SPORTS
Friday, December 1, 2017
NASCAR
East Oregonian
Page 3B
Golf
Earnhardt Woods returns with solid start in Bahamas
wins most
popular
driver for
15th time
By DOUG FERGUSON
Associated Press
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS — Dale Earn-
hardt Jr. wrapped up his final
season as a NASCAR driver
with one last piece of hardware.
He won the
Most Popular
Driver Award
on Thursday
night for the
15th consecu-
tive time.
The award
is based on a
Earnhardt Jr. fan vote and
sponsored by
the National Motorsports Press
Association. Only Bill Elliott
won the award more than Earn-
hardt — 16 times between 1984
and 2002 — before he removed
his name from consideration.
“It always comes back to the
fans, it really does, and I’ve got
to thank them for keeping the
train on the track and rolling
all these years,” said Earnhardt,
who retired as a full-time driver
following NASCAR’s season
finale. He will move to NBC’s
broadcasting team next year.
Earnhardt was presented
as NASCAR’s most popular
driver during the annual season-
ending awards ceremony, which
is meant to fete all the playoff
drivers and Cup champion
Martin Truex Jr. But this week
has truly been a send-off for
Earnhardt, who was also named
Grand Marshal for February’s
season-opening Daytona 500 —
just one of the many ambassador
gigs the superstar is nabbing for
the sport he loves so much.
Earnhardt was appreciative
of the award and said he’s
always done his best to represent
the sport his family has been
such a huge part of for decades.
“I always tell people all the
time, all I wanted to do was be
able to pay my bills and be able
to race a long time,” Earnhardt
said. “I’ve always tried to take a
lot of pride in taking the sport to
new places and introducing it to
new people.”
He then tried to turn the
attention to Truex, his good
friend and former driver. Truex
won two second-tier series titles
driving for Earnhardt before
Truex graduated to the Cup
Series. Earnhardt told a story
Thursday night of how his
father, the late Dale Earnhardt,
stressed to his son to celebrate
after his first Cup victory.
Now a married man
expecting his first child next
year, he said he finally under-
stands what his father meant:
there’s only one chance to
celebrate firsts, and he vowed
to party hard in celebration of
Truex’s first Cup title.
Earnhardt was winless in
his final season, didn’t make
the playoffs, and wasn’t all that
competitive at the end of his
19-year career. But he’s beloved
by his fans who supported him
all year during his “Apreci-
88tion” tour.
NASSAU, Bahamas — Tiger
Woods looked a lot better in his
return to golf than he did when he
left.
Playing for the first time since
his fourth back surgery, Woods
returned from a 10-month layoff
with a 3-under 69 on a breezy
Thursday in the Bahamas that left
him three shots behind Tommy
Fleetwood after the opening round
of the Hero World Challenge.
“For me, I thought I did great,”
Woods said with a smile.
And in a sign that he was ready
to get back into the mix, he was far
from satisfied.
Unlike a year ago, when Woods
ended a 15-month hiatus from his
ailing back, he didn’t show any
fatigue at the end of his round or
make any big numbers. His only
regret was playing the par 5s at
Albany Golf Club in 1-over par
with two bogeys that stalled his
momentum.
Coming off a 25-foot birdie putt
on the par-3 eighth, Woods hit a
3-wood that rolled up on the green
and then down a slope about 30
feet from the pin. It took him four
shots from there, starting with a
chip that didn’t reach the green and
his first expletive loud enough for
television to pick up.
After his best shot of the day —
a pitching wedge he hit low from
95 yards that settled a foot behind
the hole for birdie on No. 14 — he
sent a drive well to the right into the
native dunes. Woods had to take a
penalty drop to get back in play and
wound up making bogey.
But it was solid enough that
Woods was far more interested in
the leaderboard than the fact he felt
strong physically.
AP Photo/Dante Carrer
Tiger Woods tees off on the first hole at the Hero World Challenge
golf tournament at Albany Golf Club in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday.
“It was not only nice to get the
first round out of the way, but also
I’m only three shots out of the
lead,” he said. “So to be able to put
myself there after not playing for 10
months or so, it was nice to feel the
adrenaline out there.”
