SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 17,2010
Johnston hangs up the spikes
after 36 years of coaching
By David Sykes
When you sit down
and talk to Rick Johnston
about baseball, a subject
he knows quite a bit about,
the conversation always
ends up back at the same
place. It’s all about the kids.
And Johnston has coached
quite a few over his 36-year
career. Make no mistake,
Johnston loves to win, and
has a long record of post
season play while coaching
the Mustang baseball team,
but what he remembers and
relishes the most is meeting
and working with the kids,
parents and other coaches.
Johnston became
the head coach in 1993. He
took two years off in 1997
and 1998 before returning
to the baseball program as
the JV coach in 1999. In
2000 he once again took on
the role of head coach.
the Mustangs in 1993, he Rick Paullus, have given
had only one losing season, him over the years.
In addi
and his team
tion to baseball
played for the
Johnston also
state champion
coached C olt
ship in 2004.
Basketball for
B u t
12 years, ran the
o n c e a g a in
hoop shoot at
when Johnston
the St. Patrick’s
talks about his
celebration for
a c c o m p lis h
ments he doesn’t
several years,
h e lp e d w ith
dwell on wins
c o n s tr u c tio n
and losses, but
o f the George
about the kids.
His first year as Coach Rick Johnston W aterlund by
head coach o f stepped down as Mus in stallin g the
the M ustangs, tang head coach. -Con cyclone fence,
tributed Photo
h e lp e d w ith
his team lost the
first six games.
b u ild in g th e
“The kids w ere feeling high school baseball field
pretty down, but I wouldn’t and has w orked on the
let them quit,” he recalls. “chain gang” at Mustang
The team went on to play football games for over 20
in the state semi-finals that years.
Johnston, who is
year. “I watched kids get
confidence in themselves. employed by the Port of
Coach Johnston (middle) with the team that upset Regis in the 2002 playoffs. -Contributed
Photo
“When you have
the opportunity to work with
a kid and make a difference
in his life, that’s what it’s all
about,” Johnston says, who
this year is stepping down
from the head coaching job
for the Heppner Mustangs.
“ Don’t get me wrong, I
have had some rough spots,
but overall it has been a
great experience for me,”
he says.
J o h n s to n , w ho
grew up in Heppner, has
always had a love of base
ball and recalls how when
he was 11 years old he and
his buddy Roger Leonnig
would eat baloney sand
wiches together for lunch,
and then head to the ball
field several hours before
Little League practice to get
in some early pitching and
hitting. Heppner had three
team s then, the G iants,
Braves and Dodgers. lone’s
team was the Indians. John
ston was a Giant. Later in
High School, at the urging
of Ted Toll, he started his
career coaching the Giants.
He coached little league for
11 years.
Over the years he
has also coached jr. high,
jr. varsity, and Babe Ruth
baseball. He made the play
off almost every year. Since
he became head coach of
and that was a great feeling
to see that and know I had
something to do with bring
ing that out,” he says.
Johnston started
coaching Babe Ruth base
ball in 1987 and has en
joyed the family aspect of
the games. “We would base
our family vacations around
the games and we had a lot
of fun, meeting other par
ents, coaches and players,”
he says. He encourages
parents to stay interested in
the game with their children
and recalls how his own
father went to only one of
his baseball games when he
was playing. “That meant
so much to me to see him
there,” he said.
He credits baseball
and his coach with keeping
him in line when he was
young. “Rex English took
an interest in me and kept
me on the straight and nar
row,” Johnston says. “He
helped me out.”
Some of the other
people who helped and en
couraged him in his coach
ing and playing career were:
Riley Munkers, Leon Ball,
Bert Corbin, Erin Snow,
Kenny Sawyer, Ted Toll,
Bob Byrd and Don Cole. He
also appreciates the work
his assistant coaches, John
McCabe, Troy Morgan and
Morrow, is retiring from
coaching to spend more
time taking care of his wife
Susan, who has Multiple
Sclerosis. “My wife has
learned to love baseball
but it is time for me to take
care of her. It’s time for me
to take care of my own,”
Johnston says.
