A8
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
WEDNESDAY
August 29, 2018
Dayville/Monument fueling up for fun season
Tigers host
Prairie City in
Dayville Aug. 31
2018 Dayville/
Monument
Tigers football
schedule
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Aug. 31: vs. Prairie City in Dayville at 1 p.m.
Sept. 7: vs. Echo in Monument at 1 p.m.
Sept. 14: @ Joseph at 6 p.m.
Sept. 21: @ Harper at 12 p.m. (MT)
Sept. 28: @ Mitchell/Spray/Wheeler in
Spray at 2 p.m.
Oct. 5: @ McKenzie at 7 p.m.
Oct. 12: vs. South Wasco County in
Monument at 1 p.m.
Oct. 19: vs. Huntington in Dayville at 1 p.m.
Oct. 26: @ Burnt River at 1 p.m.
A shift from eight-man to
six-man football for smaller
schools in Oregon this year,
including the Dayville/Monu-
ment Tigers, is moving teams
into high gear for an exhilarat-
ing season.
“Everyone gets a fresh
start with six-man this sea-
son,” said new Dayville/Mon-
Gabe Walker-
Hopkins
Cade
Milton
ument Tiger head coach Kyle
Hand. “It’s brand new to ev-
erybody.”
Dayville/Monument’s sea-
son started Saturday at the
Echo Jamboree, and the Ti-
gers will host the Prairie City
Panthers at 1 p.m. Friday,
Aug. 31, in Dayville.
Hand, who was Tiger as-
sistant coach last season for
Nathaniel Ashley, is the new
head coach. He was also a
volunteer assistant coach in
2009 and 2010.
The Tigers were a junior
varsity team the past two
years, and are back at varsity
this season.
Six-man football, which is
big in states such as Texas and
Montana, is in the pilot stage
in Oregon for the 2018 and
2019 seasons.
Any school with an adjust-
ed enrollment of 89 or less
can participate. There will be
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
See TIGERS, Page A9
Dayville/Monument Tiger JT Hand (3) moves the ball
with teammate Cade Milton (75) on his tail in practice.
YOUNG, RAW, READY
Prospector football
team resets for
season
Aug. 31: @ Knappa at 7 p.m.
Sept. 7: vs. Monroe at 6 p.m.
Sept. 15: vs. Gold Beach/Pacific at 2 p.m.
at Summit High School in Bend
Sept. 21: vs. Umatilla at 7 p.m.
Sept. 28: @ Kennedy at 7 p.m., location TBA
Oct. 5: @ Stanfield at 7 p.m.
Oct. 12: vs. Riverside at 7 p.m.
Oct. 19: @ Heppner at 7 p.m.
Oct. 26: vs. Weston-McEwen at 7 p.m.
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
‘F
inish every play! Finish ev-
ery rep! Finish your home-
work!”
Those were orders called out by
Grant Union head coach Jason Miller
during last week’s practice as players
ran through football
drills.
With just two
seniors this season
— 11 graduated in
June — the 22 var-
sity players have big
cleats to fill.
Garrett
Junior Drew Lus-
Lenz
co is Grant Union’s
only returning starter,
and a handful of oth-
ers have varsity expe-
rience.
“Drew Lusco is
strong and experi-
enced,” Miller said.
“He has great size
Caleb
and is a good leader
Rand
on the offensive and
defensive line.”
Lusco said the team has some re-
fining to do, but they’re “big on heart.”
“The whole team is working hard-
er than anyone else in 2A right now,”
he said.
Last year, Lusco was named to the
All-State first team for defensive line-
man and second team for offensive
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Grant Union Prospector Russell Hodge catches as Dylan Clark moves in during practice. In back, from
left, are assistant coach Tucker Wright, Justin Hodge and Tanler Fuller.
lineman.
Five others on the 2017 All-State
list graduated, including wide receiv-
ers, defensive backs, a linebacker and
a running back.
The Prospectors were Wapiti
League champions last season, and
ended their run at state in the quar-
terfinal round with a 50-14 loss to
the Santiam Wolverines in John Day.
Grant Union had eight wins and two
losses on the season.
Grant Union lost last year’s start-
ing quarterback Wade Reimers to
graduation, and backup quarterback
Kellen Shelley moved to Tillamook
this summer.
This year’s seniors are Caleb Rand
Turkeys and chickens popular with
bidders at the Grant County Fair
SPORTS
SCHEDULE
Grant Union cross
country time trial at
Grant Union at 4 p.m.
Blue Mountain Eagle
Long Creek/Ukiah JV
vs. Burnt River in Long
Creek at 4:30 p.m.
By Angel Carpenter
See FAIR, Page A9
and Garrett Lenz, who is starting
quarterback for the Prospectors.
Lenz played the position last year
in some junior varsity games. Miller
said that team performed well last
season.
This year, there are not enough
players to fill a junior varsity team.
