By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

Three Burns football players received all-state recognition for their performances this past season.

George Swartzlender was named to the second team as both an offensive and defensive lineman, AJ Swartzlender was named to the second team as a linebacker and Zach Dobson earned second team honors as a defensive back.

Three Hilanders were named to this year’s 3A all-state volleyball teams following another Eastern Oregon League championship and a fifth-place finish at the state tournament.

Maddye Dinsmore received first team honors, and Abbey Fenton and Kaci Nonnenmacher were both selected to the second team.

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

The Burns girls varsity basketball team defeated Eastern Oregon League rival Nyssa 47-35 to claim the top spot in the Cascade Christian Classic basketball tournament held Dec. 17-19 in Medford.

After leading by five at the end of the first quarter, the Hilanders outscored the Bulldogs 17-2 in the second quarter to take a commanding lead.

Nyssa made a charge in the second half, but couldn’t close the gap and the Hilanders picked up the win to stay undefeated  this season.

Brea Ribeiro scored 19 points, including three 3-pointers, to lead the Burns offense. Taylor Lee finished with 10 points and seven rebounds and Jamie Higle had a good all-around game with nine points, six rebounds and five steals. Kaci Nonnenmacher had eight points and Maddye Dinsmore added one.

The Hilanders shot fairly well from the field, making 17 of their 43 attempts (40 percent).

Lee and Higle were both named to the All-Tournament team.

1    2    3    4   Final
Nys     7    2   10   16    35
Bur   12   17   8    10    47

•••

Burns moved into the finals with a 46-36 win over St. Mary’s on Friday, Dec. 18.

St. Mary’s kept pace with Burns for one quarter, but the Hilanders went on an 18-3 run in the second quarter to lead 30-15 at the half.

After a slow third quarter, Burns outscored the Crusaders 13-12 over the final eight minutes to seal the victory.
Lee led the team in scoring, finishing with 17 points to along with her team-high nine rebounds. Higle had 14 points, Ribeiro eight, Chelsea Siegner four, Nonnenmacher and Teri McConnell two apiece.

The Burns defense came up with 18 steals, and the team hit 11 of their 33 field goal attempts (33 percent).
1    2    3    4   Final
StM   12    3    9   12    36
Bur   12   18   3    13   46

•••

Higle scored 17 points as Burns opened the tournament with 51-35 win over the Clatskanie Tigers.

Lee recorded a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds and Ribeiro finished with 12 points. Siegner added four points and Nonnenmacher and Dinsmore each had two.

The Hilanders also had their best shooting game of the tournament, making 21 of their 43 shots (49 percent).

1    2    3    4   Final
Clat     8    8   10   9     35
Bur    14    8   15  14    51

•••

The Phoenix Pirates slipped past Burns 53-49 to earn the third-place trophy at the Cascade Christian Classic basketball tournament held Dec. 17-19 in Medford.

The first half was close throughout with the Hilanders taking a one-point lead into the locker room at the break.
The Pirates came out fast in the third quarter and outscored Burns 24-14 to grab a 45-36 lead.

Burns came back in the fourth period, but Phoenix made their free throws in the final minutes to hold on for the win.
Carraig Colahan scored 17 points to lead the Hilanders’ offense, with Caleb Feist and Dylan Thompson scoring 15 and 12 points, respectively. Zach Dobson added three and Cole Potter two.

1    2    3     4   Final
Pho    11   10  24    8     53
Bur    13    9   14   13    49

•••

Cascade Christian downed Burns 68-46 in the semifinals of the tournament on Friday, Dec. 18.

The No. 2-ranked Challengers started fast, building a 21-8 lead in the opening quarter.

The Hilanders played them even for much of the remainder of the game, but couldn’t make up the deficit.

Feist finished with 12 points to lead the Burns scoring attack and Thompson had 11. Rounding out the scoring were C.

Colahan with six points, Potter and Gus McConnell with four each, Dobson, Casey Heinz and Kieran Colahan two apiece.

1    2    3    4   Final
CC     21   12  21   14     68
Bur     8   10  13   15     46

•••

The Hilanders opened up the tournament with a 61-42 win over Clatskanie.

Burns built a 13-point lead by halftime, and then opened up their biggest lead of the game, 42-21, in the third quarter.
C. Colahan dropped in 16 points, and Thompson finished with 13 to pace the Hilanders in scoring. Feist added nine, Dobson and Heinz five each, Potter and McConnell four apiece and K. Colahan three.

