Powder Valley football makes historic run at title

NORTH POWDER — Powder Valley High School may have the smallest enrollment out of every Union County school, but its football team put North Powder on the map this year.

The Badgers put together a dominant 11-1 season building up to a title clash against rival Adrian on Nov. 27. Quarterback Reece Dixon was the central piece among standouts such as Kaden Krieger, Cole Martin, Clay Martin and Case Olson. The Badgers outscored their opponents 548-294 throughout the season and steamrolled past its playoff opponents en route to the school’s first state championship appearance since 2003.

After losing to the Antelopes 38-0 on Oct. 1, Powder Valley gave Adrian a run for their money up until the very last snap. The game went back and forth with the Badgers holding the lead for the majority of the contest as fans from both schools packed Baker Bulldog Memorial Stadium in Baker City. A late momentum swing to Adrian made all the difference as the Badgers came just one touchdown shy of championship glory in a 46-38 loss.

On top of the stellar performances on the gridiron, the Powder Valley football team rallied the town to get behind its prep team. Head Coach Josh Cobb periodically took time late in the season to reflect on how this group of players helped build a renewed football culture in North Powder.

“It kind of gives you goose bumps every day because everyone is buying in,” Cobb said prior to the state championship game. “Players, coaches, the school, parents and the community are all behind us. Right now, Powder Valley has a true football family.”

Union/Cove boys cross-country takes state

EUGENE — The Union/Cove boys cross-country team helped bring home the school’s ninth team title in program history, winning the 2A/1A championship with 39 points at Lane Community College on Nov. 9.

The Bobcats leaned on a deep group of core runners from top to bottom, which head coach Steve Sheehy emphasized all season. Union junior Taylor Fox (16:55.7) led the way with a fifth-place finish, while the Bobcats saw six runners finish in the top 25.

Sophomore Eli Williams finished 10th for Union/Cove with a time of 17:34.6. Freshman Nathanael O’Reilly placed 15th at 17:55.4, and senior Skyler Perkins was right behind in 17th with a time of 18:12.2. Junior Noah Platz took 23rd at 18:33.5, and freshman David McDonald came in 24th at 18:37.5.

The Bobcats scored just enough points to edge out second-place Bandon, which scored 43 points. Union/Cove’s depth at the lower end of the top group ultimately provided the needed push to bring home championship glory.

Union/Cove is set to continue its reign, with five of the team’s top six runners returning next year. With two freshmen placing in the top 25 and Union’s frontrunner Fox leading the way, the Bobcats will look to defend the state title next season.

History on the mats

LA GRANDE — Fans of wrestling were lucky to enjoy two of the most successful wrestlers in Eastern Oregon at the peaks of their careers this year.

Seniors Garrett Burns of Imbler and Braden Carson of La Grande both earned their second career individual state titles during their junior years in 2021. Burns made Imbler history by becoming the only two-time champion, while a potential three-peat for Carson would rank him at the top the La Grande wrestling program.

Burns defeated Central Linn’s Blake Owens by a 6-2 decision to win the 2A/1A 120-pound weight class on June 26 at Sweet Home High School. Carson edged out Stayton’s Eli Howard by fall in 3:15 to take the 4A crown in the 138-pound division.

Both wrestlers are leading the way for their teams in the 2021-22 season and looking to end the season on top once again. Another title for Burns would create a seemingly insurmountable record at Imbler, while Carson has the chance to finish out his career as one of the all-time greats of a storied La Grande wrestling program.

“He’s a really hard worker and a good leader,” La Grande coach Klel Carson said. “It’s good to have that in the room, pushing the other guys.”

Zac Knapp, Emily Tubbs individual state champs in cross-country

EUGENE — Two standout runners put together dominant cross-country seasons in 2021 and took home individual state championships.

Enterprise senior Zac Knapp and La Grande sophomore Emily Tubbs won every race they competed in during the 2021 fall season and crushed the field at the state championship races.

Knapp ran a time of 15:52.3 to win the 3A race by more than 30 seconds, while Tubbs clocked a 19:04.6 in the 4A girls race to beat the next finisher by 14 seconds. Both standouts got stronger as the year went on and never looked back, placing first overall in a combined 16 races this season.

Tubbs is the lead runner of a core of four strong underclassmen for La Grande. The group of Tubbs, freshman Cecilia Villagomez, sophomore Kiah Carlson and sophomore Faith Calhoun are expected to continue to be the pillars of what could be a powerhouse cross-country team.

Knapp was the anchor to the Wallowa Valley cross-country team that cruised to its third straight team state championship. His personal-record time of 15:14.7 at the 3A/2A/1A District 3 Championships on Oct. 29 set a program record.

Updike and Ribich come up just shy of Olympics

EUGENE — Two local track and field standouts came up just short of a trip to the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

Former Eastern Oregon University runner Isaac Updike and Enterprise native David Ribich both made it to the finals in their respective events, but finished just out of reach of Olympic qualification in June.

Updike, a 2015 graduate of EOU, took first place out of 29 runners in the first round men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 8:21.01. The 29-year-old put together a gutsy performance in the midst of 90-degree weather in Eugene. In the final, Updike led the field going into the final lap but ultimately ran out of steam and fell to fifth place, finishing just two spots away from a place on the Olympic team.

Beyond the track, Updike’s journey in 2021 was a memorable one. After qualifying for the final round in 2016, he worked odd jobs such as a teacher and Dick’s Sporting Goods employee while training in New York for this year’s trials. After taking the top time in the country early in the year and placing first in the opening round at the trials, Updike earned a three-year sponsorship from Nike that will endure through the 2024 Olympic Trials.

