A10
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
WEDNESDAY
November 30, 2016
SPORTS
SCHEDULE
Thursday,
Dec. 1
All-State volleyball players
have passion for the sport
Dance Holiday Show-
case at Grant Union,
6:30 p.m., cost $7 and
can of food at door
Friday, Dec. 2
Prairie City basketball
vs. Adrian, 5 p.m. girls,
6:30 p.m. boys (JV
starts at 3:30 p.m.)
Monument/Dayville
basketball @ Condon/
Wheeler at Fossil Tour-
nament in Fossil, TBD
Grant Union basketball
@ Sherman Tourna-
ment in Moro, TBD
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Two Grant Union Prospec-
tor volleyball athletes received
All-State honors this season.
Junior outside hitter Ma-
riah Moulton was named to
the All-State fi rst team, and
senior middle hitter Heather
Mosley was named to the All-
State second team.
Both players were part of
the Prospector team that won
third at the
OSAA state
championships
this year.
Head coach
Shae
Speth
said both girls
Heather
contributed to
Mosley
the team.
Moulton
led the team with 417 kills
this season, up from 263 last
year. She had 349 digs and 96
percent serving.
“Mariah
has
always
been an offen-
sive-minded
athlete, and
she improved
greatly this
Mariah
season,”
Moulton
Speth said,
adding Moul-
ton also made strides defen-
sively as well.
“Mariah had a passion for
volleyball, and I look forward
to watching her lead the team
next year as a senior,” Speth
said.
Mosley had 284 kills on
the season, up from 170 last
year. She was in on 39 per-
cent of the team’s blocks,
with 49 solo blocks and 58
block assists. She had 103
digs and 67 aces.
“Heather has improved
greatly over the past few sea-
sons,” Speth said. “I believe
she was the most dominant
middle in the state at our
level. She has always been
a force defensively with her
blocking, but she became an
offensive weapon for us this
season as well.”
Speth said Mosley’s serv-
ing was especially improved
this season.
“Her leadership will be
missed greatly as well,”
Speth said. “She is steady and
calm, no matter the score or
situation.”
Dance Holiday Show-
case at Grant Union,
6:30 p.m., cost $7 and
can of food at door
Saturday, Dec. 3
Monument/Dayville
basketball @ Pilot
Rock at Fossil Tourna-
ment in Fossil, TBD
Grant Union basketball
@ Sherman Tourna-
ment in Moro, TBD
Grant Union wrestling
@ Irrigon Duals in
Irrigon, TBD
Prospector
gridders
awarded
league
honors
Miller is Wapiti
Coach of Year
PANTHER PREVIEW
Boys hungry for postseason play
Lady Panthers
eager to start season
Team identity goal
is tough defense
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
By Angel Carpenter
A
Blue Mountain Eagle
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Grant Union Prospec-
tor football team, led by head
coach Jason Miller, ended a
successful season as Wapiti
League champions, reaching
the state quarterfi nals.
Miller was
named Wapiti
League Coach
of the Year.
Several Grant
Union players
were select-
Jason
ed for Wapiti
Miller
All-League
honors.
Defensive Co-Players of the Year
Cauy Weaver, junior (along with Brandon
McGilvray, a senior from Imbler)
Offensive line
Drew Lusco, freshman, fi rst team
Billy Copenhaver, senior, fi rst team
Dillon Maley, junior, fi rst team
Running back
Cameron Hallgarth, junior, fi rst team
Receiver
Zack Deiter, junior, fi rst team
Cauy Weaver, junior, fi rst team
Duane Stokes, junior, honorable mention
Quarterback
Wade Reimers, junior, fi rst team
Defensive line
Elijah Humbird, junior, fi rst team
Drew Lusco, freshman, fi rst team
Linebacker
Cauy Weaver, junior, fi rst team
Dillon Maley, junior, second team
Defensive back
Wade Reimers, junior, fi rst team
Duane Stokes, junior, fi rst team
F
or the Prairie City Panther boys bas-
ketball team “Ball is Life” — that’s
their motto — “One team, One fami-
ly, One love — Prairie City.”
The team had a look at post season play
last February when they reached round one
of the OSAA state playoffs for the fi rst time
since 2007.
Prairie City took a tough 53-45 loss to the
Joseph Eagles, but they are ready to get back
at it.
Second-year head coach Jonathan Gill
said the team wants to keep the momentum
going.
“For those guys to get a taste of post sea-
son play, they’re very hungry to build off the
success of last year, and their goal is to make
it to Baker City this year,” he said.
The top three from the district tournament
advance to state playoffs — 24 teams state-
wide — and the state championships in Baker
City will include the Final 8.
Prairie City coach Jonathan Gill
Gill has help from returning assistant
coaches Bob Hassmiller and Chuck Law-
rence.
Returning starters include senior Wyatt
Williams, junior Dorran Wilson and sopho-
more Levi Burke.
“Those guys put in work all summer,” Gill
said. “They’re setting examples and leading
by example, for sure.”
Wilson, he said, is sharing leadership
skills, Williams is known for being vocal on
the team and Burke is one of the best players.
“Levi has the highest ceiling, and is one of
See BOYS, Page A11
TOP PHOTO: Prairie City Panther Syd Holman looks for his next move in the
Panthers’ Nov. 22 practice.
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
combination
of
footwork and fun-
damentals will be
the foundation for
this year’s Prairie City Lady
Panther team, said new head
coach Bo Workman.
