Sports
A9
Saturday, April 23, 2022
Eastern
hoops
filling out
the roster
Mountaineers’
men’s basketball
adds two transfers
to recruiting class
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The
Eastern Oregon Univer-
sity men’s basketball team
coaching staff has been
busy this offseason, locking
in several key transfers who
will fill gaps and add to the
roster.
In addition to securing
former Idaho State guard
Emitt Taylor III, Eastern
has also added guards Jaden
Hansen and Isaac Brown to
join the team
on next year’s
roster.
Hansen
comes to La
Grande after
redshirting
Hansen
his only col-
legiate season
at the College
of Southern
Idaho. The
6-foot, 1-inch
guard tore
his ACL
Brown
in his final
year of high
school at Rocky Mountain
High School and has been
working his way back onto
the court ever since.
Eastern head men’s
basketball coach Chris
Kemp noted that he met
Hansen while scouting
current Mountaineer for-
ward Preston Chandler
on a recruiting trip at an
AAU program. At the time,
Hansen was heading into
his sophomore season and
working his way up the
prep ranks in Idaho.
“He’s a natural point
guard, but is strong and can
score it,” Kemp said.
Brown joins the Moun-
taineers after two seasons
at Wenatchee Valley Col-
lege. The Pocatello, Idaho
native averaged 7.2 points
per game last season in 32
East Oregonian, File
Ione/Arlington’s Taylor Rollins (45) runs the ball Nov. 5, 2021, for the Cardinals against St. Paul in the first round of the Oregon School Activities Association 1A
State Football Championship. Rollins has signed to play football at Eastern Oregon University in the fall of 2022.
A dream come true
Ione senior Taylor Rollins to continue football career at EOU
By ANNIE FOWLER • East Oregonian
ONE — When most kindergarten students are trying to find the
I
perfect crayon to color their picture, Taylor Rollins had visions of
playing college football.
“It was my plan since kindergarten
when I would play football at recess,” Rol-
lins said. “I always wanted to play college
ball.”
The Ione senior will get his chance
after signing to play at Eastern Oregon
University.
“Hardly any kids get to play football
after high school,” Rollins said. “I told
myself if I get a chance, I am going to go.”
The 6-foot-2, 265-pound Rollins is the
first Ione football player to go on to play in
college since 2011, when Tanner Rietmann
went to Pacific University. A running back,
Rietmann played for one season.
“It doesn’t happen too often for us 1A
kids,” Rietmann said. “When it does, you
have to enjoy it.”
EOU coach Tim Camp, who has found
success with small-school players, was
happy to welcome Rollins to the fold.
“That kid just needs coaching and a
chance,” Camp said. “He does a lot of
different things. He is going to be a big
(lineman) for us. Small-school kids just
need to be brought up to speed. I see him
at guard or center, or an inside guy on the
defense.”
Rollins, who played everything from
punter to running back for the Cardinals, is
ready for the challenge.
“I will miss playing all over the field,”
Rollins said. “Eleven-man football is way
different than 8-man. When you come
from an 8-man school with 14 kids on the
roster, to one with 150 guys, you can focus
on one position. My favorite position is
fullback — everyone likes to run the ball.
I just have to change my mindset to protect
instead of run over.”
It’s that kind of attitude that excites
Camp.
“Fullback is not out of the question,” he
said. “I just can’t wait to get him here and
see who he really is. He has farm strength.
He loves to play. That drew me to him.
I love those small-school kids. We are
doing a good job of giving kids opportuni-
ties. I don’t think there are a lot of people
cruising through Ione looking for players.
I just absolutely loved him. He is a good,
hard-working young man.”
Rollins said he knows the learning
curve will be steep, but he’s willing to put
in the work, which will include redshirting
his first year at EOU.
“Making the transition from 8-man to
11-man, and learning the playbook, that
will be a big transition for me,” Rollins
said. “I have been spending a lot of time in
the weight room, but that will be different
too.”
But in a good way.
“I can see Taylor playing at 285 with the
right weight on him,” Ione/Arlington foot-
ball and basketball coach Dennis Stefani
said. “The bad weight will come off and
the good weight will go on.”
Stefani said Camp was interested in
Rollins from the get-go.
“It was a pretty easy sell,” Stefani said
of his initial conversation with Camp.
“He was aware of him. I think it will be a
great fit for Taylor. He will enjoy it and get
the most out of it. He will find the good
in everything, win or lose. He has a good
competitive nature and a really high IQ for
the game. Just a handful of guys get to do
See, Rollins/Page A10
See, Hoops/Page A10
SPORTS SHORT
EOU women’s lacrosse coach Monica Plut announces resignation
University will conduct
national search for new
coach for the young
program
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Eastern Oregon
University women’s lacrosse head
coach Monica Plut is set to resign,
as announced by the university’s
athletic director Anji Weissenfluh
on Wednesday, April 20.
Plut served as the team’s head
coach from January 2020 through
April of this season, leading the
way for Eastern’s first two years as
an official program.
The Mountaineers played their
first official season in 2022, after
the team faced chal-
lenges related to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Eastern earned the
program’s first official
victory on Saturday,
Feb. 12, defeating
Whitworth, 8-6. The
Plut
Mountaineers tallied
a 1-6 record overall in the 2022
season, which ended in early April.
In 2021 Eastern played strictly
exhibition matches, taking the field
for the first time. The Mountaineers
tallied a 1-4 record.
Eastern is one of three schools in
the Cascade Collegiate Conference
that sponsor the sport as an official
program. Plut put a large emphasis
on expanding the sport locally and
in the region during her time as
head coach at Eastern — the former
coach worked with local middle
schools and high schools, teaching
the sport.
Plut previously coached at
Adams State University, a Division
II school in Colorado — she also
served as a high school coach before
joining the program at Eastern
Oregon.
According to the press release
from Eastern’s athletic department,
the university is currently in the
process of conducting a national
search for the team’s next head
coach.
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group, File
Samantha Buckley (5) faces off against Catie Kawamura (19) during
the match between Eastern Oregon University and Willamette
University at Community Stadium, La Grande, on Saturday, Feb.
19, 2022. The Mountaineers lost 17-6 against the visiting Bearcats.
Find up-to-date scores and additional game coverage
for your local high school, available 24/7 at
www.lagrandeobserver.com.