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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 2017)
A18 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM too small. He worked to change the vision and in turn that would change the culture, and in- stead of looking at beating Pendleton as the pinnacle on a season, the Bucks became just other opponent on the Bulldogs’ way to the post- season. “It wasn’t dismissive,” Hodges added. “What it was — I knew that the distrac- tion of the Pendleton week was having a negative effect (on the team).” The changes Hodges implemented took years to sink in, but its success was instant. In his fi rst year at the helm, Hodges coached the Bulldogs to their fi rst league championship, and their fi rst victory over the Bucks since 2004. In 2008, Hermiston host- ed Pendleton for its regular season fi nale. The Bulldogs entered halftime with an eight-point lead and went on to score 27 unanswered points to win 41-24. Since then, the Bulldogs have won six of the last 10 contests. Pendleton managed to sneak in a win during the 2010 season. The game went into double overtime for the fi rst time ever. The teams were tied at 28 points apiece at the end of regu- lation. Pendleton scored fi rst in the fi rst overtime but Hermiston quickly tied things up with a quarterback sneak from Tim Rude. Both teams missed their point af- ter touchdown, but Pendle- ton would score next to win 40-34. The Bucks won again in 2011, but haven’t been able to claim a victory since. “I think the difference is now it’s expected that you’re supposed to win,” Barnett said. “Back when I used to play it was a Hal- ley’s Comet type of thing.” In 2012, Hermiston fi nal- ly broke into double-digit wins with a 28-13 defeat. It was the Bulldogs fi rst win since 2009. Now, fi ve years later Hermiston has a chance to hold on to bragging rights for what could be forever. RIVALRY continued from Page A1 the more important espe- cially for people within the community that endured the years of defeat. “You felt it more from the community than among (the players),” Bar- nett said. “There was also the pressure to perform (during the season) but you always wanted to raise up to the next level against Pendleton.” A win was affi rmation that the program was on the rise, Barnett added, and gave former players and alumnus a sense of pride that was missing for so long. At this point in Herm- iston’s history, defeating Pendleton was more rare than a winning season, and that’s saying something. Before 1984, the Bull- dogs had only eight winning seasons: 1953, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1965, 1971 and 1973. The most recent at the time, the 1973 season, saw Herm- iston fall to Bend (19-14) and Pendleton (41-7). Finally in 1984 for the teams’ 59th meeting, Herm- iston was fi nally able to shake off decades of de- feat. The 27-14 victory was highlighted by four unan- swered touchdowns and the performance of running back Lance Hawkins, who rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns. But victories like this were still few and far be- tween. Hermiston entered the turn of the century with wins you could count on one hand and wouldn’t reach double digits in the all-time series until 2012. When Hermiston was able to top Pendleton, the atmosphere was electric. Barnett remembers his sophomore year on the team, when Hermiston de- feated Pendleton 33-21. It was only the Bulldogs third win over the Bucks and it’s something Barnett will nev- er forget. “I remember the bus ride WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017 FROM A1 HH FILE PHOTO BY MITCHELL ZACHS Luke Hansell and Tyler Harsteen celebrate after defeating Pendleton 20-17 in 2002 to complete the team’s fi rst undefeated season and outright Intermountain Conference football title. home was insane,” he said. “I never ever knew what winning at the level was like. There in high school that was the biggest game we ever played in.” In 2002 Hermiston beat Pendleton for the fi rst time at home. The Bulldogs won 20-17 when senior Dean Peters kicked a 40-yard fi eld goal with 10 seconds left on the clock. John Bar- nett, Paul’s brother, was the placeholder for the winning kick. That year Hermiston fi nished with a perfect 9-0 record for the fi rst time ever. The following season was the fi rst time in the ri- valry that Hermiston won back-to-back years, but still only the sixth win for the Bulldogs in what was then a 76-game series. It ended the way any good rivalry should, with