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The BulleTin • Friday, augusT 13, 2021 B3 FOUR-PAGE PULLOUT B3 S PORTS The BulleTin • Friday, augusT 13, 2021 PAC-12 FOOTBALL COVID issues can result in forfeits Pac-12 teams that cannot play because of COVID-19 issues will likely be forced to forfeit games this season. The conference an- nounced Thursday it is reinstituting its forfeiture policy after it modified its rules last season because of the pandemic. Last season, a game that could not be played because of COVID-19 problems with either team was canceled and deemed no contest. This season, COVID-19 will not be automatically consid- ered an excused absence. “If an institution is unable to play a contest through its own fault, it shall forfeit such contest to its opponent,” the con- ference said. A forfeit will count as a conference victory for a forfeiting team’s oppo- nent. “The Pac-12 rule pro- vides the Commissioner with discretion to deter- mine whether an institu- tion is at fault or primarily at fault for an inability to play a contest based on the facts of the situation,” the conference said. The Pac-12 announced earlier this month that regular COVID-19 testing will no longer be required for vaccinated individuals. Vaccinated individuals will also no longer be im- mediately subjected to quarantine after exposure to an infected individual. Regular testing will still be required for unvaccinated players, coaches and staff. — Associated Press NBA Leonard agrees to deal with Clippers LOS ANGELES — Kawhi Leonard is return- ing to the Los Angeles Clippers on a four-year maximum contract, tying himself to the franchise long term. Leonard, an unre- stricted free agent, agreed to return to the team last week while still working out the structure of his contract. A person with knowledge of the contract said Thursday that the fourth year is a player option; he will earn $176 million over the length of the deal. The final season runs through 2024-25 — the same season the Clippers hope to open their new, proposed arena in Ingle- wood, California. Leon- ard’s deal also is equal in length to that of team- mate Paul George, poten- tially keeping the All-Star duo together for years. Leonard is currently recovering from a par- tially torn ACL in his right knee, an injury that could sideline him for much, if not all, of next season. In Leonard and George’s first two seasons together, the team advanced to the postseason’s second round and the Western Conference finals, but is still seeking its first NBA Finals appearance. In a prepared release announcing the signing, Lawrence Frank, Clippers president of basketball operations, called Leon- ard a “transcendent player and a relentless worker.” “This agreement marks another important mo- ment for our franchise and our fans, as we strive to create a champion- ship-caliber organization,” Frank said. “For now, we will do whatever we can to support him in his re- covery from injury. ” — Los Angeles Times bendbulletin.com/sports COLLEGE FOOTBALL | COMMENTARY Pressure on Ducks? Nope. It is Ohio State’s season to kick away BY JOHN CANZANO The Oregonian T he other day I was talking to a colleague of mine who covers Ohio State’s football program and he mentioned that the Buckeyes have a major concern. Brace for the horror. The kicking game. It turns out Ohio State’s freshman kicker missed a cou- ple of field goals in the spring game. He only made one suc- cessful field goal all of last sea- son. The Buckeyes were so con- cerned they went to the transfer portal and brought in a gradu- ate transfer kicker from North Carolina. The whole thing has generated some angst in the event that Oregon plays the Buckeyes close on Sept. 11 in Columbus. Talk about first-world foot- ball problems. I want to giggle at the absur- dity of it. But I wonder if what Oregon has here is a chance to make Ohio State uncomfortable in a way it hasn’t been lately. The Buckeyes haven’t lost a reg- ular-season game under head coach Ryan Day. They really ha- ven’t even been challenged. He’s officially 23-2 overall with his only losses coming to Clemson and Alabama in bowl season. See Ducks / B4 Sean Meagher/The Oregonian, file Oregon football coach Mario Cristobal addresses his team following the Ducks’ 2021 Spring Game in Eugene in May. Prep sports NEW YEAR, NEW COACHES Central Oregon high schools will see several significant coaching changes for the upcoming fall season BY BRIAN RATHBONE • The Bulletin O n Monday, high school sports will officially return with practices in preparation for the upcoming fall season starting the final week of August. The coaching landscape in Central Oregon looks familiar to the previous year. However, there