SPORTS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
PRO VERSUS PRO
SPORTS
ROUNDUP
After cancellation, boys basketball team hosts pick-up game
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
After hearing the news
that Crane’s boys basket-
ball team had to cancel
last week’s game, Prospec-
tors head coach RC Huerta
did not want to let precious
game time slip away ahead
of the team’s game against
Weston-McEwen.
Huerta selected two of his
seniors to pick varsity and
junior varsity players for a
scrimmage game.
Pros assistant coach Jesse
Gosnell, who coached one
of the teams, said the ath-
letes had things they needed
to work on and had a “per-
fect” opportunity to work
on them.
“It worked out pretty
good,” Gosnell said. “It was
a bad situation, but it turned
out pretty good.”
Jordan Hall said the game
was not stressful, and the
team had a lot of fun on the
court.
“Playing with your team-
mates is always good,”
Stokes said. “One way
or another, Grant Union
wins.”
Peyton Neault said it was
“very weird” to have inside
jokes with the other team,
but it was fun.
Neault said he was sur-
prised at how much of a good
time he and the team ended
up having.
“I thought it was going to
be like a practice,” he said.
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell
Grant Union boys basketball assistant coach Jesse Gosnell on the sidelines during a June 9 scrimmage game.
“But it was like being out in
the park.”
The team had not played a
“pick-up” game against one
another since middle school.
Stokes said the coaches
structured the game. Each
team had a coach running
their off ense, like a real
game. He said since he and
Hall were named captains,
they both hoped to coach their
teams.
“They said no to that,”
Stokes laughingly said.
While everybody won,
Hall’s team came out on top in
the scrimmage game, 45-33.
Hall’s team consisted of
Quaid Brandon, Cooper Peter-
son, Drake Euding, Till Win-
egar, Talon Van-Cleve and Eli
Wright.
On Stokes’ team were
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell
Neault, his brother Parker,
Eric Cully, Andrew Hunt, Devon Stokes, a senior waits
Tucker Wright and Sheldon for a pass during the Pros’
June 9 scrimmage game.
Lenz.
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
Two Grant Union High
School students brought home
state titles in multiple events at
the Oregon State High School
Rodeo State Finals, held in
Prineville June 9-12.
Sam McCracken, a senior,
took fi rst place in boys cut-
ting, an equestrian competi-
tion where a horse and a rider
demonstrate before a panel of
judges both the horse and rid-
er’s ability to handle cattle.
He took second in reined cow
horse.
His
sister
Bailey
McCracken, a sophomore,
took fi rst place in barrel rac-
ing, an event where a horse
and rider attempt to run a pat-
tern around barrels in the fast-
est time.
Additionally, she took
fourth in cutting, eighth in
pole bending and was named
Contributed photo
Contributed photo
Sam and Bailey McCracken pose with the saddles they won at the
state rodeo competition.
Rookie of the Year in Oregon.
This was Bailey’s fi rst year
at the state fi nals.
“I was pretty nervous
before each of my go-rounds,”
she said. “But I just did what I
usually do.”
She said it felt really good
to hear her name called to
walk up to receive the cham-
pionship saddle for barrel
racing.
Bailey said she was unsure
if she would win Rookie of
the Year. She said the offi cials
add up the points for all of the
freshmen contenders, and she
said there were a few others
who had several points.
“It was really surprising
Sam McCracken competes at
the Oregon State High School
Rodeo State Finals last year in
Prineville.
because I wasn’t sure if I was
going to win or not,” she said.
The siblings will head to
the National High School
Grant Union places
fifth at Pine Valley
Tournament in
Burns
Andy Lusco, Grant
Union Prospectors wres-
tling head coach, said a
majority of the team was
missing due to schedul-
ing conflicts at the Pine
Valley Tournament in
Burns over the weekend,
but the team placed fifth.
“I thought the five we
took worked hard and
showed some grit,” he
said. “I’m proud of these
guys for sticking with it
through a tough season.”
Jesse Douglass took
fourth place in the 138
weight division. At the
same time, Justin Hodge
captured second in 160.
Meanwhile,
Rolondo
Moreno and Zach Ost-
berg took second and
third in 285, and Tucker
Carpenter took fourth in
the 220 categories.
Lusco said he hopes
the whole team can make
the district tournament
on June 19 in Culver,
and the squad can per-
form to their potential.
“I think we could be
competitive if we have
our best day at districts,”
Lusco said.
Boys basketball
team falls to Weston
McEwen 63-53
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell
Grant Union’s Tucker Wright
looks to pass the ball during
the team’s scrimmage game.
McCrackens bring home state titles, Rookie of the Year from state rodeo competition
Siblings to compete
in National High
School Finals Rodeo
A9
Finals Rodeo July 18-24 in
Lincoln, Nebraska.
Bailey said competing at
the national level with her
brother is going to be “crazy.”
“It’s going to be a lot of
fun going there and competing
with Sam,” she said.
Bailey will compete in
cow cutting and barrels while
Sam will compete in cow
horse.
Another Prospector, Jack
Strong, rode three bulls at
the state competition and was
close to riding his last bull in
the fi nal go-round but could
not make it. He had a good
time and is looking forward to
his next rodeo.
Sam took fi rst place in
boys cutting last year and sec-
ond the year before. Last year,
Sam fi nished in the top third
in reined cow at the National
High School Finals Rodeo in
Guthrie, Oklahoma.
The Grant Union boys
basketball team lost to
Weston-McEwen, 63-53,
on June 10. Saturday’s
game against Pilot Rock
was cancelled. The team
lost to Joseph, 60-50,
Monday.
The Eagle was unable
to reach head coach RC
Huerta for comment.
The Pros are sched-
uled to travel to Irrigon
for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff
Thursday.
SPORTS
SCHEDULE
THURSDAY,
JUNE 17
Grant Union basketball
@ Irrigon, boys only,
7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY,
JUNE 19
Grant Union wrestling
@ District Tournament,
Culver High School,
9 a.m.
S249186-1
S226603-1