SPORTS
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2016
1B
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NFL
Prep Sports
Seahawks clinch NFC West
Weather
affecting
more than
class time
Seattle Sea-
hawks wide
receiver
Doug Bald-
win catches
a pass in the
end zone for
a touchdown
against the
Los Ange-
les Rams in
the second
half of an
NFL football
game, Thurs-
day, Dec.
15, 2016, in
Seattle.
Snowstorms putting
local teams in a
bind with game and
practice cancellations
AP Photo/Elaine
Thompson
By ERIC SINGER
East Oregonian
Seattle claims division crown for third time in four seasons
By TIM BOOTH
Associated Press
SEATTLE — Russell Wilson
threw three touchdown passes, Tyler
Lockett had 130 yards receiving and
a score, and the Seattle Seahawks
won the NFC West title with a 24-3
victory over the Los Angeles Rams on
Thursday night.
Seattle claimed its third NFC West
title in four seasons, assuring itself of
at least one home game in the playoffs
and keeping the pressure on Detroit in
the competition for the No. 2 seed in
the NFC and a fi rst-round bye. Seattle
also snapped a three-game losing
streak to the Rams.
Los Angeles
Seattle
3
24
It wasn’t an impressive display
by Seattle (9-4-1), but was far better
than Sunday when the Seahawks were
blown out by Green Bay with Wilson
throwing fi ve interceptions.
Wilson was good enough against
the listless Rams. After slogging
through the fi rst half, Wilson threw
a 1-yard touchdown pass to Doug
Baldwin late in the third quarter for a
See SEAHAWKS/2B
AP Photo/Scott Eklund
Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) is sacked by a quar-
tet of Seahawks defenders during Thursday’s game.
Last week, students at many local
schools enjoyed a three day weekend
as the seasons’ fi rst winter storm
dropped several inches of snow and
subsequently canceling schools.
This week, a mightier winter storm
spit out another thick blanket of snow
across the state, which once again
canceled school for most districts in
the area. And while students may be
enjoying the time away from doing
math problems and learning about
photosynthesis, athletic coaches
aren’t as happy for the time off as
the school cancellations have led to
numerous game cancellations and
missed practice opportunities.
For instance, the Pendleton boys
and girls basketball teams have
had their last two scheduled games
canceled due to weather, and have not
played in a game since both team’s
won against Southridge on Dec. 6.
“We’ve been just practicing since
the 7th and the guys are getting real
tired of just practicing,” Pendleton
boys coach Kyle Tedder said on
Thursday night. “They really want to
play again.”
The Buckaroo boys are scheduled
to play at Wilsonville’s Holiday Inn
tournament this weekend, but that
is in question. Tedder said the tour-
See WEATHER/3B
College Football
NBA
Minnesota players
considering bowl
game boycott
Gallinari’s 27 sends Nuggets past Trail Blazers
Golden Gophers
protesting 10
player suspensions
By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS
—
The entire Minnesota foot-
ball team said Thursday
that it is boycotting all
football activities, which
could include its bowl
game, until it gets
satisfactory answers
from the university
about the suspension
of 10 players.
The
school
suspended the players
Tuesday after an internal
investigation into a sexual
assault
case.
Police
declined to arrest or charge
any of the players, but the
school suspended them
Portland’s slide continues with
poor showing on the road
Associated Press
based on its own standards
for conduct.
The team’s players said
they haven’t ruled out
skipping the Holiday Bowl
on Dec. 27 against Wash-
ington State in San Diego.
They asked the bowl’s
committee to be patient
while they work through
the situation.
“The boycott will
remain in effect until due
process is followed and
the suspensions for all 10
players are lifted,”
senior
receiver
Drew Wolitarsky
said, reading from a
prepared statement
while fl anked by
all of his teammates.
“We further request that
(President Eric) Kaler and
(athletic director Mark)
Coyle (apologize) and
demand that these leaders
See MINNESOTA/2B
DENVER — Danilo Gallinari scored 20 of his
27 points in the fi rst half and the Denver Nuggets
led big early before holding on late to beat the
Portland Trail Blazers 132-120 Thursday night.
Gary Harris scored 18 in his return to the
Nuggets’ lineup. It was Denver’s second win
in the last 15 games against
the Trail Blazers, who got
40 points and 10 assists from
Damian Lillard.
Portland
CJ McCollum scored 23
for Portland, which has lost
fi ve of six.
The Nuggets snapped
a three-game skid at Pepsi
Center, where they are 4-7
Denver
this season. One of those
defeats came in their home
opener against Portland when
they blew a late lead and lost
in overtime.
Denver never trailed in this one, but the Trail
Blazers tried to make it a game in the fourth
behind Lillard. He scored 14 points in the last
12 minutes as Portland rallied. After trailing by
as many as 25 in the fi rst half and 21 in the third
quarter, the margin was just 10 in the fourth.
See BLAZERS/2B
120
132
Denver
Nuggets
forward
Kenneth
Faried, left,
blocks a
shot by
Portland
Trail Blaz-
ers center
Mason
Plumlee as
he drives
the lane
to the net
in the fi rst
half of
an NBA
basket-
ball game
Thursday,
Dec. 15,
2016, in
Denver.
AP Photo/David
Zalubowski
Sports shorts
Craig Sager passes away at age 65
(AP) — Longtime NBA sideline reporter
Craig Sager has died at the age of 65 after a
battle with cancer.
Turner President David Levy says in a
statement Thursday that Sager had died.
Famous for his fl ashy suits and
probing questions, Sager worked
basketball games for TNT for
nearly a quarter-century.
Sager fi rst announced in April
2014 that he had been diagnosed
with leukemia, and he missed
the playoffs and much of the
Sager
following season as he underwent
two bone marrow transplants.
Sager revealed in March that his leukemia
was no longer in remission. He said doctors
told him the typical prognosis was three to
six months to live, but “I am receiving the
best treatment in the world and I remain fully
confi dent I will win this battle.”
“We completely
support Dak as our
starting quarterback
unequivocally so that’s
that. And there’s no
issue at all. We’re very
fortunate — and I’ve
said that — that we
have depth there.“
— Jerry Jones
Dallas Cowboys owner and
general manager voicing his sup-
port for rookie quarterback Dak
Prescott on Thursday. Prescott has
not been as sharp over the past
two games for Dallas, prompting
discussion of whether he should
be benched for Tony Romo.
NFL investigating Giants for
using walkie-talkie during game
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) The New
York Giants might have violated an NFL rule
by using a radio briefl y during Sunday night’s
win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Giants coach Ben McAdoo
was shown on television using
a walkie-talkie on the sideline
during the fourth quarter of New
York’s 10-7 victory.
McAdoo used the walkie-talkie for about
fi ve plays after his communications system
appeared to go down. He was given the radio
after someone on the sideline realized the
radio signal was reaching quarterback Eli
Manning.
The league has a policy that prohibits
coaches from using a radio during a game
because he would not be cut off from talking
when the helmet communication system is
supposed to cut off communication.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1940 — Joe Louis knocks
out Al McCoy in the sixth
round at the Boston Garden
to retain the world heavy-
weight title.
2003 — New Orleans
Saints receiver Joe Horn is
fi ned $30,000 by the NFL for
making a choreographed cell-
phone call in the end zone to
celebrate a touchdown during
the Saints’ 45-7 rout of the
New York Giants.
2007 — Brett Favre
passes for 227 yards in
Green Bay’s 33-14 win
over St. Louis, eclipsing
Dan Marino to become the
NFL career leader in yards
passing.
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