SPORTS
Friday, October 6, 2017
Prep Football
Key games
fill Week 6
slate for local
small schools
Several teams immersed in
league, playoff battles
East Oregonian
It may be hard to believe, but the
2017 prep football regular season is
already halfway over.
Five weeks are down and just four
weeks remain for Oregon schools,
which means that races for league
championships and playoff spots are
heating up. A few local 4A-1A teams
are in the thick of postseason races that
are bringing up some key games on
Friday night.
Here is a quick look at Friday’s
4A-1A matchups:
ONTARIO (3-2) AT MAC-HI
(3-1) — It’s been nearly five years
since the Mac-Hi Pioneers last won a
game inside Greater Oregon League
action, dropping 13 straight since a
42-8 win over La Grande on Oct. 19,
2012.
The Pioneers will try to snap that
streak on Friday night as they host the
Ontario Tigers, a team that has domi-
nated them in recent years. Ontario
has won each of the past 10 meetings
easily by an average score of 53-17,
most recently a 53-0 shellacking in
2016. But this has the feel of a different
Mac-Hi team, one that has reached the
three-win mark for the first time since
2012.
Mac-Hi comes into the game off a
bye week, having extra time to prepare
for the Tigers who defeated Baker
48-20 last week. The Tigers have a
solid offense, averaging 37.2 points per
game, but have a susceptible defense
that allows nearly 35 points per game.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in
Milton-Freewater.
RIVERSIDE (2-2, 0-1) AT
UMATILLA (3-2, 0-1) — Riverside
and Umatilla both had forgettable
starts to their Eastern Oregon League
slate last week, with Riverside getting
blanked by Irrigon 50-0 and Umatilla
getting pushed around by Burns 42-13.
Both teams will get a chance to
right the ship this week as they renew
the rivalry on Friday night. Umatilla
has won eight of the past 11 meetings,
including a 34-0 shutout in 2016.
Riverside’s last win came in 2014
when the Pirates ran away with a 38-13
victory.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Umatilla
High School.
VALE (2-3, 0-1) AT IRRIGON
(3-1, 1-0) — Last season, Irrigon made
the trip to Vale and nearly upset the
league-champion Vikings but instead
came home with a 34-28 defeat.
This year the Knights hope to return
the favor as they host the Vikings.
Irrigon is riding some momentum
behind three consecutive wins,
including last week’s 50-0 thumping
over the Riverside Pirates. The
Knights’ defense has been the team’s
backbone, allowing 43 points in four
games, an average of just 10.7. Mean-
while, Vale comes in off a 18-12 loss to
rival Nyssa.
Irrigon’s offense has started to
click as well, with running back Josue
Aguilera turning in 200 yards and four
touchdowns last week.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Irrigon
High School.
WESTON-MCEWEN (1-3, 0-1)
AT STANFIELD (1-3, 1-0) — With
two playoff spots up for grabs in the
Columbia Basin Conference and just
three league games, each one is crucial
in the four-team league. Stanfield
has the leg up on Weston-McEwen
heading into Friday’s meeting after last
week’s 22-20 win over Culver, while
the TigerScots were clobbered by
Heppner 52-12.
Stanfield will try to get running
backs Adrian Renner and Justin Keeney
— who combined for 307 yards last
week — free on a TigerScot defense
that can struggle to consistently stop
an opponents rushing attack. Mean-
while the TigerScot offense aims to
re-establish its speed rush attack with
quarterback Brett Speed and running
back Jacob Speed against a Tigers
defense that has also been inconsistent.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Horyna
Athletic Complex.
POWDER VALLEY (1-3, 1-1)
AT ECHO (3-2, 1-1) — After a strong
start to 1A Special District 1 play in
Week 4 against Pine Eagle, Echo had
a setback last week as they lost in a
shootout 88-68 to Wallowa.
The Cougars want to get back
on track this week against a Powder
Valley team fresh off its first win of
the season. The Badgers took down
Joseph at home 26-8 last week. It was
the first time the Badgers offense had
scored more than 12 points in a game,
as they dropped the first three games
of the season by a combined score of
144-30.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Echo.
East Oregonian
Page 3B
Gronk-less Patriots hold off Buccaneers
By FRED GOODALL
Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Brady
threw for 303 yards and one
touchdown, and New England’s
porous defense showed signs of
improvement
Thursday night
NFL
in a 19-14 victory
over the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers.
