MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
B1
WEDNESDAY
November 6, 2019
Grant Union earns trip
to State Championships
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The No. 12-seeded Grant Union
Prospector volleyball team is
advancing to the OSAA 2A Vol-
leyball State Championship, fac-
ing the No. 4-seeded Portland
Christian Royals at 4 p.m. Fri-
day on court 2 at Redmond’s
Ridgeview High School.
The Prospectors took full
advantage of their wild card spot
for round one of the state play-
offs Saturday defeating the Mon-
roe Dragons 3-1.
“We played one of the best
games that we have all season
and knocked off the No. 5 team
in the state,” said Prospector
head coach Ali Abrego.
Grant Union won with scores
of 14-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-21.
Abrego said her team came out
timid in the first set, but gained
their bearings in the second.
“The third set was intense and
a real turning point for us — we
fought hard to secure the win,”
Abrego said. “We were disci-
plined for three consecutive sets,
something that we’ve struggled
with in the preseason.”
She said each team member
had a solid game, contributing to
the win.
“This win was a real team
effort, and we worked hard to
eliminate our own mistakes,” she
said.
Grant Union has a 14-16
overall record, 7-5 league, and
Portland Christian is 25-3 and
12-0.
A noisy sendoff will take
place at 5 p.m. Thursday, as the
Prospectors travel out of town
to Redmond. The tradition usu-
ally includes emergency vehi-
cles with sirens blaring and
lights flashing, leading the way
and fans in their vehicles fol-
lowing behind the bus, honking
their horns. Fans also waves from
the sidewalks in John Day and Mt.
Vernon.
File photo
The Grant Union Prospector volleyball team is advancing to the state championship tournament in Redmond
Nov. 8-9 after defeating the Monroe Dragons on Saturday. In the photo, Kaytlyn Wells (15) is in action earlier in the
season against the Union Bobcats.
Prospectors topple TigerScots
to advance to state playoffs
Prospectors finish
second in Special
District 6 with
win over Weston-
McEwen
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Grant Union Pros-
pector football team came
away with the victory they
needed Friday, crushing the
Weston-McEwen
Tiger-
Scots 46-6 and punching
their ticket to round one of
the OSAA Football State
Championships.
The Prospectors, seeded
No. 16, will face the top-
seeded Kennedy Trojans
at 1 p.m. Saturday at Ken-
nedy High School in Mt.
Angel.
Friday night’s contest
began with a 6-6 tie after
the first quarter.
Grant Union head coach
Jason Miller said his team
then stepped up defen-
sively and forced a turn-
over — an interception by
sophomore Justin Hodge.
“We scored a touch-
down on that drive and
scored again just before the
half to go up 18-6,” Miller
said. “The second half, we
were able to move the ball
and get stops on defense.”
It was Grant Union’s
final league game, finishing
second in Special District
6 behind the No. 3-seeded
Heppner Mustangs.
The Prospectors had an
early look at Kennedy in the
preseason, the Trojans tak-
ing the 42-14 win on Oct. 4.
Eagle file photo
The Grant Union Prospectors advance to round one of the OSAA State Football Championships on Friday, facing the Kennedy Trojans in Mt. Angel. In the
photo, Jack Strong, left, and Tanler Fuller (20) wrap up a Heppner ball carrier earlier in the season.
Looking forward to this
week’s game, Miller said
Kennedy is ranked No. 1 for
a reason.
“They are solid across the
board and have a lot of expe-
rience,” he said. “We have
improved since we played
them last, and we feel like
we can force this game to
the wire, if we continue to
play physically tough and
smart.”
There will be a noisy
sendoff for the Prospectors
as they leave for the game at
8:30 a.m. Friday. The tradi-
tion usually includes emer-
gency vehicles with their
lights and sirens blaring and
vehicles following the bus,
honking their horns, as well
as people waving from the
sidewalks in John Day and
Mt. Vernon.
Prairie City volleyball team ends season at state first round in Joseph
Panther Rilee
Emmel, a
senior, prepares
to slam the
ball during
the Oct. 26
District 1A High
Desert League
Tournament
in John Day,
defeating
the Adrian
Antelopes.
Eagle file photo
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Prairie City Panthers volleyball
team pushed the Joseph Eagles to four
sets in their round one state playoff
battle Wednesday, Oct. 30, in Joseph,
the Eagles winning 25-18, 25-14,
19-25 and 25-18.
“The playoff match was a really
exciting battle for our team,” said
Prairie City head coach Jordan Bass.
“They played hard, and a lot of things
we have been working on all season
came together.”
The Panthers earned the round one
match after placing third at the Dis-
trict 1A High Desert League Tourna-
ment on Oct. 26, defeating the Adrian
Antelopes.
Bass said the crowd of fans in the
gym made for a loud competition, but
she said, “I think it fed into our energy
instead of taking away from it.”
“I made some in-game adjustments
and the girls responded well,” she said.
“It was really fun to watch them and
see how determined they were to play
their best.”
Prairie City claimed a victory in the
third set with a serving run from Pan-
ther Shaine Madden, a senior.
“That really threw Joseph out of
system and gave our girls the oppor-
tunity to get our offense going,” Bass
said. “Even though we ended on a loss,
this team worked really hard to get
there and should be proud of the sea-
son we had.”
HIGH DESERT ALL-LEAGUE HONORS FOR
PRAIRIE CITY
First team
Co-player of the year: Rilee Emmel, senior, outside hitter
Co-setter of the year: Katie Hire, junior
Second team
Emily Ennis, senior, setter
Hailee Wall, senior, middle blocker
Honorable mention
Shaine Madden, senior, libero
Samantha Workman, junior, middle blocker