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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 21, 2018)
Page 2B SPORTS East Oregonian PENDLETON Wednesday, March 21, 2018 Pro Football Alliance of American Football to kick off after Super Bowl Former Buckaroo joining wrestling Hall of Fame By BARRY WILNER Associated Press East Oregonian Former Pendleton wrestling standout Miles Hancock is headed to the Hall of Fame. Hancock, a 1979 Pendleton graduate, was selected as one of seven honorees to be inducted into the Oregon chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame later this spring. Hancock is being honored for his lifetime service to the sport. As a Buckaroo, Hancock was a four-time InterMountain Conference champion and a four-time state placer. Hancock then went on to wrestle collegiately at the University of Oregon, where he was a four-time Pac-10 conference placer and was a part of two conference championship teams in 1981 and 1982. After graduating, Hancock came back to Pendleton and served as an assistant coach under Rollin Schimmel before moving to Ketchikan, Alaska, to be the head wrestling coach. Hancock returned to Oregon in the late 1990s and coached high school, middle school and mat club wrestling in La Grande. Joining Hancock in the 2018 inductions are coaches Cleve Thompson (Portland), Doug Samarron (West Linn), John Speasl (Coos Bay) and Bob Bishop (Willamina), along with referee Milo Meskel (Portland). Hancock will join his former coach and coaching partner, Rollin Schimmel, who was a 2003 inductee into the Hall of Fame. Former Buckaroo coach and area referee Dale Freeman was Pendleton’s most recent inductee, as a part of the Class of 2016. The induction ceremonies will be held on May 5 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Tigard. Pro football — actual games — won’t disappear from TV screens, mobile devices and the American consciousness once the Super Bowl ends next February. The Alliance of American Football will kick off the following Sunday. On network television (CBS) as well as through a multi- tude of free digital platforms. Yes, spring football. We know, from the USFL to the World League to the XFL, the idea has not worked. Here’s why the Alliance has a strong chance of succeeding: the folks involved. The Alliance is the creation of Pro Football Hall of Famer Bill Polian, one of the most respected and accomplished executives in NFL history, and Charlie Ebersol, a longtime TV and film producer. Ebersol’s father, Dick, defined NBC Sports’ programming for more than two decades and created “Sunday Night Football.” Dick Ebersol, who also pioneered NBC’s Olympic broadcasts, will serve on the board of directors. Former players such as Justin Tuck, Hines Ward and Jared Allen will have significant roles in a league the younger Ebersol calls a “true partnership.” “That’s the best way a league can perform and will be ultimately the key to success, having an inter- woven product,” he says. “Whenever you have an endeavor that involves the kind of teamwork football involves,” Polian adds, “it implies a partner- ship, the need to get their buy-in and do things, particularly in a startup, that represent their best interest ... to make sure players know we have their best interests at heart. That is the guiding philosophy.” Co-founder Polian, who built the Bills, Colts and Panthers into Super Bowl teams, will oversee the foot- ball side, helped by former player and front office executive J.K. McKay, who has been involved in other startups. The league will have eight teams — cities and stadia to be announced, though look for complementary sites, not NFL venues, and warmer climates given the February-late April schedule. Rosters will be culled from NFL cuts to the 53-man maximum after preseason, which Polian calls “the core of our constit- uency”; collegians who have gone undrafted, including underclassmen who have lost any remaining eligi- bility; players looking to return to the sport; and free agents from the CFL or elsewhere. A draft of players in late fall after the college season