Jake White of Burns picks his way through the Nyssa defense in the EOL contest played Friday, Nov. 2, at Corbett
Memorial Field. (Photo by RANDY PARKS)

Down 24-0, Burns’ comeback falls short

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

The Nyssa Bulldogs jumped out to a 24-0 lead and then held off the hard-charging Hilanders for a 42-32 win on Friday, Nov. 2.

The victory gave Nyssa the Eastern Oregon League (EOL) title with a perfect 4-0 league record, while Burns finished 2-2 in the EOL and out of the 3A playoffs.

Nyssa scored on the game’s opening possession, as Austin Wagstaff finished off a 65-yard drive with an 8-yard scoring run. The 2-point conversion was good, and Nyssa led 8-0.

The Bulldogs made it 16-0 with less than a minute to play in the first quarter on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Wagstaff to Luke Delbridge and a 2-point conversion run by Michael Smith.

Nyssa’s third score of the night came on a 20-yard run by Austin Castro, and Smith’s 2-point conversion gave the Bulldogs a 24-0 lead with 8:42 left in the half.

Burns’ offense then came to life, with Seth Nonnenmacher getting into the end zone on a 9-yard run to finish off a 63-yard drive.

Smith returned the ensuing kickoff back to Burns’ 18-yard line, but the Hilander defense forced the Bulldogs out on downs, and Burns took over at their own 14.

The Hilanders marched downfield, and with just seven seconds left in the half, Nonnenmacher lofted a 20-yard scoring pass to Tanner Crafts, making it a 24-12 game at the break.

Burns got the ball to start the second half, and on a fourth-and-two at their own 39, Nonnenmacher hooked up with Austin Feist for a 61-yard score, bringing Burns to within 24-18.

On Nyssa’s next possession, Wagstaff got loose for a 39-yard TD run, putting the Bulldogs back up by 12.

Burns cut the lead back to six, as Nonnenmacher capped off a 65-yard drive with a 2-yard scoring run.

Nyssa answered back with an 81-yard drive, Wagstaff covering the final eight yards for his third rushing touchdown of the night.

Starting at their own 36, the Hilanders went the distance in nine plays. Nonnenmacher’s 3-yard TD run and the 2-point conversion pass to Feist brought Burns to within 36-32.

Burns then forced Nyssa to punt and took over at their own 41. The Hilanders were unable to pick up a first down however, and the Bulldogs took over on downs at the Burns 32.

Wagstaff punched it in from a yard out, giving Nyssa 42-32 lead with 4:50 left to play.

Burns final drive was stopped by an interception, and Nyssa ran out the clock for the win.

Nonnenmacher completed 17-of-24 passes for 188 yards and two scores and picked up 69 yards on 16 rushes with three touchdowns.
Feist led Burns in rushing with 85 yards on 15 carries.

With the victory, Nyssa earned the right to host a first-round playoff game and will play Pleasant Hill on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 1 p.m. MT.

Vale claimed the second playoff spot with a 3-1 league record and will play at Cascade Christian Friday, Nov. 9.

Burns finished the season with an overall record of 5-5.

1    2    3    4   Final
Nys  16   8   12   6    42
Bur   0  12   12   8    32

First quarter
Nyssa — Austin Wagstaff 8 run (Jamie Escobedo pass from Wagstaff) 2:04
Nyssa — Luke Delbridge 11 pass from Wagstaff (Michael smith run) 11:24
Second quarter
Nyssa — Austin Castro 20 run (Smith run) 3:18
Burns — Seth Nonnenmacher 9 run (run failed) 9:02
Burns — Tanner Crafts 20 pass from Nonnenmacher (pass failed) 11:53
Third quarter
Burns — Austin Feist 61 pass from Nonnenmacher (run failed) 2:57
Nyssa — Wagstaff 39 run (run failed) 5:07
Burns — Nonnenmacher 2 run (pass failed) 8:25
Nyssa — Wagstaff 8 run (run failed) 11:13
Fourth quarter
Burns — Nonnenmacher 3 run (Feist pass from Nonnenmacher) 1:58
Nyssa — Wagstaff 1 run (pass failed) 7:10
Individual statistics
RUSHING—Nyssa, Smith 17-135, Wagstaff 16-106, Escobedo 1-(-5), Castro 6-36. Burns, Feist 15-85, Gahley 7-28, Nonnenmacher 16-69, White 4-9.
PASSING—Nyssa, Wagstaff 4-11-0 84, Escobedo 0-1-0 0. Burns, Nonnenmacher 17-24-1 188, Feist 2-4-0 34.
RECEIVING—Nyssa, Delbridge 1-6, Escobedo 1-32, Castro 1-8, Smith 1-33. Burns, Feist 4-100, Crafts 4-39, Nonnenmacher 2-34, Bailey 6-38, White 1-7, Sutcliffe 1-2, Gahley 1-2.

