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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2021
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A10
Powder Valley comes up short in 1A title game
Top-ranked Adrian
escapes with 46-38 win
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
BAKER CITY — In a game of
inches, Powder Valley came up just
shy of a state championship.
The Badgers exchanged blows
with top-seeded Adrian in the
Oregon School Activities Associ-
ation 1A State Championship, but
the Antelopes ultimately came out
on top. Despite leading through the
fi rst three quarters, Powder Valley
fell 46-38 on Saturday, Nov. 27, at
Baker Bulldog Memorial Stadium.
“The boys played outstanding,”
Powder Valley coach Josh Cobb
said. “We just ran out of time.”
Coming into the title matchup,
top-seeded Adrian had not trailed
to an opponent all season, and had
outscored its opponents 618-54.
The Antelopes beat Powder Valley
38-0 on Oct. 1, but the champion-
ship game proved to be a much more
competitive matchup.
The action between the two
teams was neck-and-neck for four
quarters, with both fanbases pack-
ing the stands in Baker City.
The Antelopes started things at
their normal pace, taking an early
lead. Adrian quarterback Conley
Martin, this year’s 1A Special
District 2 East Player of the Year,
ran in a 61-yard rushing touchdown
on the very fi rst play of the game
to take a quick 6-0 lead. Conley
Martin fi nished with 219 passing
yards, 57 rushing yards and four
total touchdowns.
Powder Valley did not back
down, as junior Cole Martin ran the
ensuing kickoff back for a 94-yard
touchdown. The Badgers converted
a 2-point conversion to take an 8-6
lead, the fi rst defi cit of the season
for Adrian. Powder Valley would
hold the lead until midway through
the fourth quarter.
Within just two minutes, both
teams had found the end zone in
what looked to be a fast-paced
game. While the teams heated up
in the second half, the fi rst half was
more of a defensive, ground-and-
pound matchup.
Late in the first quarter, the
Powder Valley defense came up
with a huge stop on fourth-and-
goal at the team’s own 8-yard line.
Just when it looked like the Ante-
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group
lopes were going to retake the lead,
Case
Olson
(25)
pushes
his
way
through
the
center
against Adrian at Baker
the Badgers gained momentum and
started to march down the fi eld as High School on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021, during the Oregon School Activi-
ties Association 1A State Championship. The Powder Valley Badgers lost
the fi rst quarter ended at 8-6.
to the Adrian Antelopes 46-38 in a heartbreaking fi nale that saw Adrian
See Powder Valley, Page A11 make a successful comeback in the fourth quarter.
Nation
Braithwaite
Coe
Peal
Hisler
Phillips
Mahoney
Reich
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
Brosnan
Cimmiyotti
Heppner’s Brock Hisler pushes past Weston-McEwen’s Taylor McGill during the fi rst quarter Nov. 13, 2021, in the quarterfi nal round of the Oregon School
Activities Association Class 2A state football tournament at Les Payne Field in Heppner. Hisler is one of 12 Heppner players selected to the Blue Mountain
Conference’s all-conference team and one of six who is a fi rst-team selection.
HEPPNER DOMINATES
BMC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Mustangs have 12 players honored
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
White
Goodrich
HEPPNER — Blue Mountain Conference
regular-season champion Heppner had six play-
ers selected to the all-conference fi rst team —
four of which earned fi rst-team honors on both
sides of the ball.
The Mustangs dominated the all-conference
team with 12 players chosen by the conference
coaches.
Led by linebacker/running back Brock Hisler,
the Mustangs fi nished the season with an 11-1
record, losing in the 2A state semifi nals to even-
tual state champion Coquille.
Hisler, a 6-foot, 185-pound senior, was a fi rst-
team selection on both sides of the ball, as was
senior Jace Coe (defensive back/receiver), senior
Kason Cimmiyotti (defensive back/receiver) and
senior Conor Brosnan (linebacker/off ensive line).
Senior Blane Mahoney was a fi rst-team defen-
sive lineman, while senior center Toby Nation was
a fi rst-team off ensive lineman.
Through 12 games, Hisler ran for 1,153 yards
on 158 carries, and scored 12 touchdowns. On
defense, he had a team-high 97 tackles and three
fumble recoveries.
Coe had 39 tackles on the season, while as a
receiver, he had a team-high 26 catches for 447
yards and six touchdowns.
Cimmiyotti had 46 tackles and four inter-
ceptions to his credit, while on offense he
caught 10 passes for 197 yards and three touch-
downs.
Brosnan was second on the team with 82 tack-
les. He also had three sacks and a fumble recov-
ery.
Mahoney had a team-high six quarterback
sacks and 58 tackles.
See Team, Page A11
Arellano
Elizares
Burnette
Irvine
SPORTS SHORT
EOU volleyball team headed to NAIA Championships
East Oregonian
LA GRANDE — The Eastern
Oregon University volleyball team
is headed to the National Associ-
ation of Intercollegiate Athletics
National Championship fi nal site
for the eighth year in a row.
The Mountaineers punched
their ticket to Sioux City, Iowa,
with a 3-0 sweep (25-15, 25-13,
25-20) over the visiting Columbia
International University Rams on
Nov. 20.
With the win, Eastern Oregon is
now 26-7 on the year and fi nished
the 2021 season with an impres-
sive 10-2 record at Quinn Coli-
seum. The win also improves the
Mountaineers all-time record in
the NAIA opening round to 3-0.
EOU will begin NAIA Tourna-
ment pool play Tuesday, Nov. 30,
against Northwestern (Iowa). The
Mountaineers will continue pool
play Wednesday against College
of Saint Mary (Nebraska).
The NAIA Tournament features
24 teams broken down into eight
pools. The top team from each pool
will advance to the main bracket.
Against Columbia Interna-
tional University, Sade Williams
led EOU with 10 kills and eight
digs, while Breanna Shaff er had
nine kills, Jet Taylor eight kills and
three blocks, and Cambree Scott
and Preslee Jensen each had seven
kills and four blocks.
Hannah Ledgerwood handed
out 21 assists, and Hailey Arritola
had 16 digs and two service aces.
Cintia Lorena led the Rams
with 14 kills, while Ingrid Ferrari
had fi ve blocks.
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group
Eastern Oregon University volleyball players celebrate in a huddle
Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, after their victory against Columbia Interna-
tional at Quinn Coliseum. The Mountaineers’ win set them up for their
eighth consecutive trip to compete in the National Association of In-
tercollegiate Athletics National Championship tournament.