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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 2017)
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2017 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A13 SPORTS Join the party, send off the Bulldogs B efore the Hermiston football team heads to Hillsboro to play for a state championship on Saturday, Bulldog stu- dents, fans and Hermiston community members can send the team off in style. Hermiston High organized a send-off rally on Saturday morning at Kennison Field. Beginning at 8:30 a.m., attendees will have the option for free donuts, coffee and hot chocolate OSAA 5A Semifinal HHS WHS available and then at 9 a.m. the team will load the buses and start its trip west. The Bulldog apparel store will also be open from 4-6 p.m. on Friday at Kennison Field for fans that want their last-minute Bulldog items to wear to the game. Hermiston plays Churchill in the 5A state championship game on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Hillsboro Stadium. 8 14 0 7 7 7 6 — 35 13 — 27 PASSING — (HHS) A. James 10-17, 164 yds. (WHS) N. Overholt 21-33, 308 yds, 2TD, 1INT. RUSHING — (HHS 42-307, 5TD) J. Hinkle 21-165, 2TD; A. James 12-82, TD; P. Earl 5-52, TD; K. Mikami 2-16, TD; Team 2-(-8). (WHS 33-133, 2TD) C. Mootz 18-71, TD; N. Overholt 15-62, TD. RECEIVING — (HHS) D. Neal 5-80; J. Guti- errez 3-41; J. Ramirez 1-26; L. Walchli 1-17. (WHS) J. Gomez 5-75, TD; I Haqq 5-62; C. Mootz 4-44; J. Her 3-60, TD: Z. Rivers 3-37; E. Guzman-Carmona, 1-30. Hermiston takes aim at undefeated Churchill Bulldogs, Lancers to battle for state title By ERIC SINGER STAFF WRITER I n 2014, the Hermiston Bull- dogs captured the school’s first-and-only football OSAA state championship. Now in 2017, the Bulldogs have a chance to capture their second and possibly final OSAA state cham- pionship. Hermiston defeated No. 2 Wilsonville 35-27 on Saturday night at Hillsboro Stadium to advance to the Class 5A state championship game. Hermiston will take on No. 4 Chur- chill, a Eugene school that knocked off No. 1 Mountain View 35-28 in the other 5A semifinal on Saturday. “Us seniors have been working for this for three years now,” Hermiston senior Jonathan Hinkle said after Sat- urday’s game. “So it’d be great to fin- ish it off, that’s what we’ve been work- ing for.” Churchill (12-0) is the only unbeaten team in Class 5A and looks similar to Wilsonville with a high-pow- ered offense and a defense with some talented athletes. The Lancer offense is quarterbacked by Jack Blackburn, a junior who doesn’t pose much of a run threat but throws the ball very well, highlighted by his 10-for-20, 313 yards and three touchdown performance in the semifinals. His favorite targets include Luke Schwin and Marshaun Tucker Jr., who combined for eight catches for 295 yards and three touch- downs last week. And in the backfield, Dalton McDaniel and Tyson Bennion make for a solid 1-2 punch. On the defensive side, Churchill has proven in the playoffs that they are vulnerable in the run game. In the first round against Pendleton, the Bucka- roos struggled in the passing game but were able to move the ball well on the ground. And against Mountain View, the Cougars averaged just shy of five yards per carry as they piled up 267 yards on 51 carries. That plays well into Hermiston’s offensive plan of attack. The Bulldogs have struck the right recipe with the unit, establishing their run game both traditional runs between the tackles as well as utilizing the space on the out- side to pile on yardage. In each of its three playoff games, Hermiston has earned at least 300 rushing yards as a team, including 307 yards on 42 car- Above, Hermiston’s Joe Gutierrez carries the ball away from a Wilsonville defender during the Bulldogs’ 35-27 win over the Wildcats during Saturday’s 5A semifinal in Hillsboro. PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHASE ALLGOOD/THE OREGONIAN Hermiston’s Jonathan Hinkle carries the ball during the Bulldogs’ 35-27 win over Wilsonville in the 5A semifinal on Saturday in Hillsboro. ries against Wilsonville. That excellence in the run game has opened up the pass game and made life easier for quarterback Andrew James, who has completed 60 percent of his passes for 603 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions in the playoffs. For the Hermiston defense, the Bulldogs have helped their cause by winning the turnover battle. With two turnovers forced in the semifinals, the Bulldogs defenders have forced a whopping 11 turnovers, which has helped the offense consistently stay in a rhythm. Adding to that total will be a key for the Bulldogs on Saturday, as Churchill’s offense has only turned the ball over four times in its last three games. Saturday marks the fourth state championship game appearance for Churchill, but it is only the school’s first since being Class AAA runner-up in 1985 when it dropped the title to Medford. