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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 2015)
SPORTS SCHEDULE Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, November 25, 2015 College football Oregon St. Civil War Oregon Ducks vs. Oregon State Beavers, Eu- gene, 1 p.m. WEDNESDAY November 25, 2015 Oregon Friday, Nov. 27 B1 Word on the Street The Eagle asked people in Grant County: Who do you think will win the Civil War game, and what will the score be? High school Basketball Friday, Dec. 4 Dayville/ Dayville/Monument Monument @ Echo at Fossil Tourney, girls var- sity 3 p.m./boys varsity 4:30 p.m. Beavers, 42-0 Paige Shaw, 11 Prairie City Prairie City Prairie City vs. Redmond JV in Prairie City, girls varsity 5 p.m./boys varsity 6:30 p.m. Dorran Wilson Prairie City Ducks, 56-24 Tahnee Helms John Day Ducks, 43-16 Jay Colson John Day Santa Claus North Pole Optimistic team works on ‘no-quit attitude’ Dayville/Monument @ Pilot Rock at Fossil Tourney, girls 1 p.m./boys 2:30 p.m. By Angel Carpenter Prairie City vs. Burnt River in Prairie City, girls 2 p.m./ boys 3:30 p.m. Blue Mountain Eagle Grant Union vs. Redmond JV in John Day, girls varsity 2 p.m./boys varsity 3:30 p.m. Grant Union Wrestling Dance Grant Union presents Holiday Showcase in John Day, 6:30 p.m. ‘ Ducks, 32-7 Panthers plan to blaze nets Saturday, Dec. 5 Grant Union @ Irrigon Duals in Irrigon, TBA Ducks, 28-24 We’re trying to build a winning attitude in everybody this season, and we expect nothing less than a state championship.’ Ethan Camarena Prairie City senior PRAIRIE CITY – The Prairie City 3DQWKHUVER\VEDVNHWEDOOWHDPLV¿UHGXS and hoping their hard work and attitude take them far this season. The 1A-8 High Desert League team is led by new head coach Jonathon Gill, with assistant coaches Bob Hassmiller and Charles Lawrence. The squad includes four freshmen, one sophomore, one junior and three seniors. “Everyone is playing varsity,” Gill said. ³7KH-9DUHEHLQJWKURZQLQWRWKH¿UHDQG in the long run, we’ll get a better product – I’m excited about our four freshmen.” Hassmiller said they’re training the team to work as a unit. “We’re trying to build a foundation with fundamentals – solid passing and dribbling and everyone knowing their role and place on the team,” he said. “We are really glad to have Dorran Wilson back. He balances the team and creates offense, not just for himself, but open shots for his teammates as well.” Wilson, a sophomore, was out early last year with an injury. The team’s seasoned seniors include Ethan Camarena, Garrett Hitz and Bran- don Gillihan. Each has played basketball since sixth grade, and they all said they’re optimistic about the team this year. “We’re trying to build a winning at- titude in everybody this season, and we expect nothing less than a state champi- onship,” said Camarena. “We have a great Ethan Camarena The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Prairie City Panther Lane Williams works the ball in practice last Friday. Players in back are Jonathon Lawrence, left, Dorran Wilson, Garrett Hitz, Wyatt Williams and Levi Burke, with coach Jonathon Gill on the sideline. group of kids, and we get along great. It helps a lot as a team when you’re like brothers – like family.” Hitz said the team is developing a “no- quit attitude.” “I look forward to playing with the younger kids – they have a lot of grit,” he said. “I think we’re headed to be great this season and think we’ll do really well,” said Gillihan. “We have a great team, and I’m happy to be with all the players.” Gill said the Panthers are working on ball movement, reducing turnovers and defense. “We’re going to be the aggressor and bring the action to the opponent,” he said. He added that they also work to have fun and said sportsmanship is one of their core principles. “It’s all about discipline in how you car- ry yourself on and off the court,” Gill said. Hassmiller added, “Our kids are so KXPEOHZHDOPRVWKDYHWRJHWVRPH¿UH out of them.” All the coaches agreed they’d like to see the fans in the stands for the girls and boys basketball games. Gill said although the boys team has had some down years, they are competi- tive this year and believe in themselves. “The league will be competitive, and we want to be one of the top three teams,” he said. Garrett Hitz Brandon Gillihan Deer, elk serve as buffer to livestock attacks