WEDNESDAY
October 2, 2019
Prairie City football claims 55-24 victory over Locomotives
Team travels to
Finn Rock to face
McKenzie Eagles
Friday
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Prairie City/Burnt River
Panthers claimed their first vic-
tory of the season at home Friday,
defeating the Huntington/Harper
Locomotives 55-24.
The quarterback for the Pan-
thers, sophomore Jayden Winegar,
completed eight of 17 passes for
151 yards and three touchdowns.
He rushed 104 yards on seven car-
ries and scored two touchdowns.
Panther Declan Zweygardt
rushed for 262 yards on 18 carries
and scored three touchdowns.
“We were up against a team
that we outmanned,” said Panther
coach Scott Dean. “I think that
affected us. We knew that first half
would happen.”
Prairie City led by 41 points at
halftime.
The Panther team was fired up
from the start, scoring on their first
drive with Winegar rushing 20
yards on the play.
Winegar connected with Opie
McDaniel to score on the Panthers’
next possession. McDaniel had six
carries for 58 yards.
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
The Prairie City/Burnt River Panthers swarm in, tackling a Huntington/Harper ball carrier Damion Klosky. Panthers
from left are Sam Allen, Doyal Lawrence (back), Rocky Wang, Jake McHatton, Austin Catron and Cole Teel.
“He ran hard and was tough
to bring down two touchdowns,”
Dean said.
The Panther defense then halted
the Locomotives’ progress, forc-
ing a turnover on downs that
included Prairie City tackling in
the backfield.
Winegar connected with fresh-
man Doyal Lawrence for a touch-
down pass, and Lawrence was
there for the conversion point as
well. Lawrence made three catches
with 94 yards in the game.
Prairie City was up 19-0 going
into the second quarter.
Zweygardt made it 25-0 when
he battled through the middle from
the 4-yard line on fourth down.
Winegar deflected a pass on
Huntington/Harper’s next drive to
bring up fourth down.
Although an illegal blind-
side block was called on the Pan-
thers on their next possession, they
moved through the setback. After
some rushing gains, Winegar con-
nected with Lawrence on a 25-yard
pass.
Zweygardt made it 33-0, taking
another handoff from Winegar and
weaving through the blocks.
The Locomotives scored their
first touchdown of the game with 1
minute left in the half, the Panthers
leading 49-8.
Nine Prairie City cheerlead-
ers performed an energetic half-
time routine, adding to the positive
atmosphere.
When the Panthers were up 55-8
in the third, coach Dean opened up
the field for all his players to get
experience.
“We just wanted to play every-
body, get everybody in the ball
game, and made sure that every-
body would be OK at the end of
the game,” Dean said.
For the Panther defense, Wine-
gar had 14 tackles, Austin Catron
had 12, Zweygardt had nine, cen-
ter Jake McHatton had eight and
Georgiy Georgiyev had seven.
Dean said his team accom-
plished a lot in Friday’s game. Next
up, the Panthers travel to McKen-
zie to face the Eagles at 7 p.m. Fri-
day in Finn Rock.
“We’re starting to see some
progress in our program, and
not just passing — running and
defense,” Dean said. “It’s all com-
ing together. It’s just going to be
slow.”
Commenting on some of the
players, he said Zweygardt is
learning to run hard, including run-
ning through tackles.
“That’s what we saw today,”
Dean said. “I saw several run
through tackles.”
McDaniel was also running
through tackles.
Dean said McDaniel reminds
him of Baltimore Colt fullback
Tom Newicki, from back in Dean’s
day — “where if he saw you, he
wanted to get a piece of you, and
See Football, Page B8
Prairie City volleyball dominates Huntington for the sweep Friday
All 12 Panthers
get in on the action
against the Hornets
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Prairie City Panthers
got the sweep at home Fri-
day, hosting the Huntington
Locomotives.
Prairie City dominated
the evening, winning with
scores of 25-6, 25-8 and
25-8.
Panther head coach
Jordan Bass said she was
pleased that all 12 of
her girls were in on the
action, gaining valuable
experience.
Freshmen
BettyAnn
Wilson and Laken McKay
contributed in the match,
with Wilson garnering six
kills and McKay adding
five aces.
McKay was 100% for
the evening on 17 serves,
and the team was 90% on
serving.
Prairie City pushed for
early leads in all three sets.
Early in the first set,
Panther Katie Hire, a
junior, scored on two aces
and McKay also had two
aces. Hire also had four
kills in the match.
After Panther senior
Hailee Wall went on a
serving run, including
two aces, the Panthers led
15-3. Wall had six aces for
the night.
Senior Emily Ennis had
three aces down the stretch
for Prairie City.
