Page 2B
SPORTS
East Oregonian
Thursday, January 18, 2018
NFL
Aggressive Eagles set to face a top-ranked defense
By ROB MAADDI
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA
—
Nick Foles threw a deep pass
into the wind on the first play
from scrimmage against the
Falcons, LeGarrette Blount
scored the only touchdown
on fourth down and wide
receiver Nelson Agholor ran
21 yards on a new play.
The Philadelphia Eagles
(14-3) are aggressive no
matter what.
They’ll
need
that
approach when they face the
Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
and their top-ranked defense
in the NFC championship
game on Sunday.
NFC Championship
Minnesota Philadelphia
Vikings
Eagles
(14-3)
(13-3)
• Sunday, 3:40 p.m. (FOX)
• at Lincoln Financial Field
“You’d probably call
me unorthodox with some
of the decisions I’ve made
on fourth downs and going
for it, 2-point conversions,
things like that,” Eagles
coach Doug Pederson said
Wednesday.
“Sometimes you just don’t
do the norm, you just don’t
do what everybody expects
you to do and sometimes that
can help you. I’m calculated
by it, but at the same time,
I’m going to make sure that
I’m putting our guys in a
good position.”
Foles underthrew the long
pass to Torrey Smith to start
the divisional playoff game,
but a pass interference call
gave the Eagles a 42-yard
gain to the Falcons 25.
Jay Ajayi fumbled on the
next play or perhaps the game
wouldn’t have come down to
a defensive stand at the end
to preserve Philadelphia’s
15-10 win.
“Take a shot,” Pederson
said explaining his decision
to throw long into a stiff
wind.
On
the
touchdown
drive early in the second
quarter, Philadelphia faced
third-and-3 from the Falcons
24. Foles faked a pitch to
running back Corey Clement
and handed off to Agholor
on an inside counter with
Pro Bowl right tackle Lane
Johnson pulling out and
leading the way. Agholor
took it to the Falcons 3. It
was the first time Pederson
called the play this season.
“Coach has just had a
knack of seemingly calling
those at the right time,”
offensive coordinator Frank
Reich said.
“It comes up different
every week. We really work
well as a staff together in
game planning. Sometimes
we think we like something
and we go out on the practice
field and it doesn’t quite look
like it’s ready. So, we have
to keep it in the crock pot for
another week or start over
with a new recipe.”
Three plays later, tight
end Trey Burton lined up at
fullback and Blount followed
his block into the end
zone for a 1-yard TD run.
Pederson didn’t think twice
about going for it instead of
kicking a game-tying field
goal.
“The ball was just inside
the 1-yard line, and we had
confidence to go for it in that
situation,” Pederson said.
“We were real close and the
guys did a great job.”
During the regular
season, only Green Bay (28)
went for it on fourth down
more than Philadelphia (26).
The Eagles converted 17
times for 65.4 percent, third-
best behind New Orleans (80
percent on 12 for 15) and
Jacksonville (76.9 percent
on 10 for 13). Minnesota is 1
for 7 on fourth down, fewest
attempts in the league.
“You always want to be
aggressive,” Foles said. “I
love Coach’s calls.”
Jaguars’ Ngakoue trying to turn heads on AFC’s biggest stage
By MARK LONG
Associated Press
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.
— Yannick Ngakoue has a
knack for the strip-sack, an
innate ability to knock balls
out of the hands of quarter-
backs.
The Jacksonville Jaguars
defensive end has 11 forced
fumbles in two seasons,
including
a
momen-
tum-turning one in a victory
at Pittsburgh last week.
Ngakoue led the NFL with
six forced fumbles during the
regular season to go along
with 12 sacks, and could pose
significant problems for the
New England Patriots (14-3)
in the AFC championship
game Sunday.
If so, he might even get
the recognition he feels he
deserves.
A third-round draft pick
from Maryland in 2016,
Ngakoue has been some-
what overshadowed with
the Jaguars (12-6). Those
perceived slights keep him
motivated and define him
like no one else in Jackson-
AFC Championship
Jacksonville
Jaguars
(10-6)
N. England
Patriots
(13-3)
• Sunday, 12:05 p.m. (CBS)
• at Gillette Stadium
ville’s locker room.
“Those scouts who passed
me up and didn’t think I was
good enough probably feel
stupid right now,” Ngakoue
said Wednesday.
The Jaguars feel fortunate
to have him.
Although
cornerback
Jalen Ramsey , defensive
end Calais Campbell and
linebacker Telvin Smith have
garnered more accolades than
Ngakoue, it would be easy to
argue that the pass-rushing
specialist is as important
to one of the league’s top
defenses as anyone.