1    2    3     4   Final
Clat     8    5   13   16     42
Bur    13   13  19   16     61

The next action for the Burns varsity teams is the Sisters Tournament Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 28-29, at Sisters High School.

By Debbie Raney
Burns Times-Herald

The Crane Mustang varsity girls basketball team met their first two league opponents last weekend, and came away with two decisive victories.

The Mustangs hosted the Spray Eagles on Dec. 11, recording a 61-26 win.

Crane took control of the court from the opening tip-off, as Emilee O’Toole scored off a Brooke Nyman assist. By the end of the first quarter, the score had the Mustangs leading 14-1.

During the second period, Crane’s domination of the boards on both ends gave the Mustangs the advantage. With defensive rebounds by Brenda Otley, Savannah Duff and O’Toole, and offensive rebounds by Natalie Bentz, Hannah Buermann and Nyman, Crane pulled to a 37-12 lead by the half.

Crane stretched their lead to 30 points during the third quarter, with September O’Crowley scoring on steals and put-back shots. Going into the final quarter, the Mustangs were up 50-20, and kept their lead to the win.

The Mustangs had three players hit double-digits — Buermann had 14 points, Bentz scored 13 and O’Toole made 12. Rounding out Crane’s scoring was O’Crowley and Nyman with eight each, Duff with four and Otley made two.

Bentz and Nyman recorded three steals each, with O’Crowley and Buermann getting two apiece and O’Toole one.

In rebounding O’Crowley pulled down seven total — five defensive and two offensive, Bentz had six total, O’Toole grabbed five, Nyman, Duff and Buermann grabbed four each and Otley had two.

1     2     3    4   Final
Cra     14   23   13   11    61
Spr      1    11    8    6      26
•••
On Saturday, Dec. 12, the Mustangs picked up their second win of the weekend, defeating the Mitchell Loggers 71-3.

Crane’s defense over-powered the Loggers, with full-court pressure forcing five steals in the first two minutes. With just under six minutes left in the first quarter, the Mustangs pulled back to half-court, but still went to the second period with a 29-1 lead.

During the remainder of the game Crane’s offense was required to hold back on fast breaks and reverse the offensive plays before taking any shots. At halftime the Mustangs were up 41-1, and at the three-quarter mark Crane led 57-3.

O’Crowley finished the game with a double-double, scoring 20 points and pulling down 17 rebounds. Bentz scored 15 points, O’Toole made 14, Buermann hit for nine, Duff made six, Nyman hit for five and Iris Gunkel scored two.

As a team, the Mustangs recorded 29 steals with Bentz picking off eight, O’Crowley had seven, O’Toole had six, Buermann made four, Otley had two and Nyman and Gunkel got one steal each.

The Mustangs will host their annual Christmas Tournament this weekend. The girls’ first game will be on Friday at about 4:30 p.m. against the Paisley Broncos.

1    2     3    4   Final
Cra     29  12   16   14    71
Mit      1    0     2     0     3

By Debbie Raney
Burns Times-Herald

The Mustang boys varsity began their league season with two home victories last weekend. Crane defeated the Spray Eagles on Friday, and the Mitchell Loggers on Saturday.

The Mustangs played a strong second half in their win over the Eagles, taking an even game to a 56-42 win.

Crane was up by three at the end of the first quarter, 9-6, but a 3-point Spray bucket one minute into the second quarter tied the game. Steals by Nic Nyman, Jeran Conaway and Ryan Opie midway through the second quarter turned to Max Miller and Conaway buckets, giving the Mustangs a slight edge. Crane took a 21-18 lead into the half.

Blake Steeves opened up the third by hitting a put-back, then defensive blocks by Cole Maupin and Conaway gave the momentum to the Mustangs. In spite of a Spray 3-pointer to end the quarter, Crane led 38-31 going into the final period.

The Mustangs hit the defensive boards hard during the fourth quarter, giving the Eagles few second chance attempts. With just over one minute remaining in the game Opie, Steeves and Nyman went to the free-throw line, hitting six of six to cap the win.

Opie led the scoring with 15, followed by Conaway with 11 and Steeves with 10. Maupin, Miller and Nyman made six points each and Milton Merritt added two.

1    2     3     4   Final
Cra     9    12   17    18     56
Spr     6    12   13    11     42
•••
Crane picked up their second victory for the weekend with a 61-47 win over Mitchell.

The Mustangs were slow to get started offensively, not scoring on their first five scoring opportunities. Conaway broke the ice hitting two free throws for the Mustangs’ first points, following up with a 3-pointer the next trip down the floor. By the end of the game, he would hit for a game high 25 points to lead Crane’s offense.

