SPORTS
Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Team:
Continued from Page A1
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group
Power Valley’s Casey Vaughan hypes up the team at halftime Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021, during
the Oregon School Activities Association 1A State Championship inside the Baker High
School locker room.
Powder Valley:
Continued from Page A1
Early in the second quarter, senior Case
Olson broke loose for a 65-yard rushing touch-
down that put the Badgers up 16-6 and ignited
the Powder Valley sideline.
When Powder Valley gained momentum
at this point in the game, Adrian stayed calm
and kept to its game plan — this was the case
throughout the entirety of the contest. Conley
Martin concluded a productive drive with a
two-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to
16-14. Despite driving deep into Adrian terri-
tory, Powder Valley ran out of time before the
half and went into the locker rooms leading
by two points.
In the second half, the teams settled in as
touchdowns came much easier for the off en-
sive weapons on both Adrian and Powder
Valley. Senior Casey Vaughan opened the
scoring in the second half with an eight-yard
receiving touchdown to put the Badgers up
24-14. Once again, Adrian responded quickly
and scored on a 23-yard touchdown pass from
Conley Martin to Gavin Bayes to cut the lead
back to 24-22 just four minutes into the third
quarter.
Powder Valley quarterback Reece Dixon
was effi cient throughout the game, coming up
with huge plays in the second half. He scored
on a 23-yard run with 5:30 remaining in the
third quarter to give the Badgers a 32-22 lead.
Dixon fi nished the game with 107 yards rush-
ing, 129 yards passing and three total touch-
downs. Kaden Krieger, Dixons’ top target,
made several big plays throughout the contest
and hauled in 72 receiving yards.
As the fi nal seconds ticked off the clock in
the third quarter, Adrian running back Jace
Martin scored on a 13-yard rushing touch-
down to cut Powder Valley’s lead to 32-30. At
the conclusion of two dominant seasons, both
teams’ championship hopes came down to the
fi nal 12 minutes.
Early in the fourth quarter, Powder was
able to drive deep into Adrian territory but
suff ered a major blow — Dixon left the fi eld
due to injury. Just several plays later on fourth-
and-goal from the Adrian nine-yard line,
Dixon returned to the fi eld and ran in a nine-
yard touchdown. Dixon would play sparingly
for the rest of the game.
“We stayed focused and never gave up,”
Cobb said of battling through adversity.
The Badgers could not convert the extra
point, which kept the Antelopes within one
score at 38-30 with 9:14 left in the fourth
quarter. This proved costly as Adrian gained
momentum late in the matchup.
Jace Martin was back at it again for the
Antelopes on the ensuing drive, closing out
an Adrian drive with a two-yard touchdown
run. Conley Martin converted the two-point
conversion to knot the game at 38-38 with just
under fi ve minutes remaining.
“It was a tough game,” Cobb said. “On both
sides, the teams played real good football.”
The tension was palpable on both sidelines
as the sun began to set on an epic champion-
ship matchup.
Dixon came back into the game, but a big
hit on third-and-21 led to a fumble that gave
Adrian the ball at the Powder Valley six-yard
line. Just one play later, Conley Martin ran in
from six yards out to give the Antelopes their
fi rst lead of the game since the fi rst quarter.
Adrian led 46-38 with 2:37 remaining in the
game.
Adrian came away with several key
stops to force a fourth-and-11 at the Powder
Valley 21-yard line with just 1:46 to go. With
the season on the line, Dixon was unable to
complete to Cole Martin as the Antelopes
secured the victory.
“I wish we would have come out on top,
but they were better than us today,” Cobb said.
The title is the second consecutive offi cial
OSAA state championship for Adrian, who
defeated St. Paul in 2019. The two schools
were on a collision course all season in a
strong year for 1A football on the eastern side
of the state.
“It’s outstanding,” Cobb said of the large
turnout for the game. “This is small-town
football. To play in east Oregon on grass and
to have a fi nish like that — you can’t get any
better than that.”
For Powder Valley, the season fi nishes just
one touchdown shy of glory. The Badgers
concluded the year as state runners-up after
going 11-2 on the year.
