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.