathleen Buttram
C
A
Arden Abel
Robert Ahlbrandt
Betty Alam
Charles “Chuck” Anderson Jr.
Larry Anderson
Linda Anderson
Patricia Anderson
Virginia Anderson
Joseph Aragon
Frank Archambeau
Keith Arnold
Freida “Gail” Atwood
B
Howard Bailey
Scott Baker
Crescence “Cres” Bakker
Hugh “Eric” Barker
Chane “Chain” Barnard
Sally Barrow
Ruthann Batty
Kendall Baxter
David Bean
Skip Beardsley
Richard “Dick” Beedle
James “Joe” Bellisle
Marcia Bergstrom
Alvin Bennett
Donald “Don” Berry
Eileen Berry
Beverly Bibler
Richard Bidwell
Nancy Biechler
Lloyd “Harry” Bigler
Lois Bigler
Steven Bloyed
Anthony “Tony” Boesch
Gene Bolin
Brenda Bomberger
Dewald Boswell
Carmella Bourhill
William “Bill” Bowen
Susan Boyd
Albert Boyle
Arthur “Mike” Brennan
Edcil Bright
Donna Brodhead
Merald “Rusty” Brodhead
Earnest “Beryl” Brookshire
Frederick “Fred” Brown
J.B. Brown
Marlene Brown
Mary Brown
Van Brown
Kerry Cameron
Harold Campbell
Douglas Carper
George Carratello
Connie Carter
William “Bill” Carter
Ettore “Eddie” Cascio
Wanda Case
Howard Castle
Karen Catlin
Annette Cheatham
Wayne Christensen
Lawrence “Larry” Christman
James Clark
Pamela Clark
Robert Clark
Gloria Clements
Thomas “Tom” Collins
Hubert “Herb” Comfort
Patti Comstock
Bobby Cornford
Kathleen Costa
David Council
Richard Crabb
Steve Craig
Gerald Crawford
Michelle Crepeau
Richard Croft
Donald Crow
Stephen Cruikshank
Judy Culp
Tamara “Tammy” Culver
D
LaNeva Davis
Melvin Davis
Cecle DeFries
Thomas “Tom” Dehart
Lorenzo “Lorry” DelCurto
Teresa DiFalco
Caroline Dominic
Linda Doss
Timothy Doss
Chauncey Doty
Gaynell Dougherty
Virginia “Gin” Drew
Connie Driskell
Leslie DuCharme
Patricia “Pat” Duff ey
Raymond Duggins
Michael “Mike” Dunn
Milton “Bill” Durand
E
Lois Ebel
Raymond “Ray” Eitelgorge
Clyde Elliott IV
Kelly Elliott
Gloria Engleson
Sherill “Butch” Estes
Shelia Evans
Virginia “Peggy” Evans
Frances ”LaDon” Evers
F
Patricia Fager
Verna Feik
Brigette Ferguson
Margey Fisher
Philip Flanders
G
Lloyd Garinger
Gary Gaston
Patricia “Pat” Gemaehlich
Millicent “Peggy” Gentle
Jerry Lou Gerber
Gregory “Greg” Gerke
Claudine Gilkison
Frank Gladden IV
Edythe Glenn
Lise Gott
Ermal Goucher
Bob Gregory
Bethaleen “Beth” Green
Faith Green
Forrest Green
Patricia Greene
Claytie “Lori” Greenway
Marcia “Sunny” Greer
Dean “Dan” Gruis
H
Donna Hack
Kathryn “Kay” Hadden
Walter Haldenwang
Lilyan Hale
Reta Hallgarth
Carole Halvorson
Wilfred “Willie” Hamann
Everett “Butch” Hancock
Theresa Hansen
Vera Harmon
Rebecca Harper
Ted Harris
Christen Hart
Sondra “Soni” Harvey
Ronald Hayward Jr.
James “Jimmy” Hebert
Tona Helbling
Gayleen Henderson
Vera Henderson
Courtney Hendrickson
Charity Henry
Glen Henry
Verla Henry
Edith “Marie” Hewitt
Icey Hewitt
Patrick Higgins
Rolland Hilde
Teresa “Terri” Hocker
Shane Homan
Michael Hopkins
Donald “Don” Houtz
William “Bill” Howell
James Hubbard
Jean “Jeannie” Huizenga
Dorothy Hunt
Judith “Judy” Hunt
Allen “Buster” Hunter
Dale Johnson
LaVon Johnson
Lois Johnson
Peggy Johnson
Raymond Johnson
Thomas Johnson
Dennis Jones
Edward Jones
James “Jim” Jones
Ryan “Jorgy” Jorgensen
Hulett “Hugh” McDowell Jr.
