SPORTS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2016
1B
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Rematches on tap in semifi nals
2A Football Semifi nals
STANFIELD
HEPPNER
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
In this fi le photo from Nov. 21, 2015, Heppner’s Logan Grieb breaks through a
hole in the Regis line in the Mustangs’ 26-3 in the OSAA 2A football semifi nals
in Hillsboro.
In this fi le photo from Nov. 21, 2015, Stanfi eld’s Tyler Monkus attempts to break
free from Kennedy’s Angel Mendez in the Tigers’ 34-20 loss to the Trojans in the
OSAA 2A football semifi nals in Hillsboro.
Mustangs ready for Rams
Tigers look for revenge
Heppner takes
on No. 1 Regis
By ERIC SINGER
East Oregonian
There are more than 230
schools that compete in
football across Oregon’s six
classifi cations, and out of
that bunch a mere 24 get the
chance to play in the state
semifi nals each year.
And out of those 230-plus
schools, there are only two
that have now reached the
state semifi nals in their
respective classifi cations in
each of the past four years
— North Bend in Class 4A
and Heppner in Class 2A.
The Mustangs will make
Heppner
#1 Regis
Mustangs
Rams
(8-2)
(9-2)
• Saturday, Noon
• at Liberty HS, Hillsboro
• Radio: KOHU 1360 AM
#4
their fourth appearance on
Saturday afternoon when
they face the No. 1 seed
Regis Rams at Liberty High
School in Hillsboro.
Many expected the
Mustangs to perhaps falter
a bit in the state playoff
picture this season, after
losing as many starters and
contributors to its 2015
state title as they did, but
the Mustangs players are
happy to prove the doubters
wrong.
“It’s pretty incredible,”
Heppner senior Tim Jaca
said after the team’s 46-0
win over Grant Union on
Saturday. “We heard a
lot of talk about how this
group wasn’t going to be
as good this year, but we
didn’t really let that bother
us. It’s never going to be
easy, but we get here every
year because of everyone
working together.”
Head coach Greg Grant
knew his team had its
work cut out for them this
season, but he said he is not
surprised that the Mustangs
rose to the occasion again in
2016.
“I know it seems cliché,
See MUSTANGS/2B
PENDLETON
The Stanfi eld Tigers
were one step away from
reaching the state champi-
onship game in 2015, until
the No. 9 seed Tigers’ season
was snuffed out by the No.
4 seed Kennedy Trojans in
the state semifi nals.
But on Saturday night,
Stanfi eld will get a shot at
redemption for last year
as the No. 2 Tigers will
once again face the No.
3 Trojans in the 2016 2A
semifi nals with a trip to
the title game on the line.
Stanfi eld coach Davie Salas
said that he couldn’t help
but smile when he fi rst
saw the match-up over the
weekend.
“I was excited,” Stan-
fi eld coach Davie Salas said
of the rematch. “It’s another
challenge, they (Kennedy)
got us last year in a game
of two evenly-matched
See TIGERS/2B
Oregon overpowers Valparaiso
Boucher, Bell
lead No. 4 Ducks
By RON RICHMOND
Associated Press
Blue Mountain
sweeps Highline
in fi rst round
East Oregonian
See T-WOLVES/2B
By ERIC SINGER
East Oregonian
Kennedy #2 Stanfi eld
Trojans
Tigers
(10-1)
(10-1)
• Saturday, 5 p.m.
• at Liberty HS, Hillsboro
• Radio: KOHU 1360 AM
#3
teams. We’ve been wanting
another shot at them and
we’re happy we got what
we wanted.”
In that 2015 matchup,
Kennedy’s balanced offen-
sive attack became too much
for the Tigers to handle as it
ran 325 yards and passed
for another 102 yards. Just
like the Tigers, the Trojans
returned a good portion of
its core from last year led by
quarterback Brett Traeger
and running back Bishop
Mitchell — who is a Port-
land State commit. Salas
said he is looking forward
to seeing how much his
team has grown from last
year’s meeting.
“Last year we were right
College Basketball
T-Wolves
start hot
at NWACs
TACOMA, Wash. — The
Blue Mountain volleyball
team came ready to play in
Thursday’s fi rst round at the
NWAC Championships, and
No. 3 seed Highline never
fully recovered after getting
blown away in the fi rst set
at Greater Tacoma Trade and
Convention Center.
