FOOTBALL
East Oregonian
Page 4C
3A EASTERN OREGON LEAGUE
V
ale and Nyssa have been the
kings of the EOL for the past
several years, but Umatilla has
the makings to crash the party this
season. The top two teams earn an
automatic playoff berth, with the third
having a shot at an at-large bid.
Projected Finish
Vale Vikings
Nyssa Bulldogs
Umatilla Vikings
Burns Hilanders
Irrigon Knights
Riverside/Ione Pirates
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Umatilla Vikings
Head coach: Dan Durfey,
2nd year
Assistant coaches: Kris
Welch, 2nd year; Richard
Payan, Steven Williams.
Key returners: Trent
Durfey, RB/LB, jr.; Kaden
Webb, QB/DB, sr.; Cody
Samson, RB/S, sr.
On offense: The Vikings
always look to establish
a balanced offense, with
senior QB Kaden Webb
and junior RB Trent Durfey,
who had a breakout 2016
season.
On defense: The Vikings
will run a 4-4 swarm
defense, which is growing
in popularity due to its
simplicity and versatility.
The goal is to allow
players to defend more
aggressively without too
many adjustments based
In this
2016
photo,
Trent
Durfey
(34), of
Uma-
tilla,
evades
a Vale
defend-
er in
Umatil-
la.
2017 Schedule
Staff photo
by Kathy
Aney
Week 1
vs. Union
W 21-13
Week 2 vs. Pilot Rock
W 20-0
Week 3 at Enterprise
W 21-7
Week 4 vs. Portland Christ. W 36-26
Week 5
vs. Burns
L 40-14
Week 6
at Riverside
W 34-0
Week 7
vs. Vale
L 41-7
Week 8
at Irrigon
W 33-13
Week 9
at Nyssa
L 55-6
on offensive alignments.
All-league LB Durfey leads
the charge in the Vikings’
front seven.
Sept. 1
at Union
7 p.m.
Sept. 8
at Rainier
7 p.m.
Sept. 15 vs. Enterprise 7 p.m.
Sept. 22 at Portland Christ. 7 p.m.
Sept. 29
at Burns*
7 p.m.
Oct. 6
vs. Riverside* 7 p.m.
Oct. 13
at Vale*
7 p.m.
Oct. 20
vs. Irrigon*
7 p.m.
Oct. 27
vs. Nyssa*
7 p.m.
*-denotes league game
2016 Results
(Rankings based on coaches and media votes)
Irrigon Knights
2016 Final Standings
Vale*
Nyssa*
Burns*
Umatilla
Irrigon
Riverside
Conf.
5-0
4-1
3-2
2-3
1-4
0-5
Head coach: Steve Sheller, 3rd year
Assistant coaches: Dan Verley, 6th
year; Jody Saunders, 3rd year; Randy
Henrichs, 5th year.
Returning starters: Omar Vera, DB,
sr.; Daniel Vera, DB, sr.;
Tanner Mills, OL/DL, sr.;
Adrian Roa, WR/DB, sr.;
Reece Sheller, C, jr.; Keith
Fleming, LB, jr.; Alex Walls,
LB, jr.; Lino Covarrubia, LB/
RB, jr.
Other returners: Abe Gomez, WR, sr.
Impact newcomers: Jada Burns, QB/
DB, sr.
On offense: Just like the majority
of Eastern Oregon small-school
teams, Irrigon is a run-heavy offense
operating with the old-school Wing-T
base formation that utilizes multiple
Ovr.
6-4
5-4
6-4
6-3
2-7
1-8
*-made postseason
1A SPECIAL DISTRICT 4
Arlington
Honkers
Head coach: Ben Tucker, 1st year
Assistant coaches: Will Homer
Key returners: Trey Homer, sr.; Cody
McCullough, sr.; Liam Duerden, sr.;
Tyler Longacre, jr.; Diego Valdez, jr.; Ethan
Eakin, jr.
2016 season: 6-3 overall, 4-2 SD4; lost to
Days Creek 56-12 in 1A first round.
2017 Schedule
Sept. 8
Sept. 15
Sept. 22
Sept. 29
Oct. 12
Oct. 20
Oct. 27
vs. Horizon Christian
at Perrydale*
vs. South Wasco
at Mitchell/Spray/Wheeler
vs. Dufur*
at Sherman*
at Pilot Rock
6 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
4 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
*-denotes league game
backs, receivers and a quarterback
that is smart with the football.
On defense: Under Sheller, the
Knights have developed a reputation
for being stout on the defensive front,
where their 4-3 swarm defensive
alignment leads to a lot of pressure
on the line of scrimmage with a goal
of stopping the run.
Sheller’s key to the season: “Our
goal is the same every year. We
want to play football at a high level.
That standard is set by our physical,
mental, and emotional abilities.
Success happens when you play the
game as well as you can.”
2017 Schedule
Sept. 1
Sept. 8
vs. Amity#
vs. Enterprise
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
Sept. 15
Sept. 22
Sept. 29
Oct. 6
Oct. 13
Oct. 20
Oct. 27
at Tri-Cities Prep
vs. Lakeview
at Riverside*
vs. Vale*
at Nyssa*
at Umatilla*
vs. Burns*
*-denotes league game
#-played at Hood River Valley HS
2016 Results
Week 1
vs. Amity
L 26-13
Week 2
at Enterprise W 19-14
Week 3 vs. Tri-Cities Prep L 42-26
Week 4 at Coeur d’Alene JV L 52-18
Week 5
vs. Riverside
W 26-6
Week 6
at Vale
L 34-28
Week 7
vs. Nyssa
L 41-26
Week 8
vs. Umatilla
L 33-13
Week 9
at Burns
L 46-20
Riverside/Ione Pirates
Head coach: David Boor
Assistant coach: Loren
Dieter, 2nd year
Key returners: Mason Hegar,
QB, sr.; Andruw Sorenson,
WR/DB, sr.; Jose Mendoza,
CB/WR, sr.; Aramis Corpus, S/WR, sr.;
Felix Aparicio, WR/LB, sr.; Anthony
Ramirez, RB/LB, sr.
Impact newcomers: Austin Morter,
OL/LB, sr.; Nestor Ramirez, OE/LB, jr.;
Junior Roque, RB/DB, soph.; Manuel
Verduzco, RB/DB; Tyson Epperson,
OE/DE, sr.; Matt Orem, OL/DE, soph.;
Jake Heideman, OE/DE, soph.; Paul
Taylor, OL/DL, soph.; Hunter Padberg,
QB/LB, fr.
Season outlook: Riverside will get
an influx of talent this season after a
late-season co-op agreement with
Ione will add some depth to the
Pirates roster.
2017 Schedule
Sept. 2 at Tri-Cities Prep (WA)
Sept. 8
vs. Union
Sept. 15
vs. Imbler
Sept. 22
at Mac-Hi
Sept. 29
vs. Irrigon*
Oct. 6
at Umatilla*
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
Oct. 13
Oct. 20
Oct. 27
at Burns*
vs. Nyssa*
at Vale*
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
*-denotes league game
2016 Results
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
at Tri-Cities Prep
at Union
at Imbler
vs. Mac-Hi
at Irrigon
vs. Umatilla
vs. Burns
at Nyssa
vs. Vale
L 38-0
W 30-27
L 34-23
L 41-26
L 26-6
L 34-0
L 44-13
L 50-8
L 60-8
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