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SPORTS FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS Prep Football Local athletes ready for Shrine Game Five locals to represent the East By ERIC SINGER East Oregonian When recent Irrigon grad- uate Fredy Vera found out he was selected to participate in the prestigious Oregon East- West Shrine All-Star football game in early February, he was already counting down the days until he could strap Sam Barbee Photo In this Sept. 12, 2015 fi le photo, Enterprise’s Trent Walker (3) squares to meet Irrigon’s Freddy Vera (21) in the hole during the Knights’ 53-0 win. Vera is one of fi ve area athletes headed to the East-West Shrine Game next week. up one more time. “To be able to strap on the pads and helmet one last time there isn’t a better feeling,” Vera said of the selection. ”My friends, coaches, and family get to see me play one last time. Not a lot of people get to experience this and I’m glad I get to. This is what I’ve always wanted to do is play in this game and fi nally I get to on Aug. 6th.” The Shrine Game, now in its 64th year of operation, is just one week away and several other local athletes are also chomping at the bit to play with some teammates See SHRINE GAME/2B Staff photo by E.J. Harris In this Nov. 17, 2015 fi le photo, Heppner’s C.J. Kindle runs the ball in the Mustangs’ win over Reedsport. NFL PGA Championship Walker shoots 65 for Round 1 lead Seahawks Johnson, McIlroy among top players to struggle on Thursday PGA Championship Leaderboard 1) Jimmy Walker (-5) T2) Emiliano Grillo (-4) T2) Ross Fisher (-4) T2) Martin Kaymer (-4) Also T9) Rickie Fowler (-2) T9) Jason Day (-2) T36) Jordan Spieth (E) T55) Phil Mickelson (+1) T55) Bubba Watson (+1) T120) Rory McIlroy (+4) T143) Dustin Johnson (+7) By DOUG FERGUSON Associated Press SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — A stale year for Jimmy Walker came to life Thursday in the PGA Championship when he saw putts drop and wound up leading a major for the fi rst time in his career. A great year might get even better for Henrik Stenson. Walker took advantage of smoother greens in the morning Thursday at Baltusrol by rolling in six birdies for a 5-under 65, giving him a one-shot lead after the opening round of the fi nal major that delivered its share of AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez Jimmy Walker watches his chip shot to the third green during the fi rst round of the PGA Championship tournament at Bal- tusrol Golf Club in Springfi eld, N.J., Thursday, July 28, 2016. surprises. U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson, with a chance to go to No. 1 in the world, was in the trees, in the water and couldn’t get out of a bunker. He managed only one birdie in a round of 77 that wasn’t enough to beat 15 of the club pros at Baltusrol. He wasn’t alone in his misery. Rory McIlroy took 35 putts and didn’t make a single birdie in his round of 74 that left him so See PGA/2B Soccer Arsenal tops MLS all-stars Late goal vaults one of England’s best into All- Star Game victory By JANIE MCCAULEY Associated Press AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez MLS All-Stars’ Kendall Waston, bottom, of the Vancou- ver Whitecaps, makes a slide tackle under Arsenal’s Theo Walcott during the second half of the MLS All- Star soccer game Thursday, July 28, 2016, in San Jose, Calif. Arsenal won 2-1. SAN JOSE, Calif. — Chuba Akpom scored the deciding goal in the 87th minute from about 4 yards out on a cross from the left side by Nacho Monreal, and Arsenal topped the MLS All-Stars 2-1 in the Major League Soccer All-Star Game on Thursday. Once Arsenal’s young substitutes Arsenal MLS All-Stars 2 1 got going after entering midway through the second half, the scoring chances came. Moments before halftime, Montreal’s Didier Drogba scored on his third try following two defl ec- tions in one quick sequence for MLS to notch it at 1. Drogba’s fi rst attempt ricocheted off goalkeeper Petr Cech then the See SOCCER/2B GM elated with team progress Schneider grateful for opportunity to keep building a winner By TIM BOOTH Associated Press RENTON, Wash. — Every so often, John Schneider will see what’s happening with other franchises around the NFL and his personal appreciation for what’s taken place during his tenure as general manager in Seattle is rein- forced. Schneider knows what’s happened here over the past six seasons is unique. It’s why he agreed to a contract extension last week that will keep him employed by the Seahawks through Schneider the 2021 season. “It always fl uctuates and changes with different ownership groups, but this is clearly a top-3, top-5 team in terms of ownership in the league and obviously we’re biased so we would say it’s (No.) 1,” Schneider said Thursday. “Like I said, having a strong owner and a strong president is extremely important.” Schneider spoke with reporters as the Seahawks were preparing to begin training camp Saturday. The team See SCHNEIDER/2B Sports shorts Lee ties tournament record at Women’s British Open WOBURN, England (AP) — Mirim Lee equaled the lowest-ever round at the Women’s British Open by shooting a 62 Thursday to take the FACES 10-under lead on the opening day. The South Korean had 10 birdies as she secured a three- stroke advantage over Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, who carded a bogey-free round of 65 at Woburn Golf Club. Lee Lee matched Minea Blomqvist’s 10-under 62 in the third round of the 2004 British Open at Sunningdale. Lee says “it was probably one of my best ever rounds, although I still had some errant shots. I played every hole in a similar fashion, hitting fairways and greens. My best ever score was an 11 under par in LPGA qualifying.” “I defi nitely think I’m a different person. If you haven’t changed over a period of time, that’s a bad thing. I think me standing here is a testament to that ... I have a great support staff here, more so than I’ve ever felt before.“ — Josh Gordon The embattled Cleveland Browns wide receiver spoke to the media for the fi rst time on Thursday since being reinstated from his one- year suspension from the NFL for substance abuse. NCAA recommends just one live-contact practice per week (AP) — The NCAA football oversight committee recommended Division I football programs hold only one “live- contact” practice per week. The current guidelines, which are not enforceable rules, allow two live practices per week. The new guidelines announced Wednesday will take effect this season. Live practices are defi ned as those that involve tackling to the ground and full-speed blocking, and can occur in full or half pads. Live contact does not include thudding, when players are not taken to the ground. The Ivy League announced earlier this season that it would eliminate live tackling in practice, and even at the FBS level teams rarely have live tackling in practice. THIS DATE IN SPORTS 1986 — The United States Football League wins and loses in its lawsuit against the National Football League. The jury fi nds that the NFL violated antitrust laws, as the USFL claimed, but awards the USFL only $1 in damages. 2008 — Disgraced ex-NBA offi cial Tim Donaghy admits that he’d brought shame on his profession as a federal judge sentenced him to 15 months behind bars for a gambling scandal. 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