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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 2015)
S PORTS Hermiston A9 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2015 First edition: Fall sports power rankings Williams’ move in the works for months begun teaching special education there. “While Shaun was GH¿QLWHO\ RXU 1R candidate coming out RI WKH LQWHUYLHZV LW SAM BARBEE ZDV PDGH YHU\ FOHDU Shaun FROM THE SIDELINES By SAM BARBEE to us if there wasn’t a Williams Staff Writer teaching position he The departure of Hermiston ZDVQ¶WFRPLQJWR&9´:DOWHUVDLG wrestling coach Shaun Williams to “The time frame took so long be- ith a new fall sports season Central Valley High School in Spo- cause of the teaching position, and upon us, I wanted to try kane, Wash. seemed sudden, but REYLRXVO\ KH ZDVQ¶W JRLQJ WR VD\ something new with this according to CV Athletic Director anything whether or not there was a space. Once a month I’ll rank the top Grant Walter, it was in the works for teaching position. If there wasn’t a ¿YHORFDOWHDPVDQGJLYH\RXUHDVRQV months. WHDFKLQJSRVLWLRQKHZRXOGQ¶WKDYH why I ranked them where I did. It’s According to Walter, Williams OHIW+HUPLVWRQ´ P\KRSHWKDWWKLVZLOOEHLQWHUDFWLYH LQWHUYLHZHG IRU WKH YDFDQW KHDG 7KH PRYH FDPH DV \HW DQRWKHU and hopefully we can create a wrestling coach position in March blow to an athletic department hit dialogue about who you think should when John Owen retired. Walter KDUG E\ WXUQRYHU LQ WKH SDVW IRXU be ranked where. said Williams was their top candi- months. Head football coach Mark So, without further ado, let’s get GDWHDIWHUWKHLQWHUYLHZVEXWDKROG Hodges announced his resigna- started. up with the special education depart- tion in May, and that was followed ment protracted the process. School shortly thereafter by the retirement 1. Hermiston football started Tuesday and Williams has RI KHDG YROOH\EDOO FRDFK %HFN\ 7KLV VHHPV WKH REYLRXV FKRLFH 2I WKH DUHD WHDPV , FRYHU RQO\ Hermiston won a state champion- ship last season. So they’re tops on WKLV OLVW ,¶YH ZULWWHQ DG QDXVHXP about the newness of the Bulldogs on the gridiron from a new coach, to a new quarterback to 18 new starters. There is still a lot to learn. How will Dayshawn Neal handle the quarter- back duties? When, or will, Nathan Hunsaker make an appearance be- hind center? Who’s going to carry the URFN" +RZ FDQ +HUPLVWRQ QDYLJDWH yet another tough schedule? These are all questions I’m excit- ed to either answer or see answered. Bob Coleman told me recently that any expectations short of repeating as state champions would be “sell- LQJRXUVHOYHVVKRUW´7KHUHLVQ¶WDQ\ VKRUWDJH RI FRQ¿GHQFH DW .HQQLVRQ Field. In addition to the whole state gun- QLQJ IRU +HUPLVWRQ ULYDO 3HQGOHWRQ is in pretty good shape with its core from last year’s playoff team return- ing. But Friday night against Hanford will say a lot about where Hermiston is as a football team. W HERMISTONHERALD.COM Ex-Hermiston wrestling coach interviewed for Spokane job in the spring Wadekamper. Then, last month, the Hermiston School District an- QRXQFHGDYDFDQF\RIWKHKHDGER\V basketball coach, and Hermiston KDVWZRRWKHUYDFDQFLHVDVZHOOLQ softball and boys