Sheets

LA GRANDE — After serving as an assistant under four separate head football coaches in La Grande, Dalton Sheets is stepping up to the head position.

Sheets steps in to coach the Tigers after Rich Mcllmoil stepped down with a five season record of 38-9, including a state title in the 2019-20 season as La Grande finished the year a perfect 12-0.

Stepping up to the head position continues a busy schedule for Sheets, an assistant coach for wrestling and baseball for La Grande and a fifth-grade teacher at Island City Elementary.

“Coaching in La Grande has been a great experience for me. It was time to step up to the head coaching slot,” he said. “Athletes in La Grande possess a ton of pride and that will continue in the football program.”

Sheets takes over a program that finished 9-3 last season, falling in the 4A semifinals to Tillamook with a roster heavy on seniors. Sheets fully understands graduation took a toll on the Tigers’ roster.

“Young guys may very well fill roles this upcoming season,” he said. “My outlook is every kid, no matter what year, can compete for a varsity spot. We have a strong class of incoming sophomores and a good group of freshmen coming.”

Due to timing, Sheets said the Tigers will be in attendance at the football camp held at Eastern Oregon University and has some 7-on-7 competitions scheduled for the summer.

“Football in La Grande shows the machine is not broken so I did not take the job to fix something,” he said. “I fully understand we have some shoes to fill, but the talent and drive is here and ready to hit the field in the fall.”

Sheets was honored in May by the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association as the middle school coach of the year.

Sheets has been an LMS wrestling coach for nine years, and last fall completed his first year on the staff of the middle school football team.