SPORTS & OUTDOORS
Blue Mountain Eagle
A10
Wednesday, November 23, 2022
PAYING IT FORWARD
Grant Union hoops teams bring back youth basketball camp
T
he Grant Union
boys and girls bas-
ketball teams are
busy these days,
practicing
and
preparing for the start of the
2022-2023 season.
But the teams took a brief
pause on their preparation to
help the next generation of
Grant County basketball play-
ers sharpen their skills at a
youth camp held on Friday,
Nov. 18, at Grant Union High
School.
The event marked the
return of a tradition that was
temporarily derailed by the
pandemic, said RC Huerta,
the head coach of the Prospec-
tor boys.
“Pre-COVID I used to
have two skills camps. I would
have a ball-handling camp and
a shooting camp,” he said.
“I wanted to continue those,
and we obviously weren’t able
to do that. So then I was like,
we’re bringing this back and
let’s make it happen.”
Huerta added that the goal
is to have a youth camp every
year from here on out with the
hope that the focused skills
camps make their way back
into the program.
“I would like to go back
to hopefully doing some
more skills camps where we
Justin Davis/Blue Mountain Eagle
Members of the Grant Union High School boys basketball team
coach youth skills camp attendees on proper ball-handling skills.
just do shooting camp, focus
three days on shooting, focus
on ball-handling and do three
days of ball-handling,” he
said. “I just want to continue
to get the youth excited about
playing basketball and out
there having a good time.”
The reason for putting
on the camp is twofold for
Huerta. On the one hand, he
and the current team are build-
ing the skills of the next gen-
eration of basketball play-
ers. On the other hand, Huerta
said he’s just happy to see kids
and community members out
doing something.
“I love basketball,” he said.
“Basketball is a fun game to
play. I think a lot of times it’s
taken so seriously that it ends
up almost being a detriment
to a certain degree, so I want
them to have fun when they’re
doing it so they get better.
Then absolutely with the end
goal of being where they’re
ready to play with us.”
Huerta’s team is hoping the
success they found toward the
end of last season carries over
into 2022-23. The Pros return
nine players from last year’s
squad with just a single senior
on the roster.
Last year’s team only won
four games during the regu-
lar season but still found their
way into the league playoff
after a play-in victory over
Pilot Rock. The team picked
up another win in the league
playoff before falling to Union
in the second round of the
tournament.
“There was some good
upside in our program that we
were going to be able to really
compete and just get better
and better,” Huerta said. “I just
have juniors and sophomores
and freshmen again this year,
so I feel pretty good about the
future of our program.”
Last season was kind of
a school of hard knocks for
the Prospectors, according to
Huerta, who is looking at last
year’s late-season successes
as the foundation for a stron-
ger 2022-23 campaign.
“That’s my hope for sure,”
he said.
“The camaraderie at prac-
tice has been incredible,”
Huerta added. “The guys,
they’ve been picking up the
offense better. They’re really
buying into the idea that
defense wins championships.
They’re looking out for each
other, they’re encouraging.
It’s been really good, so I feel
like it’s just continuing to be
in the up-and-up.”
The first game for the
Grant Union boys basket-
ball team will be on Satur-
day, Dec. 3, at the Elgin Lions
Tournament. Three days later
the team is back home for a
renewed rivalry with Prairie
City on Tuesday, Dec. 6.
Grant County athletes nab honors
By JUSTIN DAVIS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Justin Davis/Blue Mountain Eagle, File
Prairie City running back Cole
Teel, left, was named High Des-
ert League Offensive Player of
the Year for the second time.
tion: Sivanna Hodge, junior,
Grant Union; Jaydika Ander-
son, junior, Grant Union
Football first team: Alex
Finley, junior, linebacker/offen-
sive line, Grant Union
Football second team: Rid-
dick Hutchison, senior, defen-
sive line, Grant Union; Preston
Recycling Awareness
Week
Teel, senior, running back, Prai-
rie City; Eli Wright, senior,
offensive line/defensive end,
Prairie City: DJ Heikes, senior,
punter, Dayville/Monument
Football second team:
Trey Brown, junior, defensive
end, Prairie City; Cody Rea-
gan, junior, offensive line, Prairie
City; Cole Teel, senior, defensive
back, Prairie City, Ethan Thomp-
son, junior, linebacker, Dayville/
Monument; DJ Heikes, defensive
back, senior, Dayville/Monument
Football honorable men-
tion: DJ Heikes, senior, quar-
terback, Dayville/Monument;
Ethan Thompson, running back,
junior,
Dayville/Monument;
Payton Whitmore, freshman,
noseguard, Dayville/Monument
High Desert League Offen-
sive Player of the Year: Cole
Teel, senior, running back, Prai-
rie City
High Desert League Player
of the Year: Eli Wright, senior,
defensive end/offensive line,
Prairie City
A MAN
WAKES
UP in the
morning
after sleeping on...
an advertised bed, in advertised
pajamas.
