Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 2015)
SPORTS SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015 HERMISTONHERALD.COM A9 PREP BASKETBALL • SCHEDULE Special kind Hermiston girls survive The Dalles of athlete O BY SAM BARBEE HERMISTON HERALD QHRIWKHWKLQJV, was most excited about this season ZDVZDWFKLQJ6DP Colbray wrestle this week. ,NQRZ,NQRZ ,W¶VDOLWWOHZHLUG%XW JX\VZLWKWKDWW\SHRI VWUHQJWKDQGVNLOODQG that kind of record DUHQ¶WMXVWZDONLQJ around everywhere. They are few and far in between. As the winter season approached, random SHRSOH,¶GWDONWRZRXOG tell me about Colbray. “Oh, you’re a sports reporter here?” they’d ask. “You need to watch Sam Colbray wrestle.” ,ILQDOO\KDGWKDW opportunity. Colbray won 3-2 RYHU-RH/LQHEDUJHURI The Dalles Thursday. /LQHEDUJHU¶VUDQNHG third at 220 pounds and UHDOO\JDYH&ROEUD\D JRRGWHVW,WFRXOGKDYH been 5-0 or 8-0, but Colbray was sick and in survival mode. ,ZDONHGDZD\DOLWWOH GLVDSSRLQWHG,ZDQWHG to see this two-time national champion man- FKLOGPDQKDQGOHDJRRG RSSRQHQW,WZDVQ¶WD flashy match. There really wasn’t much action, actually. Periodically, Colbray ZRXOGVKRRWDQGJHW stonewalled. Then /LQHEDUJHUZRXOG shoot, and Colbray would dance around DELW/LQHEDUJHU NHSWFLUFOLQJDQG Colbray kept steady in the middle of the PDWDOPRVWGDULQJ /LQHEDUJHUWRWU\ VRPHWKLQJ &ROEUD\JRWD takedown in the first round, and it seemed like it would be a ORQJVL[PLQXWHVIRU /LQHEDUJHU%XWKH wouldn’t be pinned WKDWGD\,QWKH VHFRQG/LQHEDUJHU JRW&ROEUD\¶VEDFN ZKLOHVWDQGLQJEXW Riverhawks coach *UHJ%XUNDUWWROG /LQHEDUJHUWROHW &ROEUD\JRDQGVR &ROEUD\JRWDSRLQW /LQHEDUJHUJRWDODWH takedown, basically at the whistle, and the match ended 3-2. ,WZDVPRUH anticipatory than HQWHUWDLQLQJWRWHOOWKH truth. The spectators LQWKHJ\PVDWZLWK baited breath as they SAM BARBEE FROM THE SIDELINES Sports reporter ZDLWHGIRUVRPHWKLQJ to happen. When Colbray would shoot IRU/LQHEDUJHU¶VOHJV you could feel the WHQVLRQJURZLQWKH 'DZJKRXVHDQGZKHQ /LQHEDUJHUJDYHDJRRG VSUDZOLWHDVHGVOLJKWO\ ,FRXOGQ¶WWHOOLILWZDV anticipation or anxiety. ,WZDVDELWVWUDQJH ,GRQ¶WNQRZLI,¶YH ever seen someone so confident about what WKH\¶UHGRLQJ&ROEUD\ NQRZVKH¶VJRLQJWR win. He just does. There’s no intimidation, no anxiety, no worry, QRGRXEWQRQHJDWLYH WKRXJKWVDWDOO+H knows exactly what he’s GRLQJDQGKHNQRZV exactly what he wants to do. His maturity on the mat is truly spectacular. He doesn’t panic, doesn’t over- WKLQNWKLQJ+HMXVW wrestles. ,ORRNDWWKDWZLWK a special perspective EHFDXVH,GLGDOOWKRVH WKLQJV,SDQLFNHG, ZRUULHG,GRXEWHG, ZUXQJP\KDQGVZLWK