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LOCAL & STATE 8A — BAKER CITY HERALD SPORTS Continued from Page 1A Mac-Hi would also be in the hybrid district, as it is moving down to 3A for football begin- ning in 2020. Current EOL teams Umatilla and Irrigon are set to move down to 2A starting next year. Since Oregon’s shift to a six- class system beginning in the 2006-07 school year, the GOL has been a four-team league — and this fall it was forced to be a three-team entity when McLoughlin went indepen- dent for football. “The (ad hoc) group sup- ports this new league con- fi guration as it addresses the league size issue immediately and provides an opportunity to demonstrate that mixed classifi cations within a single district can be viable,” OSAA’s update on Monday’s ad hoc committee meeting says. The move, if the ad hoc committee sets it as its fi nal recommendation to the OSAA executive board Jan. 22 and is subsequently approved Feb. 10 by the OSAA, helps resolve the biggest issue that has plagued the GOL the past 14 years — the lack of teams, forcing league members to scramble to fi nd nonleague opponents. Jason Ramos, who recently fi nished his fi rst year as Baker’s head football coach, said he would welcome a change. “We’ve got to have some- thing other than a three-team league,” Ramos said. Even with two games scheduled this fall against GOL rivals La Grande and Ontario, Baker had to fi nd four nonleague opponents after Mac-Hi’s relatively late defection from the GOL. The Bulldogs ended up playing games at Bend, 250 miles away, and at Willapa Valley, Washington, a one- way trip of more than 400 Something with benefits? We can help. Subscribe to the Baker City Herald right now! SPECIAL HOLIDAY GIFT TO YOU Buy a three month subscription to the Baker City Herald and get one month free! Offer for new and existing subscribers Act fast - offer valid through December 31, 2019 To take advantage of this special offer please call the office at 541-523-3673 or our call center at 1-800-781-3214 miles. La Grande’s longest trips were 388 miles to Cot- tage Grove) and 315 miles to Clatskanie. The proposed hybrid special district, by contrast, would add schools that are much closer. Vale and Nyssa — the latter was Baker’s season- opening opponent this fall — are both a little less than 90 miles, and Burns, which would be the longest trip for a league contest, is 150 miles. “This proposal would certainly help with the travel issues,” Ramos said. “It’ll be interesting to see if all parties are on board.” La Grande football coach Rich McIlmoil also endorsed the proposed new league. “I’m excited that we’re not in a three-team league anymore (if this passes),” McIlmoil said. “All of us (GOL coaches) decided we did not like playing each other twice each year.” The top two 4A teams and 3A teams in the new district would qualify for the playoffs for their respective classifi ca- tions. “How they decide those teams is up to the league,” said Brad Garrett, OSAA executive director. Garrett said that unless there is a groundswell of op- position against the proposal between now and the fi nal January meeting, he not only sees it being the fi nal one presented to the OSAA. “I see the board adopting this,” Garrett said. La Grande athletic director Darren Goodman said his preferred choice for a league setup is different from the seven-team proposal, but he believes the latter would cre- ate a competitive league. “Ideally I would like a six-team league with all 4A schools, but that’s not really available right now,” Good- man said. Because of their location relative to other 4A FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2019 opponents, but with Mac-Hi’s decision this season to play an independent schedule, the The idea for a 4A/3A hybrid football district between the teams had to scramble to add Greater Oregon League and the Eastern Oregon League more contests. was presented Monday to the OSAA football ad hoc com- OSAA executive director mittee by the athletic director of a school that hasn’t had Brad Garrett said a discus- any ties to the GOL for 25 years. sion with Gary Robertson, Evan Brown of Madras High School proposed the idea Mac-Hi’s athletic director, to the committee Monday after a conference call late last after the proposal was an- week with the GOL’s athletic directors, and follow-up dis- nounced gave Garrett the cussions with Baker athletic director Buell Gonzales Jr. impression that the Pioneers The prior proposal by the ad hoc committee would have could defect and play an inde- joined Madras in a league with Baker, La Grande, Ontario pendent schedule again. and Crook County, and would have resulted in the team “I think based on a pre- facing several lengthy trips from Central Oregon to the liminary conversation with east side. Mac-Hi they are considering Brown told The Observer that Madras moved out of the it,” Garrett said. GOL for the same reasons in 1994. Madras is about 225 Even if that happened, La miles from Baker City. Grande and Baker would still A conference call with the GOL athletic directors have fi ve league games, and spawned the 4A/3A hybrid idea, and Brown presented it to would likely avoid the lengthy the committee. He said Gonzales submitted a letter of sup- trips to fi ll the holes created by port signed by the athletic directors of the GOL and EOL. Mac-Hi’s defection this year. Brown said he had several conversations with Gonzales The hybrid would bring following the conference call, and Gonzales reached out to back together several GOL ri- the EOL schools — Burns, Nyssa and Vale — that would be vals from 2000-03. La Grande a part of the proposal. joined what was then a 3A OSAA executive director Brad Garrett said OSAA has league in 2000, and each team played with the idea of