SPORTS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2016
1B
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STANFIELD
Seniors leading the way
Stanfi eld
seniors Dylan
Grogan, left,
Noe Sanchez,
center and
Justin Shelby
(20) swarm a
Kennedy ball
carrier during
their 2A state
semifi nal
football game
on Saturday,
Nov. 19 in
Hillsboro. The
Tigers defeat-
ed Kennedy
32-13 to earn
the team’s
fi rst berth
in the state
championship
since 1957.
Tigers
happy
to stay
home
Stanfi eld excited to
play title game in
nearby Hermiston
By ERIC SINGER
East Oregonian
Staff photo by E.J.
Harris
Close-knit class will go down as one of best in Stanfi eld history
By ERIC SINGER
East Oregonian
n small towns such as Stanfi eld,
success in team sport athletics
often comes in waves.
The Stanfi eld Tigers are
currently reaping the rewards
of one of those waves in boys
athletics, thanks to a group of
multi-sport athletes that are now
nearing the halfway point in their
senior year. Last school year, the
strong class — then competing as
juniors — led the Stanfi eld football
team to a 10-2 record and a deep
I
postseason run, a 16-6 record in
basketball, and then a 29-2 record
and a state championship in
baseball.
That success has transfered
to this school year so far, as the
talented group has led the Stanfi eld
football team to the state champi-
onship game for the fi rst time in
more than half a century.
So what about the group makes
them such a talented bunch and
a tight-knit class? Stanfi eld head
coach Davie Salas said that the
football senior group — Dylan
Grogan, Thyler Monkus, Jose
Galarza, Case Horn, Justin
Shelby, Enoel Angel, Rodney
Carey, Abraham Gomez, Trevor
Shockman, Noe Sanchez, Jose
Garcia, and Hunter Barnes — have
been so successful not because of
pure talent but because of the work
that they put in to help the team.
“Those guys have incredible
work ethics,” Salas said. “Some-
times you can have all the talent in
the world, but with no work it goes
to waste. But these guys bought in
and are willing to do it all.”
Grogan adds that the bond
between the seniors started way
back in elementary school.
“It just started when we were
young,” said the quarterback and
linebacker. “We all started playing
sports together in third grade and
nobody moved all the way through
high school. A lot of our dads grew
up together too and that got us
pretty close at a young age.”
Guys like Grogan at quarter-
back and Monkus at running back
may grab most of the headlines
and the attention for the success,
but the senior group has shined
collectively this year which has
See SENIORS/2B
Seahawks’ Wagner thriving
as NFL leader in tackles
By TIM BOOTH
Assciated Press
RENTON, Wash. — One
of the staples of the NFL
during the offseason is coming
up with lists.
So when the NFL Network
revealed its list of top 100
players in the league earlier this
year, and Seattle Seahawks’
Bobby Wagner wasn’t listed,
it was a surprising omission.
And for Wagner, it felt like
another time of being slighted.
“There was a lot of things I
was tired of hearing, whether
it was that, whether it was
people even media people
in this area that were saying
stuff, I was just tired of having
“Knowing that
we’re going to
have our whole
community there
at the game, have
all of Hermiston
cheering for us, it’s
a huge advantage
for us.”
— Noe Sanchez,
Stanfi eld senior lineman
Philadel-
phia Eagles
running back
Wendell
Smallwood
is wrapped
up by Seattle
Seahawks
middle line-
backer Bobby
Wagner,
right, and de-
fensive tackle
John Jenkins
in the fi rst
half of an
NFL foot-
ball game,
Sunday, Nov.
20, 2016, in
Seattle.
NFL
Linebacker just
looking for respect
Following
Stanfi eld’s
semifi nal victory on Saturday
evening, speculation soon began
swirling on where the cham-
pionship game against Regis
would take place.
The Portland area seemed
like a logical starting place, and
early word to the Tigers was that
Summit High School in Bend
would be another possible loca-
tion. But later Saturday night the
Tigers found out that the game
would be played in practically
their own backyard on the turf of
See HOME/2B
my name getting followed by
some disrespect,” Wagner said
on Wednesday.
“So just trying to prove
everybody wrong again just
like I normally do in life.”
Through 11 weeks of the
regular season, it’s been diffi -
cult not to notice Wagner.
