Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 29, 2017)
12A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2017 CONTACT US FOLLOW US facebook.com/ DailyAstorianSports Gary Henley | Sports Reporter ghenley@dailyastorian.com SPORTS IN BRIEF JUSTIN HERBERT Oregon QB AP Photo Detroit QB Matthew Stafford Staff ord, Lions agree to richest contract in NFL DETROIT — Matthew Staf- ford has made a home in the Motor City, leading the Detroit Lions on the fi eld and becoming a fi rst-time father with twin girls earlier this year. “Aggressive start,” Stafford recently cracked. The Lions, likewise, made an aggressive move to keep their franchise quarterback around for many more years with the richest contract in NFL history. Stafford agreed to a $135 mil- lion extension, according to a per- son familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonym- ity because fi nancial terms of the contract were not disclosed. The team announced the fi ve-year deal keeps Stafford under contract through the 2022 season. The 29-year-old was entering the last year of his $53 million, three-year deal. Baltimore jumps past Seattle in wild-card race BALTIMORE — Adam Jones hit a record-breaking home run, Welington Castillo had three hits and two RBIs and Baltimore beat the Seattle Mariners 7-6 Monday night for its fi fth straight victory. Chris Davis doubled in the tie- breaking run in the seventh inning for the resurgent Orioles, who climbed over .500 (66-65) for the fi rst time since June 11. Following a three-game sweep in Boston with a 16-hit attack against the Mariners, Baltimore jumped past Seattle (66-66) to within 1 ½ games of idle Min- nesota for the fi nal AL wild-card spot. Jones’ solo home run in the fi fth inning gave him 25 for an Orioles-record seventh consecu- tive season. He shared the mark of six with Cal Ripken Jr. Washington without LB Victor SEATTLE — No. 8 Washing- ton will be without AP All-Amer- ican linebacker Azeem Victor for Friday’s opener at Rutgers after he was suspended one game for a violation of team rules. Washington coach Chris Petersen announced Victor’s sus- pension on Monday but did not specify the violation. The Huskies will also be without cornerback Austin Joyner after he was sus- pended two games, also for violat- ing team rules. Joyner was in the mix to be a starter at cornerback, where the Huskies are trying to replace two starters. —Associated Press BECOMING A LEADER AP Photos Oregon QB focused on developing leadership skills, getting stronger By ANNE M. PETERSON Associated Press E UGENE — Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert had what was essen- tially a two-pronged approach to the offseason: Become stronger and become a leader. Herbert put on muscle, prompting Ducks fi rst-year coach Willie Taggart to joke that the sophomore signal-caller kept strutting around shirtless. Herbert worked on the lead- ership part, too, as a counselor at the Man- ning camp in Louisiana. “I’ve seen Justin grow a lot. I mean, he’s giving off a lot of confi dence, especially to the other players, to show he’s that guy,” run- ning back Royce Freeman said. “We’re defi - nitely following behind him and we trust him fully.” Thrust into a role as Oregon’s starting quarterback as a freshman last season when graduate transfer Dakota Prukop strug- gled, Herbert would go on to play in nine games, throwing for 1,936 yards with 19 touchdowns. Herbert goes into this season knowing he’s the starter. The Ducks open at home on Saturday afternoon against Southern Utah. It will be the Oregon debut for Taggart, who is looking to rebuild a team that went 4-8 overall for the Ducks’ fi rst losing season since 2004. Taggart comes to Eugene after four years at South Florida, where he guided the Bulls from a 2-10 record his fi rst year to a 10-2 mark last year and a spot in the Birmingham Bowl. Before that he spent three seasons at his alma mater, Western Kentucky, inheriting a winless program that he turned around with PREP SPORTS SCHEDULE TODAY Volleyball — Knappa at Warrenton, 6 p.m. WEDNESDAY Volleyball — Catlin Gabel at Astoria, 6 p.m.; Knappa at Clatskanie, 6:30 p.m. THURSDAY Girls soccer — Astoria at Rainier, 4:15 p.m. Boys soccer — Corbett at Astoria (at Volunteer Field), 4 p.m.; Seaside at North Marion, 4 p.m. FRIDAY