Ngakoue
has
been
involved in five of the eight
touchdowns scored by
Jacksonville’s defense this
season. Four of his strip-
AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith
In this Sept. 10, 2017, file photo, Jacksonville Jaguars
defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (91) celebrates after he
recovered a fumble by Houston Texans quarterback De-
shaun Watson.
sacks went for touchdowns,
and he recovered a fumble in
Week 17 at Tennessee that he
returned 67 yards for a score.
Overlooked? Not by his
coaches and teammates.
“I tell him all the time,
‘When you start getting
it like you’re going to get
very soon, just make sure
you stay focused cause that
is a motivating factor and it
should be,’” Campbell said.
“Everybody wants to get
your accolade and get your
respect for how hard you
work, but at the end of the
day, his biggest motivation
is providing for his family
and his mother and really just
trying to be the best.
“He wants to hopefully
have a gold jacket one day.
He has the potential to do so,
too.”
Ngakoue has 20 career
sacks, the most by anyone
in franchise history during a
two-year span.
But his reputation around
the league seems to be more
as a hot-headed player than a
can’t-block edge rusher.
That was evident in the
wild-card game against
Buffalo, when Bills guard
Richie Incognito seemingly
targeted Ngakoue with trash
talk that the defensive end
said went over the line and
became “weak racist slurs.”
“He is a very emotional
player,” Jaguars coach Doug
Marrone said. “I think people
can feed off of that. He has
had a very good year. He is
still the same type of guy
that plays with a chip on his
shoulder. I think we all know
that when we see him. He
plays extremely hard. He
goes 100 mph every single
play.”
Ngakoue’s
approach
wasn’t ideal as rookie. He
often missed tackles and ran
past the ball in an attempt
to get to quarterbacks. But
he’s been more sound in his
second season, although his
30 tackles is what probably
kept him getting more Pro
Bowl attention. He was a
third alternate, which left
him feeling snubbed.
“I want to be the best at my
position, period,” Ngakoue
said. “When you talk about
guys like Von Miller, you talk
about guys like Khalil Mack,
you’ve got to put my name in
there.
“I don’t feel like (I get
enough credit). When you
talk about our defense, when
you talk about edge rushers,
I should be one of the guys
being talked about. There’s
not too many guys who get
the ball out and get strip-
sacks. Why am I not being
talked about with the other
guys?”
Another big game on the
AFC’s biggest stage could
change that.
“I want to wake guys up
and for people to see,” he
said.
Hilinski: Appeared in eight games, starting the Holiday Bowl this season
Continued from 1B
Numbers show why
mental health has become
such a serious issue on
college campuses.
According to National
Data on Campus Suicide and
Depression, one out of every
12 college students makes a
suicide plan and 7.5 students
per 100,000 kill themselves.
Hainline said the stats are
similar for athletes, some-
thing Selmanovic found in
her own research.
The former swimmer and
current pre-med student at
the University of Cincinnati
found 35 college athletes
killed themselves from 2009-
15, which represents 7.3
percent of all deaths among
college athletes during that
time. Twenty-nine of the
deaths were male athletes
and 13 played football.
Selmanovic
revised
her prepared remarks after
hearing about Hilinski. But
the solutions remain the
same.
“The lack of education that
we believe exists right now
will make it worse if it’s not
solved,” she said. “Educating
staff and coaches is just as
important because they are
the ones who are going to
know when performance is
slipping. And confidentiality
is key.
“Getting athletes to know
the resources are out there,
that’s the biggest thing,” she
added.
While some athletes
may avoid asking for help
because of worries about
what coaches and peers
think or whether they may
lose a scholarship, the
bigger problem might be the
long-held stigma attached to
mental illnesses.
Former Clemson football
player Jay Guillermo under-
stands.
The starting center on
college football’s national
runner-up in 2015 and the
2016 national champions
stepped away from football
during his sophomore year
so he could be treated for
depression. At his worst, he
said he contemplated suicide
but never attempted it.
“The struggle, at least I
know for myself, was more
admitting that I needed to talk
to someone,” he said in a tele-
phone interview, noting the
university and the coaching
staff provided the support he
needed. “Especially a male
athlete, and a football player
in such a physical rough
sport, you never want to be
the guy that’s having to admit
that something’s wrong. You
get that mindset of always
pushing through. Nothing’s
wrong. I’m good to go. I
think that’s the toughest part.