“It was a great season,” Cobb said. “They
had so much focus all season. Both teams
played two seasons in one academic year.
That’s a lot of football to stay healthy for.”
Powder Valley’s large group of seniors
helped the team get to the championship game
for the fi rst time since 2003, which marks just
the fourth time that the school has competed
in the fi nal.
“It’s been really fun,” Cobb said. “We’ll be
back next year.”
ON THE SLATE
Tuesday, Nov. 30
Prep girls basketball
Hermiston at Davis, 5:45 p.m.
Prep boys basketball
Hermiston at Davis, 7:30 p.m.
Prep girls bowling
Hanford at Hermiston, 3 p.m.
College volleyball
Eastern Oregon vs. North-
western (Iowa) at NAIA National
Tournament, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 1
Prep girls basketball
Milwaukie at Pendleton,
5:30 p.m.
Stanfi eld at Irrigon. 6 p.m.
Riverside at Weston-McE-
wen, 6 p.m.
Prep boys basketball
Stanfi eld at Irrigon. 7:30 p.m.
Riverside at Weston-McE-
wen, 7:30 p.m.
Condon at Heppner,
7:30 p.m.
College volleyball
Eastern Oregon vs. College
of Saint Mary (Neb.) at NAIA
National Tournament, 1 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 2
Prep girls bowling
Hermiston at Chiawana,
3:30 p.m.
Prep girls wrestling
Hermiston at Richland,
6 p.m.
Prep boys wrestling
Hermiston at Richland,
7 p.m.
Prep girls basketball
Umatilla at La Grande,
5:30 p.m.
Griswold at Pilot Rock, 6 p.m.
Prep boys basketball
Umatilla at La Grande, 7 p.m.
Griswold at Pilot Rock,
7:30 p.m.
College volleyball
Eastern Oregon at NAIA
National Tournament, TBD
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Nation was part of an
off ensive line that helped
the Mustangs average
29.5 points a game. He
also was a second-team
defensive lineman.
The Mustangs had
12 players chosen to the
all-conference team.
We st on -McEwe n ,
which lost to Heppner
40-0 in the 2A state
quarterfinals, had five
players earn first-team
honors, led by Levie Phil-
lips (running back/line-
backer) and Theo White
(receiver/defensive line),
who were selected on
off ense and defense.
Quarterback Blane
Peal, off ensive lineman
Finn Irvine and receiver
Cameron Reich also were
selected to the fi rst team.
Phillips ran for 740
yards on 130 carries for
11 touchdowns.
Peal completed 62
of 116 passes for 1,223
yards and 13 touch-
downs. White was one
of his favorite receivers,
catching 15 passes for
390 yards and four touch-
downs. Reich caught 16
passes for 385 yards and
fi ve touchdowns.
Stanfi eld (4-4), which
just missed out on the
playoff s, had fi ve players
named to the fi rst team,
with senior lineman
Carter Burnette earning
top honors on both sides
of the ball. He had 58
tackles and eight sacks
on the season.
Senior defensive back
Ryan Elizares finished
the season with 65 tack-
les and two intercep-
tions, while freshman
linebacker Jesus Arel-
lano had a team-high 74
tackles.
Junior defensive line-
man Bodie Braithwaite
had 70 tackles and fi ve
sacks to his credit.
Junior Gator Goodrich
earned fi rst-team honors
as a place kicker.
East Oregonian
A11
BLUE MOUNTAIN CONFERENCE
DEFENSE
FIRST TEAM
Defensive backs — Ryan Elizares sr., Stanfi eld; Jace
Coe, sr., Heppner; Kason Cimmiyotti, sr., Heppner; Justin
Hodge, sr., Grant Union. Linebackers — Jesus Arrellano,
fr., Stanfi eld; Brock Hisler, sr., Heppner; Conor Brosnan,
sr., Heppner; Levie Phillips, sr., Weston-McEwen. Defen-
sive linemen — Carter Burnette, sr., Stanfi eld; Bodie
Braithwaite, jr., Stanfi eld; Blane Mahoney, sr., Heppner;
Theo White, sr., Weston-McEwen.