concludes — “Players who probably are coming off injury or some other situation where they want to perhaps play in our league in order to enhance their draft status,” Polian explains — also is planned. With an eye on player safety, the Alliance also will eliminate kickoffs. There is a unique plan for onside kicks, with the team wanting to try one instead taking possession at its 35 yard-line on a fourth-and-10 to try one play to keep the ball. “This eliminates two plays that if you were reinventing the game are plays you would probably leave out,” Polian says. The preponderance of video reviews by officials won’t be an issue in the Alliance, Polian says. Each coach will be allowed two challenges and that’s it for replay. And here’s one everybody but a placekicker will love: all extra points are 2-point conversion plays from the 2-yard line. Ebersol has spent three years putting together the Alliance. He and Polian, backed by the numbers showing America’s passion for the sport, see a huge void the league can fill. “Football is so dominant for six months of the year,” Ebersol says. “It even hides a number we focused on: millions of fans who stop watching the top five sports in America when football is off the air. Millions of football fans who don’t want to watch other sports.” New youth basketball guidelines call for several changes By BRIAN MAHONEY Associated Press NEW YORK — The NBA and USA Basketball are dipping their toe into youth sports, recommending guidelines they hope will help with development and enhanced experi- ences at a young age. The recommendations include lowering the basket and prohibiting zone defense and 3-point shots at the youngest level of competition. They also call for the use of a 24-second shot clock at the high school level and a 30-second shot clock for ages 12-14 in their youth guidelines that were announced Tuesday. “When these kids are getting into the sport at this young age, we want them to get in and have a good experience, have them succeed,” USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley said, “and we think these rules and standards help them do that, help them develop as young people and overall improves the sport.” The guidelines were developed over a two-year period by a working group that included former players and coaches, and representatives from high school, the NCAA and AAU basketball. They were divided into four segments: ages 7-8, ages 9-11, ages 12-14 and grades 9-12. Most of the standards can’t be enforced, because the NBA and USA Basketball don’t operate leagues or tournaments at the early ages. But the hope is that recreation organizations will implement all or at least some of them, because the recommendations come from the highest level of the sport. USA Basketball will use the rules in its youth tournaments, which currently start at age 12, and Tooley said the hope is that AAU events also will implement them. But a large part of the focus is on younger players, not yet at competitive tournament age, who struggle on a regulation-size court and may be giving up on the game before having the chance to get good at it. They recommend 8-foot baskets for ages 7-8 and 9-feet for ages 9-11, along with balls that are smaller in circumference so they can be more easily controlled by younger players. The standards also call for equal playing time throughout the game at the youngest age, and through the first three quarters for 9-11. And they say that neither age should be playing zone defense, which limits movement both offen- sively and defensively, or hoisting long shots that kids can’t reach in a natural shooting motion. If a gymnasium has a 3-point line, even a shot behind it is to be counted for 2 points. Tooley knows that some guide- lines could be difficult — shot clocks or baskets that lower to different heights can be expensive — but hopes leagues and tournaments will use whichever they can. The NBA and USA Basketball adopted world governing body FIBA’s rules for all high school-age recommendations. Tooley said playing time can be a major concern. He said kids should play