Wednesday, March 2, 2022
A9
SPORTS
Outlaws fall short at Gervais in fi rst-round playoff game
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
GERVAIS — The Enter-
prise girls basketball team
put together what head coach
Mike Crawford said “no
doubt” was one of the Out-
laws’ best performances of
the season.
But a rough stretch in the
second quarter proved to be
too much to overcome, and
EHS fell just short of mak-
ing it back to the state tour-
nament with a 65-58 road
loss at Gervais on Saturday,
Feb. 26.
Enterprise played its best
ball in the second half, net-
ting 36 points — 18 in each
quarter — in an eff ort to keep
pace with the Cougars, the
fi fth-ranked team in the state.
“I saw my team play at
an extraordinary level. We
played our best basketball
in a stretch of that,” Craw-
ford said. “(But) Gervais is
real. They got the job done.
It was pretty well-played
basketball.”
Some foul trouble and a
couple untimely turnovers
by Enterprise allowed Ger-
vais some breathing room
to take a 31-22 lead at the
break.
But the Cougars couldn’t
shake Enterprise, who got
19 points from Jada Gray —
including three 3-pointers
— and 17 from Emily Love.
The Outlaws were in strik-
ing distance in the fourth, but
were unable to complete the
comeback.
“I know we were (within)
six and had possession of the
ball in the fourth quarter,”
Crawford said.
Madi Wigen had a big
game with 11 points, 16
rebounds and four blocks.
The Outlaws did have
Maci Marr back for the
game, with her ability to
play uncertain following a
scary-looking knee injury in
the Blue Mountain Confer-
ence district title game.
Enterprise ends the sea-
son with a fi nal record of
15-11, but knowing it was
able to play with some of
the state’s best.
“I’m really satisfi ed at
this point,” Crawford said. “I
know we’re capable of being
in the fi nal eight, which is a
little discouraging (since we
just missed out),” he said.
The loss also brings an
end to the coaching career
of Crawford, who is retiring
after 33 years leading Enter-
prise. He fi nishes with a fi nal
record of 520-275.
Ronald Bond/Wallowa County Chieftain, File
Rilyn Kirkland is shown in a photo from a game against Union
in January. Kirkland was one of four unanimous fi rst-team all-
league selections for the Blue Mountain Conference.
Ron Osterloh/Contributed Photo
Joseph’s Jett Peterson, top, won two matches at 113 pounds at the state 2A/1A wrestling tournament Saturday, Feb.
26, 2022, in Culver.
Peterson wins two matches at
2A/1A state tournament
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
C
ULVER — Joseph’s Jett
Peterson carried the banner
for Wallowa County at the
2A/1A state wrestling tourna-
ment in Culver Saturday, Feb. 26,
winning two matches to fi nish one
match shy of placing at 113 pounds.
Peterson, the lone representative
for the Eagles at state, shook off an
early loss to eventual state-cham-
pion Micah Martinho of Illinois
Valley to put himself in position to
place at the tournament.
After the fi rst-round loss by fall
to Martinho, Peterson pinned Gabby
Delapena of Enterprise, then took
just 40 seconds to pin Aiden Guest
of Culver to stay alive in the con-
solation bracket. But he was elim-
Ron Osterloh/Contributed Photo
See Wrestling, Page A9
Enterprise’s Gunnar McDowell, top, competes at the state 2A/1A wrestling
tournament Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, in Culver.
Oveson named OOL girls coach of the year
Ten Wallowa
County athletes
earn OOL
recognition
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
WALLOWA — Wal-
lowa girls basketball head
coach Greg Oveson guided
the Cougars to their best
season in a decade as the
team went 16-9, posted its
most wins since going 19-9
in 2012, and returned to the
state playoff s — and did so
with a team that consisted of
one senior, two juniors and
a slew of underclassmen.
Oveson was rewarded
for his eff ort, named by his
Lifetime
Warranty
Ronald Bond/Wallowa County Chieftain, File
Wallowa head coach Greg Oveson talks things over with
senior Haley Brockamp during a game against Imbler Friday,
Jan. 28, 2022. Oveson was named Old Oregon League girls
coach of the year.
fellow Old Oregon League
coaches as the OOL girls
coach of the year.
“I was really surprised,”
Oveson said of the award.
“Honored by it. It’s always
nice when your fellow
coaches give you a pat on
the back. Also shows if
you just stay around along
enough you’re bound to
win something sometime.”
Wallowa got rolling after
a slow start that saw it open
the season 4-4. The Cou-
gars went on to win 10 of
their next 13 games, includ-
ing victories over Enter-
prise, who reached the 2A
playoff s, 1A playoff team
Powder Valley, and a reg-
ular-season ending victory
at Joseph. In fact only the
Eagles (Jan. 4) and Nixy-
aawii (twice) defeated Wal-
lowa in league action.
After edging Elgin and
falling to Powder Valley
See Coach, Page A10
Kirkland, Gray,
named to the
BMC fi rst team
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — Four
members of the Enterprise
girls basketball team were
selected to the Blue Moun-
tain Conference all-league
team following the conclu-
sion of BMC play.
Leading the way were
a pair of fi rst-teamers and
seniors, Rilyn Kirkland and
Jada Gray. The two were
key in helping the Outlaws
secure a 9-3 BMC record
and a berth in the conference
title game Feb. 19.
Kirkland was one of
four players — along with
Union’s Callie Glenn, Stan-
fi eld’s Maggie Sharp and
Heppner’s ZaBrena Master-
son — who were a unani-
mous selection to the fi rst
team. The other fi rst-team
member was Audrey Wells
of Union.
“I believe both Rilyn and
Jada were vey deserving
of the fi rst team stuff . That
is pretty self-explanatory,”
Enterprise head coach Mike
Crawford said.
In BMC play, Gray was
the Outlaws’ leader in scor-
ing and steals, averaging
11.5 points per game and
4.0 steals per game in 14
league contests — including
the two BMC tournament
games. Gray also collected
3.1 rebounds per game and
shot 40% from the fi eld, and
38% from 3-point range.
Kirkland was third on the
team in league scoring with
7.5 points per game, but led
See BMC, Page A10
Cougars see season
end in Jordan Valley
Chieftain staff
JORDAN VALLEY — It
was not the ending the Wal-
lowa girls basketball team
hoped for.
The Cougars managed
just three fi rst-half fi eld goals
and were down 28 at the half
in a 59-21 road loss to Jor-
dan Valley in the fi rst round
of the OSAA state playoff s
Wednesday, Feb. 23.
“Jordan Valley is a good
team,” head coach Greg
Oveson said. “Jordan Valley
and (top-ranked) Crane are
two of the top probably four
teams in the state. They’re
good. They came ready to
play. We had that deer in the
headlights look for the fi rst
half. I would have needed
about 20 timeouts to get us
through.”
Tayler Eiguren, who led
Jordan Valley with 18 points,
had 16 in the opening half
as the Mustangs built a 34-6
lead at the break.
Wallowa found its stride
in the third quarter and had
its best eff ort with 12 points
in the period, but still was
down 47-18 after three.
Senior Haley Brockamp,
in her last game for the Cou-
gars, scored eight points,
including all six points for
Wallowa in the opening half.
Sophie Moeller added seven
points, all in the second half.
The Cougars fi nished
with a record of 16-9, the
most wins for the team since
2011-12.
“It’s good experience,”
Oveson said. “Hopefully we
can build on that and try to
get better, and hopefully try
to fi nd a spot in the state
playoff s next year.”
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