WEDNESDAY
December 6, 2017
The sky’s the limit: Lady Pros start basketball season
New head coach
Casey Hallgarth
leads the team
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant Union is returning
all of last season’s Lady Pros-
pector starters this year, in-
cluding Hailie Wright, Kaylee
Wright, Mariah Moulton,
Madi McKrola and Trinity
Hutchison.
New head coach Casey
Hallgarth is leading the team,
taking over where previous
head coach Mark Mosley
left off. Hallgarth’s assistant
coaches are Kristi Moore and
Christal Culley.
“These two coaches have
been amazing,” he said. “It’s
been great so far, and we’re
all jelling.”
Hallgarth, a sixth-grade
teacher at Humbolt Elemen-
Mariah
Moulton
Whitney
McClellan
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Mariah
Wright
Fallon
Weaver
tary School, has been a Grant
Union assistant varsity coach
and was girls junior varsity
coach last year, boys junior
varsity coach the year before
and junior high boys coach
the two years previous. He
Grant Union Prospector Marissa Smith passes the ball to
Fallon Weaver with Madi McKrola moving into the center
in practice.
also spent eight years coach-
ing the Imbler boys basketball
team, coaching the Imbler ju-
nior varsity boys for one year
before that.
There are 20 girls out for
basketball, including 11 on
the varsity team, this year.
While Hailie and Kaylee
Wright, Moulton, McKrola
and Hutchison are back as
starters, Hallgarth said he’s
expecting his entire team to
contribute this season.
“One thing we’re stressing
this year is that there’s not one
girl that shouldn’t be tired,”
he said. “Our goal as coach-
es is, even if you’re the 11th
person on the bench, you will
be tired.”
Hallgarth said, as the team
competed in games last sum-
mer, he shared his ideas about
basketball.
“They started buying into
my philosophy,” he said.
That includes being fast
getting up and down the fl oor,
playing hard every posses-
sion, being a great teammate
and having fun.
“Effort is key,” he added. “If
we have effort on both sides of
the ball, we should do great.”
So far, the team is off to a
positive start, winning their
fi rst tournament in Moro last
weekend after beating Culver
51-32 and Sherman 90-15.
Hallgarth said he’s running
a new offense and defense,
and said they should be strong
on shooting and driving and
speed.
“Our seniors are going to
play a pivotal role this season
in our success,” he said.
Seniors this season are
Moulton, Whitney McClel-
lan, Mariah Wright and Fal-
lon Weaver. Hallgarth said he
stresses leadership from them,
whether they’re in the game
or watching.
“There’s a certain demean-
or they need to possess to en-
courage the younger players,”
he said.
Moulton said she hopes
their success in volleyball —
the team won the state cham-
pionship — will carry over to
basketball.
“We play together well,
and we’ve known each other
a long time,” she said.
Mariah Wright said she
thinks this season will be a
fun one.
See PROS, Page B2
Contributed photo
Grant County wrestler Trevor Sasser listens to head coach
Steve Parsons, center, and assistant coach Tye Parsons
after competing at the Nov. 4 Baker Brawl Tournament.
Dancers enjoy a
holiday spotlight
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
I
t was “beginning to look a lot
like Christmas” as 63 dancers in
fi ve groups brightened the Grant
Union stage Thursday and Friday
at the 21st annual Holiday Show-
case.
Dancers from ages 4-18, wowed the
crowds with a range of dance styles,
from lyrical to jazz.
Performing in solos, duets and
groups, the youth danced to contempo-
rary and classic Christmas music.
“There was a lot of variety,” said
showcase coordinator Kattie Piazza,
who also coaches the Grant Union Gold
varsity dance team. “I’m super proud of
the dancers and all their hard work.”
Nikki Jones, a Grant Union Gold
dancer who also performed a solo to
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christ-
mas,” said the showcase was a great
experience.
See DANCE, Page B2
The Tiny Twisters dance group performs to “It’s Beginning to Look A
Lot Like Christmas” at the Holiday Showcase, including, from left, Josie
Hollowell, Mikaia Houpt, Asher LaDuke and Allison Fansler.
Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter
Grant Union Gold dancers Brianna Majors, left, and Shanniyah Hall perform a duet to “Hallelujah” by Pentatonix at
the Holiday Showcase. TOP IMAGE: Grant Union Gold dance team: front row, from left, Leah Comer, Mercedes Locke,
Brianna Majors, Shanniyah Hall, Nikki Jones; back row, Reah Mead, Emilie Updegrave, Ali Chobo and Clara Carr.
Youth wrestlers and
families show dedication
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
A group of dedicated par-
ents, and grandparents, are
leading this year’s Grant
County Youth Wrestling Club.
With 32 youths out for
wrestling, Steve Parsons said
they have assistance from oth-
er parents as well.
“You can’t do it without
them,” he said. “We have par-
ents and coaches, and we try
to break them up into a group
of four.”
He said a couple of the
moms have also been helping.
“We’re trying to keep it
hands-on with all the kids that
come out.” he said.
Children as young as 4 and
as old as 11 have joined the
program this year, including
three girls. Youth from Mon-
ument and Long Creek also
join in the practices held in
John Day.
Steve Parsons said he and
the assistant coaches are all
about teaching the fundamen-
tals of the sport.
“We’re not trying to make
superstars out of any of them,”
he said, adding they focus on
making the sport fun for the
kids.
Still, the youths in the pro-
gram are competitive. Several
came home with medals from
their fi rst ORWAY (Oregon
Wrestling Association for
Youth) competitions of the
season.
Their fi rst meet of the sea-
son was Nov. 4 at the Baker
Brawl Wrestling Tournament.
They traveled to the Hermis-
ton Invitational on Nov. 11,
where 32 teams competed.
The wrestlers and their par-
ents travel nearly every week-
See YOUTH, Page B2
Youth
wrestling
tournament
planned
Dec. 9 in
John Day
This year, the local youth
wrestling club will host its
fi rst home tournament in
about 15 years. The event
is scheduled for Saturday,
Dec. 9, at Grant Union Ju-
nior-Senior High School in
John Day.
Long-time
wrestling
supporter and tournament
director Cindy Doughari-
ty-Spencer said she’s glad
for the chance the club
has to host a tournament.
She expects as many as
400 youth wrestlers, plus
coaches and spectators, at
the event.
“We have had a big in-
crease of youth wrestlers
over the past few years,”
she said. “Unfortunate-
ly for those families, that
means travel for every op-
portunity for their kids to
compete.”
She added, “Being able
to host a tournament will
allow our youth wrestlers
to compete at home and
provide an opportunity for
their friends and families to
come out to support them
without traveling.”
Dougharity-Spencer said
they are seeking volunteers
to help with the tourna-
ment. For more informa-
tion, contact her at Grant
Union at 541-575-1799
ext. 32.
Contributed photo
Grant County wrestler Jerett Waddel pins his opponent
with a head and arm at the Nov. 4 Baker Brawl
Tournament.