E AST O REGONIAN Thursday, december 30, 2021 FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS | FACEBOOK.COM/EOSPORTS LISCOM NAMED 5A DEFENSIVE POY bucks also had browning and Griffin named to all-state team By ANNIE FOWLER East Oregonian PeNdLeTON — The honors keep rolling in for the Pendleton football team. The bucks had three play- ers named to the 5a all-state football team, with senior linebacker Kyle Liscom named defensive Player of the year. Liscom, a two-time defensive Player of the year for the Northwest Oregon Conference East, is the first Pendleton player in recent memory to win an all-state player of the year honor. “It’s very exciting for a real special kid,” Pendleton Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File coach erik davis said. “I was shocked, but his play speaks Pendleton linebacker Kyle Liscom (21) brings down The Dalles running back Riis La Roux (20) Sept. 30, 2021, during a for itself. For Kyle to be 70-6 win over The Dalles Riverhawks at the Pendleton Round-Up Grounds. Liscom was named Defensive Player of the defensive Player of the year, Year for the Northwest Oregon Conference East for the second year in a row. and we lost in the first round, is a little unprecedented. lineman at 6-1, 265, was It’s really hard if you don’t named to the second team make it deep in the playoffs, on both sides of the ball. “I thought that was neat the other coaches don’t get a to get named on both sides chance to see them play.” The 5-foot-11, 185-pound of the ball at the state level,” Liscom finished the season davis said. “It’s satisfying Rickman Castillo Flores Browning Griffin R. Lovercheck with 104 tackles, leading all and well deserved. That 5a players around the state. proved he was our rock on mountain conference Player state playoff game on Nov. 2, castillo scored 26 goals “you can never replace the offensive and defensive of the year, had a team-high beating Thurston 2-1. They and had 12 assists for the 12 goals in conference play, then lost to La salle in the Pioneers. a kid like Kyle,” davis said. lines.” Flores, a senior, was quarterfinals. The bucks, who won the along with three assists. Joining Liscom on the “It’s really cool,” Lover- named to the second team. Wilsonville senior Lind- conference title with a 7-0 all-state team are senior The Pioneers won the lineman Jacob Griffin and record, finished the season check said. “It’s really sey antonson was named GOL regular-season title senior defensive back Gabe with a 9-2 overall record. awesome. In the summer, Player of the year. with a 5-0-1 record, and were They lost in the first round it was sort of a goal of mine browning. 4A BOYS ALL-STATE 11-3-1 overall. The 5-11, 160-pound of the 5A state playoffs to the to be something all-state. SOCCER during the season, I They beat cottage Grove browning, who had five dallas dragons 7-6. mcLoughlin sophomore 2-0 in the first round of the completely forgot about it. It interceptions to lead all 5a 5A GIRLS ALL-STATE was such a surprise. I could angel castillo and senior 4A state playoffs, then lost in players, was named to the SOCCER not have done it without my daniel Flores were named to the quarterfinals 1-0 to even- second team. the all-state team after lead- tual state champion Philo- Pendleton senior reilly teammates.” “Gabe was one of the top Pendleton posted its first ing the Pioneers to the state math. two in the state in intercep- Lovercheck was named to mark Grimmer of Philo- tions,” davis said. “That’s the all-state first team, and 10-win season in school quarterfinals. castillo, who was named math was named Player of nice coming from an eastern the bucks’ Kiana rickman history, finishing with an Oregon school where you was named coach of the 11-4-1 overall record, and the Greater Oregon League the year, while david ellis 