DQ[LHW\:KHQ,ZDV DTXDUWHUEDFN,ZDVD panicker, and it affected the accuracy of my passes and soundness of my decision- PDNLQJ:KHQ,SOD\HG EDVNHWEDOO,¶GSDQLF DQGWKURZVRPHWKLQJ XS,QEDVHEDOO,¶GZDON DJX\DQGVWDUWRYHU WKLQNLQJP\PHFKDQLFV DQGZDONDQRWKHUJX\ WKHQDQRWKHUJX\WKHQ ,¶PGRQH 6RWRZDWFKDJX\ that is comfortable in his own skin, to know he’s put in the work and trusts himself — that’s special. What he’s done on the mat is special, WRR$QGKH¶VDELJ VWURQJJX\ZKR¶VTXLFN DQGIDVWDQGKDVJRRG technique and all that. %XWWKDWZRQ¶WVWD\ with him. What will VWD\ZLWKKLPWKRXJK is his ability to prepare and his ability to trust that preparation in key moments. That’s what will take him far. — Sam Barbee is the sports reporter for the Hermiston Herald. He can be reached at sbar- bee@hermistonherald. com GO SEE IT Saturday, January 24 Wrestling Hermiston @ Reser’s Tournament of Champions @ Liberty, 9 a.m. Swimming Hermiston @ Hood River, 11 a.m. Girls Basketball Umatilla vs. Nyssa, 4 p.m. Echo @ Helix, 4 p.m. 6WDQ¿HOGYV,UULJRQSP Boys Basketball Umatilla vs Nyssa, 5 p.m. Echo @ Helix, 5:30 p.m. 6WDQ¿HOGYV,UULJRQSP Sunday, January 25 No events scheduled Monday, January 26 No events scheduled Tuesday, January 27 Girls Basketball 6WDQ¿HOGYV,RQHSP Boys Basketball 6WDQ¿HOGYV,RQHSP Wednesday, January 28 Wrestling Hermiston @ Hood River, 6 p.m. After three quarters RI EDVNHWEDOO DJDLQVW The Dalles in the Daw- JKRXVH RQ )ULGD\ QLJKW WKH +HUPLVWRQ JLUOV EDV- NHWEDOO WHDP ZDV VK\LQJ DZD\ IURP WKH WDUJHW RQ its back as the No. 1 team in the state. ,Q WKH IRXUWK TXDUWHU WKRXJK WKH ILUVWUDQNHG %XOOGRJVVKRRNLWRIIDQG took a five-point lead after three quarters and turned it into a 51-16 win over The Dalles. Head coach Steve Hof- IHUW JLYHV KLV SOD\HUV D TXRWH DW WKH EHJLQQLQJ RI every week to describe the situation his team is in. This week’s was: “Success leads to compla- cency, and complacency leads to failure.” “We knew that if we JRW FRPSODFHQW ZLWK WKH ZD\ZHZHUHSOD\LQJZH ZHUH JRQQD IDLO´ VHQLRU Abi Drotzmann said after WKH JDPH ³:H H[SHFWHG that, and so we tried to ZRUNKDUGWRQLJKWVRWKDW wouldn’t happen.” Drotzmann and Tav- LQ +HDGLQJV HDFK KDG SRLQWV IRU WKH %XOOGRJV and Katie Conklin had 11 points for the River- hawks. ³,W¶V D ZLQ´ +RIIHUW said. “The Dalles is al- ZD\V D VROOLG SURJUDP , GLGQ¶W WKLQN ZH FDPH out and played like we VKRXOG¶YH SOD\HG EHLQJ the No. 1 team in the state.” ,URQLFDOO\ +HUPLVWRQ did come out like the top- ranked team in the state RSHQLQJ WKH JDPH ZKHQ Sara Ramirez hit a 3, and $EE\'URW]PDQQJRWRQ a layup and