A10
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
WEDNESDAY
September 5, 2018
Prairie City’s six-man team gearing up for intense season
Panthers will
host Harper at
7 p.m. Friday
2018 Prairie City
football schedule
Sept. 7: vs. Harper at 7 p.m.
Sept. 14: @ South Wasco County in Maupin at 5 p.m.
Sept. 21: vs. Joseph at 6 p.m.
Sept. 28: vs. Echo at 7 p.m.
Oct. 5: @ Huntington at 1 p.m.
Oct. 12: vs. McKenzie at 7 p.m.
Oct. 19: vs. Burnt River at 7 p.m.
Oct. 26: @ Mitchell/Spray/Wheeler in Mitchell at 2 p.m.
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Prairie City Panther grid-
ders are ready for those Fri-
day night lights, and they’ll be
playing a new style of game
— six-man football.
The Panthers’ home open-
er is at 7 p.m. Friday, when
they host the Harper Hornets.
Prairie City head coach
Nate Barber said fans should
find the game riveting.
“Six-man football will be
pretty exciting,” he said. “It’s
pretty fast paced. It makes the
kids have to be more disci-
plined — stay in their zones.”
Fans can expect to see a lot
more passing, and Barber said
that’s where returning quar-
terback sophomore Jayden
Winegar will help the team.
“His accuracy has im-
proved with a stronger arm,”
Barber said.
“Quarterbacks do a bit of
scrambling,” he added. “You
have to be disciplined and
stick to your receiver. Broken
plays can burn you.”
The six-man game has
some different rules. Three
players must start on the line
of scrimmage, but any player,
except the passer, is eligible to
Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter
Prairie City Panther Jake McHatton, left, moves in on ball carrier Wyatt Armstrong in
practice Aug. 28.
Lane
Williams
Jake
McHatton
catch a forward pass.
The quarterback can’t
progress the ball past the line
of scrimmage unless the ball
is handed off or passed — al-
though once a pass or handoff
is made, he can get it back.
“You have
to be creative
with
your
play calling,
but it’s still
fundamental
ball playing,”
Wyatt
Barber said.
Armstrong “There
are
opportunities
to come back even if you’re
down.”
A first down is made in 15
yards instead of 10, and the
length of periods is 10 min-
utes.
A field goal is 4 points. An
extra point or points can be
earned after a touchdown with
1 point for a successful pass
or scrimmage or 2 points for a
successful place or drop kick.
This is Barber’s second
year as head coach, and the
year before that he was assis-
tant coach.
His assistants this year are
Crockett Packard and Zach
DeRosier.
He said a good attitude
from the team is creating a
positive atmosphere, and he’s
seeing strength in his team.
The coach said sopho-
more Declan Zweygardt is
returning with “size, hustle
and strength.” As a running
back and receiver, the coach
said he’s an “intelligent foot-
ball player — disciplined and
strong.”
Senior Wyatt Armstrong,
who transferred from Burnt
River School in Unity, is a
running back, receiver and
backup quarterback.
“He’s stepping into a lead-
ership role as a senior,” Bar-
ber said.
“Jake McHatton anchors
the line offensively and de-
fensively,” he added. “Bladen
Burril is another part of the
line that is strong — an excel-
lent blocker.”
He said McHatton, a se-
nior, is center, and Burril, a
sophomore, will also play that
position.
Freshman Marcus Judd is
also stepping up and filling in
spots, the coach said.
Barber said he’s happy to
see the numbers on the roster
spread out among the grades
with three seniors, three ju-
niors, four sophomores and
four freshmen.
Senior Lane Williams said
he’s looking forward to the
season.
“This is my last year, and
I’ve never seen a team with as
much intensity as these guys,”
he said.
Armstrong said, with the
team getting into shape, he’s
expecting a good season.
Senior Jonathan Law-
rence said the six-man game
is faster than they originally
thought.
“We just need to prepare
for it to get faster and faster,”
he said. “We’ve got size and
speed — a little bit of every-
thing. I’m glad to have these
guys as my teammates.”
Prairie City will face eight
opponents in the 1A Special
District 5: Burnt River, Day-
ville/Monument, Echo, Harp-
See PANTHERS, Page A13
Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter
The Grant Union Prospector volleyball team celebrates a
good rally in their win over Burns Aug. 28 in John Day. From
left: Yui Asami, Hailie Wright (10), Aidan Broemeling, Kori Jo
Girvin (8), Sydney Brockway (11) and McKeely Miller (4).
Grant Union takes
exhilarating 3-1
win over Burns
Prospector team
work ethic gets
the job done
Dayville/Monument Tiger Sam Adams gets in on the
action in practice.
