Page 4B
SPORTS
East Oregonian
Saturday, November 25, 2017
GAMEDAY: Rituals and routines bringing Bulldog players closer together
Continued from 1B
Quiznos, a chicken carbonara
hold the mushrooms. Senior
linemen AJ Fernandez and
Tyler Hunter will make a trip
to Taco Bell on Thursdays,
and on Friday mornings you
may catch head coach David
Faaeteete getting a breakfast
croissant from Jack in the
Box.
Whether its a signature
meal or getting a clean cut
before the big day, like
Gutierrez and senior lineman
Beau Blake, who grows his
beard out all week just to
shave it the night before, the
Bulldogs will have one last
weekend to complete their
routines. And often times,
they are not done in isolation.
The Bulldogs’ pre-game
rituals
involve
getting
together with a number of
other players and focusing
on something other than the
upcoming opponent, which
this weekend will be the
undefeated Lancers who
will be playing for their fi rst
chance at a state title in 32
years.
At a number of players
houses, including junior
quarterback Andrew James’
and the Walchli residence,
Bulldogs are fi ring up game
consoles and manning remote
controls.
“Madden before every
game is a must,” sophomore
Garret Walchli said.
The wideout duo of Garret
and his brother Luke Walchli
— who has eight catches for
153 yards and a touchdown
this season — are joined by
Fernandez and others the
night before a game.
If Madden helps players
practice their moves, then
arguably no one has benefi ted
more than Gutierrez. Lately,
he’s been showing off his
speed on offense and his foot-
ball IQ on defense with long
runs to the house and inter-
ceptions to give momentum
back to Hermiston.
He joins juniors Jordan
Ramirez, Adrian Mendez
and Sergio Rosales at James’
house the night before every
game.
The bond the boys share
off the fi eld has translated
to the turf. The Bulldogs are
coming off their best game
of the season where almost
every aspect of their game is
in sync.
“I think it’s all starting to
come together,” he said. “I
don’t think we all thought it
would as freshman but now
we are here and it’s just all
starting to piece together.”
The pieces, however,
didn’t all fi t together for quite
some time.
Blake remembers a time
when the group of boys
weren’t as cohesive or as
focused as they are now. One
of the core group of seniors
on the offensive line, Blake’s
presence is felt whenever
senior running back Jonathan
Hinkle fi nds a gap to run
through or James uses his
ability to run to pick up the
fi rst down and then some.
While the season-long trip
to the championships have
been fi lled with memorable
stops along the way, what
Blake will cherish the most
is the bond that has formed
even after some bumps in the
road.
“The last two years it’s
kind of been really divided
but this year we’ve really
come together and we have
an amazing group of guys
right now and it’s been
great,” he said.
What divided the team
years ago has actually been
what’s working for them
now.
“The biggest thing was
attitude,” Blake added. “We
had a lot of attitude problems
with everybody, even myself
— I had some attitude prob-
lems. Once we learned that
we can take our attitude and
put it aside and actually focus
and play the game that’s what
kind of fi nally brought us
together.”
In Faaeteete’s third year
as head coach, he’s instilled
a championship mindset
and every week makes sure
each box is checked. The
steadiness and trust he puts
in James and crew translates
into confi dence on the fi eld.
It’s something that James
refl ects on as he leads his
team to their fi nal chance at
an Oregon state title.
“The connection between
all of us guys,” he said, “we
have great relationships with
every single one of those
guys and even coaches, so
all of us. Coaches and kids,
kids and parents, kids and
coaches, everyone.”
For the group of seniors,
many of whom will play
their last game of football
Saturday, it took years to
get to this point. Not only to
build the connect as Blake
stated, but for their efforts on
and off the fi eld to come full
circle. Faaeteete commends
their hard work, effort, and
resilience as they wrap up
their OSAA Farewell Tour.
“You know they came
out of a class of about 28,
30 freshman,” he said,”
their numbers were a little
down. They were 2-and-7
as freshman, barely won
a game. They were close,
competed well but then they
worked themselves out to do
what they have been doing
(recently).
“It’s four years of growth
and it just shows that dedica-
tion to the process, belief in
the goals, and belief in what
we’re doing here is going
to pay off. It really — even
though there are doubters and
whatnot, I think that’s what
I’m going to miss most about
this group just their ability
to put the naysayers at bay
and focus on what they can
control: their effort, their atti-
tude and just playing football
and competing as a family.”
