A10
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
WEDNESDAY
August 23, 2017
G RANT U NION SENIORS
Cauy
Weaver
Collin
Harvey
Wade
Reimers
Zack
Deiter
Dillon
Maley
Cameron
Hallgarth
Duane
Stokes
Eli
Carniglia
Ty
McDaniel
Hadley
Boethin
Toby
Boatwright
Elijah
Humbird
Prospector football team gears up with 12 ‘top dogs’
Grant Union
hosts Heppner
at 7 p.m. Sept. 8
2017 Grant Union football
schedule
Sept. 1: Grant Union @ Weston-McEwen in Athena, 7 p.m.
Sept. 8: Grant Union vs. Heppner, 7 p.m.
Sept. 15: Grant Union @ Stanfi eld, 7 p.m.
Sept. 22: Grant Union vs. Burns, 7 p.m.
Oct. 6: Grant Union @ Culver, 7 p.m.
Oct. 13: Grant Union vs. Imbler, 7 p.m.
Oct. 20: Grant Union vs. Enterprise, 7 p.m.
Oct. 27: Grant Union @ Union, 7 p.m.
Nov. 4: First round state playoffs at Grant Union, 1 p.m.
Nov. 11: Quarterfi nals playoffs
Nov. 18: Semifi nals
Nov. 25: State championship
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Grant Union Prospec-
tor football team is geared up
with 12 seniors this year, with
high hopes for a successful
season.
“I’m happy to have 12 se-
niors out,” said receiver Zack
Deiter. “We’re fi nally the top
dogs.”
Quarterback Wade Re-
imers said he’s also impressed
with this year’s team.
“I’m glad to be with the
guys I’m with out here,” he
said. “We fi nally have some
size on the line.”
Grant Union’s fi rst game
will be away at Athena at 7
p.m. Friday, Sept. 1, against
the Weston-McEwen Tiger-
Scots.
Their fi rst home game of
the season will be against
Heppner at 7 p.m. Friday,
Sept. 8.
There are 30 on this year’s
varsity and junior varsity
teams, including two juniors,
fi ve sophomores and 12 fresh-
men.
“We have 12 seniors, and
10 are returning starters on
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
The Grant Union Prospectors run through drills during last week’s daily doubles
practice, including Jacob Vaughan, front.
each side of the ball,” said
head coach Jason Miller.
This is his 10th season
coaching the Prospectors,
ninth as head coach, with 20
years overall coaching expe-
rience.
He said having enough
players for a junior varsity
schedule is important for the
overall program.
Andy Lusco is the varsity
defensive coordinator, Tuck-
er Wright is the junior varsity
coach and Casey Hallgarth is
the junior high coach, with as-
sistance from Ray Wenger. All
the coaches assist each other.
Miller said his team is
working to improve upon last
year’s record. He said some
positives he’s seeing on the
fi eld include a tough offensive
line and some good speed.
“We just need to stay
healthy,” he said.
“They’re working really
hard, they’re committed and
have good discipline,” he
said. “It’s been a lot of fun
this year.”
Last season ended at the
quarterfi nals, when Heppner
stopped the Prospectors.
This year, Grant Union will
face Enterprise, Imbler and
Union in the Wapiti League.
“They’ll all present differ-
ent challenges for league, and
we’ll do our best to stay com-
petitive,” Miller said.
The senior members of
the team include Deiter, Re-
imers, Elijah Humbird, Toby
Boatwright, Hadley Boethin,
Ty McDaniel, Dillon Maley,
Collin Harvey, Cameron Hall-
garth, Duane Stokes, Cauy
Weaver and Eli Carniglia.
“I defi nitely like the num-
bers,” Humbird said. “I’m
pretty happy with my team
right now. We have a stellar
line group. I think if everyone
stays healthy, we have a good
chance of going to state.”
Maley said he also thinks
they’ll have a run at state this
year.
Harvey said the team,
which has a lot of experienced
players, works well together
and works hard in practice.
“I’m looking forward to
this year,” said Cameron Hall-
garth. “I’m excited to run be-
hind the line we have and to
be with such a strong team.”
McDaniel said he’s glad
he made the decision to return
for his senior year.
“I hope we get the com-
munity out to watch,” he said.
“With this team, I think we’ll
have a pretty good season.”
Lady Prospectors aiming for strong comeback
Lady Pros host Crane
on Friday, Aug. 25
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Eagle file photo
Bailey McCracken is ready to launch her lasso in the
breakaway event earlier in the Cinnabar Mountain
Playdays youth rodeo season in John Day.
Rodeo season closes
for Cinnabar Mountain
Playdays youth
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Cinnabar Mountain
Playdays youth ended their
season of rodeo Aug. 5 at the
Grant County Fairgrounds in
John Day.
There were 33 participants
in the afternoon event com-
peting in events such as barrel
races, fi gure 8, goat tying and
dummy roping. The rodeo
ended the year with 41 mem-
bers.
“This club is run by vol-
unteers, and we are always
looking for additional help
with arena, planning the series,
advertising and new ideas,”
said board member Janet Plo-
charsky.
She said if anyone is inter-
ested in helping out the youth
and their horses, they can con-
tact a member of the board.
“We love to hear from the
community,” she said.
Year-end results will be an-
nounced at the awards banquet,
set for Oct. 18 at the Mt. Vernon
Community Hall, the time to be
announced.
All members, volunteers,
donors, friends and family are
invited to attend.
See the Cinnabar Mountain
Playdays Facebook page for
more information.