a free throw. +HUPLVWRQ led 6-0 at that point, and led 12-2 with two minutes left in the first and even- SAM BARBEE PHOTO Hermiston’s Jansen Edmis- ton (20) drives around The Dalles’ Kailin Hoylman during WKHÀUVWKDOIRI+HUPLV- ton’s 51-36 win over the Riverhawks Friday night in Hermiston. SAM BARBEE PHOTO The Dalles’ Lori Cimmiyotti (14) drives baseline and passes as Hermiston’s Jansen Edmiston, right, tries to block and teammate Abi Drotzmann helps during the second half of Hermiston’s 51-36 win over the Riverhawks Friday night in Hermiston. tually took a 16-5 lead KHDGLQJ LQWR WKH VHFRQG quarter. This was when The 'DOOHV VWDUW- ed to chip away. At one SRLQW WKRXJK +HUPLVWRQ led 21-6, but Lori Cimmi- \RWWLJRWDOD\XS&RQNOLQ hit a pair of free throws DQG %URRNH 0F&DOO JRW a layup to cut the deficit to 21-12 with about four minutes left. Hermiston scored the next five, on a jumper by Kynzee Padilla and an- other 3 by Ramirez, but The Dalles would score the next four on baskets by Cimmiyotti and Conk- OLQ WR JR LQWR WKH ORFN- er room down 26-16 but with momentum. The Dalles continued WR FKLS DZD\ FXWWLQJ WKH deficit to four on a Kailin +R\OPDQ ZLWK RQ the clock that forced Hof- fert to call a timeout. “We knew we weren’t JRLQJ WR ORVH´ 'URW]- mann said. “We knew we ZHUHQ¶WJRLQJWRSOD\OLNH this.” 5LJKW RXW RI WKH WLPH- RXW(GPLVWRQJRWDQRSHQ ORRN DQG GUDLQHG LW JLY- LQJ+HUPLVWRQDVL[SRLQW OHDG DQG +HDGLQJV KLW D 3 after a Conklin basket to put Hermiston up five. 5DPLUH]JRWDOD\XSWRJR WKURXJK D &RQNOLQ IRXO but couldn’t hit the free throw, and McCall hit a 3 with 10 seconds left to cut the deficit to five at 36-31. At that point, The Dalles outscored Herm- iston 25-5 since it was down 21-6 with 6:12 on the clock in the second quarter. Hoffert said he wasn’t concerned with the small PDUJLQ DQG KH KDG FRQ- fidence his team would ³VWRS GRLQJ WKLQJV WKH\ weren’t supposed to,” but KHZDVKRSLQJWKH\ZRXOG ILJXUH RXW 7KH 'DOOHV¶ dribble-drive offense and FROODSVLQJPDQGHIHQVH ³7KH\¶UHVPDUWHQRXJK WR ILJXUH WKDW RXW´ KH said. “Sometimes it just takes a couple knockout attempts to wake us up.” Hermiston have a few knockout attempts of their own in the fourth, and most of them landed. 