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SPORTS / NEWS Wednesday, May 15, 2019 HeRMIsTOnHeRaLd.COM • A9 Dawgs capture District 8 title By ANNIE FOWLER STAFF WRITER Jorge Carrillo started the season on the junior varsity team, but the more Hermis- ton coach Rich Harshberger watched the talented fresh- man play, he realized he needed the young man up on varsity. The gamble paid off during the regular season, and again on May 7, as Car- rillo scored a goal to help the Bulldogs beat Kamiakin 3-1 to win the 3A District 8 title at Kennison Field. “This is a special group,” Harshberger said. “They have worked hard, and this is the result.” The trophy is just the sec- ond in the program’s history, joining the 2011 Columbia River Conference title. “It’s pretty cool,” said Hermiston goalie Juan Navarrete, who finished with three saves. “We are not done. I’m excited to see what happens next.” The Bulldogs (8-7) opened 3A state play on May 7 against visiting Mountain View of Vancouver. Kamiakin’s Caden Egli opened the scoring in the 14th minute of the game, beating Hermiston defender Jerome Stasik and beating Navarrete. “On that goal, there was a lack of communication,” Navarrete said. “After that, the team stepped up and I had a couple of key saves.” Carrillo evened the score 5 minutes later taking a pass from Josh Galvez outside the 18 and heading the ball past Kamiakin keeper Jon- athan Andrade and into the upper right corner of the net. “It just happened,” Car- rillo said of the goal. “Sur- prised me too. It gave me more confidence. We know how to play. This feels great.” The Dawgs went into halftime with a 2-1 lead as Coleman Solano beat a div- ing Andrade, putting the ball in the lower right corner of the goal with 7:20 left in the half for what would be the game-winning goal. “I saw the space and I saw staff photo by e.J. Harris Hermiston’s Jorge Carillo and Kamiakin’s Garrett Grillo jockey for the ball in the Bulldogs’ 3-1 win against the Braves on Tuesday. “This is a special group. They have worked hard, and this is the result.” Rich Harshberger, Coach the defense,” Solano said. “I was about at the 20. It wasn’t the best shot, but I hit it with a lot of pace.” Hermiston outshot Kami- akin 8-2 in the first half. Navarrete had a couple of brilliant saves, leaping to knock a shot by Egli over the cross bar in the 13th min- ute, and taking another in the midsection to negate a devel- oping play by the Braves. With 4 minutes remain- ing on the clock in the sec- ond half, Emilio Leal gave Hermiston an insurance goal, never giving up on the ball. “That killed their spirit,” Leal said. “That’s what we needed the last couple of minutes. We have been down before, but there is a drive that pushes us.” Hermiston, which posted a 1-4 preseason record, fin- ished the Mid-Columbia Conference 5-3, and has won both of its playoff games. “At the beginning of the season, we set goals, and this was one of them,” Solano said. “I’m really proud of this team. We had a rough start, but I’m loving the way we are playing now.” staff photo by e.J. Harris Hermiston’s Emilio Leal (2) points his fingers in the air in celebration after scoring a goal in the Bulldogs’ 3-1 win against Kamiakin on Tuesday in Hermiston. BASEBALL SIGNING staff photo by annie Fowler Southern Oregon University wrestling coach Mike Ritchey (right), welcomes Irrigon’s Alex Miranda-Walls to the Raiders program after he signed his letter of intent Tuesday. Irrigon’s Miranda-Walls is headed to SOU By ANNIE FOWLER STAFF WRITER staff photo by Brett Kane The Irrigon Knights baseball team poses with coach Randy Henrichs during Friday’s home field dedication. Irrigon honors Randy Henrichs with field dedication By ANNIE FOWLER STAFF WRITER Typically, when a group of teenage boys shows up at the principal’s office, noth- ing good can come of the visit. But Irrigon principal Ryan Keefauver welcomed this particular group, who wanted nothing more than to set the wheels in motion to have the school’s base- ball field named after their coach, Randy Henrichs. Keefauver was in favor, but it was not his decision to make. The baseball play- ers then made a presenta- tion to the school board. The school board and the Morrow County School District gave their blessing. “He deserves to have that field named after him,” Irri- gon athletic director Mike Royer said. “That field was built by him. He has put in hundreds of hours main- taining and manicuring the field. He has turned that field into a nice facility.” This summer, a sign will be placed under the score- board that reads Henrichs Field. The whole process was kept under wraps, and sur- prised Henrichs on Fri- day afternoon when it was announced between games with the Vale Vikings. “I’m a big ol’ guy, and I don’t show much emo- tion, but these guys choked me up,” a misty-eyed Hen- richs said after the presen- tation. “These kids are like my own. I love them. The most special time in my life is right now. This is every- thing to me.” The idea of naming the field came from senior Dal- ton Schneider. “He asked me about it, and I was on board,” said pitcher Zack Henrichs, Randy Henrichs’ grandson. “We asked the team, and they were 100 percent for it.” After the team went through the proper steps, High Performance Signs & Graphics in Hermiston was contracted to make the sign. “He has no clue,” Zack said a couple of days prior to the game. “He means a lot to this group of guys. He has coached us since we were little. The only year he did not coach us was eighth grade because he took the high school job.” Henrichs is in his fifth year coaching the Knights, but he has left an impres- sion that will last for years to come. Under Henrichs, the Knights have qualified for state four times (including this year), including a trip to the semifinals in 2016. After Friday’s games with Vale, Henrichs’ record stands at 87-37. “He is a good coach and a good man,” Royer said. Southern Oregon Uni- versity wrestling coach Mike Ritchey is pretty par- ticular about who he brings into his program. The longtime Raiders coach was on hand May 7 as Irrigon’s Alex Miran- da-Walls signed his letter of intent. “Alex is a kid who coach (Ken) Thompson put on our plate,” Ritchey said. “This is my 25th year coaching, and Alex is one of the finest young men I have seen in regards to academics, ath- letics and character.” Miranda-Walls, who placed third at state the past two years at 170 pounds, said Southern Oregon was his first choice. “As much as Coach Thompson was talking to me about them, he was talking to them about me,” he said. “When I went for my visit, it was a done deal.” SOU, in Ashland, has been an NAIA wrestling powerhouse for more than 40 years. The Raiders have won four national team titles, crowned 35 national champions, and boast 245 all-Americans. The last Irrigon wres- tler to compete at the col- lege level was Wade Aylett (2011 graduate), who went to Missouri Valley College. Ritchey said Miran- da-Walls’ scholarship is part academic and part ath- letic. It is equivalent to a half scholarship. “We are looking for that kid who has that extra spark and is a leader in his school,” Ritchey said. “It takes time for some kids to establish those traits. Alex already has them. We are excited to bring a qual- ity athlete from this area to our program. Hopefully this creates a pipeline. They are our biggest recruiters.” Miranda-Walls finished his senior season with a 43-3 record.