At the end of the first quarter, the Mustangs were in a 16-2 lead, and at the half, were ahead 30-17.

During the third quarter, Miller, Opie and Maupin capitalized on Logger missed shots, pulling down the defensive rebound and getting the ball down court for Mustang points. At the end of the third, Crane was up 50-32.

Though trailing going into the fourth quarter, the Loggers didn’t quit, and Justin Williams and Ben Siebert continued to pound the ball at the Mustangs. In the final minutes Mitchell outscored Crane 15-11, but the Mustangs held on for the win.

Along with Conaway’s 25 points, Steeves made 12, Opie hit for 11, Merritt made seven, Miller hit for four and Maupin made two.

The Mustangs will host Paisley this Friday at about 7:30 p.m. in the first round of their annual Christmas Tournament.

1    2     3     4   Final
Cra     16   14   20    11     61
Mit      2    15   15    15     47

Burns first, Crane fourth at G.U. tourney

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

The Burns and Crane wrestling teams opened their seasons by competing  in the 10-team Grant Union Invitational in John Day on Saturday, Dec. 5.

The Hilanders crowned five individual champions and won the team title with 235 points, easily outdistancing second-place Mac-Hi with 192.

Also competing were Grant Union, Baker, Pine Eagle, Heppner, La Pine, Ontario and Vale.

The Hilanders’ Jay Cate took first at 112 pounds, Brennan Bailey was the 119-pound champion, Dallas Root claimed the top spot at 130 pounds, Brendan Palmer won the 140 pound bracket and George Swartzlender placed first at 285 pounds.

The Mustangs’ Louis Whiting won the 135-pound weight class as Crane placed fourth in the overall standings.

Final individual placings for Burns (B) and Crane (C) are as follows:

103 — Thomas O’Toole (C) 3rd
112 — Jay Cate (B) 1st, Parker Paramore (B) 4th
119 — Brennan Bailey (B) 1st, Max Hill (B) did not place (DNP), Elizabeth Davis (C) DNP
125 — Matt Davis (C) DNP
130 — Dallas Root (B) 1st, Cody Davis (C) 4th
135 — Louis Whiting (C) 1st, Zach Cody (C) 2nd, Cody Bennett (B) 3rd, Nathan Young (B) DNP
140 — Brendan Palmer (B) 1st, Chance Peasley (B) 2nd, Adam Carlton (C) DNP, Tanner Titus (C) DNP
145 — Josh Williams (C) 2nd, Jay Masterson (B) 3rd, Greg Thompson (C) 4th, Beau Blackburn (B) DNP
152 — Matson Gahley (B) 2nd, Jake White (B) 3rd
160 — Raymond Wright (B) 3rd, Jake Yaryen (B) DNP, Cash Casey (C) DNP
171 — Matt Miller (C) 3rd, Tyler Foster (B) DNP
189 — Jake Swindlehurst (B) 2nd
215 — Landon Hanner (B) 2nd, Kenny Withee (B) DNP
285 — George Swartzlender (B) 1st, Donald McDermond (C) DNP

The Harney-Nadzitsaga Lacrosse Club will be holding an informational meeting and sign ups for the upcoming 2010 season for youth (grades 5/6-7/8) and high school students. Any student from Harney County is welcome to join.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 10, at the Kids Club of Harney County. The cost to join is $35 for the season. For those students who do not have their own equipment, there is also a $35 rental fee. There is also a requirement to join US-Lacrosse for insurance/liability coverage. There is no requirement to purchase equipment, the club provides helmets, protective pads, gloves and uniforms and even cleats for those athletes who can not afford their own.

The club wants to get those kids who are interested in playing lacrosse some opportunities to start throwing the ball around throughout December, January and into February, so they decided to start signing kids up early and provide some instruction and conditioning.  The game itself is pretty simple, not any more complicated in concept than basketball or soccer. However, the game is far more physical than either. The mastery of lacrosse stick is the most difficult part of the game.

The high school team competes in the Oregon High School Lacrosse Association-High Desert Conference. The season runs from late February to early June. Along with the local team, the High Desert Conference consists of Bend, Hermiston, Sisters, Summit, Mountain View and Redmond high schools.

The Harney County team is easily the smallest high school lacrosse program in the state of Oregon, but for such a small program, they do pretty well. Over the last two years they are 20-20-1. They have taken on some big programs in Oregon and Idaho, beaten a few, got crushed by some and put a real scare into others. There are much larger teams in Oregon that have gone two to three years before they even won a game.

