Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 1985)
H I X T h e H e p p n e r G a z e lle Tim e» H e p p n er O rego n W e d n e sd ay . I l r c r m b f r l ( . IM S tmling N ïw j Power in West in Columbia Basin boys basketball The 6'4" Hull la clearly the key to Wasco's success, despite the fact that everybody is back from last year s l t d squad Hull led the league in both scoring and rebounding last year, and led the Bedsides to the Regional tournament, where they dropped back to b ark games to Enterprise and Grant Cmon "Both our offense and or defense key off Je ff," says seventh year coach Howie " I f he has trouble coming back, we'd need to rely more on quickness We do have good depth and balance, though." Howie is hope lull that Hull will be able to return in time for the start of the league schedule He is counting on a good" pre season schedule to toughen up his troops for the league wars "Our goal is make it at least as far as last year," says Howie Even with the stiff competition in the Western Division, this would cer tainly seem to be well within the reach of Wasco Coutny If Riverside Bigger Is definitely better Well It certainly is for Coach Larry French as he prepares to lead the Riverside Pirates into the Columbia Basin Conference As French begins his second decade as skipper of the Pirates he is counting on 6 4" seniors Brian Byrd and Bryan Sheadel to carry the load in a power game line up Along with senior wing man Chris Stevens, the big men give French a balanced attack In the early going, each of Riverside s key seniors were aver aging around 12 points s game, providing the balance that could off* In the East, it appears to he carry the Pirates a long way The biggest key for Riverside is anybody's ballgam e No two coaches in the league picked the for player<s> to emerge who w ill get same combination of "teams to the ball to the big boys "W e need for someone to watch" In the East, and the only agreement is that there is no real emerge," says French "We need an assertive leader who ran take favorite Even the secret to winning the charge Right now there are three East remains elusive "The first or four guys, any of whom could fill team to establish themsell could tie that role " French is hopeful that the return the team to heat.” stated Steve York of Stanfield, while Pilot Rock men of the injured Jim Putman at the tor Deacon Perkins observed "The point could lie the answer to his needs last month of the season w ill pro "Right now we have to go with bably decide the East It's totally up whoever is hot. which may be a for gratis " We've I >ne factor to consider in picking a different guy every night done that before, but it's better to winner should be the "football car ryover" effect At some schools have someone lake charge " The Pirates will once again oper football injuries have slowed basket ate th e ir "o p p o rtu n ist running hall development At others, basket hall coaches w ill either try to game," taking the break at dear capitalize on the success of the opportunities, but otherwise setting football team or try to erase the up the offense When asked about the team's stigma of losing, as the case may be "We just The boys coaches of the CBC ure goals, French replied as happy w ith the new bench rules as want to take It one step at a time " were the girls coaches, lining up Eventually, the Pirates would love to make the final eight in Pendleton with a barrage of necessarily anony "We have a g o o d size and good mous comments "The rulemakers want the coaches to do the officials experience, and we play good defense." says French If some job for them and " I don't under stand w hy »5 percent of the coaches pieces fall into place for Kiverside It have to pay for the mistakes of the could be a very "good" season for other 5 percent" and " It cramps my Pirate fans Wahtonka style I can't coach properly from “ One good team from the West the bench The players can't even won't make the District Tourna hear me," Despite the complaints, the early ment " So says veteran Wahtonka season indications are that the rules head roach Vic Kirchoffer as he are being administered with an eye prepares his Eagles for what looks toward common sense Still the to be a tough battle wtih Wasco County and Riverside in the CBC doubt remains Stated one coach " I f they 're going to back off the rule West Early in the season, the Eagles now . I hope they do It all season I'd sure hate to get in a late season have fallen behind in basketball game and get a " T " when they preparation, according