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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 12, 2018)
Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, September 12, 2018 A9 WEDNESDAY September 12, 2018 Prospector JV team sweeps Tigers 3-0 By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle The 1A Dayville/Mon- ument Tigers varsity girls were missing a key part of their team Wednesday as they faced 2A Grant Union Pros- pector junior varsity in John Day. Grant Union made a 3-0 sweep with scores of 25-15, 25-9 and 25-9. Tiger head coach Kristi Emerson said their setter and team captain, senior Faythe Schafer, was out due to a non- sports injury. Schafer plans to return this week. Another Tiger senior, Kyla Emerson, has also been out, recovering from a previous sports injury, leaving just seven Dayville/Monument players. Grant Union’s junior varsity team has 14 on their roster. Coach Emerson said her team had difficulty playing together with the rotation change and missed too many serves. “Aubrey Bowlus and De- nali Twehues fought hard,” she said. “We had some good, big plays at the net, but not enough to carry us through.” Grant Union head coach Ali Abrego said she was excited to see consistency in rotations from her junior varsity team. “They were kind of ner- vous to play a varsity team — most are freshmen — but they did awesome,” she said. “They were disciplined and executed our plan.” The Tigers hosted the Hun- tington Locomotives Tuesday past press time, and the team travels to Harper Sept. 21. Grant Union junior varsi- ty is next scheduled to face the Burns Hilanders at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18. The varsity team will host Heppner at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13. The Eagle/Angel Carpenter The Grant Union Prospector junior varsity team swept the Dayville/Monument Tigers on Sept. 5 in John Day. Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter Grant Union’s Justin Hodge carries the ball as Jordan Hall (1) blocks in the game against Monroe. Grant Union falls in home opener to defending state champs Grant Union plays Gold Beach in Bend Saturday By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle The young Grant Union Prospector football team took on a tough challenge Friday night, losing 20-8 to the 2017 2A defending state champions, the Monroe Dragons. Prospector head coach Ja- son Miller said his team has things to work on, but they played hard. “You still have those mis- takes a young team will show you, but I’m happy with their effort,” he said after the game. “I think we just played one of the top teams in the state to a tight game.” Grant Union marched the ball about 20 yards to the 39 on their first drive, but dropped the snap on fourth down. Monroe took advantage of the good field position for their first touchdown of the game made by quarterback Brody Ballard. Grant Union had posses- sion headed into the second quarter with quarterback Gar- rett Lenz and running back Justin Hodge each gaining first downs. Then Dragon line- backer Colton Sutton sacked Lenz to bring up fourth down. On Monroe’s next drive, Dragon running back Zach Young slipped away for a big run, and during his next rush with the ball, Young fell and appeared to twist his knee. He was helped off the field, later assisted by the Blue Mountain Hospital ambulance crew. Dragon running back Eric Teran followed up with a touchdown. Grant Union’s Jordan Hall returned the Dragon’s kickoff to score, which brought on a loud shot from the local Whis- key Gulch Gang’s cannon. Lenz scored the two-point conversion with a keeper. Lenz and Taylor Hunt had tackles for loss on the next drive, before Hall intercepted a pass to give the Prospectors the ball. The Prospectors were moving the ball, but Monroe intercepted just before half- time. Grant Union and Monroe held each other off in the third, with neither team scoring. Sutton scored for the Drag- ons once more in the fourth with Louden Ballard catching for extra points. The Prospectors made a run for a touchdown, but couldn’t quite punch it in as the clock ran down, and Monroe again gained possession. Lenz said, while they have a lot to work on, he’s happy with the team. “I’m proud of our perfor- mance,” he said. “We’re full of heart, but I know that ev- ery single one of my guys will give 100 percent.” Miller said he was pleased with individuals and the team as a whole. “Justin Hodge, as a fresh- man he really stepped up, Russell Hodge played a hard game, Garrett is a good lead- er, Drew (Lusco) making big holes for us and the line is doing a great job,” the coach said. “Everybody — it was a great team effort. I’m really proud of them.” Grant Union will face Gold Beach/Pacific at Summit High School in Bend at 2 p.m. Sat- urday. Grant Union Prospector quarterback Garrett Lenz (2) gains yards as teammate Logan Namitz (64) moves in to block Monroe’s Jorge Sanchez (76). S TAMINA , E NDURANCE The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Cross country prospects favorable with full teams 11 boys and 7 girls make up varsity roster By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle T he Grant Union varsity cross country team’s work- outs have steadily increased in intensity since practices began Aug. 13. On Sept. 4, the athletes ran up and down hills — 12 hills for the boys and 11 for the girls — building stamina and endurance. “We have upped their training intensity because they had miles on their legs,” said head coach Sonna Smith. “So they’re actually learn- ing the hard way to achieve their goals.” Smith said she’s excited to start the season with more numbers this year. Sonna Smith Braden Spencer Tanner Elliott Nine out of 11 varsity boys were on last year’s team, and four of sev- en of the girls are also experienced. There are also 10 junior high run- ners, with seven boys and three girls. Smith started the cross country team at Grant Union in 1995 and, af- ter a hiatus, launched the team back up five years ago. She not only coaches cross coun- try, but is also the new athletic direc- Grant Union’s boys cross country team has their timed trial Aug. 30 at the Seventh Street Complex in John Day. Tanner Elliott jumps out for a quick start, and also finished the 5K run in first place. tor this year and teaches science for Grant Union. Leading the varsity team are two senior boys, Tanner Elliott and Bra- den Spencer. Spencer, who has been on the team three years, said he has a goal to show up for every practice and improve his time. He said he’s hap- py to see more athletes out for the team. Elliott, who has been on the team since eighth grade, agreed. “It’s quite interesting to watch us go from barely having a boys and girls team to growing now to have a JV and varsity team,” he said. He said he enjoys the challenge cross country offers. See TEAM, Page A10 Cougars take down Tigers at Monument field Team roars to life for second half of game By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle The Echo Cougars dominated the Dayville/Monument Tigers 66-28 on Friday at the Monument football field. Echo running back Mason Smith scored the first touchdown the first quarter, and Dayville/Monument’s Gabe Walker-Hopkins grabbed the Cougar’s onside kick, returning to score. Walker-Hopkins also scored the ex- tra point. (In six-man football, 1 extra point is earned for a successful pass or scrimmage, and 2 points are awarded for a successful place or drop kick.) The Tigers were ahead 7-6, but it would be their only lead of the game. The Cougars took back the lead, scoring three more touchdowns — on the third, the Tigers blocked Echo’s point-after kick. Heading into the second quarter, Echo led 26-7 and scored three touch- downs. Cade Milton and JT Hand were in on tackles, and DJ Howell sacked the Echo quarterback Devan Craig down the stretch. Dayville/Monument trailed 7-47 at halftime but came to life in the second half. See FOOTBALL, Page A10 Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter Dayville/Monument quarterback JT Hand, right, makes a handoff to Mark Thomas in Friday’s game against Echo in Monument. Dayville/Monument Tigers Enrique Vidrio (25) and JT Hand (5) try to catch up to Echo running back Mason Smith (32) who rushes for the first touchdown of the game for the Cougars.
