B2
Sports
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Prospectors aim for league title
Five seniors
return, six
freshmen join
program
Wade
Reimers
By Angel Carpenter
Zack
Deiter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant Union’s boys bas-
ketball head coach Kelsy
Wright said they take every
practice as a game.
“We have some pretty
intense practices, and every-
body is always battling for a
spot,” he said. “We have a lot
of great athletes.”
He hopes that intensity
and talent carries over to their
games.
Wright said his group
of five seniors have played
basketball together since ele-
mentary school.
“They’ve worked hard the
last four years I’ve coached
them, and they deserve ev-
eryone’s support,” he said.
“We’ve got good chem-
istry,” he said, adding their
younger players can com-
pete, and they play well with
the seniors.
The seniors are Zack De-
iter, Ty McDaniel, Duane
Stokes, Cauy Weaver and
Wade Reimers.
“We’re excited to have ev-
eryone back and healthy and
ready to play,” Deiter said.
McDaniel said he’s also
looking forward to the sea-
son.
“I’m glad to play my last
year of basketball with the
same guys we had in sixth
grade,” he said.
Stokes added, “I’m real-
ly optimistic about this year,
and I’m excited about what
we can do.”
Weaver said they should
compete well in league.
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Grant Union’s Cauy Weaver races up the court with a
pack of Prospectors in their Nov. 29 practice. From left,
Zack Deiter (back), Devon Stokes (foreground), Jordan
Hall, Weaver, Warner Robertson and Jacob Vaughan.
Ty
McDaniel
Duane
Stokes
Grant Union boys basketball schedule
Dec. 8-9: @ Enterprise Winter Classic,
TBD
Dec. 12: vs. Burns in John Day at 7:30
p.m.
Dec. 15: vs. Weston-McEwen in John Day
at 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 16: @ Heppner at 5:30 p.m.
Dec. 21-23: @ Nyssa Basketball Tourna-
ment at 3:30 p.m./TBD
Jan. 4: @ Weston-McEwen at 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 6: @ Lakeview at 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 9: junior varsity vs. Dayville varsity,
6:30 p.m.
Jan. 12: vs. Elgin at 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 13: @ Union at 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 16: @ Burns at 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 19: @ Imbler at 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 20: @ Baker, TBD
Reimers said he’s glad to
see the numbers of freshmen
on the team, and the hustle
they bring to the court.
“I think we have a pretty
good shot to make it farther
than we have in the past,” he
said. “Our first goal is to win
league, then see where the
road takes us.”
Three juniors, six soph-
omores and six freshmen
round out the team.
This is Wright’s second
Jan. 26: vs. Enterprise at 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 27: @ Elgin at 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 30: junior varsity @ Dayville varsity
at 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 2: vs. Union at 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 3: vs. Imbler at 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 6: vs. Crane at 7:30 p.m. (senior
night)
Feb. 8: vs. Jordan Valley at 7 p.m.
Feb. 10: @ Enterprise at 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 16: District Playoffs at La Grande
High School
Feb. 17: District Playoffs at La Grande
High School
Feb. 23: First Round State Playoffs
March 1-3: State Championships in Pend-
leton
year coaching the boys var-
sity team, and he has a total
of 10 years of coaching expe-
rience.
His assistant coaches are
Brandon Culley and Kelly
Stokes, who also leads the ju-
nior varsity team, and Justin
Larson leads the junior high
team.
Wright said that with the
team he has this year, they
are aiming to win the league
championship. The Pros-
pector boys haven’t won a
league title since 1990.
“We’re aiming for that,”
he said. “We should be very
competitive in our league
this year, and we’re definite-
ly aiming for the Final 8, to
state.”
In the Wapiti league,
Wright expects Enterprise to
be their biggest challenge as
they have almost everyone
back on their team from last
year.
DANCE
PROS
Continued from Page B1
Continued from Page B1
“It’s always fun to have
the little kids performing,
so they can experience the
world of dance,” she said.
Coach Jennifer Hughes
and her assistant Ashleigh
Romero led the Dancing
Divas (Level 3), a group of
17 dancers in third through
fifth grades.