another dra- matic fi nish. The game went into overtime after Hermiston opted not to run the clock out in the fourth quarter despite having a 28-27 lead. Instead, the Bulldogs scored and gave Pendleton its chance to score. By the end of regulation, the scored read 35-35 and the 21-point defi cit Hermiston had to overcome in the fi rst quarter was almost for nothing. Hermiston was able to hold off Pendleton for one more year, claiming a 28-3 victory in 2004 but again would fall victim to the Bucks for four straight sea- sons. It was the efforts of an outsider who wasn’t afraid to put the rivalry to bed that did just that. Former head coach Mark Hodges didn’t have ties to Hermiston or Eastern Ore- gon. The fresh eyes and new outlook helped the Bulldogs in the end, no matter how controversial it was at the time. Looking back on the beginning of what would be his seven year career as head coach, Hodges knows his opinion wasn’t the most popular but it got the job done. “As long as we were talking about Pendleton, we were never going to get any- where,” he said. “What we were doing is creating a cul- ture and a mindset amongst the players that no matter what comes up whether it’s state championship week or whether it’s Pendleton week, no matter what it is, it’s just another game on the schedule.” Hodges recognized a problem with the old way of thinking. He saw that every- one was transfi xed on beat- ing Pendleton, and in Hodg- es’ mind, that was thinking BY THE WAY PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY JUDY FORDICE Virginia Beebe of the Hermiston Senior Center receives a donation from Wayne Harris and Larry Carrick of the Hermiston Elks Lodge. BTW continued from Page A1 • • • People are champing at the bit to get a taste of the new restaurant in the old El Cazador building (across from McDonald’s on Highway 395). Nearly a year ago, a sign indicat- ed a sushi restaurant was “coming soon.” On Oct. 17 in a post on the Facebook group “Whats Happen- ing Hermiston?,” building owner Becky Wadeka- mper said that progress is being made in the building. While she doesn’t know the exact date for the great- ly anticipated opening, she did say, “they have done a wonderful job of reno- vating the interior and it’s beautiful and it will be an atmosphere like none other in town.” • • • Hermiston Police Chief Jason Edmiston and his wife caught their 15 sec- ond of fame last week on the Today Show during a vacation to New York City. Standing outdoors in the audience, they told an- chor Hoda Kotb they were headed to see a Yankees game that night. “Are you happy?” Kotb asked. “I’m a Mets fan,” Edmiston ad- mitted before the camera cut away. • • • A pair of longstanding members of Hermiston Elks Lodge No. 1845 re- cently met with members of the Hermiston Senior Center to make a dona- tion. Larry Carrick, a 52-year Hermiston Elks member, and Wayne Harris, 47-year mem- ber, presented a check for $200 to Virginia Beebe, Hermiston senior center vice president. The mon- ey will go towards the seniors’ new center. The guests also enjoyed lunch with the seniors in the parish hall at Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church, the temporary lunch site while the new facility is under construction. • • • Hermiston High School Student Ethan Atkin- son is collecting new and used shoes throughout the month of November, all of which he plans to donate to a charity that helps fam- ilies in Haiti as part of his Eagle Scout project. Col- lection bins will be set up at various locations around town, including Columbia Bank, Atkinson Staffi ng, AgriLabor, Hermiston High School and Armand Larive Middle School. ——— You can submit items for our weekly By The Way column by emailing your tips to editor@herm- istonherald.com or share them on social media us- ing the hashtag #HHBTW. Follow the Hermiston Herald on Twitter at @ HermistonHerald. For every vehicle purchased, Rogers Toyota of Hermiston will donate to Donation provided by Rogers Toyota of Hermiston. Offer expires 10/31/17. 8 NEW TOYOTA MODELS 0 APR % UP T0 72 MONTHS On approved credit. NEW 2017 TOYOTAS $ IN STOCK NEW 2017 TACOMA DOUBLE CAB SR5 4X4 REBATES UP TO 3 , 500 See dealership for details. 329 $ /MO 0 DOWN WN $ #17th925. On approved credit. $3,500 rebates on New 2017 Sienna models. Some restriction apply. expires 10/31/17. ply pl l y. Off Offer e r exp e expi p ire i re s 1 ir 10/3 0 /3 1/1 0/31/1 0/3 1/ / 1 7. 1 7 . 0% offer: On approved credit. 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