10A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2017
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Gary Henley | Sports Reporter
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Seahawks
begin life
without
Sherman
By TIM BOOTH
Associated Press
RENTON, Wash. — Back
from a long weekend of needed
rest, the Seattle Seahawks began
life without Richard Sherman on
Tuesday.
It was noticeably different for
those who have become accus-
tomed to hearing the cornerback’s
voice on a daily basis.
“Just his energy, his passion,
his trash talking is definitely going
to be missed,” Seattle linebacker
Bobby Wagner said. “But I’m pos-
itive he’s going to find a way to
talk trash on the sideline.”
For the first time since before
he was drafted, the Seahawks
started a week of preparations
knowing Sherman would not play
after he tore the Achilles tendon
in his right foot during last Thurs-
day’s win over Arizona. For as
much as his mouth and some of
his antics have drawn attention,
Sherman has been an extremely
reliable cog in Seattle’s second-
ary since his first game during
the 2011 season. His streak of
109 consecutive starts — playoffs
included — will end next Monday
when he’s a spectator as his team-
mates host Atlanta.
Seattle’s adjustment to not
having Sherman started Tuesday,
but will really get going Thurs-
day when preparations for facing
the Falcons get started. The team
signed Byron Maxwell, who was
released by Miami last month.
UP NEXT: SEAHAWKS
• Atlanta Falcons (5-4)
at Seattle Seahawks (6-3)
• Monday, 5:30 p.m. TV: ESPN
E. Washington
tops Stanford
to end drought
Associated Press
STANFORD, Calif. — East-
ern Washington was winless
against teams from the Pac-12
Conference for nearly 15 years.
First-year Eagles coach Shantay
Legans never had beaten Stanford
at Maples Pavilion.
Both droughts ended Tues-
day night as Eastern Washing-
ton climbed out of an early hole
and led most of the way to claim
a 67-61 victory over the Cardinal.
Bogdan Bliznyuk, a senior
guard from the Ukraine, scored
23 points to lead the Eagles (2-1),
who made 11 of 25 shots from the
3-point arc.
The Eagles snapped a 21-game
losing streak against Pac-12
schools, dating to a 62-58 win
over Washington on Dec. 14,
2002. Legans spent three seasons
as a player at Stanford’s rival Cal
but never got a victory on the Car-
dinal’s floor.
Alabama, then
Clemson in latest
playoff rankings
Associated Press
Alabama and Clemson are
back on top of the College Foot-
ball Playoff rankings, the ninth
time over the last three seasons
that the Crimson Tide and Tigers
have held the first two spots in
some order.
Alabama was the selection
committee’s new No. 1 on Tues-
day night, with Clemson up two
spots to No. 2. Miami and Okla-
homa followed, joining the top
four for the first time this season.
Wisconsin was fifth and Auburn
was up to sixth.
Washington State moved up
five spots to No. 14, while in-state
rival Washington fell nine, and are
now at No. 18. They play each
other Nov. 25 in Seattle.
HATS OFF TO
HAGEMAN
ASTORIA ATHLETE WILL
COMPETE IN TRACK
AT OREGON STATE
Astoria’s Darian Hageman is
one of the most-decorated
athletes in school history.
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
T
he Astoria Fishermen have sent
their fair share of star athletes to
Pac-12 schools — and they will
add another today, when senior
Darian Hageman will officially
sign a letter of intent to compete in track and
field at Oregon State University.
With one more season of high school track
still to come, Hageman’s athletic resume is
already filled with numerous school records
and individual state titles, in addition to her
role in helping the Astoria girls track team
win the last three 4A state titles.
Most families in Oregon show their alle-
giance to either the Ducks or the Beavers. The
Hageman home is for the Beavers — which
was the final tipping point choosing a college.
“I just know that from the time I was little,
I grew up in a Beavers’ household,” Hage-
man said. “And just from my visit there, I had
a good vibe about Oregon State. I felt like I
would be a good fit, and it’s a place where I
could grow with the team.
“I made a visit to Seattle-Pacific, and went
to a UW (University of Washington) track
camp in the summer, but I think I knew all
along I’d be going to OSU.
“It’s not far from home so I can come
Photos by David Ball/For The Daily Astorian
Astoria’s Darian Hageman won the 4A
triple jump (above) and high jump at the
2017 OSAA state championship meet.
back and visit, and my family can watch me
compete.”