“It’s just been a struggle to get
Thursday,
Aug. 30
Youth Livestock
Auction sales
total $246,800
Chickens and turkeys were
a new addition this year at
the Aug. 18 Youth Livestock
Auction at the Grant County
Fair.
“This was the first year
that we had this, and it was a
huge success,” said 4-H lead-
er Deanna Maley. “The kids
worked hard and provided a
great product.”
She said these projects are
ideal for kids living in town
and don’t require a big invest-
ment of money.
The investment of time
and care for the animals, on
the other hand, is significant.
Each year, businesses and
individuals open their hearts
and wallets in support of the
4-H and FFA youths who raise
steer, swine, sheep, goats and,
this year, poultry for auction.
Shannon Springer is a
member of the volunteer auc-
tion committee, an incorpo-
rated nonprofit that operates
the auction.
She said, each year, she’s
amazed at the generosity
of the bidders and other do-
nors.
2018 Grant
Union
Prospector
football
schedule
Friday, Aug. 31
Dayville/Monument
football vs. Prairie City
in Dayville at 1 p.m.
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
From left, Ty McDaniel and Dan Hall assist Reid Dole in
holding his Grand Champion pen of market chickens
with Brooke Taynton, at right, representing Pioneer Feed.
Dayville/Monument
volleyball vs. Prairie City
in Dayville at 4 p.m.
Grant Union football @
Knappa at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 1
Grant Union volleyball
@ Heppner Tournament
at 9 a.m.
Prairie City volleyball
hosts tournament
(Dayville/Monument @
tournament) in Prairie
City at 9 a.m.
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Maggie Justice holds her Grand Champion turkey,
standing with Charley Knowles, buyer representative for
Solutions CPAs, at the Youth Livestock Auction Aug. 18 at
the Grant County Fair in John Day.
Tuesday, Sept. 4
Grant Union volleyball
@ La Grande at 7 p.m.
guys out,” Miller said, adding some
had a late start with practices because
of finishing duties at the fair.
Lenz and juniors Russell Hodge
and Taylor Hunt saw some varsity
time last season. Hodge will be a run-
ning back and kicker.
“Taylor Hunt works hard and is
linebacker and fullback, some offen-
sive line,” Miller said. “He’s doing a
great job stepping in and doing what-
ever we need.”
Other than those positions, “we’re
still fighting for spots,” he said.
Hunt said although they’ve lost a
lot of seniors, he’s excited to see what
the defense will do this year.
“We have a lot of young kids will-
ing to fill whatever they can,” he said.
“I’m just excited to see what this
young team has in store for us,” Lenz
said. “Heart and hard work is going to
get us where we want to be.”
Andy Lusco is back as Grant
Union defensive coordinator, and
Tucker Wright is back as an assistant
coach.
See PROS, Page A9
S PORTS R OUNDUP
Grant Union
places 2nd at
home volleyball
tourney
The Grant Union Pros-
pector volleyball team came
out to battle with visitors
from seven schools in Sat-
urday’s home tournament in
John Day.
The Prospectors defeated
the 1A Jordan Valley Mus-
tangs 2-1 in the quarterfinals
with scores of 25-14, 16-25
and 16-14.
In the semifinals, Grant
Union beat Pilot Rock 2-0
with scores of 25-16 and 25-
23.
The Lady Pros then fell
to the Weston-McEwen Ti-
gerScots 1-2 in the tourna-
ment’s championship with
scores of 27-29, 25-21 and
13-15.
Head coach Ali Abrego
said she was pleased with
her team’s performance for
their first home event.
“It was awesome to see
how the team worked to-
gether and how the young-
er girls — Maddie Spencer,
Lauryn Pettyjohn and Grace
Taylor — stepped up to the
plate,” Abrego said. “The
older girls really demon-
strated what it meant to be
a teammate this weekend,
helping ease the younger
girls’ nervousness.”
She said, although they
took the loss, they saw some
good competition to help
them as the season gets un-
derway.
“As Weston is in our
league, it’ll be a challenge
when we meet up with them
again later in the season,”
Abrego said. “We beat Pi-
lot Rock in pool play and
in bracket play, but they as
well will be a good match
for us.”
She said senior Hailie
Wright was a stand out as
setter, and several others
performed well, including
Baylee Combs, Alcie Moore
and Grace Taylor.
Grant Union hosted the
Burns Hilanders on Tues-
day, Aug. 28, past press
time, and on Saturday they
travel to the Heppner Invi-
tational Tournament, which
starts at 9 a.m.
Prairie City
competes with
high-ranking
teams at 1A
Season Preview
Tournament
The Prairie City Pan-
ther volleyball team was on
the road Friday and Satur-
day for the 1A Season Pre-
view Tournament hosted by
Country Christian in Mo-
lalla. Invitees to the tourna-
ment were some of the top
teams in the state.
Panther head coach Jor-
dan Bass said, although they
weren’t as successful on the
scoreboard as they wanted to
See ROUNDUP, Page A9