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Hillsboro Stadium. Umatilla’s Durfey headlines all-EOL teams Registration for Hermiston winter sports is now open Linebackers — Trent Durfey, Umatilla; Jose Sanchez, Nyssa; Evan Gunderson, Burns; Dearden Woodruff, Nyssa. Defensive Backs — Zane Bailey, Burns; Tye Anderson, Nyssa; Pedro Chavez, Nyssa. Kicker — Tye Anderson, Nyssa. Punter — Kade Haueter, Vale. Punt Returner — Josh Reagle, Burns. Adults ages 18-and-up can now register for either the basket- ball or volleyball teams. For each sport there is both a competitive league and a recreation league, and all four have games Sunday’s. For adult basketball, Hermiston Parks and Recreation offers a 30-and- over league that plays Wednesdays. Cost for to join a basketball team is $415 and the registration deadline is Dec. 15. For volleyball, the team cost is $150 and also has a registration deadline of Dec. 15. Individuals cannot be a high school student or playing volley- ball at the collegiate level. Youth basketball leagues are also forming, and are as follows: Kindergarten basketball league has a $40 fee for residents or $50 for non-residents; 1st-6th grade leagues, $40 for residents, $50 for non-residents; and junior bas- ketball clinics, $30 residents, $38 non-residents. The registra- tion deadline is Dec. 1, and that includes a $5 discount for leagues only. To register, visit their website or call 541-667-5018. HERMISTON HERALD Umatilla’s Trent Durfey burst onto the prep football scene as a sophomore one season ago, lead- ing the Vikings’ rushing attack on offense and quarterbacking the defense at linebacker. This season, Durfey did not have as much of an impact on the offense but he stepped up his game on the defensive side for his Vikings team that struggled through the league schedule. The other five coaches in the East- ern Oregon League obviously saw the strides Durfey made and were impressed by his play, as he was voted as the league’s Defen- sive Player of the Year and a first team pick at linebacker as a part of the all-EOL teams released on Monday. Joining Durfey at the top of the selections were Nyssa quarter- back Boston Thompson as Offen- sive Player of the Year and Vale’s Carson Brown at Lineman of the Year. Durfey was one of only three Vikings to earn all-league selec- STAFF FILE PHOTO Umatilla’s Trent Durfey was named the EOL’s Defensive Player of the Year. tions, with senior Kaden Webb earning a second team defensive back pick and Tristan Cole an honorable mention pick at offen- sive line. The Irrigon Knights did not have a first team pick, but had four players on second team and four on honorable mention. On sec- ond team was running back Josue Aguilera, offensive lineman Alex Walls, linebacker Keith Flem- ing and defensive back Daniel Vera. And on the honorable men- tion list was running back Lino Covarrubia, receiver Adrian Roa, offensive lineman Tanner Mills and defensive lineman Anthony Rimen. Riverside had 10 all-league selections, with receiver Felix Aparicio and linebacker Riley Gorham earning second team selections, while quarterback Mason Hegar, running back/ defensive back Aramis Corpus, receiver Hunter Padberg, defen- sive back JR Roque, linebacker Austin Morter, and offensive line- man Ethan Graham were honor- able mention picks. ALL-EASTERN OREGON LEAGUE Offensive Player of the Year — Boston Thomp- son, sr., Nyssa Defensive Player of the Year — Trent Durfey, jr., Umatilla Lineman of the Year — Carson Brown, Vale FIRST TEAM Quarterback — Boston Thompson, Nyssa. Running Backs — Josh Reagle, Burns; Tye Ander- son, Nyssa; Johnathan Iniguez, Nyssa. Wide Receivers — Pedro Chavez, Nyssa; Tanner Hamilton, Vale; Zane Bailey, Burns. Tight End — Jose Sanchez, Nyssa. Offensive Line — Karson Brown, Vale; Wyatt Curey, Vale; Chris Ramirez, Nyssa; Edgar Rivera, Nyssa; Luke Bailey, Burns. Defensive Line — Karson Brown, Vale; Trey Lowe, Vale; Luke Bailey, Burns, Jonathan Iniguez, Nyssa. SECOND TEAM Quarterback — Bryce Goss, Burns. Running Backs — Matt McBride, Vale; Keegan Mizuta, Vale; Josue Aguilera, Irrigon. Wide Receivers — Evan Gunderson, Burns; Felix Aparicio, Riverside; Elijah Cleaver, Nyssa. Tight End — Josh Duckworth, Vale. Offensive Line — Cody Ross, Vale; Alex Walls, Irrigon; Rolando Vazquez, Vale; Cameron Elguezabal, Nyssa; Ismael Vatentin, Nyssa. Defensive Line — Wyatt Currey, Vale; Josh Duck- worth, Vale; Edgar Rivera, Nyssa; Chris Ramirez, Nyssa. Linebackers — Keith Fleming, Irrigon; Dillon Anzaldua, Vale; Kade Haueter, Vale; Riley Gorham, Riverside. Defensive Backs — Bryce Goss, Burns; Kaden Webb, Umatilla; Eli Esplin, Nyssa; Daniel Vera, Irrigon. HONORABLE MENTION Quarterback — Cade Perry, Vale; Mason Hegar, Riverside. Running backs — Dillon Anzaldua, Vale; Lino Covarrubia, Irrigon; Aramis Corpus, Riverside. Wide Receivers — Hunter Padberg, Riverside; Riley Gorham, Riverside; Adrian Roa, Irrigon; Colton Kesey, Vale; Dawson McIntosh, Nyssa. Offensive Line — Brennan Till, Burns; Adam Simp- son, Nyssa; Tanner Mills, Irrigon; Josh Arritola, Vale; Tristan Cole, Umatilla; Ethan Graham, Riverside. Defensive Line — Anthony Rimeriz, Irrigon; Marcos Fernandez, Irrigon; Adam Simpson, Nyssa; Cameron Elquezabal, Nyssa. Linebackers — Clay Siddoway, Vale; Matt McBride, Vale; Elijah Cleaver, Nyssa; Austin Morter, Riverside; Mick Winn, Burns; Cade Maupin, Burns. Defensive Backs — Aramis Corpus, Riverside; Dawson McIntosh, Nyssa; JR Roque, Riverside; Jared Fulwyler, Vale; Colton Kesey, Vale.