are a few significant coaching changes to local school’s fall varsity programs. Perhaps one of the biggest changes is at Summit High, where Ban Tat will take over for Jill Waskom, who turned Summit into one of the most formidable volleyball programs in the state. Waskom, who started coaching the Storm in 2007, led Summit to two state championships and six state title appearances. This marks the first high school coaching job for Tat, who has been involved in the Central Oregon club volleyball scene since graduating from Oregon State in 2004 and moving to Bend. “There is a lot to navigate running a program from the top down,” Tat said. “Big props to Jill for the program and girls she has helped develop. … Can’t thank them enough to leave a pro- gram in such good standing.” Dean Guernsey/The Bulletin Summit High School’s new volleyball coach Ban Tat, center, holds conditioning drills on the track at Summit High School on Wednesday. Practices for fall sports officially start on Monday. “There is a lot to navigate running a program from the top down. Big props to (former Summit High volleyball coach) Jill (Waskom) for the program and girls she has helped develop. … Can’t thank them enough to leave a program in such good standing.” — Ban Tat, new Summit High volleyball coach Tat is already familiar with several of his players through his work in club volleyball for nearly two decades. “It was the next step for me in my coaching career,” he said. “I know a lot of girls in the program. That has made it easier and helped me through the process.” Volleyball is not the only sport at Summit that will be under new lead- ership. Joe LoCascio will replace Ron Kidder, who led the Storm boys soccer team to consecutive Class 6A state ti- tle games in 2018 and 2019. At Redmond High, a familiar face has returned to the football sidelines. Brent Wasche, who was the Panthers’ coach in 2018, replaces Seth Womack, who in 2019 was Wasche’s replace- ment. Wasche, who coached in Port An- geles, Washington, in 2020, is excited to return to the school where multiple players that were freshman in his pre- vious season as the team’s head coach are now seniors. “It is a pretty neat deal,” Wasche said. “It is nice taking over a program when you have a relationship with the seniors.” The Panthers are coming off a suc- cessful season in which they went 5-1 and claimed an Intermountain Conference championship in the shortened season played just this past spring. “Seth did a great job with the pro- gram,” Wasche said. “It feels like a whole different scenario than it was a few years ago. Right now, instead of looking at Week 1, we are looking for bigger goals. We want to see if we can repeat and see how far we can go in the playoffs.” See Coaches / B5 NFL | PRESEASON 49ers excited to see debut for Trey Lance BY JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer Jeff Chiu/AP San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance throws a pass at training camp in Santa Clara, California, on Tuesday. Coach Kyle Shanahan knows that in the big picture, it won’t matter how well Trey Lance plays in his exhibition debut for the San Francisco 49ers. That doesn’t dampen Sha- nahan’s excitement to see his rookie first-round quarterback take the field in a game for the first time Saturday night when the Niners host the Kansas City Chiefs in an exhibition game. “It’s fun to watch quarter- backs go out there for the first time,” Shanahan said Thursday. “But I don’t get nervous for the person or anything like that. It’s fun to watch. I know no one’s going to remember how his first preseason game is, but they will the next day. That’s all right. I know rookies get some butterflies. It is a big deal for them. But the reality of it is it is an experience for them. I think Trey is going to make the team so he doesn’t have to go out there and just freak out about that. But he knows a lot of eyes will be on him.” A lot of eyes have been on Lance ever since the 49ers drafted him in April after trad- ing three first-round picks for the No. 3 selection. San Francisco is working Lance in gradually behind starter Jimmy Garoppolo, but the rookie has impressed during training camp. But there are some things he can’t truly experience until game action, like how to deal with getting the play call from the sideline in a loud stadium and how to make the decision about when to slide, dive head- first, go out of bounds or take a hit when scrambling. Shanahan wants Lance to stay on his feet on scrambles in practice to avoid any chance of an injury but drills him after- ward on what he would have done in a real game. He’s been pleased with the answers so far but now gets to see it for real. See 49ers / B4
