SPORTS
Saturday, November 19, 2016
East Oregonian
Page 3B
NFL
Hard-hitting Seahawks host improving Eagles
By TIM BOOTH
Associated Press
SEATTLE — Even with
all the teaching he’s done to
change the way tackling is
handled in the NFL, Seattle
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll
still believes in the impor-
tance of the big hit.
So when Earl Thomas
raced across the field and
leveled Rob Gronkowski
with a shoulder tackle to the
midsection last week, Carroll
was ecstatic about the result
of the play, and the message
it sent that the game can still
be physically brutal but in a
safe way.
“Neither one of the players
got hit in the head. Still the
jolt was significant, but if
we could show kids how we
want them to hit and play this
game, and college kids, that’s
how you do it,” Carroll said.
“It’s the new way, it’s the
new way to make hits.”
The duo of Thomas and
strong safety Kam Chan-
cellor are just two of the
challenges rookie Carson
Wentz has to face when the
Philadelphia Eagles travel
to Seattle on Sunday. Wentz
has passed plenty of tests in
his first NFL season, getting
Philadelphia into the playoff
conversation at 5-4 after
last week’s home win over
Atlanta.
But even Wentz acknowl-
edged there’s little that can
prepare him for the experi-
ence of facing the Seahawks’
defense in Seattle .
In this
Sunday, Oct.
16, 2016
file photo,
Seattle
Seahawks
cornerback
Richard
Sherman
(25) and Earl
Thomas
(29) break
up a pass
intended
for Atlanta
Falcons wide
receiver Ju-
lio Jones in
the second
half of an
NFL football
game, in
Seattle.
Philadelphia
Seattle
Eagles
Seahawks
(5-4)
(6-2-1)
• Sunday, 1:25 p.m.
• at CenturyLink Field
• TV: CBS
“You go in there confi-
dently. You don’t worry
about the extra outside noise
and all those things,” Wentz
said. “You just go in there
and play ball.”
The past two weeks have
indicated another second-half
surge could be on the horizon
for Seattle. After holding
off Buffalo in a Monday
night victory, the Seahawks
went across the country on
a short week and won at
New England , stopping the
Patriots at the 1-yard line in
the final seconds. They kept a
two-game lead over Arizona
in the NFC West.
It ranked among the more
impressive regular-season
wins since Carroll arrived in
Seattle and showed flashes
that a plodding offense could
be on the verge of a breakout.
“It’s a process,” said
Seattle wide receiver Doug
Baldwin, who had three TD
catches last week. “We’ve
still got some young guys.
Our offensive line was
pretty much all in new spots,
Russell was dealing with
some injuries, so there are a
lot of things that go into it.
It’s not just a normal routine.
... I do expect us as the season
AP Photo/Stephen
Brashear, File
goes on to continue to get
better. That’s one thing I
expect.”
Here’s what else to watch
as the Eagles and Seahawks
meet for the 15th time:
ROAD WOES: The
Eagles are 4-0 at home and
have outscored opponents
108-38, but they’re 1-4 on the
road with four straight losses
after winning at Chicago
on Monday night in Week
2. They fell behind 14-0 in
three of those four losses and
rallied to either have a lead
in the fourth quarter or have
the ball with a chance to go
ahead on the final drive, only
to lose.
“I think when you are
on the road, you try to press
just a little bit,” coach Doug
Pederson said. “You try to
get that quick, early lead,
try to take the crowd of out
of the game. You maybe do
some things that are unchar-
acteristic of what you do at
home, and we just can’t do
that.”
The Seahawks are 31-5
at home since 2012, when
Wilson became the starting
quarterback.
SPLITTING CARRIES:
Seattle will have running
back Thomas Rawls in the
lineup for the first time since
Week 2, when he suffered a
hairline fracture in his leg.
The return of Rawls led to
the release of leading rusher
Christine Michael earlier
this week, but it’s unclear
how the carries will be split
between Rawls and rookie
C.J. Prosise.
Prosise
energized
a
lethargic run game last
week against New England,
rushing for 66 yards and
catching seven passes for 87
yards.
