Mustangs finish strong with
district win over WM
Three players named to all-conference teams
Caleb George looks to pass the
ball against Enterprise. -Photo
by Susan Hisler
The Heppner Mustang
boys’ basketball team end-
ed its season with a good
showing at the Blue Moun-
tain Conference Tourna-
ment. The Mustangs (9-15,
2-8) split their tournament
games as they defeated the
Weston-McEwen Tiger-
Scots 55-34 and then lost
to the Enterprise Outlaws
by the score of 40-30.
Having been beaten
by the TigerScots twice
during the regular season
by a combined four points,
the Mustangs felt as if they
could get the win in this
game. Heppner came out
and started the game fast
as they led at the end of the
first quarter 14-7.
Another strong scor-
ing quarter in the second,
to go along with a stifling
defense, saw the Mustangs
outscore the TigerScots
17-8. Heppner led the game
31-15 at halftime.
A close third quarter
that saw both teams score
10 points made the score
41-25 as the fourth quar-
ter started. Everyone on
the Mustang team played
in the final frame and the
Mustangs were able to ex-
tend their lead in the game.
Heppner outscored the Ti-
gerScots 14-9 to get the win
by the score of 55-34.
Keaton Coiner led the
team as he recorded a dou-
ble-double in the game with
13 points and 10 rebounds.
Mason Orem followed with
11 points and six rebounds
while Gage Heideman also
scored 11 points and hauled
down five rebounds. Caleb
George had nine points
and three rebounds, Joseph
Albitre filled the stat sheet
with five points, seven big
rebounds and he also had
two assists. Caylan Proud-
foot finished the game with
three points, five rebounds
and two assists, Alakae Ro-
driguez scored two points
and had two rebounds and
Marty Medina had one
point and one rebound.
Tripp Stewart ripped down
three rebounds for the Mus-
tangs.
In the third-place game
against the Outlaws, Hep-
pner had a good first quarter
as they were tied with En-
terprise 9-9. The Outlaws
outscored the Mustangs
11-4 in the second quarter
to lead at halftime 20-13.
The Mustangs strug-
gled to stop the Outlaws
6’7” post player from scor-
ing in the third quarter and
Heppner was outscored
13-8. The Outlaws led at the
end of three 33-21.
A furious rally by
the Mustangs in the fourth
quarter saw them outscore
Enterprise 9-7. Heppner
Mustang pep band lit it up at
the district tournament
did a great job defensively
in the game as they held the
high-powered Enterprise
offense, which averaged 62
points a game during the
season, to only 40 points
in their 40-30 defeat of the
Mustangs.
Caleb George led the
team in scoring with nine
points and he had two steals.
Joseph Albitre followed
with six points, five re-
bounds and two steals. Ma-
son Orem had five points,
four rebounds, three assists
and a blocked shot in the
game. Alakae Rodriguez
finished with four points,
three rebounds and one as-
sist for the team. With three
points, three rebounds, two
assists and three steals was
Caylan Proudfoot. Keaton
Coiner scored three points
and had two rebounds for
the Mustangs.
At the conclusion of
the tournament, the all-con-
ference teams were an-
nounced. The Heppner
boys’ team had three players
receive recognition for their
play during the conference
season. Second team hon-
ors went to Mason Orem.
Caleb George and Keaton
Coiner were included on the
honorable mention team.
Congratulations to those
Mustang team members.
The Mustangs will
lose three seniors off this
team, and they will be
missed. They are Jackson
Coiner, Marty Medina and
Mason Orem. The future
of the boys’ program cer-
tainly looks bright as many
underclassmen saw lots of
varsity playing time and the
JV team had a very success-
ful year.
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 26, 2025 -- SEVEN
Heppner falls in overtime
to Weston-McEwen in Blue
Mountain District Tournament
(Middle) Head Coach Robert Wilson gives the Mustang girls a pep talk, while Assistant
Coach (Left) Russ Nichols looks on. -Photo by Susan Hisler
Hallee Hisler goes in for 2
of her 23 points against the
TigerScots -Photo by Susan
Hisler
The Heppner Mus-
tangs battled through two
tough matchups in the Blue
Mountain Conference dis-
trict tournament, falling
to Weston-McEwen 54-48
in an overtime semifinal
thriller before losing 53-41
to Enterprise in the third-
place game at the Pendleton
Convention Center.