Linda McEntarff er
Mae McGinnis
Harry “Gene” McKinney
Brian “Tim” McManus
John McNair
Kristine McNair
Evelyn Meeker
Eugene Meier
Steven Merrick
Donald Miller
June Miller
Michael Miller
Phillip Miller
Ronald Miller
Rosie Miller
Clinton Millman
Teresa Miniard
Rusty Mink
Edith Mitts
Lee Mitts
Max Moffi t
Alvin Montgomery
Alta “Rose” Moore
LeeRoy Moschkau
Margaret Moss
Larry Murphy
Mindy Musgrove
K
N
I
Mary “Linda” Iles
Marina Ilona
Jerry Ingerson
Lee Insko
J
Robert Kautz
John Keff er
Michael “Larry” Keff er
Wesly Kilgore
George “Roger” Kirkland
Steven King
Ryan Kissinger
Velda Klein
Beverly Kleng
Mark Kubin
Shirley Kunkel
L
Lawrence “Larry” Laber
Brenda Lamoureux
Patsy Lang
DebbraAnn Langley
Rita Lanman
Allen Lee
Mark Letteriello
Malcolm Letts
Patricia “Pat” Lewis
Catherine “Cathy” Lindsey
Alice Literal
Thomas “Tommy” Little Jr.
Inez Locken
Christopher Longfellow
Nancy Loper
Stanley Ludviksen
Julia Luse
Pat Lynn
M
Reginald Madsen
Kaz Marsh
Maria Martinez
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William Niday
Robert Niswender
O
Virginia “Ginger” Oldham
Fauna Ollis
Meri Olmsted
Ronald Olsen
Verlea Olsen
William “Bill” Olson
Sue Orlaske
P
Floriece Papenfuhs
Helen “Lynn” Parker
Hershell Parker
William “Bill” Paxton
Rodney Payant
Norman Payne
Gerald Peeke
Joseph Perez
Catherine Peters
Nedra Peters
Delta Phelps
Glennis Phillips
Samuel Polkinghorne
Richard Pollard
Julia Pound
Cecil Puckett
Q
Albert “Hurshel” Quebbeman
R
Debra “Debbie” Rachau
Marilyn Rachau
Jan Randolph
Ivy Read
Esther Rickert
Jerald “Jerry” Rickman
Margaret Rimbey
Charles “Charlie” Ritter
Alvy Robb Jr.
Larry Robbins
Rebecca “Becky” Roberson
Carol Roberts
Michael Robinson
Dillon Rogers
James “Jim” Romine
Barbara Rounsavell-Lamoreaux
Jimmy Runnels
Linda Ruth
Jeff rey Rysdam
S
James “Jim” Sailer
Leland Sams
Terry Sandoval
Lawrence Sauer
Marjorie Savage
Lucinda Sawyer
Donald Schaeff er
William Schmidt
Susan Schmittle
Susan Schultz
Christopher Schwebke
Evan Schwebke
Conner Seale
William “Don” Shade Jr.
Charlotte Shepherd
Patricia Shepherd
Elma Sherwood
Cindy Shipp
Audrey “Sue” Simer
Ronald Simonis
Janet Sims
Gerald “Jerry” Sink
Christian Skinner
Phyllis “Ilene” Sloan
George Smith
Ricky Smith
Brett Snyder
Larry Snyder
Reta Snyder
Lorna Spain
Brian Spencer
Patricia Spivey
Maryann Stahl
Robert Staley
Sally Staples
Pauline “Ann” Steele
Frank “Hugh” Stephens
Bradley Stewart
Ray Stinnett
Edward Stradley
Mark Strickland
Marilyn Suarez
Agnes Sudway
Norman Svaty
Verna Svaty
Sylvia Sweet
T
Phyllis Taylor
Mildred Thatcher
George “Cecil” Thompson
James “Jim” Thompson
Marie Thompson
Marilyn Thompson
Nellie Thompson
George Tishmack Jr.
Derrell “Jim” Tooke
Sally Touche-Moser
Jeannine Trotter
Roberta Truax
Mary Trump
Grant Tsiatsos
Marlene Turner
Sandy Twigg
John Tye
V
Vernon Valiant
Edith Van Ausdle
Ted Vandenberg
Elaine Voetberg
William “Will” Voss
W
Cheryl Wagoner
Loma Wagoner
Phyllis Walch
Wayne Wallace
Clista “Chris” Ward
Coral Ward
Bernice Webster
Jerome Weiner
Rodney Weitman
Norman Werst
Ronald West
Richard “Dick” Wheeler
Mary “June” Whitaker
Marcella Widell
Henry Wilhelm
Darrel Williams
Joett Williams
Warren Williams
Earl Winer
Jessica Winger
Jerry Winkle
James “Jim” Wiseman
Fern Witherrite
Donald Woodward
Darryl Wray
Y
James Yost
Keith Young
Z
Fredrick “Fred” Zachow
Wishing you a safe and
Happy New Year!
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