Cinnabar
Mountain
Playdays
Aug. 5
Leadline
First: Bransyn Harper
Second: Blake Kimball
Third: Grayson Schmadeka
Fourth: Ben Henslee
Fifth: Hailey Ann Marciel
Peewee
First: Brooklynn Kimball
Second: Addison Wilson
Third: Malia Villaganana
Fourth: Ruby Hopper
Fifth: Emmie Saul
Juniors
First: Aaliyah Marciel
Second: Tatyn Harper
Third: Shayna Marciel
Fourth: Riley Gregg
Fifth: Helen Rowell
Intermediate
First: Coy Mathison
Second: Katie Johnson
Third: Clint Rutherford
Fourth: Katelyn Barker
Fifth: Bailey McCracken
Seniors
First: Sarah Barker
Second: Trinity Hutchison
The Grant Union Prospector volley-
ball team is ready to defend its Wapiti
League and district tournament titles
and spike its way to another shot at the
state championship title this year.
Grant Union hosts Crane for its fi rst
game of the season Friday, Aug. 25,
with junior varsity starting at 4 p.m.,
followed by varsity.
The team ended last season with the
best 2A record in the state, 28-4, fi nish-
ing third at the state tournament.
Shae Speth, who is in her 12th year
coaching the team, including nine years
as head coach, said she’s encouraged this
season.
“The returning players have a ton of
experience and fi nished well last year,”
she said. “They work really well togeth-
er.”
She added the seniors are showing
good leadership skills.
Speth said she expects the team go far
in the postseason this year, especially if
they refi ne their serve-receive and pass-
ing and play with last year’s intensity.
“We defi nitely want to defend our
league and district titles and fi nish well
at state,” she said.
Joining this year’s three seniors are
seven juniors, six sophomores and 11
freshmen.
Assistant coaches, Rhonda Mc-
Cumber, who coaches junior varsity I,
and Shanna Northway, junior varsity II,
both assist with varsity coaching.
The team lost some key players to
graduation, including Heather Mosley
and her height at middle; outside hitter
Chelsie Kodesh; and libero Natalie Stea-
rns.
This year’s seniors include outside
hitter Mariah Moulton, who has been
placed on the AVCA Under Armour
All-American Watch List for elite senior
volleyball student-athletes. The AVCA
will select 72 athletes as Under Armour
All-Americans in November.
“Mariah continues to get stronger as a
hitter and defender,” Speth said.
Moulton said she’s seeing positive at-
titudes in the team.
“We’ve been to state the last three
years, and people expect a lot out of us,
and we plan on bringing it,” she said.
“We’ve had a strong program, and we
plan on keeping it that way.”
Two other seniors on the team are
libero Whitney McClellan and opposite
Reagan Shelley.
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Grant Union Prospector Rilee Browning is ready to return the ball in
practice, along with Hailey Wright, left, and Krystle Douglass.
G RANT U NION SENIORS
Reagan
Shelley
Mariah
Moulton
Whitney
McClellan
“Whitney has improved a lot with
her communication and leadership in the
back row,” Speth said, adding that Shel-
ley is showing confi dence in her hitting
and defense.
Shelley said, although there are a lot
of new girls this year, she thinks the team
will be strong.
“We’re just going to have to focus
on our goals,” she said. “We have really
good serving, and I think that’s going to
be our biggest strength.”
McClellan said she believes, with this
year’s group, they’ll accomplish their
goals.
“We’re planning on making it back to
the state tournament this year,” she said.
Grant Union will face four league op-
ponents this year, including Enterprise,
Imbler, Union and Elgin.
Speth said she thinks they’ll have
their strongest competition from Union
and Enterprise.
“Union has a lot of seniors, so they
may give us some trouble,” she said,
adding, “Enterprise has been improving
every year.”
Imbler, with 11 seniors who grad-
uated and just one returning starter, is
an unknown.
Grant Union earned an AVCA
Team Academic Award for 2016-
2017, receiving the honor for the third
consecutive year.
“Our student-athletes pride them-
selves on being successful both on the
court and in the classroom,” she said.
2017 Grant
Union volleyball
schedule
Aug. 25: JV/V vs. Crane, 4 p.m.
beginning with JV
Aug. 26: V hosts GU Tournament, 8
a.m.
Sept. 2: JV/V @ Heppner Invitational
Tournament, 9 a.m.
Sept. 5: JV/V vs. Culver, 5 p.m.
Sept. 6: JV II/JVI vs. Dayville/Monu-
ment, 5 p.m.
Sept. 9: V @ Reedsport Volleyball
Tournament, 8 a.m.
Sept. 15: V @ Baker Invitational
Tournament, 9 a.m.
Sept. 19: JVII, JV I, V @ Burns, 4
p.m.
Sept. 23: JV/V vs. Enterprise, 12 p.m.
Spet. 23: JV/V vs. Elgin, 5 p.m.
Sept. 26: JVII/JVI/V vs. La Grande,
4 p.m.
Sept. 28: JV/V @ Imbler, 4 p.m.
Sept. 29: JV/V vs. Union, 4 p.m.
Oct. 4: JVII/JV1 @ Dayville/Monu-
ment in Dayville, 5 p.m.
Oct. 7: JV/V @ Enterprise, 12 p.m.
Oct. 7: JV/V @ Elgin, 5 p.m.
Oct. 12: JVII/JVI vs. Prairie City, 5
p.m.
Oct. 13: JV/V vs. Imbler, 4 p.m.
Oct. 14: JV/V @ Union, 1 p.m.
Oct. 17: JVII/JVI/V vs. Burns, 4 p.m.
(senior night)
Oct. 18: JV/V @ Crane, 4 p.m.
Oct. 21: Wapiti District Tournament
at Eastern Oregon University in La
Grande, TBD
Oct. 28: First round state playoffs at
Ridgeview High School in Redmond
Nov. 3-4: State playoffs continue at
Ridgeview High School in Redmond