SMALL BUT MIGHTY
Tigers look to bounce back
Dayville/
Monument
hosts Locos
at 5 p.m. Sept. 11
in Dayville
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Grant Union volley-
ball team came together for a
win over the Burns Hilanders
Aug. 28 at the Prospectors’
home court.
Although Burns pushed
the match to four sets, Pros-
pector head coach Ali Abrego
said she was proud of her
team.
“I know they have a lot of
history with Burns, so it was
really important to win on
our home court tonight, and I
think they worked really hard
for it,” she said.
Grant Union won with
scores of 25-17, 22-25, 25-19
and 25-14.
In the second set, scoring
went back and forth through-
out, and after Grant Union
tied it 22-22, Burns pulled
ahead for the win.
Grant Union stayed ahead
in the third until Burns tied
it 13-13. Then scores were
close. Senior Hailie Wright
closed it on a positive note
with consistent serving.
The Prospectors took an
early lead in the fourth set and
kept that cushion to win the
match.
Abrego said the setters,
Wright and senior Alcie
Moore, worked hard, and
outside hitter Sydney Brock-
way, also a senior, constantly
pursued the balls no one else
would.
“I think that’s really spe-
cial to have that work ethic
amongst the team,” the coach
Dayville/Monument’s Katelyn Barker is in action during
the Tigers’ Wednesday afternoon practice.
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant Union Prospector
senior Trinity Hutchison
steps in for a save during
the match with Burns.
said, adding senior libero Yui
Asami, a Japanese student at-
tending Grant Union this year,
also gave a great effort and
performed well.
“I thought we did good
all together,” Wright said.
“We had some peaks and val-
leys, but for the most part we
stayed up from start to finish.”
“I think we played re-
ally well with great setting,
passing, hitting, serving and
blocking — all around,” said
Prospector senior Kori Jo Gir-
vin. “I’m proud of our win.”
Abrego said last week-
end’s tournament in Heppner
gave them an opportunity to
face league opponents before
competing with them in Sep-
tember.
“I think we have a really
gifted team,” Abrego said.
“I think that once everybody
is back into full swing and
everybody is back in the ro-
tations, it will just be smooth
sailing.”
The Dayville/Monument
Tiger volleyball team is
poised for a big comeback
this season.
Seven of the nine girls
on the team are returning
varsity players, and the two
freshmen have volleyball
experience.
Dayville/Monument is
led by Kristi Emerson, who
is in her second year as head
coach with seven years over-
all with the team. Cheyenne
Perkins is in her second year
as assistant coach.
The Tigers’ goal this year
is to let hard work pay the
dividends of a district cham-
pionship. Emerson said
staying positive to win their
way out of any slumps will
be key.
It’s a system that worked
for them at the Aug. 25
Echo Jamboree JV Tourna-
ment where the Tigers won
all four of their games 2-0,
competing with one varsity
team, Nixyaawii, and three
junior varsity teams.
“If they got down by
three or four points, they got
back into the game,” Emer-
son said. “They’re working
on staying positive and not
getting down.”
Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter
The Dayville/Monument Tiger volleyball team closes their practice on Wednesday,
gathering around head coach Kristi Emerson, back center/left, and assistant coach
Cheyenne Perkins, with baby.
2018 Dayville/
Monument
Tiger volleyball
schedule
Faythe
Schafer
Kyla
Emerson
She said the goal is to
keep trying.
The two seniors, Faythe
Schafer and Kyla Emer-
son, are returning starters
and have played the game
together since fifth grade.
Each have reasons behind
their good outlook on the
season.
“I’m excited because
we’re trying a new defense
and offense, and I’m excited to
see how it works against other
teams,” said Schafer, who is a
setter and team captain. “We
have a lot of skilled players
Dayville/Monument Tiger
Aubrey Bowlus returns
the ball in practice.
who know the game, so that
will be a plus this year.”
“I think the serving is our
strongest point, and with
the new rotation, we’re able
to cover a lot more ground
with less confusion,” Kyla
said.
See TIGERS, Page A13
Sept. 11: vs. Huntington
in Dayville at 5 p.m.
Sept. 21: @ Harper at 3
p.m. (MT)
Sept 22: @ Adrian at 11
a.m. (MT)
Sept 29: @ Condon/
Wheeler in Fossil at 11
a.m.
Sept. 29: vs. Trinity
Lutheran in Fossil at 12:30
p.m.
Oct. 2: @ Burnt River at
5 p.m.
Oct. 6: vs. Jordan Valley
in Dayville at 1 p.m.
Oct. 13: vs. Crane in
Monument at 1 p.m.
Oct. 20: High Desert
District Tournament in John
Day at 8 a.m.