“A quick emergence is
really exciting,” Carroll said.
“He’s coming up and doing
stuff. You can see how he’s
capable.”
BALL CONTROL: The
Eagles rank second in the
NFL in time of possession
(32:28) and controlled the
ball for 38:10 in their win
over the Falcons.
Ryan
Mathews had a season-high
108 yards rushing, helping
keep Atlanta’s high-powered
offense on the sideline. It’s no
secret that a balanced attack
is Philadelphia’s formula for
success. Pederson doesn’t
want Wentz throwing 45
passes per game the way he
did in losses to the Cowboys
and Giants.
WELCOME
BACK:
Pederson has a longstanding
connection to the Seahawks.
The graduate of Ferndale
High School about 90
minutes north of Seattle
went to numerous Seahawks
games in the Kingdome as
his family had season tickets.
Pederson even got to play a
high school playoff game in
the Kingdome.
“You just kind of walk on
that turf and you go man, one
day it would not only be great
to play in this game, and who
knew back then that you’d be
a head coach in the league,”
Pederson said.
Motorsports
Smoke, Out: 3-time champ Stewart ready for final race
By JENNA FRYER
Associated Press
HOMESTEAD, Fla. —
His race team built him a car
fitting for the baddest man
on wheels. Tony Stewart
will take his final NASCAR
ride in a tribute Chevrolet
signed by every team
member, the hood embla-
zoned with photos from his
championship years and the
slogan, “Always a Racer,
Forever a Champion.”
His helmet? Well, that
was something special. It’s
a weathered throwback
that looks as if it has been
hanging in a barn on his
Indiana farm for decades.
It appeared rusted, said
“Smoke. Unlimited Speed,”
and was a gritty symbol of
one of the last true racers.
Stewart will retire from
NASCAR
competition
Sunday after nearly two
decades on the hamster
wheel. His years were spent
winning races, battling
authority and speaking his
mind, even when the topic
was unpopular, and when no
one else had the guts.
He’s brash, boorish and a
beast in a race car.
“I don’t know that we’ve
ever really had someone like
him come into this series,”
said four-time champion
Jeff Gordon, himself a
recent retiree.
And that’s partly why
he’s leaving. He’s 45 and
his heart has never been
fully into NASCAR. This
series pays the bills and
gives him the resources for
his passion. Racing on the
dirt or on weeknights at the
grassroots level.
Stewart
owns
race
tracks, teams, a sprint car
series and he’s part-owner
of NASCAR’s elite Stew-
art-Haas Racing. So he’s
not really going anywhere,
really. He’ll be at NASCAR
events on behalf of SHR
and its driver lineup and
sponsors.
The rest of the time?
He’ll be racing.
Stewart has big ideas of
racing all over the country
next year at the tracks where
he feels most at home.
That’s where he came from,
and he’s always longed to
return.
His love of sprint cars
Ford EcoBoost 400
• Sunday, 11:30 a.m.
• TV: NBC
• Homestead Miami
Speedway
AP Photo/Alan Diaz
Tony Stewart gets in his car before NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series qualifying Friday in Homestead, Fla.
possibly accelerated his
retirement
and
played
heavily into a long string of
personal tragedies. Friends
Jason Leffler and Bryan
Clauson died in accidents,
Stewart badly broke his
leg in a 2013 crash, his car
struck and killed a compet-
itor that had walked onto the
racing surface to confront
him. The family of Kevin
Ward Jr. has filed a civil
suit against Stewart that is
pending.
Those closest to Stewart
know what an emotional
toll the last several years
have taken on him, and
they understand his desire
to finally just be able to do
whatever he wants, when-
ever he wants to do it. In the
month after Ward’s death,
Stewart said he’d probably
never race a sprint car again.
Now, he’s lining up as
many events as he can.
He did not want a retire-
ment tour, and he did not
want every week to turn into
a celebration of the driver
most relatable to fans for his
blue collar upbringing and
his tendencies like an old
A.J. Foyt or Dale Earnhardt
Sr.