Joyce is upended after a good gain in the first quarter against Jordan Valley. (Photo by RANDY PARKS)

Defeat knocks Crane from playoff picture

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

After falling behind 30-6 early in the third quarter, the Crane Mustangs put together a valiant comeback that fell short in a 44-26 loss to Jordan Valley on Friday, Oct. 26.

The win kept Jordan Valley perfect on the year at 8-0, 5-0 in the High Desert League (HDL), while Crane slipped to 4-4 overall, 3-2 in league.

Following a scoreless first quarter, Austin Roath came up with an interception that gave Crane a first down at Jordan Valley’s 49. Crane’s offensive line of Quinton Nyman, Michael Casey, Cash Casey, Riley Joyce and Blaise Schulze then went to work, opening holes for Zalin Arritola and Nic Nyman. On the eighth play of the drive, Nyman bulled his way into the end zone, giving Crane a 6-0 lead.

Jordan Valley answered back on their next possession, getting a 22-yard scoring run from Ty Warn and a 2-point conversion to go ahead 8-6.

Jordan Valley then forced Crane out on downs and took over at their own 45 with 1:21 left in the half. On fourth-and-10, Nate Elsner threw deep to Tyrel Lucas for a 55-yard score and a 16-6 lead.

Jordan Valley recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and took over at the Crane 20 with just 13 seconds left on the clock. On second down, Elsner found Lucas open again for a 20-yard touchdown pass and Jordan Valley was up 22-6 at halftime.

Jordan Valley increased their lead to 30-6 on the first possession of the second half, as Elsner connected with Blaine Moran on a 20-yard scoring pass.

Crane came right back with a nine-play, 77-yard scoring drive, capped off by Travis Landon’s 34-yard touchdown run.

Jordan Valley responded with a touchdown drive of their own, as Elsner scored on a 2-yard run, finishing off a 51-yard drive and making the score 36-14.

On their next possession, Crane cut the lead to 36-20 on a 9-yard TD run by Roath.

Crane then forced Jordan Valley out on downs and took over at their own 35. With Nyman getting the bulk of the carries, Crane moved down the field, and Landon punched it into the end zone from four yards out. The 2-point conversion would have brought Crane to within eight points with 7:55 to play, but their run was stopped short.

Crane’s defense then came up with another stop, keeping Jordan Valley out of the end zone and getting the ball back to the offense at their own 2-yard line with 4:26 left in the game. Landon scrambled for a first down on an 11-yard run and then found Schulze open on two passes totaling 18 yards. After a 12-yard run by Landon, Joyce caught a short pass and turned it into a 25-yard gain.

Crane picked up one more first down before the drive stalled, and Jordan Valley took over on downs at their own 35. On fourth down, Warn broke free on a sweep to the right and galloped 59 yards for the score with 13 seconds left in the game.

Crane rolled up 446 yards of total offense, including 318 yards rushing.

Jordan Valley accounted for 464 yards of total offense, with 281 yards passing and 183 rushing yards.

The loss knocked Crane out of the playoff picture, as both Jordan Valley and Adrian are 5-0 with one game left to play.