They also coached the
sixth- through eighth-grade
junior high team, called the
Divas Divine.
“We’re seeing a lot of
talent from these girls,”
Hughes said. “When they
reach high school, it will be
amazing.”
Other groups included
the Tiny Twisters (Level
1), age 4 through kinder-
garten, coached by Autumn
Holland and assistant Tasha
Lundbom, and the Twin-
kle Toes (Level 2) group of
first- and second-graders,
coached by Trista DeRosier
and assistants Caroline Col-
son and Tasha Lundbom.
“We have a team that clicks
and our practices are full of en-
ergy,” she said.
Weaver said the team is fast
and they get along well. Mc-
Clellan agreed.
“Everyone’s really encour-
aging,” she said. “I think my
last year is going to be my best
year.”
Grant Union will face Elgin,
Imbler, Enterprise and Union in
the 2A Wapiti League.
He expects Enterprise and
Union to be the most compet-
itive, but added, “Nothing’s a
given, but if we play good bas-
ketball day in and day out, we
should be in good shape this
year.”
He said “90 mph” is their
current theme.
“We’ll hit our stride at dis-
tricts, so we can make a run into
the post season, but we need all
our girls playing top-notch bas-
ketball,” he said. “Our expecta-
tions are high here because of
what Mark Mosley has done for
the program. He set the bar, and
now I’m coming in with some
new coaches.”
He added, “Our expectations
are high, and if we play at the
level that we’re capable of, the
sky’s the limit.”
the
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
The Grant Union Gold dance team performs at Friday’s
21st annual Holiday Showcase.
More than 400 audi-
ence members attended the
showcase.
The event is the main
fundraiser for the Gold
dancers to help pay for their
costumes and travel expens-
es.
corner’s
SH T
HOT
“I’m super blessed with
the turnout we’ve had,” Pi-
azza said. “I want to thank
all the high school dance
team parents for all their
help with tickets, tables and
baked goods.”
She said she was pleased
with her team’s performanc-
es.
“This team has so much
talent and drive,” she said.
“I think they’re going to
have a great year.”
EEK
OF THE W
DRONE
Starting at
EMILIE UPDEGRAVE
$39.99
School: Grant Union
Grade: 10
Parent: Karen Hinton
Sport: Dance
What I like best about my sport: “You’re
always so free to express your emotions.”
Coach’s Comment: “Emilie
gives it her all, all the
time, and faces challenges
head on with a positive
attitude. She also
consistently
improves.”
HP LAPTOP
Staring at
$699.00
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-Coach Kattie Piazza
PROUD SPONSOR OF GRANT COUNTY ATHLETES
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“We com-
peted really
well
with
them
last
year,” Wright
said.
He said
Cauy
strong play-
Weaver
ers to watch
for on his
team include seniors and
sophomores Cole Deiter and
Kellen Shelley.
He said Weaver was a
“work horse” who gives 100
percent, even if he’s tired,
and said Zack Deiter was a
great teammate and leader
who likes to make sure his
teammates are taken care of
right.
“Duane is probably our
biggest playmaker and lead-
ing scorer,” Wright said, add-
ing Stokes also sets up great
shots for his teammates.
The coach said Reimers is
also expected to be a “huge
asset” to the team, and said
McDaniel is one of their
better outside shooters and a
great defender with extreme-
ly fast hands.
Wright said Cole Deiter
did well last year as a fresh-
man.
“He hardly turns the ball
over and always makes great
decisions with the basket-
ball,” he said.
Wright said he’s also
looking for great things from
several other players, and,
bottom line, the team needs
to be good in the classroom,
be healthy, stay positive and
work hard every day.
“We’ll reach our goals by
the end,” he said, adding, “I
enjoy coaching the kids to
make them better, not just
on the basketball court, but
giving them a good work eth-
ic, helping them to go on to
whatever they decide to do in
their career.”
Grant
Union girls
basketball
schedule
Dec. 8-9: @ Enter-
prise Winter Classic,
TBA
Dec. 12: vs. Burns in
John Day at 6 p.m.
Dec. 15: vs.
Weston-McEwen in
John Day at 6 p.m.