His resume is stacked,
three NASCAR champion-
ships and one IndyCar title.
But it also has two glaring
holes: Stewart never won the
Daytona 500 or his beloved
Indianapolis 500. Earlier
this week, the winningest
car owner ever at Indy said
his biggest regret is that
Stewart never drove for
Roger Penske in the 500.
“He
brought
such
emotion and class to the
sport and competitiveness,”
Penske said.
That fiery side has led to
dustups on and off the track.
He’s never backed down
from a confrontation, and
his acid-tongue and sharp
wit make it impossible for
anyone to win an argument.
“If Tony hasn’t come
after you, then you’re not
doing something right,” said
one-time teammate Kyle
Busch.
Stewart has taken great
steps to make this final
weekend as low-key as
possible. He did one news
conference and turned down
all interview requests, even
to those he never declines.
Maybe it’s a defense
mechanism, to take as much
emotion as possible out of
these last few days. But he’s
clearly reflected on his time,
and knows who he is and
what’s ahead.
“It’s been a fun 18 years.
Not every part of it has been
fun. I’ve always said what
was on my mind whether it
was popular or unpopular.
I always fought for what I
believed in, whether it was
safety for other drivers or
something etiquette that was
going on on the race track or
whatever. I can sleep alright
knowing that is why I did it.
“It wasn’t because I was
trying to be a jerk or some-
thing like that, I just always
spoke my mind and fought
for what I believed in.”
SCOREBOARD
Local Slate
PREP FOOTBALL
Today
#4 Heppner vs #1 Regis (2A semifinals, at
Liberty HS, Hillsboro), Noon
#2 Stanfield vs #3 Kennedy (2A semifi-
nals, at Liberty HS, Hillsboro), 5 p.m.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Today
Eastern Oregon at Doane, 11 a.m.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Today
Blue Mountain vs TBD (NWAC Cham-
pionships, Tacoma, Wash.), 11:45 a.m. or
1:30 p.m.
Sunday
Blue Mountain vs TBD (NWAC Champion-
ships, Tacoma, Wash.), 2 p.m.
COLLEGE CROSS COUNTRY
Today
EOU men and women at NAIA National
Championships, 8:30 a.m.
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Today
Eastern Oregon vs California Miramar
(exhibition), 3 p.m.
Sunday
Blue Mountain at Mt. Hood, 4 p.m.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Tuesday
Whitworth at Eastern Oregon, 5:30
p.m.
COLLEGE WRESTLING
Sunday
Eastern Oregon men and women at
Spokane Invite, TBA
Football
NFL
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
East
W L
T Pct PF
New England 7 2
0 .778 241
Miami
5 4
0 .556 204
Buffalo
4 5
0 .444 237
N.Y. Jets
3 7
0 .300 179
South
W L
T Pct PF
Houston
6 3
0 .667 161
Tennessee
5 5
0 .500 264
Indianapolis 4 5
0 .444 239
Jacksonville 2 7
0 .222 174
North
W L
T Pct PF
Baltimore
5 4
0 .556 182
Pittsburgh
4 5
0 .444 214
Cincinnati
3 5
1 .389 187
Cleveland
0 10
0 .000 175
West
W L
T Pct PF
Kansas City 7 2
0 .778 205
Oakland
7 2
0 .778 245
Denver
7 3
0 .700 239
San Diego
4 6
0 .400 292 278
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
East
W L
T Pct PF PA
Dallas
8 1
0 .889 258 170
N.Y. Giants 6 3
0 .667 182 184
Washington 5 3
1 .611 212 209
Philadelphia 5 4
0 .556 226 160
South
W L
T Pct PF PA
Atlanta
6 4
0 .600 320 283
Tampa Bay 4 5
0 .444 216 242
New Orleans 4 6
0 .400 285 286
Carolina
4 6
0 .400 244 246
North
W L
T Pct PF PA
Detroit
5 4
0 .556 205 206
Minnesota
5 4
0 .556 175 152
Green Bay
4 5
0 .444 223 234
Chicago
2 7
0 .222 141 215
West
W L
T Pct PF PA
Seattle
6 2
1 .722 193 158
Arizona
4 4
1 .500 202 160
Los Angeles 4 5
0 .444 139 173
San Francisco 1 8
0 .111 187 283
———
Thursday’s Games
Carolina 23, New Orleans 20
Sunday’s Games
Baltimore at Dallas, 10 a.m.
