SPORTS
Thursday, September 23, 2021
Dawgs:
Continued from Page A8
Neidhold also is look-
ing forward to watching the
battle in the trenches.
“They have some big
guys up front who like to
play rough,” he said. “Our
off ensive line vs. their defen-
sive line will be a matchup
that will declare itself early
in this game.”
This will be the third
matchup between the teams
since Hermiston joined the
MCC in 2018. The Bulldogs
won in 2018, and the Bomb-
ers in 2019. They did not
play each other last year.
“I know those guys down
there are trying to build
something and the coaches
are putting in the time,”
Neidhold said. “They want
to make the MCC proud of
them. We need them to be
good. It just makes us better.
I’m rooting for them.”
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian
Hermiston quarterback Chase Elliot scrambles during a
game with Kamiakin on Sept. 3, 2021. The Bulldogs are at
home Friday, Sept. 24, and take on the Richland Bombers.
Bucks:
Continued from Page A8
This season, the Bucks
have gotten a good perfor-
mance from their off ensive
line, and the defense has
done well with Kyle Liscom
leading the way. Pendleton
held Putnam to six points
last week.
“We don’t let little things
become hurdles,” Davis
said. “The little things
should not stop you from
being a good football team.
Each week you face a diff er-
ent off ense. Our defensive
staff has done a good job of
preparing them. All 11 have
to do their job. Our defense
has played very well.”
On offense, the Bucks
have been working with
Jack Lieuallen at quarter-
back, with Collin Primus
taking a few snaps, as
well. The Bucks are aver-
aging 31 points a game,
with Primus a workhorse at
wide receiver, and Liscom
coming out of the backfi eld.
“We are trying to get the
best 11 on the fi eld and we
are going that direction,”
Davis said. “That’s a good
thing that came out of the
Putnam game.”
Rockets:
Continued from Page A8
“I was pretty confident we
could do well in the playoff s, now
things are starting to look rough,”
Rockets coach Mike Baleztena
said. “They have that Rollins
kid running the ball. That kid is
so powerful, and he’s a hell of a
linebacker. He hits hard and is
smart. We are going from a game
I was confident in winning, to
East Oregonian
A9
Eastern looks to win fourth straight game
College of Idaho
holds big lead on
matchups with the
Mountaineers
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Since
the College of Idaho rein-
stated football in 2014, the
Yotes have been a tough test
for Eastern Oregon.
The two teams have met
each of the last 18 seasons
the College of Idaho has
fi elded a football program,
with the Caldwell, Idaho,
school holding a 33-13-1
all-time series lead, includ-
ing an 8-5 mark since
football returned in 2014.
Eastern Oregon won the fi rst
two games after the resump-
tion of the series, but has
since gone 3-8, including
four straight loses.
“In the Frontier Confer-
ence, anybody can beat
anybody and anybody can
lose to anybody,” EOU head
coach Tim Camp said. “We
just have to be us. They have
some very talented players,
but at the same time so do
we.”
The two teams meet
again at 1 p.m. on Saturday,
Sept. 25, at Community
Stadium in La Grande.
Eastern is coming off a
low-scoring 10-7 victory
at Carroll College that
improved the team’s record
to 3-0 and helped the Moun-
taineers climb up to No.
11 in this week’s National
Association of Intercolle-
giate Athletics coaches’ poll.
The Yotes enter the matchup
2-1 on the year, receiving 16
votes in the latest poll.
just a game. It can go either way,
I think.”
The Rockets will count on quar-
terback Jace Otteson and running
back Efren Castro to lead the off ense,
along with their off ensive line, which
has played a part in getting the Rock-
ets off to a 2-0 season.
“I still have a good line,” Balez-
tena said. “I’m still confi dent my
line can do really well, but having
Wyatt made it that much easier. He
was our leading tackler last year,
and his blocking was unreal. He hits
Alex Wittwer/The Observer, File
Eastern Oregon quarterback Kai Quinn runs a zone read alongside running back Jordan
Eggers in a win over Montana Western on Sept. 4, 2021. The No. 11-ranked Mountaineers
face a diffi cult challenge Sept. 25 against the College of Idaho.
