FEBRUARY 11, 2015 HERMISTONHERALD.COM A6 WEDNESDAY, SPORTS PREP BASKETBALL • SCHEDULE End-of-season Lady Bulldogs ground Eagles predictions BY SAM BARBEE HERMISTON HERALD W DLWLW¶V)HEUXDU\ already? Where KDVWLPHJRQH" Basketball playoffs are ULJKWDURXQGWKHFRUQHU DQGWKLQJVDUHVWDUWLQJ WRJHWUHDOO\UHDOO\ LQWHUHVWLQJ :KLOHRUGLQDULO\,¶G start with Hermiston, WKH%XOOGRJVVWLOO have a week or so left LQ&ROXPELD5LYHU &RQIHUHQFHSOD\ 8PDWLOOD6WDQ¿HOGDQG Echo, on the other hand, are all almost done with WKHLUVFKHGXOHVVR, ZRQ¶WJHWDKHDGRIP\VHOI DQGVWDUWLQJORRNLQJDWWKH playoffs for Hermiston. :H¶OOJHWWKHUHLQGXH time, and faster than we realize. So, to Umatilla. SAM BARBEE FROM THE SIDELINES Sports reporter Riverside Thursday and a road test at Vale — will say a lot about the Lady 9LNV¶PLQGVHWKHDGLQJ into the postseason. Keep an eye on them. The Umatilla boys have been a bit of a different story, but not LQDEDGZD\7KH\¶YH KDGSUREOHPVVWULQJLQJ ZLQVWRJHWKHUEXW WKH\¶YHDOVRKDGDFRXSOH KHDUWEUHDNLQJDQG PRPHQWXPVWRSSLQJ ORVVHV$IWHUZLQQLQJ LWV¿UVWWZROHDJXH JDPHV8PDWLOODFRXOGQ¶W overcome a couple ODWHJDPHPLVWDNHVDQG ORVWWR6WDQ¿HOG Earlier in the season, the 9LNLQJVORVWWR1\VVDDQG 7KHJLUOVVWDUWHGRII &UHVZHOOE\DFRPELQHG WKHLUVHDVRQVXSHUKRW,Q ¿YHSRLQWV5HFHQWO\WKH WKHLU¿UVWQLQHJDPHVWKH ER\VKDGDWKUHHJDPH /DG\9LNVZHUHDQG win streak snapped by UROOLQJ7KHLUWKUHHORVVHV 1\VVD,W¶VEHHQWRXJK were to La Grande, a IRUWKH9LNLQJVWRJHWDQ\ JRRG$WHDP.HQQHG\ PRPHQWXPJRLQJEXW a top-ranked 3A team at WKH\¶UHVWLOOLQDUHDOO\ the time, and Union, a 1A JRRGSRVLWLRQPRYLQJ power. into the stretch run. 7RVD\WKLQJVDUHJRLQJ 7KH\¶UHEXW EDGO\QRZLVQ¶WTXLWH 5-2 in EOL play. The DFFXUDWH6XUHOHDGLQJ two losses have come to scorer Aleesha Watson Nyssa, who beat Umatilla KDVEHHQVWUXJJOLQJ 2-1 in the season series IURPWKHÀRRU6XUHWKH this year. So, Umatilla 9LNLQJVORVWEDFNWREDFN ZLOOSUREDEO\¿QLVKZLWK FRQWHVWVZLWKOHDJXH WKH1RVHHGEDUULQJ ULYDODQGGHIHQGLQJVWDWH VRPHWKLQJXQIRUHVHHQDQG champion Vale. Sure, ZHLUGKDSSHQLQJ they only scored 36 8PDWLOOD¶VGDQJHURXV SRLQWVLQWKHLUODVWJDPH EHFDXVHLWKDVQ¶WSOD\HG DJDLQVW1\VVDEXWWKDW its best basketball yet. GRHVQ¶WPHDQWKHEXVLV This is a team that can broken and needs to be JHWKRWDQGGRVRPH DEDQGRQHG,WMXVWPHDQV WKLQJVZKHQLWKDVQR WKHURDGWKH\¶UHRQKDV RWKHURSWLRQV,W¶VDEDFN