S PORTS
Hermiston
A8
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015
Healthy
Tigers off
to a healthy
season start
Bulldog hoops team has an Ego — again
Retired coach returns
to the sidelines for
one more season
By SAM BARBEE
By SAM BARBEE
A year ago, with a new
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Tigers never reached their
potential. A talented team, but
riddled with key injuries, the
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outside looking into the playoff
picture window.
Now, with another new
coach, but no key injuries,
the Tigers have
jumped to a 3-0
record, a plus-97
point differential
and is one of three
teams in the 2A
Columbia Basin
Conference to have
Sam
similar numbers.
Barbee
The difference?
FROM THE
SIDELINES
Dylan Grogan at
quarterback.
With the lanky junior out
most of last season with a
broken collarbone, the onus was
on classmate Thyler Monkus
to shoulder the offensive load.
He took all the snaps, acted
as quarterback and running
back, and took a pounding. He
amassed 40 carries on more
than one occasion and threw it
another 10 or 12 times.
By the end of the season,
he was worn down. He wasn’t
quite as explosive. His long
touchdown runs were cut short.
He broke fewer tackles. You
could just see the wear and tear
taking an effect on the young
man.
But this year, but his
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taking some of the carries,
Monkus has returned to his old
self. The junior running back
— in just three games, mind
you — has rushed for 572 yards
and seven touchdowns. Grogan
hasn’t been a slouch, either,
rushing for 193 yards and seven
touchdowns, and throwing for
351 yards and a score.
Now, some of Monkus’
success is most certainly due to
another year of age, maturity,
strength, all that. But even the
threat of Grogan, who’s careful
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weapon of Justin Keeney, has
freed Monkus to be the home-
run hitter he is.
Then you add in Keeney,
Makiah Blankenship and
Abraham Gomez, the Tigers
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they aren’t relying on Monkus.
Head coach Davy Salas knew
that. He tries to spread carries
evenly so that Monkus and
Grogan are fresh late in games if
needed.
The return of Grogan has
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than just simply yards and
touchdowns. Grogan is the
emotional leader of the Tigers.
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who holds his own in tackling
drills with any teammate from
any position. Not having that
emotional leader last year,
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big disadvantage. They didn’t
have anyone to follow or energy
to feed off. Now, with No. 4
under center, they have it. And
the Tigers have made some
statements, if small, with league
play starting in Week 5.
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down year for a lot of ’em’,”
Salas said. “A 3-6 season,
those kids aren’t used to a 3-6
season. It could be a blessing
to have them think, ‘Wow, all
we are is one injury away from
a 3-6 season. We have to bring
it every game. We can’t take
weeks off. We can’t take plays
off.’”
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been taking plays or weeks off,
and they’re healthy. For a small
school with a small roster, health
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As long as Grogan, Monkus and
company are keeping defenses
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load in the CBC.
Sam Barbee is a sports reporter
for the Hermiston Herald and
East Oregonian based out of
Hermiston. He can be reached
by email at sbarbee@hermis-
tonherald.com or on Twitter @
SamBarbee1. Follow Herald
Sports @HHeraldSports.
It’s been almost 30 years since
Dave Ego coached high school
basketball, and he isn’t worried.
The 68-year-old Hermiston
resident was hired last week as
Hermiston’s interim head bas-
ketball coach in the wake of Jake
McElligott’s resignation. But de-
spite being away from the game
for 27 years, Ego doesn’t think
that will be an issue.
“Ralph Miller said the game
hasn’t changed in 40 years,
but I’d venture to say it hasn’t
changed in the last 40 either,”
Ego said. “You just gotta know
what the other guy’s doing.”
The late-Ralph Miller was in-
Staff Writer
HERMISTONHERALD.COM
Staff Writer
ducted into the Na-
ismith Basketball
Hall of Fame and
spent 41 seasons as
a head basketball
coach at Wichita,
Iowa and Oregon
Dave
State. As coach of
Ego
the Beavers, he had
just two losing sea-
sons out of 20 and is the all-time
winningest coach in program his-
tory with 359 wins.
Ego said his age is not an is-
sue either, citing Duke University
coach Mike Krzyzewski, who is
also 68. Krzyzewski has coached
the Blue Devils since 1980 and has
amassed a head coaching record of
1,018-310 (88-26 in NCAA tour-
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onships in 40 seasons.