“We’re super excited
about it, but have a lot to
improve on,” Camp said.
The Mountaineers have
won each of their games
by one possession through
the undefeated start to the
season. After a scoreless
fi rst half, quarterback Kai
Quinn scored the lone off en-
sive touchdown of the game
on a 13-yard strike to Isaiah
Thomas in the third quarter.
Eastern’s defense was
effi cient, holding the Saints
to just 216 yards and no
off ensive touchdowns. The
defensive unit will look for
similar production facing a
College of Idaho team that
is averaging 33.7 points
and 257.7 rushing yards per
game.
“I think they have one of
the best backs in football,”
so hard. His loss is so big.”
The Cardinals are coming off a
50-28 loss to Lyle, a game in which
Ione/Arlington saw a close game
slip away in the fourth quarter.
“We had six turnovers,” Ione/
Arlington coach Dennis Stefani
said. “That’s what we spent Monday
doing, going back to the basics. We
aren’t a bad football team, we just
aren’t executing well and getting
things done the way they should
be. We’re OK, we just need to clean
things up.”
Camp said. “We have to line
up and play solid assignment
football.”
Eastern’s kicker Zach-
ary Cahill has been a diff er-
ence maker. He took home
special teams player of the
week honors in the Fron-
tier Conference following
his steady performance in
the narrow win at Carroll
College. Cahill scored
a 30-yard field goal and
converted his only extra-
point attempt in the victory.
This is the second time this
season Cahill has earned
the honors during a season
where he has converted all
fi ve of his fi eld goal attempts
to date.
Yotes running back Nick
Calzaretta has tallied 381
yards and fi ve touchdowns
across College of Idaho’s
HEPPNER AT KENNEDY —
Two of the top-ranked teams in the
state are meeting for the fi rst time
since the Mustangs beat the Trojans
in the 2019 2A state title game.
It’s a pretty even battle on paper.
Heppner has only allowed 12
points in three game games, while
top-ranked Kennedy has given up
14. The Trojans are averaging 21
points a game, while the Mustangs
are at 16.
This is why they play the game.
WESTON-MCEWEN AT
three games this year. EOU
linebacker Solo Taylor, the
team’s leader in tackles, will
have his hands full aiding
the defensive line in stop-
ping the run.
The Mountaineers stifl ed
the pass against Carroll
College, sacking quarter-
back Devan Bridgewa-
ter seven times. Senior
defensive end Chase Van
Wyck will look to carry the
momentum of his two-sack
performance into Saturday’s
action against the Yotes.
The Mountaineers are
3-4 all time at home since
2014 against the Yotes and
will aim to improve that
number at Community
Stadium. Eastern has not
started the season 4-0 since
the 2011 season, when the
team fi nished the year 8-3.
STANFIELD — Kenzie Hansell’s
TigerScots (2-0) are flying high
after opening Blue Mountain
Conference play last week with a
36-0 win over Umatilla.
The Tigers (1-2) are licking their
wounds after a 14-0 loss to Heppner
— a game in which they managed
just 87 yards of off ense.
ALSO — Irrigon is at Grant
Union on Thursday night, while
on Friday, Baker is at McLoughlin,
Umatilla is at Riverside, and Echo
is at Dayville/Monument.
SPIN TO WIN UP TO
DRAWINGS EVERY 30 MINUTES!
FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS, 7– 10pm | SUNDAYS, 4 – 9pm
FAMILY
PACKAGE
MON-THU
$
50
$
55
UP TO
Includes:
· 90 Minutes Bowling
· Shoe Rental
· One Pitcher of Soda
Before 6pm
After 6pm
· One Large Pizza
(up to 3 toppings)
Package is good for up to six people.
Reserve your lane online today at wildhorseresort.com
CASINO • HOTEL • GOLF • CINEPLEX • RV
MUSEUM • DINING • TRAVEL PLAZA • FUNPLEX
®
800.654.9453 • PENDLETON, OR • I-84, EXIT 216 • wildhorseresort.com • Owned and operated by CTUIR
Management reserves all rights to alter, suspend or withdraw promotions/offers at any time.
03811.TT.09.21