A6 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2015
FROM PAGE A1
HODGES:
continued from page A1
of Hodges’ retirement this
week, said he saw it coming.
He and Hodges had discussed
it in passing for awhile and
the timing made sense for
Olson.
Players were surprised ini-
tially, but the signs were there.
Knutz said Hodges would
FRPSODLQDERXWKLVKLSVHYHU\
bus ride. This spring, Hodges
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ily Strot he wasn’t riding bus-
es anymore, his hips couldn’t
handle it.
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ment. His doctor said he was
probably born with dysplasia,
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joints and, in Hodges’ case, his
hips. He said Friday his hips
began popping when he was
15 years old; when he was 17
his tensor fasciae latae muscles,
or T-bands, would remain tight
with his groin, while the rest of
his upper leg would be loose.
This is consistent with chronic
hip problems.
“I don’t think a lot of peo-
ple realize how his hips are
bothering him and how he
fought through this year,”
Kay said. “He knew he had a
special group.”
Hodges has a pair of hip
replacement surgeries sched-
ule for June and July, but he
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together. He said recipients
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hips done simultaneously,
but his insurance has caught
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hospital. He won’t be getting
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he’ll get a ceramic socket and
“poly” ball. This will last lon-
ger than metal or plastic im-
plants, while letting Hodges
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except run long distance, he
said.
“It’s the only problem I
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er problems anywhere. My
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&KROHVWHURO OHYHOV EORRG
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•••
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town, Hermiston football
had nothing it has now. The
weight room was lacking.
The football stadium was
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poor quality. The team had
no direction or identity of its
own. Coaches used Hermis-
ton as a jumping off point for
another job. No one stayed
long enough to build a pro-
gram here.
Hodges changed that.
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culties sometimes if you bring
in somebody that’s outside of
Hermiston, you wonder how
loyal they are to Hermiston,”
Hodges said. “Hermiston has
been in a highly unusual situ-
DWLRQWKHODVWVHYHQ\HDUVEH-
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that’s used Hermiston High as
a stepping stone to go to a Tu-
alatin or someplace like that
— a big 6A school or money
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staff that is loyal to Hermis-
ton.”
That loyalty will contin-
ue and be rewarded when,
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coordinator and associate
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LV DSSURYHG E\ WKH +HUPLV-
ton School Board on May 11
as the Bulldogs’ next head
coach. The staff has pledged
to work under Faaeteete,
maintaining a cohesion and
consistency that was missing
with other coaching changes.
•••
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for the HHS job, the choice
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Thompson, a Hermiston
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player in the mid-1970s, was
on the hiring committee in
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concluded, Thompson knew
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Mark Hodges — was the guy.
“Coach Hodges was far
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guy and best guy for the
kids,” Thompson said Thurs-
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JDPH DQG DOVR D ORYH RI WKH
kids, and you can tell that by
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on the sidelines, whether it be
practice or Friday night.”
•••
Hodges’ sideline perso-
na is well known. He is en-
ergetic. He is loud. On fall
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around the Kennison Stadium
complex, bouncing off the
aluminum and off the facing
of the school building east of
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thing different,” Thompson
said. “He brought the passion
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the sport.”
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in the spring of 2008 when
Hodges was hired. Olson said
the enthusiasm was notice-
able then.
“I think initially you just
start with the energy that he
brought into the program, in
some ways an intensity,” Ol-
VRQ VDLG ³(VSHFLDOO\ WKH DW-
tention to detail to things that
were reasons they ultimately
won this year.”
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coach, Hodges called the
plays on offense and taught
his schemes and theories.
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VRQ 0RUWHU ZKR KDG QHYHU
played tackle football until
his junior year, said Hodges’
concepts were complicated,
but they worked. He also ef-
IHFWLYHO\WDXJKWKLVVFKHPHV
constantly putting his players
in positions to win.
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a certain style. The past three
years, with all-state quarter-
EDFNDQG$2IIHQVLYH
Player of the Year Chase
Knutz, the Bulldogs threw
already been around 23 years
before he got to Hermiston.
They adjusted what they did
in the offseason. They found
2008-2014 Head Coach,
the offseason programming
Hermiston
that’ll work. Some coaches
2005-2007, Head Coach, Fernley,
are hardline. Mark’s found
Nevada
ways to adjust. They say you
2000-2004, Assistant Coach,
can’t teach an old dog new
South Medford
tricks, but he and his staff
1994-1999, Assistant Coach,
found ways to learn new
North Medford
WULFNV IRU WKH EHQH¿W RI WKH
1991-1993, Graduate Assistant,
program.”
