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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 14, 2016)
SPORTS THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2016 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS Sports shorts NBA NCAA to allow Big 12 title game Blazers continue upswing SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Big 12 will be allowed to hold a football championship game in the future if it wants to under a rule change approved at the NCAA’s annual convention. The change scraps the requirement that leagues have 12 members and play in two divisions in order to hold a title game. The new rule lets a smaller league play a title game pitting its top two teams, provided it plays a round-robin regular season schedule as the Big 12 does now. The vote by the NCAA Division I Council passed 7-2 on Wednesday. The Atlantic Coast Conference and the American Athletic Conference voted against it and the Pac-12 didn’t vote. The 10-member Big 12 is the only major conference that doesn’t play a football title game. /LOODUGVFRUHV 21, Portland downs Utah Portland Trail Blaz- ers center Mason Plumlee, center, passes away from Utah Jazz center Rudy Gob- ert, right, and for- ward Trevor Booker, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Portland Wednes- day. off an 86-74 victory over WKH/DNHUVLQ/RV$QJHOHV have not strung together three consecutive wins this Utah Portland season. Jazz center Rudy Gobert, playing in his By ANNE M. PETERSON the Blazers, who led by as fourth game since missing Associated Press many as 20 in the second 18 with a sprained left 3257/$1' ² half after the teams traded knee, had three points and 'DPLDQ /LOODUG KDG WKHOHDGLQWKH¿UVW,WZDV eight rebounds. But Utah points and 10 assists, and Portland’s second consec- remained without Derrick the Portland Trail Blazers utive victory following a )DYRUV ZKR PLVVHG KLV 11th game because of a VKRRN RII D VORZ ¿UVW KDOI three-game losing streak. Gordon Hayward had sore back. He was listed to beat the Utah Jazz 99-85 19 points for Utah, which as questionable before the on Wednesday night. CJ McCollum added 15 had won two straight. The game. See BLAZERS/2B points and eight assists for Jazz, who were coming 85 99 AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer HERMISTON Neal goes from 1A to FCS Two-time CRC Defensive Player of the Year commits to Eastern Washington Ex-NFL player Phillips found dead in prison By SAM BARBEE East Oregonian SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California prison RI¿FLDOVVD\IRUPHU1)/ UXQQLQJEDFN/DZUHQFH Phillips has been found dead in his prison cell, and they suspect suicide. 2I¿FLDOVVD\JXDUGVDW Kern Valley FACES State Prison found the 40-year-old Phillips unresponsive in his cell shortly after midnight Wednesday. He Phillips was pronounced dead about 1:30 a.m. He had been in segregation since April 2013 after he was suspected of killing his cellmate. A Kern County judge had ruled Tuesday that there was enough evidence to try Phillips in the death of 37-year-old Damion Soward. Phillips played for the 6W/RXLV5DPVEHIRUHEHLQJ released in 1997. He also played for the Miami Dolphins DQG6DQ)UDQFLVFRHUV “It’s just crazy when I look back, and literally less than six months ago I had no idea what was going to happen after the Monday night games.“ — Jessica Mendoza ESPN broadcaster and former professional softball player who was named as part of the new ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ broadcast team. ESPN announced on Tuesday that Mendoza and Aaron Boone would replace Curt Schilling and John Kruk in the booth. Mendoza was an analyst on two Monday night games on ESPN in August, before i lling in on ‘SNB’ for the rest of the season after Schilling was suspended from the network. THIS DATE IN SPORTS 1968 — The Green Bay Packers win their second straight Super Bowl. The JDPH GUDZV WKH ¿UVW million gate in football history. Bart Starr, the game’s MVP, completes 13 of 24 passes for 202-yards. