E AST O REGONIAN
SATURDAY, MAY 29, 2021
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B1
HIGH
HONOR
Heppner football coach and
AD will receive the Dave
Johnson Contributor Award
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
Primus
Swanson
Zander
Pendleton’s Lambert
snags IMC MVP title
Bucks dominate
all-conference
team with eight
players and
top coach
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — The
Pendleton Bucks went unde-
feated in Intermountain
Conference play and fi nished
15-3 overall. Those accom-
plishments don’t happen
without good players.
Pendleton sophomore
Payton Lambert was named
co-Player of the Year in
the IMC with Hood River
Valley’s Mason Spellecy, and
Kyle Field was the Pitcher of
the Year as the Bucks domi-
nated the conference voting.
Pendleton’s TJ Haguewood
was named Coach of the
Year.
“We had a good team with
guys who work hard and do
good things,” Haguewood
said. “They are solid baseball
players. Regardless of where
they are on the all-league
team, they just want to play.
We are lucky to have the
players we have. I can’t be
more proud of them.”
Joining Lambert and Field
on the fi rst team were fi rst
baseman Ty Beers, infi elder
Tucker Zander, outfielder
Collin Primus and desig-
nated hitter Easton Corey.
Field also earned fi rst-team
honors as an infi elder.
On the second team, the
Bucks had Blake Swanson at
outfi eld and Jack Lieuallen as
a pitcher.
Over the course of 18
games, Lambert hit .509 with
11 singles, 13 doubles, one
triple and three home runs.
He also drove in 22 runs and
scored 30 times. He had a
team-high 28 hits.
In the fi eld, he had just fi ve
errors and was a part of four
double plays.
“He’s our leadoff hitter,”
Haguewood said. “He’s the
catalyst of making things go.
He is such a special talent. To
be MVP as a sophomore is
not easy. The other coaches
realize what a talent he is. It’s
well deserved.”
Lambert also has been
invited to try out for the
Area Code Games on July 1
INTERMOUNTAIN
CONFERENCE
BASEBALL TEAM
Co-Players of the Year:
Payton Lambert, so., Pendleton,
and Mason Spellecy, jr., Hood
River Valley.
Pitcher of the Year:
Kyle Field, sr., Pendleton.
Coach of the Year:
TJ Haguewood, Pendleton.
FIRST TEAM
C: Joe Rietz, jr., Hood River Val-
ley. 1B: Ty Beers, sr., Pendleton.
Infi eld: Braden Schwartz, so.,
The Dalles; Tucker Zander, sr.,
Pendleton; Kyle Field, sr., Pend-
leton. Outfi eld: Aiden Gebhard,
jr., Redmond; Collin Primus, jr.,
Pendleton; Nate Van Dooren, sr.,
Hood River Valley. Utility: Hunter
Hough, jr., Hood River Valley. DH:
Easton Corey, so., Pendleton.
Pitcher: Nate Van Dooren, sr.,
Hood River Valley; Jake Von Lub-
ken, so., Hood River Valley.
SECOND TEAM
C: Austin Carter, sr., Redmond.
1B: Harrison Howell, sr., Hood
River Valley. Infi eld: Riley Brock,
so., The Dalles; Prestyn Jones, sr.,
Crook County; Austin Vaughn, fr.,
Crook County. Outfi eld: Jake Von
Lubken, so., Hood River Valley;
Beau Hagen, sr., Ridgeview; Blake
Swanson, sr., Pendleton. Utility:
Joseph Teixeira, fr., Redmond.
DH: Mason Scott, fr., Ridgeview.
Pitcher: Jack Lieuallen, so., Pend-
leton; Mason Spellecy, jr., Hood
River Valley.
HONORABLE MENTION
C: McCain Perkins, sr., Ridgeview.
Infi eld: Andy Foster, sr., Hood
River Valley; Matthew Delapena,
sr., Crook County. Outfi eld:
Nolan Ryan, sr., Hood River Valley;
Tyis Yustat, fr., Crook County; Cur-
tis Simons, sr., Pendleton. Utility:
Tyson Martinez, fr., Crook County.
DH: Rhett Haigh, sr, Redmond.
Pitcher: Tucker Zander, sr., Pend-
leton; Riley Brock, so., Pendleton.
H
EPPN ER —
Greg Grant is not
one for personal
recognition, but
every once in a while it’s nice
to take stock of the people
who are a positive infl uence
on students and athletes at the
high school level.
G rant, a long ti me
coach and athletic direc-
tor at Heppner, will receive
the 2021 Oregon Athletic
Coaches Association’s Dave
Johnson Contributor Award
on June 6 at Eastern Oregon
University in La Grande.
The award is presented to
an individual who has been
or is involved in coaching or
related athletic fields. The
award is in recognition of
their length of service and
positive influence toward
their local and state athletic
programs and their many
contributions to the OACA.
