MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
B1
WEDNESDAY
November 27, 2019
PRAIRIE CITY SPORTS PREVIEWS
Panther boys hope for another look at state
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The competitive Prai-
rie City Panther boys have
a target on their backs, so
to speak, after making the
state championship level
for three consecutive years.
Three seasons ago, coach
Jonathan Gill led the team
to the second round of state,
and coach Sam Workman
led them to the state tourna-
ment the past two seasons.
The Panthers earned
the second-place trophy
in 2018. Last year, seeded
eighth going into the state
tournament, Prairie City
beat the top-seeded Sher-
man Huskies in the quarter-
finals, 52-48. They fell to
the Nixyaawii Eagles 71-49
in the semifinal round, and
lost a 3-point game to the
Days Creek Wolves to place
fifth, the Wolves third.
Panther Levi Burke was
named OSAA’s 2019 Player
of the Year, and the previ-
ous season, Panther Dorran
Wilson, a 2018 graduate,
was named Player of the
Year. Both are now at the
college level, with Burke
playing for the Blue Moun-
tain Community College
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Prairie City Panther Cole Deiter looks to score as Lucas McKinley lunges forward.
Timberwolves in Pendle-
ton and Wilson playing for
the Treasure Valley Com-
munity College Chukars in
Ontario.
Five Prairie City senior
players graduated last sea-
son — including Syd Hol-
man, who was named an
All-State honorable men-
tion player — but the whirl-
wind of success for the Pan-
thers is not expected to die
down anytime soon.
“We lost some posi-
tives and gained some pos-
itives,” said head coach Bo
Workman.
Bo, the brother of Sam
Workman, took on the
role of head coach after a
change in Sam’s work pre-
vented him from continu-
ing as coach this season.
In his fourth year coach-
ing the Prairie City var-
sity girls team, Bo will lead
Lucas
McKinley
Kaden
Madden
Carson
McKay
Opie
McDaniel
both teams
with help
from return-
ing assistant
coach Mike
Workman,
a longtime
Cole Deiter
basketball
coach who
is also Bo and Sam’s dad.
Two additional assistant
coaches, one for each team,
are expected to be hired
soon.
The positives head
coach Workman is looking
at for the boys team include
two seniors, guard Lucas
McKinley and 6-foot-6
center Cole Deiter, who are
in their fourth year as start-
ers, and guard Jojari Field,
a junior, who will be in his
third year starting.
“We should be com-
petitive and be in the hunt
this season,” Bo Workman
said. “I’m looking forward
to coaching both the boys
and girls. We have a good
group of freshmen, JV and
varsity.”
There were 22 boys out
for the team on day one.
“We’ve got the numbers,
so we just need an aggres-
sive defense and a little
more full-court pressure,”
the coach said. “We have
some good leaders, and I
hope some of those guys
will step up and be leaders
like they have in the past.
They need to help each
other and know when to
kick it in and step up.”
Mike, a Prairie City
graduate, had his first
coaching experience in
Prairie City in 1987, then
Mt. Vernon until the high
school portion closed.
He also coached at Grant
Union, then Jordan Valley
for several years.
See Boys, Page B8
Girls basketball team returns all starters
Five strong
freshmen join
the ranks
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Prairie City Pan-
ther girls basketball team is
beginning the season with all
of last year’s starters return-
ing, and additional talent,
ready to hit the gas.
Head coach Bo Workman
hopes having the talent and a
few more athletes this season
— 12 this year, compared to
eight last year — will trans-
late into success.
“Three of the seniors
have started and had a lot of
playing time,” he said.
Three juniors, who were
starters last year as sopho-
mores, are all back, and five
strong freshmen are also
bringing their middle school
experience to the team.
Seniors are Rilee Emmel,
Hailee Wall, Emily Ennis
and Aleah Johns.
Emmel scored 13 points
against the Adrian Antelopes
at last year’s High Desert
League District tournament,
landing three 3-pointers.
She’s looking forward
to bonding with her team
during upcoming road trips.
The Panthers will have six
road games in December
before they host the Echo
Cougars on Jan. 10.
Emmel said their offense
is looking good this season.
“We have bigger girls for
post players, so I’m excited
to see how it goes down
low,” she said.
“I’m excited for the
numbers we have,” Ennis
said. “My goal for the sea-
son is to make it fun for my
senior year and to make it
memorable.”
Johns said she’s see-
ing a lot of potential in the
underclassmen.
“I’m excited to see how
they progress through the
season,” she said. “My goal
is to make the most out of
this year.”
Wall said she’s also eager
to see how the freshmen play
this season.
“I’m looking forward
to what we’ll bring out this
year,” she said. “We made a
team goal to make it to state,
hit some good milestones
and make it a fun year.”
Workman began his ten-
ure as varsity girls coach
when this year’s seniors
were freshmen.