Both the Oregon and the Idaho leagues have taken notice of the local team and have nothing but good things to say about the kids.  Harney County should be proud of these kids because they represent the county well.

The middle school team will compete in several tournaments this spring and play some games against Sisters, St. Francis, Bend and other teams from Central and Western Oregon.

The high school team will have another full schedule this year. Between tournaments, conference games, non-conference games and out-of-state games with Boise area high school teams, they will have 18-20 games. If fortunate enough to get into the conference tournament and playoffs, they could have up to 25 games.

There are a total of 47 high school varsity teams in Oregon, Canby and Mountain View in Bend are the two newest additions for 2010. Lacrosse is the fastest growing high school sport in Oregon, in fact, the fastest growing in the United States.

If people can not make it to the meeting, sign up forms and informational brochures can be picked up at Shepherd Graphics or at the High Desert Parks and Recreation Office.

For more information, call Rick Roy at 589-1159.

Mustangs out on downs on final possession

By Debbie Raney
Burns Times-Herald

Just two points ended  Crane’s football season two weeks earlier than the Mustangs would have liked, as the Mohawk Indians beat the Mustangs in quarterfinal action, 40-42, on Saturday, Nov. 21.

Playing at Willamette High School in Eugene, the Mustangs and Indians went helmet to helmet for four even quarters. In the end, Mohawk made one final defensive stop during the last two minutes of the game, forcing Crane to a four-and-out and sealing the advancement to the semi-finals.

During Saturday’s game, the lead switched sides of the scoreboard seven times. The Indians were first to score, going ahead 12-0 in the first quarter.

The Mustangs came alive at the top of the second quarter, with their momentum starting on a Kenny Haworth interception. Crane went 36 yards in four plays, capped off by a three-yard sprint up the middle by Ryan Opie for the Mustangs’ first touchdown of the game. Blake Steeves pulled Crane to within four points grabbing the conversion pass.

Crane’s Milton Merritt booted the ensuing kickoff into the end zone, giving Mohawk a long field. Following a fumbled pitch, and a sack by Haworth, the Indians were forced to punt.

At Mohawk’s 33, Opie dropped back to pass and found Royal Henricks open on the 14. Henricks had a clear path to the end zone, and the Mustangs had a 14-12 lead, at 7:17 in the second.

The Indians’ Cord Wilkins went to the air on Mohawk’s next drive, and in nine plays, they were on the 1-yard line. One final push through the middle had the Indians regaining the lead. With a two-point run by Dillan Tuyls, Mohawk was up 20-14, with 2:30 to play in the first half.

The Mustangs began their next possession on their own 25. Henricks broke open at mid-field with only one Indian defending. Crane’s front line gave Opie time to fire a pass to Henricks, and it was a footrace in for the score. At 2:14, the score was tied at 20.

Mohawk started their next drive on their own 37, but three penalties resulted in a line of scrimmage on their own 6-yard line. During a hand-off, the ball was fumbled, and Steeves dove on it for Crane. The Mustangs took a 26-20 lead into halftime.

Mohawk was first on offense as the third quarter started, beginning on their own 20. On the first snap, Henricks recovered an Indian fumble and Crane was in possession on the Indian 23.

After a short gain by Cole Maupin, Steeves ran an out-route to the right side. Opie stepped into the pocket and was on target for another Crane touchdown. Forty-seven seconds into the third, the Mustangs spread their lead to 34-20, as Henricks ran in the conversion.

The shift then went back to Mohawk’s advantage. The Mustangs picked up two penalties, allowing the Indians to have a first down on the 18. A pass from Wilkins to Matt York brought Mohawk to within six, 34-28.

On the next drive, Opie was intercepted by the Indian’s C.J. Vian. Two minutes, and six plays later, Wilkins finished the possession with a 2-yard run to the end zone. The score was tied at 34, until a two-point conversion pass from Wilkins to Anthony Wallace put Mohawk ahead.

The fourth quarter began at a score of 36-34, Crane trailing.

The Mustang defense held Mohawk on the Indian’s first offensive attempt in the fourth, taking over on downs on the 50-yard line. After picking up two first downs on receptions by Pete Joyce and Maupin, the Mustangs were on their own 5-yard line. At 7:34, Crane regained the lead in the game with a pass from Opie to Henricks, in the right corner.

The lead didn’t last long. After two short rushing plays, the Indians were on their own 26-yard line. Wilkins once again found York open, and Mohawk scored the final touchdown of the day on a 74-yard pass.

Crane had two final offensive attempts, but was stopped with an interception and a four-and-out.