The OACA Executive
Board selects the award recip-
ient.
“We have been giving this
award for the past 20-plus
years,” OACA Executive
Director Rob Younger said.
“Greg represents the qual-
ity of past recipients — he is
successful as a coach, but is
also an infl uencer through-
out the state. He has been a
sports chair for football and
golf. What we have been
impressed with, is he takes
the smaller schools and
represents them at the state
level. He is a positive voice
for the small classifi cations in
Eastern Oregon. We appreci-
ate that vision.”
Grant has been the head
football coach at Heppner
since 1990. His Mustangs
have won three state titles
(1992, 2015, 2019) and
fi nished second twice (2007,
2014). Between Heppner and
Heppner coach Greg Grant, left, congratulates Mason Leh-
man (24) following the state championship game on Nov.
30, 2019. The Heppner Mustangs defeated the Kennedy
Trojans 12-7 to win the 2019 OSAA Class 2A state title at
Kennison Field, Hermiston. Grant is going to receive the
2021 Oregon Athletic Coaches Association’s Dave Johnson
Contributor Award on June 6 at Eastern Oregon University,
La Grande.
their lives,” Grant wrote in a
message to the OACA. “We
try to build better students,
mothers, fathers, employ-
ees, employers, community
leaders and citizens using the
lessons embedded in team
play.”
State wide, Grant has
served on several Oregon
“I TRY TO DO IT FOR ALL KIDS,
NOT JUST MY KIDS.”
— Greg Grant, Heppner football coach
fi ve years at Alsea, his career
coaching record is 311-73.
He also has been the golf
coach at Heppner since 1990
and the athletic director since
2000.
“It is my hope that play-
ers leave our program under-
standing accountability,
sacrifi ce and servant leader-
ship while practicing disci-
pline and respect throughout
School Activities Associa-
tion committees, is an OACA
board member as a 2A repre-
sentative and has been the
regional golf schedule coor-
dinator since 1995.
“I try to do it for all kids,
not just my kids,” Grant
said. “Every kid in the state
deserves to have the best
possible experience. I’m not
afraid to speak my mind, and
I don’t want to spend time on
things that waste my time.”
Younger said Grant
embodies what the OACA
award stands for.
“This is not just for his
success,” Younger said. “This
award is for his contribution
to his profession and what he
does behind the scenes. He
is very worthy of this high
honor.”
Also being honored is
Darla Huxel, of the Blue
Mountain Volleyball Offi cials
Association, and Terry Spriet
of Pendleton, who is receiv-
ing an OACA Community
Service Award.
The OACA also is handing
out eight $1,000 scholarships
to student-athletes through-
out the state. Since 1986, the
OACA has awarded $261,000
to graduating student-ath-
letes.
Claire Farwell from Enter-
prise High School and Hunter
Lind from Powder Valley are
two of this year’s recipients.
NORMAL
at University of Oregon.
Field, who signed to pitch
at Community Colleges of
Spokane, threw 27⅓ innings
over six starts, fi nishing with
a 4-0 record. He had an ERA
of 2.56, with 10 earned runs
while striking out 36 and
walked just four.
At the plate, Field hit .327,
with five doubles and 14
RBIs. As a third baseman,
he had just two errors.
“It’s a well-deserved
reward,” Haguewood said.
“He worked hard to get back
to where he is comfortable.
He struggled last summer,
but he had a heck of a year.
He is a gamer.”
The Bucks capped off the
year with their third consec-
utive IMC district title.
“This has been a stress-
ful year,” Haguewood said.
“To fi nish on top has been a
bonus. These kids had online
school, baseball was at the end
of football. Their hard work
and focus has paid dividends.”
THE CHOICE IS YOURS
ON THE SLATE
Schedule subject to change
MONDAY, MAY 31
No events scheduled
TUESDAY, JUNE 1
Prep boys basketball
The Dalles at Pendleton, 6:30 p.m.
Heppner at Stanfi eld, 7:30 p.m.
Irrigon at Weston-McEwen, 7:30 p.m.
Pilot Rock at McLoughlin, 7:30 p.m.
La Grande at Nixyaawii, 7:30 p.m.
South Wasco County at Echo, 7:30 p.m.
Griswold at Umatilla JV, 6 p.m.
Prep girls basketball
Pendleton at The Dalles, 6:30 p.m.
Heppner at Stanfi eld, 6 p.m.
Irrigon at Weston-McEwen, 6 p.m.
Pilot Rock at McLoughlin, 6 p.m.
La Grande at Nixyaawii, 6 p.m.
South Wasco County at Echo, 6 p.m.
Prep bowling
Chiawana at Hermiston, 3:30 p.m.
College men’s basketball
Spokane at Blue Mountain, 7:30 p.m.
College women’s basketball
Spokane at Blue Mountain, 5:30 p.m.
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