He was tied for eighth in the
18-man field of this holiday exhi-
bition that awards world ranking
points but does not count as official
on any tour. Rickie Fowler and Matt
Kuchar were at 67, while Dustin
Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose
and Kevin Chappell were at 68.
The buzz was back. Johnson
noticed it when he was on the
practice range and noticed a crowd
around the putting green.
“Tiger must be there,” Johnson
said. “Because there’s 40 people
instead of four.”
Golf Channel added an hour of
coverage, and Twitter came alive
with people curious about the
latest return. That included Steph
Curry, the Golden State Warriors’
two-time MVP who played a Web.
com Tour event in August. “The
wait is over. The wait is over,” he
tweeted .
Michael Phelps said he was
“pumped to be watching” Woods
on TV again.
This event doesn’t draw big
crowds, but most of them were with
Woods to see how he would fare in
this latest comeback, this one from
fusion surgery on his lower back on
April 20. Given it was his fourth
surgery in three years, coupled with
a DUI arrest in the summer that
exposed the struggles Woods was
having with pain medicine, a day
like this seemed a long way off.
Woods said he appreciated the
moment Thursday morning.
“I was in my head thanking all
the people who have helped me in
giving me a chance to come back
and play this round again,” he said.
“There were a lot of people who
were instrumental in my life —
friends, outside people I’ve never
met before, obviously my surgeon.
I was very thankful.”
And he was as competitive as
always.
Woods delivered his first fist
pump on par-4 fourth hole when
he scooped a chip that didn’t reach
the green, and then holed an 18-foot
par putt.
While the field is short, the
competition is strong with eight
of the top in the world at Albany.
Woods realizes they have spent
the last couple of years playing at
a high level that allows them to
overcome a few mistakes.
“I don’t want to lose shots,”
Woods said. “I haven’t played in a
very long time and I can’t afford to
go out there and make a bunch of
bogeys and know that I can make
nine, 10 birdies and offset them.”
Along with his five birdies —
only two of them were tap-ins —
Woods had an assortment of tough
par saves, including a 10-footer that
kept him dropping another shot on
a par 5 at No. 11. He finished his
round with a belly wedge from
short of the 17th green because of
mud on his ball, and holing a 6-foot
par putt on the 18th.
A year ago, Woods made a pair
of double bogeys over the last three
holes for a 73 to finish nine shots
behind. This time, he closed with
pars and was three back.
PGA champion Justin Thomas,
who also opened with a 69 in the
same pairing with Woods, is among
those who have played with him in
recent weeks in Florida. Woods said
he once played nine straight days.
“It was what I saw when we
played at home,” Thomas said.
“Obviously, taking this much time
off from competition is hard. I felt
rusty starting after a month-and-a-
half, so I can’t imagine what it felt
like for him. But he played well.”
Pro Football
Eagles bring 10-1 record to Seattle to face Seahawks
By TIM BOOTH
Associated Press
NFL
SEATTLE — It took a moment
for Bobby Wagner to recall four
years ago and what it felt like to be
on a team that was 10-1 at one point
of the season.
“That was a long time ago. I just
remember a lot of winning and a lot
of laughter,” Wagner said. “It kind
of just feels like you understand
you are going to get everybody’s
best game.
“I just remember teams would
put in plays that they hadn’t prac-
ticed, hadn’t put on film, so we just
had to prepare for a lot of things
because when you’re that top dog,
everybody wants to take you down
and they will do whatever they can
to take you down.”
A team that looks very similar to
that 2013 version of the Seahawks
comes to Seattle on Sunday night
when the 10-1 Philadelphia Eagles
visit, riding a nine-game win streak
and showing many of the same
characteristics of that Seattle team
from four years ago that ended up
winning a Super Bowl.
The
Eagles
have
been
pummeling opponents, winning
the past four games by 20 or
more points. Should they add the
Seahawks to that list, they would
join the 1999 Rams as the only
teams in the Super Bowl era to win
five straight games by at least 20.