1     2     3    4  Final
Cra          0    26    8       6     40
Moh        12    8     16    6    42
First quarter
Moh—Wilkins 3 run (pass failed) 4:30.
Moh—Tuyls 21 pass from Wilkins (pass failed).
Second quarter
Cra—Opie 3 run (Steeves pass) 8:12.
Cra—Henricks 33 pass from Opie (pass failed) 7:17.
Moh—Wilkins 1 run (Tuyls run) 2:30.
Cra—Henricks 75 pass from Opie (run failed) 2:14.
Cra—Steeves fumble recovery (run failed) 58.7.
Third quarter
Cra—Steeves 22 pass from Opie (Henricks run) 11:13.
Moh—York 18 pass from Wilkins (Wilkins run) 9:20.
Moh—Wilkins 5 run (Wallace pass) 6:26.
Fourth quarter
Cra—Henricks 5 pass from Opie (pass failed) 7:34.
Moh—York 74 pass from Wilkins (pass failed) 6:13.
Individual statistics
Rushing—Joyce 6-16, Opie 14-45, Haworth 5-19, Maupin 4-11, Henricks 1-3.
Passing—Opie 23-15-2-296.
Receiving—Maupin 4-76, Henricks 6-141, Steeves 2-25, Joyce 2-26, Haworth 1-28.
Fumble recovery—Steeves 1, Henricks 1.
Fumbles lost—Crane 1, Mohawk 2.
Tackles for loss—Merritt 3, Joyce 1, Steeves 1, Henricks 1.
Sacks—Haworth 1.
Penalties—Crane 6-45 1/2, Mohawk 9-95.
First downs—Crane 7, Mohawk 12.

Dinsmore, Fenton named to All-Tournament second team

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

The Burns volleyball team ended its season with a fifth-place finish at the OSAA 3A State Volleyball Tournament held Nov. 13-14, at Lane Community College in Eugene.

The Hilanders started the tournament off with a three game sweep of Portland Adventist, winning 25-15, 25-21 and 25-23.

After winning the first game in relatively easy fashion, the Hilanders found themselves down 4-0 early in the second game. Following a sideout however, Kaci Nonnenmacher served six straight points to give Burns a lead they wouldn’t relinquish on their way to the win.

Portland Adventist stayed close in the third game, never trailing by more than five points, but Burns was able to finish them off and advance to the tournament semi-finals.

The Hilanders finished with 40 kills in the win, led by Abbey Fenton with 19.

Kaci Nonnenmacher was the team leader in assists with 22, and Maddye Dinsmore added 13.

Defensively, Burns came up with seven blocks, led by Taylor Lee, Chelsea Siegner and Dinsmore with two apiece, and Fenton and Jamie Higle came up with 17 and 15 digs, respectively.

•••

The Hilanders were matched up against the No. 1 ranked Santiam Christian Eagles in the semi-finals, and ended up losing in four games, 25-27, 18-25, 25-23 and 25-15.

Trailing 18-12 in the first game, the Hilanders put together an 8-0 run behind the serving of Maddye Dinsmore to grab a 20-18 lead. The two teams then traded several points, and Burns was close to picking up the win with a 24-22 lead.

After Santiam Christian scored the next three points to take a 25-24 lead, the Hilanders tied it at 25-25, only to have the Eagles score the final two points to get the win.

Burns fell behind 16-12 in the second game and could get no closer than three the rest of the way as Santiam Christian took a two games-to-none lead in the match.

The third game saw the Hilanders build a 20-14 lead, and then hold off a late charge by the Eagles to win 25-23.
In the fourth game, Santiam Christian went on a 9-0 run to take a 15-5 lead, and eventually the win.

Fenton again played solid for Burns, recording 13 kills, 14 digs and three blocks. Dinsmore added nine kills, 18 assists, two blocks and seven digs. Siegner finished with six kills and four blocks; Teri McConnell three kills, and 14 digs; Nonnenmacher 14 assists and three digs; Samantha Hooker four kills; and Higle 20 digs.

•••

Burns played Valley Catholic in their final match of the tournament, and the season, to decide who would take home the third-place trophy and who would receive the fifth-place hardware.

The Hilanders never got untracked in the match and ended up losing in three games, 18-25, 13-25 and 19-25.

“We just had too many unforced errors,” Burns coach Paula Toney said. “But we did have a very successful season.”
The Hilanders could only muster 18 kills in the match led by Hooker with five.

Hooker also had four of the Hilanders’ 10 blocks.

