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.