JRWWHQDELWURXJKHUDQG DJDLQVWWKHZDOOWHDP the ride will be a little that nobody thinks will EXPS\7KHUHLVQ¶WDQ\ GRDQ\WKLQJ7KDWPDNHV UHDVRQWRJHWRYHUO\ WKH9LNLQJVGDQJHURXV upset. The Lady Viks Look for them to win are still 5-2 in Eastern VRPHJDPHVPD\EHWKH\ 2UHJRQ/HDJXHSOD\ ZHUHQ¶WH[SHFWHGWR and ranked ninth by the OSAA. They have scored WKH¿IWKPRVWSRLQWV ,IHHOUHDOO\EDGIRU LQ$JLUOVEDVNHWEDOO WKH6WDQ¿HOGER\V,WKDV ZKLFKLVJRRG HYHU\WKLQJWRGRZLWK for the seventh-best per how they lost to Heppner. JDPHDYHUDJH 6WDQ¿HOGZDVXSWZR They are still just two JDPHVEDFNRI9DOHZLWK with seconds left when a WZROHIWWRSOD\LQFOXGLQJ 7LJHUIRXOHGD0XVWDQJ DVKHZDVKHDYLQJRQH RQHDJDLQVW9DOH1RZLI Vale and Umatilla were to from half-court as time H[SLUHG+HSSQHUPDGH ¿QLVKWLHGDWRSWKH(2/ all three free throws Vale would still take the WRSVHHGKHDGLQJLQWRWKH and came away with an district tournament, as the improbable win. Such a KHDUWEUHDNLQJORVVIRU VRXWKHUQ9LNLQJVZRXOG 6WDQ¿HOG2EYLRXVO\WKH have the tiebreaker 2-1 RYHUWKHQRUWKHUQ9LNLQJV VWDNHVDUHQ¶WDVKLJKEXW it felt like a Bill Buckner ,ZRXOGVWLOOH[SHFW PRPHQWVQDWFKLQJGHIHDW Umatilla to make a state from the jaws of victory. UXQ0D\EHWKH\¶YH peaked too soon; maybe Those are losses that WKH\KDYHQ¶W7KHVHQH[W FDQUHDOO\EHGLI¿FXOW WZRJDPHV8PDWLOODKDV ²DKRPHJDPHDJDLQVW SEE PREDICTIONS/A7 UMATILLA STANFIELD GO SEE IT Wednesday, February 11 No events scheduled Thursday, February 12 Girls Basketball Umatilla vs. Riverside, 6 p.m. Boys Basketball Umatilla vs. Riverside, 7:30 p.m. Friday, February 13 Girls Basketball Hermiston vs. Pendleton, 7 p.m. 6WDQ¿HOGYV&XOYHUSP Echo vs. Wallowa, 6 p.m. Boys Basketball Hermiston vs. Pendleton, 5:15 p.m. 6WDQ¿HOGYV&XOYHUSP Echo vs. Wallowa, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, February 14 Swimming Hermiston @ district meet @ Hood River, 11 a.m. Girls Basketball Umatilla @ Vale, 5 p.m. 6WDQ¿HOG#,UULJRQSP Boys Basketball Umatilla @ Vale, 6:30 p.m. 6WDQ¿HOG#,UULJRQSP 'HVSLWH D SRRU VKRRWLQJ SHUIRUPDQFHLQWKH¿UVWTXDU- WHURILWVJDPH7XHVGD\QLJKW WKH1R+HUPLVWRQ%XOOGRJV (17-3, 5-0) steamrolled past the Hood River Valley Ea- JOHVLQWKH'DZJKRXVH VHWWLQJ XS D VKRZGRZQ ZLWK Pendleton on Friday. 