Dinsmore led the team with nine assists and Nonnenmacher added six, and McConnell finished with nine digs to lead Burns in that category.

The Hilanders’ Dinsmore and Fenton were both named to the All-Tournament second team.
Santiam Christian went on to win the 3A state title, defeating Cascade Christian in three games.
Valley Catholic was awarded the sportsmanship trophy.

•••

The Eastern Oregon League released their 2009 All League teams on Monday, Nov. 16, and the league champion Hilanders were well represented.

The All League selections are as follows:

Co-Player of the Year:
Maddye Dinsmore, So., Setter, Burns
Kaci Nonnenmacher, Jr., Setter, Burns

Other 1st Team All League:
Abbey Fenton, So., OH, Burns
Jamie Higle, Sr., L, Burns
Shelby Mooney, Sr. OH, Vale
Kayla Nelson, Sr., OH, Riverside
Shannon  Croghan, Jr. Setter, Grant Union
Aspen Riggs, Sr., M, Grant Union

2nd Team All League:
Brooke Hawkins, Jr., Setter, Vale
Amy DeLong, So., M, Vale
Whitley Reece, Jr. OH, Riverside
Samantha Hooker, Sr., M, Burns
Teri McConnell, Jr., OH, Burns
Mackinsey Nash, Jr., Setter, Grant Union

Honorable Mention:
Taylor Lee, Sr., M, Burns
Chelsea Siegner, Jr., M, Burns
Bre Wilson, Sr., L, Grant Union
Angela  Mitchell, Sr., M, Nyssa
Melissa Rodriguez, Jr., S, Nyssa
Cindy McLaughlin, Jr., M, Riverside
Jordan Connell, OH, Jr., Riverside
Amanda Schylse, Sr., DS, Vale
Nicole Rutten, So., L, Vale
Katelyn Cranston Schafer, Sr. Umatilla

Coach of the Year: Paula Toney, Burns

Mustangs receive tourney’s Sportsmanship Award

By Debbie Raney
Burns Times-Herald

The Crane Mustang volleyball team finished the 2009 season at the OSAA US Bank, Les Schwab 1A state championship tournament last weekend, and when the last ball had been served, the Mustangs had claimed the fifth-place trophy, the sportsmanship trophy and three all-tournament selections.

Crane started the tournament with a match against the Southwest Christian Wildcats, coming away with a three-game win. The first  match victory put the Mustangs into the semi-finals against the Imbler Panthers, with Crane taking a loss. The Panthers would go on to defeat Griswold for the state championship. The Mustangs played for third and fifth place against Hosanna Christian, losing a hard-fought, five-game match.

At the end of the state tournament, the Mustangs were honored with the tournament sportsmanship trophy. In addition, Natalie Bentz and September O’Crowley were named to the tournament first-team all-stars, and Brooke Nyman was selected to the second-team all-stars.

•••

In their first match the Mustangs defeated Southwest Christian 25-16, 25-18, 25-15. Tied through a score of 9-9 in the first game, Crane moved into the lead with O’Crowley in servers’ position. Nyman and Emilee O’Toole teamed up for set-kill combinations, and Crane took the momentum to the win.

In game two against Southwest Christian, errors on the Mustangs side of the net led to a 7-10 deficit for Crane. The Mustangs began to ease back, and tied it up at 14. Bentz hit two kills off of Nyman sets, and Crane went on a six point run to take the lead to the win.

O’Crowley served nine straight points mid-way through the third game, sealing the game and the match for the Mustangs.

O’Crowley ended the match with 19 points, with Bentz scoring 16. Nyman and Cassidy Corrigan served for 12 points, O’Toole made 10 and Hannah Buermann scored six.

•••

Facing the Imbler Panthers in the semi-finals, the Mustangs took a harsh 5-25 loss in the first game. Crane’s blocks were going off court, and Imbler’s serves and kills were finding the holes in the Mustang defense.

The second game had Crane running even with the Panthers through a score of 10 with Buermann and O’Crowley digging the balls in the back row for the Mustangs. Imbler gained a five-point lead, but Crane came back to tie it again at 21 with Nyman setting for Bentz. At a score of 23-24, Imbler hit the winning point on a kill to the middle.

The third game of the match had the Panthers taking an early lead. In spite of ace serves by Buermann and Nyman, Imbler got the 14-25 win.

Buermann was high-point server with 10, followed by Corrigan with nine and Nyman with eight. Bentz served for seven points, O’Crowley had six and O’Toole made four.

•••

The match for third and fifth placings was an even run with Crane and the Hosanna Christian Lady Lions exchanging wins, and going into a fifth and deciding game to 15 points.

