A8
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
WEDNESDAY
December 21, 2016
TWO TENACIOUS TIGERS TEAMS
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Monument/Dayville Tiger head coach Jeff Schafer (black shirt) and assistant
coach Justin Larson chat with the team during a timeout at the Dec. 13 game
against South Wasco at the Monument court.
Unity a top
priority for
Tiger boys
Team is meshing with three
new basketball players
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Monument/Dayville Tigers are starting to gel
after beginning the season with three new players on
the team of eight.
The Tigers are led by head coach Jeff Schafer, in
his fi fth year leading the team, and assistant coach
Justin Larson.
The roster includes four seniors, two sophomores
and two freshmen. Schafer said his seniors are serv-
ing as the team’s greatest strength.
“I think our seniors are defi nitely stepping up and
taking leadership and encouraging the younger play-
ers to keep pressing forward,” he said.
Two seniors, Hayden Schafer and Tanner Wal-
czyk, are returning varsity starters who were part
of the core group of players leading the team to last
season’s fi rst-round state playoff. GW Clark also saw
time on the court last year.
A new senior joining the team is Cauy Pool, a
transfer student. All have a positive outlook for the
season.
Hayden Schafer said, while the team still needs
to work on techniques, their defense is looking good,
and shots are falling.
“We’re coming along,” he said. “We’re working
on making it to state.”
“We’re doing good,” Clark said. “We’re starting
to fi gure each other out and work as a team. We have
a lot of fun and do good.”
Pool also feels the team will do well this year.
“We’re new to each other, but we’re really start-
ing to mesh and become a team,” he said.
Coach Schafer said, with new players this season,
the team has just started playing “together.”
“Our goals are just to keep improving and
See TIGER BOYS, Page A9
Monument/Dayville Tiger head coach Taylor Schmadeka gives his team a
pep talk during a fourth-quarter time out in the Dec. 13 game against South
Wasco County.
Monument/Dayville boys, girls schedule
Dec. 30: vs. alumni in Dayville, girls at 5 p.m., boys at 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 6: @ Jordan Valley, girls at 5 p.m. (MST), boys at 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 7: @ Crane, girls at 2 p.m., boys at 3:30 p.m.
Jan. 10: @ Burnt River in Unity, girls at 4 p.m., boys at 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 13: vs. Harper in Dayville, girls at 4 p.m., boys at 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 14: @ Huntington, girls at 4 p.m., boys at 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 17: JV @ Long Creek/Ukiah in Long Creek, girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 20: vs. Jordan Valley in Monument, girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 21: vs. Adrian in Dayville, girls at 2 p.m., boys at 3:30 p.m.
Jan. 27: @ Prairie City, girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 28: vs. Crane in Dayville, girls at 2 p.m., boys at 3:30 p.m.
Jan. 31: vs. Prairie City in Monument, girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 3: @ Adrian, girls at 5 p.m., boys at 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 4: vs. Huntington in Monument, girls at 2 p.m., boys at 3:30 p.m.
Feb. 10: vs. Burnt River in Dayville (senior recognition), girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 11: @ Harper, girls at 4 p.m. (MST), boys at 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 16-18: 1A-8 High Desert District Tournament in John Day, TBA
Feb. 21: First Round State Playoff, boys, TBA
Feb. 22: First Round State Playoff, girls, TBA
Feb. 24: Second Round State Playoff, boys, TBA
Feb. 25: Second Round State Playoff, girls, TBA
Senior boys
Senior girls
GW
Clark
Cauy
Pool
Hayden
Schafer
Tanner
Walczyk
Kendall
Hettinga
Cheyenne
Nichols
Ravyn
Walker
G RANT C OUNTY SPORTS ROUNDUP
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant Union
wrestles to third at
Rysdam Memorial
Grant Union wrestler Clay
Johnson earned Outstanding
Wrestler of the Tournament at
the Dec. 16-17 John Rysdam
Memorial Tournament in Elgin.
Head coach Andy Lusco
said the entire team had excel-
lent results at the competition.
“We fi nished third behind
two very good 4A teams and
fi rst among the 1A/2A/3A
schools,” Lusco said.
The 4A La Grande team
earned a score of 188 for the
tournament title, followed by
4A Baker/Powder Valley with
181.5, 2A Grant Union with 88,
2A Enterprise with 65.5 and 1A
Joseph with 55.0. Finishing in
sixth was 2A Elgin, followed
by 1A Adrian, 1A Pine Eagle,
2A Union/Cove, 3A Vale and
2A Imbler.
Johnson, a senior, earned
fi rst in the 138 weight class in
the fi nals over La Grande wres-
tler Greyson Livingston, whom
Lusco said was an “exception-
Contributed photo/Cindy
Dougharity-Spencer
Grant Union Prospector
wrestler Clay Johnson
was awarded the John
Rysdam Outstanding
Wrestler of the tourney
at the Dec. 16-17
competition in Elgin.
al” opponent.
Freshman Drew Lusco also
earned fi rst in the 285 weight
class with three wins by pin.
