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THE W &5P HEPPNER
GAZETTE-TIMES
Heppner, Oregon 97836, Thursday, March 13, 1969
Sec. 2
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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).
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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).
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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
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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
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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)