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TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022
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A10
LEARNING FROM THE
BEST
Kris James/Contributed Photo
The Columbia All-Stars display their championship banner after winning
the District 3 8-10 Little League title Thursday, June 30, 2022, in Burns. Co-
lumbia draws players from Stanfi eld, Echo, Heppner, Ione and Umatilla.
Area Little League
teams headed to state
Above: Tyler Berger, left, demonstrates
wrestling techniques Thursday, June 30,
2022, at Hermiston High School during
a youth wrestling camp. Left: Wrestler
Tyler Berger poses with youths Thursday,
June 30, 2022, at a wrestling camp at
Hermiston High School. Berger wrestled
three years at Hermiston before moving
to Prineville, where he wrestled his
senior year at Crook County High School.
He was a four-time state champion in
high school. Berger went on to wrestle
at Nebraska, where he qualifi ed for the
NCAA Championships four times, and
placed three times — second (2019), third
(2018) and fi fth (2017).
Photos By Yasser Marte/East Oregonian
STANFIELD BOYS BASKETBALL
Hermiston hosts the
9-11 and 10-12 state
baseball tournaments
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
BURNS — The Columbia
All-Stars defeated Hermiston 19-3
on Thursday, June 30, to win the
District 3 8-10 Little League base-
ball title.
Columbia advances to the state
tournament starting Saturday,
July 9, in Turner. The All-Stars will
play their fi rst game at 10 a.m. The
fi nal bracket has not been set.
Columbia, which draws play-
ers from Stanfi eld, Echo, Heppner,
Ione and Umatilla, opened district
play with a win over host Harney
County. It then beat Hermiston
before losing to Baker.
The All-Stars had to come
through the loser-out portion of the
bracket to reach the championship
game. They beat Hermiston once
again to reach the fi rst fi nal game
against Baker.
Columbia topped Baker 20-8 to
force the fi nal game.
Softball 11-12
Yasser Marte/East Oregonian
Stanfi eld Jr./Sr. High School’s new basketball coach Rylie Smith poses for a photo Thursday, June 30, 2022,
on the school’s basketball court.
Smith a solid hire for Stanfi eld
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
STANFIELD — Sometimes, a
little nudge from a trusted friend is
all it takes to open a door to a new
opportunity.
In Rylie Smith’s case, former
Irrigon boys basketball coach Mitch
Thompson let him know the boys
basketball job was open at Stanfi eld,
and suggested he should apply.
Smith threw his hat in the ring,
went through the interview process
and was hired.
“People have told me I could be
a head coach,” he said. “As soon as
it popped up, it seemed like it was
the right moment. Things aligned
perfectly.”
Smith replaces Devin Bailey,
who took a job with the Morrow
County School District, teaching
in the STEM program at the Sage
Center in Boardman. Bailey taught
middle school and high school
science in Stanfi eld.
Smith inherits a team that
fi nished second in the Blue Moun-
tain Conference last season with a
10-2 record and 17-11 overall.
The Tigers lost to Heppner in the
Blue Mountain Conference district
fi nals, then lost an 89-60 game to
Western Christian in the fi rst round
of the 2A state playoff s.
“There are a lot of kids coming
back and a lot of new kids coming
in,” Smith said. “I’m coming into
it pretty blind. I didn’t watch too
many of the small schools. I have
high expectations, but we also have
a long way to go to be where I want
to be.”
The Tigers lost three seniors from
last year’s team, but return leading
scorer Gator Goodrich, Pablo Arel-
lano, Connor Logan, Landon Bailey,
Michael Odell and others.
“One thing that is awesome is
that Gator went to Hermiston his
freshman year and we know each
other,” Smith said. “We have had
some summer games and he has
become a leader. Gator is tough
as all get-out. Knowing him and
having a relationship with him, he
has rallied the troops a little bit,
bringing them in to meet me.”
Smith moved to Hermiston in
the sixth grade, and Thompson
was quick to add the new kid on the
block to his circle of friends.
They played basketball together
in middle and high school, and
Smith also played tight end and on
the defensive line for the Bulldogs
on the football team.
“I played all four years at Herm-
iston and graduated in 2010,” said
Smith, who was a 6-foot-4 post
player. “I didn’t play college basket-
ball. I had the opportunity to play
football, but at the next level you
really have to love the sport. I didn’t
love it with that much of a passion.”
Smith turned his interest to
coaching basketball. He was an
assistant for Thompson at Irrigon,
then coached under Casey Arstein
and Drew Preuninger at Hermiston.
“I didn’t coach basketball this
past year,” Smith said. “It was nice
to have time off , but I missed it. It
was nice to get this job.”
Smith, who works for the West
Umatilla Mosquito Control District,
and is a substitute teacher, will
continue to coach the boys tennis
team at Hermiston.