Chicago at N.Y. Giants, 10 a.m.
Jacksonville at Detroit, 10 a.m.
Tennessee at Indianapolis, 10 a.m.
Arizona at Minnesota, 10 a.m.
Pittsburgh at Cleveland, 10 a.m.
Buffalo at Cincinnati, 10 a.m.
Tampa Bay at Kansas City, 10 a.m.
Miami at Los Angeles, 1:05 p.m.
New England at San Francisco, 1:25 p.m.
Philadelphia at Seattle, 1:25 p.m.
Green Bay at Washington, 5:30 p.m.
Open: San Diego, Atlanta, Denver, N.Y.
Jets
Monday’s Game
Houston at Oakland, 5:30 p.m.
NCAA
PA
163
206
203
244
PA
188
251
256
239
PA
160
206
210
301
PA
168
223
189
AP Top 25
Thursday’s Games
Houston 36, No. 3 Louisville 10
Arkansas State 35, No. 25 Troy 3
Friday’s Game
No. 22 Boise State 42, UNLV 25
Today’s Games
No. 1 Alabama vs. Chattanoga, 4 p.m.
No. 2 Ohio State at Michigan State, 9
a.m.
No. 4 Michigan vs. Indiana, 12:30 p.m.
No. 5 Clemson at Wake Forest, 4 p.m.
No. 6 Wisconsin at Purdue, Noon
No. 7 Washington vs. Arizona State,
4:30 p.m.
No. 8 Oklahoma at No. 10 West Virginia,
5 p.m.
No. 9 Penn State at Rutgers, 5 p.m.
No. 11 Utah vs. Oregon, 11 a.m.
No. 12 Colorado vs. No. 20 Washington
State, 12:30 p.m.
No. 13 Oklahoma State at TCU, 9 a.m.
No. 14 Western Michigan vs. Buffalo,
12:30 p.m.
No. 15 Southern Cal at UCLA, 7:30 p.m.
No. 16 LSU vs. No. 21 Florida, 10 a.m.
No. 17 Florida State at Syracuse, 12:30
p.m.
No. 18 Auburn vs. Alabama A&M, 4:30
p.m.
No. 19 Nebraska vs. Maryland, 9 a.m.
No. 23 Texas A&M vs. UTSA, 9 a.m.
No. 24 San Diego State at Wyoming,
12:30 p.m.
PAC-12 Conference
North
Conf. Ovr.
Washington St. 7-0 8-2
Washington
6-1 9-1
Stanford
5-3 7-3
California
2-5 4-6
Oregon
1-6 3-7
Oregon St.
1-6 2-8
South
Conf. Ovr.
Colorado
6-1 8-2
Southern Cal
6-2 7-3
Utah
5-2 8-2
Arizona St.
2-5 5-5
UCLA
2-5 4-6
Arizona
0-7 2-8
———
Today’s Games
Oregon at Utah, 11 a.m.
Washington State at Colorado, 12:30 p.m.
Stanford at California, 2:30 p.m. (PAC12)
Ariz. State at Washington, 4:30 p.m. (FOX)
Arizona at Oregon State, 7:30 p.m.
USC at UCLA, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
NAIA
Frontier Conference
Today’s Games
NAIA First Round
Eastern Oregon at Doane (Neb.), 11 a.m.