Southern Oregon University
Olson pointed out there’s
also an integrity there. He
said, with the exception of
and threw often. But he also RQHIDNHSXQW+RGJHVQHYHU
KDG HIIHFWLYH UXQQLQJ EDFNV ran a trick play — no double
in Cory Adams and Sam Col- SDVVHVQRÀHDÀLFNHUVRUUH-
EUD\ DQG DQ RIIHQVLYH OLQH YHUVHV
that could run block and pass
“It says that there’s an ana-
protect. When Cory’s brother lytic side to calling a game as
Bobby was playing, Hodges DQ RIIHQVLYH FRRUGLQDWRU DQG
focused on the ground attack, he knows what his numbers
and Bobby racked up more are and what his percentages
than 2,000 yards Bobby his are and he trusts his play,” Ol-
senior season.
son said. “The problem with a
That willingness to adjust WULFNSOD\LVWKHUH¶VDQHJDWLYH
tactics based on athletes and to them. A trick play can be a
attention to detail, both on QHJDWLYH \DUGV 7KHUH¶V
DQGRIIWKH¿HOGKHOSHGWDNH always a belief in the system.”
WKH%XOOGRJVIURPVHFRQG¿G-
•••
dle to champion.
Luis Medina, a graduating
“This was his 30th year senior who started playing
coaching,” Olson said. “He’s football his freshman year
Hodges’ career
Church
Directory
with no knowledge of the
sport, sees Hodges as more
than his coach.
“To me, he was like a
dad,” he said. “He knew what
I did was wrong. He made
sure I was at school and doing
things I was supposed to be
doing. I’m going to miss my
dad at school.”
Knutz echoed those senti-
ments.
“I wouldn’t want any other
coach in the world,” he said.
³, FDQ¶W HYHQ SXW LQWR ZRUGV
what he meant to me in de-
YHORSLQJDVDSOD\HU:KDWKH
GLGIRUPHDQGHYHU\RQHHOVH
on the team goes beyond rec-
ognition.”
Senior Keegan Crafton
tracked down Hodges outside
of the weight room Friday,
asking about the decision to
retire and his hips. He asked
about Hodges’ upcoming hip
replacement procedures and
listened to the explanations
his soon-to-be former coach
JDYHKLP+LVSOD\HUVKDYHQ¶W
been the only ones seeking
Hodges out since news broke
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program. Hodges said female
VWXGHQWV KDYH DSSURDFKHG
him, concerned about him
and the football program.
Friday morning, Hodg-
es eased around the weight
URRPKLVDUWKULWLFKLSV¿JKW-
LQJ KLP HYHU\ VWHS %XW KH
was still smiling, still encour-
aging, still teaching.
“His passions are for stu-
dents and their success,” Kay
said.
“Some years you can win
a championship and some
years you may not win a
championship, but the bot-
tom line is the relationships
you build with the coaches
and players,” Hodges said.
“And I think that’s a really
big part of what’s kept me
going. I had a great staff
and my staff is a wonderful
bunch of guys and they’re
all professionals and they
DOOZRUNYHU\KDUG0\VWDII
really kept me going and
helped me out a ton. Not be-
ing able to be around them
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and laughing it up with them
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with them and, of course, the
players — that’s what I’m
going to miss the most, is the
relationships.”
NEW BEGINNINGS
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
Worship Service 10:30 AM
Sunday School 9:00 AM
Pastor J.C. Barnett
Children's Church
& Nursery Available
700 West Orchard Avenue
P.O. Box 933
Hermiston, Oregon
541-289-4774
Seventh-day
Adventist Church
s h i
W o r
Saturdays
Sabbath School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:30 a.m.
Worship Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:00 a.m.
p w i t h u s !
1255 Hwy. 395 S. • 567-5834
oasisvineyard.us
Worship 10:00 AM
"come as you are"
The Full Gospel
Home Church
235 SW 3rd
Phone 567-7678
Rev. Ed Baker - Rev. Nina Baker
Sunday: Sunday School . . . . . 10:00 am
Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:00 am
Evening Service . . . . . . 7:00 pm
Wednesday Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:00 pm
First United
Methodist
Church Of
Hermiston
Rev. Dr. James T. Pierce, Pastor
Open Hearts, Open minds,
Open doors
"Casting all your care upon him;
for he careth for you."
