A10
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
WEDNESDAY
November 15, 2017
Grant Union
Prospector
Zack Deiter
finds an
opening.
Contributed photos/Linda Studtmann
Ukiah/Long Creek player Rafael Gumerato (10) moves
the ball up field against Four Rivers.
Prospectors end
season at quarterfi nals
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
T
he Grant Union Prospec-
tor football team lost a
heartbreaking 2A state
quarterfi nals battle to San-
tiam 50-14.
Grant Union, entering the contest
ranked fourth in state (8-1), hosted
the Wolverines at Three Flags Field
in John Day after winning the fi rst
round playoff 52-0 against Central
Linn the previous weekend. Santiam
was ranked fi fth (9-1).
Santiam’s rushing attack dom-
inated, with 400 yards over Grant
Union’s 150.
The Wolverines forced six Pros-
pector turnovers in all with three in-
terceptions and three fumbles.
Santiam put a damper on Grant
Union’s momentum early when de-
fensive back Jordan Lanham nabbed
an interception during the Prospec-
tors’ fi rst drive.
Wolverine running back Trevor
Tinney followed up, rushing for a
touchdown; however, Grant Union’s
Cauy Weaver made the tackle on the
conversion play.
Grant Union quarterback Wade
Reimers was injured while running a
keeper up the middle and came off
the fi eld, unassisted.
On the Prospectors’ fi nal drive in
the last seconds of the fi rst quarter,
Grant Union receiver Zack Deiter
caught a 10-yard pass.
Grant Union trailed 6-0 going into
the second, but kept marching for the
goal.
Prospector running back Camer-
on Hallgarth and Reimers — back in
the game — rushed for fi rst downs,
followed by another Hallgarth fi rst
down.
Deiter found a 10-yard path up
the middle for Grant Union’s fi rst
touchdown in the game.
Reimers connected with Deiter
for the two-point conversion, and the
Prospectors gained an 8-6 lead.
Later in the quarter, Reimers came
out injured again, and Kellen Shelley
stepped in as quarterback.
Santiam scored a touchdown and
two-point conversion on their next
drive.
Deiter answered back, returning the
kickoff for a touchdown to tie it 14-14.
Grant Union had a tough time put-
ting the brakes on Wolverine running
back Brody Davidson.
Davidson rushed 65 yards for San-
tiam’s next touchdown with Tinney
Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter
Grant Union Prospector Wade Reimers (12) brings down Santiam
Wolverine running back Trevor Tinney (16). Other Prospectors in the
action are Zack Deiter (3), Garrett Lenz (2) and Hadley Boethin (73),
and Santiam’s Christian Cade (52) is at the right.
Prospector running back
Cameron Hallgarth (28) is on
the move with help from Toby
Boatwright (70).
adding the conversion points, and
Santiam added eight more to the
scoreboard to take a 36-14 lead at
halftime.
Going into the second half, Pros-
pector Russell Hodge kicked off, then
immediately moved in to tackle San-
tiam’s Colton Craigmyle at the 50-yard
line.
Prospector linebackers Elijah
Humbird and Dillon Maley were
in on another tackle, then Hadley
Grant Union receiver Mason
Gerry makes the grab on a
pass from quarterback Kellen
Shelley.
Boethin sacked Santiam’s quarter-
back Colin Thurston.
See FOOTBALL, Page A13
Will to win: Ukiah/Long
Creek soccer team wraps
up successful season
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The entire Ukiah/Long
Creek Mountain Lions soc-
cer team bleached their hair,
signifying a successful sea-
son.
Each of the 11 players
agreed, if they won three
matches, they would all dye
their hair. They won three
and tied two, with no losses.
Led by coach Amos
Studtmann, the 1A junior
varsity team of 11 was com-
prised of four local athletes,
two freshmen and two soph-
omores, and seven foreign
exchange students, six ju-
niors and one senior.
Most players joined the
team having little experience
with soccer, including the
coach, who said he had help
learning more of the sport
from the experienced play-
ers.
“I did a lot of reading to
go along with it,” Studtmann
said. “This is my fi rst year
coaching soccer, and any
success the kids had was
‘their fault.’”
The Mountain Lions start-
ed the season Sept. 13 with a
1-1 tie against Riverside.
Their second match was a
9-2 win over Dayton, Wash-
ington.
ULC followed up with
a 7-2 win Oct. 14 over Four
Rivers Secondary School
(Ontario), then a 2-2 tie Oct.
17 against Riverside.
Their fi nal match was a
12-0 victory over Four Riv-
ers Oct. 19 in Long Creek.
ULC player Jaime Bal-
lesteros of Spain, who has
played soccer for 12 years,
was key in sharing soccer
techniques with his team-
mates.
“In Spain, I played all
my life because that is the
sport,” he said. “Some play-
ers couldn’t keep the ball, so
I taught them how they can
keep the ball and move on
the fi eld. It was cool to teach
them.”
He said they started with
just fi ve on the team with
soccer experience.
“We played hard, and we
played against good teams,”
he said. “With only 11 play-
ers, we didn’t lose in all the
soccer season. Now we are
Ukiah/Long Creek
Mountain Lion Josh
Konig passes the ball
in one of team’s soccer
matches this season.
good friends.”
At the end of the sea-
son, Ballesteros was named
Most Valuable Player for the
Mountain Lions.
Fernando Casillas of
Mexico was given the
Coach’s Award for character
and sportsmanship.
“He had just a couple
years of experience, but he
had the best attitude and was
the least selfi sh player I’ve
ever met,” Studtmann said.
Thomas Kreamier was
named Rookie of the Year.
“He (Thomas) had no ex-
perience and still managed to
contribute two goals and was
moving all over the fi eld with
good passing, shooting and
defense,” the coach said.
The team captain was Ra-
fael Gumerato of Brazil.
Gumerato said he’d
played soccer when he was
younger, but his main sport is
basketball.
“It was good to see the
players improve and play
with heart,” he said.
The coach said the play-
ers just met this year, and the
key to their success was their
positive attitudes and deter-
mination.
“The kids worked togeth-
er unselfi shly for offense and
gave their everything on de-
fense,” he said.
He said they gave their
all, both in practice and at the
games.
“I would think any team
would set a goal to have a
winning season. My goal is
always for character fi rst and
athletic success later — they
did that,” Studtmann said.
“We had a great year, and
assuming all goes well, we
look forward to a great sea-
son next year.”
V OLLEYBALL ALL - STATE TOURNAMENT HONORS
Contributed photo/Tanni Wenger Photography
Kaylee Wright, junior, middle blocker — second team
Contributed photo/Tanni Wenger Photography
Hailie Wright, junior, setter — first team
Contributed photo/Tanni Wenger Photography
Mariah Moulton, senior, outside hitter — first team