Panther senior Aleah
Johns made a save, and
Samantha
Workman
spiked for a kill to bring
the score to 23-6.
Huntington fought hard
in the final rally of the first
set, but Prairie City stayed
aggressive for the win,
holding the visitors to 6
points and continuing for
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Prairie City Panther sophomore Hannah Wall is in action
in Friday’s game against the Huntington Locomotives in
Prairie City.
wins in the next two sets.
Bass said she was
pleased with how her
entire team stayed com-
petitive throughout the
match.
“Hailee Wall has stayed
aggressive with her serves
and stayed consistent,”
Bass said.
The coach said senior
Shaine Madden is per-
forming well.
“(She) is doing a great
job as our libero,” Bass
said. “Shaine reads the
ball really well on defense
and is one of our really
consistent passers.”
On Friday, Wall was
looking forward to facing
the Adrian Antelopes on
the road.
“I’m ready for another
league game,” she said. “I
think we’re ready for what
they throw at us.”
Madden agreed.
“I’m looking forward to
staying up,” she said. “Our
confidence is there, our
communication is there —
we just have to maintain
that, and I think we can do
well.”
Bass expected Adrian
would be a good chal-
lenge, and they were.
The Antelopes leaped
away with a 3-0 win with
scores of 25-17, 25-16,
25-20.
Prairie City was 93% on
serving against Adrian, and
serve-receive was strong at
94%.
Ennis served 90%, and
Hire had 10 kills.
Panther assistant coach
Louanne Zweygardt said
“unforced digging and
hitting errors were our
downfall.”
Prairie City has a 9-5
overall record, 2-1 in league.
The Panthers face another
tough league opponent
on Saturday, Oct. 5, when
they host the Jordan Valley
Mustangs.
PANTHER STATS HIGHLIGHTS VS.
HUNTINGTON
Katie Hire: 2 aces, 4 kills
Emily Ennis: 3 aces
Hailee Wall: 6 aces
Laken McKay: 5 aces
Rilee Emmel: 2 kills
Samantha Workman: 4 kills
Hannah Wall: 2 kills
BettyAnn Wilson: 6 kills
Shaine Madden: 6 aces
Kaitlynne Ashley: 1 kill
SPORTS ROUNDUP
Grant Union volleyball splits
wins in Stanfield
Cross Country runners clock
fast times in Baker City
The Grant Union Prospector vol-
leyball team faced two league oppo-
nents in Stanfield on Saturday, going
1-1 for the day.
The Prospectors defeated the Stan-
field Tigers, 3-2, with scores of 25-19,
21-25, 25-19, 15-25 and 15-13.
Grant Union fell 2-3 to
Weston-McEwen, the TigerScots
winning with scores of 25-21,
25-19, 25-14, 16-25 and 15-12.
“This weekend was a big one for
us,” said Grant Union head coach
Ali Abrego. “Really proud of how
hard the girls worked to get their
win over Stanfield, and how hard
they fought against Weston-McE-
wen — they didn’t give up, just
had a few simple errors that lead
to us giving Weston too many free
points.”
Standouts in the games were
Taylor Allen, Kaytlyn Wells,
Baylee Combs and Maddie Spen-
cer, Abrego said.
“They worked well, and main-
tained composure throughout cru-
cial points in the game,” she said.
Grant Union faced the Union
Bobcats on the road Tuesday, past
press time. As of Monday, the Bob-
cats had a 4-0 league record in the
Blue Mountain Conference (fol-
lowed by Stanfield 3-2 and Grant
Union 2-3). Abrego said she was
expecting the match against the
Bobcats to be a tough one.
The Prospectors host their Dig
Pink Rally on Saturday at Grant
Union with varsity games starting at
2 p.m. with a match against the Enter-
prise Outlaws. Grant Union faces the
Pilot Rock Rockets at 5 p.m. Both are
league games. Spectators are encour-
aged to wear pink.
Grant Union Prospector cross
country runner Erika Dickens, a
senior, ran her second-fastest time
of the year on a difficult course, said
Grant Union head cross country coach
Sonna Smith.
“She placed ahead of everyone in
our league except for one Union girl
and the Burns contingency,” Smith
said.
Brady Dole also had an outstand-
ing race, she said.
“He ran the fastest any of our boys
have ran on this course in the last three
years,” Smith said. “The course was
extremely hilly with a steep incline
right before the finish.”
Grant Union competes at 4 p.m.
Thursday at the Thompson Ranch in
Heppner.
“We are hoping for some great
times,” Smith said.