to Kirchof fer “ We got a late start because of hadn t called it all season " Kor the contenders, the pot of gold football, and the weather has cost us at the end of the rainbow is that the some practice, also," says Kirchof fer District. Regional and State lour Don't take the comment about nevs are all set for the Armory in Pendleton District 7A didn't have football as a lament, however, as the any teams at the State last year, as Eagles are counting on their success Wasco County and Stanfield both in foot ball iCBC champs i to carry over into basketball were knocked out at the Kegmnals Depth is a major concern for the Kor CBC coaches, the hope this year Eagles in the early going, but is for a reverse Horace Greeley, hoping they can challenge the Kirchoffer hopes that the problem powers of the Valley to "Come will be relieved at Christmas time, when his team w ill receive some East" to Pendleton to meet them new players W asco County For now, the heart of Wahtonka's If would probably qualify as the byword for Wasco County Coach club is the only two players return ing with significant varsity expen John Howie as his charges prepare ence S 'lI" senior John Shocker and for the '85 '86 campaign If All Everything center Jeff Hull can 6'3‘ senior Randy Seibel are the only- experienced returning Eagles, and make a successful recovery from knee surgery, the Bedsides could be Kirchoffer w ill count on them to team w ith 6’2 " senior K urt a contender for state honors If Hull McConnell as the building blocks of has trouble coming hack, the men his club from M.uipin could be spectators Early reports from around the come playoff time league rate the Eagles as a solid The Bedsides have gotten the team, carrying excellent size opposite treatment this year than Kirchoffer w ill count on those they got last season, when they were factors, plus he expects "defense virtually ingnored bv the polls At and rebounding" to hold the key to one point Wasco was one of only two his team's eventual success unbeaten teams left in the State, but From every indication, making had not cracked the top ten This the playoffs in the West is very much year , only defending champ Gervais a numbers game By season's end. ranks ahead of Wasco Countv Go West Young Man Horace Greeley It's doubtful that Mr Greeley had the Columbia Basin Conference in mind when giving advice to young men of the 19th century, but hu words nicely summarize the CBC boys outlook for this season In a surprising, display sf agrt.- m rnt, the coaches of District 7 A see the power of the conferences coming from the Western Division, as Wasco County, Kiverside and Wahtonka are all draw mg raves as the pick of the litter In both halves, however the coaches see the races as too close to call In the West, defending District champ Wasco County returns every single player from a Cinderella season that carried them to the Regional final Tall and talented R iverside returns a substantial nucleus of a playoff team from last year, while the Wahtonka Eagle* have opened a few eyes with their early season play Even Sherman County looks to be substantially improved from a woeful I IS mark a year ago Much of the supense in the West w ill center on the knee of league MVP Jeff Hull. Wasco County cen ter Hull was injured in football season, and as yet has not played for the Kedsides this year Given the strength in the West. Hull's knee could tell the tale for W asco and the rest of the division " It's spooky," says Wasco coach John Howie "We re the defending Ihstricl champs, have everybody hack, and may not make the play Wahtonka hopes that it's number is up Sherman County Sherman County is in the unenvi able position of trying to makr up ground from the toughest spot puss ible the bottom of Ihe t'B< West Ia s i year was disastrous for the Huskies, as they could claim only une win all year long It would appear that prospects are brighter this year, and first-year head coach Ron Townsend sees brighter days ahead "We re weak fundamentally but we re working up." says Townsend, who previously has served as head coach at The Dalles High h M "We're very small, but we'd still like to run when we get the chance, says Townsend "We II try to play good defense and try to play a pattern running game The Huskies carry only three seniors on their roster, and all reports indicate that the underclass men carry the promise of better days ahead Townsend will count on 6'2" sophomore Bill Martin and S'10" junior Tracy Fields as the catalysts for his club Sherman County has shown marked