The Lady Panthers host
the Adrian Antelopes at 5
p.m. Friday, after the junior
varsity teams’ half games,
which start at 3:30 p.m.
“The town is excited for
basketball to start,” Work-
man said, adding last year’s
support of the team was pos-
itive.
He said he’s seeing
strength in this year’s team,
from four seniors, as well as
three experienced juniors.
Rounding out the roster are
three sophomores and three
freshmen. Six of the athletes
are returning varsity players.
In practice last week, the
Panthers focused on foot-
work, positioning drills,
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Prairie City Lady
Panther Brianna
Zweygardt lays up the
ball in practice last
shooting and conditioning.
“We’re focusing on the
basics and fundamentals —
keeping it simple,” Work-
man said.
This year’s seniors are
MaKenzie Jones, Sarah En-
nis, Lindsay Wall and Taci
Perrenoud.
Ennis and Wall started
playing basketball seven
years ago, on opposing fi fth-
grade teams.
“I’m excited to be play-
ing with these girls,” Ennis
See GIRLS, Page A11
Prairie City boys and girls basketball schedule
Dec. 2: vs. Adrian, 5 p.m. girls, 6:30 p.m. boys (JV girls,
3:30 p.m., boys follow, half games)
Dec. 3: vs. Grant Union JV, 3 p.m. girls, 4:30 p.m. boys
Dec. 9: @ Ione in Condon, 3 p.m. girls, 4:30 p.m. boys
Dec. 15-17: @ Union Christmas Classic, TBD
Dec. 21: @ Powder Valley in North Powder, 4:30 p.m.
girls, 6 p.m. boys (JV girls, 3 p.m.)
Jan. 6: @ Adrian, 5 p.m. girls, 6:30 p.m. boys (JV girls,
3:30 p.m.)
Jan. 7: @ Jordan Valley, 2 p.m. girls, 3:30 p.m. boys (JV
girls, 12:30 p.m.)
Jan. 10: @ Harper, 4 p.m. girls, 5:30 p.m. boys
Jan. 13: vs. Huntington, 7:30 p.m. boys only
Jan. 14: vs. Crane, 2 p.m. girls, 3:30 boys (JV girls,
12 p.m.)
Jan. 20: vs. Adrian, 6 p.m. girls, 7:30 p.m. boys (JV
girls, 4:30 p.m.)
Jan. 21: @ Burnt River in Unity, 2 p.m. girls, 3:30 p.m.
boys
Jan. 27: vs. Monument/Dayville, 6 p.m. girls, 7:30 p.m.
boys (JV girls only, 5:15 p.m.)
Jan. 28: vs. Jordan Valley, 3 p.m. girls, 4:30 p.m. boys
(JV girls, 1:30 p.m.)
Jan. 31: @ Monument/Dayville in Monument, 6 p.m.
girls, 7:30 p.m. boys (JV girls only, 5:15 p.m.)
Feb. 3: vs. Burnt River, 6 p.m. girls, 7:30 p.m. boys
Feb. 4: @ Crane, 2 p.m. girls, 3:30 p.m. boys (JV girls 12 p.m.)
Feb. 10: vs. Harper, 6 p.m. girls, 7:30 p.m. boys
Feb. 16-18: High Desert League District Tournament in
John Day, TBD
Feb. 22-23: State First Round, TBD
State Championships in Baker City, TBD
Athletes will journey down under for summer competition
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Kristina Humphreys
Dayville sophomore Kristi-
na Humphreys and Grant Union
junior Jozie Rude will journey
for an experience of a lifetime
to next summer’s Down Under
Sports track and fi eld competi-
tion in Queensland, Australia.
Both athletes excelled in fi eld
events last season.
Humphreys, in the 1A High
Desert League, broke the state
record in javelin in May with a
throw of 129-2, also a person-
al record. Humphreys said, as a
fi fth-grader, she watched the high
school students throw javelin
during practice.
“It gave me motivation to try
it myself,” she said. “I also re-
member Skip Inscore (now re-
tired track and fi eld coach) show-
ing me Paula Berry’s awards,
which made me feel confi dent
that you can do anything you put
your mind to.”
She is coached by Peter Bog-
ardus.
Rude, in the 2A Wapi-
ti League, had her best javelin
throw of the season at the state
championships, placing second
with a mark of 117-11. She also
earned third in pole vault and
fourth in shot put at Hayward
Field in Eugene. She broke the
Wapiti League record in shot put,
with a 34-4 throw.
The Grant Union team is led
by head coach Sonna Smith,
with Kelsy Wright as the javelin
coach.
At the Down Under event,
Rude plans to compete in those
three events, as well as hammer
and discus.
This will be the fi rst trip out of
the country for the athletes, and
both plan to spend three days in
Hawaii on the trip home.
The cost of the nine-day trip
is $6,500, and both plan on fund-
raising the money for the adven-
ture.
Rude is now selling Super
Bowl Squares, and she’ll host a
golf tournament on May 6 at the
John Day Golf Course. For more
information on Rude’s fundrais-
ing activities, her mother, Aimee,
may be reached by email at ai-
mee@rudeinc.net.
Humphreys will also hold
fundraisers for the trip.
“I am most looking forward to
meeting other athletes, and look-
ing into the different strategies
and pointers that the coach may
give me to help,” Humphreys said.
Grant Union sophomore
Kaylee Wright also plans to attend
the Down Under Sports track and
fi eld event as previously reported
in the Eagle.
Jozie Rude