“This is the best
place to raise kids, John
ston says about Heppner. “I
have had some run-ins with
parents over the years, but
this is the best place to live
and coach. For the most part
it has been a great experi
ence,” Johnston says. He
says the town has a winning
attitude that starts during
football season and carries
on through the whole year.
“ We have alw ays done
it (put together winning
teams) with local kids,”
Johnston said. “They have
been local grown not trans
planted like some schools.
And the lone kids (lone
does not have a baseball
team but plays with Hep
pner) have been great. We
couldn’t have done it with
out them,” he says.
“I have always tried
to set an example in my
personal life for the kids,”
Johnston. “I wanted them to
look up to me. I wanted to
set a good example.”
Kindle, Coe named as new baseball coaches
Jim Kindle (left) was recently named the new varsity baseball coach and Scott Coe (right)
was named the new JV baseball coach for Heppner.
Lady Cards defeat Echo and Condon/Wheeler
The lone Lady Car
dinals tallied two “must
wins” last weekend, defeat
ing Echo at home on Friday
night and pulling out a close
one against Condon/Wheel
er in Fossil on Saturday.
The wins secured a spot in
the district tournament for
the Lady Cards with two
tough games remaining in
the regular season. They
will host red-hot Helix on
Friday night and travel to
Dufur next Saturday.
The lone girls were
intense when they took the
floor against Echo on Fri
day, February 5, most likely
remembering a humiliating
loss at the hands of the Cou
gars a couple weeks back in
Echo. With seven minutes
gone in the first quarter,
lone had established a 14-2
lead. Echo got a couple of
scores at the tail end of the
quarter to make the score
14-7 after one. The Lady
Cards built their lead to 13
points in the second quarter
before Echo responded to
pull within eight at the half
23-15. The third quarter
was a dandy for lone as six
players put points on the
board and they outscored
the opponent 17-8 to lead
40-23 entering the final
quarter of play. Echo was
able to close the gap slightly
in the waning moments of
the game but it was not
nearly enough as the Lady
Cards took the 46-35 win.
Shadow Kendrick
led the team in scoring
with 14 points. Beth Morter
added nine and Tyree Svet-
ich had eight.
Brianna Peterson puts one up against Echo on Friday, Febru
ary 5. -Photo by Theresa Crawford
Playing in Fossil
on Saturday, February 6,
neither the Knights nor the
Cardinals got much going
in the first quarter. It took
almost five minutes of play
before anyone got a point
on the board and when
Beth M orter hit a three
with 24 seconds left in the
quarter, the Cards led 7-2.
The Knights got right back
in the game though, tying
the score at 14 with 1:45
to go in the half. Shadow
Kendrick had seven points
in the second quarter, in
cluding the last three to put
the Lady Cards up 17-14.
Condon/W heeler ran off
the first six points of the
third quarter to go up 20-
17 and they outscored the
Cardinals 8-4 in the quarter.
But in the fourth, the lone
ladies shifted gears and put
up 18 points to nine for the
opponent. Beth Morter had
eight points in the quar
ter and Tyree Svetich and
Briana Peterson hit critical
buckets for the team as they
went from one point up to
the final winning margin
of 39-31.
Beth M orter and
Shadow Kendrick shared
scoring honors for the game
with 14 points each.
