Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 8, 2016)
SPORTS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2016 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS Prep Football Good times roll for Pioneers, Vikings Mac-Hi, Umatilla looking to build off season-opening wins By MATT ENTRUP & ERIC SINGER East Oregonian Laying a winning foundation is something every head football coach hopes to accomplish early in his fi rst season on the job. Very few actually succeed. The reasons for coaching turnover at the high school level are varied, but often- times a string of losing seasons has preceded the switch. Such was the case at Mac-Hi, Pilot Rock and Riverside, where new coaches took over programs that had combined for just 22 wins over the last fi ve years. Mac-Hi’s Gary Robertson was the only coach of that trio who was able to celebrate a win with his team last — Drew Birdwell, week after the Pioneers Mac-Hi quarterback beat Waitsburg-Dayton (WA) 14-7. It was also the fi rst win for the Pioneers since Week 2 of the 2014 season. “It was absolutely crazy,” said junior quarterback Drew Birdwell. “We’ve been working our butts off and our “We’ve been working our butts off and our coaches have been working their butts off all summer long and to fi nally go out there and get that fi rst win, it was overwhelming.” See FOOTBALL/2B Staff photo by Matt Entrup Umatilla’s Trent Durfey, center, jars the football free from the scout team running back during football practice on Wednesday in Umatilla. The Vikings expect their ability to stop Pilot Rock on inside runs to be one of the key factors that will determine the outcome when the two teams meet on Friday in Umatilla. MLB Lind, Mariners slam Rangers Adam Lind hits two home runs to lead Seattle over Texas By TIM BOOTH Associated Press SEATTLE — Adam Lind hit the fourth grand slam of his career as part of Seattle’s fi ve-run fi rst inning, added a solo home run in his next at-bat and led the Mariners to a 8-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night. Lind’s 19th and 20th homers of the season helped Seattle jump to an 8-0 lead and kept the Mariners on the fringe of the AL wild card race, fi ve games behind Baltimore. Texas Seattle 3 8 It was the 12th career multi-homer game of Lind’s career and his second this season. The homers from Lind were plenty for starter Ariel Miranda in his strongest performance since joining the Mariners. Miranda (3-1) allowed one hit and two baserunners through fi ve innings and was nearly untouched through six before an error kept the sixth inning alive and was capped by Carlos Beltran’s three-run homer. Miranda faced one batter in the seventh before being pulled. He won his second straight start, striking out four and walking three. Texas saw its streak snapped of eight straight games scoring at least six runs. Seattle was already up 1-0 on Texas starter A.J. Griffi n after Seth Smith’s leadoff double and Ketel Marte’s single. Base hits by Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager loaded the bases for Lind. Griffi n left a fastball elevated over the plate and Lind drove it to deep center fi eld to give Seattle a 5-0 lead. Lind’s opposite-fi eld home run to left in the third gave Seattle a 7-0 lead and Smith’s 13th homer of the season in the fourth pushed the lead to 8-0. Batting leadoff for the second time this season, Smith See MARINERS/2B AP Photo/Elaine Thompson Seattle Mariners’ Adam Lind swings for a grand slam against the Texas Rangers in the fi rst inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, in Seattle. NFL Seahawks believe their edge is back to reach top of NFC Seattle thinking Super Bowl as start of season creeps closer By TIM BOOTH Associated Press AP Photo/Ben Margot Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) hands off to running back Christine Michael during the fi rst half of a preseason NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders on Sept. 1, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. SEATTLE — Somewhere between the disappointment of losing in Caro- lina and the start of training camp, the Seattle Seahawks rediscovered them- selves and what they hope will become their place back atop the NFC. This wasn’t based around team building exercises or group gatherings as in the past. Starting individually and growing into a collective, the Seahawks believe the edge that made them the best team in the NFC for two straight seasons — only to dip a year ago — has returned. “The maturation of our team, we know how to play and we know how to win,” Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson said. Throughout training camp the discussion around the Seahawks has centered on a return to the feeling heading into the 2013 season. That year, the Seahawks were coming off an NFC divisional playoff loss to Atlanta when a late comeback was thwarted, but only after a late-season run that put Seattle into the playoffs. And it was followed in 2013 by the fi rst Super Bowl title in franchise history. That scenario played out in similar fashion last year: a late run to get into the postseason, a wild-card round road victory and a disappointing loss in the divisional round. So, Super Bowl? “You can see the energy difference from last year,” cornerback Richard Sherman said. “You can see the guys moving different, there’s more chem- istry, there’s more unity, there’s more continuity as you say it. Our guys are just ready.” Here’s what to watch this season with the Seahawks: UP FRONT: Once again the offen- sive line is in the spotlight to begin the season. The Seahawks seem stable on See SEAHAWKS/2B Sports shorts Woods plans to return in October CARMEL, Ind. (AP) — Out of golf for more than a year, Tiger Woods said Wednesday he hopes to play the fi rst event of the PGA Tour season next month and could play as much as twice more by the end of the year. FACES Woods said if his rehabilitation from back surgeries keeps going well, he would play the Safeway Open in Napa, California, on Oct. 13-16. “My rehabilitation is to the point where I’m comfortable making plans, but I still have work Woods to do,” Woods said in a surprise announcement on his website . “Whether I can play depends on my continued progress and recovery. My hope is to have my game ready.” Woods last played on Aug. 23, 2015, at the Wyndham Championship. The last of his 14 majors was in the 2008 U.S. Open, right before reconstructive surgery on his left knee. “I support our players when they want to see change in society, and we don’t live in a perfect society. On the other hand, we believe very strongly in patriotism in the NFL. I personally believe very strongly in that.“ — Roger Goodell NFL Commissioner making his fi rst comments addressing San Fran- cisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision not to stand during the pregame national anthem in protest of racial injustice and police brutality. Bulldogs cleared by OSAA HERMISTON — Hermiston football got good news Wednesday as senior tight end Jerry Ramirez and junior lineman AJ Fernandez will be eligible for Friday’s football game at Lewiston (ID). Both players were appealing ejections for fi ghting that occurred during the Bulldogs’ season-opener against Union (WA), a 38-27 loss. On Tuesday, Hermiston coach David Faaeteete said he was confi dent both players would be cleared once the OSAA reviewed video of each incident, and on Wednesday word came down that neither player would need to miss a game or pay the $50 fi ne that comes with being a fi rst-time offender. THIS DATE IN SPORTS 1957 — Althea Gibson becomes the fi rst black to win the U.S. Open, beating Louise Brough, 6-3, 6-2. Australia’s Malcolm Anderson defeats countryman Ashley Cooper in three sets to become the fi rst unseeded player to win the U.S. Open. 1974 — Billie Jean King wins her fourth U.S. Open with a three-set triumph over Evonne Goolagong. 1998 — Mark McGwire breaks Roger Maris’ 37-year-old home run record, lining historic No. 62 just over the wall in left fi eld with two outs in the fourth inning. McGwire’s shot off the Chicago Cubs’ Steve Trachsel sets off a wild celebration in Busch Stadium. 2013 — Top-seeded Serena Williams wins her fi fth U.S. Open championship and 17th Grand Slam title overall by beating No. 2 Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-1. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com
