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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 2019)
SPORTS Wednesday, March 27, 2019 herMIsTOnheraLd.cOM • A11 PLAYER OF THE YEAR Thomas rises above the competition By ANNIE FOWLER STAFF WRITER While Hermiston was a welcomed addition to the Mid-Columbia Confer- ence this season, the girls basketball coaches were a little unsure of the chal- lenges that would come with the Bulldogs and their 6-foot-4 senior center Jor- dan Thomas. “She was very diffi- cult for us,” said Kami- akin coach Lane Schum- acher, whose team won the MCC title. “Not only does she have the height to make things difficult for us with her defense, but she also has a good touch on the offensive end. We tried to pressure the guards so they couldn’t get her the ball.” Thomas was a cut above the competition this season, earning her the East Ore- gonian Player of the Year honor. “It’s a well-deserved honor for her,” Schumacher said. “She is going to keep developing. Her best bas- ketball is still ahead of her.” Thomas is joined on the first team by teammate Jaz- lyn Romero, Pendleton freshman Muriel Hoising- ton, Sydney Wilson and Jacee Currin from Hep- pner’s 2A state champion- ship team, and Ana Zacarias of Irrigon. Heppner’s Robert Wil- son is the Coach of the Year. Thomas averaged 15.5 points, 13.2 rebounds, 3.8 blocked shots and 1.2 steals a game for the Bulldogs, who advanced to the 3A regional tournament. She also was named to the MCC’s first team, and to the defensive team. “It makes my job easy in terms of scoring options,” Hermiston coach Juan Rodriguez said. “I think a lot of coaches would like to have a player like that, who can get a basket at any time. She’s definitely a dominant staff photo by e.J. harris Hermiston’s Jordan Thomas is the East Oregonian Player of the Year. Thomas averaged 15.5 points and 13.2 rebounds this season for the Bulldogs. Zacarias player, especially in this league. For the coaches to single her out and put her on the first team says a lot.” For Thomas, the switch to the MCC helped her game, and helped in prepa- ration for taking her game to the college level. “I found it more chal- lenging,” Thomas said. “I took that in a positive way. It was fun to play against those girls, they are so skilled. There was new competition, and I learned a lot. It was good to see new Hoisington Currin things.” After three years of play- ing the same teams, Thomas said the hardest part of the move was scouting reports. “When you continually play Pendleton, The Dalles and Hood River, you know what to expect,” said said. “We had like a day to figure out (the MCC) teams and adjust the best we could.” Thomas honed her skills last summer with the Ore- gon Elite team out of Port- land, which Rodriguez appreciated. Wilson “She is just unique,” he said. “Some teams have big girls, but they don’t always have the talent that gives people problems. Peo- ple don’t realize how hard she works. She puts in the work, she moves well, she can shoot the ball and can dribble pretty well. Play- ing with her traveling team gets her out of her comfort zone.” What the future holds Thomas signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Getting athletes on the field a priority for Hermiston By ANNIE FOWLER STAFF WRITER The Mid-Columbia Con- ference spring sports sea- son began with snow on the ground, but Hermiston High School did not let that deter it from trying to get its facil- ities playable for its athletes. Hermiston facilities supervisor Martie McQuain and his staff put in long hours over a few days to get the snow off of Kennison Field, the track and the ten- nis courts. “We got a head start on it the first couple of snowfalls and tried to stay ahead of it,” Hermiston athletic director Larry Usher said. “The big- gest message in our school district is, we are able to put in the extra time as adults so the kids can play.” Usher said the athletic, maintenance and grounds departments meet once a week to make sure every- thing runs smoothly. “We want to make sure we get our fields and courts prepared and ready for the kids,” he said. Hermiston hosted fel- low MCC schools March 9 in a soccer jamboree, then hosted three nonleague soc- cer games March 12. “We had a league meet- ing (March 6), and everyone was asking who had a field we could play on,” Usher said. “I said, ‘We do.’ That is how our league is, we look out for each other.” Walla Walla Athletic Director Dirk Hansen said the good will was not lost on them. “I appreciate everything Larry and his staff did to get us out there,” Hansen said. “Larry and his crew busted Romero Eastern Arizona College. “I’m really excited,” she said. “The campus was so beautiful and I like the atmosphere.” She also got to take in a game while she was in Thatcher, Arizona. “They were down by 25 at halftime and won by one,” Thomas said. “That takes dedication and coach- ing. It gave me a good feeling.” The Monsters are look- ing forward to adding Thomas and her 6-4 frame staff photo by annie Fowler “We got a head start on it the first couple of snowfalls and tried to stay ahead of it.” Larry Usher , Hermiston athletic director their tails. We appreciate them getting our kids out there to play.” In the Tri-Cities, South- ridge High School has an on-site grass soccer field, which still is unplayable. “We