Crane finishes up the regular season on the road Friday, Nov. 2, when they take on Dayville/Monument in Dayville. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

1    2    3    4   Final
JV     0   22  14   8    44
Cra   0    6   14   6    26

Second quarter
Crane — Nic Nyman 1 run (run failed) 3:25
Jordan Valley — Ty Warn 22 run (Nate Elsner run) 7:19
Jordan Valley — Tyrel Lucas 55 pass from Elsner (Blaine Moran run) 11:41
Jordan Valley — Lucas 20 pass from Elsner (run failed) 11:57
Third quarter
Jordan Valley — Moran 15 pass from Elsner (Warn run) 1:19
Crane — Landon 34 run (Nyman run) 5:03
Jordan Valley — Elsner 2 run (run failed) 8:39
Crane — Austin Roath 9 run (run failed) 10:19
Fourth quarter
Crane — Landon 4 run (run failed) 1:18
Jordan Valley — Warn 59 run (Ben Telleria pass from Elsner) 11:47
Individual statistics
RUSHING—Jordan Valley, Warn 21-163, Moran 8-18, Elsner 8-2. Crane, Landon 16-69,  Arritola 14-72, Baldwin 1-2, Roath 1-9, Nyman 15-115, Joyce 7-51.
PASSING—Jordan Valley, Elsner 13-28-2 264, Warn 3-4-0 17. Crane, Landon 7-16-1 128, Nyman 0-2-0 0.
RECEIVING—Jordan Valley — Warn 3-50, Telleria 3-23, Lucas 5-144, Moran 4-59, Elsner 1-5. Crane, Schulze 3-56, Nyman 2-46, Joyce 2-26.

Megan Lee (left) and Jordan Long go up for the block in Burns’ win over Riverside. (Photo by RANDY PARKS)

Hilanders secure playoff spot

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

The Burns volleyball team clinched at least a tie for the Eastern Oregon League (EOL) title by defeating both Riverside and Umatilla on Saturday, Oct. 20.

The victories give the Hilanders a 7-0 EOL record with only one league match left to play.

The Hilanders opened up their home doubleheader by sweeping Riverside 25-5, 25-18, 25-17.

Burns dominated all three games, getting out to comfortable leads and allowing head coach Paula Toney to rotate in a number of players off the bench.

The Burns JV won their match in two games, 25-9, 25-20.

The Hilanders also won their second match of the day in three games, sweeping Umatilla 25-19, 25-16, 25-18.

Burns will wrap up EOL play on Thursday, Oct. 25, when they travel to Nyssa to take on the Bulldogs.

•••
The Hilanders pulled out a five-game win over Vale on Thursday, Oct. 18, essentially locking up a playoff spot while knocking the Vikings out of playoff contention.

Burns won 25-22, 25-22, 9-25, 22-25, 15-11.

The victory kept Burns perfect in Eastern Oregon League play with a 5-0 record and dropped Vale to 2-4.

The Hilanders took the lead early in the first game, breaking out to a 12-7 lead. The Vikings came back to tie the game at 12-12. The game see-sawed back and forth until Burns took the lead for good at 18-17 and held on for the three-point win.

Burns trailed early in the second game and came back to tie the score at 13-13. The Hilanders never led by more than two until back-to-back kill shots by Jordan Long and Charli Siegner gave them a 24-21 lead.

The two team then traded points giving Burns the win.

Vale dominated the third game on their way to the win. Leading 9-8, the Vikings outscored Burns 16-1 for the comfortable win.

The fourth game saw Vale lead for the majority of the time, and they held off a late rally by Burns to tie the match at two games apiece.

With the score tied at 2-2 in the fifth and deciding match, Long delivered a kill shot that seemed to energize the Hilander squad. They then rattled off three more points to go up 6-2.

The Hilanders saw their lead cut to two at 9-7, but they then scored the next three points and carried the momentum on through for the win.

Siegner recorded 18 of the team’s 36 kills, and Long added another nine.

Burns finished with seven aces, led by Baylee Hanner with four and Erika Bentz with two.

Kayla McConnell led the team in assists with 26.

The Hilanders came up with 76 digs in the match, led by Bentz with 20, McConnell 18, Hanner 16 and Madison Woodworth 11.

The Burns JV team lost to Vale 25-27, 15-25.

•••
In non-conference action on Tuesday, Oct. 16, the Hilanders lost in four games to Grant Union 22-25, 21-25, 25-13, 21-25.

Emma Robertson of Crane gets the block. (Photo by RANDY PARKS)

Mustangs to host Jordan Valley Oct. 20

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

The Crane Mustangs improved to 6-1 in the High Desert League (HDL) with wins over Mitchell and Spray on Friday, Oct. 12.