golf. Walter said there was a change in leadership in the special education department and the school had to determine which positions would EH¿OOHGLQKRXVHDQGZKLFKZRXOG EH¿OOHGZLWKWUDQVIHUV,QPLG$X- gust, Walter said, a teaching posi- tion came open for Williams, and he QRWL¿HG +HUPLVWRQ SULQFLSDO 7RP Spoo shortly thereafter. Attempts to reach Williams by SKRQHKDYHEHHQXQVXFFHVVIXO As a wrestling coach at Herm- iston, Williams led the Bulldogs to three straight team state titles since WDNLQJRYHUIRU&XUW%HUJHULQ 3UHYLRXVO\:LOOLDPV ZDV DQ DVVLV- tant at Central Valley and at Moses Lake before coming to Hermiston. He attended North Idaho Commu- nity College in Coeur d’Alene be- IRUHWUDQVIHUULQJWRWKH8QLYHUVLW\RI 2UHJRQDVDVWXGHQWDWKOHWH$QDWLYH of South Africa, Williams represent- ed his country in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. ³:H¶UHH[WUHPHO\H[FLWHGWRKDYH 6KDXQ´:DOWHUVDLG³2EYLRXVO\KLV success at Hermiston speaks for it- self. He had an excellent reputation as an assistant at Moses Lake. We know his reputation as an Olym- SLF ZUHVWOHU :H KDYH QRW KDG DQ in-building wrestling coach for 13 \HDUV:HDUHYHU\H[FLWHGWRKDYHD wrestling coach who’s a teacher and has access to those kids. ³:HDOVREHOLHYHWKDW6KDXQZLOO be an outstanding addition to our teaching staff at Central Valley High School. We see him as being an ex- cellent teacher as well as a wrestling FRDFK$QGWKDW¶VYHU\LPSRUWDQWWR RXUFRPPXQLW\´ After slow start, Bulldogs roar past La Grande 2. Hermiston cross country Bulldogs give Dorothy Smith first win as varsity head coach By SAM BARBEE Staff Writer (DUO\ RQ LQ +HUPLVWRQ¶V YRO- leyball debut against La Grande, things were ugly. The Bulldogs, playing their ¿UVWJDPHXQGHUQHZKHDGFRDFK Dorothy Smith, were tight and the play showed. But despite the VORZ VWDUW +HUPLVWRQ ¿QLVKHG strong to sweep the defend- ing 4A Greater Oregon League champion Tigers 3-0 (26-24, 25- LQ D QRQOHDJXH YRO- leyball match Tuesday night at the Dawghouse in Hermiston. “I think the girls felt better af- WHUWKDW¿UVWZKROHJDPH´6PLWK said. +HUPLVWRQZRQWKH¿UVW IRXUSRLQWVRIWKHPDWFKEXWJDYH the lead right back to La Grande (0-1), which scored six straight of its own. Game 1 was a see- saw from there, with Hermiston gaining as much as a six-point DGYDQWDJH EHIRUH /D *UDQGH stormed back again to tie it at 24. +HUPLVWRQ UDOOLHG DQG ¿QLVKHG RIIWKH¿UVWJDPHZLWKDNLOOIURP Myers. La Grande, though, took a turn building an early lead, gain- LQJ D TXLFN DGYDQWDJH LQ Game 2, but Hermiston scored eight of the next nine points to take an 8-5 lead it would not relinquish. Sophomore middle EORFNHU0DGG\-XXOWRRNRYHULQ WKDW JDPH XQRI¿FLDOO\ VFRULQJ four kills and a block to pace the Also a district/league champ, the Hermiston runners sent six to state last year and the boys placed third. Just one runner is gone from last year’s group — Tim Swarat, who’s running at Northwest Nazarene — so it would make sense that the Bulldogs ZRXOGDJDLQSDFHWKH&ROXPELD5LY- er Conference. Back are standouts Hayden Earl, Josiah Niederwerfer, Angel Castella- nos and Donnell Rome on the boys side. Back are freshmen standouts Melany Solario and Morgan Han- FRFNZKRKRSHWRLPSURYHRQWKHLU solid freshmen