Football — Astoria at North Bend, 6 p.m.; Seaside at Newport, 7 p.m.; War- renton at Knappa, 7 p.m.; Nestucca at Ilwaco, 7 p.m. SATURDAY Cross country — Ultimook Invitation- al, 8:15 a.m. SEASON OPENER: DUCKS • Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Oregon Ducks • Saturday, 5:15 p.m. TV: PAC12 Network back-to-back winning seasons. Known for being soft-spoken and shy, Herbert said he’s talked with his new head coach about what it means to be a leader. “I think just realizing that the quarterback has to step up. The team needs to be led,” Herbert said. “Coach Taggart and I have talked about how I need to step up and be more vocal for the betterment of the team. So I’ve put my shyness away and I’ve tried to come out a little more and talk.” Herbert understands that his introverted approach last season may have hindered the Ducks. “Last year I think I didn’t do a good job Former MSU coach Heathcote dies at 90 By LARRY LAGE Associated Press SCOREBOARD Justin Herbert of being vocal or talking very much. So I think it kind of hurt us from a strategy stand- point. I didn’t have the comfortability to go to the offensive linemen or the running backs or the receivers,” Herbert said. “But I think just being more comfortable around them has been super helpful.” Part of his transformation was the result of the time he spent this summer at the Man- ning Passing Academy. Among his fellow counselors were USC’s Sam Darnold and Washington’s Jake Browning. Herbert also bulked up over the summer, putting on some 15 pounds, and his arms are noticeably bigger. His new 6-foot-6 body prompted a bit of good-natured chiding from the team. “He’s gained about 15 pounds since last year, and Justin’s walking outside with his shirt off now. And if you all know Justin, that wasn’t him before. But he’s laughing. He’s hanging out with his guys,” Taggart said. Freeman joked: “We’re trying to beg him, ‘Just please put your shirt on.’” Herbert, who sheepishly said his phy- sique has “been exaggerated a little bit,” is more focused on the process. The Ducks are expected to have a transition season as Tag- gart installs his system: Oregon was selected to fi nish fourth in the Pac-12 North. Herbert believes the future is bright. “We just have to listen to the guys who have been there. We’ve got multiple guys on our team who have been in a national cham- pionship and have played there. We’ve got coaches who’ve coached in big games and they know what it takes. And the players do, too,” he said. “I think just listening to them and following the game plan will get us there.” Jud Heathcote, who led Michigan State and Magic Johnson to the 1979 NCAA championship, has died. He was 90. The school announced Heath- cote died Monday in Spokane, Washington. Spartans coach Tom Izzo was hired by Heathcote as a part-time assistant in 1983. With Heathcote’s support, Izzo was promoted to replace him when he retired in 1995. “The basketball world is a sadder place today with the passing of Jud Heathcote,” Izzo said. “No one cared more about the welfare of the game than Jud. He was a coach’s coach and a mentor to many. “Our hearts are fi lled with sad- ness and deepest sympathy for his wife Beverly and the Heathcote fam- ily. Michigan State has lost one of its icons today. And yet, nothing can erase his impact on the program, the players he coached and the coaches he mentored. Spartan basketball is what it is today because of Jud Heathcote.” Heathcote won 340 games, three Big Ten titles and appeared in nine NCAA tournaments during his 19-year career at Michigan State. He was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 along with Johnson and Larry Bird, whose Indiana State team lost to the Heathcote-led Spartans in the 1979 fi nal. The National Association of Bas- ketball Coaches gave Heathcote the Golden Anniversary Award for 50 years of service in 2001, when he was also inducted into the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame. AP Photo/Al Goldis Members of Michigan State’s 1979 NCAA championship basketball team, including front row from left, Jay Vincent, Terry Donnelly, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, coach Jud Heathcote and Gerald Gilkie, hold the championship trophy during a ceremony commemorating the 30th an- niversary of the event.