Ego coached the Bulldogs
from 1978-1988 before moving
into the administration, where he
retired as principal in 2003. In
those 10 seasons as coach, Herm-
iston went 86-134 (65-95 Inter-
mountain Conference) and 2-20
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Ego is the father of Umatilla
cross country coach Josh, former
Beaverton girls basketball coach,
Jay, and is the father-in-law of
current Hermiston High Principal
Tom Spoo.
Before arriving in Hermiston,
Ego was an assistant at Parkrose
High School in Portland for three
years, where he helped the Bron-
cos to a 69-6 record, a state cham-
pionship, and coached numerous
Division I players, including Ray
Blume (Oregon State), Rick Os-
born (Oregon), and Steve Wood-
side (Oregon State). Once in
Hermiston, Ego led the Bulldogs
to two league championships
when Hermiston was a member
of the 10-team Intermountain
Conference.
Ego takes over a program that
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niors from last year’s team. The
program, also, has been the focus
of much turnover in recent years,
with three coaches in as many
seasons.
Athletic Director Blaine Gan-
voa said Ego’s familiarity with
the area, program and school will
be an asset.
“Mr. Ego will provide us a
year of clear expectations and
standards, giving stability to a
program that has experienced
substantial turnover in the past
four years,” he said.
“I think that the kids deserve
something,” Ego said. “Four
coaches in four years isn’t an en-
vious position, and it’s an interim
position because I’m not interested
in a long-term position. We need to
be able to give the kids in the com-
munity something to be proud of.
“What I’ve seen so far is
we’ve got some kids who are ex-
cited and want to be basketball
players, and that path should be
made easier.”
Irrigon pulls away from Umatilla
to it pretty dang well.”
Umatilla (2-1) did catch a lot
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ceiver right into the hands of Fa-
bricio Garcia on third down to
keep a drive alive, and Ramirez
scrambled for a good 20 seconds
By SAM BARBEE
Staff Writer
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At halftime of Umatilla’s non- in the back corner late in the sec-
league football game against ond quarter.
And every time Umatilla
Irrigon, the Vikings had all the
momentum. Jesus Ramirez hit made a move, Irrigon (3-0) had a
Tristen Sanguino for a 14-yard response.
After the Vikings took the
touchdown pass in the back cor-
ner of the end zone with 27 sec- opening kick-off and methodical-
onds left in the second quarter to O\GURYHWKHEDOOGRZQWKH¿HOGLQ
14 plays ending in a Hunter Cook
pull within six at 18-12.
But that was as close as they plunge, Irrigon came right back
would come. The Knights scored and scored in seven plays to tie
21 unanswered points in the sec- it, then scored on two plays after
ond half to put away the pesky Umatilla’s punter whiffed at his
Vikings 39-12 Friday night in RZQ¿YH\DUGOLQHWRWDNHD
lead.
Umatilla.
Irrigon then took its turn with
“We had to face a little adver-
sity,” Irrigon coach Steve Sheller a methodical drive, going 65
said. “Umatilla got just about ev- yards in 13 plays resulting in a
HU\EUHDNLQWKDW¿UVWKDOI6R,¶P Nate Verley touchdown pass to
proud of the boys. I told them, I Austin Rice. It was Verley’s only
STAFF PHOTO BY SAM BARBEE
said, ‘We’re due for some bad. completion of the day and gave
Let’s see how we react to it. And
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in that second half, they reacted
See KNIGHTS, A9
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After tight first half,
Knights dominate
second half
Football: Millers overpower Bulldogs; Tigers win at home
SPRINGFIELD 52, HERM-
,6721²$W6SULQJ¿HOGWKH
Bulldogs continued its disap-
pointing start to the 2015 season
with yet another loss on Friday.
Hermiston (0-3) kept it close
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20 at halftime before being shut-
out in the second half.
Bulldog
quarterback
Dayshawn Neal was dangerous
on the ground in the game, car-
rying the ball 27 times for 152
yards and two touchdowns. Neal
only attempted seven passes,
completing three of them for 27
yards.
Sophomore running back
Johnathan Hinkle carried the ball
20 times for 82 yards while senior
Hayden Simon added 15 carries
for 83 yards and a touchdown.
The Bulldog defense struggled
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throughout, however, allow-
ing 580 total yards—299 on the
ground and 281 through the air.
Penalties were an issue for
both teams as they combined for
a staggering 34 penalties for 327
yards.