1 Pet. 5:7
191 E. Gladys Ave.
Sunday Worship at 11am
(541) 567-3002
Our Lady of Angels
Catholic Church
Grace Baptist Church
565 W. HERMISTON AVE.
DAILY MASS: Monday-Friday
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . English 7:00 am
THURSDAY . . . . . . . . . Spanish 6:00 pm
SATURDAY: . . . . . . . . . English 5:00 pm
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spanish 7:00 pm
SUNDAY: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . English 9:00 am
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bilingual 11:00 am
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spanish 1:00 pm
OFFICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567-5812
NEW HOPE
COMMUNITY CHURCH
1350 S. Hwy. 395, Hermiston
"People Making A Difference"
Sunday Worship Services
9:00 am, 10:45 am
Classes for kids during both
Services en Español
Dave Andrus, Pastor
For more information call
567-8441
First Christian
Church
"Proclaiming the Message of
Hope, Living the Gospel of Love"
SUNDAY WORSHIP 10:45 AM
SUNDAY SCHOOL 9:30 AM
CHILDREN'S CHURCH 11:00 AM
Nursery Provided
567-3013
775 W. Highland Ave., Hermiston
St. Johns
Episcopal Church
All People
Are Welcome
Scripture, Tradition
and Reason
Family service 9am Sunday
Gladys Ave & 7th Hermiston
Fr. Dan Lediard, Priest. PH: 567-6672
LANDMARK BAPTIST
CHURCH
555 SW 11th, Hermiston
567-9497
Nursery provided for all services
Sunday School - 9:30 AM
Worship - 10:45 AM
6:00 pm
Wed Prayer & Worship - 7:00 PM
“Proclaiming God’s word,
growing in God’s grace”
Allan Payne, Pastor
567-8241
855 W. Highland • Hermiston
125 E. Beech Ave. • 567-3232
Pastor David Dever
Sun. Bible Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:00am
Sun. Worship Service . . . . . . . . . . 11:00am
Sun. Evening Worship . . . . . . . . . . 6:00pm
Wed. Prayer & Bible Study . . . 6:00pm
www.hermistonlmbc.com
To share your worship times
call Amanda Jacobs
541-278-2683
PAGEANT:
helps the girls
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ways.
continued from page A1
³,W
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Sara Lomas, a 17-year-
them self-es-
old Hermiston High School
WHHP ,W JLYHV
student, was crowned
Fernandez them pride. It
queen, followed by prin-
JLYHV WKHP D
cesses Hillary Fernandez,
sense of be-
17, HHS; Jennifer Garcia,
longing to the
6WDQ¿HOG +LJK 6FKRRO
Hispanic com-
Maribel Marin, 16, HHS;
munity,” she
and Brissa Gutierrez, 18,
said. “It also
from Chihuahua, Mexico.
JLYHV WKHP D
Fitzgerald said only
sense of direc-
Garcia
WKHVH ¿YH JLUOV SDUWLFLSDW-
tion. It’s a new
ed in the pageant, but she
experience, a
hopes it will grow in future
different expe-
years.
rience. This is
“We can say that all of
going to help
them were winners for us
WKHP GHYHORS
because they are the ones
their skills that
who are setting a prece-
are going to be
Marin
dence for future pageants,
skills for life,
and they’re going to be the
such as talking
role models for younger la-
in front of peo-
dies,” she said. “We want
ple.”
for them to extend their
As queen,
hands out into the younger
Lomas
also
community and to make
earned a $500
them not only feel welcome
college schol-
Gutierrez arship, and she
but also participate and
KDYHSULGHLQRXUKHULWDJH´
told the East
The contestants were Oregonian she hopes to
judged on essays they KDYHDUROHEH\RQG6XQGD\¶V
VXEPLWWHG VHYHUDO TXHV- Cinco de Mayo celebration.
tion-and-answer sessions
“I want to participate in
— one before the pageant RWKHU DFWLYLWLHV DQG UHSUH-
and two during — and a sent the Hispanic commu-
presentation about them- nity,” she said.
VHOYHV LQ IURQW RI DQ DXGL-
The pageant queen and
ence of more than 100 peo- princesses will be presented
ple at the pageant.
at 1 p.m. Sunday on stage in
)LW]JHUDOGVDLGWKHHYHQW front of Hermiston City Hall.
5K RUN, 5K WALK, 10K RUN, KID'S BUTTE SCOOT
All races begin & end at Hermiston's Butte Park
DRAWINGS • FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
Online registration & race information at
WWW.BUTTECHALLENGE.COM
All proceeds benefit THE HERMISTON CROSS COUNTRY PROGRAM
Thank you for your support!