By the time the Bulldogs get
to Hillsboro on Saturday,
fast food will have been
consumed and the game
consoles will be cooling
down from a long night of
work, but one ritual will still
need to be performed.
It happens away from the
public’s gaze and in a locker
room while teenage boys are
transforming themselves into
Dawgs.
“We have all the linemen
go in a group and we play Phil
Collins ‘In the Air Tonight,’”
Blake said. “It’s a tradition
that we slowly put on all of
our stuff and right before that
big drum solo, I fi nd a wall.”
What happens next is what
many have done in their cars
while driving or with friends,
but Blake does it surrounded
by his teammates, his
brothers in purple.
“I have to do the drum solo
perfect, just hitting (the wall)
as hard as I can,” he added,
“and then once we do that,
we start yelling ‘woo, woo’
and then coach comes in and
gives us his speech and then
we break on two.
“Ready, go.”
———
Contact Alexis at aman-
sanarez@eastoregonian.com
or 541-564-4542. Follow her
on Twitter @almansanarez.
KEYS: Dawgs have to use physicality, speed to stop the streaking Lancers
Continued from 1B
found its identity as a
run-fi rst team and rolled to
nine straight wins overall and
three dominant wins in the
5A playoffs.
Hermiston has pounded
the ball on the ground with
running backs Jonathan
Hinkle and Peter Earl and
quarterback Andrew James
for more than 300 combined
yards in each of the three
playoff wins.
Hinkle leads all of Class
5A in the postseason with
504 rushing yards on 49
carries — a whopping 10.3
yards per carry average
— with fi ve touchdowns,
while James has 217 yards
and three touchdowns on 33
carries.
A key reason for this
success has been the play
of Hermiston’s offensive
line. The fi ve-man unit of
AJ Fernandez, Beau Blake,
Jacob Liebe, Chase Brad-
shaw and Taylor Arnold have
pushed around opposing
defensive fronts to pave the
way for the runners. They
will be facing a tough Chur-
chill front, but one that is
vulnerable to a good rushing
attack. Last week against
Mountain View, the Lancers
gave up 267 yards on 51 rush
attempts to the Cougars.
Getting the run game
going is crucial for the
Bulldogs because it opens
the fi eld up for the vertical
passing game for players like
Dayshawn Neal, Joe Guti-
errez and Jordan Ramirez to
fi nd space to make big plays.
It will also help the Bulldogs
continuously move the
chains on offensive drives
and eat up time on the game
clock, keeping Churchill’s
electric offense off the fi eld.
START FAST, FINISH
FAST
As it was mentioned
last week after the 35-27
beating it gave Wilsonville,
Hermiston has had the
ability in each of the last two
weeks to come out and hit
their opponent in the mouth
before they even knew what
happened.
Against South Albany,
Hermiston took a fast 21-0
lead, fought off a Rebels’
comeback, and then cruised
to a win. Then against
Wilsonville in the semifi nals,
Hermiston again stunned
the opponent with a quick
22-0 lead midway through
the second quarter before
Wilsonville could fi nd a
groove. The Bulldogs again
fought off a run by the Wild-
cats and earned the win.
The Bulldogs need to
have that same game plan
and try to get the Lancers out
of sorts on the fi eld, making
them play from behind rather
than having to chase them
down.
Head coach David Faae-
teete said Thursday that the
you will fi nd out in the fi rst
four to fi ve snaps how this
game will go — and he, of
course, is hoping it goes in
the Bulldogs favor as it has
been lately.
WIN THE TURNOVER
BATTLE
The Hermiston defense
has been a turnover machine
in the postseason, with 10
forced in its three games,
including six alone in the
quarterfi nal win over South
Albany. And on the other
side of the ball, Hermiston’s
offense as just two turnovers,
both of which were lost
fumbles.
While the defensive
turnover total is something
to marvel at, it’s also been
necessary for the Bulldogs’
unit to stay afl oat.
Opposing teams have
torched Hermiston in the
passing game for a combined
884 yards while running for
another 421, and without
the help of turnovers the
Bulldogs would likely be at
home focusing on basketball
and wrestling by now.
It will be necessary
again for the defense to play
aggressively in that aspect as
the Churchill offense brings
plenty of fi repower to the
table.