After being tied all the way through 17, the Lady Lions hit a streak and jumped up three points, taking the first game, 22-25.

Crane came back to dominate the second game, with Bentz serving 11 straight. During the run, she hit two aces, and O’Crowley and Buermann downed a kill apiece. After the Lady Lions got a side-out point, Crane’s Corrigan stepped in to serve and put up eight more in a row, including four straight aces. The Mustangs went on to win 25-8.

Hosanna Christian went ahead early in the third game, and kept their advantage to a 16-25 win over Crane.

Again, the Mustangs bounced back and got an early lead in the fourth game. Crane was up by one point, 16-15, and an O’Toole kill gave the Mustangs the momentum to spread their lead. At a score of 24-19, O’Crowley blocked a Lady Lion hit for the winning point.

The fifth and final game had the score tied at 8, 9, 10 and 11. A Mustang hit out of bounds gave Hosanna the serve and the lead. The Lady Lions racked up four straight points to take the game, the match and third place.

Bentz served for 22 points in the match, with Corrigan making 21. Buermann had 18, O’Toole made 16 points, O’Crowley served for 10 and Nyman made nine.

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

If the Burns Hilanders wanted to make a statement about whether they deserved a spot in the 3A state playoffs, they certainly did with a 56-8 shellacking of Umatilla on Friday, Nov. 6.

Cole Potter rushed for 114 yards and scored four touchdowns, and the Hilander defense recovered four fumbles to secure the third, and final Eastern Oregon League (EOL) playoff berth.

The Hilanders wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as they put together a six-play, 60-yard scoring drive on their first possession. The key plays on the drive included a 21-yard pass from Zach Dobson to Potter and a 30-yard run by Landon Hanner. Potter scored on a 1-yard run and George Swartzlender kicked the extra point for a 7-0 Burns lead.

After fumbling the ball away on their first series, Umatilla forced Burns to punt, and then put together a 79-yard scoring drive of their own. Senior fullback Austin Bieren was the workhorse for the Vikings, rushing for 72 yards on nine carries including the final yard for the score.

Bieren also ran in the two-point conversion to give Umatilla an 8-7 lead with just two seconds gone in the second quarter.

The Hilanders were forced to punt on their next series, but they forced another Umatilla fumble and recovered the loose ball at midfield.

After three rushing plays took the ball to the Umatilla 39, Dobson heaved a pass downfield to Casey Thein who caught the ball at the 10, fought off two defenders and raced in for the score. Swartzlender ran in the two-point conversion attempt to give Burns a 15-8 lead.

After forcing the Vikings out on downs, Burns put together a 58-yard scoring drive, capped off by a 15-yard TD pass from Dobson to Potter with just 10 seconds left in the half.

Burns kicked off to Umatilla to get the second half under way, and for a while it looked like the Vikings would cut into the lead. Umatilla drove deep into Hilander territory, but the Burns defense stiffened and forced the Vikings out on downs at the 11-yard line.

Burns moved the ball out to the 45 with a pass completion to Thein and two runs by Dobson, and then Potter broke loose for a 55-yard sprint to the end zone to put Burns ahead 27-8.

The Hilander defense came up with another fumble recovery at the Umatilla 27, and Burns went up by 25 points when Hanner scored on an 11-yard run.

Umatilla’s fourth lost fumble came on their next series, and Potter’s 8-yard touchdown run finished off a the Hilanders’ ensuing 53-yard drive.

Umatilla then tried to go to the air, but Burns’ linebacker Chad Thompson picked off Andres Sanguino’s pass and returned it to the Umatilla 10.

On first down, the Burns coaching staff called for a counter play to Thompson. From his wingback position, Thompson took the inside handoff, turned the corner and bounced off two defenders on his way to the end zone and a 47-8 Hilander lead.

Starting at their own 20 on their next possession, Umatilla lost yardage on their next three plays, and rather than punt from their own end zone, Bieren stepped out of the back of the end zone for an intentional safety.

Burns’ final score of the night came on a 40-yard run by Francis Cain with just 1:35 left to play.

The win evened the Hilanders’ season record at 5-5, and raised their EOL record to 2-3. Nyssa also finished with a 2-3 league record, but Burns won the tie-breaker because they defeated Nyssa in head-to-head competition.

Vale claimed the top spot in the EOL this season with a 5-0 record, and Grant Union placed second with a 4-1 record.

Burns will now travel to Amity to take on the No. 1-ranked Warriors. The game will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at McMinnville High School.