Stanfi eld
determined to
beat Kennedy
AP Photo/Chris Pietsch
Oregon’s Jordan Bell dunks against Valparaiso during
the second half of an NCAA college basketball game
Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, in Eugene, Ore.
EUGENE — An embar-
rassing road loss to Baylor
may prove to be a valuable
lesson for Oregon.
If the fourth-ranked Ducks
want to meet their own lofty
expectations, they’ll have to
earn it on the boards.
Two days after losing by
17 points to the unranked
Bears, Chris Boucher had
25 points and nine rebounds
to lead Oregon to its 27th
consecutive home victory,
76-54 over Valparaiso on
Thursday night.
Boucher was coming off
Valparaiso
54
#4
Oregon
76
a 12-point, two-rebound
performance against Baylor.
“His activity allowed him
to him to have the 25 points,”
Oregon coach Dana Altman
said. “He had no defensive
rebounds the other night and
we lost the rebounding battle
by 11.
“Tonight we won it by 13,
and that was the difference in
the game.”
Jordan Bell added 15
points and seven rebounds
for the Ducks (2-1), who
took control early in the
second half with an 11-4
run fueled by Bell’s eight
points to open a 52-38 lead.
Bell scored 12 points in the
second half as Oregon shot
15 of 27 from the fi eld.
“That was our goal, just
to go inside,” Bell said.
“Against Baylor we went 3
for 21 at the 3-point line, so
we just wanted to go inside.”
Alec Peters led the
Crusaders (3-1) with 24
points to become the school’s
second-leading career scorer,
but Valparaiso shot just 23.3
percent in the second half.
Backup freshman point
guard Payton Pritchard had
nine points and fi ve assists
for the Ducks, who led by
as many as 25 points in the
second half.
Oregon had a 40-27
rebounding edge and blocked
six shots.
Sports shorts
Houston upsets No. 3 Louisville
HOUSTON (AP) — Duke Catalon scored three
touchdowns and Houston hurried and harassed
Heisman favorite Lamar Jackson all night to propel
the Cougars to a stunning 36-10 victory over
Louisville on Thursday night that dashed No. 3
Louisville’s playoff hopes.
Louisville (9-2) entered the game
ranked fi fth in the College Football
Playoff rankings, but was outdone
by a Houston team that saw its own
playoff hopes foiled by two losses
to unranked teams after a 5-0 start.
“We blew it,” Louisville coach
Catalon
Bobby Petrino said.
Things went wrong quickly for the mistake-
prone Cardinals when they fumbled the opening
kickoff to Houston (9-2). Greg Ward threw his fi rst
touchdown pass on the next play to make it 7-0.
Brandon Radcliff lost a fumble later in the fi rst and
Houston added a fi eld goal on the ensuing drive to
make it 10-0.
Rams break ground in Inglewood
“I want my kids to
have that opportunity.
Nothing better than
going to an NBA
basketball game and
being able to see
basketball players.“
— Russell Wilson
Seattle Seahawks QB on joining
an investment group looking to
build a new NBA/NHL arena in
Seattle. Wilson ultimately hopes
to own a piece of a professional
sports franchise.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — The Los
Angeles Rams have broken ground on their
billion-dollar stadium and its surrounding
entertainment district.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell,
Rams owner Stan Kroenke and
Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts
donned hard hats and turned
over ceremonial shovelfuls of
dirt Thursday to mark the offi cial
start of construction on the former site of the
Hollywood Park racetrack, next door to the
famed Forum.
The huge site is already buzzing with crews
working toward the scheduled August 2019
opening of the estimated $2.6 billion project.
The stadium already is booked to host the
Super Bowl in February 2021.
The stadium is the fi rst built specifi cally for an
NFL team in Los Angeles. Kroenke has returned
the Rams to the market after a 21-year absence.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1978 — Vanderbilt’s Frank
Mordica rushes for 321 yards
and fi ve touchdowns in a
41-27 victory over Air Force.
Mordica scores on runs of 48,
30, 6, 70 and 77 yards.
1990 — Monica Seles
captures the fi rst fi ve-set
women’s match since 1901,
defeating Gabriela Sabatini
6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the
fi nal of the Virginia Slims
Championships.
2006 — Top-ranked Ohio
State beats No. 2 Michigan
42-39 in Columbus in the
regular-season fi nale. The
Big Ten rivals had the top
two spots in The AP football
poll since Oct. 15.
Contact us at 541-966-0838 or
sports@eastoregonian.com