New England
The
Super
Bowl champions
rebounded from
a
last-second
loss to Carolina,
despite
Brady
Tampa Bay
turning
the
ball over twice
— on his first
interception in
eight regular-season games and
a fumble on one of Tampa Bay’s
three sacks.
Neither of the mistakes led to
points for Tampa Bay (2-2), which
was unable to do much offensively
until the fourth quarter.
Brady threw a 5-yard TD pass
to Chris Hogan in the second
quarter, and Stephen Gostkowski
New
England
QB Tom
Brady (12)
throws
a pass
against
Tampa
Bay during
Thursday’s
game in
Tampa,
Fla.
AP Photo/Chris
O’Meara
19
14
kicked field goals of 27, 23, 45 and
48 yards for the Patriots (3-2).
Jameis Winston rallied Tampa
Bay late with an 18-yard TD pass
to Cameron Brate that trimmed
New England’s lead to 16-14 with
2:09 remaining. He marched the
Bucs from his 25 to the Patriots 19
before throwing an incompletion
on the final play.
It might not have come down
to a last-second drive if not for
another poor performance by Bucs
kicker Nick Folk.
Folk missed two field goals and
an extra-point before beating the
New York Giants on a last-second
kick last week. He missed three
more field goals Thursday night,
including a 31-yarder that would
have cut a nine-point deficit to six
in the closing minutes.
With his 186th career regu-
lar-season win as a starter, Brady
tied Brett Favre and Peyton
Manning for the most by a quarter-
back in NFL history. He also has
25 postseason victories, including
five Super Bowls.
Defensively,
the
Patriots
entered the night on pace to yield
more than yards than any team in
league history.
And, Winston and a young
Tampa Bay offense that’s progres-
sively gotten better since he was
selected first overall in the 2015
draft was hoping to be the latest
beneficiary of New England’s
struggles.
Running back Doug Martin
provided a lift in his return from a
suspension for violating the NFL’s
policy on performance enhancers
with 74 yards rushing and one TD.
But one week after throwing for
332 yards and three touchdowns
without an interception and over-
coming a pair of fourth-quarter
deficits to beat the Giants, Winston
was unable to move the ball consis-
tently until the fourth quarter.
The Bucs didn’t have a third-
down conversion until late in the
third quarter, and Martin’s 1-yard
TD came on a drive the Patriots
kept alive with a hands-to-the-face
penalty on third down.
Winston finished 26 of 45 with
334 yards and zero interceptions.
DeSean Jackson had five recep-
tions for 106 yards.
Playing without injured tight
end Rob Gronkowski (thigh),
Brady finished 30 of 40 with one
interception.
MUSTANGS: Remain in tie for first place in conference
Continued from 1B
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Pilot Rock’s Brielle Howland prepares to spike the ball
into Heppner’s Morgan Correa in the Mustangs’ 3-1
win against the Rockets on Thursday in Pilot Rock.
speech by Wilson and came out for
the second set looking like a different
team.
“Coach totally picked us up,”
Heppner senior Sophie Grant said.
“She told us she believed in us and that
we needed to believe in ourselves and
it really helped boost our spirits. We
rallied back, picked ourselves up out of
the hole and got better.”
Heppner again won the first point
of the set, but this time kept pushing
forward. Standing at a 6-6 tie, a
block-kill by Jenna McCullough and
two straight aces by Grant gave the
Mustangs a 10-6 lead. But every lead
the Mustangs would get, the Rockets
would chip away. Heppner led 20-15
with momentum heading toward their
first set win, but a kill by Rhyanne Oates
helped Pilot Rock get within 20-18.
However, the Mustangs were able to
finish off the set.
By the time the third and fourth sets
rolled around, Heppner was holding
all the momentum and had Pilot Rock
scrambling on both sides. Heppner
wasn’t beating them down with thun-
dering kill after thundering kill, but
instead were relying on great defense
with big digs and quick hits to force
mistakes by the Rockets.
“We told them you have to get low
and move quick,” Wilson said. “(Pilot
Rock) is going to push you short and
push you long and to do that you have
to get low and play hard, with lost of
communication with each other, too.
Because if you stop doing those three
things, it’ll take you all the way out of
the game.”
Heppner remains tied with Culver for
first place in the CBC and has already
surpassed last season’s win total (13).
