Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
A13
WEDNESDAY
November 1, 2017
Grant Union crushes Union
to sweep Wapiti League
Prospectors host
Central Linn at
1 p.m. Saturday
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Prospectors became
2A-6 Wapiti League champi-
ons for a second consecutive
year after Friday’s 56-0 shut-
out victory over the Union
Bobcats.
The Grant Union Prospec-
tors will now host the Central
Linn Cobras at 1 p.m. Satur-
day, Nov. 4, in John Day for
the fi rst round of the Oregon
School Activities Association
State Championships.
“I am proud of the team
and the great season that we
have had thus far,” said Pros-
File photo/Elizabeth Shelley
Duane Stokes carries the ball for Grant Union in the Oct.
20 game against Enterprise. The team beat Union on
Friday to sweep the Wapiti League.
pector head coach Jason Mill-
er. “They have worked hard
for this.”
In Union Friday, all scor-
ing action occurred in the fi rst
half, in the Prospectors’ favor,
and the clock started ticking
down in the third for the mer-
cy rule.
Younger Prospectors were
subbed in for the second half.
Grant Union overran
Union with 324 rushing
yards, while holding Union
to 67.
Grant Union also had 170
passing yards to Union’s six,
the Prospectors averaging
24.3 yards per pass.
The Prospectors have 11
seniors on the team this sea-
son.
Grant Union is ranked
fourth in state by OSAA,
and they finished the regu-
lar season with a 7-1 over-
all record, losing only to
3A Burns in nonleague
action.
Central Linn, with seven
seniors, is ranked No. 13,
finishing the regular season
with a 3-6 overall record and
1-3 in the 2A-2 Tri-River
Conference.
Prospectors ace Bobcats
Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter
Grant Union Prospector Trinity Hutchison (5) sends the ball over the reach of Myrtle Point player Sierra Smith.
Lady Pros move on to state championships
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
rant Union’s confi dent
serving kept the Myrtle
Point Bobcats off bal-
ance as the Prospectors powered
through the fi rst round of the state
tournament Saturday in John Day.
In the second set, Prospector
sophomore Taylor Allen went on
a nine-point serve run, and junior
Kaylee Wright added a 10-point
run. The Bobcats were unable to
get a second touch on the ball, and
the Prospectors cruised to victory
in three sets, 25-15, 25-4 and 25-
8, to move on to the Nov. 3-4 2A
State Championship Tournament
at Ridgeview High School in Red-
mond.
Grant Union head coach Shae
Speth said, after missing fi ve
serves in the fi rst set, they found
their focus.
“The last two sets they were
serving really tough,” she said
of her team. “(It’s) one of our
strengths for sure — it’s defi nitely
a weapon for us.”
Overall, Prospector senior
Whitney McClellan racked up
G
See STATE, Page A18
Grant Union Prospector Whitney McClellan moves
in to dig in Saturday’s state playoff game against
Myrtle Point at the Grant Union gym in John Day.
The Grant Union Prospectors celebrate after
sweeping the Myrtle Point Bobcats in Saturday’s
state playoff game in John Day.
Grant Union
Prospector Taylor
Allen serves tough
at Saturday’s state
playoff game against
Myrtle Point.
Eagle file photo
The Prairie City Panthers celebrate a successful rally
earlier this year. The team ended its season with a loss
to the Days Creek Wolves in the first round of the state
tournament.
Prairie City netters
end season after
fi rst-round loss
Lady Panthers
play with heart
in close match
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Prairie City Panthers
capped a successful season,
competing in round one at
state where they lost a close
match to the Days Creek
Wolves.
Days Creek won with
scores of 25-15, 23-25, 26-
24, 23-25 and 15-8.
“The match at Days
Creek was a loss on the
books, but there was still a
great deal to celebrate about
it,” said coach Louanne
Zweygardt.
She said, even after a
seven-plus-hour drive on the
bus, her team was competi-
tive, pushing it to fi ve sets at
the Wolves’ home court.
