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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 2016)
Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, December 14, 2016 B1 WEDNESDAY December 14, 2016 Lady Pros blast competition at Columbia Clash Grant Union hosts teams Dec. 16-17 By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle The Grant Union Lady Prospec- tors won the Columbia Clash Tour- nament in Umatilla this weekend. Prospectors Heather Mosley and Mariah Moulton were selected for the All-Tournament team. Grant Union took home the tour- nament title with wins over Stan- fi eld, 53-28; Pilot Rock, 37-33; and Echo, 44-36. Prospector head coach Mark Mosley said the Stanfi eld game pre- sented an opportunity for the team to work on offense, and they exe- cuted well. “We shot the ball very well from the outside and also took advantage of pounding the ball inside,” he said. Pilot Rock entered competition ranked No. 4 in the state. “Pilot Rock is a very good team that will have a lot of success this season,” Mosley said. “We played well both offensively and defen- sively. It was a one- or two-point game the whole game. We were able to hit a couple big shots in the last 2 minutes that allowed us to get a win.” Grant Union was scheduled to host the Burns Hilanders Tuesday, past press time. They host the Irrigon Knights at 6 p.m. Friday and Heppner Mus- tangs at 4 p.m. Saturday. Junior varsity games will precede the var- sity games. Let t snow Anthony Lakes opens for season as local ski bus prepares for trips By Rylan Boggs Blue Mountain Eagle D espite a power outage, Anthony Lakes Mountain Re- sort got their lift spinning for opening day on Satur- day. Skiers and snowboarders fl ocked to the resort to ride, fall and enjoy the snow. “We’re a super small ski area but we have a base eleva- tion of 7,100 feet so we get killer snow,” Marketing Director Chelsea Judy said. Judy is one of about 30 employees who run the moun- tain. “It doesn’t really feel like work most of the time because I’m here with the people I love doing what I love,” she said. Sixty-two-year-old Bill Shank is the director of the ski school at the mountain and said, “It’s like a family here.” Shank is in his third year as director, though he has skied at the mountain much longer. He enjoys sharing his joy of skiing with people such as 25-year-old Jenny Daffer, who moved to Oregon from the Philippines. Daffer has been ski- ing less than a year but keeps up with Shank just fi ne. The mountain opened in 1963 and is still frequented by some of the original skiers, including members of the all-volunteer ski patrol. See SNOW, Page B3 LEFT: Skiers and snowboarders wait in line to purchase tickets after a brief power outage at Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort on Saturday, Dec. 10. RIGHT: Bill Shank, 62, carves down the hill at Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort on Saturday, Dec. 10. Eagle photos/Rylan Boggs Grant Union wrestling team has talent, depth Full team includes 11 returning wrestlers Blue Mountain Eagle The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Ugly Sweater 5K runners brave snow and slush for good cause Proceeds to give bright Christmas to children By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle Decked out in holiday threads, 45 run- ners had no shortage of enthusiasm for John Day’s fi rst Ugly Sweater 5K. The snow, slush and chilly weather didn’t dampen spirits as the participants gathered Saturday at The Corner Cup, where the race started and ended. When faced with a decision of what to choose for her senior project, Reitta Wyllie chose a sport she knows and loves: cross country. Her senior project advisor, Russ Comer, also a 5K buff, helped Wyllie orga- nize the race. See 5K, Page B10 Grant Union wrestling head coach Andy Lusco said he’s seeing talent moving up in the ranks and expects the team to have a successful sea- son. Over the fi ve years he’s led the team, Lusco said he’s seen an improvement in qual- ity and quanity. “We have a full lineup, which is huge,” he said. Of the 20 wrestlers on the roster, 11 are returning to the program. “We have some pretty ex- ceptional kids, and some pret- ty exciting young kids, too,” he said. “We’re starting to see the effects of kids club.” A couple boys who par- ticipated in the Grant County Youth Wrestling Club in the past are now on the varsity team, and even more are on the junior high team. “That’s going to start pay- ing off dividends,” Lusco said. The youth club has 28 wrestlers this year from age 5 to 12. Tye Parsons, who led the club last year, is an assis- tant coach to Lusco. He also assists the youth club head coach Terry Harper. SPORTS ROUNDUP By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle Prospector boys win 2, lose 1 at tourney clash By Angel Carpenter Bentley Hall runs ahead of his sisters Amelia, left, and Shanniyah and mother, Alicia Hall, in Saturday’s Ugly Sweater 5K. G RANT C OUNTY The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Grant Union assistant coach Tye Parsons, right, works with the team on proper stance. The Grant Union Prospector basketball team was on the road to Umatilla for the Dec. 8-10 Columbia Clash Tournament in Umatilla where they placed fourth. The team had a 78-60 loss to Stanfi eld, a 47-43 win over Arlington and a 48-44 win over Umatilla junior varsity. Grant Union head coach Kelsy Wright de- scribed the loss to Stanfi eld as a diffi cult and physical game. “Arlington was another tough game,” he said. “We were trailing the whole game until the fourth quarter. We brought back a 12-point defi cit and ended up winning by four points.” The Prospectors were scheduled to host Burns on Tuesday, past press time. They host nonleague games later this week, including Ir- rigon at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Heppner at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Panther boys pounce on Grant Union JV team Clay Johnson James Mabe Lusco also has help from assistant coaches Jake Batease and Guy Johnson. Two seniors on the team, Clay Johnson and James Mabe, are stepping into lead- ership roles. “Clay has qualifi ed three times for state, and is a two- time placer, winning third and fourth,” the coach said. “He’s in the challenge for state. James has been real- ly stalwart in the program. He works hard and is a great leader.” He said the team is aiming to be a good dual meet team. “That’s the big goal,” he said. Prairie City boys head coach Jonathan Gill viewed their Dec. 6 game against the Grant Union junior varsity team as an opportunity to gain experience and playing time, and the Panthers seized the 64-43 win. “I’m a big fan of rivalries,” Gill said. “I was excited to see us playing GU. I think very highly of GU’s program. It was a good chance for us.” Junior Dorran Wilson led the Panthers with 21 points, followed by senior Wyatt Wil- liams with 11, including three three-pointers. Senior Brogan McKrola contributed 10 points to the win. Gill said the game was competitive and an overall good win for his team. “It’s a good start to the season, and I was very happy with the win,” he said. See WRESTLING, Page B10 See ROUNDUP, Page B10