Dillon Maley, a junior, fi n-
ished in second at 285, after
losing a tough match in the fi -
nals to a Baker wrestler.
Jesse Paulson (113), Braden
Spencer (126), Russell Hodge
(170) and Elijah Humbird
(220) each earned a fourth-
place fi nish.
Lusco said each of the
fourth-place fi nishers gave im-
pressive performances.
“Jesse has improved tre-
mendously over the past couple
of seasons and is showing some
excellent toughness and skill on
the mat,” Lusco said.
He added Spencer had
high-quality
competition,
and Humbird showed mental
toughness by overcoming an
early loss to make a comeback
to place in the meet.
He described Hodge as “a
great freshman wrestler whose
only losses in the tournament
were to 4A state qualifi ers.”
Lusco said Airron Glimpse
(4-2), Jay Goldblatt, Nate
Hodge and Eli Carniglia (3-3)
also wrestled tough and showed
improvement.
“Eli Carniglia went 3-3 on
the weekend and is showing
excellent potential in his fi rst
year,” Lusco said. “I think we
will see him impress by the dis-
trict meet.”
Lady Tigers
unhinge Elgin,
Tiger boys lose
squeaker at
Christmas Classic
The 1A Monument/Day-
ville Tigers were up against 2A
and 3A class opponents at the
Dec. 15-17 Union Christmas
Classic.
The Lady Tigers came away
with a 48-40 win over 2A Elgin
after their fi rst-day 53-25 loss
to Union. In their fi nal game,
4A La Grande had the upper
hand, taking a 52-31 win.
The Tiger boys lost a 45-44
squeaker to Elgin, after a fi rst-
day, 66-33 loss to Union. They
followed with an 84-36 loss to
4A La Grande on the fi nal day.
Prairie City
teams gear up for
Badger battle
The 1A Prairie City Panther
girls and boys took some tough
knocks at the Union Christmas
Classic.
See ROUNDUP, Page A9
Lady Tigers
work, have
fun together
Monument/Dayville is 4-4
in preseason matchups
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The 1A Monument/Dayville Tiger girls are mov-
ing along at a good clip.
Head coach Taylor Schmadeka, in his second
season coaching the Tigers, says their focus is play-
ing with intensity and having fun, a formula which
seems to be working.
So far, the team is 4-4 in the preseason. Two of
the losses and one win were to 2A teams.
“Our goal is to keep having them play hard every
day, even if they’re losing — never give up and have
fun,” Schmadeka said.
Schmadeka has help from assistant Kristi Emer-
son, coaching the team of 10, which includes three
freshmen, two sophomores, two juniors and three
seniors.
Seniors Kendall Hettinga and Ravyn Walker are
returning varsity starters, and Cheyenne Nichols is
new to the team.
“Kendall always plays 100 percent and gives full
heart,” the coach said. “She’s defi nitely a good leader
on the team.”
He said Walker is an asset to the team, offensively
and defensively.
“Ravyn always plays strong defense, and she’s
one of the best shooters on the team,” Schmadeka
said. “She handles close games well — she’s played
in other pressure situations in other sports.”
Schmadeka said, although Nichols is new to the
team and sport, she arrives at practice ready to learn.
Each senior said the team is working well togeth-
er and shared a positive outlook on the season.
Walker said she’s looking forward to her senior
year, playing basketball.
“We play really well as a team, and there’s a lot of
See TIGER GIRLS, Page A9
Lady Prospectors on
fi ve-game win streak
Grant Union
wins two games
at home court
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Lady Prospectors are
on a roll.
Grant Union is on a fi ve-
game win streak, and, after
two home wins, it doesn’t
look as if they will be letting
up anytime soon.
“I’m very proud of the
progress we’ve made,” said
Grant Union head coach Mark
Mosley. “Because they’re so
young, their growth as a team
has been outstanding.”
The Lady Pros hosted
Burns on Tuesday last week,
taking a 38-32 victory, fol-
lowed by a 52-36 win over
Heppner on Saturday.
Grant Union starters in-
clude two sophomores, two
juniors and one senior, but
Saturday’s game had all 10
varsity players on the court.
Prospector Hailie Wright
was the high-point scorer for
the night in Saturday’s game
with 19 points, with 11 earned
in the fi rst quarter.
Grant Union was ahead
15-11 in the fi rst, then outshot
Heppner 15-10 in the second,
with Prospector Heather Mos-
ley contributing eight points
and Kaylee Wright sinking
fi ve, including a three-pointer.
The Prospectors kept their
pace, leading 42-28 in the
third.
Hailie Wright and Whit-
ney McClellan each scored
off steals in the fourth, and
three subs came in to fi nish
out for the win.
“Hailie Wright had an out-
standing game,” coach Mos-
ley said. “She came ready to
play, and offensively she shot
the ball really well and made
some really good decisions,
seeing the court and making
good passing decisions.”
Comparing the game to
their win over Burns, Mosley
said his team was more fo-
cused against the Hilanders,
See LADY PROS, Page A9