Days Creek entered the
contest as the No. 5-ranked
team, which also beat the
No. 1-ranked team at their
own district tournament.
“The girls played hard
and well,” Zweygardt said.
“We did have a slow start
but gained momentum in the
second set to take it. We had
the lead in the third set but
couldn’t quite hold onto it.”
She added, “The fourth
set went our way again, and
the energy in the gym was
high. A few too many un-
forced errors on our part cost
us the fi fth set.”
Panther player Brianna
Zweygardt had three aces
out of 23 serves and only
one error.
Cassie Hire served 100
percent with 18 serves.
Hailee Wall had seven
kills, and Brianna Zweygardt
added six. Cassie Hire, Sier-
ra Dahlen and Rilee Emmel
each had fi ve, and Emily En-
nis had four.
“I can’t say enough
good things about this team
and our season,” Louanne
Zweygardt said. “We saw a
great deal of improvement
in the girls individually and
especially as a team in the fi -
nal month of the season, and
they were peaking at the end.
The girls should be proud to
know that they would have
competed very well in the
state tournament.”
Prairie City ended its sea-
son ranked No. 18 in state
with an overall record of
18-7 and was the 1A-8 High
Desert League and District
Tournament champions.
“This year has been the
best volleyball year that I’ve
had through my high school
(career),” said senior Sierra
Dahlen. “Once the districts
came around, toward the
end, it became an instant and
constant adrenaline rush.
That playoff game, it was
defi nitely competition.”
Mariah McClung said
making it to the playoffs was
a great way to end her senior
year of volleyball. The girls
wanted to work together and
improve, she said.
“I think for the game ev-
erybody was really pumped
for it and excited,” she said.
“Even with the outcome,
I think our team was still
happy with how it went and
proud that we made it this
far.”
Brianna Zweygardt said
she was happy with how
her team performed and
was confi dent going into the
game.
“We battled hard, but it
didn’t go our way,” she said.
“It was defi nitely my favor-
ite year because we got to
go on, but also the attitudes
of the girls all season was a
positive experience.”
Eagle file photo
Prairie City head coach Lance Zweygardt leads his
team during the Panther’s home tournament earlier
this season.
Prairie City overpowers Monument/Dayville
Teams end
season in
Monument
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Prairie City Panther Connor Jones (20) makes a carry
as Monument/Dayville Tiger Cade Milton goes in for a
tackle.
The Monument/Dayville
Tigers junior varsity football
team and the Prairie City
Panthers varsity team battled
in their fi nal game of the sea-
son Friday in Monument, the
Panthers claiming a 40-14
victory.
With about 8 minutes left
in the game, Prairie City was
ahead by 26 points, as Mon-
ument/Dayville made strides
toward the goal line.
Monument/Dayville’s
Rico Sparka gave the Tigers
a good placement on the fi eld
on a kickoff return, and later,
on third down with 14 yards
to go, Tiger Mark Thomas
rushed for a fi rst down.
Tiger freshman quarter-
back JT Hand was poised to
move the ball farther when he
was injured on the next play
with neck and back pain.
An ambulance was called,
and Hand was transported
from the fi eld to Blue Moun-
tain Hospital in John Day for
evaluation.
Offi cials ended the game
with 7:35 left on the score-
board.
At last check, Tiger head
coach Nathaniel Ashley said
Hand will be fi ne.
Tiger running back and
linebacker Gabe Walker said
he was glad to see Hand at
school Monday.
“He’s
coming
back
strong,” Walker said.
Prairie City dominated the
game with a 32-6 lead at the
half.
Panther freshman quarter-
back Jayden Winegar made
some successful plays in the
contest, including a 20-yard
touchdown pass to freshman
receiver Jojari Field in the
second quarter.
Ashley said his team was
fi red up in the second half and
stepping up their momentum.
“We were making a drive
there towards the end, and I
See FOOTBALL, Page A18