It has been a remarkable turnaround for
a team largely comprised of the same
players from the 2016 team that finished
fourth in the CBC. However, Grant says
that she believes a few tweaks with
Wilson, in her first year as head coach,
has made a big difference.
“We’ve completely changed our
practices and I feel we’re working
harder every day,” she said. “We have
a different mindset and just all around
we’re a lot better team. It’s awesome to
come out every day, I love it.”
Wilson says that the main reason for
the improvement is simply a better team
mindset.
“I think a lot of it is a little bit of
heart and a little bit of passion,” she
said. “They’re really jelling well as a
team and it makes a big difference. We
don’t have any team issues. I have a
bench that supports them 100 percent
and they’re all in it together and I think
that makes a big difference.”
UP NEXT
Heppner will take on St. Paul and
Kennedy at Sherman County High
School on Saturday. Pilot Rock will host
Culver on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
————
Contact Eric at esinger@eastore-
gonian.com or 541-966-0839.
PREP ROUNDUP: TigerScots battle, but lose at home to Bulldogs
Continued from 1B
CULVER 3, WESTON-
MCEWEN 0 — At Athena,
the Weston-McEwen TigerScots
battled hard but came up short
against Culver in a Columbia Basin
Conference match on Thursday
night, with the Bulldogs winning
25-15, 25-17, 25-19.
“We started flat and then took
awhile to get going,” Weston-
McEwen coach Shawn White said.
“We got to get a little bit tougher
and start to extend those moments
when we’re playing well. But
Culver played a great game, and
they didn’t give up many points
and made us earn every one.
There was some great volleyball
tonight.”
Alyssa
Finifrock
was
Weston-McEwen’s (13-9 overall,
2-3 CBC) leading hitter with seven
kills, five aces and three blocks,
while Hailey Weaver had six kills
and three blocks. Bryce Thul
tallied 16 assists and a pair of aces
and Chelsea Quaempts finished
with 11 digs.
Weston-McEwen next plays
on Saturday against St. Paul and
Kennedy at Sherman County High
School.
COVE 3, HELIX 1 — At
Cove, the Helix Grizzlies had their
seven-game win streak snapped at
the hands of the Cove Leopards
on Thursday night, falling 25-23,
19-25, 28-30, 21-25. The loss
drops Helix (15-6 overall, 6-3
OOL) into third place in the Old
Oregon League standings.
Helix next plays on Saturday
as they hit the road to take on
Wallowa at 1 p.m. and Joseph at 3
p.m.
POWDER VALLEY 3, NIXY-
AAWII 0 — At North Powder, the
Nixyaawii Golden Eagles dropped
their fifth consecutive match
on Thursday evening, falling to
Powder Valley 25-11, 25-7, 25-14.
Nixyaawii (1-8 overall, 1-8
OOL) next plays on Saturday at
Wallowa at 11 a.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
LA GRANDE 4, PEND-
LETON 0 — At Pendleton, the
Buckaroos were shut out for the
second consecutive game as the
La Grande Tigers won 4-0 on
Thursday evening in non-league
action.
Pendleton (1-6-1, 0-2 CRC)
next plays on Tuesday when it
travels to Hermiston for a 4:30
p.m. start.
————
Coaches can report game
scores and statistics by calling
1-800-522-0255 or emailing
sports@eastoregonian.com
SCOREBOARD
Local slate
PREP FOOTBALL
Friday
Mountain View at Pendleton, 7 p.m.
Hermiston at Ridgeview, 7 p.m.
Ontario at Mac-Hi, 7 p.m.
Riverside at Umatilla, 7 p.m.
Vale at Irrigon, 7 p.m.
Weston-McEwen at Stanfield, 7 p.m.
Powder Valley at Echo, 7 p.m.
PREP VOLLEYBALL
Friday
Nyssa at Stanfield, 1 p.m.
Union at Stanfield, Noon
Powder Valley at Echo, 4 p.m.
Sherman at Condon/Wheeler, 4 p.m.
Saturday
Heppner vs. St. Paul (at Sherman),
10 a.m.
Nixyaawii at Wallowa, 11 a.m.
Irrigon at Stanfield, Noon
Weston-McEwen vs. St. Paul (at
Sherman), Noon
Echo at Joseph, 1 p.m.
Helix at Wallowa, 1 p.m.
Ione at Mitchell/Spray, 1 p.m.
Ontario at Mac-Hi, 1:30 p.m.
Helix at Joseph, 3 p.m.