campaigns. It seems STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS a foregone conclusion that the boys team will be, again, right at the top Hermiston’s Baylee Powers spikes the ball guarded by La Grande’s Larissa of the CRC and the state, but the in- Jensen on Tuesday in the Bulldogs’ 3-0 win against the Tigers in Hermiston. WULJXHLVKRZWKHJLUOVZLOOLPSURYH Hermiston didn’t lose a single runner IRUPWKHJLUOVWHDPDQGVHQLRUV6R¿D Gispert and Laura Zepeda and sopho- more Jailee Vogt are all back. By SAM BARBEE I expect the Bulldogs runners to be ³,W GHSHQGV´ KH VDLG ³,W terback closer to 2.5 yards behind Staff Writer at the top of this list all year, maybe shouldn’t change. He throws a center. The Hermiston Bulldogs be- really good ball and does some HYHQJUDEELQJWKHWRSVSRWDWLPHRU “We’re gonna be a spitting gan its 2014 title run with a 48-13 things well. But he has to under- LPDJH RI HDFK RWKHU´ )DDHWHHWH two. shellacking of Richland, Wash- stand that Nate Hunsaker is one said. 3. Umatilla girls soccer ington’s Hanford Falcons early play from going in. Anything can What Hanford has, though, This team surprised me last year, last September. KDSSHQRQ)ULGD\QLJKW:HKDYH that Hermiston might not, is a DQGLWVKRXOGQ¶WKDYH7KH\PDGHWKH But with a new group and a two quarterbacks that are ready VWRXW GHIHQVLYH OLQH )DDHWHHWH SOD\RIIVLQ7KH\¿QLVKHGWKLUG QHZTXDUWHUEDFN¿UVW\HDU+HUP- to play. Right now the guy we said it reminded him of last year’s that year in Special District 2 before LVWRQKHDGFRDFK'DYLG)DDHWHHWH decided to go with is Dayshawn GHIHQVLYH IURQW LQ +HUPLVWRQ LQ going undefeated in district play isn’t taking Friday’s season open- 1HDO´ terms of effort and physicality. ODVW \HDU EHIRUH ORVLQJ WR 3HUU\GDOH er for granted against a team that Hanford is a familiar opponent 7KH¿UVW\HDUFRDFKVDLGLWZLOOEH Western Mennonite, 4-3, in a match went 0-10 last year and is hungry for a couple of reasons. First, and important to win the battle at the WKH\OHGODWH,KDYHWKHPUDQNHG for a win. PRVW REYLRXV WKHVH line of scrimmage in highly despite their 2-1 loss Saturday “I think last year they lost and teams played last an attempt to neu- to Hermiston because of the reign- WKH\¶UHRXWIRUUHYHQJH´KHVDLG year, as is the case tralize that strong More fall sports ing league title hanging around their “I think we’re gonna get their for each of Herm- GHIHQVLYHOLQH Look for more fall sports FRPSHWLWLYH QHFNV EXW DOVR EHFDXVH best game. It’s gonna be a lot of iston’s opponents ³7KH\ KDYH WZR coverage, including schedules, they held their own against a bigger physicality. It’s gonna be a really this season. But D-ends that get off in our special fall sports preview school in a tough place to play. With physical game. Hanford runs simi- the ball really well. section inside today’s paper. WKHZLQDQGWXUI.HQQLVRQ6WDGLXP After a quarterback battle lar schemes on both $QG WKH\ KDYH WZR FDQ SURYLGH XQLTXH FKDOOHQJHV WR that lasted the length of camp, sides of the ball. inside D-tackles that teams that are used to neither, and the Faaeteete announced Monday They like to spread kinda remind me of wind was bad enough on Saturday it that sophomore lefty Dayshawn it out