Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 1976)
CBC ouflook Mustangs c 9arkh By Wll Phlnney Bill Blghaus From the rumors floating around the Columbia Basin Conference these pre season hoop days, Heppner's Mustangs could be In for a long basketball season. But that's the same rumors that were floating around during the grid season where the Mustangs finished a strong Hill Itighaut If the sports editor at the llermlston Herald. The story was a joint effort. third with a 7-2 record. This writer has to look at the Mustangs in the winter the same way he did in the fall. An underdog. The darkhorse Mustangs of the fall, termed the "Cardiac Kids" by the Hermlston Herald, should carry that same winning attitude onto the hardwood. Every coach, except Heppner's Chris Borgen, is picking another team besides the Mustangs as the team to beat in the CBC. According to Borgen, he would have felt convincingly confident of the Mustang hopes had it not been for the loss of standout forward Dave Allstott. Allstott is out for the season with a broken left wrist, his shooting arm. But despite the gossip from CBC coaches, Borgen's own Cardiac Kids could leave a little thrombosis In their tracks if they can win with hustle and desire. Tagged the "new look" Columbia Basin Conference, this year s schedule has been thrqwn a twist with the division of the original ten team league. ,..,. Heppner is right in the middle of what coaches feel Is the strong half. Along with the Mustangs In what will be termed the CBC east will be perennial hoop powerhouses Weston-McEwen and Pilot Rock, the tab by more than one CBC mentor to outlaBt the rest of the competition. Along with Heppner and the two favorites are Umatilla, a strong finishing squad last year and unknown, and untried, Oregon Trail. In the west are Riverside. Condon, Wasco County and Sherman County. Sherman County figure to be the top dog in that half. While the coaches' consensus lean toward Sherman County on one side and Weston-McEwen on the other, it will take nure than the best record In the league to sack the title. Two teams from each half will meet in a district showdown in Pendleton on Feb. 24 and 25. Three CBC teams are sporting new coaches this season, including the Mustangs. Along with Borgen, Darce Driskel has taken over the task at Wasco County and Tom Wolsborn Is the new coach at Oregon Trail. The following is a brief look at the teams Heppner must face in their west half of the conference. They will play each of the following four teams twice. They will match up to CBC east squads one time before the district clashes. OREGON TRAIL: Oregon Trail is an unknown substance this season as Echo's powerful Cougars will add a punch to last year's slow Tigers of Stanfield. The new squad is called the Blazers. New coach Tom Wolsborn has inherited six lettermen five of them from Echo. Senior lettermen are guard Don Sutton, 6-0 from Stanfield, guard Rick Hale, 5-11 (possibly lost for the season to a knee injury), and center Rich Snow, 6-5. Juniors who will see varsity action are guard Lyle Nichols, 5- 10, and forwards Charlie Berry, 5-10, and Kent Madison, 6- 1. Snow had an 18.0 points per game average at Echo and he will have a pivotal role in the Blazers' success. Oregon Trail is working hard at practice on conditioning and fundamentals. Wolsborn wants the Blazers to run a Holland inomp Kh-a Heppner girls expect to win district title Heppner hosts strong Grant Union tomorrow With a gleam in his eye, Chris Borgen admits that he and his Mustang hardwood squad are "looking forward" to Friday night's clash with AA powerhouse Grant Union of John Day. Crant Union finished the season last year as the runner-up in the state championships. Borgen said GU would probably be the best competition of the year for Heppner. The Mustangs will be facing a team that went 18 2 last year before tournament play and a team that returns four lettermen. Among those returners is Tom Dieker, a senior guard, who was a top scorer in the state AA last season. Joining Dieker will be Jim Sheets, a senior forward; Dean Porter, a Junior center at 6-3; and Steve Talus, a