7-2-1 in Imc play. The Player of the year, was of Philomath was the coach don’t get much recognition.” year. Griffin, an undersized Lovercheck, the Inter- Bucks won their first-ever named to the first team. of the year. 5A STATE FOOTBALL Offensive Player of the Year — Jordan McCarty, sr., Silverton Defensive Player of the Year — Kyle Liscom, sr., Pendleton Coach of the Year — Josh Craig, Silverton First team offense QB — Jordan McCarty, sr., Silverton. RB — Josiah Davis, jr., North Salem; Tyler Konold, so., Canby. WR — Vandon Fessler, sr., Silverton; Jacob Newell, sr., Thurston; Austin Ratliff, sr., Silverton. TE — Grayson Starck, sr., Thurston; Jacob Strand, sr., Canby. C — Auron Cramer, sr., Thurston. OL — Carson Benedict, sr., West Albany; Jimmy Jordahl, sr., Crater; Orie Schaffers, sr., Silverton; Samuel Willis, sr., Silverton. K — Joey Friedman, sr., Wilsonville. Second team offense QB — Trenton Hughes, sr., Hood River; Luke McNabb, sr., Scappoose. RB — Brycen Indell, sr., Thurston; Logan Person, sr., Dallas. WR — Cooper Hiday, jr., Wilsonville; Riley VanCamp, sr., Churchill; Carson Wright, sr., Corvallis. TE — Brysen Kachel, so., West Albany. C — Keenan Sanford, sr., Wilsonville. OL — Jacob Griffin, sr., Pendleton; Casey Langdale, sr., Canby; Joseph Martin, sr., Ridgeview; Brycen Thomas, sr., Churchill. K — Gavin Levesque, sr., Thurston. Honorable mention offense QB — Chase Hix, sr., Wilsonville; Chace Pence, sr., Churchill; Carter Steeves, sr., Corvallis. RB — Myles Barton, sr., Putnam; Alex Briseno, jr., Silverton; Gavin Knights, sr., Thurston; Caden Lasater, sr., Crater; Jacob Ogden, jr., Wilsonville; Eric Pendergrass, jr., Ridgeview. WR — Jimmie Copeland, sr., Eagle Point; Chansse Lee, sr., McKay; Jeremiah Schwartz, jr., Ridgeview. TE — Zach Gault, sr., Ridgeview; Waylon Wolfe, sr., Lebanon. OL — Brock Arnt- son, sr., Wilsonville; Nick Cooper, sr., Wilsonville; Ramie Halbrook, sr., South Albany; Malcom I’aulualo, so., Hood River; Colin Kennedy, sr., Canby; Chase Sattler; sr., Springfield; Weston Tucker, sr., Corvallis; Alex Whitaker, sr., Hood River. K — Landen Parker, sr., Crescent Valley; Robert Rowen, sr., Hood River. First team defense DL — Josh Buller, sr., Thurston; Jimmy Jordahl, sr., Crater; Jacob Newell, sr., Thurston; Braden Rohde, sr., Churchill; Orie Schaffers, sr., Silver- ton; Jacob Strand, sr., Canby. LB — Joe Brauckmiller, sr., Canby; Vaun Halstead, jr., Thurston; Kyle Liscom, sr., Pend- leton; Tyler Seiber, sr., South Albany; Keegan Walter, sr., Silverton. DB — Vandon Fessler, sr., Silverton; Jack Johnson, sr., Wilsonville; Austin Ratliff, sr., Silverton; Darien Witham, jr., Thur- ston. P — Landen Parker, sr., Crescent Valley. Second team defense DL — Chase Barnes, sr., West Albany; Jacob Griffin, sr., Pendleton; Joseph Martin, sr., Ridgeview; Tim Phelps, sr., Wilsonville; Samuel Willis, sr., Wilson- ville. LB — Rochne Beecham, sr., Wilsonville; Nick Cooper, sr., Wilson- ville; Caden Lasater, sr., Crater; Gabriel Robles, sr., Redmond; James Toland, sr., Silverton; Waylon Wolfe, sr., Lebanon. DB — Gabe Browning, sr., Pendleton; Connor Green, sr., Wilsonville; Trenton Hughes, sr., Hood River; Luke McNabb, sr., Scappoose. P — Luke McNabb, sr., Scappoose. Honorable mention defense DL — Tristan Davis, jr., Wilsonville; Ramie Halbrook, sr., South Albany; Casey Langdale, sr., Canby; Weston Tucker, sr., Corvallis; Alex Whitaker, sr., Hood River. LB — Joey Frazier, sr., Hood River; Brysen Kachel. so., West Albany; Romynn Schaefer, jr., Chur- chill. DB — Ryles Buckley, sr., Hood River; Miles Jennings, sr., Crater; Tyler Konold, so., Canby; Riley Paxton, sr., West Albany; Matthew Soles, sr., Canby; Danny Womack. sr., Churchill. P — Jeremiah Schwartz, jr., Ridgeview; Carter Steeves, sr., Corvallis; Riley Van Camp, sr., Churchill. Echo’s Bouncin’ Cancer Tournament raises $4,000 Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian Fans and players have a moment of silence on Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021, for those affected by cancer during the Bouncin’ Cancer basketball tour- nament in Echo. Members of the Stanfield basketball team hold candles Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021, during a moment of silence for those affected by cancer at the Bouncin’ Cancer basketball tournament in Echo. The tournament raised about $4,000 between auction items, gate receipts and concessions. The money will be donated to Your Friend, Pamela Faye, an organization that helps cancer pa- tients in Umatilla and Morrow counties and surroundings areas cover out-of- pocket expenses such as gas to get to appointments and child care. A8 Eight-man football in question after OSAA proposal By DAVIS CARBAUGH The Observer WILsONVILLe — The future of eight-man football in Oregon is up in the air. The Oregon school activ- ities association Football ad hoc committee released its first proposal for the 2022-26 football time block on Tues- day, dec. 20, which suggested doing away with eight-man football among 2a and 1a schools. The public meeting on dec. 20 proposed divisions of nine-man and six-man leagues. “It’s a bummer they’d be getting rid of eight-man,” Powder Valley head coach Josh cobb said. “People are really starting to get behind this.” T he Osa a ad hoc committee met virtually and conducted a work session to begin the initial stages of reclassification. The commit- tee also took into consideration the Oregon athletic coaches association’s small school survey, which took place in the fall and collected trends from the last five years of 11-man, eight-man and six-man foot- ball. after reviewing the infor- mation, the committee came away in support of three divi- sions between 2a and 1a schools. based on school enrollment, two potential sections of nine-man and one division of six-man teams were drafted. The proposal to do away with eight-man football raised eyebrows among several local coaches, such as cobb and the 2021 1a state football runners-up Powder Valley badgers. “eight-man just feels right,” he said. “I see six-man as a good thing for schools that truly don’t have the student body.” The badgers would be bumped down to the six-man league, which cobb is against, although Powder Valley could potentially request to jump up to the higher division. The Badgers are coming off an 11-2 season. There is no deadline for teams to opt up or down in divisions, but the deadline will be determined at the next Osaa meeting in January. “I don’t want to play six-man,” cobb said. “We have 30 kids on the team. There’s not a participation issue.” Osaa emphasized in the proposal that participation in football was a key issue. The proposal noted a transition to nine-man would allow easier scheduling between nine-man and 11-man nonleague oppo- nents, while the junior varsity levels likely could avoid cancellations if the roster size is smaller. “The decreases in aver- age team size over the last 10 years have been significant,” the statement read. The proposals still are in the works but could be a loom- ing issue for local coaches and supporters of eight-man foot- ball. The next Osaa ad hoc Football advisory committee meeting is set for 9 a.m. on Jan. 5 at the holiday Inn in Wilson- ville. The meeting’s purpose is to gather public input on the proposed changes to 2a and 1a football. “high school sports are all about opportunities for young adults. six-man football takes two to three kids off the field per team — just don’t see how that is beneficial,” Cobb said. “creating opportunities for kids to compete, promoting the desire to improve as a team and individually is the concept of high school sports.”