“They’re the leaders,” he
said. “Hopefully, we’ll have
PRAIRIE CITY GIRLS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
Dec. 6: @ Joseph, 6 p.m.
2 p.m.
Dec. 7: @ Imbler in Joseph,
noon
Jan. 24: @ Burnt River in Unity
6 p.m.
Dec. 13: @ Badger Tournament
vs. Council (ID) in North Pow-
der, 6 p.m.
Jan. 25: vs. Jordan Valley, 2 p.m.
Dec. 14: @ Badger Tournament
vs. Tri-Valley (ID) in North Pow-
der, 1:30 p.m.
Dec. 20: @ Sherman in Moro,
4:30 p.m.
Jan. 10: vs. Echo, 6 p.m.
Jan. 17: vs. Dayville/Monument,
6 p.m.
Jan. 18: vs. Ukiah/Long Creek,
a little deeper bench to give
players some rest at times.”
Workman, who also
coaches the boys varsity
team this season, has his
father Mike Workman back
as assistant coach.
Mike said they always
have high hopes at the begin-
ning of the season.
Youth wrestlers place
well in recent tournaments
Having greater numbers
is one of the positives this
season.
“We have some strong
freshmen coming in,” Mike
said. “(They were) highly
successful on the junior high
team — I don’t think they
lost many games.”
He said the teams in the
Feb. 14: @ Adrian, 5 p.m.
Feb. 20-22: High Desert League
District Tournament, John Day
Jan. 4: vs. Cove, 2 p.m.
Rilee Emmel
Feb. 8: @ Dayville/Monument
in Dayville, 2 p.m.
Dec. 30: @ Crane, 5 p.m.
Jan. 3: @ Imbler, 6 p.m.
Emily Ennis
Feb. 7: @ Harper, 5 p.m.
Feb. 15: vs. Crane, 2 p.m.
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Hailee Wall
Feb. 1: vs. Four Rivers, 2 p.m.
Dec. 21: @ Hood River JV in
Hood River, 4:00 p.m.
Prairie City Panther Kat Ashley, right, races down the court
during practice, and Rilee Emmel stays with her.
Aleah Johns
Jan. 31: @ Huntington, 6 p.m.
league they’re watching
out for include the Adrian
Antelopes, Jordan Val-
ley Mustangs and Crane
Mustangs.
“Crane’s a powerhouse
the next couple of years,”
Mike said. “They’re defi-
nitely a contender for a state
title, no question. They’re
one of the favorites.”
Other teams in the 1A
High Desert League include:
the
Dayville/Monument
Tigers, Long Creek/Ukiah
Feb. 25: 1st Round State
Playoffs
Feb. 28: 2nd Round State
Playoffs
March 4-7: State Champion-
ship, Baker City
Mountain Lions, Burnt River
Bulls, Four Rivers Falcons,
Harper Hornets and Hun-
tington Locomotives.
Juniors, who were starters
last year as sophomores, are
Abbey Pfefferkorn, Saman-
tha Workman and Katie Hire.
Bo said the team is
sharpening their skills on
defense.
“We’ve got the numbers
to play a little more aggres-
sive defense,” he said. “I see
us being competitive.”
Grant Union volleyball team raises
$3,000 for mammogram program
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Fourteen out of 25 Grant County Wrestling
Club members earned first-place finishes at the
Nov. 16 Pendleton Tournament. The team was
in the top 10 out of 30 teams present, winning 72
out of 101 matches.
“These kids should be very proud of them-
selves, improving every week,” said Stephanie
Parsons, the team’s media representative.
At the Nov. 23 Union Tournament, sev-
eral Grant County wrestlers placed first in their
brackets, including 6-year-old Tenley Parsons,
who was competing for her first time.
Union Tournament competitors included:
Porter Adams, Miles Ballou, Ginny Clarry,
Tristan Clarry, Collonnie Clement, Dawson
Clement, Leo Dedmore, Hank Giffin, Levi
Hueckman, Blake Kimball, Cody Knowles,
Jack Knowles, Zander Lambeth, Weston Lieual-
len, Wyatt Lieuallen, Owen Parsons, Taylor Par-
sons, Kayleb Rogers, Zeke Rookstool, Beau Van
Cleave, Jerett Waddel and Carter Wyant.
Contributed photo/Stephanie Parsons
Several Grant County Wrestling Club mem-
bers placed well at the Saturday, Nov. 23,
Union Tournament. Pictured are Jerett Wad-
del (first), Taylor Parsons (third), Owen Parsons
(first), Halle Parsons (back) and Tenley Parsons
(first). This was Tenley’s first time competing.
Contributed photo
Grant Union volleyball head coach Ali Abrego, center (holding check), presents a check
for $3,000 to Jena Knowles of the Blue Mountain Hospital District. The team raised mon-
ey to support the BMHD mammogram program through their annual Dig Pink events
held in October.