JANUARY 28, 2015 HERMISTONHERALD.COM A6 WEDNESDAY, SPORTS PREP BASKETBALL • SCHEDULE Playing for pride and redemption I t’s been darn near 10 years — maybe more ²VLQFHWKH6WDQ¿HOG JLUOVEDVNHWEDOOWHDPZRQ WKUHHJDPHVLQDURZ2Q Tuesday, they beat Ione WRFODLPLWVWKLUG straight. The Tigers are also one JDPHDZD\IURPEHLQJ ZKLFKLVOLJKW\HDUV RIIODVW\HDUZKHQWKH\ ZHQW ,¶YHVHHQDIHZRIWKHLU JDPHVEXW,DOVRNQRZ ZKDWLW¶VOLNHWREHLQD situation like that. I think I’ve talked about my high school football teams, but, in case I haven’t, I’ll be brief. In my sophomore and MXQLRU\HDUVZHZRQRQH JDPH:HZHQW,W ZDVKDUG,WZDVKDUGWR go to practice every day NQRZLQJZHZRXOGJHW EORZQRXWRQ)ULGD\QLJKW 6FKRROVKDOIRXUVL]HZHUH beating us by 40 points. It ZDVHPEDUUDVVLQJ,WZDV humiliating. I never once WKRXJKWRITXLWWLQJEXW, ZRXOGKDYHHQWHUWDLQHG LW:HZHUHWKHODXJKLQJ VWRFNRIDOHDJXHWKDWZH used to dominate. 7KHQZHJRWDQHZ coach. He energized us. He made us excited to play again. He made us EHOLHYHWKDWZHFRXOGSOD\ WKDWZHFRXOGFRPSHWH WKDWZHFRXOGZLQ Yazzmin Chavez put it UHDOO\QLFHO\DIWHUWKHZLQ Tuesday night. She said she feels like a basketball player, not merely VRPHRQHZKR¶VSOD\LQJ basketball. Coach Bertram did the same at R. A. Long, and ZHGLGZHOO:HZHQW WKDW¿UVW\HDUWRRNWKLUG LQWKHOHDJXHVKRXOGKDYH been second, but that’s DQRWKHUFROXPQDQGZHQW to the playoffs. Actually, ZHZHUHDPHGLRFUH football team, but it felt so much better than being a horrendous football team. The same thing is KDSSHQLQJLQ6WDQ¿HOG Daniel Sharp has revitalized, no, he’s vitalized a program that has been dormant for a ORQJWLPH7KHVHJLUOVQRZ believe they can play, that they can compete, that WKH\FDQZLQ $QGLW¶VVKRZLQJ 7KH\¶UH7KH\¶YHZRQ eight times the games they ZRQODVW\HDU/LNHODVW \HDUWKH\ZRQWKHLU¿UVW game. Unlike last year, WKH\¶YHPDQDJHGWRZLQ another, and another, and another. &KDYH]VDLGWKH\ZDQW to prove to people, to teams, they aren’t an easy ZLQDQ\ORQJHUWKDW\RX SAM BARBEE FROM THE SIDELINES Sports reporter KDYHWRVKRZXSWRSOD\LI \RXZDQWWREHDW6WDQ¿HOG 0\VHQLRU\HDURI IRRWEDOOZHKDGWKHH[DFW VDPHPLQGVHW:HZHUH SURYLQJWRSHRSOHWKDWZH could play this sport, that WKH-DFNVZHUHEDFN 2QHRIRXUPDLQ rivals in the league — at least in our eyes ²ZDV:RRGODQGD VPDOOKLJKZD\WRZQ DOPRVWKDOIZD\EHWZHHQ /RQJYLHZDQG3RUWODQG on Interstate 5. The school LVDERXWWZRWKLUGVWKH size of R. A. Long, and football is the main event RIWKH\HDU:RRGODQG lives for crisp Friday nights at the stadium. :HZHUHSXWLQ the same league my sophomore year DIWHUWKH:DVKLQJWRQ Interscholastic Activities Association redid the FODVVL¿FDWLRQQXPEHUV DQGZHPRYHGIURP$ WR$:RRGODQGZDV$ but got moved up to 2A. :HWKRXJKWZHZRXOGUROO them. ,QWZR\HDUVZHZHUH outscored something like ,¶PWDONLQJQRW FORVH0D\EHLVWRR high for us. I remember WKH¿UVWJDPHYLYLGO\ EHFDXVH,WKUHZDSLFN VL[WKDWRSHQHGWKHÀRRG gates. Bad memory. 