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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 2017)
SPORTS WEEKEND, FEBRUARY 25-26, 2017 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS OSAA State Wrestling Championships Bulldogs eye Day 2 push for title Hermiston third, has six wrestlers in semifi nals By WILL DENNER For the East Oregonian PORTLAND — If the Hermiston Bulldogs are to win a fi fth straight 5A state wrestling title, the difference could easily come down to a single match or a mere matter of points. The Bulldogs, who have claimed eight of the last nine titles overall, concluded day one of the OSAA State Wrestling Tournament at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland with a score of 77, which puts them in third place, trailing Crater (106) and Sandy (91). Their position is a far cry from last year’s championship team that featured four individual titlists and three runners-up. But dominant state tourna- ments such as last year don’t happen often — even for a program of Hermiston’s caliber — and this year’s team, which returned only two state placers in seniors CJ Hendon and Valen Wyse, is a new-look group. Still, as Hermiston currently boasts six semi- fi nalists and an additional two wrestlers left in conso- lation brackets heading into Saturday, the Bulldogs believe plenty of points are left to be had that could vault them higher in the team standings. “It’s tough to judge a tour- nament, in my opinion, until the semifi nals,” Hermiston head coach Kyle Larson said. “There’s a ton of points to be scored in the semifi nals … I think we’re still in a position where we got enough guys in the tournament to score enough points and get up there in the one or two spot.” For Hermiston to have a chance, it will need Hendon and Wyse to deliver at the top, and so far, they have. Hendon won both of his Staff photo by E.J. Harris MAIN PHOTO: Hermiston’s C.J. Hendon drives Dallas’ Joseph English into the mat during his 138-pound match win on Friday in Portland. BELOW LEFT: Pendleton’s Morgan Holcomb pins Lebanon’s Joseph Blisseck in his 160-pound quarterfi nals match win on Friday in Portland. BELOW RIGHT: Mac-Hi’s Riley Chester drives Robert Cobb into the mat in his 138-pound quarterfi nals match win on Friday in Portland. 138-pound matches by fall, as did Wyse at 170. Also, Adrian Tuia (145), Julio Leiva (170), Kenny Bevan (220) and Beau Blake (285) each walked away unscathed with two wins Friday. “Our stars are doing what they need to, but those guys are picking up slack where we really need it,” Joey Gutierrez said. “I have faith in us.” Gutierrez at 182, along with Wade Kirkpatrick (145), who dropped a 6-3 decision to Tuia in the quarterfi nals, both responded from their losses to win the following consolation round. Although they are out of championship contention, Gutierrez and Kirkpatrick have third place and crucial points for their team on the line. “You got to have a balance,” Larson said. “We have six in the front, but our guys in the back – every point they score may be the winning point, the half point that puts us over the top. Every pin, every major deci- sion (and) every bonus point we can get matters.” Also in 5A, two Pendleton Buckaroos advanced to the semifi nals In Alex Rendon (132) and Morgan Holcomb (160). Holcomb, who is seeking his fi rst state title as a senior, won both of his matches by fi rst-round falls Friday. Rendon continued a strong sophomore campaign with a fi rst-round pin and later, a 9-4 decision against Lebanon’s Mitchell Alley. Rendon will face No. 1 seed, Crescent Valley senior Brawley Lamer, in the semis on Saturday. “I have to have my head straight, not doing anything risky or stupid and work on what we’ve been practicing all year to win,” Rendon said. Pendleton senior Jeff Kovach — a No. 6 seed at 138 — lost a tight 11-7 decision in the quarterfi nals against No. 3 seed Cameron Alley of Lebanon. He ensured his season would last another day by pulling out a 10-4 decision over Isaac Ogden of South Albany, but saw his state title aspirations slip away. “(A) state championship has been my dream, but that dream is gone, and now I have to set another dream to come back and win third,” Kovach said. Kovach begins Saturday with a bout against unseeded Chance Beutler of Bend. “It’s going to be a tough day; it’s not going to be easy,” Kovach said. “I have to go all out like I did the fi rst time.” Riverside senior Aris- totle Rockwell pushed his undefeated season record to 33-0 with pins over Rainer’s David Katon and Scio’s Jacob Mask. Both wins came in the third period, and although Rockwell was pleased with the end result, he would’ve liked to “I felt like I could’ve scored more points on my feet, been more offensive, but at the end of the day, I got what I wanted, which was two falls,” Rockwell said. “I’m