senior guard. The other forward spot will be filled by Brian McKinnis, a Junior forward. First year mentor Bob McGuire said his squad was "quick and can shoot fairly well." But he added that they are "awfully green" and other than Dieker, Talus and Sheets, have little experience on the varsity floor. McGuire wouldn't make any predictions, but said it would depend on how his young kids come along. He said they would be "weak at the start, but with any luck, we should be competitive by the first of the year." Borgen said the Mustangs have a lot to work on, too. "We're starting to feel comfortable at what we're doing," he said, "and we're understanding. But we're still having to think at times, not reacting. We need to work on reaction worse than anything else."' Borgen was impressed with the Mustang defense in an intra-squad scrimmage Sat urday. "Our defense is- improved. It's solid," Borgen said. Borgen said he figured Grant Union would run and shoot. He said if Heppner could control the fast break and get back on defense adequately, it would be a good ball game. Borgen listed a tentative starting lineup, but said he'd be playing a lot of people during pre-season contests. On Borgen's top roster Friday night will be Dennis Peck, a sophomore guard at 5-9; Mark Huddleston, a junior forward at 5-11; Wayne Seitz, a senior .'orward at 6-0; Carl Christman, a senior forward at 5-10; and Kevin Haguewood, a senior forward at 6-1. According to Borgen, Heppner might not go with the riot squad this week. He expects Grant Union to pick the Mustang offense up with a full court press and run with the basketball. Borgen said he was expecting a big crowd for the 8 p m. tip off. 4 i. Mollk Kritny nrm'J I HulUad Fillies meet Riverside today JT u Yi K - i J J i mm . 4 r1 Cooprr Rebecca Randall plans to look at a lot of individuals today (Thursday) as the Hep pner High School Fillies match hoop savvy with River side's Pirate females. But. she ll be looking for teamwork, too. Her tentative starting line-up lists some height as well as quickness with good stutters, loo Uttle surprise Is that sopho more Wendy Meyers will be In the pivot spot. The V7 Meyers can gel off the ground and puts up a jump shot that could shame many boys. Along with Meyers. Randall has tabbed sharp shooting Guy Kenny, a 55 senior; Jackie Mollahan, a hustling 5 sophomore; and Deb Hol land, a 57 senior forward. The other position Is up for grabs between two sisters. Either Janice llealy. at $ and a junior, or little sister, Maureen, a 54 sophomore, will gel the call. Randall said that she ll go with the two teams, almost like a platoon system. One squad, (the one named above), w ill rely on fast break and quickness while the other squad, termed the riot squad, will hassle the opposition de fensively and wwk for as many points as they can. On that squad will be the remainder of the unit. Vicki Edmundson. senior guard, has the only spot nailed down. At the other guard, it s a toss up between Diane Hol land, junior; Shelley Thomp son, junior; and Lcri Rhea, senior. Either Janice or Maur een Healy will be on this squad, depending on the first team. Teresa Thurmond and Dar U Cooper, and possibly Rhea, will all go for the forward spots on that roster. The Fillies take on River side today at I p m in Board-man. Junior varsity will rely on quickness, adaptability Adaptability and desire. Thai's the key lo the success of Heppner's Mustang Junior varsity rtm spikers this year. Chuck Lulach. IHIS JV comb, said his squad was showing a tremendous amount of pride and thai if hi shooters come along. It will be a good y ear. lutsrh was Mewed with ome height, but said he ll rrly Ml qukknena In their opener rridav with Grant Union at The height." h said. show later on I m trein 4rfene ami balanced scor ing." I'M'1 n fj,f thalHI I I0 nr and lhre toixn Curtis Sweek. a 1 apdMrhrirr.allOhmnr. ll be joined by i"Hho","fr it., M.llrr. 1. I t,'lirr' III. an-f R.m Ward. lh said hn wi.kttwill 1 'M-w' nd hti ert jte wWd pir Also to se action will be M Howard Huddleston. a sofiho more. 16 ophomort Randy Cole, it sopbomort Randy Warden. 