7KH%XOOGRJVKDGDURFN\ VWDUW KRZHYHU ,W ZDVQ¶W WKH GHIHQVH7KH%XOOGRJVIRUFHG 12 turnovers. Offensively, the %XOOGRJV KDG JRRG ORRNV DW the basket, but their shots just ZHUHQ¶WJRLQJLQ They resolved those issues ODWHU KRZHYHU DQG -DQVHQ Edmiston led all scorers with SRLQWVLQFOXGLQJLQWKH WKLUG TXDUWHU 7DYLQ +HDG- LQJV KDG LQFOXGLQJ NH\ UXQVSDUNLQJ EDVNHWV LQ WKH VHFRQGTXDUWHUDQG$EL'URW- zmann had 12. &RDFK 6WHYH +RIIHUW VDLG WKLVZDVDFODVVLFWUDSJDPH +HUPLVWRQZDVFRPLQJRIID ELJ ZLQ DW7KH 'DOOHV last Friday and has the show- GRZQZLWK3HQGOHWRQFRPLQJ up this Friday. “We have to do a better MRERIIRFXVLQJRQWKRVHWUDS JDPHV DQG SXW SHRSOH DZD\ OLNHZHGLGHDUO\VRWKHUH¶VQR TXHVWLRQ´KHVDLG “(We just have to) play RXU RZQ JDPH´ +HDGLQJV DGGHG³1RPDWWHUZKRZH¶UH SOD\LQJWKH1RWHDPLQWKH VWDWHRUZKRHYHUZH¶UHSOD\- LQJ:HKDYHWRMXVWSOD\RXU RZQ JDPH DQG HDUQ RXU UH- VSHFWDQGSOD\OLNHZH¶UHRQH of the top teams in the state.” /DWHLQWKHIRXUWKTXDUWHU ZLWK WKH JDPH DOO EXW GHFLG- ed, injured Hermiston senior -D]PLQ *XWLHUUH] JRW RQ WKH ÀRRUIRUWKH¿UVWWLPHDWKRPH WKLV VHDVRQ 6KH HYHQ JRW LQ the scorebook with two points off free throws. ³,W¶VQLFHIRUKHU´+RIIHUW VDLGRI*XWLHUUH]³6KH¶VDVH- nior. She believes. She loves this team, and for her to be on WKH ÀRRU DQG VFRUH OLNH VKH GLG ² LW¶V SUHWW\ VDWLVI\LQJ 7KHJLUOVHQMR\HGLW´ )RU D ZKLOH WKRXJK LW looked like Hermiston would QHYHUJHWWRWKDWSRLQW 'RZQ LQ WKH ¿UVW TXDUWHU +RIIHUW HPSWLHG KLV bench in an attempt to spark D UXQ +HUPLVWRQ VWLOO VWUXJ- SAM BARBEE PHOTO Hermiston’s Abi Drotzmann (12) rises for a layup over a host of Hood River Valley Eagles during a Columbia River Conference girls basketball game Tuesday night in Hermiston. JOHGWRSXWLQEDVNHWVDQGJHW DQ\WKLQJ JRLQJ RIIHQVLYHO\ DV +RRG 5LYHU NHSW KDQGLQJ over the ball. With Hermiston down WKHUXQVWDUWHG7KH%XOO- GRJV ¿QLVKHG WKH ¿UVW KDOI RQ D UXQ WKDW +HDGLQJV kicked off with about three minutes left. The senior hit a IUHHWKURZDPLGUDQJHMXPS- HU DQG WKHQ D EDOO WR JLYH +HUPLVWRQDOHDG ³:H UHDOL]HG ZH ZHUHQ¶W SOD\LQJ WR RXU SRWHQWLDO´ +HDGLQJVVDLG 7KH%XOOGRJV¶OHDGZRXOG RQO\ JURZ DQG E\ WKH WKLUG TXDUWHULWJUHZHYHQIDVWHU To start the penultimate period, Drotzmann, Maddy -XXODQG(GPLVWRQDOOVFRUHG WR JLYH +HUPLVWRQ D OHDG /DWH LQ WKH TXDUWHU WKH GHHSUDQJH ERPEV VWDUWHG WR fall when Edmiston hit three DQG+HDGLQJVJRWRQHWRJR The fourth was all about JHWWLQJWKHEHQFKLQWKHJDPH LQFOXGLQJWKHWKUHHPLQXWHVRI