Weston-McEwen vs. Kennedy (at
Sherman), 4 p.m.
PREP BOYS SOCCER
Friday
Umatilla at Nyssa, 3 p.m.
Saturday
Ontario at Mac-Hi, 2 p.m.
Riverside at Irrigon, 3 p.m.
PREP GIRLS SOCCER
Friday
Umatilla at Nyssa, 5 p.m.
Saturday
Ontario at Mac-Hi, Noon
Riverside at Irrigon, 1 p.m.
PREP CROSS COUNTRY
Saturday
Hermiston, Pendleton, Stanfield at
Richland (WA) Invite, TBD
Mac-Hi, Umatilla at La Grande Invite,
TBD
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Friday
Spokane at Blue Mountain, 6 p.m.
Oregon Tech at Eastern Oregon, 7
p.m.
Saturday
Southern Oregon at Eastern Oregon,
1 p.m.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S SOCCER
Friday
Blue Mountain at North Idaho, 2 p.m.
Eastern Oregon at Southern Oregon,
4:30 p.m.
Saturday
Blue Mountain at Spokane, Noon
Eastern Oregon at Oregon Tech, Noon
COLLEGE MEN’S SOCCER
Friday
Blue Mountain at North Idaho, 4:15
p.m.
Eastern Oregon at Southern Oregon,
7 p.m.
Saturday
Eastern Oregon at Oregon Tech, 2
p.m.
Blue Mountain at Spokane, 2:15 p.m.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Saturday
MSU-Northern at Eastern Oregon,
6 p.m.
Baseball
MLB Postseason
DIVISION SERIES
(Best-of-5; x-if necessary)
American League
Houston 1, Boston 0
Thursday: Houston 8, Boston 2
Friday: Boston at Houston, 11:05 a.m.
(FS1 or MLB)
Sunday: Houston at Boston, TBD (FS1
or MLB)
x-Monday: Houston at Boston, TBD
(FS1 or MLB)
x-Wednesday: Boston at Houston,
TBD (FS1 or MLB)
Cleveland 1, New York 0
Thursday: Cleveland 4, New York 0
Friday: New York at Cleveland, 2:08
p.m. (FS1 or MLB)
Sunday: Cleveland at New York, TBD
(FS1 or MLB)
x-Monday: Cleveland at New York, TBD
(FS1 or MLB)
x-Wednesday: New York at Cleveland,
TBD (FS1 or MLB)
National League
Chicago vs. Washington
Friday: Chicago at Washington, 4:31
p.m. (TBS)
Saturday: Chicago at Washington, 2:38
p.m. (TBS)
Monday: Washington at Chicago, TBD
x-Tuesday: Washington at Chicago,
TBD (TBS)
x-Thursday: Chicago at Washington,
TBD (TBS)
Arizona vs. Los Angeles
Friday: Arizona at Los Angeles, 7:31
p.m. (TBS)
Saturday: Arizona at Los Angeles, 6:08
p.m. (TBS)
Monday: Los Angeles at Arizona,
TBD (TBS)
x-Tuesday: Los Angeles at Arizona,
TBD (TBS)
x-Thursday: Arizona at Los Angeles,
TBD (TBS)
Football
NFL
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
East
W L
T Pct PF
Buffalo
3 1
0 .750 73
N.Y. Jets
2 2
0 .500 75
New England 3 2
0 .600 148
Miami
1 2
0 .333 25
South
W L
T Pct PF
Jacksonville 2 2
0 .500 109
Houston
2 2
0 .500 110
Tennessee
2 2
0 .500 100
Indianapolis 1 3
0 .250 71
North
W L
T Pct PF
Pittsburgh
3 1
0 .750 90
Baltimore
2 2
0 .500 60
Cincinnati
1 3
0 .250 64
Cleveland
0 4
0 .000 63
West
W L
T Pct PF
Kansas City 3 0
0 1.000 93
Denver
3 1
0 .750 98
Oakland
2 2
0 .500 91
L.A. Chargers 0 4
0 .000 72
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
East
W L
T Pct PF
Philadelphia 3 1
0 .750 103
Washington 2 1
0 .667 71
Dallas
2 2
0 .500 94
N.Y. Giants 0 4
0 .000 60
South
W L
T Pct PF
Atlanta
3 1
0 .750 104
Carolina
3 1
0 .750 78
Tampa Bay 2 2
0 .500 85
New Orleans 2 2
0 .500 93
North
W L
T Pct PF
Detroit
3 1
0 .750 99
Green Bay
3 1
0 .750 102
PA
54
92
142
57
PA
74
88
126
136
PA
59
80
67
107
PA
57
74
79
93
PA
92
60
97
95
PA
89
70
83
78
PA
70
81
Minnesota
Chicago
West
2
1
2
3
0 .500 79 76
0 .250 61 104
W L
T Pct PF PA
L.A. Rams
3 1
0 .750 142 105
Seattle
2 2
0 .500 94 77
Arizona
2 2
0 .500 74 91
San Francisco 0 4
0 .000 66 94
———
Thursday’s Games
New England 19, Tampa Bay 14
Sunday’s Games
Arizona at Philadelphia, 10 a.m.