By Eric Mortenson Capital Press They weren’t on the agenda when the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission voted Nov. 9 to take wolves off the state’s endan- gered species list, but Oregon’s elk and deer population likely will be key factors in wolf management de- cisions in the years ahead. Mark Henjum, a retired wildlife biologist who was ODFW’s origi- nal wolf program coordinator, said healthy deer and elk populations are a buffer between livestock and the state’s increasing number of preda- tors. Oregon has 25,000 to 30,000 black bears, an estimated 6,200 cou- gars and a minimum of 82 wolves, according to ODFW. Biologists fully expect the state’s wolf population to continue grow- ing. Wolves occupy only 12 percent of their potential range in the state, and continued dispersal from North- east Oregon will put them in con- tact with elk and deer and possibly in competition with other predators. Bears and cougars are much more widely dispersed in the state. Sharp, localized drops in ungu- late prey, as deer and elk are known, could drive predators to attack sheep, cattle or other domestic animals, Henjum and other biologists say. Bears are primarily omnivorous but will take young deer and elk, especially in the spring. Cougars, meanwhile, are solitary ambush hunters and can take just about any animal at will, Henjum said. “They’re amazingly good at what they do,” he said. Wolves travel in packs and chase down prey. They can kill solitary adult cougars, or females and kit- tens, and chase cougars off carcass- es. Pressure from wolves can force cougars into steeper, brushier terrain. The competition for ungulate prey could produce a bad turn for live- stock. Biologists say wolves prefer elk, but attacks on livestock are what an- ger cattle and sheep producers and gain media attention. From 2009 through June 2015, Oregon’s con- ¿UPHGORVVHVWRZROYHVVWRRGDW VKHHSFDWWOHWZRJRDWVDQGWZR herd protection dogs. Ranchers be- lieve wolves are responsible for much more damage, saying livestock often disappear in wolf country. In addition, many livestock attacks are written off as “probable” or “possi- ble” wolf depredations. “This buffer thing is one of the main reasons we haven’t seen so high a rate of loss of livestock,” Henjum said. “I think down the road, trying to maintain the ungu- late populations is something that’s going to be more important as we move on.” Although wolves were taken off the state endangered species list, their existence in Oregon is still governed by a wolf management plan. Hunting and trapping are not allowed, and there’s no sport sea- son for wolves. The plan does allow “controlled take” of wolves in cases of chronic livestock attacks or de- creases in prey. Phase 3 of the wolf plan, the next step after delisting, calls for wolves to be managed “in concert with its wild prey base,” a move strong- ly supported by groups such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. “Oregon’s wolf population is rapidly approaching the point where human tolerance and unacceptable impacts upon the wolf’s deer and elk prey COME SEE THE CREW AT LES SCHWAB IN JOHN DAY, 551 W. Main base must be addressed,” the foun- dation said in a letter to the ODFW Commission. Jerome Rosa, executive direc- tor of the Oregon Cattlemen’s As- sociation, said his organization’s members report seeing fewer deer and elk in some areas, and more in others. What’s ahead for wolves might be found in Oregon’s cougar man- agement plan, which allows for tar- geted killings to address problems. In October, the ODFW Commission authorized killing 95 cougars in four wildlife management units during 2016. One area was chosen because of human, livestock and pet safety concerns, and three were selected to help mule deer recover. The kills, to be done by ODFW employees, fed- eral wildlife service agents or con- tractors, are in addition to whatever other cougar deaths occur. John Day 541-575-1346 t a DON’T GET STUCK... without your tire chains this winter. v y QUICK FIT DIAMOND TIRE CHAINS If you don’t use your passenger/light truck chains, return them for a full refund after April 1, 2016. Return program does not apply to spikes spider device. They take the work and frustration out of using tire chains. They go on and off quickly and fit right to provide excellent traction during tough winter driving conditions.