on offense and throw it RXU GHIHQVLYH OLQH ODVW \HDU ZLWK was taking things out of my hands. Neal will start behind center for DURXQG WKH ¿HOG DQG OLQH XS LQ WKH WHQDFLW\ WKH\ SOD\ ZLWK´ KH With most of its key players re- the Bulldogs. He beat out senior D GHIHQVLYH IRUPDWLRQ DV said. “Those guys on that D-line turning, expect Umatilla to again Nathan Hunsaker, the only QB a counter to spread attacks. The are just getting after each other. compete for a district title. Head between the two who has played only real difference, Faeeteete 2XU RIIHQVLYH OLQH LV JRQQD EH coach Tim Lee has been talking with LQDYDUVLW\JDPHIRUWKHVWDUWLQJ said, is Hanford runs a shotgun WHVWHGUHDOHDUO\´ KLV WHDP DERXW OHDYLQJ D OHJDF\ D job Friday night. with the quarterback, with him But that’s the way Faaeteete mark. I think this Umatilla team has But, Faaeteete pointed out, OLQLQJ XS ¿YH \DUGV EHKLQG WKH wanted it. With so many un- that doesn’t mean Neal has a long center. Hermiston runs what’s knowns currently surrounding See RANKINGS, A10 leash. It’s the opposite, in fact. known as a pistol, with the quar- the Bulldogs, an early litmus test Hermiston gears up for early test Bulldogs. La Grande, though, tied it at 14, 17 and 20 before Hermiston really took control. And in Game 3, the Tigers had no answer. But things appeared to turn in Game 3 when La Grande though they had scored a point. 7KH 7LJHUV DSSHDUHG WR KDYH pulled within two at 11-9, but the point was awarded to Herm- LVWRQZKHQ/D*UDQGHVHUYHGRXW of turn. This, along with a more relaxed mindset since Game 1, JDYH +HUPLVWRQ DOO WKH PRPHQ- tum it would need. The Bulldogs went on to score 13 of the next 19 points to ease into the sweep DQGWKH¿UVWZLQRIWKH\HDU Smith said it was a bit of a UHOLHI WR JHW WKH ¿UVW ZLQ RXW RI the way. ³, WKLQN LW DOVR JLYHV WKHP FRQ¿GHQFH WKDW HYHU\WKLQJ ZH¶YHEHHQZRUNLQJRQWKH\FDQ GR´ VKH VDLG ³:H ZHUH VLWWLQJ there and coach was saying, µ2. WKH\ VKRXOG EH UXQQLQJ D VHYHQ WKH\ VKRXOG EH UXQQLQJ DµF¶¶EXWDJDLQLW¶VWKDWFRQ¿- dence of, ‘Can I hit that ball that JRHV XS RYHU WKHUH"¶ :H KDYH other plays we can do, but that WKHJLUOVZHUHQ¶WWKDWFRQ¿GHQW in. So hopefully this next week ZH¶OOEHDEOHWR´ Sophomore Regan Myers led WKH %XOOGRJV ZLWK ¿YH NLOOV DQG PLVVHG RQ MXVW RQH VHUYH DQG fellow sophomore Maddy Juul pounded four and had 13 blocks. -XQLRU.\Q]HH3DGLOODOHGLQGLJV with 10. Hermiston next takes the court Friday at the Mountain View tournament in Bend. Game times and opponents are yet to be determined. 6eason’s ¿rst linebacker club luncheon scheduled 7KH ¿UVW /LQHEDFNHU Club luncheon of the season DQG LQ 'DYLG )DDHWHHWH¶V tenure has been scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 3, from noon to 1 p.m. at Desert Lanes Bowling Alley in Hermiston. Be there to listen to Faaeteete discuss Hermis- WRQ¶V ¿UVW RSSRQHQW +DQ- ford, as well as the season to come. Those attending are DVNHG WR 5693 E\ FDOOLQJ 541-567-5215 by 3 p.m. on Wednesday. The cost is $12 for members and $14 or non-members. against a good unit is a plus. Re- gardless of the result, Faaeteete said, they will know more about their team Saturday morning. “You can’t simulate that type RIDWPRVSKHUH´KHVDLG