6RVHQLRU\HDUZH played there and lost in WKHIRXUWKTXDUWHU,WZDV a close game in the rain, DQGZHOHGIRUPXFKRILW $VWKHWZRWHDPVZDONHG to the locker rooms, I FDXJKWXSWRD:RRGODQG VHQLRUZKR,¶GSOD\HG baseball against for countless summers and WROGKLPZHMXVWZDQWHG WRVKRZXSDQGSOD\WR SURYHWRWKH:RRGODQG %HDYHUVZHZHUHQ¶W slouches anymore. +HWROGPHZHGLGWKDW and more. He told me they respected us after WKDWJDPH:HPD\DV ZHOOKDYHZRQIRUDOO, care. 7KDW¶VH[DFWO\ZKDW WKH6WDQ¿HOGJLUOVDUH GRLQJULJKWQRZ7KH\DUH playing for pride. They are playing for respect. And, if they keep going DWWKLVSDFHWKH\ZLOOKDYH ERWKWKRVHWKLQJVZKHQWKH season ends next month DQGZLWKRQO\RQHVHQLRU on the roster. — Sam Barbee is the Hermiston Herald sports reporter. He can be reached at sbarbee@ hermistonherald.com GO SEE IT Wednesday, January 28 Wrestling Hermiston @ Hood River Valley, 6 p.m. Thursday, January 29 Girls Basketball Hermiston @ Hood River Valley, 7 p.m. Umatilla @ Riverside, 6 p.m. Boys Basketball Umatilla @ Riverside, 7:30 p.m. Wrestling Echo vs. Irrigon, 6:30 p.m. Friday, January 30 Boys Basketball Hermiston vs. Hood River Valley, 7 p.m. 6WDQ¿HOG#:HVWRQ0F(ZHQSP Echo vs. Pine Eagle, 7:30 p.m. Girls Basketball 6WDQ¿HOG#:HVWRQ0F(ZHQSP Echo vs. Pine Eagle, 6 p.m. Saturday, January 31 Swimming Hermiston @ Baker, noon Girls Basketball Umatilla vs. Vale, 4 p.m. Echo @ Joseph, 4 p.m. Boys Basketball Umatilla vs. Vale, 5:30 p.m. Echo @ Joseph, 5:30 p.m. SAM BARBEE PHOTO 6WDQÀHOG·V0DGGLH*ULIÀQ goes for a layup as Ione’s Rachel Holland (32) defends DQG%DLOH\:DWVRQDQG Maggie Flynn (22) watch during the second half of 6WDQÀHOG·VZLQ7XHVGD\ QLJKWLQ6WDQÀHOG THIRD STRAIGHT WIN Stanfi eld girls slip by Ione BY SAM BARBEE HERMISTON HERALD After leading almost the HQWLUH¿UVWKDOIDQGPRVWRI WKH WKLUG TXDUWHU WKH 6WDQ ¿HOG JLUOV EDVNHWEDOO WHDP ZDVLQDKROH7XHVGD\QLJKW The visiting 1A Ione &DUGLQDOV KDG MXVW FRP SOHWHG D UXQ WR WDNH D IRXUSRLQW OHDG ZLWKOHIWLQWKHIRXUWK TXDUWHU,QWKHSDVWWKH7L JHUV ZRXOG KDYH IROGHG EXW XQGHU ¿UVW\HDU FRDFK Daniel Sharp, they stayed the course, and Yazzmin &KDYH]EDQNHGLQDEDOO ZLWK WKUHH PLQXWHV DQG change remaining, and the Tigers held off Ione in WKH ¿QDO PLQXWHV WR FRPH DZD\ ZLWK D ZLQ Tuesday night. ³,ZDVWKLQNLQJµ'RQ¶W DLUEDOOLW¶´6WDQ¿HOGKHDG coach Daniel Sharp said RI&KDYH]¶VJRDKHDG &KDYH] VFRUHG ¿YH RI 6WDQ¿HOG¶V ¿QDO QLQH SRLQWV DQG ¿QLVKHG ZLWK nine on the night to lead 6WDQ¿HOG-HVVLH)O\QQKDG SRLQWV IRU WKH &DUGL nals. 7KH ZLQ ZDV WKH 6WDQ ¿HOG JLUOV¶ WKLUG LQ D URZ WKH ¿UVW WLPH LQ UHFHQW PHPRU\ WKDW 6WDQ¿HOG OLQNHGWRJHWKHUWKDW PDQ\ZLQV For Chavez, a junior, LW¶V DERXW ³PDNLQJ D GLI ference” in a program that hasn’t had many ups in the past. “To be able to make a difference from last year to this year, seeing our progress and proving that ZH DUHQ¶W WKH VDPH WHDP ZHZHUHODVW\HDUDQGWKDW ZH ZDQW PRUH WKLV \HDU IHHOV JRRG´ &KDYH] said. “It feels amazing, to be honest.” 