equally in the younger age groups. “You can’t weed people out by the time they’re 8. They don’t have the skills,” Tooley said. “There’s a lot of people undeveloped so we want it to be fun and offer a chance for everybody.” BLAZERS: Aim to start new streak Friday at home against Boston Continued from 1B Evan Turner put back his own layup to cap an 11-2 Portland run and put the Blazers up 42-38. Turner had to leave the game later in the period after he sustained a cut that appeared above his left eve. Harden was booed each time he had the ball by the Moda Center crowd, but he finished the half with 21 points and the score was knotted at 55. Portland had five 3-pointers in the first quarter compared to Houston’s one — but the Rockets’ production picked up in the second quarter with seven 3s. The Rockets went into the game with the league’s best 3-point percentage at 50 percent, while the Blazers were next at 45.5 percent. Houston finished with 19 3-pointers while Portland had 11. Portland was hurt when Nurkic got his fourth foul with 4:08 left in the third and went to the bench with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Paul’s 3 gave the Rockets an 86-85 lead just before the third quarter ended. UP NEXT: Trail Blazers: Host the Boston Celtics on Friday. PENDLETON: Solomon’s solo home run in fourth sealed the win in five innings Continued from 1B Rylee Gentner, of Pend- leton, catches the third out of the fourth inning during Tues- day’s game against La Grande. The Buckaroos (2-1) were glad to be back in better spirits Tuesday and bounce-back to get a win after Friday’s 9-0 eye-opening loss to Hillsboro. Head coach Tim Cary called the trip “a great learning experience” for his team, mainly after facing Hillsboro’s ultra-talented pitcher in Payton Goodrich. But Cary added on Friday that the Bucks would be ready to go for their next game on Tuesday. And as the Buckaroos showed, they were more than ready. “I think there’s a lot of value we could take from that loss where we saw an outstanding pitcher. I thought we had some very good at-bats against her, but I think it made us better for facing two pretty good pitchers today from La Grande,” Cary said after Tuesday’s game. “I know the first one we hit pretty hard, but she’s pretty good ... We just happened to hit the ball very well today and I’m happy to see that bouncing back from the Hillsboro game.” Pendleton tagged La Grande (0-1) starting pitcher Madyson Bell for 11 runs on 10 hits in just 1 2/3 innings, scoring Staff photo by Kathy Aney eight of those runs in the first inning. The Buckaroos had some help from the La Grande defense in getting the offense going against Bell, though. After a two-out double from Kalan McGlothan, Bell looked to have forced the third out with a high fly ball to left field off the bat of Alexi Brehaut, but the Tigers’ left fielder dropped the ball, scoring McGlo- than and opening up the flood gates. Garton followed Brehaut with her first home run and both Kila Solomon and Kirah McGlothan had two-RBI hits as a total of 13 batters stepped to the plate in the eight-run inning. The Buckaroos then chased Bell from the game with two outs in the second after Garton’s solo shot, an RBI single from Chelsea Farrow and a run-scoring double by Kirah McGlothan. “To take advantage of a mistake like that by the opponent is huge, it really is,” Cary said. “We talk throughout the whole season that generally the team that makes the most mistakes generally loses, and today we were the team that made the fewest mistakes and it worked out well.” La Grande’s offense was very quiet through the first three innings, registering no hits and only one walk against Pend- leton pitcher Lauren Richards. In the fourth, the Tigers got to Richards a bit. Richards gave up an infield single, hit a batter and induced a fielder’s choice ground ball, which set up Allie Brock’s two-run single up the middle to make the score 11-2. Brock, who replaced Bell in the pitch- er’s circle, gave the Buckaroos’ offense trouble with her mix of changeups and high fastballs as she notched five strike- outs