The Gazette-Times, lleppner, Ore., Thursday, Feb. 10. 1977 SEVEN
Mustangs scare PR in 1st half
thinfrs JM
around
ckSW
by
wil phinney, sports editor
GATES AND DEER
It only took about ten minutes
was satisfied with riding in the
But the nuisance of opening barbed wire gates was brightened
by the opportunity to see herds
Skinner Creek to the Ditch Creek burn.
State Game Biologist Glen
group, that included myself and Laverne Van Marter, Sr., on a
trek through the hills in the area in search of the elusive and
coveted buck.
Just hearing Van talk about the old times, when he and fellow
hunters concocted wild stews and received cold stares from big
bucks was enough to satisfy this writer's afternoon. But we
counted 181 animals, quite a few
talked about what the weather
Driving through the mountainous area past Penland, where
an observer could see the breaks
bit frightening.
To look at the calendar, then
unbelievable. In the shady spots, the snow stands maybe four
inches deep where on a usual February day, the snowfall is
between 18-24 inches.
In the open ranges, the ground
moving up, as if spring weather
hills, it is.
Hear people talking about how
get out of the Heppner pocket?
Monday, Ward told me, it was
Friday, when we went through Skinner Creek ridges, the
Summerfield ridges, all the way
r c --
Big buck near
Penland and on up into the snowy
was shining, the sky was blue.
The deer seemed to not know
and heaven knows, no one here
The first animal we saw was a
rack that looked about two sizes
animal was undernourished, he
We determined, after a little
antlerless deer with him was a
horns in the last few days.
In all, we counted 181 deer, most
knoll at the head of Grave's Creek
area.
Traveling past Penland, we hit
we thought we'd jump elk. But no
we moved past Ditch Creek into
The road in the area wasn't covered with a big snow pack like
a usual February. It was muddy.
of toiling with chains, we turned
and went back.
On the knoll was probably more
the day made it hard to count all
and divided by four and came up
reasonable guess.
The deer were fat, which is nice
the mild winter, or lack of winter in the area. Hearing of good
conditioned animals is fine in the winter, but one can only have
bad dreams about a waterless spring and summer which can
only mean starvation and less
Figures for 1976 were great, really, compared to other years
for deer. Ward counted 19 bucks
December. Both those ratios are
1966.
Ward cited short deer seasons
success for the fleet-footed animals.
Ward's biology department makes spring runs through the
Heppner unit, a million acre area, usually by horseback and
four wheel drive vehicles to make his counts.
That run will come in March and
Increase over last year's rates. Last year the count yielded 14 4
deer per acre in the permanent census area.
A high fawn production and survival will be the clincher for
the increase. An easy winter, coupled with August rains, has
produced does in "great physical condition" and "good fall
grasses."
The fawns were big when they were born this year, Ward said
And does produced a lot of milk for their young. After aboul
three months, the fawns start foraging for themselves and that's
where Mr. Kip Coyote usually takes his toll.
But predator losses this year were light, Ward said. He said
that maybe because there were more deer to start with that a
few lost to predators wasn't noticed as much as if the start had
been low.
The deer we saw Friday were in "real good physical
condition." The mild weather, lack of snow (there is usually two
feet in the area this time of year) has given the animals more
foliage to choose from and the deer haven't been kegged up in
any one area looking for food.
While the mild winter has been nice to the deer, the drought
that the area faces, if it continues, could throw a bind in the
deer's spring and summer habits.
"If we don't have spring forage, the does won't be in as good a
ihysical condition and we won't have as good a crop of fawns,"
Vard said. The lower milk supply will mean smaller fawns and
a higher mortality rate in the winter.
The does drop their fawns in May and June.
Area farmers and ranchers already have a problem with
scrounging deer in their fields, but if the drought continues, it
will get worse. The deer will concentrate on the agricultural
lands, near the creek beds, for
And because many of the creeks
highways, you can bet highway mortality will be up, too. This
summer, between Lexington and Heppner alone, 35 deer were
(Cont. on
TV .1
V'lJL
AND WEATHER
for me to figure out why Van
middle. Gates.
of deer all along the hills from
Ward commandeered a small
bucks still with antlers, and we
was doing to them.
of the John Day, was in fact, a
the ground in that area, is
is bare. The deer herds are
were already upon them. In the
nice and sunny it is when you
Well, they aren't fibbin' to you
53 degrees at Penland Lake
to Cutsforth Park, then past
4. auKf ttt. Htm:. .
Summerfield.
part of the country, the sun
what Mother Nature was doing
knows either.
big buck (pictured) that had a
too big for him. Not that the
just had a nice big rack.
discussion, that the other
buck, too, probably losing his
of them kegged up on one big
in the old Ditch Creek Burn
timber and a bit of snow where
luck with the big animals, so
the Grave's Creek area.
So muddy, in fact, that instead
the four wheel drive rig around
than 75 animals. The dusk of
the heads. I counted all the legs
with what I figured to be a
to know, mainly because of
doe population.
and 83 fawns, per 100 does in
as high as they've been since
the last two years as part of the
April, but Ward forecasts an
food.
in the area line roads and
page 9)
While it lasted, it was prep
basketball at its finest.