The Mustangs opened up their home doubleheader with a sweep of Mitchell 25-15, 25-18, 25-19.

In the first game with the Loggers, the Mustangs played well early, getting out to an 11-6 lead.

The Loggers then got the momentum back on their side, reeling off five straight points to tie the game.

Coming out of a timeout, Crane outscored Mitchell 8-1 to take a 19-12 lead. The Loggers never threatened again as the Mustangs cruised to the 10-point win.

The second game was tied at 10-10 before a spike by Emma Robertson gave Crane the lead for good.

Up 20-15, the Mustangs saw their lead trimmed to three, but they outscored Mitchell 5-1 to close out the game.

In the third and final game, Crane was down 4-6 when Tanya Williams served seven straight points, including an ace, to put the Mustangs up by five. Crane continued to hold the lead and came away with the game and the match.

In their second match of the day, the Mustangs proved to be too much for the Spray Eagles.

Crane won in three games 25-11, 25-14, 25-11.

Crane coach Mandi Dowell noted that she was able to play every team member, and they all performed well.

•••
Crane picked up another HDL win by sweeping Dayville/Monument in three games on Tuesday, Oct. 9.
The Mustangs won 25-17, 25-22, 25-10.

•••
The Mustangs continue with HDL play on Friday, Oct. 19, when they travel to Huntington to take on both Harper and Huntington in varsity action. The matches start at 4 p.m.

On Saturday, Oct 20, Crane will have a home varsity match against Jordan Valley at noon.

Charli Siegner goes up for the shot in the Hilanders’ win over the Bulldogs. (Photo by RANDY PARKS)

Hilanders stay unbeaten in EOL play

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

Down 12-14 to the Nyssa Bulldogs in the fifth and deciding game, the Hilanders battled back for a 17-15 win to take the game and the match in Eastern Oregon League volleyball action on Thursday, Oct. 4.

The Hilanders won the first two games 25-16, 25-11, then lost the next two 25-27, 23-25 to set up the comeback finish.

With the win, Burns improved to 4-0 in league play, while Nyssa fell to 1-1.

Burns never trailed in the first game, getting out to a 20-12 lead on their way to the nine-point win.

The Hilanders also started fast in the second game, jumping out to a 10-3 lead and then steadily pulling away for the victory.

The Bulldogs turned things around in the third game, getting ahead early and building a 20-16 lead. The Hilanders got a bit of a rally going, and an ace by Kayla McConnell and two kills by Charli Siegner put Burns up 22-21.

Burns got to match point at 24-22, but Nyssa picked up the next two points and then outlasted the Hilanders to get the win.

It looked like the Hilanders would win the match in four games as they built a 19-14 lead, but the Bulldogs put together another comeback. They tied the game at 22-22 and then outscored the Hilanders 3-1 to force a fifth game.

With the momentum on their side, the Bulldogs took an 8-4 lead before Burns got back to within one on a tip shot by Baylee Hanner. The Bulldogs stretched the lead back to three and were on the verge of victory, up 14-11.

Burns then got a side-out, and scored the next two points to tie the game at 14-14.

After Nyssa won the next point, the Hilanders rebounded once again, scoring the next three points, including the game-winner on a block by Siegner, to win the match.

Siegner pounded out 35 kills in the match, Hanner added eight and Jordan Long six.

McConnell led the team in assists with 45.

Defensively, Burns racked up 82 digs in the match, led by McConnell with 22, Siegner 21 and Erika Bentz 20.

Long was the team leader in blocks, finishing with seven.

The Burns JV and freshmen / sophomore teams both won their matches in two games.

•••
On Saturday, Oct. 6, the Hilanders took part in the Just in Time Tournament at Henley High School.

In pool play, the Hilanders split their first match with Bonanza 21-14, 17-21, split with Klamath Union 10-21, 21-14 and split with Henley 23-21, 19-21.

The first round in bracket play was a rematch with Henley, and Burns lost to the Hornets 25-14, 22-25, 12-15.

In their final match of the day, the Hilanders topped Klamath Union 25-12, 25-11 to finish third in the tournament.

The Hilanders play at Ridgeview on Thursday, Oct. 11.