improvement this year hav ing already bagged more wins than a year ago It's possible that the Huskies could be the most improved team in the league and still finish last, given the competition But that won t stop SC from causing a few headaches for other teams before the season is over Stanfield At first blush it would appear to be a rebuilding year for Stanfirld. coming on the heels of a 1» 4 season which saw the Tigers advance to the Regionals before being knocked out by Grant Union Not so. says thud vear head coach Steve York "Rebuilding doesn t really apply when you have some continuity in your program," says York The infusion of some bright young talent doesn't hurt either In the early going. 6'5" sophomore Tony Brown has been the most talked about newcomer in the league The addition of Brown could help the Tigers rase the loss by graduation of all but two rontn butors from last year York w ill count on those two returners as keys to his ballclub. looking inside to Jeff Walker i6'o" seniori and outside to Howard Wag nor • S' 11" senior! There are some holes to fill for the Tigers, however York sees his team as a little thin, and a little small "Our depth is not good " claims York, "and we re not very big W e need to count on defense and rebounding as keys " York has been fairly well pleased with his team in the early going "We've played some decent ball so far the defense isn't where it should be. but the offense has been okay " Like every one else in the East. the Tigers would love to qualify for the District tourney " It's a realistic goal for all five teams, says York. "It's not out of anybody's reach " The reach of Stanfirld may well depend on the reach of Tony Brown and other youngsters If they develop, the sky's the lim it Umatilla Don't feel sorry for new head coach Kingsley Way man when he says that he doesn 1 know much about the history of his ballclub He'd rather not know Way man left his post as assistant roach at Eastern Oregon State College to come to U m atilla "because I wanted my own oppor (unity " He sees early growing pains for his Vikings, but hopes that the dividends w ill be later improve ment "The players are very weak on fundamentals they seem to have a lack of court savvy, but I can see improvement." says Wayman In attempting to improve last year's mark of 8 12, the Vikings will look to Wayne Sehman >6 3 senior who Wayman says is "playing well " Sehman w ill be expected to carry the load while several players heal from football injuries (>nr such player is senior Dan Kurtz, whose shoulder injury is not football related, but which has made him a day t o - d a y ^ M ^ o j ^ w j ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Wayman feels that it w ill take time for his players to adjust to a new system, but he can see some definite progress "Hopefully we can peak at the end of the season." The carryover from football is being counted on at Umatilla, also "Everyone of our players played football." says Wayman "There is a good attitude carryover from that " In setting goals, then, per haps the basketball team could look to the football team If they reach the same level it'll mean playoff time in Umatilla this year Heppner Heppner coach Brent F.ggers also sees the CBC East as a dogfight, but appropriately the Mustangs are counting on some horses to carry the day Led by 6 2 seniors Todd Lindsay and Keith Kennison. the Mustangs will be able to employ some inside muscle The key then becomes being able to flex those muscles muscles "Our biggest key coming into the pre season games is to find a point guard," says Eggers Both of Heppner s experienced point guards from last year were casualties of graduation and the Mustangs will need to try to dev elop a court general from among underclass men Eggers will also tie able to count on 60" wing man Wayne Wilgers. who is being counted on to supply the outside atrillery needed to open up the lane for the big men The Mustangs are also hoping for a contribution from 6'2 " post up player Tony Clement Eggers is guardedly optimistic about his ballclub "They're a hard working group of kids they 're fun to coach " Considering that Heppner has only been to the Ihs trict tournament once in Ihe last ten years half the battle may tie convin ring the players that they have the right stuff If Eggers ran do that , his team may tie more fun to coach than ever Pilot Rock The Kockrts have already suf fered their biggest loss of Ihe year, so from here on in it could gel better in Ihe Rock Everybody knows that Ken Keuhl transferred to