At least for me. Not that there
wasn’t any resources there,
but reaching out to those
resources.”
Hainline said college
students are more vulnerable
because a range of illnesses
peak during the ages of 18
to 22.
The stress of performing
in school and on the field
only ratchets up the pressure
and if a student isn’t sleeping
well, as often happens in
college, studies show the
suicide risk can double or
triple even without a mental
illness.
Hainline believes schools
shouldn’t just have a plan,
they need to practice the
plan and be prepared to help
players before dealing with
tragedy.
“What’s it going to take?
Is it going to take having a
licensed sports psycholo-
gist on campus? Maybe,”
Selmanovic said. “But we
have to hit the mark or sadly
more (athletes) will end up
like Tyler. I’m not sure about
you, but I can’t take another
Tyler.”
AP Photo/Young Kwak
In this Sept. 9, 2017, file photo, Washington State quar-
terback Tyler Hilinski poses for a photo after an NCAA
college football game against Boise State in Pullman,
Wash. Hilinski has died from an apparent self-inflicted
gunshot wound.
SCOREBOARD
Local slate
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
Thursday
Heppner at Culver, 4:30 p.m.
Pendleton at Hood River, 7 p.m.
Friday
The Dalles at Hermiston, 7 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Weston-McEwen, 7 p.m.
Joseph at Nixyaawii, 7 p.m.
Nyssa at Umatilla, 7:30 p.m.
Vale at Riverside, 7:30 p.m.
Burns at Irrigon, 7:30 p.m.
Ione at Condon/Wheeler, 7:30 p.m.
Arlington at Mitchell/Spray, 7:30 p.m.
Echo at Cove, 7:30 p.m.
Pine Eagle at Helix, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Vale at Umatilla, 3 p.m.
Weston-McEwen at Stanfield, 4 p.m.
Heppner at Pilot Rock, 4 p.m.
Ontario at Mac-Hi, 4:30 p.m.
Nyssa at Irrigon, 4:30 p.m.
Burns at Riverside, 4:30 p.m.
Nixyaawii at Wallowa, 5 p.m.
Helix at Echo, 5 p.m.
Condon/Wheeler at Horizon Christian,
5:30 p.m.
Arlington at South Wasco, 5:30 p.m.
Sherman at Ione, 5:30 p.m.
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
Thursday
Heppner at Culver, 6 p.m.
Hood River at Pendleton, 7 p.m.
Friday
Pine Eagle at Helix, 5 p.m.
Burns at Irrigon, 6 p.m.
Vale at Riverside, 6 p.m.
Nyssa at Umatilla, 6 p.m.
Ione at Condon/Wheeler, 6 p.m.
Arlington at Mitchell/Spray, 6 p.m.
Joseph at Nixyaawii, 6 p.m.
Echo at Cove, 6 p.m.
Hermiston at The Dalles, 7 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Weston-McEwen, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Nyssa at Irrigon, 3 p.m.
Burns at Riverside, 3 p.m.
Ontario at Mac-Hi, 3 p.m.
Nixyaawii at Wallowa, 3 p.m.
Helix at Echo, 3:30 p.m.
Sherman at Ione, 4 p.m.
Condon/Wheeler at Horizon Christian,
4 p.m.
Arlington at South Wasco, 4 p.m.
Vale at Umatilla, 4:30 p.m.
Weston-McEwen at Stanfield, 5:30 p.m.
Heppner at Pilot Rock, 5:30 p.m.
PREP WRESTLING
Thursday
Mac-Hi at Baker, 5 p.m.
Friday
Heppner at Grant Union Tournament
Echo at Padilla Invite (ID)
Hermiston at Liberty Invitational
Saturday
Mac-Hi, Riverside, Irrigon, Echo at Hep-
pner Tournament
Hermiston at Liberty Invitational
Pendleton at Wilsonville Invite
PREP SWIMMING
Saturday
Pendleton, Hermiston at Hood River
Valley
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Friday
EOU at Corban, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
BMCC at Walla Walla CC, 4 p.m.
EOU at Northwest Christian, 7:30 p.m.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Friday
EOU at Corban, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday
BMCC at Walla Walla CC, 2 p.m.
EOU at Northwest Christian, 5:30 p.m.
COLLEGE WRESTLING
Saturday
EOU vs. Warner Pacific/Embry-Riddle (AZ)
(at Portland), 1 p.m.