Amity won the West Valley League with a 6-0 record and are 9-0 overall. They have also scored 432 points this season while giving up just 58 to their opponents.

1   2   3   4   Final
Uma         0   8   0   0       8
Burns       7  14 12  23    56

Individual statistics
RUSHING—Umatilla, Bieren 18-129, Betteran 7-14, Campos 11-22, Pankey 12-28, Chavez 1-(-1), Sanguino 1-0, Bruce 2-7, Bernal 2-(-3). Burns, Hanner 14-91, Potter 10-114, Dobson 9-37, Thompson 1-10, Kness 3-5, Cain 1-40.
PASSING—Umatilla, Pankey 1-2-0 11, Bieren 0-1-0 0, Sanguino 0-1-1 0. Burns, Dobson 5-7-0 97.
RECEIVING—Umatilla, Bieren 1-11. Burns, Potter 2-36, Thein 2-55, Hanner 1-6.

Four Mustangs earn all-tourney honors as team prepares for state

By Debbie Raney
Burns Times-Herald

Even though the Crane Mustang volleyball team finished the High Desert League season with a perfect record, at the top of the league, they had to prove they belonged there at the District Tournament on Oct. 31. At the end of the day the Mustangs had claimed their rightful place, taking the championship, and beginning state 1A playoffs as the  No. 1 seed out of the High Desert League.

Crane had a bye in the first round of the district tournament, and then took on the Jordan Valley Mustangs in the semi-finals. Crane took the match against Jordan Valley in three games, 25-12, 25-15, 25-15.

In the first game, Crane had worked their way to a 15-8 lead when Cassidy Corrigan stepped to server’s position. Using Brooke Nyman sets to the middle and left side, September O’Crowley and Hannah Buermann downed repeated kills onto Jordan Valley’s court, upping the score to 24-8. A Jordan Valley error gave Crane the game one win.

Game two started out with the two teams trading points until 5. O’Crowley blocked two Jordan Valley hits, and Hannah Steeves scored an ace, to start Crane on a run to the win. At a score of 24-15, Jordan Valley sent a pass high and over the net, setting up a perfect ball for O’Crowley to smash to the floor for point 25.

The third and final game had Crane leading from the top. Ace serves from Corrigan, Buermann and Natalie Bentz gave Crane the edge. at 21-14, Nyman took the serve to a score of 24. A Jordan Valley hit into the net gave Crane the match and the chance to play the Adrian Antelopes for the district championship.

Though the Mustangs took the championship match in three games, they were not easy games.
Crane was down 6-9 in game one before tying the score with a Nyman ace serve and Emilee O’Toole and Buermann kills. Steeves put the Mustangs into the lead with a kill, and Crane was on their way to a game one win. At a score of 24-18, an Adrian serving error gave the Mustangs the win.

Crane trailed by as many as six points in the second game of the match, dropping the intensity they played with in game one and allowing the Antelopes the advantage. At a score of 14-20, the Mustangs started to pull back, getting points off kills from O’Toole, Bentz, Buermann and O’Crowley. Adrian was at game-point, 24-20, but a Nyman set to the left side gave Buermann a shot to the floor, and Crane regained serve.

Bentz took the serve and pushed the Mustangs to a 25-24 lead. After tying again at 25, three Adrian errors gave Crane the win.

During the third and final game, the lead changed hands five times before Crane got a two-point advantage, 23-21, on an O’Crowley block and O’Toole and Bentz kills. Nyman tip-killed point 24, and again, an Adrian serving error sealed the game and match for the Mustangs.

With the Mustangs taking first place in the district, they will have a bye in the first round of state playoff action on Wednesday, Nov. 4, and host the winner of the Cove versus Prospect game on Saturday, Nov. 7. As the No. 2 seed out of the High Desert League, Adrian will host the Sherman Huskies on Wednesday, and Jordan Valley will play at Butte Falls against the Loggers.

The Mustangs had four players named to the all-tournament team on Saturday. Nyman was selected for second team, and Buermann, Bentz and O’Crowley were chosen for first team honors.

High Desert Tournament individual stats
Kills — Bentz 14, O’Crowley 13, Buermann 11, O’Toole 7, Steeves 3, Nyman 1.
Tip kills — O’Crowley 6, O’Toole 2, Buermann 1, Corrigan 1, Nyman 1.
Blocks — O’Crowley 3, Bentz 3, Buermann 2, Nyman 1.
Ace serves — Corrigan 4, Buermann 3, Nyman 3, Bentz 2, O’Toole 1.