Dickinson State at Montana Tech, Noon
Basketball
NBA
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
W
L Pct
Toronto
8
4 .667
Boston
6
6 .500
New York
5
7 .417
Brooklyn
4
8 .333
Philadelphia
2 10 .167
Southeast Division
W
L Pct
Atlanta
9
3 .750
Charlotte
8
3 .727
Orlando
5
7 .417
Miami
3
8 .273
Washington
3
8 .273
Central Division
W
L Pct
Cleveland
10
2 .833
Chicago
8
4 .667
Detroit
6
7 .462
Indiana
6
7 .462
Milwaukee
5
6 .455
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Southwest Division
W
L Pct
San Antonio
10
3 .769
Memphis
7
5 .583
GB
—
2
3
4
6
GB
—
½
4
5½
5½
GB
—
2
4½
4½
4½
GB
—
2
Houston
7
5 .583
2
New Orleans
3 10 .231 6½
Dallas
2
9 .182 6½
Northwest Division
W
L Pct GB
Oklahoma City
8
5 .615 —
Utah
7
6 .538
1
Portland
7
7 .500 1½
Minnesota
4
7 .364
3
Denver
4
8 .333 3½
Pacific Division
W
L Pct GB
L.A. Clippers
10
2 .833 —
Golden State
10
2 .833 —
L.A. Lakers
7
6 .538 3½
Sacramento
4
8 .333
6
Phoenix
4
9 .308 6½
———
Friday’s Games
Charlotte 100, Atlanta 96
Phoenix 116, Indiana 96
Cleveland 104, Detroit 81
Golden State 104, Boston 88
New Orleans 113, Portland 101
Oklahoma City 124, Brooklyn 105
Memphis 80, Dallas 64
Toronto 113, Denver 111, OT
L.A. Clippers at Sacramento, 10:30 p.m.
San Antonio 116, L.A. Lakers 107
Saturday’s Games
Utah at Houston, 2 p.m.
Boston at Detroit, 4 p.m.
Charlotte at New Orleans, 4 p.m.
Dallas at Orlando, 4 p.m.
Miami at Washington, 4 p.m.
Phoenix at Philadelphia, 4:30 p.m.
Minnesota at Memphis, 5 p.m.
Golden State at Milwaukee, 5:30 p.m.
Chicago at L.A. Clippers, 7:30 p.m.
NCAA
Men’s Top 25
Friday’s Games
No. 3 Villanova 96, Wake Forest 77
No. 5 North Carolina at Hawaii, late
No. 7 Kansas 86, Siena 65
No. 10 Arizona 95, Sacred Heart 65
No. 11 Xavier 83, Clemson 77
No. 13 Michigan State 100, Mississippi
Valley St. 53
No. 14 Gonzaga 109, Bryant 70
No. 15 Purdue 64, Georgia State 56
No. 18 Syracuse 71, Monmouth 50
No. 22 Creighton 103, Washington State
77
Saturday’s Games
Penn State at No. 1 Duke, 9:30 a.m.
No. 17 Saint Mary’s at Dayton, 11 a.m.
No. 24 Cincinnati at No. 21 Rhode Island,
Noon
Liberty at No. 6 Indiana, 4 p.m.
Women’s Top 25
Friday’s Games
No. 6 Maryland 106, Mount St. Mary’s 42
No. 9 UCLA 95, Southern 47
Gonzaga 68, No. 11 Stanford 63
No. 14 Syracuse 78, Stony Brook 60
No. 24 Oregon State 62, Portland 45
Saturday’s Games
LIU Brooklyn at No. 7 Ohio State, 9 a.m.
Temple at No. 19 Florida, 10 a.m.
Coppin State at No. 21 West Virginia 10
a.m.
No. 18 Arizona State at Marquette, Noon
No. 23 Indiana at Western Kentucky, Noon
Bowling Green at No. 5 Louisville, 1:30
p.m.
No. 16 Oklahoma at BYU, 3 p.m.
Northwestern at No. 20 DePaul, 5 p.m.
No. 15 Kentucky at Colorado, 6 p.m.