Basketball
NBA
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
W
L
Boston
34 11
Toronto
30 13
Philadelphia
20 20
New York
20 25
Brooklyn
16 29
Southeast Division
Pct GB
.756 —
.698
3
.500 11½
.444 14
.356 18
Miami
Washington
Charlotte
Atlanta
Orlando
Central Division
W
26
25
18
13
13
L
18
20
25
31
31
Pct GB
.591 —
.556 1½
.419 7½
.295 13
.295 13
W
L Pct GB
Cleveland
26 17 .605 —
Indiana
24 20 .545 2½
Milwaukee
23 21 .523 3½
Detroit
22 21 .512
4
Chicago
17 28 .378 10
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Southwest Division
W
L Pct GB
Houston
30 12 .714 —
San Antonio
30 16 .652
2
New Orleans
23 21 .523
8
Memphis
15 28 .349 15½
Dallas
15 30 .333 16½
Northwest Division
W
L Pct GB
Minnesota
29 17 .630 —
Oklahoma City
25 20 .556 3½
Portland
23 21 .523
5
Denver
23 22 .511
5
Utah
18 26 .409 10
Pacific Division
W
L Pct GB
Golden State
37
9 .804 —
L.A. Clippers
23 21 .523 13
Phoenix
16 29 .356 20½
L.A. Lakers
15 29 .341 21
Sacramento
13 31 .295 23
———
Wednesday’s Games
Charlotte 133, Washington 109
Atlanta 94, New Orleans 93
San Antonio 100, Brooklyn 95
Toronto 96, Detroit 91
Golden State 119, Chicago 112
Memphis 105, New York 99
Miami 106, Milwaukee 101
Oklahoma City 114, L.A. Lakers 90
Utah 120, Sacramento 105
L.A. Clippers 109, Denver 104
Thursday’s Games
Orlando at Cleveland, 4 p.m.
Philadelphia at Boston, 4 p.m.
Minnesota at Houston, 6:30 p.m.
Indiana at Portland, 7 p.m.
NCAA Men’s Basketball
Top 25 Schedule
Wednesday
No. 1 Villanova 88, Georgetown 56
Alabama 76, No. 17 Auburn 71
SMU 83, No. 7 Wichita State 78
Texas 67, No. 8 Texas Tech 58
Creighton 80, No. 19 Seton Hall 63
No. 11 Xavier 88, St. John’s 82
No. 22 OSU 71, Northwestern 65
Missouri 59, No. 21 Tennessee 55
No. 14 Arizona 79, Cal 58
No. 24 TCU 96, Iowa State 73
No. 16 Arizona State at Stanford, late
finish
Thursday
No. 2 UVA at Georgia Tech, 5 p.m.
(ACCNE)
No. 23 Michigan at Nebraska, 6 p.m.
(BTN)
Saint Mary’s at No. 13 Gonzaga, 6 p.m.
(ESPN)
Pac-12 Schedule
Wednesday
No. 14 Arizona 79, Cal 58
No. 16 Arizona St at Stanford, late finish
Thursday
Washington State at Colorado, 5 p.m.
(PAC12)
USC at Oregon, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Washington at Utah, 7 p.m. (PAC12)
UCLA at Oregon State, 8 p.m. (FS1)
NCAA Women’s Basketball
Top 25 Schedule
Wednesday
No. 12 Oklahoma State 79, No. 17 West
Virginia 73
No. 4 Baylor 79, Iowa State 50
Thursday
No. 6 Tennessee at No. 5 Notre Dame, 4
p.m. (ESPN)
No. 25 Rutgers at Penn State, 4 p.m.
No. 2 Louisville at Pitt, 4 p.m. (ACCNE)
No. 15 Duke at Virginia Tech, 4 p.m.
(ACCNE)
No. 12 FSU at Wake Forest, 4 p.m.
(ACCNE)
Tulsa at No. 1 UConn, 4 p.m. (ESPN3)
No. 23 Green Bay at Detroit Mercy, 4
p.m. (ESPN3)
No. 16 Texas A&M at Alabama, 5 p.m.
(SECN+)
No. 10 South Carolina at Vanderbilt, 5
p.m. (SECN+)
No. 11 Missouri at Ole Miss, 6 p.m.
(SECN)
Pac-12 Schedule
Wednesday
Washington St. 78, Washington 75, OT
Thursday
No games scheduled.
Hockey
NHL
Wednesday’s Games
Boston 4, Montreal 1
Anaheim 5, Pittsburgh 3
Thursday’s Games
Washington at New Jersey, 4 p.m.
Dallas at Columbus, 4 p.m.
Toronto at Philadelphia, 4 p.m.