Seattle’s standout middle
linebacker leads the NFL with
108 tackles, including 15 last
See WAGNER/2B
AP Photo/John
Froschauer
MLB
Mariners acquire shortstop Segura in fi ve-player trade with Diamondbacks
Seattle gives up starting pitcher
Taijuan Walker, shortstop Ketel Marte
By TIM BOOTH
Associated Press
Segura
SEATTLE — The Seattle
Mariners fi nally landed the
established shortstop they’ve
long been trying to fi nd.
To do it, they had to part
with a talented young pitcher
who still has the potential to
blossom.
Seattle
and
Arizona
pulled off a fi ve-player trade
Wednesday night, with the
Mariners acquiring speedy
infi elder Jean Segura and the
Diamondbacks getting right-
hander Taijuan Walker as the
centerpieces of the deal.
Segura immediately projects
as Seattle’s leadoff hitter and
starting shortstop, solidifying
an infi eld that already includes
All-Star sluggers Kyle Seager
at third base and Robinson
Cano at second. But getting
Segura meant the Mariners had
to give up on the inconsistent
Walker, a power arm who has
showed occasional fl ashes of
brilliance.
“It’s hard anytime you give
up talent like Taijuan,” Seattle
general manager Jerry Dipoto
said. “Frankly, you have to
give to get ... and Segura fi t
this club.”
Arizona also obtained
shortstop Ketel Marte, while
Seattle received outfi elder
Mitch Haniger and left-hander
Zac Curtis.
The addition of Walker could
help a dreadful Arizona pitching
staff that posted a 5.09 ERA last
See MARINERS/2B
Sports shorts
Rookies keep Cowboys winning
Williams, Collins lead Gonzaga
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rookies Dak
Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott keep winning for
the Dallas Cowboys, even with Kirk Cousins
setting records for Washington.
Prescott accounted for two touchdowns,
Elliott ran for a pair of scores
and the Cowboys extended their
franchise regular-season record
with a 10th straight victory, beating
Washington 31-26 on Thursday.
Prescott tied Don Meredith’s
club quarterback record from 50
years ago with his fi fth rushing TD
Prescott
and the NFL-leading Cowboys
(10-1) won despite 449 yards passing and three
touchdowns from Cousins, the fi rst Washington
quarterback with two 400-yard games in a season.
Washington (6-4-1) got swept by their
NFC East rival, and the defending division
champions fell 3 1/2 games behind Dallas with
fi ve games left.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Jona-
than Williams and Zach Collins led a balanced
offense with 13 points apiece, helping No. 11
Gonzaga pull away to an 82-62 victory over
Quinnipiac in the fi rst round
of the AdvoCare Invitational
at Disney World on Thursday
night.
The Bulldogs (5-0) also got
10 points each from Jordan
Mathews and Josh Perkins
to advance to the semifi nals of the eight-team
tournament against Florida or Seton Hall.
Gonzaga used a 12-2 spurt to open a 37-25
lead late in the fi rst half. Silas Nelson’s basket
put the Bulldogs up 48-35 with just under
15 minutes to go, and the closest Quinnipiac
(0-3) got after that was 10. Mathews made
3-pointers on successive trips down the fl oor,
sparking a run that enabled the Bulldogs to
build the lead to 23.
“It’s a great feeling to
score goals and to score
goals for this club.“
— Wayne Rooney
Manchester United forward on
surpassing Ruud van Nistelrooy
as the club’s all-time leading
scorer with a goal and an assist
in a 4-0 win over Feyenoord in a
Europa League soccer game on
Thursday. It was Rooney’s 248th
goal for United, leaving him just
one short of Bobby Charlton’s all-
time record with the club.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1934 — The Detroit
Lions suffer the fi rst defeat
in franchise history, 3-0 to
the Green Bay Packers. The
Lions had won the fi rst 10
games of the season.
1980 — “No Mas, No
Mas.” Roberto Duran quits
with 16 seconds to go in the
eighth round at New Orleans,
allowing Sugar Ray Leonard
to regain the WBC welter-
weight title.
1984 — Dave Krieg of
Seattle passes for 406 yards and
three touchdowns to lead the
Seahawks to a 27-24 victory
over the Denver Broncos. Steve
Largent catches 12 passes for
191 yards and a touchdown.
Contact us at 541-966-0838 or
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