Pendleton that he gave the Burkaroos one of the links they needed to become a top 10 AAA football team What they forget is that Keuhl was also probably the best basketball player in the CBC East Coach Deacon Perkins accepts the loss of Keuhl. while acknowledging that it hurts "Those kind of kids only come along once in awhile, says Perkins Ills interests are in football, and it was a good move for him ” Meanwhile back at the ranch, the Rockets will try to put a winless football season behind them and start anew But it isn t easy " It s frustrating, says third year boss Perkins, "the kids don't know how to win they re playtng not to lose Pilot Rock has lost some dose games early in the basketball sea son. and Perkins sees it as part of the learning process "M aturity and consistency are our biggest keys right now The Rockets have faced a very tough pre season slate so far. and Perkins believes that it can only help his team The only returners for Ihe Rockets w ill be counted on to carry the hall They arc 6 3 senior Rob Sewell and 5'10" senior Gary Longhorn Per kins is also hoping for help from newcomer Rick Rasmussen, a soph more When asked to point out his team 's strength. Perkins is hard pressed "We're kind of in limbo we plav well in spurts, but we re inconsistent We'll count on pressure defense and hustle and enthusiasm At most schools, a comment like that would be a tip off of a lean year Talk to Ihe coaches around the league, however, and they are ever wary of The Rock and its solid tradition In the wild. wild. East, it would be foolish to count Ihe Rockets out just yet Ì* This year, roach Larry Stevens would like to see his club hit instead of miss "F ulfilling potential i> really the key at thu level of play, xayt Steven» "Moat kids have more talent than they exhibit, it's just a matter of making it come out " The TigerScots w ill count on depth to make up for a lack of experience Steven» feel» that he can go as many as eleven players deep on hi» bench which helps eliminate the worry of foul trouble Last year. Steven» third at WM, was an exercise in frustration for the TigerScots. who finished third in the East-one game behind Pilot Rock- despite whipping the Rockets th re e times This year, Stevens sees the East as "a real toss up while conceding that the Western Division holds the power In terms of his own team. Stevens won t count on any one individual. hut w ill strive for the team concept "We don't have any real big guns." slated Stevens, "we could have any one of 6.7 or 8 kids as Ihe leading scorer on a given night " On a team showing a fair mix of seniors and underclassmen, the TigerScols hope to parlay "defen sive teamwork" into a successful season If they do it cojzizi-he plavoff tune again in Athena Weston, after a year's absence _ S p jre ltm er, D ecem ber l i T J 's Camera T h u rs d a v N ig h t l ad ie s December 12 W on last 36 » BPOE 34 22 J A J Ceramics 33 23 Depot Nursery 28 28 Kinrua 28 28 Bark n Chips 22 34 B 4 C Repair 23 34 Kay Boyce Ins 21 35 Country Rose Splits converted Inetia Canlin 5 10. M illie Hanna 5 7. Katie Me Robert I Melba guaeken I ft 4-7-11 Phyllis Piper 4 5 7. t athi Pointer 3 10. Vicki Turrell 6 10 and Karen Palmer 4-5-7 High game Inetia Cantin 206 High series Marie Boor 543 selection of Radio Stadi toys & games RADIO SHACK 676-9157 A il 9 Want ¡ oa G ltA H tm a i ¿t ... JUSTIN. THE BEST LO O KING, BEST M ADE BO OT IN AM ERICA. K« h ! vmmm 1 (»la/«*d Bridle leather makes this dress cowboy boot as comfortable* as it is good looking It lias a 13" to p with extra deep s< allop and features a medium round to e I ik e a II other Justin cowboy boots, it required over 200 individual tle p » and about six weeks to complete Si a m l u rti o f I In- U est S in n • /N~V GARDNER'S W MENS EAR 193 N Main Heppner 676 9218 Weston McEwen Last year was a case of missed opportunities at Weston McEwen lir is tm m \Vi wi Q The Offices of -A Kuhn & Spicer ■ ■ 1 • • and Barnett, Dennis & Moro invite their clients and friends to share the joy of the holiday season at their offices at 269A Main. We httpe it'» the very hent ever fo r you. OPEN HOUSE December 20, 1985 2 to 5 p.m. LEXINGTON LUMBER Ia s i 20 22 24 MS 2» 2»>, 40 47 Gardners Lra s Processing Petersons Central Market Black Mt Electronics la*» Schwab Bud’s Puh Splits converted Theo Greenup 5-6 to Carol Norris 3-9-10. Jo a n Tanory 5 6 10 High game K irsti Willson IM High series Chris Limanen M l Me stia have « food 676-9001 H mi 40 38 M 3 IS 31 JO ', 20 13 SW ANSO N INSURANCE Jim. Monica Nancy. Cathy & Ron.