hybrid leagues in the past, but in the proposed hybrid with said because the Colley rating system — one of the items the exception of Nyssa was in used by OSAA in its rankings — previously counted only the GOL during that four-year schools’ games against teams in the same class, it wasn’t block. At the time, the eight- a popular idea. team league also featured A change two years ago allowed the Colley to include Grant Union and Riverside. games against teams either a class above or below. For Grant Union dropped to 2A example, rather than a 4A school only get credit for play- in 2002, and Vale followed in ing another 4A in the Colley system, it can now get credit 2004. for playing a 3A, 4A or 5A school. The move will also help the — Ronald Bond EOL schools as they, like the GOL, have had several in- stances in recent years where schools, the GOL teams have football this season, though it they’re stuck with just four struggled to schedule games will move back to 4A in 2020. teams in the league, and even with schools of similar size. The Dalles and Crook County, were in a three-team league in The four current GOL schools both 5A schools, do play down 2014 like the GOL this year. are among only nine schools in football. The Dalles will be The EOL would have been in 4A east of the Cascades. bumping back up to 5A next looking at a four-team setup “The teams from the other season, but Sisters will slip next fall. side of the state don’t want to 3A. Also in the latest update, to drive this way,” Goodman It has been a struggle in the the committee said its prefer- said. past for GOL teams to fi nd ence on a proposed idea for The other fi ve Class 4A fi ve or six games to fi ll a com- 9-man football at the 2A level schools east of the Cascades plete schedule for football. is to wait and reconsider it for are several hours from the To remedy that, GOL the 2022-26 block. The 6-man GOL schools — Sisters, rivals Baker, Ontario and pilot will also continue for two Madras, and three schools La Grande in 2016 elected more years. in Klamath Falls, Mazama, to play each other twice. As Jayson Jacoby of the Baker City Henley and Klamath Union. a result, the schools had to Herald contributed to this story. Madras played down to 3A for fi nd just three out-of-league How The Idea Came Together Baker County Baker United Methodist Church FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Sunday Worship Casual Service: 8:30 AM Traditional Service: 10 AM 1919 2nd Street, Baker City 541-523-4201 Sunday Worship Service 10:30 AM 1995 4th Street, Baker City 541-523-5201 firstpresbaker.blogspot.com Third & Broadway 541-523-3891 Sundays 10 AM Service & Children's Church Thursdays 5:30-6:15 pm Free Community Dinner Celebrate Recovery Classes start at 6:15 pm Sunday Service 11:00 am www.ChristianScience.com 3rd & Washington, Baker City 541-523-5911 www.bakercalvarybaptist.com Elkhorn Baptist Church Sunday School 10 am Morning Worship 11 am Evening Worship 6 pm Discovery Kids Worship 6:30 pm 3520 Birch St, Baker City 541-523-4332 SAINT ALPHONSUS HOSPITAL CHAPEL New Beginnings Fellowship & HARVEST CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (Preschool-12 Grade) Harvest Cafe 9:15 am Morning Worship 10:10 am 3720 Birch St, Baker City 541-523-4233 Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 AM Sunday Evening 6 PM Weds Service 7 PM Zan & Dawn Coen The first Sunday of each month is Mission Breakfast. Donations and non-perishable dona- tions for NEOCC are accepted. 1820 Estes, Baker City 541- 524-1394 AGAPE CHRISTIAN CENTER SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH Open to all patients, family and friends for reflection and prayer. Sunday Services 10:00 am & 6:30 pm St. Alphonsus Hospital in Baker City South Highway 7, Baker City 541-523-6586 Saturday Worship 11:00 am www.bakercitysda.com 17th & Pocahontas, Baker City 541-523-4913 THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH Sunday Service 11 AM 1734 Third Street, Baker City 541-523-3922 firstlutheranbakercity@gmail.com St. Francis De Sales Cathedral Daily Masses: M, T, Th, F 9 am Day Chapel in Cathedral Wed Daily Mass 9 am at St. Alphonsus Chapel Sat 8 am at Day Chapel Baker City Saturday Mass 6 pm Baker City Sunday Mass 9:30 am St. Therese in Halfway 2 pm Sat St. Anthony's in North Powder 11:30 Sun 541-523-4521 Corner of First & Church, Baker City Sunday Worship 9:45 AM Baker City 1st Ward Sacrament Meeting 9 AM Pastor Troy Teeter Baker City 2nd Ward Sacrament Meeting 10:30 1250 Hughes Lane, Baker City (Corner of Cedar & Hughes) 541-523-3533 www.bakernaz.com Baker Valley Ward Sacrament Meeting 12 ST. BRIGID’S IN THE PINES COMMUNITY CHURCH 11:30 a.m. Services 1st & 3rd Sunday Holy Eucharist Sunday Worship First Service 8:30 am 2nd Service & Sunday School 10 am East Auburn Street, Sumpter 541-523-4812 Jr. High & High School Youth Tues 6:30 pm Youth Pastor Silas Moe A Mission of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Baker City 675 Hwy 7, Baker City • 541-523-5425 Faith Center Foursquare St. Stephen’s Episcopal Established 1904 A Four Square Gospel Church Services at 9 am 1st & 3rd Sundays, Holy Eucharist 2nd & 4th Sundays, Morning Prayer 5th Sunday, Morning Prayer 2177 First Street • Baker City Entrance on 1st Street Corner Church & First Streets 541-523-4812 Worship Service 10:45 am 1839 3rd St, Baker City 541-523-7915 Thank you to the participating churches and these sponsors: Cliff’s Saws & Cycles 2619 Tenth • 523-2412 PM 2625 Hughes Lane, Baker City 541-523-2397 The church directory is published the third Friday of every month. Information for this directory is provided by participating churches, please call 541-523-3673 for more information. Whelan Electric, Inc. 523-5756 • CCB 103032 AM 1500 Dewey • 523-3677 1950 Place • 523-4300