Heppner to hold 28th annual St. Patrick's Celebration
Heppner’s Wee Bit KUMA Coffee Hour; Ceili; grounds; “Ewe-Do-Bingo”;
O ’ Ireland St. P atrick’s shopping at the Vendor’s “O’Ducky Race”; “O’ Kid
Celebration is just around Square; the arts and crafts die Tricycle Races”; “Kiss
the comer and it’s time to display at Les Schwab or Heppner’s Blarney Stone”;
get out the green and wear ganized by Morrow County “Throw the Weily” ; the
it proudly. The 28,h annual Creative Arts & Crafts; the live mannequin show by
Wee Bit O ’ Ireland Celebra “Wee Bit O ’ Western Fine the HHS Drama Club; the
tion will be held March Art Photography” by De Children’s Carnival coor
11-14.
nise Smith and Celia Moyer dinated by The Stable of
There are many at City Park; the Alumni Youth; food vendors; Sheep
activities planned for this Softball Game; the dedica Dog Trials on Saturday and
year’s event including: the tion of “Turner Day Park” Sunday; and Road Bowling
variety program “Ireland in at the view point at Willow on Sunday.
Story, Song and Laughter”, Creek Reservoir by the Wil
Entertainment on
written by Father Condon, low Creek Park District; the Saturday evening will in
with music by Joe Lind Friends of the Library book clude Tiller’s Folly”, the
say; Heppner Chamber’s/ sale; Stuart Dick’s book "Old Time Fiddlers” and
UROCK 3rd annual Irish signing and presentation “Brenda Sue" s. The enter
Boxing Smoker at Heppner on M orrow County and tainment is free to all and is
High School; the Cruz In” Mattieson School House; sponsored by the Morrow
and “Great Green Parade”; Morrow County Heritage County Unified Recreation
Drama Club planning community trip to Disneyland
the 5K Run/Walk in mem and Agricultural Museums; District.
Heppner Drama Club is currently planning a group trip, open to all community ory of Donna Schonbachler the “St. Patrick’s O ’Flock
For more informa
members, to Disneyland August 11-18.
to benefit Willow Creek & Fiber Show" to be held tion call the chamber office
The trip would include a six-day Park Hopper Ticket for Disneyland and Cali Terrace; the Iron Man Bike at the Morrow County Fair- at 541-676-5536.
fornia Adventure, seven-night stay at Anaheim Hotel, all meals, ground transportation, Ride; the Leprechaun Run;
dinner theatre performance in Los Angeles, and roundtrip airfare. The cost of the trip is
$1,150 per person. Other options are six nights for $1,065 and five nights for $975.
The group maximum is 60 travelers.
Pat Struthers will give presentations on Windows 7 on Thursday, February
Anyone planning to sign up is asked to respond by March 1.
25, during the chamber lunch meeting and again at 7 p.m. at Heppner City Hall for
For more information or to sign up call 541-676-8022 (day) or 541-676-8161
the public.
(night).
There will be drawings for free prizes during these open houses.
Windows 7 open houses to be held
Morrow County Public Work91
You tire all aware o f the new law Effective January I, 2010 computers, moni
tors and TVs CANNOT he disposed of in the %urbane or at disposal sites such
as landfills, transfer stations and incinerators. Am tmc who knowingly dis
poses of these items can be fined.
Morrow County Public Works is pleased to announce that
prior to the ban the transfer stations had been implement
ing this procedure. Residence are allowed to dump FREE
of charge televisions, computers and monitors Containers
for E Waste are located at the North 69900 Frontage Ln.
Boardman and the South 57185 Hwy 74, Lexington Trans
fer Stations. Hours of operation 9:00 - 3:00 Saturday and
Sundays.
Que«tion« and concern« may be addressed
by calling 541-989-9500.
BOMBING RANGE ROAD TEMPORARY CLOSURE
Morrow County Public Works Department would like
to announce Due to reconstruction on the south end of
the Bombing Range / Hwy 207 Intersection protect, It
Is necessary to close the South end section of Bombing
Range road fora period beginning on (anuary 4, 2010
and continuing through February 28, 2010 weather
permitting. The primary north detour route will be
Grleb Ln. The South detour route will be juniper
Canyon to Baseline Rd. All traffic of any kind with the
exception of those local residents will be restricted and
the closure will be strictly enforced during this period.
Local residents will be allowed access subject to
following traffic control measures necessary at the
time.
This project is a Statewide Transportation
Improvement Program (STIP)