SOD\LQJWLPHIRU*XWLHUUH] Hoffert said his Bull- GRJV DUH VWLOO DQVZHULQJ VWDWHZLGH TXHVWLRQV DERXW their dominance this sea- VRQ +H VDLG WKH ¿UVW KDOI UDLVHG TXHVWLRQV DQG WKH second half answered them. ³,¶P VXUH SHRSOH DUH VWLOO JRQQD KDYH TXHVWLRQV IRU ZKDWHYHU UHDVRQ WRQLJKW ZKLFK DUHQ¶W UHDOO\ ZDUUDQW- ed after our second-half per- IRUPDQFH´ KH VDLG ³,W¶V WKH critics. We call them the lions because they come after you ZKHQ \RX¶UH ZHDN :H MXVW KDYHWRXQGHUVWDQGWKDWWKDW¶V JRQQDKDSSHQDQGZHMXVWJR IURP JDPH WR JDPH DQG ZH deal with it.” Hermiston hosts rival Pendleton at 7 p.m. Friday. Bulldog girls gearing up for second tough battle against Pendleton at home BY SAM BARBEE HERMISTON HERALD Last week, the Pendle- WRQ JLUOV EDVNHWEDOO WHDP JDYH +HUPLVWRQ DOO LW FRXOG KDQGOH DW :DUEHUJ &RXUW +HUPLVWRQ ZHQW RQ a late run to take control RI D YHU\ HYHQ JDPH DQG ZDOW]HGDZD\ZLWKD win. 2Q)ULGD\WKH\¶OOWU\WR GR LW DOO RYHU DJDLQ ZKHQ Pendleton heads to the 'DZJKRXVH WR WDNH RQ WKH %XOOGRJVLQWKHVHFRQGLQ- VWDOOPHQWRIWKH:DURQ On paper, these teams are similar. Hermiston is ranked VHFRQG3HQGOHWRQVL[WKE\ WKH 2UHJRQ 6FKRRO$FWLYL- ties Association. Hermis- WRQLVLQWKH&R- OXPELD 5LYHU &RQIHUHQFH and Pendleton is 13-6, 3-1 LQ OHDJXH 3ULRU WR 7XHV- day, Hermiston has scored 1,036 points, Pendleton 1,030. Both teams have a PL[RI VL]H DQG VSHHG DQG H[SHULHQFHDQG\RXWK The only real difference is the level of success ei- WKHUSURJUDPKDVKDG 7KH+HUPLVWRQSURJUDP KDVGRPLQDWHGLQWKH&5& VLQFH LWV LQFHSWLRQ ¿YH \HDUV DJR 6LQFH WKHQ WKH %XOOGRJVKDYHORVWMXVWRQH OHDJXH JDPH RQ WKHLU ZD\ WR ¿YH OHDJXH FKDPSLRQ- VKLSV +HUPLVWRQ¶V WKLUG SODFH ¿QLVK LQ ODVW \HDU¶V state tournament was just a repeat from 2013. Pendleton, however, KDVQ¶W HQMR\HG WKH VDPH success Hermiston has. ,WV ODVW VWDWH WRXUQDPHQW appearance was in 2013, when the Lady Bucks lost in the play-in round. Be- IRUHWKHQWKH\¶UHODVWVWDWH DSSHDUDQFH ZDV LQ ZKHQ DJDLQ WKH /DG\ Bucks were ousted in the play-in round. 