Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 13, 1969)
n A on 1 ZrSXjSJLJu Uo THE W &5P HEPPNER GAZETTE-TIMES Heppner, Oregon 97836, Thursday, March 13, 1969 Sec. 2 I ill ST: ;.v..,?v. i1 - ' L i - Y ' T 1 IKJ 1 " -: W EL .,.. t- V" " ,1 ' ' --- ..... f "LJ'' " Two Tight Wins Bring 7 A-2 Tiiie DR. HOWARD RICHARDSON, head basketball coa:h and athletic director at Eastern Oregon Col lege, present the district 7 A-2 tournament all-star teom. Jon O'Donnell (31). Heppner. comes up to receive his award and io'n Teainmati John McCabe (to O'Donnell's right). Steve Kenison of Val- and Dave Dieker o: Grant Union are at O'Donnell's left and Bruce Wilkes of Wahtonka is partially visible in front ol O'Donnell. (HHS Photo). n rs.r ' I V' 4 '? .1 MUSTANG CHEERLEADERS had moments of agony as well as ecstasy at the tournament. Things didn't look too good against Vale at the moment of this picture, but they kept up the spirit. From left are Sherri O'Brien, Lynda Orwick, Sara Miller and Jody Rugg. (Note gal with head in hands in front spectator row but it all came out fine!) (HHS Photo). 'nnn raw "I f - a. HEPPNER'S PEP BAND, under the direction of Arnie Hedman, kept up lively support throughout the tournament clad in their new gold and blue outfits. (HHS Photo). "WVre lilt Champs!" boiisli'd the baiiiHT Ih'Iuix! tln Hrl"' riKiliTS ut tin- ili.slricl (ournu nicnt in La Graiuic, and the Mustang five provivl it aculn Tln-v nosed out thi filtin Wahtonka r.aelcs. 51-50 hatur day nlt:ht roproscnt Greater Uret'n at the stale A-2 tourney In Coos B iV, March 17 ia. Twelve tlrfies durinis the HkIU battle the lead chanced hands. The (jreatest maruin either the Katies or tlie Alustanus could manufacture was a mere five points Wahtonka's best effort in the first quarter and Menu tier's brief lead early in the last Quarter. Socialists in winning games (or losins them) by the narrow est of marelns Heppner squeak ed Into the finals of the tourn anient by two points, as they defeated Vale. 49-47, Friday nil-it in overtime. A great team eltort Saturday night won the game, the trophy and the trip to Coos Bay. Gary Kemp and Cal Ashbeck were veritable lumping lacks, com binine an all-out defense effort on the taller Eagles with 27 crucial counters, steady Jon O'Donnell tallied the final vital two points to bring his evening's scoring to 12, and quirk-handed fighting Larry Pettyjohn dump ed in another 12. While not scoring, John McCabe made an amazing 22 assists and showed groat defensive play to earn nn All-Star berth. With 3:50 to go. Bruce Wilkes had put the Eagles a point ahead (50-49) and they froze the ball. But the determined Mus- tang defense trapped an Eagle, who was whistled for holding the ball too long. A jump ball was called, Heppner controlled, and O'Donnell pumped in the game's final basket. Again a tremendous Mustang defense forced a jump ball. Again Heppner controlled the ball, then for 72 seconds the Mustangs zipped the ball back and forth in such a dazzling keep-away that the Eagles could not reach the player with the ball for a desperation foul. With a second left, Steve Her man finally fouled McCabe, who missed his shot. Wahtonka got the rebound. After a time-out to plan strategy, the Eagles put their tournament hopes on a long pass to 6-7 Bruce Schmidt. But the Mustangs fought for the ball and the Eagle basket try came after the final whistle. At least a third of the capacity crowd were Mustang rooters, and they were supported by Vale, who dumped Grant Union to take the consolation honors. Vale also won the sportsman ship trophy, and a mighty yell went up from the Heppner crowd when Vale's name was announ ced. For the past five years Hepp ner has won a berth in the dis trict tourney, and each time they have won the first game so that they have gone into the champ ionship plav-off. Three times in 1965, 19138, and this year they have downed the best that the rest of the district could put up against them, to make the long trip to the eight-team state tournament. The smallest A-2 school in Oregon, Heppner High has so far not won a state tourney game, but it has scared the day lights out of the likes of Phoe nix and Rogue River before going down to narrow defeat. First Game was 'Sizzler' The sizzling opener with Vale Friday night was equally tight with O'Donnell rippling the game winning basket on a long cool shot from near the side line with three seconds remain ing in overtime. Lead changed hands in the opener 13 times with the speedy Vikings holding a slim advan tage through much of the first half, but Heppner came on to hold a small margin through much of the second half. With five minutes to play in the second Quarter, Vale led bv six points, 22-16, and with six minutes played was in front, 24-18. The Mustangs rallied to score seven straight on a free throw by McCabe, a jumper by O'Donnell. another jumper in the key by McCabe and a driving layin by Pettyjohn. Thus with 22 seconds to go in the half, Heppner pulled in front. 