+HSSQHU*D]HWWH7LPHV+HSSQHU2UHJRQ Wednesday, January 3, 2024 -- SEVEN
th
Annual alumni game in Heppner
Mustang Boys’ win
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(OJXH]DEDO - Contributed Photo
Caden George jumps to grab a rebound in their game
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The Heppner Mustang
boys’ basketball team re-
cently played in the 2A
Preview Tournament held at
the Pendleton Convention
Center. The tournament
brings in three of the top
2A teams from the west
side of the state to play
three teams from the eastern
part of the state. The other
teams attending this year
besides the Mustangs were
from Kennedy, Knappa,
Vernonia, Riverside and
Weston-McEwen.
Heppner started the
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Kennedy Trojans. Kennedy
is the same team that the
Mustangs played in their
final game of the season
last year at the state tourna-
ment. This year the talented
Trojan team beat the Mus-
tangs by the score of 55-35.
The Mustangs struggled to
get their game going and
Kennedy jumped out to a
quick lead and led 32-15
at the half. The second half
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Mustangs, and they played
even with the Trojans, but
the damage had been done
in the first half and the
Mustangs couldn’t cut into
the Kennedy lead.
Landon Mitchell
led the Mustangs with
19 points. Mason Orem
followed with 8 points,
6 blocked shots and five
rebounds.
The next game for the
Mustangs would be against
the Knappa Loggers. The
teams would be tied 12-
12 at the end of the first
quarter. Knappa used a 9-4
advantage in the second
to lead 21-16 at halftime.
Heppner outscored Knappa
22-19 in the second half but
just couldn›t make up the
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game 40-38.
Mitchell again led the
team in scoring with 16.
He also had 5 rebounds, 3
assists and 2 steals in the
game. Cameron Proudfoot
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3 rebounds while Mason
Orem contributed 6 points,
5 rebounds and blocked a
shot. With 5 points, 3 re-
bounds, 4 assist and 2 steals
was Caden George. Thomas
Bales had 2 points and 3
rebounds for the Mustangs.
The last game of
the tournament for the
Mustangs was against the
Vernonia Loggers. Heppner
started out fast and led
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quarter. Both teams scored
11 points in the second
quarter and the Mustangs
led at the half 24-18. Hep-
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in the second half and out-
scored the Loggers 33-17
to get the win by the score
of 57-37.
Caden George and
Landon Mitchell each
scored 15 points to lead
the team in scoring. Caden
also had 3 assists, a block,
and a steal in the game.
Landon also recorded 4
rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals
and a block for the team.
Keaton Coiner had a big
game as he scored 8 points
and had 9 rebounds for the
Mustangs. Mason Orem
had another good game
with 6 points, 3 rebounds,
2 assists and a steal. Next
was Thomas Bales with 5
points, 3 rebounds and 2
steals. Cameron Proudfoot
and Jackson Coiner each
tallied 3 points in the game
and Cameron also had 2
rebounds and 2 assists. Fin-
ishing the game with 1 point
each were Caleb George
and Caylan Proudfoot.
The Mustangs, with
a 7-6 preseason record
will enter Blue Mountain
Conference play this week
as they will travel to take
on the Weston-McEwen
Tigerscots on Friday and
then host the Grant Union
Prospectors on Saturday.
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+LVOHU:H\JDQGW-DQQHOOH+HDO\(OOLV6KHOO\5LHWPDQ0F&DEH6WDFL(OJXH]DEDO-HVVLFD.HPSNHQ- Contributed Photo
The 11th annual Hep-
pner Mustang Alumni bas-
ketball games were held at
the Heppner High School
gym on December 23.
Twenty-six former Mus-
tangs or their spouses show-
cased their considerable
basketball talents. Both the
men’s and women’s games
were highly competitive,
and everyone had a great
time. The fans and families
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on their favorites and were
highly entertained.
The women›s game
was won by the white team
by the score of 57-24. Janelle
Ellis led the winning team
in scoring as she poured in
several long distance three-
pointers. Point guard Annie
Weygandt showed some
awesome passing ability
and had many assists to
her teammates. The entire
team did a good job of
passing the ball to each
other as they scored several
easy baskets in the paint.
Petra Payne and Shelly
Rietman controlled the
boards as they hauled down
the majority of the games
rebounds. Staci Elguezabal
converted several fast
break baskets and Jessica
Kempken contributed solid
play for her team in the
victory.
The blue team was led
by Madison Rosenbalm who
hit several three-pointers in
the game. Taylor Turner
(soon to be Currin) played
in the Heppner gym for
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why she was a star player
in the state of Washington.
Stephanie Sweeney played
hard and hustled all game
long as she attacked the
basket and Emma Lankford
looked as if she hadn›t lost
a step from when she was
a Mustang. Blake Greenup
and Hailey Struckmeier
contributed to their team
with good all-around play
in the game.
The men›s game was
also won by the white team
by the score of 88-77. The
white team jumped out to
a big lead early but were
caught and passed late in
the game. They battled back
and took the lead for good
with only a few minutes
to go in the game and then
held on to get the win.
Patrick Collins led
the winners with 29 points.
Brock Hisler was next
with 15 points and Blake
Carter had 13. With 12
points in his return to HHS
was Kason Cimmiyotti
and former teammate Joe
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With 4 points each in the
game were Kolby Currin
and Kevin Murray.
Leading the way for
the blue team in defeat was
Chris Lien who finished
with 25 points. Rocky
Turner was next with 23
and Chuey Elguezabal had
13 points. Tate Gentry had
8 points and with 3 each
were Lane Bailey and Ian
Murry. Blas Elguezabal
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the team with 2 points.
Plans are already
underway for next year and
the 12th Annual Alumni
game.
How many drinks
do you have in a week?
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Heppner
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Ag/Commercial Loan Officer
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Excessive drinking has a way of sneaking up on us.
A few drinks, a few nights a week — it adds up.
And suddenly we’re at greater risk for long-term
problems, like heart disease, cancer and depression.
Is it time to rethink the drink?
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Ione
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Ag/Commercial Loan Officer
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MEMBER FDIC