SPORTS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS Oregon State fi nds its coach College Football Beavers choose former QB Jonathan Smith By RALPH D. RUSSO Associated Press Jonathan Smith is returning to where he started. Washington’s co-of- fensive coordinator Jonathan Smith has been hired by Oregon State to be the Beavers’ head coach, the school formally announced Wednesday night. Oregon State has been in the market for a new coach since Gary Andersen surprisingly stepped down in early October after a 1-5 start, with the victory coming over lower-division Portland State. Smith is a former Beavers quarterback who has been working as quarterbacks coach for coach Chris Petersen since 2012, starting at Boise State and following him to Washington in 2014. He also had stops as an assistant at Montana and Idaho. He was a graduate assistant at Oregon State from 2002-03. “Oregon State University is a special place and I have many memories of being a part of Beaver Nation,” Smith said in a statement. “I played for some of the best coaches I have ever been around and learned many of the qualities I have utilized in my coaching career.” Smith was a walk-on in Corvallis, playing for the Beavers from 1998-2001. He was on Oregon State’s 2000 team that went 11-1 and defeated Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl under coach Dennis Erickson. A fan favorite during his playing days, Smith ranks third on Oregon State’s career list with 55 touchdown passes and 9,680 passing yards. He holds the record See BEAVERS/2B AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File In this Nov. 7, 2015 fi le photo, Washington offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jonathan Smith looks on during warmups before a game against Utah in Seattle. The AP reports that Smith has been hired as Oregon State’s newest head football coach. PENDLETON Buckaroos sluggish in opener Pend- leton’s Maureen Davies drives to- ward the basket around Baker’s Isabella Nemec (32) Wednes- day during the Bucks’ 56-47 loss to the Bulldogs in the season opener at Warberg Court. Staff photo by Kathy Aney Short-handed Buckaroos commit 29 turnovers in season-opening loss By ERIC SINGER East Oregonian PENDLETON — The 2017-18 prep basketball season offi cially opened for business across Oregon on Wednesday night as boys and girls teams across the state got in their fi rst games of the season. The Pendleton Buckaroo girls team was one of those and their season opener did not go the way they had hoped. A short-handed Buckaroo squad committed 29 turnovers and shot Girls Basketball varsity squad so just 30 percent late that she did from the fl oor as not even know her the Bucks fell to team’s plays. Senior Baker Pendleton all-league the Baker Bulldogs player 56-47 at Warberg Kalan McGlothan, Court. junior forward Katie “Can you tell it’s Bradt and junior early?” Pendleton coach Kevin guard Megan George were all out Porter joked after the game. with undisclosed injuries and are Pendleton (0-1) played with all expected to be out for “a few just nine healthy players, with one weeks,” Porter said. of those being freshman Natalie Coupling the injuries with Neveau that was called up to the the fact that players such as Elli 56 47 Nirschl and Lauren Richards, two big varsity contributors a year ago, did not come out for the team this year meant Pendleton was forced to give big minutes to numerous players without much varsity experience on Wednesday night. “We tried to scrap together as best we could,” Porter said. “The way we’re looking at it is we’re going to get these kids minutes and some experience so when we get down into league play it’s See BUCKAROOS/2B Prep All-League Teams Five Pioneers make all- GOL team East Oregonian The Mac-Hi Pioneers landed fi ve players on the all-Greater Oregon League teams that were released this week, including three on the fi rst team. Leading the way for Mac-Hi were senior defensive lineman Michael Breeding, senior linebacker Josh Torres and senior punter Spencer Wells earning fi rst team recognition. Wells also earned second team honors at offensive line and defensive line, and he was joined by fellow defensive lineman Brandon Chaney and senior defensive back Allan Mendoza on the second team. Ontario, the GOL champion, nearly swept the all-league awards. Senior running back Ethan Kameshige was voted Offensive Player of the Year, senior linebacker AJ Manzo