They are led by a second-year
quarterback in Carson Wentz
Philadelphia
Seattle
Eagles
Seahawks
(10-1)
(7-4)
• Sunday, 5:30 p.m. (TV: NBC)
• at Century Link Field
who has blossomed in a similar
way to how Russell Wilson did in
his second year. The Eagles are
committed to running the ball with
LeGarrette Blount and Jay Ajayi
and are the best in the NFL at stop-
ping the run.
If that all sounds familiar, it’s
because that mimics much of
the same formula Seattle used to
become an NFC power.
And after winning in Carolina,
Kansas City and thumping the
Cowboys in Dallas, a victory
in Seattle would add even more
validity to the Eagles being the
favorites in the NFC.
“Their confidence, each week,
gets a little stronger and they enjoy
playing together as units, offen-
sively, defensively, and obviously
on special teams and they are
having fun doing it,” Philadelphia
coach Doug Pederson said.
“That is a credit to the players
and how well they prepare during
the week. But yeah, they are gaining
confidence in each other and it’s
exciting to watch them play.”
Seattle has recently struggled at
home. Combined with the loss of
Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor
and Cliff Avril with season-ending
injuries, some of the Seahawks are
feeling as if they’re being over-
looked even if they are still only
one-game behind the Rams in the
NFC West.
“It’s human nature. I’m not mad
when people do that. I understand.
I get it,” Seattle linebacker K.J.
Wright said. “But in this building
we’ve got to know who we are, stay
true to what we do and believe in
ourselves.”
Here’s what else to watch as
Seattle goes for its fourth straight
win over the Eagles:
HOME DOGS: Seattle hasn’t
been this decided a home underdog
since 2012 when Wilson was a
rookie facing New England, and
Sherman was the one walking off
the field asking Tom Brady “U Mad
Bro?” Playing in Seattle has been a
fortress for most of Pete Carroll’s
tenure, but the Seahawks have lost
two straight at home. The previous
time they dropped three in a row at
CenturyLink Field? 2008.
STARTING FAST: The Eagles
haven’t allowed a touchdown in the
first quarter this season and have
outscored opponents 78-18. That
early advantage has made sure the
Eagles don’t play from behind very
often. Offensive coordinator Frank
Reich gave Pederson credit for
scripting the first 15 plays that have
helped the team jump ahead early.
“The earlier you know what
he’s thinking and how the plays are
going to come down, there’s a little
extra coaching that goes into those
first 15 plays,” Reich said.
“There’s a lot of coaching that
goes into all of it, but you certainly
emphasize those first 15. You talk
through a few more things. You get
to practice those even on Saturdays
sometimes one last time. You get
an additional rep on them. I think
all those things contribute to better
execution.”
ALL WILSON: Seattle’s
offense is almost exclusively on
Wilson’s shoulders. For a change
Wilson wasn’t Seattle’s leading
rusher last Sunday against San
Francisco; Eddie Lacy had 46 yards
on 17 carries.
But for the season, Wilson has
been responsible for 82.5 percent
of Seattle’s total offense, passing
and rushing. He remains Seattle’s
leading rusher with 401 yards.
GROUND AND POUND:
While Wentz gets plenty of credit
for Philadelphia’s offensive success
— the Eagles lead the NFL with
351 points — the run game is doing
its part.
The Eagles have rushed for at
least 175 yards in three consecutive
games for the first time since 1990
and at least 100 yards in 10 straight
games, longest streak in the NFL.
Blount is still getting a bulk of
the carries as Ajayi learns more
of the offense. Blount, Ajayi and
Corey Clement each have run for
50-plus yards twice in the past three
games.
SCOREBOARD
Local slate
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
Friday
Riverdale vs. Umatilla (at Vernonia), 4:30
p.m.
Grant Union vs. Culver (at Sherman),
4:30 p.m.
Heppner vs. Chemawa (at Western
Mennonite), 4:30 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Echo, 4:30 p.m.
Irrigon at Weston-McEwen, 4:30 p.m.