Grant County has designated
November 20-27 as
“Recycling Awareness Week.”
Recycling bins for tin cans, news-
paper, magazines, and cardboard
are located at Clark’s Transfer Sta-
tion, 26431 Luce Creek Road, John
Day, OR. Routine recycling makes
a real difference and contributes
toward waste prevention. We all
can make it a daily practice to
recycle, reuse, and compost. Grant
County promotes recycling and
waste reduction within the Grant
Wasteshed as required by OAR
340-090-0030 and 340-090-0040.
For more information, contact
Grant County at 541-575-0059
He will bathe in an ADVERTISED TUB, shave with an ADVERTISED RAZOR,
have a breakfast of ADVERTISED JUICE, cereal and toast, toasted in an
ADVERTISED TOASTER, put on ADVERTISED CLOTHES and glance at his
ADVERTISED WATCH. He’ll ride to work in his ADVERTISED CAR, sit at an
ADVERTISED DESK and write with an ADVERTISED PEN. Yet this person
hesitates to advertise, saying that advertising doesn’t pay. Finally, when his
non-advertised business is going under, HE’LL ADVERTISE IT FOR SALE.
Then it’s too late.
AND THEY SAY ADVERTISING DOESN’T WORK?
DON’T MAKE THIS SAME MISTAKE
Advertising is an investment, not an expense. Think about it!
Blue Mountain Eagle
MyEagleNews.com
SHOOTING THE BREEZE
Try some
wilderness stew
F
all is the perfect weather for making stew.
Some of my most favorite meals are quite sim-
ple, and so it is with stew. The glory of it is you can
put whatever you want into it and usually it’s at worst still
edible.
I recently decided to go bird hunting. I
grabbed my grampa’s EAA Baikal over and
under shotgun and some shells and headed
out. Duke, my yellow Labrador retriever,
was already waiting excitedly by the tailgate
of our pickup when I came out of the house.
After stopping for some snacks, we made
Dale Valade
for the hills.
Duke has had no formal training in obe-
dience, or hunting for that matter. So taking him practi-
cally anywhere is always a test of my patience. A good bird
dog should stay close so the birds don’t flush out of shot-
gun range. Duke believes in being way out front no matter
how many times I call him back. Luckily, that was not a hin-
drance that day.
Our plan was to go for quail. California quail — or Cal-
lipepla californica, as they are formally known — are one of
the most beautiful of the upland game birds in this part of the
world. We would’ve also settled for chukars, grouse or doves
if we could find any.
Duke flushed three different coveys, all at relatively close
range, and four of the five shots I fired found their mark.
That’s an average that I wish I carried more consistently.
“Maybe it’s time I got my own over and under,” I said aloud.
We also flushed a single covey of mountain quail, but I didn’t
get off a shot before they crossed the river. I had no desire to
go swimming to recover a downed bird, so I held fire.
On our way back to the pickup, Duke flushed a cotton-
tail rabbit. This shot was the best one I made all day as I
had mere fractions of a second to swing, aim and fire before
Br’er Rabbit made it to cover. The 20 gauge shouldered
quickly, and as I tracked the rabbit, the bead settled just in
front of his nose as I squeezed the trigger. He tumbled to a
stop, the Fiocchi number 7.5 shot having found its mark.
Duke panted excitedly as I picked up the rabbit, feeling
proud of himself no doubt for his expert flushing job.
Back at home, I took out my Case XX pocketknife and
dressed the four quail and the rabbit. Then I let their meat
cool in some lightly salted water. Emma decided to put them
into her plans to make stew for dinner. In addition to rab-
bit and quail sautéed in butter, she added genuine Idaho gold
potatoes as well as corn and carrots and various spices. It
was a hearty meal and one of the best ways I’ve had rabbit
and quail meat.