Hockey
NHL
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
GP W
L OT
Montreal
18 13
4
2
Tampa Bay 18 11
6
1
Ottawa
17 10
6
1
Boston
17 10
7
0
Toronto
17 8
6
3
Detroit
18 8
9
1
Florida
17 8
8
1
Buffalo
17 5
8
4
Metropolitan Division
GP W
L OT
N.Y. Rangers 18 13
5
0
Washington 17 11
4
2
Pittsburgh 17 11
4
2
New Jersey 16 9
4
3
Columbus 15 9
4
2
Philadelphia 18 8
7
3
Carolina
16 6
6
4
N.Y. Islanders 17 5
8
4
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division
GP W
L OT
Chicago
18 12
4
2
St. Louis
18 9
6
3
Winnipeg
19 9
8
2
Minnesota 16 9
6
1
Dallas
18 7
6
5
Nashville
16 7
6
3
Colorado
16 7
9
0
Pacific Division
GP W
L OT
Anaheim
18 9
6
3
Edmonton 18 9
8
1
San Jose
17 9
8
0
Los Angeles 18 8
9
1
Vancouver 19 8 10
1
Calgary
19 7 11
1
Arizona
17 5
9
3
Pts
28
23
21
20
19
17
17
14
GF
58
58
39
41
56
44
45
31
GA
41
46
42
39
58
48
48
45
Pts
26
24
24
21
20
19
16
14
GF
74
46
51
39
51
62
42
42
GA
42
37
48
34
35
64
48
54
Pts
26
21
20
19
19
17
14
GF
57
44
56
42
48
46
33
GA
45
50
55
29
59
44
45
Pts
21
19
18
17
17
15
13
GF
48
49
39
44
41
44
43
GA
43
49
39
47
59
63
57
NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for
overtime loss.
———
Friday’s Games
Washington 1, Detroit 0
Columbus 4, N.Y. Rangers 2
Pittsburgh 3, N.Y. Islanders 2, OT
Carolina 3, Montreal 2
Chicago 3, Calgary 2
Today’s Games
Tampa Bay at Philadelphia, 10 a.m.
New Jersey at Los Angeles, 1 p.m.
Winnepeg at Boston, 4 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 4 p.m.
Toronto at Montreal, 4 p.m.
Florida at Ottawa, 4 p.m.
Edmonton at Dallas, 4 p.m.
Nashville at St. Louis, 5 p.m.
Colorado at Minnesota, 5 p.m.
San Jose at Arizona, 5 p.m.
Chicago at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Soccer
MLS
Playoffs
Conference Championships
Eastern Conference
Tuesday, Nov. 22: Toronto FC at Montreal,
5 p.m. (TV: FS1)
Western Conference
Tuesday, Nov. 22: Colorado vs. Seattle, 7
p.m. (TV: ESPN)
Motorsports
NASCAR Sprint Cup
Ford EcoBoost 400 Lineup
Race Sunday, 11:30 a.m. (TV: NBC)
At Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead, Fla.
Lap length: 1.5 miles
Car number in parentheses
1. (4) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet.
2. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford.
3. (31) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet.
4. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota.
5. (24) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet.
6. (78) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota.
7. (20) Matt Kenseth, Toyota.
8. (21) Ryan Blaney, Ford.
9. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota.
10. (19) Carl Edwards, Toyota.
11. (14) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet.
12. (47) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet.
13. (22) Joey Logano, Ford.
14. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet.
15. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet.
16. (41) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet.
17. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet.
18. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford.
19. (88) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet.
20. (6) Trevor Bayne, Ford.
21. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford.
22. (44) Brian Scott, Ford.
23. (13) Casey Mears, Chevrolet.
24. (42) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet.
25. (43) Aric Almirola, Ford.
26. (59) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet.
27. (34) Chris Buescher, Ford.
28. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet.
29. (5) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet.
30. (10) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet.
31. (49) Matt DiBenedetto, Toyota.
32. (38) Landon Cassill, Ford.
33. (15) Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet.
34. (95) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet.
35. (7) Regan Smith, Chevrolet.
36. (23) David Ragan, Toyota.
37. (55) Reed Sorenson, Toyota.
38. (83) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Toyota.
39. (32) Dylan Lupton, Ford
40. (46) Michael Annett, Chevrolet.
Chase Competitors
1. Joey Logano, 5000
2. Jimmie Johnson, 5000
3. Carl Edwards, 5000
4. Kyle Busch, 5000