Dec. 16: @ Heppner
at 4 p.m.
Dec. 21-23: @ Nyssa
Basketball Tournament
at 2 p.m./TBD
Jan. 4: @
Weston-McEwen at 6
p.m.
Jan. 6: @ Lakeview at
4 p.m.
Jan. 9: junior varsity
vs. Dayville varsity, 5
p.m.
Jan. 12: vs. Elgin at
6 p.m.
Jan. 13: @ Union at
4 p.m.
Jan. 16: @ Burns at
6 p.m.
Jan. 19: @Imbler at
6 p.m.
Jan. 20: @ Baker,
TBD
Jan. 26: vs. Enterprise
at 6 p.m.
Jan. 27: @ Elgin at 4
p.m.
Jan. 30: junior varsity
@ Dayville varsity at
5 p.m.
Feb. 2: vs. Union at
6 p.m.
Feb. 3: vs. Imbler at
4 p.m.
Feb. 6: vs. Crane at 6
p.m. (senior night)
Feb. 8: vs. Jordan
Valley at 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 10: @ Enterprise
at 4 p.m.
Feb. 16: District Play-
offs at La Grande High
School
Feb. 17: District Play-
offs at La Grande High
School
Feb. 24: First Round
State Playoffs
March 1-3: State
Championships in
Pendleton
SPORTS
SCHEDULE
Friday, Dec. 8
Grant Union basketball
@ Enterprise Winter
Classic in Enterprise,
girls and boys, TBD
Grant Union wrestling
@ Calhoun Classic in
Nyssa at 3 p.m.
Prairie City basketball
@ Ione at Condon
Christmas Tournament,
girls at 3 p.m., boys at
4:30 p.m.
Monument/Dayville
basketball @ Wallowa
at the Wallowa Lions
Tournament, girls at 6
p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 9
Grant Union basketball
@ Enterprise Winter
Classic in Enterprise,
boys and girls, TBD
Grant Union wrestling
@ Calhoun Classic in
Nyssa, TBD
Monument/Dayville
basketball @ La Grande
JV at the Wallowa Lions
Tournament, girls at 1
p.m., boys at 2:30 p.m.
Prairie City basketball
@ Condon/Wheeler
at Condon Christmas
Tournament, girls at 2
p.m., boys at 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 12
Grant Union basketball
vs. Burns in John Day,
girls at 6 p.m., boys at
7:30 p.m.
Contributed photo
Grant County youth
wrestlers Colter Handley
(facing) and Owen Parsons
square off at the Nov. 11
Hermiston Invitational.
YOUTH
Continued from Page B1
end through December.
“That’s three to four days
a week of practice and tour-
naments on Saturdays,” Steve
Parsons said. “For the par-
ents, it’s a huge commitment
for time and dollars — lots of
travel.”
Five or six of the youths
will likely continue on to state
USA wrestling tournaments
after the regular season.
Steve Parsons said what
the youths learn in their
wrestling program carries on
through junior high and var-
sity.
“That’s the reason we try
to teach them the basics, so
as they move forward they’re
more experienced,” he said.
“You can win 90 percent of
your matches with the basics.
They need to know the basics
and do it.”
Baker Brawl
First place: Mason Benge, Taylor
Parsons, Jerett Waddel and Owen
Parsons
Second place: Rowdy Wilson, Zeke
Rookstool, Jeritt Gast, Maveryk
Bartlett and Beau VanCleave
Third place: Halle Parsons, Jase What-
ley, Huntur Wright and Kaden Wright
Also participating: Charley Knowles,
Jack Knowles, Tristan Clarry,
Colter Handley, Natalee Clarry, Cody
Knowles, Brogan Lundbom, Cooper
Ross, Blake Sandor, Samuel Stout and
Trevor Sasser
Hermiston Invitational
First: Mason Benge, Owen Parsons,
Beau VanCleave and Jase Whatley
Second: Taylor Parsons
Also participating: Zeke Rookstool,
Natalee Clarry, Tristan Clarry, Brogan
Lundbom, Halle Parsons, Kaden
Wright, Colter Handley, Trevor Sasser,
Mitchell McKrola and Arionna Young