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com Staff photo by Gary L. West/i le In this Oct. 2, 2015 fi le photo, Hermiston’s Tre Neal sacks Coeur d’Alene sophomore quarterback Colson Yankoff during a football game at Kennison Stadium in Hermiston. Neal has signed with Eastern Washington University to continue a playing career that started in Ione. HERMISTON Former Bulldog wrestler tearing it up at Nebraska Three locals also in action for Oregon State East Oregonian /,1&2/1 1HE ² )RXUWLPH 26$$ state champion wrestler Tyler Berger is proving to be an integral part of the success coming to No. 9 Nebraska this season and enters the weekend ranked No. 17 in the nation at 157 pounds. The redshirt freshman, who won three of his OSAA titles as a Hermiston Bulldog, picked up his 17th win of the season on Sunday with a 3-2 win over Brandon King- sley of No. 23 Minnesota. Berger’s 17 wins ties him for third among Cornhuskers and he’s posted a 17-4 overall record while going 8-2 in duals and outscoring those opponents 25-9. He’s won twice by pinfall, his quickest in 1:04, once by technical fall and twice by major decision. He defeated former Hermiston teammate Abraham Rodriguez of Oregon State to Berger help the Huskers sweep their three opponents at the Northeast Duals back in November, 2015. He also placed seventh at the Midlands Championships in December going 5-2. Nebraska wrestles DW3HQQ6WDWHRQ)ULGD\ and at Ohio State on Sunday. Rodriguez’s Oregon State Beavers moved back into the Top 25 ranking this week with a 26-9 win over No. 16 Central Michigan on Sunday, but neither of the former Bulldogs in action were able to come on top of their matches. Rodriguez (8-10) lost by decision 7-1 while Joey Delgado (15-7) dropped his 149-pound match 8-3. Riverside’s Hans Rockwell is 1-6 this season with Beavers, but has only competed in tournaments. Next up for No. 23 Oregon State is a home dual against Wyoming on Saturday. Before his junior season, Tre Neal was contemplating a transfer. The 6-foot-3 defensive lineman, then listed at 215 pounds, decided “When I i rst that if he wanted a better shot at started playing continuing his football career, a football I better education, didn’t expect and “a better challenge,” as to make it this he put it, then he far,” Neal would have to go to a bigger school. said. “I was He transferred to Hermiston, playing to where he quickly gained 15 pounds play. I enjoyed of muscle, it, and I still was named the do. It was a Columbia River Conference fun trip.” Defensive Player of the Year, and — Tre Neal, after a senior Hermiston senior season — now weighing 250 pounds — that saw him repeat as CRC '32<DQGD¿UVWWHDPDOOVWDWHVHOHFWLRQ Neal has committed to play football at Eastern Washington in Cheney, Wash- ington. ³)RU7UH LWZDV WKHEHVWPRYH KH HYHU made,” former Ione football and basketball coach, current Hermiston assistant coach and longtime mentor of Neal Dennis Stefani said. “He blossomed big time. There really weren’t any weight programs at Ione ... He was a big kid already but it KHOSHGKLPDWRQDQGKHOSHGKLPÀRXULVK and helped his speed and everything.” ³,KRQHVWO\ZKHQ,¿UVWVWDUWHGSOD\LQJ football I didn’t expect to make it this far,” See NEAL/2B Camp to coach four Mountaineers one last time in all-star game By SETH DAHLE EOU Sports Information /$*5$1'(²$TXDUWHWRIVHQLRUVWXGHQWDWK letes on the Eastern Oregon University football team will get a chance to showcase their skills under the direction of head coach Tim Camp at the 21st Annual 86$&ROOHJH)RRWEDOO%RZO Camp announced on Wednesday morning that All-American wide receiver Jace Billingsley, defensive back Byron Benson, defensive back Adam Bese and linebacker Kristopher Welch will FRPSHWHLQVLGHWKHFRQ¿QHVRI7HG:ULJKW6WDGLXPLQ Savannah, Ga., amongst other seniors who had been recognized as 2015 Preseason All-Americans by USA &ROOHJH)RRWEDOODW1&$$'LYLVLRQ,,'LYLVLRQ,,, and NAIA programs, as well as those who have earned 86$&ROOHJH)RRWEDOO3OD\HURIWKH:HHNKRQRUV In addition, Camp will be the head coach for the Admirals and will direct the four Mountaineers on the gridiron one last time. He is just two wins away from tallying the most victories by an EOU head coach in program history. 7KHERZOJDPHZLOOEHSDUWRID¿YHGD\IRXUQLJKW 0/.+ROLGD\)RRWEDOO)HVWLYDOWKDWLQFOXGHVWKH LQDXJXUDO86$+LJK6FKRRO)RRWEDOO%RZO Kickoff is set for Jan. 18 at 2 p.m.