25-24. However, Randy Hawkins of the Viks evened it up by half time when he hit one of two free throws on a call against Ashbeck. In the third period, Ashbeck blazed a two-handed jumper to set Heppner going just six sec onds after the tipoff. Ron Jac obs countered for Vale with a drive and jump to knot the score again at 27-27 and Steve Kenison, who tallied 24 for the Viks in a great night's produc tion, put in a lavup to send Vale back in front at 29-27. O'Donnell knotted it again with the quarter half gone when he popped another jumper. Kemp sent the Mustangs in front with a free throw on a Steve Keni son personal, and O'Donnell gave the Heppner five a three point bulge with two more gift DISTRICT A-2 TOURNAMENT (Final Standing!) Ch a m plon I Ir ppner M ust a n as Runneru Wa h tonk a En a les Third place Vale Vikings Fourth Place Grant t'nlon Prospectors TOURNEY SCORES Friday night Heppner 49, Vale 47: Wahtonka 53. Grant Onion 32. Saturday night (Consolation) Vale 53, Grant Union 47. (Championship) Heppner 51, Wahtonka 50. TOURNAMENT ALL-STAR TEAM (As chosen by coaches Eastern Oregon College Education) at of Jon O'Donnell, Heppner, 6-0 Senior John McCabe, Heppner, 5-10 Junior Bruce Wilkes, Wahtonka, 6 2 Senior Steve Kenison, Vale, 5-11 Sen ior Dave Dieker, Grant union, 6-5 senior SPORTSMANSHIP TROPHY: (Presented by La Grande Retail Merchants Association) VALE VIKINGS tosses on Jacobs' infraction, 32 29. Kenison hit again, but Petty john, who has developed a knack of closing a period by scoring, pitched one in from the baseline with one second left, giving the Mustangs a 3-point lead at the end of the quarter, 34-31. McCabe connected on two free throws at the start of the fourth on Steve Kenison's third pers onal and the Mustang lead went to five, 36-31. Dennis Kenison hit, but O'Donnell countered, and the five point margin held, 38-33, with 1:05 played In the final stanza. But iust as the Mustangs ap peared to be getting things un der control, the Kenison broth ers roared back and very nearly bombed Heppner out of the ball game. Dennis fired a long push er, Steve plunked a jumper and came back 25 seconds later with push through the key. Steve roared in again for another pusher, and thus in a space of two minutes, the Kenisons naci moved Vale from a five point deficit to a three point lead, 41 to 38, with less than four min utes to go in the ball game. Steve missed a chance to build up the lead when he failed to hit a free throw, and O'Donnell, Heppner's clutch kid, brought the Mustangs back with a pop from the left side and a long pusher to make it 42-41 for Heppner. Steve Kenison, tne dynamo for Vale and dynamite against the Mustangs, tallied on i avun and the Viks tooK a one-point edge, 43-42, with 2:20 to go, but O'Donnell put Heppner :ack on top, 44-43, with a pusn- er. Dennis Kenison recaptured a one tioint edge lor vaie on a jumper, 45 to 44, and with 39 seconds to go, Mark Freeman fouled the wrong man O'Don nell. Jon sank the first of two free throws, but missed the sec ond and the score was tied, 45 to 45. Just before the buzzer at the end of the regular playing time, O'Donnell came through with a steal, went down the floor but missed a chance to end it there. In the overtime, the Viks took off with two free throws, Hawk ins getting one of two tries and Sieve Kenison doing the same, giving them a two point lead, 47-45. With 1:10 to go, O'Donnell caged a long two-hander and the game had its sixth tie score, As tension mounted with the big crowd on its feet most of the time, (he count held there. Jac obs fouled McCabe, but John missed his try with eight sec onds left. Heppner gained po session after Vale headed down court. Pettyjohn spotted a hole in the Viking defense, passed to O'Donnell who was alone near the left sidelines. Jon fix ed his eyes on the target, went up with a slight hesitation move and arched his shot. It was good from the moment it left his hands and hit the tar get circle dead center, swishing through with three seconds on the clock. A Viking tossed a desperation trv at the basket, almost floor-length, but it miss ed bv two or three feet, and Heppner had gained its first round victory towards the tour nament championship. Scores: OT VALE 13 12 6 14 247 a ii 9 iv r m ) ) 3 I JOHN McCABE (20). one of Heppner's all-stars, lofts a Bhot out of this crowd of players against Vale. Teammates Cal Ashbeck (40) and Gary Kemp (44) watch for a rebound whil Ron Jacobs (13) of Vale stands at left. (HHS Photo). HEPPNER HEPPNER WAHTONKA 9 16 13 16 17 12 15 16 551 750 fi I C5 V l Jv HOT HANDS of Jon O'Donnell were a biq factor In winning ths district crown. Here he goes up for two against Vale while three Vik defenders fail to stop him. Steve Kenison (31), Vale all-star, is the only one identifiable. (HHs Photo). (Box Scores and Other Games on Page 4)