Hermiston hits the road again
The Tigers (3-0) remained un-
defeated with running back Thy-
ler Monkus’ three touchdowns
STANFIELD 32, GRANT leading the way. He ran 26 times
81,21 ² $W 6WDQ¿HOG WKH for 173 yards, and Justin Keeney
Tigers slugged it out with the added six carries for 60 yards.
Prospectors in an old-fashioned Quarterback Dylan Grogan was
10-of-16 passing for 128 yards
defensive battle on Friday.
“It was one of those defensive and ran 10 times for 32 yards and
ball games where we just had a touchdown.
to grind it out on the ground,”
Jason Fitzpatrick led them in
VDLG¿UVW\HDUFRDFK'DY\6DODV receiving with two catches for 51
“Both sides had two turnovers, yards.
both sides were stiff on defense
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and both sides were strong week in a non-league game at 7
against the run.”
p.m. on Friday.
this week to play Lewiston (ID)
at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Tigers fall short against Rockets
took a 10-9 lead. But Pilot Rock,
also with a renewed volleyball
vigor, played better down the
stretch, taking Game 3 by three
points.
“We’ve built our mentality
this whole summer, and we’ve
been to camps to build our men-
By SAM BARBEE
Staff Writer
tality,” junior Rockets setter Os-
trom said. “The team last year
Coaches don’t generally be-
would have let that (match) go.
lieve in moral victories. They
We really focused on keeping our
view wins as wins and losses as
mentality: ‘So what? You made
losses.
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STAFF PHOTO BY SAM BARBEE an error. We’re gonna get the next
one. And you better be ready.’”
volleyball program essentially
Pilot Rock head coach Elain-
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na Howland said her squad was
Tigers coach Angie Connell will IRUDEORFNDWWKHQHWGXULQJ
shorthanded with some injuries
take a moral victory after a close 6WDQÀHOG·VÀYHVHWORVVWR3LORW
3-2 (25-20, 19-25, 22-25, 26-24, 5RFNDWKRPHRQ7KXUVGD\LQERWK and an illness, and compliment-
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9-15) Columbia Basin Confer- WHDPV·OHDJXHRSHQHU
from a 4-19 record a year ago.
ence opening loss to Pilot Rock
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trom had 17 assists, and Megan
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proved this year, I have to hand
“The girls proved that they are Glynn had 15.
After winning Game 1, Stan- it to them,” Howland said. “We
gonna be a team people have to
¿HOGIRXQGLWVHOIGRZQ saw that a bit in summer league
compete with,” Connell said.
Katie Burns led the Tigers 19-12 in Game 2. But the Tigers, that they were quite a bit im-
with eight kills, and Brittin with improved morale, according proved this year. But for us,
Braithwaite and Larissa Castel- to Connell, fought back to make we’ve stepped up. Our game is
lanos had two each. Abby Rigby the set interesting. Pilot Rock (7- a lot higher than it was last year.
led the match with 15 kills, and VFRUHGWKH¿UVWVL[SRLQWV This is just a smidgen of what we
Kayla Deist wasn’t far behind of Game 3 as well — giving the have.”
Down two sets to one, Stan-
ZLWK0DGGLH*ULI¿QKDGIRXU Rockets nine straight points to
aces for the Tigers, was perfect end Game 2 and start Game 3 — ¿HOG QHHGHG WR FRPH XS ZLWK D
from the serving line and had EHIRUH6WDQ¿HOGZHQWRQDUXQRI big fourth game, and they did.
four assists, to boot. Tehya Os- its own. The Tigers eventually The Tigers almost gave the game
Rockets start slow,
finish strong against
much improved Tigers
away after leading 22-18 and al-
lowing a Pilot Rock run to push
the set past 25 points. An accu-
rate push winner from Maddie
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a 25-24 lead, and eventually the
game, pushing the match to a de-
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Pilot Rock all but owned Game
5. After taking a 5-1 lead to start
the set, the Rockets never led by
fewer than three points and led by
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make a run, but it was too little, too
late.
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Larissa Castellanos said the team
needs to keep pushing to improve.
“We can’t take it for granted,”
she said, “because teams are gon-
na be working just as hard as we
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point like we did tonight and just
keep pushing, and keep our spirits
up, and be mentally tough. That
was big for us tonight.”
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Coming off its exciting league
opener against Pilot Rock, the
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keep the momentum on the road
See TIGERS, A9