Heppner
vs.
Weston-McEwen
The Mustangs started
strong against the Tiger-
Scots, jumping to a 14-7
lead after the first quarter.
However, Weston-McEwen
closed the gap before half-
Lunch
& Dinner
Menu
2/27 - 3/5
Lily Nichols fires an open 3
point shot. -Photo by Susan
Hisler
Cici Stefany drives past
TigerScot defender. -Photo
by Susan Hisler
time, trailing by just three,
19-16. By the end of the
third quarter, Heppner held
a narrow 36-34 advantage,
but the TigerScots forced
overtime with a 43-43 tie at
the end of regulation.
In the extra period,
Weston-McEwen took con-
trol, outscoring Heppner
11-5 to secure the victory
and advance to the district
championship.
Hallee Hisler led the
Mustangs with a game-high
23 points and 12 rebounds,
while Healy Hisler added
13 points and seven re-
bounds.
Heppner vs. Enterprise
Following the loss to
WestonMcEwen, Heppner
faced Enterprise in the con-
solation game. The Mus-
tangs took an early 11-9
lead after the first quarter
but trailed 27-26 at half-
time. The Outlaws broke
the game open in the third
quarter with a decisive 17-6
run, extending their lead to
44-32. Heppner struggled
to regain momentum and
ultimately fell 53-41.
The Mustangs’ free-
throw struggles proved
costly, as they missed 15
attempts from the line.
Hallee Hisler recorded
13 points, seven rebounds,
and four steals, while Del-
aney Stefani contributed
eight points, four rebounds,
and four steals.
Weston McEwen even-
tually fell to Stanfield in the
district championship 41-46
Heppner girls will play
at Knappa, Friday the 28 th
at 5:00pm.
Print & Mailing Services
*Design *Print
Thursday - chicken tortilla soup & quesadilla
Friday - bratwurst with mac n cheese
Saturday - SW Grill chicken salad
Sunday closed
Monday - popcorn chicken mashed potato bowl
Tuesday - chicken dumpling soup & salad
Tuesday Night - 6-9pm $2 hard shell tacos
Wednesday - 1/4 bacon cheeseburger with
pork n beans & deep fried chips
2/28 Live Music Starting at 8pm featuring
James Hunnicutt
Heppner Mustang Pep Band. -Contributed Photo
Heppner, OR—The
Heppner Mustang Pep
Band, under the direction
of Brook Baker, dedicated
countless hours throughout
the basketball season to
energizing home and away
crowds with their spirited
performances. Their com-
mitment culminated in an
outstanding effort at the dis-
trict basketball tournament
in Pendleton, where they
traveled alongside the team
and fans for two days of
high-intensity competition.
From the first tip-off
of the season to the final
buzzer at districts, the pep
band played a crucial role
in rallying school spirit
and supporting the Mus-
tang athletes. Their per-
formances kept the energy
high in the gym, creating
an electric atmosphere for
players and fans alike. Their
unwavering enthusiasm and
dedication showcased the
important role music plays
in uniting the Heppner High
School community.
“We are incredibly
proud of our students for
the time and effort they put
into this season,” said di-
rector Brook Baker. “They
have spent hours practic-
ing, performing at games,
and ensuring Mustang fans
had an unforgettable ex-
perience. Traveling to the
district tournament was a
rewarding experience and
a testament to their hard
work.”
The band would also
like to extend a special
thank you to Heppner High
School teacher Dave Fowl-
er, who made sure they had
a brand-new vinyl sign
just in time for their trip
to districts, helping them
represent their school with
pride.
The Heppner Mustang
Pep Band remains a cor-
nerstone of school events,
fostering pride, unity, and
excitement for students,
athletes and fans through-
out the year.
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Broker
Chris Sykes
541-215-2274
Price Reduced
177 N. Main
P.O. Box 337
Heppner, OR 97836
Chris@sykesrealestate.net
Broker
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541-215-2274
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