A6 — BAKER CITY HERALD
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2021
SPORTS
Baker sweeps Pendleton, falls to Weiser
game from the moment that
the fi rst serve was made.
“They (Pendleton) have
Baker’s volleyball team
continued its marathon week an easier time overcoming
defi cits, and getting into a
of matches on fi ve straight
rhythm,” Abrego said. “We just
days, sweeping the Class
had to take that with a grain
5A Pendleton Buckaroos on
Thursday, Sept. 9 in the Baker of salt and put our nose to the
grindstone. We came out hot,
gym.
and stayed hot.”
The Bulldogs rebounded
Baker led from the start,
from a 3-0 sweep at the hands
pushing its lead to as large as
of the Weiser Wolverines the
previous night, also on Baker’s 12 points at 20-8. Baker won
the set 25-10.
home court.
Junior co-captain Jozie
The win over Pendleton
Ramos said Baker played the
improved Baker’s season
fi rst set at the pace it prefers.
record to 4-2.
“We have to come in and
Baker was back on its
home fl oor Friday for a tourna- get it done, we have to play
with our tempo and not play
ment, and Saturday against
how they want to play,” Ramos
McCall-Donnelly, Idaho.
said.
In the second set, Pend-
Buckaroos no match for
leton stayed within one
the Bulldogs
point early but again Baker
A quick turnaround
extended its lead, going on to
from Wednesday’s loss to
Weiser went favorably for the win 25-14.
Abrego said one of the
Bulldogs with a sweep of the
Buckaroos less than 24 hours bigger improvements Baker
made after the loss to Weiser
later.
was better communication on
Baker coach Ali Abrego
the court.
said the Bulldogs were
“If you don’t communicate,
prepared for Pendleton, an
then you won’t win,” she said.
experienced team with eight
“Volleyball is a game of unity,
seniors on the roster.
and moving as a cohesive unit
As a team that was pre-
and if one piece of the puzzle
dominantly made of upper-
isn’t fi tting with another then
classmen, Abrego knew that
that’s a problem.”
this was going to be a tough
By COREY KIRK
ckirk@bakercityherald.com
During the second set
Baker kept multiple rallies
going with diffi cult saves.
Those sequences help the
players maintain their excite-
ment, Ramos said.
“It really gets the whole
team fi red up, it gets the whole
crowd fi red up which then
turns into more momentum
for us,” Ramos said.
Pendleton rallied a bit in
the third set, even taking a
lead midway through.
But Baker responded,
eventually putting the match
away with a 28-26 win.
“That last set Pendleton
fi nally got into their groove, so
it really pushed us to be our
best,” Abrego said. “28-26 is a
hard set, so I was really happy
with how it turned out.”
Abrego said she was
pleased with Baker’s ability to
maintain its lead rather than
becoming complacent and let-
ting Pendleton rally.
“You want to increase your
lead when you can,” she said.
“In games like that you want
to give everybody the opportu-
nity to play — we want to hold
a decent lead so the young
ones can come in.”
Wolverines sweep the
Bulldogs 3-0
Baker held the lead at
Abrego said Baker players
struggled to communicate,
leading to confusion on mul-
tiple key points.
“We had several plays
where we ran into each other,
or a last minute a person run-
ning towards the ball,” Abrego
said. “Passes, our serve/receive
was weaker tonight than it
was (Tuesday) night (in a win
over Burns). We couldn’t get
into a rhythm and we sent too
many free balls over the net.
It’s really hard to win when
you don’t run your offense.”
In the third and fi nal set,
the Wolverines took the early
lead and then had to fend off a
Corey Kirk/Baker City Herald Baker rally.
The Bulldogs went on a
Baker freshman Sofi a Hanson goes up for a spike
10-5 scoring run but Weiser
attempt Thursday night, Sept. 9 against Pendleton.
went on to win, again by a 25-
At left is senior Lacy Churchfi eld, and at right,
23 margin.
Ryann Paulsen.
Abrego was encouraged by
were tall and they had a solid Baker’s response in the fi nal
multiple points during the
block. But we didn’t really
set. Had the Bulldogs played
match Wednesday evening,
that way the entire match,
but the Bulldogs couldn’t hold approach them any different
than we approach anybody
the outcome might have been
off Weiser’s rallies.
else.”
different, she said.
Abrego expected the
In the fi rst set, the Bulldogs
“It’s really exciting, that’s
Wolverines would be a tough
took an early lead but Weiser the energy we need,” she said.
opponent, with a schedule
“We need to fi gure out how to
that includes some top Idaho came back to tie the score at
22 and win the set, 25-23.
teams.
maintain that. We start off hot,
The second set was similar, we get a lead, then we blow
“Honestly they play a lot of
good teams over there,” Abrego with Baker leading for much
it because we get complacent
said. “I knew they were going of the set but the Wolverines
and we can’t afford to be
to be well rounded, looking at rallying late, again winning
complacent. Consistency beats
them they had size on us, they 25-23.
fl ashy any day.”
Brady throws for 379 yards, 4 TDs, Bucs beat Cowboys 31-29
over the Dallas Cowboys, does.
“There was no doubt that
TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Brady we’re going to win the game
with him,” coach Bruce Arians
and the Tampa Bay Bucca-
said. “It’s just who’s going to
neers didn’t fl inch.
Down one point with 1:24 make plays.”
With seats in a NFL sta-
to go in the kickoff to the
dium fi lled to full capacity for
NFL season, the defending
the fi rst time since the start
Super Bowl champions were
of the coronavirus pandemic,
confi dent their 44-year-old
quarterback would fi nd a way Ryan Succop won it with a 36-
to win again Thursday night. yard fi eld goal with 2 seconds
It’s simply what Brady, who remaining. Brady set it up
with a last-minute drive di-
threw for 379 yards and four
rected on the same fi eld where
touchdowns in a 31-29 win
By FRED GOODALL
Associated Press
the Bucs became the fi rst
team to play and win a Super
Bowl in its home stadium
seven months ago.
It was the 49th game-win-
ning drive the three-time NFL
MVP has led in the fourth-
quarter or overtime during
regular season. That’s third on
the all-time list behind Peyton
Manning (54) and Drew Brees
(53), who are both retired.
“There’s obviously a lot to
clean up,” Brady said after
completing 32 of 50 passes
with two interceptions.
The Bucs, hoping to become
the fi rst team to repeat as
champions since Brady led
the 2003 and 2004 New
England Patriots to consecu-
tive titles, turned the ball over
four times.
“We won,” the quarterback
said, “but we know it was far
from perfect.”
For Brady, a seven-time
champion, it was the 300th
regular-season start in a
sparkling 22-year career — a
record for a quarterback. The
44-year-old also joined Drew
Brees as the only players to
throw for 300-plus yards in a
game 100 times.
Chris Godwin, Rob
Gronkowski and Antonio
Brown caught fi rst-half touch-
down passes, and the Bucs
(1-0) extended their winning
streak to nine games dating
to last December. Brady’s
second TD pass of the night to
Gronkowski put the defend-
ing champs up 28-19. Succop’s
fi eld goal came after Greg
Zuerlein put the Cowboys
ahead with a 48-yarder with
1:24 to go.
“As I told our guys, I
learned a long time ago we
don’t learn anything more
from losing than you do from
almost losing. We’ve got a lot
to learn,” Bucs coach Bruce
Arians said. “Obviously not
pleased with the start of the
game. Loved the fi nish. Our
guys are winners. They’re go-
ing to fi nish.”
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