A16 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
SCHOOL:
continued from Page A1
While the district’s
more modern schools
have separate spaces for
the cafeteria and gymna-
sium, it’s a shared space
at Rocky Heights.
This year, Rocky
Heights’
kindergarten
lunch overlaps with one
of Greg Hamm’s physical
education classes, mean-
ing he has to hold it in a
classroom instead of the
gym. The room is in the
school’s “quadroom,” a
former communal teach-
ing space that has since
been subdivided into four
sections.
Farley said the walls
are so thin that teachers
are able to speak to each
other through the barriers
without opening a door.
While no regular
classes run concurrently
with the PE class, Far-
ley said speech services
sometimes does.
To alleviate some
of the overcrowding,
Rocky Heights has five
modulars, trailers that
act as extra classrooms,
but fifth grade teach-
er Josh Linn said those
present their own lo-
gistical challenges like
coordinating bathroom
breaks and keeping
children in sight while
they’re playing on the
nearby playground.
Farley attributed much
of the school’s success,
despite its building strug-
gles, to its teachers.
“Our teachers are ab-
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016
FROM PAGE A1/A10
solutely
phenomenal,”
he said. “They’re doing
more than they’ve ever
been asked to do before.”
A total of 53 new
teachers were hired dis-
trictwide for the 2016-17
school year to ill vacan-
cies, retirements, moves
and additions.
The school district al-
ready requires its teach-
ers be involved in lead-
ership committees and is
looking to its educators
to lead more professional
development sessions.
Rocky Heights’ situ-
ation is on the district’s
radar, and replacing it
with new facilities is
one of the top priorities
being considered for a
new bond measure. A
citizen review commit-
tee recommended a $104
million bond that would
replace both Rocky
Heights and Highland
Hills, the district’s two
oldest schools, as well as
build a new elementary
school and expand the
high school.
The district has yet to
decide whether to put it
on the May 2017 ballot.
In 2008 voters ap-
proved a $69.9 million
bond that allowed the
district to replace its
then-oldest
facilities
West Park and Sunset
elementary schools and
Armand Larive Middle
School.
Since he took the helm
in 2015, Farley has tried
to instill the mission
statement “Preparing ev-
ery student for their next
experience.”
FOOTBALL:
continued from Page A10
his teammates, and should
have no shortage of play-
makers to get the ball to.
“We’re pretty comfortable
with him because it seems
like he knows what he’s
doing,” said senior running
back Mitch Brown, who is
one of the team’s top return-
ing rushers after averaging
6.8 yards per carry for 325
yards and four touchdowns
last season.
Faaeteete said Brown
and junior Jonathan Hinkle
should get the bulk of the
carries from the backield,
but he’s also looking for a
similar balance to last season
that saw seven players record
at least 20 carries.
Faaeteete said he expects
the passing game to be just as
varied. Senior H-back Jerry
JAMES:
continued from Page A10
wide receivers to throw to.
There’s deinitely some skill
out there,” he said. “They’re
working on their part and I’m
working on my part and we
should be able to put it to-
gether. Every day we’ve got-
ten better. Once we got pads
on the ire came under us and
everything started to click
better.”
James’ emergence allows
junior Dayshawn Neal to shift
out to wide receiver where his
athleticism and speed can be
used a variety of ways. Neal
was the starting quarterback
to open the 2015 season, but
Ramirez averaged 12.3 yards
a catch for 307 total and ive
touchdowns as a junior, and
Neal could line up anywhere.
“We really do have size
and speed and guys we can
put in multiple spots,” Faae-
teete said. “The ability to
move Dayshawn around and
not just be behind quarter-
back deinitely gives us an
advantage as well.”
EYE ON THE LINE:
Two new starters on the right
side of the offensive line will
be under the microscope ear-
ly.
“It all starts with the line.
We’ve got to open our holes
and we need to stick togeth-
er,” Brown said.
“I think they’re going to
come along,” Faaeteete said.
“We’re coaching them pret-
ty hard, getting after them
a little bit and they’re bet-
ter than sometimes we see
in practice. We go back on
ilm and they’re doing things
right, we just want them to
come along a little faster.
But they’re young, there’s al-
ways a learning curve.”
EXPERIENCED
DE-
FENSE: An all-state hon-
orable mention last season,
Ena (40 tackles, ive inter-
ceptions) leads a defense that
also returns starting safety
Joey Gutierrez (42 tackles,
one interception) and line-
backer Line (55 tackles, 5.5
tackles for loss). Cornerback
Tyler Rohrman also saw
starting duty at times last
season, and McLeod joins
the linebacking unit with
starting varsity experience.
The big question mark is
at defensive line, where the
Bulldogs don’t return a single
player that recorded a sack
in 2015. Faaeteete said se-
nior tackle AJ Fernandez has
stood out in practices, though.
“Our linebacking core
is strong,” McLeod said.
“We’ve got a lot of heavy hit-
ters in there. Our defensive
line is getting there, we’re all
getting smarter as a unit.”
PROGRAM
GROW-
ING: The Bulldogs are still
riding the wave of their 2014
state title and Faaeteete said
things are about to get very
crowded on the Hermiston
practice ield.
“When I irst got here I
think we had 56 guys and it’s
slowly building from there.
It starts in the weight room,
in the hallways to get them
here.” he said. “Slowly but
surely our numbers gets to
70, 80, 90, 100. I think our
numbers right now are about
94 or 95 with another 10 to
20 kids coming out when
school starts.
“I don’t know if we have
20 more helmets to give out,
but we’ll deinitely ind a
way to get it done.”
the team was winless when
he broke his ankle in Week 5
and the since-graduated Na-
than Hunsaker stepped in to
go 4-1 in his starts.
Transfer senior Damien
McLeod (Ridgeview) has
won the backup quarterback
role, and said he’s coming
from a system where he was
mostly used as a runner.
“(James) reads the defense
and steps up into the pocket
and throws, which is great,”
McLeod said. “We’ve both
kind of been learning off each
other.”
McLeod, who also starts
at linebacker, said he sees his
most important role in the of-
fense as that of mentor.
“He’s a young kid, so my
senior values I can put off
onto him, but he’s going to be
ready,” McLeod said. “Com-
ing here, Andrew was pret-
ty much the irst kid I met.
We kind of have that kind of
bond, he was my irst buddy.
“We work out (together)
in the weight room and as a
backup I kind of take that as
pushing him to be the best
that he can be, and I’m just
trying to work him, get him
going.”
McLeod also gives James
insight into the defensive
mindset.
“From the opposite side
of the ball I’ve been scouting
QBs from Day 1,” he said. “I
guess that’s more knowledge
that I can put off onto him.”
One thing McLeod said
he won’t need to help James
learn is how to be a leader
in the huddle and the locker
room.
In fact, it’s one of the ar-
eas James said he feels he’s
the strongest, and he’s been
working hard to demonstrate
that by “knowing every po-
sition so I can give everyone
my input and let them do
what they do.”
“He’s smart, intelligent,
just conidence is the biggest
key for him,” Ramirez said.
“Once we get that going we’re
going to be a scary team. Last
year as a freshman he started
all three sports — football,
basketball and baseball. So we
don’t doubt him one bit.”
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