6WDQ¿HOG¶VTXLFNJXDUGV and relentless press forced Ione into serious foul WURXEOH,RQH¶VVHQLRU/DX ren Garrett and freshman 0DJJLH)O\QQERWKIRXOHG RXWDQGVHYHUDORWKHU&DU dinals had four fouls. ,RQH ZDV D ELW VKRUWKDQGHG EHFDXVH of illness, so head coach 0LNH *DUUHWW GLGQ¶W KDYH the bodies he normally KDVWRUHO\RQZKHQRWKHUV get into foul trouble. His JDPHSODQWKRXJKZDVWR ZRUN WKH EDOO WR KLV WDOOHU post players, but once they ZHUH LQ IRXO WURXEOH WKDW EHFDPHGLI¿FXOW ³7KDW 6WDQ¿HOG WHDP GLG D JUHDW MRE´ *DU UHWW VDLG ³7KH\¶UH UHDO O\ TXLFN 7KH\¶UH UHDOO\ TXLFNDQGJRWXVLQWRIRXO WURXEOH 7KH\ ZHUH DEOH WR ZRUN LW LQVLGH IDLUO\ TXLFNO\ DQG ZH MXVW JRW too many fouls and started SAM BARBEE PHOTO 6WDQÀHOG·V&\QWKLD&XULHO (3) drives the lane as Ione’s Rachel Holland waits during WKHVHFRQGKDOIRI6WDQÀHOG·V 42-36 win Tuesday night in 6WDQÀHOG getting too many starters sitting on the bench. “Any time a 1A team can play a 2A team tough OLNH WKDW ZH¶UH KDSS\ about it.” 6WDQ¿HOG OHG DI WHU D TXDUWHU DQG at the break. In the third, ,RQH ZHQW RQ LWV UXQ DQG WRRN WKH IRXUSRLQW OHDG EXW %DLOH\ :DWVRQ KLW D SDLU RI IUHH WKURZV DQG $VKOHH 2¶1HLOO KLW D ORQJ WZRSRLQWHU WR WLH LW XS DW LQ WKH IRXUWK TXDUWHU &KDYH] KLW KHU KLJKDUFK LQJ EDQN WR JLYH 6WDQ ¿HOG D WKUHHSRLQW OHDG DW DQG DIWHU DQ ,RQH timeout, drove the lane and laid one in to give 6WDQ¿HOGD¿YHSRLQWOHDG VHYHQSRLQW ³7KDW VZLQJ ZDV KXJH DQG it happened lightning TXLFN´ 6KDUS VDLG ³,W VKRZV ZKDW WKH\ FDQ GR ZKHQ WKH\¶UH PDNLQJ some shots.” :DWVRQ KLW WZR PRUH IUHHWKURZVWRSXVKWKHDG YDQWDJH WR VL[ DQG 0DG GLH *ULI¿Q JRW D OD\XS RQ a nice inbounds play to up WKH OHDG WR QLQH DW $WWKDWSRLQW6WDQ¿HOGKDG JRQH RQ D UXQ LQ MXVW 3:20. Flynn hit three free WKURZV GRZQ WKH VWUHWFK EXWLWZDVQ¶WHQRXJK 6WDQ¿HOG VKRW RI IURP WKH ÀRRU ZKLFK LV usually is a miserable 14.5 percent, but the Tigers PDGHWKHVKRWVWKH\QHHG HGWRGRZQWKHVWUHWFK ³, WKLQN WKH ¿JKWLQJ EDFN ZDV JRRG´ 6KDUS VDLG ³, GRQ¶W NQRZ ZKDW it is about Tuesday nights. :H VHHP WR KDYH D SURE OHPZLWKWKHPEXW,WKLQN DQ\ WLPH WKHVH JLUOV FDQ have some success and see WKDW ² WKH\ ZRUNHG UHDO O\ KDUG LQ SUDFWLFH 0RQ GD\ , WKLQN WKRVH VXF cessful things helped them EXLOG VRPH FRQ¿GHQFH DQGZH¶UHVHHLQJWKDWDOLW tle bit.” 6WDQ¿HOG¶V QH[W JDPH LV )ULGD\ DW:HVWRQ0F( ZHQ 7LSRII LV VFKHGXOHG for 6 p.m. Rangers shock Cougars Dufur upsets Echo in Cougar Den BY SAM BARBEE HERMISTON HERALD 7KH (FKR JLUOV EDVNHW ball team hadn’t beaten Dufur in 15 years going LQWR 0RQGD\¶V WLOW DQG WKH &RXJDUV ZHUH ORRNLQJ WR change that. Before the JDPH EHWZHHQ WKH 5DQJHUV and Cougars, Echo head FRDFK -' %UD]LO ZURWH WKH SUHYLRXV JDPH VFRUHV EH WZHHQ WKH WZR WHDPV RQ WKH ZKLWHERDUG LQ (FKR¶V ORFNHUURRP7KH\ZHUHDOO losses. $IWHU WZR TXDUWHUV RI SOD\ (FKR ZDV LQ SRVLWLRQ WRHNHRXWLWV¿UVWZLQRYHU 'XIXULQQHDUO\WZRGHFDGHV but could only manage 19 SRLQWV LQ WKH ¿QDO KDOI DQG FDPHXSVKRUW0RQ day night in Echo. ³,W VHHPV OLNH ZH ZHUH playing against the name on the shirt just as much DVZKDW'XIXUKHDGFRDFK Hollie) Darden is doing,” Brazil said after the game. SAM BARBEE PHOTO ³)RU XV ZH KDYH WR NHHS that stuff in check. For a lot Echo’s Hannah McCarty (in white) drives through Dufur’s Tay- lor Darden (43), Sydney Reed (2) and Aimeelyn Miller during the second half of Dufur’s 53-46 win Monday night in Echo. SEE COUGARS/A7