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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 25, 2015)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2015 Sports shorts Texas prep football coach resigns following scandal SPORTS WAR on 84 Buckaroos dominate Dawgs ROUND ROCK, Texas (AP) — An assistant Texas high school football coach accused of ordering players to hit a referee who allegedly hurled racial slurs during a game has resigned, and the head coach may also face discipline, administrators said Thursday. The two players who blindsided referee Robert Watts and knocked him down did not attend a fact- ¿ nding hearing in Austin over the Sept. 4 game. John Jay High School head football coach Gary Gutierrez said his former assistant, Mack Breed, told him he instructed players to go after Watts in the waning minutes of an increasingly heated game at Marble Falls. “I think he violated the sanctity of what coaches are,” Gutierrez said. Pendleton rebounds for first CRC win of season By ERIC SINGER East Oregonian Bennett dislikes playing brother RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Michael Bennett dislikes playing against his brother Martellus, so much so that he nearly signed with the Chicago Bears in free agency last year to avoid having to face him again. The Bears travel to Seattle on FACES Sunday to face Michael’s Seahawks. It’s just the third time the brothers have had to play against Bennett each other in the regular season since the two entered the league — Martellus in 2008 and Michael in 2009. “I don’t like playing against my brother. It’s just hard to make your mindset go against somebody that’s your family,” Michael said. Michael, a defensive end, and Martellus, a tight end, always played on the same team growing up. They played together in high school and again at Texas A&M. It wasn’t until Martellus’ Dallas Cowboys played Michael’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2011 that the two had to line up against each other in a game. “Unlike the Seahawks, we have not lost the game. We are back on our feet, we have found a second chance waiting and the whole game is in front of us.“ — Scott Blackmun U.S. Olympic Commit- tee CEO comparing the choice of Boston as a bidder for the 2024 Olympics to Seattle’s choice to pass the ball at the goal line at the end of the Super Bowl last season. The USOC has changed its bid to Los Angeles, which is in the running with Paris; Rome; Hamburg, Germany; and Buda- pest, Hungary. THIS DATE IN SPORTS 1982 — Ricky Edwards rushes for 177 yards and four touchdowns to help North- western end its 34-game losing streak in a 31-6 victory over Northern Illinois. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS Staff photo by Kathy Aney Pendleton’s Haley Greb (4) goes up for a hit as MiKayla Kopacz (11) and Kynzee Padilla (12) get ready to block during Thursday’s game at Warberg Court. Pendleton volleyball players celebrate as they win three straight sets against Hermiston Thursday at Warberg Court. Volleyball Pendleton 3 Staff photo by Kathy Aney Hermiston 0 The 2015 season has not gone the way that the Pendleton Lady Bucks volleyball squad had hoped when it began. A team that ¿ nished with just one loss in the CRC and a league title one year ago went into Thursday’s rivalry game with Hermiston already with two losses in their pockets. However, Thursday night gave fans a glimpse of the Pendleton team of old as the Bucks dominated the Bulldogs in a 3-0 win. The Bucks (3-3, 1-2) did so with a large crowd on hand, including a loud-and-proud section of fellow Pendleton students that were behind the team from start to ¿ nish. “The girls love seeing their fans out here,” said Bucks coach Amanda Lapp. “The students get loud, and it helps the team get that extra inch.” The Bucks won with set scores of 25-13, 25-8 and 25-18. Junior Haley Greb led the Bucks offensive attack with three kills. In the third set, the Bucks appeared to be running away with the set holding a 15-3 lead. However, that’s when the Bulldogs (3-5, 0-3) ¿ nally showed some life and went on a 14-2 run to eventually tie the game at 17-17. “When the match drew towards the end i think they were getting tired and kind of went back to resting on what they’ve been doing and it showed,” said Lapp. “(The girls) are trying to get used to staying up in a match and keep the high