on to the semis, so just (need to) rest up … I’ll be ready to go.” After fi nishing second at state in his freshman and sophomore seasons, Rock- well captured his fi rst title last year. He said the memory of fi nishing runner-up still motivates him, and anything less than a state title would be See STATE WRESTLING/2B UMATILLA Vikings off the mark, eliminated by Horizon Christian Umatilla’s season ends in fi rst round of 3A playoffs By ERIC SINGER East Oregonian When the Umatilla boys basketball team pulled off the last- second win over Irrigon to claim the district title just one week ago, the Vikings did so with clutch shooting and stout defense. But in Friday’s fi rst round playoff game against the No. 9 seed Horizon Christian Hawks, the Vikings had neither of those things. Umatilla shot a meager 20 percent from the fl oor (13-64) while Horizon Christian connected at an incredible Umatilla started 3A First Round 65 percent mark the game with a fast (24-37) as the tempo and quick Hawks ran away hands on defense, with a 66-40 Horizon Chr. Umatilla forcing three turn- victory to oust the overs on Horizon N. 8 seed Vikings Christian’s fi rst from the post- three possessions season. and taking a 3-0 The shooting performance lead over the Hawks at the 6:20 was very uncharacteristic for the mark of the opening quarter. But Vikings (17-8), as the team is once the Hawks took care of the normally a pretty effi cient group. basketball, they were too much for Following the game, Umatilla the Vikings to handle. Horizon Christian (20-8) made coach Derrek Lete appeared perplexed as he tried to explain the 9 of 10 shots in the fi rst quarter and fi nished the fi nal six minutes team’s performance. “You know, I don’t know if on a 22-3 run, and then continued the stage was too big for them or the hot shooting in the second half if it was just one of those nights,” hitting 16-20 shots (80 percent) to he said. “But any time you shoot lead 39-16 at the break. “They (Horizon Christian) like that, you’re not going to win a whole lot of ball games.” See VIKINGS/2B 66 40 Umatilla’s Kaden Webb (1) directs the offense during a 3A boys basketball fi rst-round state play- off game against Horizon Christian of Tualatin on Friday in Umatilla. Horizon Christian won 66-40. Staff photo by Eric Singer Sports shorts Sixers’ No. 1 pick to miss season Caucks quarantine 5 players CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers say No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons will miss the rest of the season because his surgically repaired right foot hasn’t healed as quickly as expected. Simmons fractured the fi fth metatarsal bone during the team’s fi nal training camp scrimmage in October and hasn’t played a game. The 6-foot-10, 250-pound Australian was Philadelphia’s fi rst No. 1 overall pick since Allen Iverson in 1996. Simmons was going to play point-forward. Simmons Sixers President Bryan Colan- gelo also says star center Joel Embiid will miss at least four games because of a bruised left knee that has sidelined him for 11 of the last 12 games. The rebuilding Sixers have already doubled last year’s win total. They’re 21-35 entering Friday night’s game against Washington. VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Vancouver Canucks defenseman Troy Stecher has been diagnosed with mumps and several other players have shown symptoms of the highly contagious virus. The team said Friday that defensemen Chris Tanev and Nikita Tryamkin and forwards Mike Chaput and Markus Granlund have shown symptoms. The players with symptoms were immediately tested and quarantined for a fi ve-day period or until test results prove negative. “We’re taking this very seriously given how easily mumps can spread,” Canucks general manager Jim Benning said in a statement. The team added that vaccines are also being administered to minimize further risk of contraction, along with universal preventative hygiene measures. “It can only help. But it’s still going to be up to me to execute pitches and pitch well.” — Drew Smyly Seattle Mariners starting pitcher, acquired in a January trade with Tampa Bay, on playing in pitch- er-friendly Safeco Field. Smyly, 27, gave up 32 home runs last season while posting a 7-12 record in a career-high 30 starts. THIS DATE IN SPORTS 1940 — The fi rst telecast of an American hockey game is transmitted over station W2XBS in New York. The New York Rangers play the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden. 1964 — Cassius Clay wins the world heavyweight title when Sonny Liston is unable to answer the bell for the seventh round at Convention Hall in Miami Beach, Fla. 1987 — The SMU football team is suspended for the 1987 season after investigations reveal that players received $61,000 from a booster slush fund. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com
