Sports
A7
Tuesday, April 12, 2022
A long
road back
Beavers QB Tristan Gebbia
battles for the starting job
By NICK DASCHEL
The Oregonian
CORVALLIS — Where it started
for Oregon State quarterback Tristan
Gebbia: Late in the fourth quarter on a
crisp Nov. 27, 2020, evening in Reser
Stadium, Gebbia attempts to give Oregon
State the lead in its game against Oregon.
On third-and-goal from the Oregon
1, Gebbia takes the center snap and tries
diving into the end zone. As he’s making
a last-ditch lunge, Oregon safety Verone
McKinley III grabs Gebbia’s leg.
The action not only prevents Gebbia
from scoring, it causes two hamstring
ligaments to tear from the bone. Days
later, Gebbia’s hamstring is surgically
repaired, but he’s told recovery is a
12-to-18-month process.
How it’s going for Gebbia: It’s some
16 months later, and Gebbia is fully
engaged in OSU’s spring practice,
moving as he did prior to the injury.
The sixth-year senior, declaring he’s
100 percent, has an eye on returning to
the field this fall as the Beavers’ starting
quarterback.
It won’t be easy. Gebbia not only has
to beat out incumbent starter Chance
Nolan, but perhaps J.T. Daniels, should
the Georgia graduate transfer decide to
play his final year at Oregon State.
Win or lose the job, Gebbia says he
feels “blessed” to be in the competition.
“There was a point in time where it was
looking bleak for me to be back. I’m very
happy that I’m out there,” Gebbia said.
Prior to the injury, Gebbia spent the
better part of two years earning the
starting job. Transferring from Nebraska
to OSU in 2018, Gebbia took a redshirt
year, then played one season behind
senior Jake Luton. In 2020, Gebbia was
promoted to starter, and with each game,
grew into the job.
The apex of Gebbia’s season came
against Oregon. Gebbia and the OSU
offense had its way for the most part
against the Ducks, piling up yards
through the air and on the ground.
Trailing 31-19 heading into the fourth
quarter, Gebbia piloted the Beavers on
two touchdown drives, and potentially
a third with less than a minute remaining.
Oregon State eventually got into the
end zone and won the game, but Gebbia
could only watch the finishing touches
from the sideline. As Gebbia came up
short on that fateful third-and-goal play,
he hopped to the sideline on one leg.
Months afterward, even a year later,
Beaver fans seethed on social media
about McKinley’s attempted tackle of
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group
La Grande’s Devin Bell (5) connects with a pitch at Optimist Field, La Grande, on Thursday, April 7, 2022. La Grande swept Ontario in a doubleheader,
posting 14-1 and 19-1 wins in its first home games of the season.
FAST
START
Tigers excel in
nonconference
slate behind
all-around
efforts of senior
Devin Bell
By DAVIS CARBAUGH • The Observer
L
A GRANDE —
The Tigers are
firing out of the
gates this season.
The La Grande varsity baseball team
started the season in strong form, rat-
tling off wins and benefiting from key
performances from players all across
the diamond. Senior Devin Bell has
anchored La Grande’s hitting prowess
during the fast start to the season, gar-
nering statewide honors.
“I think that compared to the other
teams we’ve played, our teamwork is
like a brotherhood with each other and
that leads us to play amazing on the
field,” Bell said. “As soon as this base-
ball season started, we were all right
into it. We just got straight into it like
we never left.”
The Tigers have cruised through
the first third of the season, defeating
most opponents in dominant fashion. La
Grande is 10-1 on the year, riding a six-
game winning streak into the bulk of
league competition.
Facing a heavy slate of nonconfer-
ence road games to start off the season,
La Grande came out on top with an
8-1 record through the competition in
Washington, Arizona and the west side
of Oregon. Upon returning home for the
first official games on the new turf at
Pioneer Park, the Tigers stayed in top
form with a convincing doubleheader
victory over Ontario to begin league
play. La Grande won game one 14-1
and ran away with a 19-1 victory in the
second matchup.
The Tigers have left little in ques-
tion in most of their victories this year,
scoring double digits in seven games
and winning by nearly 10 runs on
average — while holding opponents to
an average of 2.3 runs per contest.
Leading the way at the plate so far
has been Bell, who has been a night-
mare to opposing pitchers. Through
11 games, Bell is averaging .542 at the
plate with 18 runs and 32 RBIs. The
senior noted that the players on the team
have been playing together for years,
making for a smooth transition from the
See, Tigers/Page A8
See, Gebbia/Page A8
EOU mines another gem out of Heppner
Brock Hisler joins a long list of former Mustangs to become a Mountaineer
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
HEPPNER — Heppner High
School has turned out several top-
notch football players over the
years, and Eastern Oregon Univer-
sity coach Tim Camp has tried to
scoop up as many as he can.
Brock Hisler is the latest
Heppner player to join the
Mountaineers.
“I’m very excited,” Hisler said.
“We were emailing back and forth
and they invited me up for a visit.”
For Camp, getting Heppner
youths in his program is a bonus.
“They are good kids and they
work hard,” Camp said. “Coach
(Greg) Grant does such a great job.
He gets them going in the right
direction and they fit into our pro-
gram. I will take all the Heppner
kids I can get. They have grit,
determination and they want to be
coached. Not every kid has that in
this day and age.”
Hisler met with defensive coor-
dinator Bryan Mills, who let him
know they thought the best fit for
him would be a linebacker.
“I like him on the defensive
side of the ball,” Camp said. “He
has good athletic position flexi-
bility. I’m fully aware how he runs
the ball, but I want to try him on
defense first.”
Grant said no matter the posi-
tion Hisler plays, he will not disap-
point at EOU.
“He is a kid who is going to
give them 100%” Grant said. “He
is very coachable, hardworking
and someone you can count on.
He just wants to play football. He
will do what you ask of him, and
how you ask. That’s what they will
enjoy the most.”
Mills gave Hisler a campus
tour, then they met with Camp,
who offered Hisler a partial schol-
arship to become a Mountaineer.
“He said he’s been pleased with
the Heppner kids he’s had,” said
Hisler, who will pursue an agricul-
ture business degree.
Other Heppner players to suit
up for the Mountaineers include
offensive lineman Patrick Collins,
linebacker Chris Kindle, receiver
Mason Lehman and linebacker
Jackson Lehman.
Grant said Eastern is a good fit
for Hisler.
“They don’t look down at
(small-school players),” Grant said.
Greg Grant/Contributed Photo
Heppner’s Brock Hisler will play football at Eastern Oregon University in the fall of
2022. He was a 2A first-team all-state selection at linebacker and running back his
senior year in Heppner.
“They give every kid the same
opportunity. Education is the No.
1 thing, and football is a fun thing.
It fits in pretty well with our core
values.”
Hisler also had been in contact
with University of Puget Sound and
Carroll College in Montana, which
See, Hisler/Page A8
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