Riverside vs. College Place (WA) (at Mac-
Hi), 5:00 p.m.
Hermiston vs. Mountain View (at Wilson-
ville), 5:30 p.m.
Pendleton vs. Eagle Point (at Wilsonville),
7 p.m.
Enterprise at Ione, 7:30 p.m.
Stanfield at Sherman, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Pendleton vs. TBD (at Wilsonville), TBD
Hermiston vs. TBD (at Wilsonville), TBD
Riverside vs. TBD (at Mac-Hi), TBD
Heppner vs. TBD (at Western Mennonite),
TBD
Irrigon vs. TBD (at Ione), 1 p.m.
Ione vs. TBD, 2:30 p.m.
Echo at Condon/Wheeler, 3:30 p.m.
Umatilla vs. TBD (at Vernonia), 5:30 p.m.
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
Friday
Sherman at Stanfield, TBD
Weston-McEwen at Irrigon, 3:00 p.m.
Umatilla at Riverdal, 3:00 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Echo, 3:00 p.m.
Riverside vs. College Place (WA) (at Mac-
Hi), 3:30 p.m.
Heppner at Chemawa, 4:30 p.m.
Enterprise at Ione, 6:00 p.m.
Helix vs. at Mac-Hi, 6:30 p.m.
Wilsonville at Hermiston, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday
Mac-Hi vs. TBD, TBD
Riverside vs. TBD (at Mac-Hi), TBD
Helix vs. TBD (at Mac-Hi), TBD
Umatilla vs. TBD (at Vernonia), TBD
Heppner vs. TBD (at Western Mennonite),
TBD
Stanfield vs. TBD (at Sherman), TBD
Irrigon vs. TBD (at Ione), 1 p.m.
Summit at Pendleton, 2:30 p.m.
Lewiston (ID) at Hermiston, 5:45 p.m.
Weston-McEwen vs. TBD (at Ione), 7 p.m.
COLLEGE WRESTLING
Friday
EOU at Battle of the Rockies (Grant Falls,
Mont.), TBD
Saturday
EOU at Battle of the Rockies (Grant Falls,
Mont.), TBD
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Friday
BMCC at the Walla Walla Classic, TBD
Saturday
BMCC at the Walla Walla Classic, TBD
EOU at Southern Oregon, 6 p.m.
Sunday
BMCC at Clackamas CC, 1 p.m.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Friday
BMCC at Linn-Benton CC, 6 p.m.
Saturday
BMCC at Portland CC, 2 p.m.
EOU at Southern Oregon, 4 p.m
Prep Football
OSAA Playoffs
Class 6A Championship
No. 2 Clackamas (13-0) vs. No. 5 South
Medford (11-2), 12:30 p.m. (at Reeser
Stadium, Corvallis)
Prep Scores
Thursday
BOYS PREP BASKETBALL
MCNARY 68, Grants Pass 54
RATER 76, Henley 65
BANKS 73, Molalla 36
TILLAMOOK 73, North Marion 64
Payette (ID) 43, VALE 36
Dayton 60, RAINIER 40
WESTSIDE CHRISTIAN 67, Valor Christian 52
Creswell 63, SCIO 46
Irrigon 73, STANFIELD 43
RIDDLE 57, Elkton 49
Glendale 62, CANYONVILLE CHRIST.
ACAD. 43
North Clackamas Christian 44, CROSS-
HILL CHRISTIAN 36
FALLS CITY 57, McKenzie 25
PINE EAGLE 42, Huntington 36
POWDER VALLEY 80, Country Christian 31
Touchet (WA) 74, GRISWOLD 35
GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL
TIGARD 39, Silverton 27
Banks 62, MOLALLA 36
NORTH MARION 62, Tillamook 31
MT. SHASTA (CA) 38, Brookings-Harbor 32
DEL NORTE (CA) 66, Klamath Union 25
Irrigon 61, STANFIELD 25
Creswell 37, SCIO 21
Warrenton 63, NESTUCCA 24
Dayton 75, GLIDE 38
Salem Acad. 72, ST. MARY’S-MEDFORD 25
Elkton 64, RIDDLE 31
North Clackamas Christian 25, CROSS-
HILL CHRISTIAN 16
McKenzie 49, FALLS CITY 41
Touchet (WA) 66, GRISWOLD 35
PINE EAGLE 44, Huntington 13
POWDER VALLEY 64, Country Christian 43
(ABC)
No. 10 TCU at No. 2 Oklahoma, 9:30
a.m. (FOX)
No. 6 Georgia at No. 4 Auburn, 1 p.m.