intensity.” In that set, the Bulldogs’ Hayden See BUCKS/2B College Football Mountaineers host pass-happy Battlin’ Bears Eastern Oregon looking for second straight home win Rocky Mtn Eastern Ore. Battlin’ Bears Mountaineers (2-2, 1-2) (1-3, 1-2) • Saturday, 1 p.m. East Oregonian LA GRANDE — The Eastern Oregon football team will be hoping for another big game from corner- back Byron Benson as it looks to build off last week’s win, its ¿ rst of the season. The Mountaineers (1-3, 1-2 Fron- tier) welcome conference foe Rocky Mountain to Community Stadium on Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff, a game that will feature the reigning Offensive and Defensive Frontier Conference Players of the Week. Benson took the defensive honors for his seven-tackle, one interception performance in a 33-21 win over Montana Tech in Eastern’s home opener, and will lead the EOU secondary against the conference’s top passing combo in Rocky Moun- tain quarterback Chase White and receiver Andre McCullough. • at Community Stadium, La Grande • Live Audio: MyEasternOregon.com Seth Dahle photo courtesy of Eastern Oregon University Eastern Oregon wide receiver Jace Billingsley catches a pass against Montana Tech in a 33-21 win on Sep. 19, 2015 in La Grande. Billingsley leads the nation in all-purpose yards with 968. Eastern hosts Rocky Mountain on Saturday at 1 p.m. The tandem hooked up 11 times for 165 of White’s season-high 449 passing yards last week in a 42-36 loss to No. 7 Carroll — earning White this week’s top offensive award — and the Battlin’ Bears (2-2, 1-2) own the nation’s third- ranked passing offense. White has thrown for 1,270 yards this season and is tops in the Fron- tier Conference at 269 per game. McCullough leads the Frontier in receptions per game at 7.3. Rocky Mountain’s other strength coming into La Grande is its defense, which is allowing 307 total yards on average and 24.5 points a game. By comparison, Eastern is surrendering 35 points a game and 467 total yards. The Battlin’ Bears’ top priority will be limiting senior wide receiver Jace Billingsley, who is coming off a three-touchdown performance against the Orediggers and leads the See MOUNTIES/2B Prep Roundup Heppner, Weston-McEwen spikers sweep in league play Culver keeps pace at top of conference East Oregonian HEPPNER — The Mustangs’ recently shufÀ ed starting lineup fared much better in its second time out. Showing improved passing and communication, Heppner swept Irrigon for its ¿ rst Columbia Basin Conference win on Thursday. The Mustangs won 25-12, 25-18, 25-20 and coach Dieter Waite said Jessica Kempken was able to take advantage of the improved passing by leading the offense with 15 kills. “She really kind of had some ¿ re for us on the outside,” he said. Onna DeLoach and Sophie Grant each had three kills and Jacee Currin led Heppner (8-7, 1-1 CBC) with 13 assists. Waite said serving was another strong point for the Mustangs, and Sydney Maben had a team-high six aces. Currin had three and DeLoach and Kaelyn Lindsay each had two. Heppner will next host Pilot Rock as the second of a three-game home stand. Irrigon (3-8, 0-2) returns home to host Weston-McEwen, both matches are Tuesday at 5 p.m. CULVER 3, PILOT ROCK 0 — At Pilot Rock, Culver won for the seventh time in eight matches to remain undefeated in CBC play. The Bulldogs (13-2, 2-0) won 25-15, 25-18, 25-20. No details were reported. It was the fourth-straight loss for Pilot Rock (7-7, 1-1) which will play at Heppner on Tuesday at 5 p.m. BAKER 3, MAC-HI 0 — At Milton-Freewater, the Pioneers fell short in their Greater Oregon League opener and the Bulldogs took the sweep 25-19, 25-15, 25-20. Brooke Smiley had seven kills to lead Mac-Hi (3-7, 0-1 GOL) and Amber Well added six, but the Pioneers were too inconsistent, said coach Amber Wells. “It was a tough game and the ladies had their ups and down tonight. We will continue to work hard throughout the rest of the season.” Brooke Kralman added a team- high eight digs. Mac-Hi plays at La Grande on Tuesday at 6 p.m. WESTON-MCEWEN 3, STANFIELD 0 — At Stan¿ eld, the TigerScots pitched their second- straight shutout with the win over Stan¿ eld. The TigerScots (12-6, 2-0) won 25-19, 25-19, and 25-17. No details were reported. Stan¿ eld (4-5, 0-2) hosts Imbler today at 4 p.m. while Weston- McEwen plays at the La Grande Tournament on Saturday. See PREPS/2B