WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7
SPORTS
Hermiston falls short in comeback against Union
Quarterback
Andrew James solid
in Hermiston debut
By ERIC SINGER
Staff Writer
STAFF PHOTO BY KATHY ANEY
Thyler Monkus, of Stanield, runs up the ield escorted by
two of his teammates during Friday’s home game against
the Enterprise Outlaws.
Stanield stays hungry
in blowout victory
By WILL DENNER
For the Hermiston Herald
A
dominant
sea-
son-opening
victory
would have most teams
excited, yet Stanield play-
ers and coaches walked
away from Friday’s 54-22
victory over Enterprise
longing for more.
The Tigers jumped on
the Outlaws early with
a run-heavy attack that
yielded 28 irst-quarter
points. Makiah Blanken-
ship and Thyler Monkus
– Stanield’s leading rush-
er from last year — each
scored on touchdown
runs, giving the Tigers a
two-score lead less than
six minutes into the game.
By halftime Stanield
led 35-6, but Enterprise’s
offense showed some
ight nearing the end of
the half, marching down
the ield and punching it
in on Trent Bales’ three-
yard run.
The Outlaws carried
momentum into the sec-
ond half with a couple of
touchdown drives orches-
trated by Outlaws quarter-
back Tate Olsen.
Although the game
result was never really
in doubt, Stanield head
coach Davie Salas wants
to see a more complete
game from his team start
to inish.
“We can’t take plays
off because we’re up 35 to
nothing,” Salas said. “We
have to have that killer
championship mentality.
That’s gonna be key this
year.”
Mentioning the word
championship
might
seem premature in ear-
ly September, but that’s
See STANFIELD, A9
Friday night was a night
Andrew James had been
dreaming about for a long
time.
It was his irst varsity
football game as a Herm-
iston Bulldog, his irst time
playing under the lights of
Kennison Field, and it just
so happened he was starting
at quarterback.
And in his irst varsi-
ty game, the sophomore
quarterback nearly led a
comeback for the ages as
he threw two touchdowns
and ran for another to take
his team from a 36-7 dei-
cit near the beginning of
the fourth quarter to a nine
point deicit. But in the end
it wasn’t enough as the
Union (WA) Titans held on
for the 36-27 victory over
the Bulldogs.
“I’m very proud of the
guys for ighting back,”
James said following the
game. “We made mistakes
early but we left those be-
hind and that’s what good
teams do they battle back
and we deinitely showed
what we can be tonight.”
Hermiston (0-1) had
an opportunity late to get
even closer. After a 43-
yard touchdown pass from
James to Dayshawn Neal,
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
Hermiston quarterback Andrew James gets dragged down by
Union’s Abe Smith in the Bulldogs’ 36-27 loss to the Titans
on Friday in Hermiston.
Hermiston recovered the
ensuing onside kick at
Union’s own 19 with 1:19
left in the game, sending
the Bulldog sideline and
fans into a frenzy.
The Bulldogs got down
to the 2-yard line before
James tallied his third turn-
over of the game as he fum-
bled the snap from center
Kaden Caldwell, which
was recovered by the Titans
to seal the game.
Overall, James did
enough on the ield to send
Hermiston fans home hap-
py about the future of the
offense. The 5-8 sopho-
more showed great poise
in the pocket and put to-
gether some great throws
that led to big plays for the
Bulldogs, inishing 22-35
passing with 301 yards and
those three touchdowns.
Senior receiver Vaemu Ena
said he was ecstatic to see
James play the way he did
on Friday.
“Andrew did really good
for a sophomore starting, he
did a lot better than a lot of
us expected honestly,” Ena
said. “He was good with the
pressure, he was running
really hard and I’m just
proud of him.”
Hermiston coach David
Faaeteete echoed Ena’s
sentiment.
“He really improved
as the game went along,”
Faaeteete said. “The sec-
ond half he really came
alive and started throwing
the ball really well he re-
ally wants to distribute the
rock which is what we want
to see in our offense ... he
may have locked on to a
few (receivers) too much
and missed some reads if
he scanned the ield more.”
Also having a great
game for the Bulldogs on
offense were receivers Neal
and Vaemu Ena. Neal in-
ished with 11 catches and
175 yards to go with three
touchdowns while Ena had
several big catches, includ-
ing a pair of 30-plus yard
jump ball catches that kept
Hermiston drives alive.
Union (1-0) drew irst
blood in the game, when
running back Joseph Siofe-
le capped a quick 58-yard
Titan drive when he busted
a pair of Hermiston would-
be tackles and lopped into
the end zone for the touch-
down and a 6-0 lead with
8:30 left in the irst quarter.
Hermiston
responded
with a big drive of its own
on the ensuing possession,
that included a few mile-
stones. On the third play of
the drive, James connect-
ed with Neal on a 22-yard
post route of the middle of
the ield for his irst career
completion, which he said
settled his nerves.
And then after a pair of
runs by Jonathan Hinkle,
James then hooked up with
Neal again on a wheel route
with a perfectly-placed
teardrop pass in the end-
zone for his irst career
touchdown and a 7-6 lead
for the Bulldogs with 5:49
left in the quarter.
But that would be Herm-
iston’s inal score for the
next two quarters-plus as
the Titan defense tightened
up and the Bulldog offense
sputtered. Union took ad-
See BULLDOGS, A9
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