didn’t have a place to play until last Friday,” Suns Athletic Director Tim Wood said last week. “We have been practicing at Lampson (Stadium). We won’t play any games at Southridge until April. If we didn’t play that jamboree in Hermiston, we would have not been able to play. No doubt that Hermiston gets after it.” Clearing a field the size of Kennison, not to mention the track, was no easy feat. It took McQuain and seven other men two full days to clear the field and four lanes of the track. But before they removed one snowflake, they con- sulted with the company Hellas Construction, which installed the turf and track in 2013. “I read through the book on how to remove the snow, then I contacted them,” McQuain said. “We used a 6-foot-wide rotary broom, which is suggested by Hel- las. It’s the same equipment used to maintain the field. The snow was powdery, so it was pretty easy. Had we had a couple more inches, we would not have been able to do it.” To clear the tennis courts, they used a snow blower and plastic snow shovels so they would not damage the court surface. McQuain said Hellas will be in Hermiston this sum- mer to provide field main- tenance, which will include an impact test, cleaning and sanitizing the field, and replacing any lost rubber particles. “We have 12 tons of rub- ber,” McQuain said. “We are going to be putting some back in. The nap of the field is 2-3 inches tall. You only see about half an inch. That’s how much fill is there.” all-east Oregonian Basketball Team Player of the year: Jordan Thomas, sr., 6-4, hermiston. Coach of the Year: robert Wilson, heppner. First Team Jordan Thomas, sr., 6-4, hermiston; Jazlyn romer, jr., 5-9, hermiston; sydney Wilson, so., 5-8, heppner; Jacee currin, sr., 5-7, heppner; ana Zacarias, sr., 5-4, Irrigon; Muriel hoisington, fr., 5-8, Pendleton. Second Team natalie neveau, so., Pendleton; JaLay Burns, fr., Irrigon; Taylor durfey, fr., Uma- tilla; Katie Vescio, sr., Weston-Mcewen; Faith Mccarty, fr., echo; Marie chretien, sr., Ione. Hermiston’s Colbray falls one win shy of podium In overtime, Ness took Colbray down with 5 sec- onds remaining. Former Hermiston In the blood round to wrestlers Sam Colbray and stay alive for a spot on the Bob Coleman made their podium and All-American first appearances at the status, Colbray dropped NCAA Wrestling Champi- a 5-2 decision to Emery onships last week, and the Parker of Illinois. tournament came Colbray, a soph- omore, finished the with mixed results. season with a 28-8 Colbray reached record. the quarterfinals of Colbray, ranked the NCAA Wres- tling Champion- No. 10, opened ships, but two the tournament losses Friday put Thursday with an Colbray him out of the impressive 8-2 decision over Jack- tournament, and left him one win shy of the son Hemaur of Fresno State. podium in Pittsburgh. In the Round of 16, Colbray, a 2016 Herm- iston graduate who wres- Colbray beat Dakota Geer tles for Iowa State, lost a of Oklahoma State 7-4. Coleman, who won a 6-4 quarterfinal match to Chip Ness of North Car- Pac-12 title at 184 pounds, olina in overtime at 184 competes for Oregon State. pounds. Coleman had to win After a scoreless first period, Colbray took the his pigtail match against down position to start. Christopher Kober of He maneuvered an escape Campbell first thing Thurs- within 9 seconds, then got day morning to reach the a takedown with 48 sec- main bracket. onds remaining. Coleman posted a 9-0 Ness was out of Col- victory over Kober, only bray’s grasp in 2 seconds, to draw top-ranked Myles then took Colbray down Martin of Ohio State in the with just 5 seconds left in first round. Martin pinned Coleman the round. Colbray got an escape at the buzzer for a in 3:22 to send him to the consolation bracket. 4-3 lead. Coleman would lose Ness started down in the third and got an escape his first consolation match, 30 seconds in to tie the and finished the season 17-16. score. By ANNIE FOWLER STAFF WRITER The maintenance and ground crews at Hermiston High School worked long hours to remove the snow from Kennison Field and the track two days before the Bulldogs hosted a soccer jamboree March 9. The Hermiston track team will host the Bulldog Invite on Thursday. to their lineup. “A 6-4 girl is a like a 7-foot guy,” EAC coach Cameron Turner said. “I will take her.” Turner said he first saw Thomas play last spring with her Oregon Elite team. “I like Jordan because of her size and potential,” said Turner, who noted that Thomas will be on full scholarship. “I never thought I had a chance to get her. I texted her in December and she came for a visit in February. I have big expectations for Jordan.” With Makenzie Bond signing to play for Cal State Bakersfield, Turner said Thomas will be called upon to make an impact this com- ing season. “She will battle people her own size for the first time in her life,” Turner said. “She will be tested. I’m super excited.” Thomas said she looks forward to the challenge. “Playing against taller people will be good for me,” she said. “I’ve never played with anyone taller than me, or my height.” Rodriguez has no doubt Thomas will continue to improve and have success at the college level. “She is shy in new situ- ations,” he said. “But once she gets comfortable, she will be OK.” When that happens, it will be the other teams looking for some form of comfort.