(CBS)
No. 7 Miami at No. 1 Clemson, 5 p.m.
(ABC)
No. 8 Ohio State at No. 3 Wisconsin, 5
p.m. (FOX)
Soccer
NHL
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
GP W
L OT Pts GF GA
Tampa Bay 25 17
6
2 36 90 65
Toronto
27 17
9
1 35 98 82
Montreal
27 12 12
3 27 68 85
Boston
23 11
8
4 26 63 68
Detroit
26 10 11
5 25 73 80
Ottawa
23 8
9
6 22 68 76
Florida
24 10 12
2 22 72 83
Buffalo
25 6 15
4 16 55 85
Metropolitan Division
GP W
L OT Pts GF GA
Columbus 25 16
8
1 33 72 60
N.Y. Islanders 24 15
7
2 32 89 76
New Jersey 24 14
6
4 32 78 74
Washington 26 14 11
1 29 76 80
Pittsburgh 26 13 10
3 29 74 90
N.Y. Rangers 25 13 10
2 28 82 77
Carolina
23 10
8
5 25 68 70
Philadelphia 25 8 10
7 23 70 78
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division
GP W
L OT Pts GF GA
St. Louis
25 17
7
1 35 86 66
Winnipeg 25 15
6
4 34 82 67
Nashville
25 15
7
3 33 79 73
Dallas
25 14 10
1 29 74 72
Chicago
25 12
9
4 28 79 67
Minnesota 25 12 10
3 27 76 76
Colorado
23 12
9
2 26 76 73
Pacific Division
GP W
L OT Pts GF GA
Los Angeles 26 15
8
3 33 78 59
Vegas
24 15
8
1 31 83 73
Calgary
25 14 10
1 29 73 76
San Jose
23 13
8
2 28 61 51
Vancouver 26 12 10
4 28 73 76
Anaheim
25 11 10
4 26 68 75
Edmonton 26 10 14
2 22 71 87
Arizona
28 6 18
4 16 66 101
NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for
overtime loss.
——
Thursday’s Games
Los Angeles 5, Washington 2
MLS Playoffs
Conference Championships
Eastern Conference
Tuesday: Toronto 0, Columbus 0
Nov. 29: Toronto 1, Columbus 0 (Toronto
advances)
Western Conference
Tuesday: Seattle 2, Houston 0
Nov. 30: Seattle 3, Houston 0 (Seattle
advances)
MLS CUP
Dec. 9: Toronto vs. Seattle, 1 p.m.
Football
NFL
Week 13 Schedule
Thursday
Dallas 38, Washington 14
Sunday
Tampa Bay at Green Bay, 10 a.m.
Minnesota at Atlanta, 10 a.m.
San Francisco at Chicago, 10 a.m.
Detroit at Baltimore, 10 a.m.
Denver at Miami, 10 a.m.
Indianapolis at Jacksonville, 10 a.m.
Houston at Tennessee, 10 a.m.
Kansas City at N.Y. Jets, 10 a.m.
New England at Buffalo, 10 a.m.
Cleveland at L.A. Chargers, 1:05 p.m.
Carolina at New Orleans, 1:25 p.m.
L.A. Rams at Arizona, 1:25 p.m.
N.Y. Giants at Oakland, 1:25 p.m.
Philadelphia at Seattle, 5:30 p.m.
Monday
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 5:30 p.m.
NCAA
Top 25 Schedule
Friday
No. 14 Stanford at No. 11 USC, 5 p.m.
(ESPN)
Saturday
No. 16 Memphis at No. 12 UCF, 9 a.m.