Mark Huddleston bounded
down the floor, pumped and
"L rin eitv. Hennnpr takes a 2-0
1 I Til . 1 1 1. 1
mun nvMr r-iifii kiu'h mum-
bia Basin Conference league
leader. v
PR turnover. Brian Marlin
cans a 20 footer from the side
to make it 4-0. Another PR
turnover. Kevin . Haguewood
puts the shot up to make it 6-0
and lickitty brindle, the Mus
tangs are on fire.
Before Heppner was fin
ished, they'd canned five shots
in a row and had taken a 10-0
lead, the first time it had
happened to them all year.
But it was not to be.
By halftime, the lead was
but one and in the third period,
the roof caved in and the
Rockets blasted off to take a
64-47 win away from cellar
dweller Heppner.
But the upset thoughts stun
ned the Rockets for awhile.
Yes, indeed.
Brian Marlin shot a pistol
hot nine for 12 for 75 per cent
and led the Mustangs to a 26
for 58 night for 44 per cent.
From the field, Heppner
bettered Pilot Rock, 26-25.
At the line was the dif
ference. PR made 14 of 21 tries
while the Mustangs settled for
nine tries and canned five.
It was a stunning first half.
Heppner jumped to the 10-0
lead behind shots by Marlin,
Huddleston, Haguewood and
Grieb. At the end of three
minutes. Pilot Rock called
time out, ' trailing the last
place team in the CBC by two
digits.
Heppner kept the ball from
Jeff Lavender, the league's
leading scorer, who finished
the contest with 18 points.
With 3:57 to play in the first
period, the Mustangs were
whistled for their first turn
over, a walking violation and
PR finally cracked the scoring
ice when Lavender sunk both
ends of a one for one foul shot
with 2:43 in the first period.
When the ice broke, Hep
pner froze. But it took the
Rockets a full two periods to
bust the crack big enough for
the Mustangs to fall in.
Marty Perrine hit five first
period points and boosted the
Rockets to an 11-10 lead, the
first PR lead of the contest
with less than a minute to play
in the first.
Huddleston and Haguewood
canned fielders in the waning
first period seconds to bring
the crowd to its feet and pull
out a 14-11 first period lead.
It was only the second time
this year, in 14 games, that the
Mustangs had held a first
period edge. (They led 16-14
over Sherman County two
weeks ago.)
It was a never say die effort.
Even when they trailed, 53-38
with four and a half minutes to
play in the game, the Mus
tangs were out firing.
They whittled that 15 point
edge to five in the fourth
period before having to settle
for the seven point difference.
Wayne Seitz, who ended the
contest with 15 points for
Heppner, scored eight in the
second quarter, keeping the
Mustangs' heads above water
and paddling for a 28-27
halftime lead.
Coach Chris Borgen said his
squad was a little bewildered
at halftime. They'd never
been in that spot before.
"It was one of our best team
efforts," Borgen said. "I was
really pleased with Brian
(Marlin), he had a fine game.
Wayne Seitz and Jerry Cuts
forth had good games and
Kevin (Haguewood) did an
excellent job on the boards."
Borgen was pleased, too,
with the defense of Huddles
ton. The junior forward held
Jeff Lavender to six first half
points, two of those coming at
Jr. Hi tourney set
lone Cardinal Club
will sponsor a junior
high boys' jamboree
basketball tournament
in mid-February in
lone.
The tourney, a four
team contest including
lone, Heppner, River
side and Umatilla, will
Marlin
the line. The CBC scoring
leader finished the night with
18 points, making six of 12
shots and six free throws.
Heppner threw a box and
one at Lavender and the
Rockets that worked through
out much of the tilt.
Filly first half blunders
thwart victory hopes
Heppner's Fillies looked up
at the scoreboard at halftime
and found themselves trailing
by 19 points last Thursday.
Hermiston took a 23-4 inter
mission lead and rode it to a
39-25 triumph.
It was Hermiston's win in
outings. The Bulldogs and
Pendleton are vying for the
sub-district title in the Inter
mountain Conference.
y ... (XL
If9 l I
tear I j
Lisa Martin pops a jumper from the side during Ione's loss to
Arlington Saturday, 24-22. Martin had eight points to lead the
Cardinals. (Gazette-Times photo)
Martin leads lone
girls in slim defeat
A sluggish first period and a
cold third proved disastrous to
Ione's Cardinal girls last
Thursday, trailing to Arling
ton, 24-22.
lone watched a seven sec
ond chance slip away. With ,
just the few seconds left in the
contest, Arlington held the
24-22 edge, but lone had the
ball.
The ball didn't make it
through the hoop and the Card
ladies had to settle for the set
back.
be played on Saturday.
Feb. 19. The A and B
class slate is set for a 9
a.m. start.
. .Junior high girls from
the same schools will
meet in Umatilla on the
same day for an A class
tourney.
scores 20
It was a poor third period
that proved to be the Mustang
undoing. Upset hopes were
cast aside when the Rockets
bullied their way underneath
for a 21-8 difference and took
hold of the lead, 48-36.
