E AST O REGONIAN
THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2022
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A8
Sandstone Middle School wrestler brings home two state titles
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — Several local
athletes placed Friday through
Sunday, April 22-24, at the Oregon
Wrestling Association Freestyle
and Greco-Roman State Tourna-
ment at the Jackson County Expo
Center in Central Point.
Aiden Larson, a seventh grader
at Sandstone Middle School, won
the freestyle and Greco titles in
the 14U 114-pound division to go
with his folk style win in January
in Redmond, for the triple crown.
In freestyle, Larson beat his fi rst
opponent 10-0, then pinned Aiden
Baker of Nyssa in 15 seconds. In
the fi nal round, he earned a 12-0
victory over Jacoby Jones of Philo-
math.
In the Greco portion of the
tournament, Larson pinned Elijah
Bischoff of Silverton in 18 seconds,
then beat Jones 8-0 in the fi nals.
“That’s how I approach our
parents with spring and summer
wrestling,” Hermiston High School
coach Kyle Larson said. “Kids will
go to these tournaments and place
and qualify for Fargo. This is what
is off ered this time of year. If you
want to wrestle, prepare and get
better, this is how you do it.”
Ben Larson, a sophomore at
Hermiston High, placed second at
170 pounds in each discipline, and
has qualifi ed for the national tour-
nament in Fargo, North Dakota.
Daylee Lathim/Contributed photo
Aiden Larson of Hermiston recently
won titles at the Oregon Wrestling
Association Freestyle and Gre-
co-Roman State Tournament April
22-24, 2022, at the Jackson County
Expo Center in Central Point.
Heppner’s Doherty earns
state coaching award
He has coached
the middle
school football
team since 2009
man at Hermiston, fi nished sixth in
Greco in the 16U 132-pound divi-
sion. He previously qualifi ed for
Fargo at the Northwest Regionals
for greco at 138 pounds.
Also competing in the Herm-
iston group were Drayson Lathim
(12U, 78 pounds), who placed
fourth in Greco and fi fth in free-
style, and Draxson Lathim (10U,
67 pounds), who was fourth in free-
style.
Kyle Larson said the program
holds practices through July and
wrestlers are welcome.
“It’s an opportunity to continue
to come to practice, train and
sharpen their wrestling skills,” he
said. “Some are wanting to win
national titles at Fargo.”
HIGH SCHOOL RODEO
Mahoney and Goodrich win titles
Local cowboys
top the fi eld at
Oregon Trail High
School Rodeo
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — Blane
Mahoney of Heppner and
Gator Goodrich of Stan-
fi eld won events Friday and
Saturday, April 22-23, at the
Oregon Trail High School
Rodeo at the Eastern Oregon
Trade and Event Center.
Mahoney had a two-run
time of 13.77 seconds to win
the steer wrestling. After a
time of 8.24 on his fi rst run,
he turned in a 5.53 in the
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
H
E PP N E R —
There’s a lot to
be said for sports
programs whose
athletes come into high school
with the necessary skills to
contribute from the start.
The Heppner football
program has benefi ted greatly
over the years from the work
Chad Doherty has put in at
the lower level, and his work
and dedication have not gone
unnoticed.
Doherty recently was
named the Oregon Athletic
Coaches Association Middle
School Coach of the Year.
This includes coaches from
all sports and classifi cations.
“I’m honored and I’m
excited for this,” Doherty
said. “I never expected to win
any award. I never gave it a
thought.”
Greg Grant, Heppner
athletic director and football
coach, nominated Doherty for
the award.
“You can’t overstate
the value of a good feeder
program and a coach who is
as dedicated as Chad,” Grant
said. “He does our high school
stats. He makes all the varsity
games and sets our kids up for
success. They know how to
behave, how to practice. He
has been a really big part of
our success. I am happy to see
him recognized.”
Doherty will be honored
for his achievement at the
OACA award banquet May 21
in the Club Level at the Autzen
Stadium, Eugene.
Doherty has coached the
Competing in the 16U bracket
for Greco, Larson won his first
match 10-2, then picked up a forfeit
before beating Logan Sunnell of
Tualatin 8-0 in the semifi nals. Liam
Byrne of Mountain View High
School beat Larson in the fi nals 7-0.
In freestyle, Larson lost to
Byrne 6-0 in the semifi nals, then
beat Sunnell 10-0 in the second-
place match.
Jaxson Gribskov, a junior at
Hermiston, placed fi fth in Greco
and sixth in freestyle in the 18U
division at 182 pounds.
Ami Tuia, a sophomore at Herm-
iston fi nished sixth in freestyle and
Greco in the 16U 170-pound weight
class.
Jeshaiah Tejada-Garza, a fresh-
See Rodeo, Page A9
Nicole Mahoney/Contributed Photos
Blane Mahoney, left, of Heppner won the steer wrestling
title and Gator Goodrich, right, of Stanfi eld won the tie-
down title Friday through Saturday, April 22-23, 2022, at
the Oregon Trail High School Rodeo at the Eastern Oregon
Trade and Event Center in Hermiston.
Then
NOW
2022 Graduates
Chad Doherty/Contributed Photo
Heppner Middle School football coach Chad Doherty recent-
ly was named the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association Mid-
dle School Coach of the Year.
Heppner Middle School foot-
ball team since 2009. He’s had
such players as Caden Clark,
CJ Kindle, Jayden Wilson, all
the Lehman brothers (Payton,
Mason, Jackson) and Landon
Mitchell come through his
program.
“That class with Caden
Clark and CJ Kindle was so
good,” said Doherty, who
is the fi rst Heppner Middle
School coach to win the
award.
Doherty started coaching
youth football in Heppner in
2005, and continued through
2008 when he got the job at the
middle school. He has been
doing stats for the Mustangs
since 2005.
“I feel privileged that Greg
See Doherty, Page A9
y
l
n
O
49
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Umatilla, Morrow & Gilliam County
Jennifer Smith
2022
I
Northeast Oregon
High School Name
Congratulations Jen!
We are so proud of you!
Love, Mom & Dad
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