and allowed just one hit in 2 1/3 innings. But her one hit allowed was a big one — a solo home run to right-center off the bat of Solomon that made it a 12-2 game to enable the 10-run rule again. “It was a really good day for softball,” Garton said. “We all did great and I’m pretty proud and can’t wait to come back Thursday.” UP NEXT Pendleton hosts Southridge (WA) for a doubleheader on Thursday. First game is slated for a 3:30 p.m. start. ———— R H E LAG 000 20 — 2 2 1 PHS 830 1X — 12 11 1 (L) M. Bell, A. Brock (2) and J. Seavert. (P) L. Richards and K. Solomon. W — L. Richards, L — M. Bell. 2B — Ka. McGlothan, K. Solomon, Ki. McGlothan (PHS). HR — A. Garton 2, K. Solomon (PHS). SCOREBOARD Local slate PREP BASEBALL Wednesday Stanfield at White Salmon (WA), 4 p.m. Thursday Walla Walla (WA) at Pendleton, 4 p.m. Dufur at Pilot Rock, 4 p.m. Friday Umatilla vs. Bonanza (at John Day), 12 p.m. Union at Heppner (DH), 1 p.m. Lakeridge at Hermiston, 3 p.m. Pendleton at Walla Walla (WA), 3 p.m. Irrigon at Tri Cities Prep (WA), 3 p.m. Riverside at White Salmon (WA), 4 p.m. Saturday Stanfield at Weston-McEwen (DH), 11 a.m. Umatilla vs. Lost River (at John Day), 11 a.m. Kennewick (WA) at Hermiston, 4 p.m. PREP SOFTBALL Wednesday Hermiston at Bend, 4 p.m. Thursday Heppner at Irrigon (DH), 2 p.m. Southridge (WA) at Pendleton (DH), 3:30 p.m. Wa-Hi (WA) at Mac-Hi, 6 p.m. Friday Tri Cities Prep (WA) at Irrigon, 3 p.m. Vernonia at Pilot Rock, 3 p.m. Pasco (WA) at Hermiston, 4 p.m. Riverside at Stevenson (WA), 4 p.m. Saturday Lost River at Pilot Rock, 11 a.m. Chiawana (WA) at Pendleton, 12 p.m. Mac-Hi at Banks (DH), 1 p.m. Enterprise at Pilot Rock, 3 p.m. PREP TRACK AND FIELD Wednesday Condon/Wheeler, Ione at Condon Relays, 3 p.m. Thursday Pendleton, Hermiston, Mac-Hi, Umatilla, Riverside, Heppner, Weston-McEwen, Stanfield, Helix at Buck Track Classic (Pend- leton), 11 a.m. PREP TENNIS Thursday La Grande at Pendleton, 3:30 p.m. Weston-McEwen at Mac-Hi, 3:30 p.m. Friday Pasco (WA) at Hermiston, 3:30 p.m. Helix at Riverside, 3:30 p.m. Umatilla at Stanfield, 3:30 p.m. PREP GOLF Thursday Pendleton, Hermiston at Big River Golf Course (Umatilla), 10 a.m. Mac-Hi at Vets Memorial, 2:30 p.m. PREP LACROSSE Wednesday Hermiston at Chiawana (WA), 7 p.m. Saturday Hermiston at Wenatchee (WA), 1 p.m. COLLEGE BASEBALL Saturday Clark College at BMCC (DH), 11 a.m. Sunday SW Oregon at BMCC (DH), 11 a.m. COLLEGE SOFTBALL Friday BMCC at Walla Walla CC (DH), 2 p.m. College of Idaho at EOU (DH), 2 p.m. Saturday College of Idaho at EOU (DH), 11 a.m. BMCC at Big Bend CC (DH), 12 p.m. Basketball NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L x-Toronto 53 18 x-Boston 48 23 Philadelphia 39 30 New York 26 45 Brooklyn 23 48 Southeast Division W L Washington 40 30 Miami 38 33 Charlotte 30 41 Orlando 21 50 Atlanta 21 50 Central Division W L Cleveland 41 29 Pct GB .746 — .676 5 .565 13 .366 27 .324 30 Pct .571 .535 .423 .296 .296 Pct .586 GB — 2½ 10½ 19½ 19½ GB — Indiana 41 30 .577 ½ Milwaukee 37 33 .529 4 Detroit 32 39 .451 9½ Chicago 24 46 .343 17 WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division W L Pct GB y-Houston 57 14 .803 — San Antonio 41 30 .577 16 New Orleans 41 30 .577 16 Dallas 22 49 .310 35 Memphis 19 51 .271 37½ Northwest Division W L Pct GB Portland 44 27 .620 — Oklahoma City 43 30 .589 2 Minnesota 41 31 .569 3½ Utah 40 31 .563 4 Denver 38 33 .535 6 Pacific Division W L Pct GB y-Golden State 53 18 .746 — L.A. Clippers 37 33 .529 15½ L.A. Lakers 31 39 .443 21½ Sacramento 23 49 .319 30½ Phoenix 19 53 .264 34½ x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division ——— Tuesday’s Games Toronto 93, Orlando 86 Boston 100, Oklahoma City 99 Minnesota 123, L.A. Clippers 109 New Orleans 115, Dallas 105 Atlanta 99, Utah 94 Detroit 115, Phoenix 88 Houston 115, Portland 111 Wednesday’s Games Memphis at Philadelphia, 4 p.m. Toronto at Cleveland, 4 p.m. Charlotte at Brooklyn, 4:30 p.m. New York at Miami, 4:30 p.m. Denver at Chicago, 5 p.m. Indiana at New Orleans, 5 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Milwaukee, 5 p.m. Washington at San