Boston at N.Y. Islanders, 4 p.m.
St. Louis at Ottawa, 4:30 p.m.
Buffalo at N.Y. Rangers, 4:30 p.m.
Vegas at Tampa Bay, 4:30 p.m.
Arizona at Nashville, 5 p.m.
San Jose at Colorado, 6 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Los Angeles, 7 p.m.
Football
NFL
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Sunday
Jacksonville at New England, Noon (CBS)
Minnesota at Philadelphia, 3:40 p.m.
(FOX)
Golf
PGA TOUR
CareerBuilder Challenge
Site: La Quinta, Calif.
Courses: Stadium Course at PGA West
(Yardage: 7,113. Par: 72), Nicklaus Tourna-
ment Course at PGA West (Yardage: 7,159.
Par: 72), La Quinta CC (Yardage: 7,060.
Par: 72)
Purse: $5.9 million. Winner’s share:
$1,062,000.
Television: Thursday-Sunday, 3-7 p.m.
(Golf Channel).
Ski Report
Oregon
Anthony Lakes Tue Reopen 1/18 variable
machine groomed 30-30 base 4 of 21 trails
3 of 3 lifts, 19% open, Thu-Fri: 9a-4p Sat/
Sun: 9a-4p Open Thu-Mon
Mt Bachelor Wed 5:23 am packed powder
machine groomed 41-61 base 30 of 101
trails 1800 acres, 7 of 11 lifts, 30% open,
Mon-Fri: 9a-4p Sat/Sun: 9a-4p
Mt Hood Meadows Wed 5:11 am variable
machine groomed 39-64 base 50 of 87
trails 5 of 12 lifts, 57% open, Mon/Tue: 9a-
4p Wed-Fri: 9a-9p Sat/Sun: 9a-9p
Mt Hood Skibowl Wed Reopen 1/18
machine groomed 8-13 base 7 of 57 trails
4 of 8 lifts, 12% open, Mon-Thu: 9a-10p Fri:
9a-11p Sat: 9a-11p Sun: 9a-10p
Timberline Wed 6:18 am machine
groomed 48-48 base 5 of 9 lifts, 56% open
Mon-Thu: 9a-4p Fri: 9a-9p Sat: 9a-9p Sun:
9a-4p
Washington
49 Degrees North Tue Reopen 1/19
packed powder machine groomed 38-70
base 70 of 82 trails 3 of 7 lifts, 85% open,
Mon/Tue, Fri: 9a-3:30p Sat/Sun: 9a-3:30p
Open Fri-Tue
Badger Mountain Mon Reopen 1/20
powder machine groomed 10-14 base 3 of
5 trails 3 miles, 35 acres, 3 of 3 lifts, 60%
open, Sat/Sun: 11a-4p Open Sat/Sun
Bluewood Mon Reopen 1/18 hard packed
machine groomed 26-50 base Thu-Sun:
9a-4p Sat/Sun: 9a-4p Open Thu-Sun
Crystal Mountain Wed 9:48 am hard
packed machine groomed 34-68 base 20
of 57 trails 1600 acres, 4 of 11 lifts, 50%
open, Mon-Thu: 9a-4p Fri 9a-6p Sat: 9a-8p
Sun: 9a-6p
Loup Loup Ski Bowl Wed Reopen 1/19
machine groomed 20-20 base 10 of 10
trails, 3 of 3 lifts, 100% open, Wed, Fri:
9a-3:45p Sat/Sun: 9a-3:45p Open Wed,
Fri-Sun
Mission Ridge Tue Reopen 1/18 machine
groomed 28-32 base 43 of 41 trails 6 of 6
lifts, 127% open, Mon, Thu-Fri: 9a-4p Sat:
9a-8p Sun: 9a-4p Open Thu-Mon Mt Baker
Wed 4:55 am 3 new machine groomed
93-115 base 38 of 38 trails 1000 acres, 5 of
8 lifts, 100% open, Mon-Fri: 9a-3:30p Sat/
Sun: 9a-3:30p
Mt Spokane Wed 5:55 am machine
groomed 45-55 base 50 of 51 trails 4 of
5 lifts, 98% open, Wed-Fri: 9a-9:30p Sat:
9a-9:30p Sun: 9a-4p Open Wed-Sun
Stevens Pass Wed 7:36 am 1- 3 new ma-
chine groomed 59-86 base 52 of 52 trails
9 of 10 lifts, 100% open, Mon/Tue: 9a-4p
Wed-Fri 9a-10p Sat/Sun: 9a-10p