SPORTS THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2022 THE OBSERVER — A7 Tigers football faces new opponents this fall Special district changes add teams to La Grande’s 2022 football schedule By RONALD BOND For The Observer LA GRANDE — All the La Grande High School football fans who were getting tired of seeing the same ol’ teams on the schedule are in for a treat this fall. The Oregon School Activities Association’s restructure of football has the Tigers facing fi ve league opponents — two of them schools who are tra- ditionally on the schedule, while the other three are new faces to the regular slate for La Grande. LHS has a nine-game schedule this fall, including fi ve contests in the new 4A Special District 5. The Tigers start league play at home Sept. 30 against Baker, the school’s big- gest rival. A week later, La Grande travels to face Madras on Oct. 7, with the White Buff aloes being one of four new teams in the district for football. LHS, in fact, meets the new dis- trict opponents in four con- secutive weeks. La Grande’s regu- lar-season home fi nale comes on Oct. 14 against Crook County, before matching up on the road with Pendleton on Oct. 21. It’s another traditional opponent for La Grande, though it will be the fi rst time the Buckaroos and Tigers have met in a league battle since the old Inter- mountain Conference days. The Tigers wrap up the regular season Oct. 28 on the road against The Dalles, in the fi rst matchup on the gridiron between the schools since the 2019 4A semifi nals, a 68-0 win for The Observer, File La Grande’s Brody MacMillan (11) fends off a Burns defender Friday, Oct. 1, 2021, at Community Stadium in La Grande. The Oregon School Activities Association’s restructure of football has the Tigers facing fi ve league opponents — two of them schools who are traditionally on the schedule, while the other three are new faces to the regular slate for La Grande. La Grande on its way to the state championship. La Grande’s nonleague slate includes an opponent the Tigers played annu- ally until 2015, but hav- en’t met since — Weiser. LHS opens its season Sept. 2 at the Idaho school for a 6 p.m. kickoff . The last time the teams met, in 2015, was also in Weiser, and La Grande served the host Wolverines a 41-7 beatdown. Former league rival Ontario, which dropped to 3A for football, hosts La Grande at 6 p.m. on Sept. 9. A week later, the Tigers wrap up a three- ries from 2021, including Adrian’s 46-38 win in the state title game. Other key dates for the Badgers include a season-opening contest against Camas Valley at 4 p.m. Sept. 2 at the Dufur Classic, a home matchup against Dufur on Sept. 30, and another home date against Enter- prise Oct. 14. The Outlaws, mean- while, visit Imbler for an early-season nonleague matchup on Sept. 9, and host Pilot Rock on Sept. 23. Imbler, in addition to game season-opening road trip against a team they played twice a year ago — Estacada. The squads meet at 6 p.m. Sept. 16. LHS’s fi nal nonleague game is Sept. 23, as it hosts Molalla in its home opener. Powder Valley, Adrian will meet again in 2022 At the 1A level, a key matchup to watch is the rematch between last year’s state championship game contenders, Powder Valley and Adrian. The Badgers host the Ante- lopes at 7 p.m. on Oct. 21, hoping to exact a little revenge for two victo- See, Football/Page A8 Globe Furniture is proud of our 75 year tradition of serving the families of Northeast Oregon. Name Brands: La-Z-Boy, Simmons, Ekornes, Beautyrest, Aspen Home, Howard Miller, Steve Silver, Stanton, Oak Creek, Hillsdale, and many more. Best Pricing: Our group buying power assures you of the best values. Selection: With 17,000 square feet on display, and hundreds of items in our huge warehouse, we can usually find what you want. If not we’re happy to special order an item for you. Service: Free Delivery, Free Set Up, Free Disposal of your old furniture, and service after the sale. Easy Credit: In store credit or lay-a-way if you prefer. Queen-sized Beautyrest Mattress The Observer, File Powder Valley’s Reece Dixon (7) wraps up Adrian’s Jace Martin (13) for a tackle at Baker High School on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021, during the Antelopes’ 46-38 win in the OSAA Class 1A state championship game. The two teams will meet in North Powder during the 2022 regular season. La-Z-Boy Recliner $ 699 5 Pc. 36”x60” table and 4 side chairs Dining Set $ 599 ™ $ • Free Delivery • In-Store Credit • 70 Store Buying Power • Decorating Assistance 599 $ Casual Sofa with Accent Pillows only 899 HOURS:Mon. - Fri. 9:30 am-6:30 pm Sat. 9:30 am-5:30 pm Sun. 12 noon-4 pm 1520 ADAMS AVENUE La GRANDE, OREGON 97850 (541) 963-4144 • 888-449-2704