5LJKWRXWRIWKHJDWHLQ the fourth, Edmiston hit a WR SXW WKH %XOOGRJV XS 39-31, and they wouldn’t ORRN EDFN +HDGLQJV IRO- lowed that up with a layup off one of 15 Riv- erhawk turnovers, and the %XOOGRJV RXWVFRUHG 7KH Dalles 15-5 in the final period. The last time Hermis- ton lost in the Columbia River Conference was in 2012-13 when The Dalles pulled it off. Drotzmann GRHVQ¶W SODQ RQ UHOLYLQJ that. “We don’t plan on los- LQJ &5& WKLV \HDU´ VKH said. “We know that ev- HU\RQH¶V JRQQD FRPH DW us because we’re No. 1 in the state, and everyone’s JRQQD SOD\ D JRRG JDPH DJDLQVW XV :H FDQ¶W MXVW H[SHFW HDV\ JDPHV ,W¶OO EHDJRRGFKDOOHQJH´ 6WDQ¿HOGER\VIDFLQJRIIDJDLQVW ,UULJRQLQPLGVHDVRQVKRZGRZQ BY SAM BARBEE HERMISTON HERALD From the outside, the 6WDQ¿HOG ER\V EDVNHWEDOO team’s matchup today DJDLQVW,UULJRQLVDZKDOH 7KHJDPHZKLFKEHJLQV at 5:30 p.m. today, pits the top-ranked, one-loss and GHIHQGLQJ VWDWH FKDPSLRQ ,UULJRQ.QLJKWVDJDLQVWWKH second-ranked, two-loss, GHIHQGLQJVHFRQG UXQ- QHUXS 6WDQ¿HOG 7LJHUV ,UULJRQ¶VORQHORVVWKLVVHD- son came to undefeated 3A 'D\WRQ LQ D WKULOOHU DQG 6WDQ¿HOG¶V WZR ORVVHV FDPHWR:DVKLQJWRQVPDOO school power Tri-Cities Prep and 1A powerhouse Horizon Christian out of +RRG 5LYHU 6WDQ¿HOG WKRXJK KDVQ¶W ORVW LQDPRQWKDQG,UULJRQ 1, 3-0) hasn’t lost in three ZHHNV DQG LV FRPLQJ RII a buzzer-beater win over Pendleton. ³,W¶V D JRRG JDPH WR KDYH GXULQJ WKH VHDVRQ VR you can prepare yourself for postseason,” senior JXDUG +XQWHU %UDLWKZDLWH said this weeks. 7KH ¿UVW RI WKH WHDPV¶ WZR OHDJXH PDWFKXSV ZLOO EH LQ 6WDQ¿HOG JLYLQJ WKH 7LJHUV DQ RSSRUWXQLW\ WR hold the top spot in the Co- OXPELD %DVLQ &RQIHUHQFH XQWLO SRWHQWLDOO\ WKH ¿QDO OHDJXHJDPHRIWKH\HDURQ )HE ZKHQ WKH 7LJHUV KHDGWR,UULJRQ “When they’re at home, they’re a completely dif- ferent animal,” head coach 'DQLHO 6KDUS VDLG RI ,U- ULJRQ ³3HQGOHWRQ JRW LW 7XHVGD\ :KHQ \RX FDQ WDNH DGYDQWDJH RI \RXU KRPH FRXUW WKDW¶V D KXJH DGYDQWDJH , GRQ¶W NQRZ KRZ WR VD\ LW SOD\LQJ at home, that’s your op- portunity to take care of it because, there, it’s just a QLJKWPDUH´ From the outside, the story lines abound, and WKH\ DUH HYHU\WKLQJ IURP D possible state title preview WR WKH ¿UVW OHJ RI WKH &%& championship series. )RU6WDQ¿HOGWKRXJKDOO that is simply noise. ³,WZRQ¶WPDNHRUEUHDN RXU VHDVRQ´ %UDLWKZDLWH VDLG RI WRGD\¶V JDPH ³,W¶V MXVWDQRWKHUJDPH´ 7KH 7LJHUV DUH KRSLQJ for different results from last year, however, when 6WDQ¿HOG FRXOGQ¶W NHHS WKH .QLJKWV IURP H[SDQGLQJ their six-point fourth-quar- WHU OHDG WR D FRPPDQGLQJ ZLQ%RWKWHDPVZHUH undefeated before that tilt. ,UULJRQ ZHQW RQ DQG EHDW 6WDQ¿HOG LQ ,UULJRQ later that season and topped WKH7LJHUVLQWKH¿UVW URXQGRIWKH%OXH0RXQWDLQ Conference playoffs. Added to that already in- herent motivation is a small history lesson. ,Q WKH VHDVRQ current Hermiston coach -DNH0F(OOLJRWW¶V¿UVW\HDU DW WKH KHOP LQ ,UULJRQ WKH .QLJKWV ZHQW DQG LQWKHQ%OXH0RXQWDLQ Conference play. The next \HDU WKH\ ZRQ ¿YH JDPHV SEE SHOWDOWN/A10 Best of the West tournament begins today BY SAM BARBEE HERMISTON HERALD Today, thousands of people will descend on Hermiston for the 12th an- QXDO%HVWRIWKH:HVW$$8EDVNHWEDOO tournament at Hermiston schools. The two-day tournament features WHDPV RI WKLUG WKURXJK HLJKWK JUDGHER\VDQGJLUOVIURPWKURXJKRXW WKHUHJLRQ ³,W JLYHV XV DQ RSSRUWXQLW\ WR VKRZ RII KRZ JRRG RI D FRPPXQLW\ Hermiston is,” Mike Kay, Hermiston School District director of operations DQGORQJWLPH%HVWRIWKH:HVWYROXQ- teer, said. 7KH JDPHV DUH VSUHDG RXW DURXQG local schools, with the championship JDPHVWDNLQJSODFHDW+HUPLVWRQ+LJK 6FKRRO 3HU WUDGLWLRQ WKH J\P OLJKWV DW+HUPLVWRQ+LJKDUHWXUQHGRIIIRU player introductions, like the school GRHVIRULWVYDUVLW\JDPHV Kay say it’s an experience the play- HUVUHPHPEHUIRUDORQJWLPH ³,W¶V SUHWW\ FRRO IRU WKH NLGV´ KH said. 7KHWRXUQDPHQWJUHZIURPDVPDOO JDWKHULQJRIORFDO$$8WHDPVVRWKH\ ZRXOGQ¶WKDYHWRJRWRWKH7UL&LWLHV or La Grande or even Pendleton to KDYHWRSOD\HYHU\JDPH7KRVHWUDY- el costs add up over time for parents. Kay said the tournament also JLYHV+HUPLVWRQDFKDQFHWRGLVSOD\ the modern facilities it boasts at its VFKRROV )RU +HUPLVWRQ <RXWK %DV- NHWEDOO3UHVLGHQW%ULDQ0RVVWKDWLV key. “We have the facilities to do it, DQGWKHVFKRROGLVWULFW¶VQLFHHQRXJK to do it so we can accommodate so many teams without a hitch,” he said. “A lot of communities don’t have the DPRXQW RI J\PV +HUPLVWRQ GRHV We’re able to provide facilities to ev- HU\RQH 7KDW¶V SUREDEO\ WKH ELJJHVW WKLQJ “People are impressed when they come to Hermiston and see the facil- ities we have,” Moss added. “Plus, Hermiston is a nice place to come and visit. So that also lures teams in.” As well, Hermiston businesses EHQH¿WIURPWKHODUJHWRXUQDPHQWDV SHRSOHSDWURQL]HKRWHOVJDVVWDWLRQV and restaurants. Kay and Moss said the commu- nity also embraces these events and works hard to make others’ experi- ences in Hermiston memorable for JRRGUHDVRQV “The entire tourney is run by vol- unteers and our youth basketball pro- JUDPV´ .D\ VDLG ³,W¶V EHHQ D JUHDW WKLQJ WR SDUWLFLSDWH LQ DQG ZDWFK JURZ RYHU WKH \HDUV ,¶YH EHHQ DF- tively involved for nine years, and it’s been a lot of work to make it a JUHDWHYHQWIRUHYHU\RQH´ ³,W¶V JRRG IRU EXVLQHVV´ 0RVV DGGHG ³,W UDLVHV PRQH\ IRU SUR- JUDPV +LJK VFKRRO ER\V DQG JLUOV PDNH VLJQL¿FDQW PRQH\ 7KRVH DUH WKH ELJJHVW EHQH¿WV , VHH DV IDU DV GRLQJ WKHVH WRXUQDPHQWV ,W¶V MXVW D win-win for everybody.” $IXOOVFKHGXOHIRUWKH%HVWRIWKH :HVWFDQEHIRXQGDW+HUPLVWRQ%DV- ketballClub.com.