Nic Nyman (#10) and Tyler Opie converge on the Prairie City quarterback for a sack in Crane’s win over the Panthers. (Photo by RANDY PARKS)

Crane to host Dufur Friday, Oct. 5.

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

The Crane offense clicked early, and the defense was stifling for four quarters, as the Mustangs blanked Prairie City 56-0 on Friday, Sept. 28.

Crane racked up 466 yards of total offense, while holding the Panthers to just 43 yards.

Travis Landon put the Mustangs on the board on their first possession with a 23-yard scoring run, and Tyler Opie added the 2-point conversion for an 8-0 lead.

The Mustangs then blocked a Panthers punt and took over at the Prairie City 33. On second down, Landon threw to Opie for a 25-yard score, and Thomas O’Toole ran in the conversion to put Crane up 16-0.

The Panthers put together their best drive of the game on their next possession, but eventually went out on downs at the Crane 44.

Crane wasted little time getting back into the end zone, as Landon connected with Blaise Schulze for a 22-yard gain, and Opie finished off the two-play drive with a 34-yard touchdown run. Zalin Arritola followed with the 2-point conversion, and Crane led by 24.

With just seconds left in the first half, Nic Nyman threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to Landon, and Arritola added the conversion to send the Mustangs into the locker room with a 32-0 lead.

On the Mustangs’ first possession of the second half, Justin Baldwin finished off a six-play, 80-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Austin Roath ran in for the 2-point conversion to give Crane a 40-0 lead.

A Panthers punt pinned the Mustangs back on their own 5, but it didn’t stop them from putting together another scoring drive. Landon scored on a 9-yard run, Opie put the 2-point conversion on the board, and the game went to a running clock.

Baldwin scored Crane’s final TD on a 25-yard run, and Jack Bentz added the conversion to cap off the scoring.

With the win, Crane is now 1-1 in the High Desert League and 2-2 overall.

Crane will host Dufur at 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5, at Valentine Field in a non-conference game. The Crane JV team plays at Burnt River at 1 p.m. on Oct. 5.

1    2    3    4   Final
PC    0    0    0    0     0
Cra  16  16  16   8    56

First quarter
Crane — Travis Landon 23 run (Tyler Opie run) 3:15
Crane — Opie 25 pass from Landon (O’Toole run) 7:15
Second quarter
Crane — Opie 34 run (Zalin Arritola run) 1:23
Crane — Landon 56 pass from Nic Nyman (Arritola run) 11:58
Third quarter
Crane — Justin Baldwin 1 run (Austin Roath run) 2:03
Crane — Landon 9 run (Opie run) 8:10
Fourth quarter
Crane — Baldwin 25 run (Jack Bentz run) 1:18
Individual statistics
RUSHING—Prairie City, Hoberg 10-9, Ceja 23-41, Clark 10-(-9), Wilson 1-2. Crane, Landon 5-39, Arritola 8-75, Opie 5-75, Baldwin 6-46, Roath 2-18, Bentz 3-0, Lamborn 2-3.
PASSING—Prairie City, Clark 0-2-0 0. Crane, Landon 4-6-0 101, Nyman 1-1-0 56, Opie 2-2-0 44, Bentz 1-1-0 9.
RECEIVING—Crane, Opie 1-25, Schulze 3-92, Nyman 2-28, Landon 1-56, Witzel 1-9.

The Hilanders’ Seth Nonnenmacher follows his blockers down the field. (Photo by RANDY PARKS)

Feist scores five TDs in win

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

The Burns Hilanders improved to 3-1 on the season with a 55-0 rout of La Pine on Friday, Sept. 21, at Corbett Memorial Field.

The Hilanders scored on their first six possessions on their way to a 41-0 halftime lead and then added two more scores in the third period to finish off the scoring.

The Burns defense stopped the Hawks at midfield on the game’s opening possession, and on the second play from scrimmage, Austin Feist scored on a 50-yard run.

Burns got the ball right back as the Hawks fumbled on the ensuing kickoff, and a 45-yard touchdown pass from Seth Nonnenmacher to Feist put Burns up 14-0.

A La Pine punt gave Burns the ball back at their own 25, and the Hilanders put together a seven-play drive, capped off with a 12-yard run by Nonnenmacher.