110 sophomore Mile Stonfcey, and 57 thomor Stt Grmhens The Mustang JVs play at 6 p m fruUr nmht Filly JVs take on Pirate girls Itrppoer ruty JVs clh with Rivemd loday ithurs day I in an afternoon en counter. Coach Hal Whttaker has a mter of U girls to chnw from for his starting doe up Amnrg lh II are three juniw, an spmre and tift frehmen Whitasrf t!ed Julie Ureb, Alr Ab ram ad in Warren as his wt sfwwHwt For quikoes amf ams"" aurne, he II rely on I'indjr (kiherty, I.) no G hnsuer. Harron ami nty Kerr Speed will roe frtn Jt lirieb. Jana 5ieaall. Jantr ftman and S-in'!f Whitakrr Md A mn were iwit f. b ht time tn Y tl MuS ami Kat'n Van S A nn the rer fr t.Uj' rietl are Mary ad M yn (will H Mr V Si I- Is ((& . Enjoy the Clirhtnias maic of Ikwd Csimteir J Cbnl Irrf, t I vil.tr and ilrtorJtions f relive kc pavilion. S.inU Phone.,. Your fjvonlc 112 SjnU Mpm.. !! Kt Mow. AH A Lloyd Crnlrf. OiriUrrus in'l Chrrru until ytwV vitileJ Llo J Ccnlcf ...TortUm!. II SOOO free parking places tS.'" i, im wr'r"'"''- "pressure offense" and man to man defense. Oregon Trail has been called the CBC's "sleeper team" and Wolsborn remarks, "I like to be considered that." He sees Weston-McEwen and Pilot Rock as the teams to beat in the east and Sherman County in the west. First game Dec. 1 at Echo against Imbler. UMATILLA: Ray Amstadt's Viks finished sixth last year and there is nowhere to go but up. The majority of the team is still out for football and most likely will not begin practicing until-Nov. 29th-four days before the season begins. Amstadt lost two seniors from a team that had a conference mark of 5-11. The team will be around seniors forward Jim Bailey, 6-0, center Rick Kurz, 6-2, guard Mike Brown, 5-9, center Chris Fisher, 6-2, forward Steve Carlson, 6-0, and guard Larry Picard, 5-10. Juniors back are forward Jeff Carlson, 6-0, forward Randy Body, 6-0, guard Blake Cimmiyotti, 5-9, and guard Jeff Watson, 5-11. Guard Mike Brown was an honorable mention selection last year. Amstadt reports his Viks will "try to run on teams more this year." He says, "Our team speed is very good. We hope to run more than we have in the past." Amstadt adds that his Viks' game plan will depend on "how much practice we can squeeze in before the season opener." He sees Sherman County, Pilot Rock and Weston-McEwen as the teams to beat. Oregon Trail, hti feels, will also be "tough." PILOT ROCK: Coach Drake Davis is beginning his second year and has four lettermen back from a 13-3, 22-5 team. The Rockets grabbed the district crown last year. Back is senior guard Marty Perrine, who started last year. Also back are seniors 6-1 John Schnebly and 5-8 Denny Christensen. Up from JVs is 6-4 sophomore Jeff Lavender. Lavender also saw some varsity action last season. Davis says his team "likes to run." He rates Weston-McEwen and Sherman County as the teams to beat. WESTON-McEttEN: The Tiger-Scots are back in the saddle again. Riding a 1M record from last year that included a 14-2 season mark. Larry Parsons' Tiger-Scots are picked by CBC coaches as the strangler this year. Parsons can boast of six returning lettermen that include honorable mention Doug Warner, 6-0 junior; Ten King, 6-2 senior; Charlie Alfred. 6-0 senior; Kim Sams, 5- junior; Cary Rahn, 6-2 junior; and Jerry Baker, 6-2 junior. Expressing a winning attitude. Parsons says he and his squad "expect to win it all." Other CBC mentors tend to Agree Kevin Beers, a standout who is out due to a hunting accident, could be back to haunt other foes. The Tiger-Scots run out of a double low post offense and use the basic man-to-man defense. Even though Weston-McEwen's returners resemble some tallness, Parsons is maintaining that the Tiger -Scots haven't got "much height, so we will have to go with our quickness." Parsons is picking Pilot Rock in the east and Sherman in the west. And, you can bet he isn't counting his own WM squad out. a cusf n cim i Tins") I J TILSTAR VIDEO SPORTS GAME $54.88 I 1 IVIKll "J IX mm 1. 1 ir '.-', Christmas Sole now In Progress UTUI MAC SANOrtiCM MAR s$ 1 4. 88 m mm- mmm mmm-lm' Km i---" 1m mm Tonka Dump Truck $8" Hush Lil Boby $1097 Coast-to-Coast Main St. Heppner
