B2
SPORTS
East Oregonian
Signing: Hermiston’s
Madi Wilson signs to
run track at EWU
Continued from Page B1
a time of 14.98 seconds.
She was fi fth in the 300
hurdles (46.70), the 4x100
relay was second (49.05),
and the 4x400 team was
sixth (4:07.70).
After three years of
going to state at historic
Hayward Field in Eugene,
Wilson said she will miss
going there.
“It’s amazing,” she said.
“The atmosphere, the feel-
ing of the track, the smell
of the grass and track
together.”
There won’t be any
tears shed in the Columbia
River Conference, where
Wilson won the district
title in the 100 hurdles the
past three years, the 300
hurdles the past two years,
and the 4x400 relay team
the past three years. The
4x100 relay team won last
year.
To top it off, all of the
runners on both relay
teams return.
“We will get a whole
lot more competition in the
Washington league,” she
said. “I was always run-
ning by myself. It will be
nice to have the competi-
tion. It’s a fresh start, and
I’ll see what I’m made of.”
Her biggest competitor
in the Mid-Columbia Con-
ference will be Hanford’s
Nyenuchi Okemgbo.
“She is a great athlete,”
Wilson said. “I ran against
her (in the 100 hurdles) at
the Davis Invite last year.
She blew me away. It was
cool to compete against
her.”
At that meet, Okemgbo
ran a 15.14, while Wilson
turned in a 15.53 and fi n-
ished second.
“I can’t wait for the
people in Washington to
see her and what she and
the relay teams can do,”
Strot said. “We have com-
peted against a few kids
at the Kiwanis Invite, but
not in a meet that deter-
mines regionals and state.
It will be hard to get kids
to state.”
Injuries: Seahawks may
need a major shuffl e
Continued from Page B1
the Chiefs it would be
second-year safety Del-
ano Hill stepping in. Hill
played 52 snaps last week
against San Francisco.
Seattle is equally unset-
tled at right guard and
potentially with its depth
in the backfi eld.
The Seahawks placed
guard Jordan Simmons
on injured reserve Tues-
day due to a knee injury
suffered in the loss to San
Francisco and it’s uncer-
tain whether D.J. Fluker’s
injured hamstring will be
healthy enough for him to
return this week.
The injuries have left
Seattle possibly needing a
major shuffl e on an offen-
sive line that has helped
create the top rushing
offense in the NFL.
Ethan Pocic struggled
last week when he stepped
in for Simmons. Seattle
has used George Fant as
an extra offensive line-
man for signifi cant snaps
throughout the season and
his ability to play tackle
could allow some shuf-
fl ing among the starters in
the short-term until Fluker
can return.
“Let’s wait and see on
that one. We’ll wait and
see how this goes,” Car-
roll said. “Jordan, he
needs likely to get some
work done on his knee to
get him back so he’s out.
There are some decisions
that we’re making. Let’s
see how the week goes.”
Seattle signed run-
ning back Bo Scarbrough
off the Jacksonville prac-
tice squad to take Sim-
mons’ roster spot and
that’s partly due to depth
concerns at running back.
Seattle played last week
without rookie fi rst-round
pick Rashaad Penny due
to a knee injury and Car-
roll said there was enough
wear on starter Chris Car-
son and backup Mike
Davis that they needed the
extra depth in case Penny
isn’t back this week.
“It’s uncertain if he can
get back. We don’t know
that,” Carroll said. “He’s
really determined to try
and make it back and Fri-
day is the day he can try to
go for it and show that he
can run and go for it.”
Amid all the injury
news, the Seahawks
believe veteran linebacker
K.J. Wright will be back
after missing the past
fi ve games. Wright hasn’t
played since Week 10
after aggravating a knee
problem that fi rst popped
up in the preseason and
required surgery.