was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year and Erik Johnson was named Coach of the Year. La Grande’s Isaac Chamberlain was the other Co-Defensive Player of the Year. The full teams are listed below. ———— 4A GREATER OREGON LEAGUE Offensive Player of the Year — Ethan Kameshige, Ontario Defensive Player of the Year — AJ Manzo, Ontar- io; Isaac Chamberlain, La Grande. Coach of the Year — Erik Johnson, Ontario FIRST TEAM QB — Mike Mejia, Ontario, sr. RB — Alex Hammans, Baker, so.; Ethan Kameshige, Ontario, sr. WR — GT Blackman, La Grande, sr.; Cade Reed, La Grande, sr.; Adam Hawker, Ontario, sr.; Andy Sanchez, Ontario, sr. TE — Noah Navarette, Ontario, sr. OL — Jacob Rodriguez, Ontario, jr.; AJ Manzo, Ontario, sr.; Wes Howard, La Grande, jr.; Joe Fleen- er, Ontario, jr.; Drew Osbron, Baker, sr. K — Alex Gastelum, Ontario, sr. DL — Drew Story, Baker, sr.; Noah Navarette, Ontario, sr.; Michael Breeding, Mac-Hi, sr.; Andrew Dunn, Baker, sr. LB — Isaac Chamberlain, La Grande, sr.; AJ Manzo, Ontario, sr.; Ethan Kameshige, Ontario, sr.; Josh Torres, Mac-Hi, sr. DB — GT Blackman, La Grande, sr.; Adam Hawk- er, Ontario, sr.; Andy Sanchez, Ontario, sr.; Cade Reed, La Grande, sr. P — Spencer Wells, Mac-Hi, sr. SECOND TEAM QB — Parker Robinson, La Grande, so. RB — Isaac Chamberlain, La Grande, sr.; Nathan Reed, La Grande, so. TE — Drew Story, Baker, sr. OL — Derik Williams, La Grande, sr.; Spencer Wells, Mac-Hi, sr.; Elizar Ramirez, Ontario, so.; G’ovanni Quezada, Baker, sr.; Joseph Lopez, Ontario, jr. K — Isaac Chamberlain, La Grande, sr. DL — Wes Howard, La Grande, sr.; Antonio Sanders, Ontario, sr.; Spencer Wells, Mac-Hi, sr.; Brandon Chaney, Mac-Hi, sr. LB — Nathan Reed, La Grande, so.; Wacey Porte- nier, Ontario, sr.; Dallon Hauter, Ontario, jr.; Isaiah Beck, La Grande, sr. DB — Allan Mendoza, Mac-Hi, sr.; Javier Rodri- guez, Ontario, sr.; Parker Robinson, La Grande, so.; Alex Gastelum, Ontario, sr. P — Isaac Chamberlain, La Grande, sr. See ALL-LEAGUE/2B Sports shorts MLS picks expansion fi nalists NEW YORK (AP) — Four cities are in the running to join Major League Soccer. MLS announced Wednesday that Cincinnati; Detroit; Nashville, Tennessee; and Sacramento, California, are fi nalists for two expansion clubs. Owners and offi cials repre- senting the expansion markets will make presentations to MLS Commissioner Don Garber and the league’s expansion committee on Dec. 6 in New York. The next two MLS expansion teams will be selected before the end of the year. Two more expansion teams will be picked later. In 2015, MLS announced plans to expand to 28 teams. Los Angeles Football Club begins play in 2018, becoming the league’s 23rd team. Discussions continue for a MLS expansion team in Miami. “I honestly thought it was pathetic. He’s been out there 210 straight games -- with no telling how many bumps and bruises and injuries -- for his team. He won two Super Bowl MVPs ... if they are in fact deciding to go another direction -- he’s earned the opportunity to fi nish it off these last fi ve weeks.“ — Phillip Rivers Los Angeles Chargers QB when asked about Eli Manning being benched by the New York Giants in favor of backups Geno Smith and rookie Davis Webb. Hermiston hosting community celebration on Thursday HERMISTON — The Hermiston High football team captured the state championship on Saturday and celebrated on the fi eld with the hundreds of fans that made the trip to Hillsboro. On Thursday evening, Bulldog fans that couldn’t make the trip will get their turn to celebrate with the team. The community is welcome to fi ll up the gymnasium at Hermiston High at 7:15 p.m. There, people can meet the coaching staff and players, take photos with members of the team, get autographs and watch a highlight video of the 2017 championship season. Light refreshments will be provided afterwards. THIS DATE IN SPORTS 1991 — San Diego State’s Marshall Faulk becomes the fi rst freshman to capture the national rushing and scoring titles after gaining 154 yards on 27 carries in a 39-12 loss to top-ranked Miami. Faulk fi nishes the season with 1,429 yards in nine games for a 158.7-yard rushing average. 2012 — NBA Commis- sioner David Stern fi nes the San Antonio Spurs $250,000 for “a disservice to the league and our fans” when they don’t bring Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili or Danny Green to Miami for the fi nal game of a six-game trip. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com