Antonio, 6:30 p.m. NCAA Men’s Tournament EAST REGIONAL Regional Semifinals At TD Garden, Boston Friday Villanova (32-4) vs. West Virginia (26-10), 4:27 p.m. (TBS) Purdue (30-6) vs. Texas Tech (26-9), 6:57 p.m. (TBS) SOUTH REGIONAL Regional Semifinals At Philips Arena, Atlanta Thursday No. 7 Nevada (29-7) vs. No. 11 Loyola of Chicago (30-5), 4:07 p.m. (CBS) No. 9 Kansas State (24-11) vs. No. 5 Kentucky (26-10), 6:37 p.m. (CBS) MIDWEST REGIONAL Regional Semifinals At CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Neb. Friday No. 1 Kansas (29-7) vs. No. 5 Clemson (25-9), 4:07 p.m. (CBS) No. 2 Duke (28-7) vs. No. 11 Syracuse (23-13), 6:37 p.m. (CBS) WEST REGIONAL Regional Semifinals At STAPLES Center, Los Angeles Thursday No. 7 Texas A&M (22-12) vs. No. 3 Michi- gan (30-7), 4:37 p.m. (TBS) No. 9 Florida State (22-11) vs. No. 4 Gonzaga (32-4), 7:07 p.m. (TBS) NCAA Women’s Tournament ALBANY REGIONAL Regional Semifinals Saturday, March 24 At Albany, N.Y. South Carolina (28-6) vs. Buffalo (29-5), 8:30 a.m. (ESPN) UConn (34-0) vs. Duke (24-8), 10:30 a.m. (ESPN) SPOKANE REGIONAL Regional Semifinals Saturday At Spokane, Wash. Notre Dame (31-3) vs. Texas A&M (26-9), 1 p.m. (ESPN) Oregon (32-4) vs. Central Michigan (30-4), 3 p.m. (ESPN) KANSAS CITY REGIONAL Regional Semifinals Friday, March 23 At Kansas City, Mo. N.C. State (26-8) vs. Mississippi State (34-1), 4 p.m. (ESPN2) UCLA (26-7) vs. Texas (28-6), 6 p.m. (ESPN2) LEXINGTON REGIONAL Regional Semifinals Friday, March 23 At Lexington, Ky. Oregon State (25-7) vs. Baylor (33-1), 4 p.m. (ESPN) Louisville (34-2) vs. Stanford (24-10), 6 p.m. (ESPN) Hockey NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts Tampa Bay 73 50 19 4 104 Boston 71 45 17 9 99 Toronto 73 43 23 7 93 Florida 71 37 27 7 81 Detroit 73 27 35 11 65 Montreal 73 26 35 12 64 Ottawa 72 26 35 11 63 Buffalo 72 23 37 12 58 Metropolitan Division GP W L OT Pts Washington 73 42 24 7 91 Pittsburgh 73 41 27 5 87 Columbus 74 41 28 5 87 Philadelphia 74 37 25 12 86 New Jersey 73 37 28 8 82 Carolina 73 31 31 11 73 N.Y. Rangers 73 32 33 8 72 N.Y. Islanders 73 31 32 10 72 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L OT Pts Nashville 72 48 14 10 106 Winnipeg 73 44 19 10 98 Minnesota 73 41 24 8 90 Colorado 73 40 25 8 88 Dallas 74 38 28 8 84 St. Louis 72 39 28 5 83 Chicago 74 30 35 9 69 Pacific Division GP W L OT Pts Vegas 73 47 21 5 99 San Jose 73 41 23 9 91 Los Angeles 74 40 27 7 87 Anaheim 73 37 24 12 86 GF GA 264 205 239 184 246 208 219 218 189 228 182 232 199 251 172 236 GF GA 229 217 238 222 210 206 222 220 219 221 197 232 211 236 235 263 GF GA 236 178 242 190 227 210 236 210 212 201 201 193 209 228 GF GA 248 200 225 201 212 186 206 197 Calgary 74 35 29 10 80 204 222 Edmonton 73 32 36 5 69 208 234 Arizona 72 24 37 11 59 175 230 Vancouver 73 25 39 9 59 187 240 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. ——— Tuesday’s Games Columbus 5, N.Y. Rangers 3 Washington 4, Dallas 3 N.Y. Islanders 4, Pittsburgh 1 Edmonton 7, Carolina 3 Florida 7, Ottawa 2 Detroit 5, Philadelphia 4, SO Tampa Bay 4, Toronto 3 Winnipeg 2, Los Angeles 1, OT Colorado 5, Chicago 1 Vegas 4, Vancouver 1 San Jose 6, New Jersey 2 Wednesday’s Games Montreal at Pittsburgh, 4 p.m. Arizona at Buffalo, 4 p.m. Boston at St. Louis, 5 p.m. Anaheim at Calgary, 6:30 p.m. Auto Racing NASCAR Cup Series Points Standings Through Mar. 18 1. Martin Truex, 216. 2. Kyle Busch, 207. 3. Joey Logano, 197. 4. Brad Keselowski, 183. 5. Ryan Blaney, 181. 6. Denny Hamlin, 176. 7. Kyle Larson, 174. 8. Kevin Harvick, 170. 9. Clint Bowyer, 155. 10. Aric Almirola, 148. 11. Kurt Busch, 144. 12. Austin Dillon, 141. 13. Erik Jones, 132. 14. Ryan Newman, 117. 15. Alex Bowman, 115. 16. Paul Menard, 115. Golf PGA TOUR WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Site: Austin, Texas. Course: Austin CC. Yardage: 7,108. Par: 71. Purse: $10 million. Winner’s share: $1.7 million. Television: Wednesday-Friday, 2-8 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (Golf Channel); 2-6 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-7 p.m (NBC). Defending champion: Dustin Johnson.