A10
Sports
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
G RANT U NION
W APITI A LL -L EAGUE
SELECTIONS
Contributed photos/Tanni Wenger Photography Studio
Hailie Wright
First Team
Kaylee
Wright
First
Team
Mariah
Moulton
Second
Team
Madi
McKrola
Honorable
Mention
Trinity
Hutchison
Honorable
Mention
Duane
Stokes
First Team
Zack Deiter
Second
Team
Cauy Weaver
Honorable
Mention
Ty McDaniel
Honorable
Mention
H IGH D ESERT
Contributed photos/Angie Johnson
Grant Union’s Drew Lusco, right, takes on Dani Sanchez of Monroe in the Saturday quarterfinal at the state wrestling
championships. Lusco went on to pin his opponent in the round, advancing to the semifinals.
A LL -T OURNAMENT SELECTIONS
Contributed photos/Tanni Wenger Photography Studio
WRESTLERS
Continued from Page A9
Boatwright said that as a
first-year wrestler, he was sur-
prised he made it to state.
“It was a very fun expe-
rience,” he said. “I really en-
joyed watching the other wres-
tlers.”
Boatwright faced the No.
1-seed Anthony Ramirez of
Neah-Kah-Nie in the quarter-
finals, losing by a pin, and lost
the consolation Round One
match to Billie Tucker of Butte
Falls/Prospect Charter.
Maley, who has wrestled in
the Grant Union program for
three years now, said this was
his first trip to state.
“It was nerve wracking,”
he said. “There was awesome
competition.”
He said it was exciting to
see wrestlers competing in the
same weight class from larger
schools.
Maley earned three team
points. He lost to Mahsen Ash-
er of Lowell by tech-fall. Ma-
ley won the Round One con-
solation match by a pin over
Case Goracke of Central Linn,
then lost a 5-0 decision to his
teammate Drew Lusco in the
consolation semifinal.
Drew Lusco said he en-
joyed the trip to state.
“It was a reward for our
hard work this season,” he
said. “It’s a chance to show
what you’ve done this season
and how you compare to oth-
er athletes and how well you
compete.”
Drew Lusco, earning nine
team points, was the fourth
seed entering the competition.
Grant Union’s Dillon Maley, red singlet, wrestles an opponent in the consolation round
at the state wrestling championships. He went on to get a pin to advance in the bracket.
At the state wrestling championships, Grant Union’s
Toby Boatwright, right, faces Anthony Ramirez, a senior
from Neah-Kah-Nie. Boatwright lost the quarterfinal
round and lost a match in the consolation round.
He first went up against junior
Dani Sanchez of Monroe, win-
ning by a pin.
Looking back on the sea-
The most valuable and
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corner’s
HOT
SH T
EEK
OF THE W
CLAY JOHNSON
School: Grant Union
Grade: 12
Parent: Guy and Angie Johnson
Sport: Wrestling
What I like best about my sport: “It’s taught
me discipline and built character, just through the
sport.”
Coach’s Comment: “Clay Johnson is a special
athlete. He has committed himself to becoming an
exceptional wrestler and a wonderful young man.
Clay is a four-time state qualifier who
placed fourth, third, and second
over the past three seasons. He is
a great example and leader for
our younger wrestlers.”
-Coach Andy Lusco
PROUD SPONSOR OF GRANT COUNTY ATHLETES
100 E. Main • Stoplight in John Day
541-792-0425
PANTHERS
Continued from Page A9
www.eomediagroup.com
the
son, Johnson said things got
off to a rough start for him
when he faced three state-level
competitors from Idaho at De-
05341
In the quarter, McKrola,
Burke and Dorran Wilson
scored one three-pointer each
for the Panthers, McKrola
gaining five points overall in
the second, and Syd Holman
scored two.
The Lions led 38-27 in the
third, clamping down in the
final quarter to outshoot the
Panthers 17-5.
Wilson was the only Pan-
ther to score in those last
eight minutes, draining two
shots beyond the arc for six
points.
Prairie City head coach
Jonathan Gill said the loss
came down to missed shots,
but he said the coaches, the
team and the community are
not hanging their heads.
“Those
Prairie
City
boys have accomplished so
much,” he said. “They have
improved tremendously over
the season.”
Gill said his three seniors
SHOWDOWN
Continued from Page A9
Local program co-coordi-
nators Deronda Lallatin and
Kathy Gill said the game is a
fun family event.