Hageman’s former Astoria teammate,
Kaylee Mitchell — now competing in cross
country and track at Sprague High School
— signed last week to attend Seattle-Pacific
University.
Oregon State went for years without a
women’s track and field program, before add-
ing the sport three years ago.
“That was another factor,” Hageman said.
“Instead of going to a school with a super-es-
tablished track program, I wanted to go to a
place where I could help the program grow.”
Head track and field coach Louie Quin-
tana and assistant coach Pete Herber are both
recent hires at Oregon State.
“I like the coaches — they’re both super-
good coaches,” said Hageman, who competes
in the triple jump, high jump and long jump at
Astoria. She will likely compete in the triple
jump and high jump for the Beavers, and pos-
sibly the heptathlon.
Hageman joins a select group of Astoria
High School athletes who have gone on to
compete in the Pac-12 in recent years, a list
that includes Laura Bobek (Oregon track),
Abby Chesimet (OSU track and cross coun-
try), Jamie Coggins (OSU rowing), Char-
lene Harber (University of Arizona track),
Conor Harber (Oregon baseball), Max John-
son (OSU football), Dane Lund (OSU base-
ball), Jordan Poyer (OSU baseball and foot-
ball) and Nick Strange (Washington State
baseball).
Knappa’s Takalo, Miller sign letters of intent
The Daily Astorian
The top pitcher-catcher battery in
Oregon Class 2A baseball is signed
and sealed, and waiting to be deliv-
ered to the college level in 2019.
Knappa seniors Dale Takalo and
Kaleb Miller both signed letters of
intent recently.
Takalo — a two-time state cham-
pion pitcher with the Loggers — will
take his game to Blue Mountain Com-
munity College in Pendleton.
Miller — a catcher for the Loggers
who is currently on a state champi-
onship quest in football — is headed
for Clark College in Vancouver,
Washington.
Blue Mountain Community Col-
lege signed five future players to let-
ters of intent, including Takalo, who
will play for the Timberwolves in
2019. A new Northwest Athletic Con-
ference rule allows baseball players to
sign early.
“We are very excited to bring in
this exceptional group during the early
signing period,” said Blue Mountain
baseball coach Brad Baker. “Com-
mitting to BMCC this early shows us
that these students value the educa-
tion and athletic opportunities that we
can provide them. With this group and
a talented freshman class, the future
of Blue Mountain baseball is very
Blue Mountain CC
Knappa’s Dale Takalo, third from left, joins Blue Mountain coach Brad
Baker and fellow signees Wyatt Hull and Jacob Seale in a recent gath-
ering at Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton.
bright.”
The other four Blue Mountain
signees include:
Wyatt Hull, a pitcher from Kenne-
wick, Washington (Southridge High
School), who was named Mid-Co-
lumbia Conference Pitcher of the Year
and named to the 3A all-state team
for Washington last year; Bennett
Sacker, a middle infielder from Lin-
coln High School in Portland; Jacob
Seale, a pitcher from Mountain View
High School in Vancouver; and Jay-
don Yancey, a pitcher from Meridian,
Idaho.
Hull, Takalo and Seale were all
able to participate in an early sign-
ing celebration at BMCC Nov. 1 with
their families.
Takalo is looking forward to play-
ing on the east side of the state.
“It will be fun playing in some
drier weather,” he said, adding that he
chose Blue Mountain “because I like
the coach and the direction they’re
going. The program is headed in the
right direction.”
Meanwhile, Miller’s signing was
announced in a Clark College press
release last week.
Miller was a first-team all-league
player (Class 3A) as a freshman and
sophomore at Pleasant Hill High
School, before transferring to Knappa,
where he was second-team all-state
last year.
“I’m excited to continue my edu-
cation and baseball career at Clark,”
said Miller, currently the Knappa
quarterback.
Clark College baseball coach Mark
Magdaleno said, “Kaleb is a competi-
tor and understands what we are build-
ing here. Obviously he’s had a good
high school career thus far and we
feel that he will continue to get better.
We are getting a good student, a good
baseball player, and a solid young
man. He’s a son of a football coach, so
he understands the dynamics of build-
ing a team and a program. He will be
a good fit in our clubhouse.”
Miller is the third Knappa baseball
player to sign with Clark College in
the last two years.