“When I was in high school, my
partner (Ben Millard) and I won
the IMC district title and fi nished
third at state our senior,” he said.
“The Hermiston boys won the IMC
title that year.”
Hermiston beat Baker 11-1 to
win the District 3 Little League title
on June 30.
It was the second win over
Baker, which Hermiston beat 13-1
in the third round.
Hermiston opened the tour-
nament with a 15-0 win over the
Columbia All-Stars, followed
by wins over Wallowa (13-2) and
Baker.
Baker battled back in the loser-
out bracket, beating Harney County
to reach the fi nals.
Hermiston, which won district
last year and placed second at state,
will open state play at 3 p.m. Friday,
July 8 in Medford against Del Norte
from District 8.
The team held a car wash Sunday
and raised roughly $3,000 to help
off set expenses.
If you would like to support the
teams, you can contact Hermis-
ton Little League via Facebook, or
send a donation to Hermiston Little
League, Box 1034, Hermiston, OR,
97838.
Softball 8-10
Hermiston Purple won the
District 3 Little League title with
a 16-0 win over the Columbia
All-Stars on June 30 in Burns.
Hermiston will play in the state
tournament at the Portland Commu-
nity College Rock Creek Campus,
starting July 21.
Columbia, which was unde-
feated, needed just one win over
Hermiston, but dropped a 17-1 game
as Purple forced the second game.
Hermiston Purple opened
district play with a win over Union
County before losing to Columbia.
In the loser-out bracket, Hermiston
beat Union once again to reach the
championship.
Columbia topped Hermiston
Gold 20-6 to open district play, then
beat Baker and Hermiston Purple
6-5 to reach the fi nals.
Baseball 9-11
Hermiston beat Grant County
DISTRICT
CHAMPIONS
COLUMBIA ALL-STARS
8-10 BASEBALL
Players: Casyn Adams, Landry
James, Gage Rosenbalm, Kaden
Cline, Peyton Matheny, Carter
Adams, Jack Allen, Joel Wilson,
Lucas Matheny, JJ McDaniel, Coo-
per Stefani, Charlie Mullins, Coo-
per Harris.
Coaches: Nate James, Brad
Adams, Austin Allen.
HERMISTON PURPLE
8-10 SOFTBALL
Players: Peyton Bennett, Kyla
Edwards, Morgan Hays, Reese
Headley, Carolyn Herman, Kamila
Mendoza, Jazlyn Munoz, Aviana
Ramirez, Jazlynn Ramirez, Keirah
Randolph, Lanaiah Romig, Pres-
ley Waelty, Miah White.
Coaches: Neal Randolph, Dan
Edwards, Jason Romig.
HERMISTON 10-12 SOFTBALL
Players: Avery Devin, Jaycee
Moreno, Alyssondra Munoz,
Carly Rangel, Bridgett Romig, Lil-
lian Rood, Lexi Sinor, Marli Stack-
house, Gracelyn Tyree, Ken-
ley Venoy, Kylie Virgil, Thandi
Weems. Coaches: Travis Rood,
Will Venoy, Sarah Rivera.
HERMISTON 9-11 BASEBALL
Players: Zachary Adair, Kolby
Bither, Landon Cearns, Emilio
Contreras, Reagan Funk, Samuel
Godby, Mason Hughes, Blake Jar-
vis, Easton Larson, Jack Lathrop,
Brecken Mills, Jackson Neighbors,
Zlatan Ricardo-Blankenship.
Coaches: Marry Bither, Ryan
Malmberg, John Adair.
HERMISTON 10-12 BASEBALL
Players: Harry Bither, Emanuel
Cadenas, Trenton Carter, Brett
Corey, Alejandro Cortez, Brody
Depew, Brayden Haagenson,
Maxton Hughes, Slater McAn-
drew, Wil Philippi, Nathan Tao,
Dominick Wolf-Rummell, Cade
Warner.
Coaches: Blake Philippi, Ryan
Corey, Kirby Warner.
twice to win the District 3 Little
League title.
With only three teams in the
bracket, Grant County beat La
Grande to earn a date with Hermis-
ton, which came away with a 16-1
victory.
Grant County then beat La
Grande again to reach the fi nals,
which Hermiston won handily,
24-13 on June 28.
Hermiston will host the state
tournament starting July 16. Herm-
iston will play District 2 in its
opener at 6 p.m. on July 16 at Field
of Dreams.
Baseball 10-12
Hermiston went 4-0 over the
course of the fi ve-day tournament,
ending with a 6-4 victory July 1
over Wallowa to win the District 3
Little League 10-12 baseball title.
Hermiston opened play with
a 9-1 win over La Grande, then
followed with wins over the Baker
Nationals and Wallowa to reach the
championship game.
Hermiston will host the state
tournament starting July 16.
Hermiston will play District 1 in
its opener at 6 p.m. on July 16 at
Field of Dreams.
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