SPORTS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2015 Sports shorts 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS College Football Arizona State’s Viliami Latu, left, and Sala- mo Fiso, right, con- verge on Oregon’s Vernon Adams Jr., mid- dle, for a sack during the fi rst half of an NCAA college football game Thurs- day, Oct. 29, 2015, in Tempe, Ariz. EOU women make preseason Top 25 KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Eastern Oregon University women’s basketball team was selected No. 14 in the NAIA Division II Preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll. EOU tallied 160 points, Southern Oregon was ranked 16th with 143, and Oregon Tech received votes. Defending national champion Morningside (Iowa) received all 11 ¿ rstplace votes and ranked No. 1 with 281 points. The threetime defending CCC regularseason champion Mountaineers ¿ nished last season with a 26 record and reached the National Championships for the ¿ fth time in si[ years before falling to Oklahoma Wesleyan in the ¿ rst round. Biles wins gold at gymnastics worlds GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Simone Biles won her third straight world title by the biggest margin yet, 1.083 points over teammate, buddy and reigning Olympic champion FACES Gabby Douglas and bronze medalist Larisa Iordache of Romania on Thursday. Biles’ eight world Biles championship gold medals are a record for an American, and she’ll have a chance to add to that total in event ¿ nals over the weekend. Douglas became the ¿ rst reigning Olympic gold medalist to reach the podium at worlds since the Soviet Union’s Yelena Davydova in 1981. “The fact that we are all in this together is priceless. This is so exciting. You feel proud that this is something historic, but at the same time you’re aware this is also unique. Nobody knows if three Dominican pitchers will be ever starting again for the same team in World Series.“ — Yordano Ventura Kansas City Royals pitcher and scheduled starter for Game 3 of the World Series tonight. The Royals started coun- trymen Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez in the fi rst two games and will become the fi rst team in Series history to start three pitchers born outside the United States. THIS DATE IN SPORTS 1943 — Gus Bodnar of Toronto scores 15 seconds into his ¿ rst N+L game, and the Maple Leafs beat the New York Rangers 52. 1974 — Muhammad Ali knocks out George Foreman in the eighth round in Kinshasa, Zaire, to regain the world heavyweight title. 2003 — In the ¿ rst regu larseason game of his NBA career, 18yearold LeBron James has 25 points, nine assists, si[ rebounds and four steals, but the Cleveland Cavaliers lose 10692 to the Sacramento Kings. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin Oregon’s Aidan Schneider (41) steps in to kick a fi eld goal as Oregon’s Taylor Alie (12) holds the ball while Arizona State’s Tim White (12) rushes in during the fi rst half Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015, in Tem- pe, Ariz. Ducks go late The Oregon and Arizona State football teams needed some e[tra time to sort things out in their Pac12 matchup Thursday night and were still going at it tied 5555 in the third overtime when the EO went to press. Oregon tied the game 4141 with 12 seconds to play in regula AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin tion on a scrambling throw from 9ernon Adams to Dwayne Stan ford on fourthandgoal from the eight yard line to force overtime. Tyree Robinson intercepted Arizona State quarterback Mike Bercovicic and returned it to the Oregon 40 to set up the tying drive. More in Saturday’s edition. PENDLETON Quinn carries on QB tradition Buckaroos quarterback fulfills dream, writes legacy By ERIC SINGER East Oregonian Kai Quinn’s passion for the game of football started when he was in third grade. It was the ¿ rst time he had the chance to ¿ nally put on the helmet and shoulder pads and feel the rush of running, throwing, and tackling. And ever since that time, Quinn held one dream — to become the starting quarterback for the Pend leton Buckaroos varsity football team. “Me and my (childhood friend) Jack Peterson would always go outside at his house and play catch when we were younger,” said Quinn, “And watching the team and being around it when my dad was a coach drew me to (quarterback).” But when the time came to get settled into a position a few years WAR on 84 Hermiston Pendleton Bulldogs Buckaroos (3-5, 2-0) (3-5, 1-1) • Friday, 7 p.m. • at Round-Up Stadium • Radio: KOHU 1360 AM KTIX 1240 AM • All-time Series: Pendleton leads 79-12-1 • /ast ¿ Ye meetinJs: 2014 - Dawgs 63, Bucks 14 2013 - Dawgs 49, Bucks 28 2012 - Dawgs 28, Bucks 13 2011 - Bucks 26, Dawgs 12 2010 - Bucks 40, Dawgs 34 (2OT) later, there was a different reason that gave Quinn the desire to play quarterback. “The center of attention,” he said with a chuckle. “Just having the spotlight, there’s just something about it I like.” The quarterback position for the Pendleton Buckaroos has produced some bigtime athletes in recent years. Preceding Quinn were the Staff photo by E.J. Harris Pendleton quarterback Kai Quinn rushes the ball in front of The Dalles’ Colton Walker on his way to a touchdown last Friday in the Bucks’ win against the Riverhawks in Pendleton. likes of Conner Johnson (2011 2012) and Chad McCoy (2013) — names that can be found at the top of several categories in the Buckaroos alltime record books. And now Quinn — a twoyear starter — has continued that success with his career. In 2014 he was selected as a second team AllCRC selection at quarterback and ¿ rst team selection at defensive back and is well on his way to ¿ nding his name on those lists again this See QUINN/3B HERMISTON Bulldogs getting kick out of Rodriguez +ermiston junior scoring points on gridiron and pitch “It was easy. I picked it up really quick. It was not a big change.” By SAM BARBEE East Oregonian It’s just kicking, right? It can’t be that different, right? Wrong. Ask Freddy Rodriguez. The +ermiston junior is pulling double duty this season by leading the fourthranked Bulldogs into the playoffs this weekend, but will also tee it up for the Bulldogs tonight as a kicker in the War on 84. “In soccer, I’m just used to it,” Rodriguez said. “I was born kicking a ball.” So early into the 2015 football season, Rodriguez was approached when +ermiston’s kicking game, which was one of the best in the state last year, fell off. So after junior Omar Garcia, who won the job e[iting fall camp, got hurt, +ermiston needed a kicker. Enter Rodriguez. “They asked me one day during conditioning class,” he said. “They — Freddy Rodriguez, Hermiston junior on learning to kick a football this season after years of playing soccer. File photo This fi le photo shows Hermiston’s Freddy Rodriguez (9) in action for the soccer team against Hood River earlier this season. Rodri- guez is also playing football for Hermiston and is third on the team in scoring. just started demonstrating how to do it,” before offering for Rodriguez to come out to practice that day. “So I did.” In si[ games, Rodriguez has made 15 of 18 e[tra points and three of si[ ¿ eld goals with a long of 52. +e’s already third on the team with 24 points scored this season, and 53.1 yards per kickoff. On the pitch, Rodri guez is second in goals with eight behind senior Edwin Rosales’ 14. It’s not Rodriguez’s ¿ rst time on the gridiron, though. The junior played football in si[th grade with many current teammates. It’s not the same, kicking a soccer ball and football, he says. The ¿ rst obvious difference is the shape of the two, and a round soccer ball is much more forgiving than its oblong cousin. “In football it’s different because you have to hit it in the e[act spot to get to go to the e[act position where you want it,” Rodriguez said. “It was easy. I picked it up really quick. It was not a big change.” Naturally, Bulldogs soccer See RODRIGUEZ/3B