BOYS RESULTS
1. 37. Brady Dole 19:18.22
2. 82. Jesse Randleas 20:54.71
3. 85. Quinn Larson 21:13.7
4. 95. Gage Brandon 21:33.88
5. 117. Max Bailey 23:02.7
GIRLS RESULTS
1. 13. Erika Dickens 22:39.74
2. 52. Katelyn Hughes 25:41.16
3. 56. Amelia Hall 25:59.38
4. 72. Tiler Voigt 28:50.82
5. 83. Mikiah Kimble 30:42.62
Prospector football team falls
in low-scoring game to Vikings
The 2A Grant Union Prospec-
tor football team was on the los-
ing end of a tight nonleague contest
with 3A Umatilla last Friday, the
Vikings winning 6-0.
“It was a defensive battle, in
which their only score resulted
from a short field (24 yards) in the
first quarter,” said Grant Union
head coach Jason Miller. “After
EO Media Group/Kathy Aney
Abby Lusco and Katelyn Wells
(15) of Grant Union block a hit by
Stanfield’s Justice Busler during
Saturday’s volleyball tournament
in Stanfield.
that defense played well.”
It was Grant Union’s fourth
straight loss for the season, but the
team has battled against high-rank-
ing competition.
They’ll have another challenge at
7 p.m. Friday when they host Ken-
nedy, the defending 2A state cham-
pions, in John Day. Last month, the
Trojans defeated the Santiam Wol-
verines — the team Kennedy beat
in last year’s state finals — 28-6.
Dayville/Monument volleyball
ready for homecoming match
vs. Harper Friday
The Dayville/Monument Tigers
volleyball team lost their first High
Desert League match of the season,
falling to Crane 3-0, the Mustangs
winning with scores of 25-17, 25-9
and 25-20.
“Our game against Crane was
very action packed,” said Tiger
head coach Treila Osborne. “We had
amazing blocks, and if we missed a
block, our back row did an excellent
job of digging the ball. We also had
great teamwork and supported each
other in Crane.”
She said the team is excited to
celebrate homecoming with a match
against the Harper Hornets at 4 p.m.
Friday in Monument.
The homecoming court will be
announced during halftime at the
Tiger football game that day at 1 p.m.
against Mitchell/Spray/Wheeler.
“We are excited to celebrate that
this weekend,” Osborne said. “We
are working on having a strong serv-
ing and hitting game this weekend.”
Ukiah/Long Creek volleyball
shows good sportsmanship,
despite recent losses
The Ukiah/Long Creek Moun-
tain Lion volleyball team is down
from 12 to eight players, but the team
fought on in games against the Day-
ville/Monument Tigers and Crane
Mustang junior varsity teams last
week.
Head coach Linda Studtmann said
she and co-coach Reagan Enriquez
“are proud of our girls.”
Studtmann said they lost four
players due to various circumstances,
including injured players. The loss
includes two players with previous
starting experience.
On Friday, Ukiah/Long Creek fell
to the Dayville/Monument Tigers,
the Tigers winning 3-0 with scores of
25-7, 25-11 and 25-14.
Studtmann said she was encour-
aged by her team’s attitude and
enthusiasm.
“They increased their score each
game and never gave up,” Studtmann
said. “They had good sportsmanship
and enjoyed the game.”
Ukiah/Long Creek won the first
set 25-13 in their battle with the Crane
junior varsity team, but the Mustangs
went on to win with scores of 25-10,
25-18 and 25-13 in the final three sets.
“We need to learn to not let a few
mistakes effect our overall perfor-
mance,” Studtmann said. “They tried
to encourage and support each other
and are learning to work together as
a team.”
The Mountain Lions face the
Burnt River Bulls at 3 p.m. Friday in
Unity, then host the Adrian Antelopes
junior varsity team in Dayville at noon
on Saturday.
1A Ukiah/Long Creek soccer
falls to 3A Nyssa
The 1A Ukiah/Long Creek Moun-
tain Lion boys soccer team fell by a
score of 12-0 to the 3A Nyssa Bull-
dogs Sept. 19 on the road.
Mountain Lion head coach Amos
Studmann said they were shorthanded
in the game, which made it especially
tough against an experienced team.
Studtmann said Thomas Kreamier,
a Mountain Lion junior, had a good
game and was involved in almost
every defensive stop.
“He’s aggressive, fast and a team
player,” the coach said. “He talks to
the team and keeps them motivated
and organized.”
The team has been reviewing
game tapes, and re-examining their
defensive strategies.
“We spent a week working on
defense,” Studtmann said. “If you
can’t play good defense, then you
have nothing to run your offense off
of.”
He said their goal is to improve
with each game.
“That’s always our goal,” he said.
Ukiah/Long Creek faced 3A Riv-
erside in Boardman on Tuesday, past
press time.