A10
WEDNESDAY
December 23, 2015
Local
cowboy
competes
at NFR
Trevor Knowles bulldogs to
12th in world standings
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
LAS VEGAS —
Grant County eyes
were on Mt. Ver-
non rodeo bulldog-
ger Trevor Knowles
during this year’s Na-
tional Finals Rodeo.
Knowles, a 12-time
TXDOL¿HU WR WKH 1)5
headed to the Thomas
and Mack Center in
Las Vegas Dec. 3-12 in
WKSODFHDQG¿QLVKHG
12th in the world after
Contributed photo
10 rounds.
His NFR earnings
Trevor Knowles
totaled $52,038.
An additional highlight for Knowles this year
was winning the steer wrestling at the Calgary
Stampede last July, taking home $100,000.
In an interview with the Eagle earlier this
year, Knowles said he plans to stick with steer
wrestling.
“This is my job, so I’ll stay with it for awhile
until I feel I’m not competitive,” he said.
Grant County
hoops roundup
Tiger boys
hold 6-1
preseason
record
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
HEPPNER — Grant County basketball
teams were on the road last week in non-
league competition.
The Class 2A Grant Union Prospector
girls coach Mark Mosley was happy with
their 50-20 win over Heppner.
The score at the half had Grant Union
leading 29-11.
See HOOPS, Page A11
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Grant Union Prospector Kenzie Wilson (12) blazes a path with her teammates Heather Mosley (33) and Samantha
Brock (3) in their Dec. 10 game against Crane.
Lady Prospectors hustle to
POSITIVE START
GU girls look
to build on last
year’s success
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — The Grant
Union girls basketball team is
making its list of goals — and
checking them twice.
This season, the team hopes
to host a first-round state play-
off game and be among the “Fi-
nal 8” in Pendleton.
The Prospectors showed they
have what it takes, after reach-
ing the state playoffs last year.
They lost that first-round
contest to the Monroe Dragons,
but the game was a nail-biter —
Grant Union was ahead 29-28 in
the final 2 minutes of the game
but came up on the losing end.
Grant Union is off to a good
start this year with a 4-1 non-
league record.
The team is learning what it
will take to reach the top from
Samantha
Brock
Kenzie
Wilson
head coach Mark Mosley.
“We have to have chemistry,
play with passion and compete
each play,” Mosley said.
Mosley is in his third year
coaching the team with assis-
tance from Lisa Weigum.
Weigum coaches the junior
varsity team, and Doug Sharp
coaches the junior high team.
Right now, the varsity team
is focused on honing its defense
and transition offense, and Mos-
ley sees strength in the team’s
overall speed and senior leader-
ship.
The team lost three seniors to
graduation last school year, and
this season, two seniors, Kenzie
Wilson and Samantha Brock,
are filling their shoes.
Wilson and Brock have been
playing basketball together for
about 10 years.
“This year we’re hoping to
push a lot farther than last year,”
Wilson said.
She added the growth of the
program is giving her confi-
dence.
“A lot of the girls came back
from last year,” Brock said.
“And there’s a consistency.
Having coach Mosley for the
past three years has helped with
the team chemistry.”
“Our goal is being first in
league and making it to the state
tournament,” Wilson said.
Filling out the roster are one
junior, five sophomores and two
freshmen.
Three on the team are return-
ing starters.
Grant Union will be up
against Union, Imbler, Elgin,
Burns, Enterprise and Cove in
the Class 2A Wapiti League.
“Burns is favorite to win
league, but overall top to bottom
is not as strong as last year,”
Mosley said. “I expect Imbler
and Enterprise to compete.”
He said his team is playing
the game well together.
“They’re all very coachable,
which makes my job enjoyable,”
he said.
GU wrestlers take on Calhoun Classic Grant
Union
football
honors
announced
Nyssa event includes
400 competitors
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
NYSSA — Grant Union wrestlers
traveled to the Dec. 11-12 Calhoun
Classic, competing with 21 other teams.
The tournament held at Nyssa High
School had nearly 400 wrestlers partic-
ipating.
Grant Union senior Andrew Co-
penhaver placed fourth at the meet
DIWHUDWRXJKPDWFKLQWKHVHPL¿QDOV
losing 1-0 in the 3/4 match.
Sophomores on the junior varsity
team also placed well.
Elijah Humbird placed second in
his weight class, and Hadley Boethin
SODFHG¿IWK
“Overall we wrestled very well in
DQH[WUHPHO\GLI¿FXOWWRXUQDPHQWZLWK
mostly large schools,” said head coach
Andy Lusco. “The season is coming
along nicely.”
Grant Union varsity results:
Clay Johnson, 138, 1-2
Chance Ballou, 285, 1-2
Antonio Dancer, 145, 2-2
Andrew Copenhaver, 170, 2-2, placed 4th
Grant Union junior varsity results:
Garrett Lenz, 145, 1-2
Cameron Hallgarth, 160, 1-2
Jesse Paulson, 106, 2-2
Hadley Boethin, 195, 2-2, placed 5th
Elijah Humbird, 182, 2-2, placed 2nd
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — Several Grant
Union Prospector football play-
ers were named to the 2015 Wapiti
League All Star Selection teams.
Jason Miller is head coach of the
team and is also the school’s athletic
director.
Contributed photo/Cindy Dougharity-Spencer
Grant Union’s Andrew Copenhaver gets the upper hand with an opponent at the Calhoun
Classic held Dec. 11-12 in Nyssa.
Defensive backs
Wyatt Weaver, senior, First Team
Linebackers
Hayden Young, senior, Second Team
Andrew Copenhaver, senior, honorable mention
Defensive Linemen
Elijah Humbird, sophomore, First Team
Clayton Vaughan, senior, Second Team
Offensive Linemen
Dillon Maley, sophomore, First Team
Receivers
Garrett McConnell, senior, First Team
Cauy Weaver, sophomore, Second Team
Wyatt Weaver, senior, honorable mention
Running Backs
Hayden Young, senior, First Team
Quarterback
Wade Reimers, sophomore, Second Team