Wright said when he
returned in Week 8 against
Detroit that he took on too
much and that eventually
led to a setback. When he
returns this time, he said
he’s going to be smarter
about his play count and
ramp up toward being
ready for a full load when
the postseason arrives
— assuming Seattle gets
there.
“We’re going to be
smarter this time. We’ve
got a good game plan
going,” Wright said.
“Ease it in these last two
games, make the play-
offs and kick it off from
there.”
Blazers: Lillard had 22
points in third quarter
Continued from Page B1
on six Portland turnovers.
Portland closed the gap
and tied it at 17 on Mey-
ers Leonard’s 3-pointer
before the end of the fi rst
quarter. Evan Turner’s
pullup jumper gave Port-
land a 19-18 lead early in
the second, and Grizzlies
weren’t able to retake
the lead until Jaren Jack-
son’s driving layup made
it 35-34.
Conley made consec-
utive 3-pointers and the
Grizzlies led 52-47 at the
half. He led all scorers
with 15 points.
After a slow start in
the fi rst half, Lillard hit
four 3-pointers in the third
quarter. Meyers Leonard’s
3-pointer put Portland in
front 74-67.
The Blazers were com-
ing off a 131-127 victory
on the road against the
Clippers. Lillard had 22
points in the third quar-
ter and Portland snapped a
six-game losing streak on
the road.
Tip-ins
Grizzlies:
Bicker-
staff said the Grizzlies
missed Dillon Brooks,
who missed his 20th
game because of a right
knee injury. Brooks, who
played for the Oregon
Ducks, is in his second
NBA season. “We miss
the tenacity that he plays
with. The toughness. A
never-given-in attitude,”
Bickerstaff said before the
game.
Trail Blazers: It was
Lillard’s 500th regu-
lar-season game. He was
just 2 of 7 from the fi eld
in the fi rst half. ... Every
Blazer who played scored.
Up next
Trail Blazers: Portland
hosts Utah on Friday.
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Ohio rolls over San Diego State
By SCHUYLER DIXON
Associated Press
FRISCO,
Texas
—
Nathan Rourke ran for two
touchdowns and threw for
another score, leading Ohio
to a 27-0 victory over San
Diego State in the drizzly
Frisco Bowl on Wednesday
night.
A.J. Ouellette rushed
for 164 yards and the Bob-
cats (9-4) fi nished with 215
on the ground, the most the
Aztecs (7-6) allowed all sea-
son with the fourth-best run
defense in FBS.
Ohio fi nished with six
wins in seven games and
won a second straight bowl
game under Frank Solich.
He became the oldest head
coach in FBS at 74 before
bowl season when 79-year-
old Bill Snyder retired at
Kansas State.
San Diego State was shut
out in a bowl for the fi rst
time since its fi rst postsea-
son appearance — a 53-0
loss to Hardin-Simmons in
the 1948 Harbor Bowl at
long-since-demolished Bal-
boa Stadium in San Diego.
The Aztecs had 44 of
their 287 yards on one run
by Juwan Washington while
losing a fourth straight game
in a season for the fi rst time
in eight years under coach
Rocky Long.
San Diego State’s fi rst
meeting with Ohio was its
fi rst loss in 15 games against
Mid-American Conference
teams. The 27-point margin
ended a streak of 10 straight
games decided by single
digits for the Aztecs, which
the school said was the lon-
gest such streak since at
least 1980.
Light rain that fell
throughout the fi rst half
didn’t seem to bother
Rourke. The junior fooled
the entire San Diego State
defense with a fake hand-
AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez
Ohio running back A.J. Ouellette (45) leaps over San Diego State cornerback Darren Hall (23)
in the fi rst half of the Frisco Bowl NCAA college football game on Wednesday in Frisco, Texas.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Ohio
San Diego St.
27
0
off to Ouellette and ran
untouched 9 yards around
left end to cap a 15-play
drive for a 10-0 lead in the
second quarter.