Small game is usually quite plentiful, and in a stew it can
go much farther than it would seem. Just another excuse to
get out and enjoy the cooler weather while putting food on
the table. It’s a win-win. Now if I can convince grampa to
extend the loan of that 20 gauge a little longer, I’ll be set!
Do you hunt birds or rabbits? Write to us at shootingthe-
breezebme@gmail.com and check us out on Facebook!
Dale Valade is a local country gent with a love for the
outdoors, handloading, hunting and shooting.
Monday - Thursday
7am-
6pm
Monday
- Thursday
7am-
6pm
Friday
8am
- 5pm
Friday Sharpe
8am - 5pm
Mendy
FNP
Mendy
Sharpe FNP
Apppointments
available
S286526-1
GRANT COUNTY — The
2022 fall campaign led to mul-
tiple Grant County high school
athletes being recognized as all-
league athletes in both the High
Desert League and the Blue
Mountain Conference.
All-league honors for the Blue
Mountain Conference in volley-
ball and football are as follows:
Volleyball first team: Drew
Williams, junior, Grant Union;
Brilynn Combs, junior, Grant
Union; Addy Northway, sopho-
more, Grant Union
Volleyball second team:
Kynlee Pettyjohn, junior, Grant
Union; Halle Parsons, junior,
Grant Union
Volleyball honorable men-
Boethin, senior, receiver, Grant
Union; Talon VanCleave, junior,
defensive
back/quarterback,
Grant Union; Till Winegar, junior,
defensive back, Grant Union
Football honorable men-
tion: Preston Boethin, senior,
linebacker, Grant Union;
Andrew Hunt, senior, line-
backer, Grant Union; Jack
Strong, senior, linebacker, Grant
Union; Isaiah Adams, fresh-
man, receiver, Grant Union
All league honors for the
High Desert League in volley-
ball and football are as follows:
Volleyball first team: Laken
McKay, senior, Prairie City
Volleyball second team:
Betty Ann Wilson, senior, Prai-
rie City; Reece Jacobs, junior,
Prairie City
Volleyball honorable men-
tion: Jaycee Winegar, junior,
Prairie City, Bethany Wilburn,
sophomore,
Dayville/Monu-
ment; Jin Bo Ciochetti, sopho-
more, Dayville/Monument
Football first team: Cole
Dale Valade: Contributed Photo
A good day’s hunt can put some meat in your stew pot.
S283676-1
139101
By JUSTIN DAVIS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Don’t get left behind, call today! Kim Kell 541-575-0710
Prepare for power
outages today
Get $5O
FREE
WITH A HOME STANDBY GENERATOR
7-Year Extended
Warranty*
$0 MONEY DOWN + LOW MONTHLY PAYMENT OPTIONS
ON ANY NEW ACCOUNT
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!
A $695 Value!
NOW THROUGH
DECEMBER 31, 2022
Contact a Generac dealer for full terms and conditions
TOM CHRISTENSEN
CHRISTENSEN
TOM
CONSTRUCTION
(541) 410-0557 • (541) 575-0192
USE CODE: GIFT50
REQUEST A FREE QUOTE
CALL NOW BEFORE THE NEXT POWER OUTAGE
CALL CONSUMER CELLULAR
(877) 557-1912
© 2022 Consumer Cellular Inc. Terms and Conditions subject to change. New service activation on approved credit. Cellular service is not available in all areas and is
subject to system limitations. New customers receive $50 for a new account activated by December 31, 2022. Off er will be applied as two monthly credits of $25. Credits
will be made to customers invoice and will not be in excess of the monthly total. If the balance is less than $25, remaining credit will be forfeited. Promotional credits will be
applied to customer’s account and remain valid only for accounts remaining in service. If account becomes inactive for any reason prior to receiving the full amount, any
remaining credits will be forfeited. Off er may be modifi ed or discontinued at any time and may not be combined with other limited time off ers. Off er not redeemable for cash,
has no cash value and is not transferable or refundable. Off er cannot be redeemed in retail locations.
*To qualify, consumers must request a quote, purchase, install and activate the
generator with a participating dealer. Call for a full list of terms and conditions.
FEEL THE SPEED,
EVEN AT PEAK TIMES.
