A8
PAGE LABEL
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
WEDNESDAY
November 13, 2019
Grant Union battles for sixth in state
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant Union Prospec-
tors started to rally in set
three against Portland Chris-
tian, but fell to the Royals
3-0 at the OSAA 2A Vol-
leyball State Championship
in the quarterfinal round at
Ridgeview High School in
Redmond.
The Prospectors went on
to beat the Bonanza Antlers
with scores of 25-18, 30-32,
25-22, 23-25 and 15-13 in
the consolation round. Grant
Union then lost a 3-0 battle
for fourth place to Union,
the Bobcats winning with
scores of 25-19, 25-15 and
25-17.
“It’s awesome to have
such a young team, and it’s
our first time at the tourna-
ment,” said Grant Union
head coach Ali Abrego.
“We made the top eight, and
that’s what we were aiming
to do.”
The loss to the Bobcats
placed the Prospectors at
sixth in state.
In their first game of the
day, the Prospectors fell to
Portland Christian in the first
two sets 25-7 and 25-10, but
began staging a comeback in
the third set.
The teams went back and
forth, then Grant Union went
on a scoring run with Taylor
Allen, a senior, serving.
Grant Union went up
7-4 when Prospector Abby
Lusco, a junior, spiked the
ball, then Allen served up an
ace.
The Royals made a hard
return of Allen’s next serve,
but Prospector senior Kay-
tlyn Wells was ready for it
with Kenna Combs, a junior,
setting the ball for Allen who
delivered a powerful kill.
The teams tied again
10-10, then the Royals began
pulling away. Prospector
sophomore Harli Grove had
two kills toward the end of
the set, but the Royals won it
25-18.
“Portland Christian is
really a great team. They’re a
lot older than we are, and that
really showed,” Abrego said.
Abrego said Grove han-
dles pressure well.
“She comes in cool off the
bench and causes a few errors
for that team and scores a few
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Grant Union Prospector Abby Lusco (7) cheers after making a forceful kill in the quarterfinal round on Nov. 8 against the Portland Christian Royals.
points for us — that’s really
awesome that she has the
ability to do that,” the coach
said. “Taylor’s serving accu-
racy — she’s improved a lot
— and she’s making smarter
decisions.”
Abrego said the game
against Bonanza was “intense
to say the least.”
“We had one set go
30-32,” she said. “It was a
long match, two hours and 45
minutes ... which just shows
how mentally tough our girls
had to be in order to win.”
It was the second time in
two years that Grant Union
beat Bonanza during the state
playoff or tournament.
Abrego expressed her
appreciation for assistant
coach Andrea Combs, and
said that while they both
will miss the three seniors
—Wells, Allen and Baylee
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
La Grande Observer/Ronald Bond
Grant Union Prospector Abby Lusco (7) pounds the ball with
Union Bobcat Ahnica Shoemaker (17) defending.
Combs — they’re glad they
don’t have to say goodbye to
nine seniors as they did last
year.
“Overall, we brought
home a trophy, and I’m very
Grant Union football team ends
season at quarterfinal round
pleased with that,” Abrego
said. “I’m thankful for the
opportunity to have coached
these girls.”
Kennedy defeated Cen-
tral Linn for the cham-
Grant Union Prospector starters prepare to battle the
Portland Christian Royals at the beginning of the State
Championship quarterfinal round on Nov. 8 in Redmond.
Clockwise from front: junior Maddie Spencer (6), sophomore
Carson Weaver, senior Kaytlyn Wells, senior Taylor Allen,
sophomore Grace Taylor and junior Abby Lusco (7).
pionship title, and Port-
land Christian placed third,
Union fourth and Verno-
nia fifth. Weston-McE-
wen also competed at the
tournament.
Mountain goat sighted near town
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Grant Union Prospector foot-
ball team faced an uphill challenge in
Saturday’s OSAA 2A State Champi-
onship first round battle against top-
seeded Kennedy.
They were unable to climb that
mountain, with the Trojans winning
35-6. Kennedy powered ahead with
an early 14-point lead, then Grant
Union slowed the Mt. Angel team’s
momentum.
“Our defense was stout,” said
Grant Union head coach Jason
Miller, who is assisted by coaches
Andy Lusco and Tucker Wright.
Prospector quarterback Devon
Stokes, a junior, connected on a deep
pass to senior Mason Gerry for Grant
Union’s sole touchdown.
“Offensively, turnovers and mis-
cues made it difficult for us to get into
a rhythm,” Miller said. “Kennedy is a
quality team.”
Grant Union had a tough early
season schedule, coming back from
five nonleague losses to place second
in Special District 6 with a 3-1 league
record.
The Prospectors first faced Ken-
nedy on Oct. 4 in John Day, the Tro-
jans winning 42-14. Kennedy was
undefeated in Special District 2, los-
ing only one nonleague game.
“Our early season schedule was
tough, and that made us tougher,”
Miller said. “It would have been nice
to have won a few of those early
close games, then we would not have
been playing the No. 1 seed.”
He added, “I am proud of the play-
ers this season from our seniors to our
freshmen, varsity and JV.”
Eagle file photo
Grant Union Prospector Mason
Gerry rushes as Taylor Hunt blocks
Kennedy’s Bruce Beyer (3) and
Brady Traeger (12) during the Oct.
4 game in John Day. Grant Union
faced the Trojans again in the first
round at the OSAA 2A Football
State Championship on Saturday in
Mt. Angel, Kennedy advancing to
the quarterfinal round.
BLUE MOUNTAIN CONFERENCE
ALL-LEAGUE
Grant Union football
Defense
Defensive Backs
Justin Hodge, sophomore, first team
Tanler Fuller, sophomore, second team
Linebackers
Peyton Neault, junior, first team
Russell Hodge, senior, first team
Jack Strong, freshman, honorable mention
Defensive Lineman
Drew Lusco, senior, first team
Frank Douglass, senior, second team
Offense
Receivers
Justin Hodge, first team
Mason Gerry, senior, second team
Jordan Hall, junior, second team
Quarterback
Devon Stokes, junior, second team
Running backs
Russell Hodge, first team
Taylor Hunt, senior, honorable mention
Offensive Line
Drew Lusco, first team
Peyton Neault, second team
Punter
Russell Hodge, first team
Contributed photo/Tanni Wenger Photography
Professional photographer Tanni Wenger of John Day snapped this photo of a mountain goat wandering on
a hill on the west side of Canyon City. She took the photo from Adams Drive, looking to the west.