Quarterback Jack Black-
burn is second in the 5A
with 707 pass yards in the
playoffs with eight touch-
downs and four interceptions
and a full stable of talented
receivers. Dalton McDaniel
is a 1,000-yard rusher on the
season with a talented No. 2
in Tyson Bennion.
Limiting the amount
of long drives and scoring
chances will be key for the
Bulldogs.
And on offense, Herm-
iston needs to keep playing
the way it has been for the
month of November. Hinkle,
Earl and James do a good job
of holding the ball tight when
running through defenders,
and the run game has opened
up the fi eld and reduced the
amount of dangerous throws
into traffi c for James that
could lead to turnovers and
extra possessions for the
opposition.
The fumbles that have
recently orrcued have been
from extra efforts for a few
more yards and while that
is commendable, the Bull-
dogs need to play smart on
defense.
Churchill’s upset over the
top seeded team was due in
part to two mishaps Moun-
tain View had in the red
zone, and that’s something
Hermiston cannot afford to
let happen Saturday.
The winner will come
down to not only who can
have the better start, but who
can play mistake free for 48
minutes.
————
Contact Eric at esinger@
eastoregonian.com
or
541-966-0839. Follow him
on Twitter @ByEricSinger.
BLAZERS: A late 8-0 run in the fourth quarter was key to earning road win
Continued from 1B
center snatched it away and
put it through, drawing a
foul and capping a three-
point play with 27 seconds
left to put his team ahead
for good, 126-123.
“I learned never quit,” said
Nurkic, who had eight re-
bounds and two of his four
blocks in the fi nal period.
“There’s no lost possession.
I see an opportunity to steal
the ball and try to make a
play. It (went) in.”
Despite Lillard’s words of
encouragement, he was still
beating himself for making
5 of 10 free throws.
“I know I am a way better
free throw (shooter) than I
am showing,” said Nurkic.
CJ McCollum chipped in 26
for the Trail Blazers, who
found themselves down by
11 in the fi rst quarter in a
post-Thanksgiving
noon
tip.
The Trail Blazers’ defense
held the Nets 0 for 5 from
the fi eld during their key
fourth quarter 8-0 run, two
days after a disappointing
20-point loss at Philadel-
phia.
“We made some good de-
fensive stops in the last
minute and a half and were
able to convert in the other
direction,” Portland coach
Terry Stotts said.
Dinwiddie had 23 for the
Nets, who have lost three
straight games — the pre-
vious two to the defending
champions, Golden State
Warriors, and Cleveland
Cavaliers.
After cutting Portland’s
lead to 126-125 with 15.7
seconds, he had a chance
to put the Nets ahead but
missed a 3-pointer with 4:8
seconds left.
“I felt like it was a good
look,” Dinwiddie said. “It
bounced around the rim a
couple of times but didn’t
go in.”
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Reserve for-
ward Al-Farouq Aminu
remained out again with a
sprained right ankle he suf-
fered during a game Nov.
1. He’s missed his last 10
games.
EARLY
BIRD
SPECIAL
Portland’s noon start at
Brooklyn was the fi rst of
two on their regular-season
schedule. They’ll tip-off
again at noon at Boston on
Feb. 4 — the second game
of a three-game Eastern
Conference road trip.
SNAP OUT OF IT
McCollum made 10 of
19 shots to rebound from
Wednesday’s
dreadful
shooting performance at
Philadelphia, in which he
went 1 for 14 from the fi eld,
scoring fi ve points.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers continue
their fi ve-game road trip at
Washington on Saturday.
EASTERN OREGON
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Davis Orchards
Fruit Stand
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looking for, don’t buy until you’ve
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501 Open Houses
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DOWNUNDER???????!!??
Sign up for your Tour to Aus-
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kjcbaird@gmail.com
Turn Here Realty
541-377-6855
Call the “Weekend & After Hours
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$299,000- 6.6ACRES/ RIVER-
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Coldwell Banker Whitney
541-276-0021
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541-215-0103
Garton & Associates
(541) 276-0931
504 Homes for Sale
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starter home and will finance.
Seller has put on new roof, ren-
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541-276-0021
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Looking for a new place to
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$65,000- PILOT ROCK 2bed-
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$212,900 Call Cathy for more
info (541) 215-0103.
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