Second Team
Defensive backs — Parker Neault, sr., Grant Union;
Taylor McGill, sr., Weston-McEwen; Derrick Smith, sr.,
Heppner; Ramiro Alvarez, sr., Umatilla. Linebackers
— Kaden Salamanca, jr., Umatilla; Caden George, so.,
Heppner; Talon VanCleave, so., Grant Union; Braden
Atkins, jr., Irrigon. Defensive linemen — Toby Nation,
sr., Heppner; Rylan Cox, jr., Grant Union; Brian Day, sr.,
Weston-McEwen; Peyton McLouth, sr., Weston-McEwen.
Honorable Mention
Defensive backs — Gator Goodrich, jr., Stanfi eld; Kaden
Combe, sr., Stanfi eld; Izayah, sr., Umatilla; Tanler Fuller, sr.,
Grant Union; Quinn Graham, sr., Weston-McEwen. Line-
backers — Isaiah Lemmon, jr., Stanfi eld; Justus Zamudio,
so., Umatilla; Sheldon Lenz, so., Grant Union; Tyrese Boyd,
jr., Riverside; Boone Blankenship, sr., Weston-McEwen;
Chase Fahrenbacker, sr., Weston-McEwen; Mason Harri-
son, fr., Irrigon. Defensive linemen — Tucker Ashbeck,
jr., Heppner; Daniel Calles, fr., Stanfi eld; Alex Finley, so.,
Grant Union; Axel Gonzalez, fr., Riverside; Aiden Wolf, sr.,
Weston-McEwen.
OFFENSE
FIRST TEAM
Receivers — Jace Coe, sr., Heppner; Kason Cimmiyotti,
sr., Heppner; Theo White, sr., Weston-McEwen; Cameron
Reich, jr., Weston-McEwen. Quarterback — Blane Peal,
sr., Weston-McEwen. Off ensive line — Carter Burnette,
sr., Stanfi eld; Rylan Cox, sr., Grant Union; Conor Bros-
nan, sr., Heppner; Toby Nation, sr., Heppner; Finn Irvine,
jr., Weston-McEwen. Running backs — Brock Hisler, sr.,
Heppner; Justin Hodge, sr., Grant Union; Levie Phillips,
sr., Weston-McEwen. Punters — Justin Hodge, sr., Grant
Union; Blane Peal, sr., Weston-McEwen. Kicker — Gator
Goodrich, jr., Stanfi eld.
Second Team
Receivers — Kaden Jacobs, sr., Umatilla; Ramiro Alvarez,
sr., Umatilla; Tanler Fuller, sr., Grant Union. Quarterbacks —
Landon Mitchell, so., Heppner; Maverick Miller, sr., Grant
Union. Off ensive line — Tucker Ashbeck, jr., Heppner; Alex
Finley, so., Grant Union; Jake Lentz, jr., Heppner; Alex Ceja,
so., Weston-McEwen; Peyton McLouth, sr., Weston-McE-
wen. Running backs — Ryan Elizares, sr., Stanfi eld; Hobs
Hurty, jr., Stanfi eld; Caden George, so., Heppner. Punter
— Saige Ely, so., Irrigon. Kickers — Conor Brosnan, sr.,
Heppner; Theo White, sr., Weston-McEwen.
Honorable mention
Receivers — Lucas Szasz, jr., Riverside; Izayah Rodarte,
sr., Umatilla; Emilio Jaimez, jr., Umatilla; Brock Locey, fr.,
Irrigon; Parker Neault, sr., Grant Union. Quarterbacks
— Kaden Combe, sr., Stanfi eld; Kaden Salamanca, jr.,
Umatilla. Off ensive line — Daniel Calles, fr., Stanfi eld; Nate
Graham, sr., Riverside; Alan Murguia, jr., Irrigon; Kegan
Steagall, sr., Heppner; Caleb Springer, so., Weston-McE-
wen. Running backs — Sheldon Lenz, so., Grant Union;
Nathan Ellis, sr., Riverside; Josiah Moreno, so., Irrigon;
Isaiah Lemmon, jr., Stanfi eld.