PR outboarded Heppner in
Heppner, led by Vicki Ed
mundson's eight points, were
down 12-4 after one period,
then were shut out in the
second as Hermiston tallied
11.
Lisa Kunkel, a six footer,
scored 12 points and 5-1 Karin
Sobotta added 10. ,
Hermiston invaded Filly
territory with rebound power.
Boasting Kunkel and Sheryl
Lisa Martin led the Cards
with eight points. Jean Frost
led the Honkers with 12.
Arlington outlasted lone in
the first period, 9-4, getting
outside shots to find the
bucket. In the second, lone
whittled a point from the
margin but trailed, 18-14.
A slow third period baffled
both teams, but Arlington
came out on top, 22-16. The try
in the fourth fell short by a
fielder.
From the field, lone shot
down the Honkers, 9-8. But the
Cards' shot fell short in the
free throw competition. lone
made half of eight tries, but
Arlington was eight for 18.
lone was whistled for 16
fouls, Arlington 12.
lone 4 10 6 6 24
Arlington 9 9 4 2 24
lone: Martin 8, Grace Mc
Elligott 6, Robin Leavitt 4,
Debora Palmer 2, Janet Mc
Elligott 2.
Arlington : Wetherall 8, Jean
Frost 12, Coffelt 2, Hickerson
2.
the third period, 10-3, setting
up crucial put up shots against
the boards. In the game, the
Rockets hit the boards, 33-25
over Heppner.
Haguewood pulled down
eight rebounds. Jerry Heim
gartner had 11 for Pilot Rock.
In the final stanza, Heppner
cut the lead to five at one
point, but it was a vain effort
Sfc
Woodward, two 6-0 juniors, the
Bulldogs outrebounded and
outshot the Mustangs. From
the field, Hermiston hit 17
fielders to Heppner's 11.
The Fillies' biggest drive
was in the fourth stanza,
where they battled from a
29-10 third period deficit to
within 12 at the final buzzer.
Outscoring Hermiston,
17-10, the Fillies were paced
by Edmundson with six,
Cooper with six and Maureen
Healy with three.
Filly Coach Rebecca Ran
dall said it might have been a
different outcome if Heppner
would have played the first
half like the second,
lleppner 4 0 6 17 27
Hermiston 12 116 10 39
lleppner: Kenny 2, Myers 2,
Healy 2, Edmundson 8, Diane
Holland 2, Cooper fi, M. Healy
5. Field goals: 11; free
throws: 3-15; fouls: 15.
Hermiston: Ada.ns 4, Bar
ren 2. Knerr 5, Kunkel 12,
Sobotta 10, Woodward 6. Field
goals: 17; free throws: 5-16;
fouls: 18.
Lexington Lumber
Yard
Lexington, Oregon
at a comeback. Marlin added
eight more points to his
personal best, but the 21-16
out-tally wasn't enough,
lleppner 14 14 8 21 57
Pilot Rock 11 16 21 16 64
lleppner: Myers 2, Young 2.
Haguewood 6. Huddleston 6,
Marlin 18. Grieb 8, Seitz 15.
Ill Gazette-Tim es
Thursday, Feb. 10
lone Jr. High vs. Arlington, home, 2 p.m.
Hep. girls vs. lone, at Heppner, 6 & 8 p.m.
Hep. frosh vs. Riverside, there, 4 & 6 p.m.
Hep. Jr. High vs. Pilot Rock, there, 2 p.m.
((friday))
Friday, Feb. 11
Hep. var., JV vs. Oregon Trail, there 6 & 8 p.m.
lone var., JV vs. Umapine, home, 6 & 8 p.m.
((Saturday))
Saturday, Feb. 12
lone var., JV vs. Arlington, home, 6 & 8 p.m.
lone girls vs. Arlington, home, 6 p.m.
Hep. var., JV vs. Riverside, home, 6 & 8 p.m.
((sunda)
Sunday, Feb. 13
City league: Greenup vs. Ernst, 6 p.m.
Sands vs. Pointer, 7 p.m.
Vail vs. Eckman, 8 p.m.
((tuesday))
Tuesday, Feb. 15
lone girls vs. Wasco County, there, 6 p.m.
lone Jr. High vs. Umatilla, home, 2 p.m.
Hep. girls vs. Pilot Rock, there, 6 & 8 p.m.
Hep. frosh vs. Sherman, home, 4 & 6 p.m.
((Thursday))
Thursday, Feb. 17 '
Hep. Jr. High vs. Umatilla, home, 2:30 p.m.
' r f v j
3 gS
if i
J
Field goals: 2K-5H; fre
throws: 5-9; fouls: 19; r
hounds: 25: turnovers: 17.
Pilot Rock : ( onnor 4, Post 5,
Lavender IX, Christenson li.
Ileimgartner 6, Perrine if.
Field goals: 25-57; free
throws: 11-21: fouls: 13;
rebounds: XI; turnovers: 21 .J
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