CCB# 106077
877-916-0803
BACKED BY A YEAR-ROUND
Get strong, fast Wi-Fi to work and
play throughout your home. ^
No annual contract.
CLOG-FREE GUARANTEE
EXCLUSIVE LIMITED TIME OFFER!
Based on wired connection to gateway.
Power multiple devices at once—
everyone can enjoy their own screen.
Number of devices depends on screen size/resolution.
AT&T
INTERNET 100
††
45
$
/mo *
For 12 mos, plus taxes & equip.fee.$10/mo equip. fee applies.
Limited availability in selectareas. *Price after $5/mo
Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills).
Limited availability in select areas. May not be available inyour area.
Call or goto att.com/internetto see if you qualify.
Over 99% reliability.
Excludes DSL. Based on network availability.
20 % + 10 %
OFF
YOUR ENTIRE
PURCHASE *
OFF
SENIORS &
MILITARY!
FINANCING THAT FITS YOUR BUDGET! 1
1
Subject to credit approval. Call for details.
Contact your local DIRECTV dealer
IV Support Holdings
888-486-0359
INTERNET OFFER: Subj. to change and may be discontinued at any time. Price for Internet 100 for new residential customers & is after $5/mo. autopay & paperless bill discount. Pricing for first 12 months only. After 12 mos., then prevailing rate applies. Autopay & Paperless Bill
Discount: Discount off the monthly rate when account is active & enrolled in both. Pay full plan cost until discount starts w/in 2 bill cycles. Must maintain autopay/paperless bill and valid email address to continue discount. Additional Fees & Taxes: AT&T one-time transactional fees, $10/mo.
equipment fee, and monthly cost recovery surcharges which are not government-required may apply, as well as taxes. See www.att.com/fees for details. Installation: $99 installation for full tech install, plus tax where applicable. Credit restrictions apply. Pricing subject to change. Subj. to Internet
Terms of Service at att.com/internet-terms. ^AT&T Smart Wi-Fi requires installation of a BGW210, 5268AC, or NVG599 Wi-Fi Gateway. Standard with Internet plans (12M or higher). Whole home Wi-Fi connectivity may require AT&T Smart Wi-Fi Extender(s) sold separately. ††Internet speed claims
represent maximum network service capability speeds and based on wired connection to gateway. Actual customer speeds are not guaranteed and may vary based on several factors. For more information, go to www.att.com/speed101.
©2021 DIRECTV. DIRECTV and all other DIRECTV marks are trademarks of DIRECTV, LLC. AT&T and Globe logo are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property.
Promo Code: 285
FREE GUTTER ALIGNMENT + FREE GUTTER CLEANING*
REMODELS • NEW CONSTRUCTION • POLE BUILDINGS
CONCRETE EXCAVATION • SHEET ROCK • SIDING
ROOFING • FENCES • DECKS • TELESCOPING FORKLIFT SERVICES
Prepare for
Power Outages
& Save Money
CALL US TODAY FOR
A FREE ESTIMATE
1-855-536-8838
Mon-Thurs: 8am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 8am-5pm,
Sun: 2pm-8pm EST
*For those who qualify. One coupon per household. No obligation estimate valid for 1 year. **Offer valid at time of estimate only. 2The leading consumer reporting agency
conducted a 16 month outdoor test of gutter guards in 2010 and recognized LeafFilter as the “#1 rated professionally installed gutter guard system in America.” Manufactured
in Plainwell, Michigan and processed at LMT Mercer Group in Ohio. See Representative for full warranty details. Registration# 0366920922 CSLB# 1035795 Registration#
HIC.0649905 License# CBC056678 License# RCE-51604 Registration# C127230 License# 559544 Suffolk HIC License# 52229-H License# 2102212986 License# 262000022
License# 262000403 License# 2106212946 License# MHIC111225 Registration# 176447 License# 423330 Registration# IR731804 License# 50145 License# 408693 Regis-
tration# 13VH09953900 Registration# H-19114 License# 218294 Registration# PA069383 License# 41354 License# 7656 DOPL #10783658-5501 License# 423330 License#
2705169445 License# LEAFFNW822JZ License# WV056912
REQUEST A FREE QUOTE!
ACT NOW TO RECEIVE
A $300 SPECIAL OFFER!*
(844) 989-2328
*Off er value when purchased at retail.
Solar panels sold separately.