Ribich had a great run in the men’s 1,500-meter race to make the final heat against some of the best mile runners in the world. He ran a 3:45.71 to earn a spot in the first round before placing 12th with a 3:44.43 in the finals.

La Grande baseball ends season one out away from state title

LA GRANDE — It was a heartbreaking finish, but the La Grande High School baseball team put together another strong season.

Leading 2-1 with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, Hidden Valley’s Isaak Hill hit a walk-off grand slam to win the game for the Mustangs on May 22 in Aurora.

The Tigers had a stellar season, going 14-2 overall and riding a 12-game winning streak into the championship matchup. La Grande beat Gladstone handily and narrowly defeated Banks to earn their spot in the title game.

La Grande was led by a deep roster from top to bottom with a solid pitching rotation. Devin Bell hit .462 on the year and knocked in 15 RBIs and 35 runs over the course of the season. Riley Miller was stellar on the mound, going 5-1 on the year with a .483 ERA and 46 strikeouts over 29 innings.

The Tigers came just shy of state glory, but will return a number of key players for next season’s team. The 2021 season marked yet another successful season in a long lineage of strong baseball teams at La Grande.

Shattered records

LA GRANDE — At Eastern Oregon University, 2021 was a year of broken individual records. Three Mountaineers set incredible marks in their respective sports — Max McCullough in basketball, Cambree Scott in volleyball and Morgan Farrington in soccer.

In his fourth full season at Eastern, McCullough broke the individual all-time scoring record in a game against Warner Pacific on April 4. The Post Falls, Idaho, native broke Randy Dolven’s previous record of 1,790 points, a mark that stood since 1967.

Despite suffering a season-ending injury in an exhibition at Gonzaga to start off the 2021-22 season, the star point guard tallied a career total of 2,129 points — a record that will likely stand for quite some time. McCullough has worked to be the ultimate teammate, improving his assist numbers every season and growing as a leader on and off the court.

On the pitch, Farrington topped a record that stood since 2006. The senior scored her 30th career goal in a match against Carroll on Oct. 22, to become the program’s all-time leading goal scorer. The forward hit two goals in the same contest to both tie and break the program record on the same night.

Cambree Scott has been one of the most electric volleyball players at Eastern in recent memory, dominating defensively at the net. Scott broke the program record for career blocks and ended the 2021 season with 525. She is set to return to the program next season, presenting Scott with an opportunity to further distance herself as the all-time leader in blocks at Eastern.

MacMillan overcomes severe injury, comes back to dominate on the gridiron

LA GRANDE — Watching Brody MacMillan’s brutal running style from the stands during the 2021 fall football season, one might not even be aware that the star running back suffered a catastrophic injury less than a year before.

The La Grande tailback and linebacker suffered ACL, LCL and meniscus injuries in a game against Vale on March 19 during the 2021 spring season.

After working endlessly to rehab and recover during the summer, MacMillan returned to the team in Week 3 against Estacada and never looked back. The senior dominated the running lanes game in and game out, regularly rushing for several touchdowns per game and easily topping 100 yards.

MacMillan’s assertive running style became the identity of a La Grande team that went 7-2 on the year and made it to the quarterfinal round of the OSAA 4A state tournament.

“His drive and love for the game is unmatched,” head coach Rich McIlmoil said. “I’ve never seen a kid with that much love for football. He absolutely loves the game and will leave it all on the field.”

Mountaineers travel to play top-ranked Gonzaga

SPOKANE, Wash. — In a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the Eastern Oregon University men’s basketball team traveled to Spokane to face the NCAA No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs on Oct. 31.

Fans at The Kennel packed the stadium as the Bulldogs came away with a 115-62 victory. While the learning experience was substantial for the Eastern players and coaches, a handful of injuries sustained during the game cast a dark shadow over the trip north. Star guard Max McCullough was injured early in the game, putting an end to his season.

The AP No. 1 team in the country opened up its season in front of a packed house, just one season removed from coming a game shy of an NCAA championship. The stakes in this exhibition might not have been as high, but the intensity in the stadium was immense.

Eastern held its own throughout the game, despite the heavy skill differential. The Zags maintained a 52-27 lead at halftime that extended in the second half when Eastern had to dig deep into its rotation due to injuries.

Aside from the injuries, the players took away quite the experience. Playing in a packed arena against the nation’s top talent in the sport set an example of what can be achieved in the sport of basketball. Battling against All-Americans and potential top NBA draft picks set the stage for the remainder of Eastern’s schedule in the 2021-22 season.

Local Little League teams take home state championships

LA GRANDE — It was a memorable year for Union County Little League teams, taking home two state titles.

The Union County Junior softball team won the Oregon Junior League Championship on July 11, at Eastern Oregon University, defeating Warm Springs 10-7. The victory marks the first time a Union County All-Star Little League team has won a state championship since 2004.

“This group was determined to play hard and had great attitudes,” head coach Meghan Counsell said. “They really worked at it and were determined.”

On the boys side, the La Grande Junior baseball team defeated South Central 14-12 in the championship game of the Oregon Little League Junior Baseball Tournament on July 21, in Turner.

“The kids went into the game knowing that we were going to fight hard and give it all we got,” La Grande head coach Kirk Fenley said.

La Grande earned its spot in the state tournament after defeating Wallowa 19-8 in the District 3 tournament in Baker City. The juniors, whose ages range from 12 to 14, competed against Baker and Wallowa in a double-elimination district tournament before traveling to Turner’s Cascade Sports Complex for the state tournament.

Neither team was able to advance to a regional or state competition because of the pandemic, but the two Union County teams represented the county well in Little League play this past year.