Rourke’s other scor-
ing run was from 11 yards
before halftime, and he
threw a 35-yard TD to a
wide-open Andrew Meyer
near the goal line on a fl ea-
fl icker from Ouellette in the
fourth quarter. Rourke was
10 of 22 for 206 yards pass-
ing with 44 yards rushing.
Washington had 129
yards rushing. Ryan Agnew
threw for 126 yards, many
of them with the game out
of reach late, after replac-
ing Aztecs starter Christian
Chapman in the fi rst half.
The takeaway
San Diego State: Long is
one of fi ve current coaches
to lead his team to a bowl
in each of his fi rst eight sea-
sons. The Aztecs, who have
been to nine straight bowls,
are 3-5 in the postseason
under Long with consecu-
tive losses in the Dallas area.
Army was a 42-35 winner
in last year’s Armed Forces
Bowl in Fort Worth.
Ohio: The Bobcats have
a 1-1 postseason record
in Texas, getting even 56
years after losing to West
Texas State 15-14 in the
school’s fi rst bowl appear-
ance in the 1962 Sun Bowl
in El Paso. The school’s only
other game in Texas was in
nearby Denton, a 31-30 dou-
ble-overtime win against
North Texas in 2009.
Up next
San Diego State: Stand-
out LB Kyahva Tezino is
eligible to enter the NFL
draft, so his decision will
go a long toward determin-
ing the Aztecs’ hopes of get-
ting back to 10 wins after a
two-year streak ended. San
Diego State opens at home
against Weber State on Aug.
31.
Ohio: Solich’s 15th sea-
son should be the third as a
starter for Rourke, who is
losing his top running back
in Ouellette and three of his
offensive linemen. The Bob-
cats open at home against
Rhode Island on Aug. 31.
Saints back on top of AP Pro32 poll
By SIMMI BUTTAR
Associated Press
NEW YORK — Drew
Brees and the New Orleans
Saints are feeling quite at
home on top of the NFL.
The Saints enter the fi nal
two weeks of the regular sea-
son with the best record in the
league at 12-2. They fi nish
the regular season with two
games in the Superdome and
are a win away from clinch-
ing home-fi eld advantage
throughout the NFC playoffs.
And the Saints are back
on top of the latest AP Pro32
poll.
The Saints received 11 of
the 12 fi rst-place votes for
382 points in balloting Tues-
day by media members who
regularly cover the NFL.
The Saints moved up a
spot a day after holding off
Carolina 12-9 on Monday
night.
“On a night when Drew
Brees didn’t have his magic
touch, it was a rapidly
improving defense that car-
ried the Saints to a huge win
over Carolina that keeps
them in the lead for all-im-
portant home-fi eld advantage
in the NFC playoffs,” said
Newsday’s Bob Glauber.
The next two positions
belong to the AFC West.
The Los Angeles Chargers
received the other fi rst-place
vote and jumped two spots to
No. 2 following their thrill-
ing 29-28 win over the Kan-
sas Chiefs on Thursday night.
Philip Rivers threw for 313
yards and two touchdowns,
including a winning 2-point
conversion in the fi nal
seconds.
“Nobody is having more
fun playing football than
37-year-old Philip Rivers,
who has inserted himself
squarely in the MVP conver-
sation,” said Ira Kaufman of
Fox 13 in Tampa, Florida.
The Chiefs fell two places
to No. 3.
The NFC North cham-
pion Chicago Bears gained
two spots to No. 4 after
they earned their fi rst play-
off appearance in eight years
with a win over Green Bay.
“The Chargers and Bears
are playing better than any
of the other contenders at the
moment,” said Charean Wil-
liams of Pro Football Talk.
The Los Angeles Rams
dropped two spots to No. 5
after losing to the Philadel-
phia Eagles on Sunday night.
The Houston Texans
Thursday, Dec. 20
Boys Basketball
Kiona-Benton (WA) at Riverside,
5:30 p.m.