3DVW JDPHV WKLV VHDVRQ will factor more into Fri- GD\¶VULYDOU\PDWFKXSWKDQ past seasons will, especial- O\WKHEDFNDQGIRUWKJDPH last week. $IWHU WKDW JDPH /DG\ Bucks coach Michelle Go- mez said the Buckaroos did what they wanted to do: ran the offense and GHIHQVH DFFRUGLQJ WR SODQ but they just turned the ball over too many times. She said, however, her team NQRZV LW FDQ SOD\ DJDLQVW an opponent of Hermis- WRQ¶VFDOLEHU On the other hand, +HUPLVWRQ¶VEHQFKSOD\HUV KDG NH\ UROHV LQ WKH WLJKW JDPH LQFOXGLQJ 5LOHLJK Andreason, who sparked WKHJRDKHDGUXQ$IWHUWKH JDPHDVVLVWDQWFRDFK-XDQ 5RGULJXH]VDLGLWZDVJRRG to see players from the EHQFK ¿OOLQJ LQ WKH JDSV offensively, especially be- FDXVHFORVHJDPHVZLOOEH- come more common in the postseason. At the same time, Hermiston has been vul- nerable at times at home. $OO WKUHH RI WKH %XOOGRJV¶ losses have come at home: to Kamiakin, Beaverton and Sunnyside. Hermiston is 3-3 at home and 13-0 DZD\IURPWKH'DZJKRXVH 3HQGOHWRQKRZHYHULV DZD\IURP:DUEHUJ&RXUW ,I 3HQGOHWRQ ZLQV WKH Buckaroos will tie Herm- LVWRQ IRU ¿UVW SODFH LQ WKH &5& ZLWK MXVW WKUHH JDPHV WR JR$ +HUPLVWRQ loss Friday could muddle WKH VWDQGLQJV DQG IRUFH D winner-take-all matchup RQ )HE WR GHFLGH WKH OHDJXHWLWOH +HUPLVWRQ PLJKW KDYH DQ DGYDQWDJH WKHQ DV WKH JDPH ZLOO EH SOD\HG LQ Pendleton. 'URW]PDQQWRVLJQZLWK/LQ¿HOG BY SAM BARBEE HERMISTON HERALD The Hermiston School District announced Tues- GD\ +HUPLVWRQ +LJK School senior Abi Drotz- PDQQ ZLOO VLJQ D 1DWLRQDO /HWWHURI,QWHQWWRSOD\VRIW- EDOO DW /LQ¿HOG 8QLYHUVLW\ LQ 0F0LQQYLOOH 2UHJRQ today. 6KHMRLQVDSURJUDPWKDW KDVZRQVWUDLJKW1RUWK- ZHVW &RQIHUHQFH WLWOHV DQG KDV ZRQ 1&$$ 'LYLVLRQ ,,, WLWOHV WZLFH LQ WKH ODVW decade (2007, 2011). ³,¶PH[FLWHGWRFRQWLQXH my softball career at Lin- ¿HOG ZKHUH WKH\ KDYH D VWURQJ WUDGLWLRQ RI VRIWEDOO and academic success,” Drotzmann said in a press release issued by the school district. 'URW]PDQQ D OHIW ¿HOG- HU RQ +HUPLVWRQ¶V VRIWEDOO WHDP KLW ODVW VHDVRQ DV D MXQLRU DQG VOXJJHG DQ DPD]LQJ RQ WKH ZD\ WRD¿UVWWHDPDOO&ROXPELD 5LYHU&RQIHUHQFHQRG$F- FRUGLQJWRWKHSUHVVUHOHDVH as a sophomore, Drotzmann was named second-team all state and helped the Bull- GRJVWRWKHVWDWHFKDPSLRQ- VKLSJDPHZKHUHWKH\ZHUH bested by Sandy 1-0. Over the summer, Drot- zmann played for the NW Bullets 16 Gold team and continued her success on the diamond. Drotzmann DJDLQ KDG KLJK EDWWLQJ WR- WDOV KLWWLQJ DQ 2%3 RI VOXJJHG DQG GULOOHG HLJKW KRPH UXQV This summer, Drotzmann will compete for NW Blaze *ROG 6HH 6DWXUGD\¶V HGLWLRQ of the Hermiston Herald for the full story of Drotzmann DIWHUKHUVLJQLQJFHUHPRQ\