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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 2018)
SPORTS FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2018 INTENTIONAL PLUNKINGS UNDER FIRE 2B 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS PENDLETON Bucks ready to break out With numerous returners, Pendleton looking for first playoff win since 2002 By ERIC SINGER East Oregonian P ENDLETON — Following con- secutive 3-6 seasons, things finally got back on track for the Pendleton Buckaroos in 2017. The Buckaroos finished the season 5-5 and qualified for the Class 5A play- offs for the first time since 2014, where they competed well against the even- tual state runner-up Churchill Lanc- ers before the game slipped away in the Staff photo by Eric Singer Pendleton head football coach Erik Davis, right, talks with seniors Cam Sandford, center, and Shawn Yeager, left, prior to Thursday’s practice. Smoke from wildfires in the Northwest forced the Buckaroos to move practice indoors to the Pendleton Round-Up Pavilion. Staff photo by Eric Singer Pendleton’s Trent Sorey waits to run a drill during Thursday’s practice at the Round-Up Pa- vilion in Pendleton. Sorey, a senior, begins the season as Pendleton’s starting quarter- back after serving as the back- up for the past two seasons. “I just want to win some football games” — Trent Sorey, Pendleton starting quarterback second half. A large part of Pendleton’s success was from the production from its then-junior class; a talented 22-per- son group that head coach Erik Davis had been watching closely since the kids were in middle school. The class produced 11 all-district selections, and two of those kids, line- backer Kirk Liscom and punter Gabe Umbarger, also earned all-state men- tions. And with all 22 kids back for their senior seasons and only a hand- ful of seniors to replace, Davis is feel- ing excited about what his team can do this fall. “Being that my son (Blake) is a senior, I’ve known these kids for a long time,” Davis said at practice on Thursday. “I’ve watched them compete in everything from Little League to wrestling to bas- ketball, and I’ve been looking forward to this year for a long time. I just knew this was a special group, and they hav- en’t disappointed right now in practice.” The biggest change this fall will be at the quarterback position, as two-year starter Nick Bower, who threw for more than 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns last season, graduated in the spring. The next man up at the position will be senior Trent Sorey, who served as Bower’s pri- mary backup for the past two seasons. Sorey, also a standout calf roper on the Intermountain High School Rodeo team and National High School Finals Rodeo qualifier, is a prototypical dual- threat quarterback with superb scram- bling skills to go with a strong right throwing arm that’s capable of mak- ing clutch throws. Behind Sorey, junior Cooper Roberts appears to be solidifying himself as Sorey’s primary backup, and Davis described Roberts as the best pure passer on the team. “Right now Trent’s our guy,” Davis said. “He’s just one heck of a competi- tor and he’s just a leader, a natural leader. He’s good with his feet, he scrambles as well as I’ve seen and he’s got a good arm.” HERMISTON The 6-foot-tall Sorey says he’s excited to finally get his chance to lead the Buck- aroos, but is focused on trying not to do too much. “I just want to win some football games,” Sorey said. “And just lead the team, make plays when they’re needed and have fun.” Protecting Sorey is what Davis believes is one of the best, if not the best, offensive lines he has had in his seven years in Pendleton. Everett Williard was an all-conference center in 2017, while Travis McCoy at left tackle and Cetch Kelly at right tackle settled in as stal- warts last season. “We go as they go, to be honest with you,” Davis said. “Everett’s one of our leaders and he’s a stud, Cetch and Travis have that experience. We’re as good up College football Cougars enter season drawing strength from Hilinski’s memory A local revolution Hermiston Revolution soccer wins big in Spokane tournament By BRETT KANE East Oregonian By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS Associated Press Hermiston Revolution fin- ished the summer off strong last weekend. The local youth soccer pro- gram, led by commissioner Erick Juarez, traveled to Spokane, Wash- ington, for the Les Schwab North- west Cup tournament, in which their U-13 boys’ team went unde- feated, taking home the title. The league also consists of three other teams: U-14 boys, U-12 girls, and U-15 girls, who are placed onto their respective teams by age, and all had impressive runs over the weekend as well. The U-14 boys won their first three games of the tournament, but ultimately lost to the Tri-Cities FC PULLMAN, Wash. — Wash- ington State receiver Robert Lewis is going into this season still mourning Tyler Hilinski but also drawing strength from his memory. Hilinski was expected to lead the Cougars this year but the young quar- terback killed himself in Janu- ary. Thoughts of him have stayed with the team over the interven- ing months. “We love Tyler,” Lewis said. “He’s always going to be with us.” In the months before his death, Hilinski had been regarded as the presumptive starter replac- ing Luke Falk, the Cougars’ Photo courtesy of Erick Juarez Hermiston Revolution’s U-13 boys soccer team poses with the championship trophy after winning the Les Schwab Northwest Cup in Spokane, Washington, over the weekend. on Sunday afternoon, ending in a score of 2-1. The U-12 girls tied their first game against the Spokane Shad- ows and won their following three games, earning them second place See BUCKS/3B in their division. The U-15 girls had a rough start to their weekend, but won their final match against the Sandpoint Strikers with a score See SOCCER/3B record-setting quarterback who graduated last year and is now with the Tennessee Titans. So Washington State went into the fall with questions on the field as well as heavy hearts. “He would want us to go out and play as hard as we can for him,” Lewis said. Three players are now competing for the start- er’s spot, led by graduate transfer Gardner Minshew, a part-time starter the past two seasons at East Carolina. Also in the mix are juniors Trey Tins- ley and Anthony Gordon, neither of whom has thrown a pass in an FBS game. Coach Mike Leach said Min- See WSU/3B Sports shorts NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne retiring CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Kasey Kahne announced Thurs- day that he will retire from full- time racing in NASCAR and plans to focus on the sprint car team he owns. Kahne said in a Twitter post that he is at ease with the decision after 15 years racing in NASCAR. Kahne, from Enumclaw, Wash- ington, made it to NASCAR via sprint car racing and his Kasey Kahne Racing team competes in the World of Outlaws series. THIS DATE IN SPORTS Snedeker shoots 59 at Wyndham Championship GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Brandt Snedeker shot an 11-under 59 on Thursday at the Wyndham Champi- onship, falling one shot shy of match- ing the PGA Tour record. He made a 20-foot putt on his final hole to become the 10th player in tour history to break 60. Jim Furyk set the record with a 58 in the final round of the Travelers Championship in 2016. “I better be smiling,” Snedeker said. “I don’t do this every day.” Snedeker began his round at par-70 Sedgefield Country Club with a bogey at No. 10, and he took off from there. He played the front nine in 27, includ- ing an eagle 2 on the par-4 sixth hole when he holed out from 176 yards. This is the third consec- utive year the PGA Tour has had a sub- 60 round. Snede- ker is the first to shoot 59 since Adam Hadwin in the third round of the 2017 Careerbuilder Challenge. 1933 — Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees plays his 1,308th straight game to break Everett Scott’s record of 1,307. 2015 — The National Labor Relations Board dismisses a historic ruling that Northwestern University football players are school employ- ees who are entitled to form what would be the nation’s first union of college athletes. 2016 — Jamaica’s Elaine Thomp- son completes the first 100-200 wom- en’s Olympic double since 1988. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com