Hockey
Montreal 6, Detroit 3
Vancouver 5, Nashville 3
Minnesota 4, Vegas 2
Dallas 4, Chicago 3, OT
Toronto 6, Edmonton 4
Calgary 3, Arizona 0
Friday’s Games
Carolina at N.Y. Rangers, 4 p.m.
Anaheim at Columbus, 4 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 4 p.m.
Ottawa at N.Y. Islanders, 4 p.m.
San Jose at Florida, 4:30 p.m.
Vegas at Winnipeg, 5 p.m.
Los Angeles at St. Louis, 5 p.m.
New Jersey at Colorado, 6 p.m.
L.A. Clippers
8 12 .400
7
L.A. Lakers
8 13 .381 7½
Phoenix
8 15 .348 8½
Sacramento
6 15 .286 9½
———
Thursday’s Games
Boston 108, Philadelphia 97
Cleveland 121, Atlanta 114
Denver 111, Chicago 110
Milwaukee 103, Portland 91
Utah 126, L.A. Clippers 107
Friday’s Games
Detroit at Washington, 4 p.m.
Golden State at Orlando, 4 p.m.
Indiana at Toronto, 4:30 p.m.
Charlotte at Miami, 5 p.m.
Minnesota at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m.
Sacramento at Chicago, 5 p.m.
San Antonio at Memphis, 5 p.m.
New Orleans at Utah, 6 p.m.
Basketball
NBA
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
W
L Pct
Boston
19
4 .826
Toronto
13
7 .650
Philadelphia
12
9 .571
New York
11 10 .524
Brooklyn
8 13 .381
Southeast Division
W
L Pct
Washington
11 10 .524
Miami
10 11 .476
Orlando
9 13 .409
Charlotte
8 12 .400
Atlanta
4 17 .190
Central Division
W
L Pct
Detroit
14
6 .700
Cleveland
15
7 .682
Milwaukee
11
9 .550
Indiana
12 10 .545
Chicago
3 17 .150
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Southwest Division
W
L Pct
Houston
17
4 .810
San Antonio
14
7 .667
New Orleans
11 10 .524
Memphis
7 13 .350
Dallas
5 17 .227
Northwest Division
W
L Pct
Minnesota
13
9 .591
Portland
13
9 .591
Denver
12
9 .571
Utah
11 11 .500
Oklahoma City
8 12 .400
Pacific Division
W
L Pct
Golden State
16
6 .727
GB
—
4½
6
7
10
GB
—
1
2½
2½
7
GB
—
—
3
3
11
GB
—
3
6
9½
12½
GB
—
—
½
2
4
GB
—
NCAA
Men’s Basketball
Top 25
Thursday’s Games
Seton Hall 89, No. 22 Texas Tech 79
No. 19 West Virginia 102, NJIT 69
No. 3 Michigan State 81, No. 5 Notre
Dame 63
No. 9 Texas A&M 78, UT Rio Grande Valley 60
Friday’s Games
No. 13 North Carolina at Davidson, 5 p.m.
(ESPN2)
No. 25 Creighton at No. 15 Gonzaga, 7
p.m. (ESPN2)
Pac-12
Friday’s Games
Boise State at Oregon, 6:30 p.m. (Pac-12)
Women’s Basketball
Top 25
Thursday’s Games
No. 24 California 87, Seattle 67
No. 5 South Carolina 101, Western
Carolina 43
No. 14 Duke 69, No. 8 Ohio State 60
No. 12 Tennessee 77, Central Arkansas 34
No. 2 Texas 88, Louisiana Tech 54
No. 4 Louisville 72, Indiana 59
No. 9 Baylor 90, No. 20 Kentucky 63
No. 19 Missouri 73, Kansas State 59
Friday’s Games
Nevada at No. 21 Oregon State, 8:59 p.m.
Pac-12
Friday’s Games
Washington at Idaho, 6 p.m.
USC at Loyola Marymount, 7 p.m.
Idaho State at Washington State, 7 p.m.
Nevada at No. 21 Oregon State, 8:59 p.m.