“I really enjoy the eve-
cember’s Calhoun Classic in
Nyssa. Those tough challenges
may have given Johnson the
edge he needed.
“At state, things went pretty
good,” he said, adding his first
two opponents were unable to
score on him.
Johnson, who had a 25-6
season record, earned 18 team
points. He pinned Seth Sidwell
of Oakridge in the quarterfi-
nals and pinned Tandy Martin
of Gold Beach in the semifi-
nals.
In the championship match,
Johnson was pinned by senior
Jace Oppenlander of Culver,
who was 36-5 on the season.
“It was my first time par-
ticipating in the championship
round, and I’ll never forget the
experience,” he said. “I’d like
to thank the community for
their support.”
led by example, and the play-
offs gave his younger players
experience.
He gave kudos to the Ho-
sanna Christian team.
“They executed well,” he
said.
Gill said one of his proud-
est moments as coach was
seeing his team earn the
sportsmanship award at the
district tournament.
“We all feel so happy,” he
said. “When they won games
in the season, they ‘won with
class.’”
Gill said the team became
a family and there was no
greater feeling as a coach.
“This has been the high-
light of my life,” he said. “As
much as I tried to affect their
lives, they’ve really changed
my life for the good. We’re
going to be back next year,
stronger than ever. We’re go-
ing to get right back at it.”
Brianna
Zweygardt
Prairie City
Lady
Panthers
Second
Team
Cassie Hire
Prairie City
Lady
Panthers
Second
Team
Dorran
Wilson
Prairie City
Panthers
First Team
Levi
Burke
Prairie City
Panthers
First Team
Brogan
McKrola
Prairie City
Panthers
Second
Team
Ravyn
Walker
Monument/
Dayville
Lady Tigers
Second
Team
Hayden
Schafer
Monument/
Dayville
Tigers
First Team
Tanner
Walczyk
Monument/
Dayville
Tigers
Second
Team
LADY PROS
Continued from Page A9
“Offensively, we shot
the ball well, and we had
one of our best rebounding
games of the season,” Mos-
ley said. “Defensively, we
did a good job of contest-
ing their shooters. I am ex-
tremely proud of what these
girls have accomplished.
Our goal was to return to
Pendleton, and they made it
happen.”
He said they would
spend the week preparing
for Kennedy, which has “a
traditionally strong pro-
gram.”
Moulton said the team
played Saturday for their
teammate Heather Mosley
who was out early in the
season with a knee injury.
“We put it all out there
for Heather, because it’s her
senior year, and we hope
to get more wins for her,”
Moulton said. “I’m really
proud of how good we did,
being such a young team
and against older players.”
Kaylee Wright said she
was concerned going into
the game, knowing Pilot
Rock would have a lot of
community support, but
added, “We had endless
support, and it was great to
have a win like that.”
Hailie Wright said she
knew it would be tough
to face the Rockets after a
long bus ride.
“Pilot Rock is a great
ball club,” she said. “It was
tough competition for sure.
We worked hard from start
to finish and hope to finish
(in Pendleton).”
Kaylee added, “We just
have to play our game and
have intensity the whole 32
minutes, defensively and
offensively.”
Kennedy of the Tri-Riv-
er Conference had a league
record of 10-2, 15-10 over-
all, in the regular season.
Grant Union of the Wa-
piti League had a league
record of 7-2, 15-6 overall.
Grant Union vs. Pilot Rock
Kaylee Wright: 17 points
Mariah Moulton: 11
Hailie Wright: 10
Madi McKrola: 8
Trinity Hutchinson: 3
Prairie City vs. Hosanna Christian
Dorran Wilson: 13 points
Levi Burke: 9
Brogan McKrola: 9
Syd Holman: 2
ning, spending time with the
players and watching them
play basketball with law en-
forcement,” Gill said.
For more information, call
Lallatin at 541-620-4295 or
Gill at 541-620-2186 or stop
by Sue-Z-Q’s Thrift Store at
777 E. Main St. in John Day.
EO Media Group/Matt Entrup
Pilot Rock’s Rachel Willingham (3) defends against
Grant Union’s Hailie Wright as the Rockets’ Sara Weinke
watches during their 2A girls basketball state playoff
game Saturday in Pilot Rock. Grant Union won 49-42.