Carolina at Detroit, 10 a.m.
San Francisco at Indianapolis, 10 a.m.
Jacksonville at Pittsburgh, 10 a.m.
Buffalo at Cincinnati, 10 a.m.
N.Y. Jets at Cleveland, 10 a.m.
Tennessee at Miami, 10 a.m.
L.A. Chargers at N.Y. Giants, 10 a.m.
Baltimore at Oakland, 1:05 p.m.
Seattle at L.A. Rams, 1:05 p.m.
Green Bay at Dallas, 1:25 p.m.
Kansas City at Houston, 5:30 p.m.
Monday’s Games
Minnesota at Chicago, 5:30 p.m.
NCAA
Top 25 Schedule
Thursday
No. 24 NC State 39, No. 17 Louisville
25
Saturday
No. 1 Alabama at Texas A&M, 4:15
p.m. (ESPN)
No. 2 Clemson vs. Wake Forest, 9
a.m. (ESPN2)
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. Iowa State, 9
a.m. (FOX)
No. 4 Penn State at Northwestern, 9
a.m. (ABC)
No. 5 Georgia at Vanderbilt, 9 a.m.
(ESPN)
No. 6 Washington vs. California, 7:45
p.m. (ESPN)
No. 7 Michigan vs. Michigan State,
4:30 p.m. (ABC)
No. 8 TCU vs. No. 23 West Virginia,
12:30 p.m. (FS1)
No. 9 Wisconsin at Nebraska, 5 p.m.
No. 10 Ohio State vs. Maryland, 1
p.m. (FOX)
No. 11 Washington State at Oregon,
5 p.m. (FOX)
No. 12 Auburn vs. Mississippi, 9 a.m.
No. 13 Miami at Florida State, 12:30
p.m. (ESPN)
No. 14 USC vs. Oregon State, 1 p.m.
(PAC12)
No. 16 Virginia Tech at Boston College,
4:15 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 19 San Diego State at UNLV, 7:45
p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 20 Utah vs. Stanford, 7:15 p.m.
(FS1)
No. 21 Florida vs. LSU, 12:30 p.m.
(CBS)
No. 21 Notre Dame at North Carolina,
12:30 p.m. (ABC)
No. 25 UCF at Cincinnati, 5 p.m.
(ESPNU)
Pac-12 Schedule
Saturday
Oregon State at No. 14 USC, 1 p.m.
(PAC12)
No. 11 Washington State at Oregon,
5 p.m. (FOX)
Arizona at Colorado, 5 p.m. (PAC12)
Stanford at No. 20 Utah, 7:15 p.m.
(FS1)
Cal at No. 6 Washington, 7:45 p.m.
(ESPN)
Basketball
NBA
Preseason Schedule
Thursday’s Games
Orlando 112, Dallas 89
Brooklyn 107, Miami 88
Houston 144, Shanghai Sharks 82
Portland 106, Toronto 101
Hockey
NHL
Thursday’s Games
Boston 4, Nashville 3
Montreal 3, Buffalo 2, SO
Colorado 4, N.Y. Rangers 2
Washington 5, Ottawa 4, SO
Detroit 4, Minnesota 2
Chicago 10, Pittsburgh 1
Anaheim 5, Arizona 4
Los Angeles 2, Philadelphia 0
Friday’s Games
N.Y. Islanders at Columbus, 4 p.m.
Florida at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.
Vegas at Dallas, 5:30 p.m.
Soccer
MLS
Saturday’s Games
Vancouver at New York, 2 p.m.
Sporting Kansas City at Minnesota
United, 5 p.m.
FC Dallas at Colorado, 6 p.m.