Wallowa at Echo, 6 p.m.
Sherman at Ione, 7:30 p.m.
Imbler at Weston-McEwen, 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball
Kiona-Benton (WA) at Riverside, 4 p.m.
Wallowa at Echo, 4:30 p.m.
Sherman at Ione, 6 p.m.
Imbler at Weston-McEwen, 6 p.m.
St. Helens at Pendleton, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 21
Boys Basketball
Klickitat (WA) at Helix, 3:30 p.m.
Stanfi eld at Pilot Rock, 6 p.m.
Grant Union at Heppner, 6 p.m.
Mac-Hi at Cascade, 7 p.m.
Dufur at Echo, 7:30 p.m.
Yakima Tribal School at Nixyaawii,
7:30 p.m.
Hermiston at Hanford, 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball
Trout Lake (WA), Long Creek/Ukiah at
Helix, 2 p.m.
Mac-Hi at Cascade, 5:30 p.m.
Hermiston at Hanford, 5:45 p.m.
Dufur at Echo, 6 p.m.
Yakima Tribal School at Nixyaawii, 6 p.m.
AP Photo/Mike McCarn
New Orleans Saints’ Alvin Kamara (41) runs past Carolina Panthers’ Kawann Short (99) in the
second half of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday.
gained a place to No. 6 after
rallying past the New York
Jets. The Texans (10-4) are
the No. 2 seed in the AFC and
are at the Eagles on Sunday
as they try to avoid playing
on wild-card weekend next
month.
The New England Patriots
and Pittsburgh Steelers fol-
lowed in the poll. The Patri-
ots fell two spots to No. 7
after losing 17-10 on Sunday
at Pittsburgh, which moved
up two spots to No. 8.
“Finally beat (Tom)
Brady,” Fox Sports’ John
Czarnecki said of the Steel-
ers earning their fi rst victory
over the Patriots since 2011.
New England is the No. 3
seed in the AFC, but closes
with home games against
Buffalo and the Jets.
“Without a fi rst-round
bye, Patriots won’t be reach-
ing a third straight Super
Bowl,” said Alex Marvez of
SiriusXM.
Pittsburgh has a half-game
lead over Baltimore in the
AFC North, but faces a chal-
lenge as the Steelers meet the
Saints on Sunday.
The Indianapolis Colts, in
the hunt for a wild-card spot
in the AFC, also gained two
places to No. 9.
And the Seattle Seahawks
rounded out the top 10 as
they fell two spots after their
overtime loss at San Fran-
cisco. The Seahawks host
the Chiefs on Sunday night
as they look to close in on a
playoff spot.
LOCAL SLATE
Stanfi eld at Pilot Rock, 7:30 p.m.
Grant Union at Heppner, 7:30 p.m.
Boys Wrestling
Hermiston at Best of the West Invite
Girls Wrestling
Hermiston at Columbia Burbank Invite,
10 a.m.
Saturday, Dec. 22
Boys Basketball
Helix Holiday Tourney, 3:30 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Grant Union, 4 p.m.
Heppner at Stanfi eld, 4 p.m.
Weston-McEwen at Enterprise, 4 p.m.
Riverview (WA) at Umatilla, 4:30 p.m.
Ione at Dufur, 5:30 p.m.
Mac-Hi at Cascade Holiday Classic, 7 p.m.
Sunnyside at Hermiston, 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball
Helix Holiday Tourney, 2 p.m.
Echo at Joseph, 2:30 p.m.
Riverview (WA) at Umatilla, 3 p.m.
Ione at Dufur, 4 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Grant Union, 5:30 p.m.
Heppner at Stanfi eld, 5:30 p.m.
Sunnyside at Hermiston, 5:45 p.m.
Mac-Hi at Cascade Holiday Classic
Weston-McEwen at Enterprise, 5:30 p.m.
Girls Wrestling
Hermiston at Sunnyside Tournament,
9 a.m.