Feist put Burns up 26-0 with a 36-yard run in the second quarter, and then made it 34-0 just a few minutes later by catching a 29-yard scoring pass.

Nonnenmacher’s 10-yard TD run with less than a minute to play in the half gave the Hilanders a 41-0 lead.

Burns had one more chance to add to their lead before halftime as Britton Bentz recovered the ensuing kickoff at the La Pine 22, but the Hilanders couldn’t punch it in before time expired.

After Nonnenmacher returned the second-half kickoff back to the La Pine 34, Brennan Bailey scored on a 15-yard run to put Burns ahead 48-0.

Because of the 45-point rule, the game then went to a running clock.

Burns forced another La Pine punt, and on the very next play, Feist took the pitch from Nonnenmacher on an option play and outran the defense for a 68-yard score.

La Pine did have one last chance to put some points on the board on their final possession. Chadon Haynes broke free for a 75-yard down to the Burns 11, but the Hilander defense stiffened and preserved the shutout.

Burns picked up 517 yards of total offense, including 350 yards on the ground.

Feist rushed 10 times for 175 yards and three touchdowns and had three receptions for 84 yards and two scores.

Nonnenmacher completed seven of 11 passes for 167 yards and two scores.

The Burns defense held La Pine in check all night long, allowing just 179 yards total offense.

Justin Wilson completed one of seven passes for five yards, and Haynes was the leading rusher for the Hawks, picking up 114 yards on 15 carries.

The Hilanders travel to Redmond on Friday, Sept. 28, to take on the Ridgeview Ravens, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.

1    2    3    4   Final
LaP   0    0    0    0     0
Bur   20  21  14   0    55

First quarter
Burns — Austin Feist 50 run (Feist kick) 3:30
Burns — Feist 45 pass from Seth Nonnenmacher (Feist kick) 5:37
Burns — Nonnenmacher 12 run (kick failed) 10:07
Second quarter
Burns — Austin Feist 36 run (kick failed) 2:07
Burns — Feist 29 pass from Nonnenmacher (Matson Gahley run) 6:48
Burns — Nonnenmacher 10 run (Feist kick) 11:04
Third quarter
Burns — Brennan Bailey 15 run (Feist kick) 1:02
Burns — Feist 62 run (Feist kick) 5:38
Individual statistics
RUSHING—La Pine, Jaynes 15-114, Wilson 7-17, Desrosiers 7-24, Johnson 9-33, Macy 1 (-2), Ward 2 (-12). Burns, Feist 10-175, Gahley 3-17, Nonnenmacher 6-77, Bailey 4-50, Cain 2-12, Davies 2-(-3), Blackburn 1-9, Recanzone 1-13.
PASSING—La Pine, Wilson 1-7-0 5. Burns, Nonnenmacher 7-11-0 167, Recanzone 0-1-0 0.
RECEIVING—La Pine, Johnson 1-5. Burns, Feist 3-84, Crafts 4-83.

Charli Siegner goes up for a shot in Burns’ match with Crook County. (Photo by RANDY PARKS)

Hilanders to host Ridgeview on Sept. 20

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

The Burns volleyball team got their Eastern Oregon League (EOL) season off to a great start, winning both of their matches on the road on Saturday, Sept. 15.

Burns traveled to Umatilla for their first match of the day and came away with a three-game sweep of the Vikings, 25-20, 25-15, 25-14.

The Burns offense played well, recording 32 kills in the three games. Charli Siegner knocked down 11 kills, Jordan Long seven, Kayla McConnell and Erika Bentz five apiece and Madison Carson and Megan Lee two each.

McConnell accounted for 18 of the team’s 27 assists and Mariah Ribeiro added seven.

Defensively, Burns finished with 35 digs, led by McConnell and Bentz with eight each. Baylee Hanner had six, Ribeiro five and Carson four.

McConnell was also named Player of the Game for the Hilanders.

The Hilanders then traveled to Boardman and kept things rolling along with a three-game sweep of Riverside, 25-12, 25-18, 25-18.

McConnell led the team in kills with 11, Siegner added another 10 and Bentz seven.

Siegner had a good match serving the ball, racking up nine aces in her 18 serve attempts.

Burns finished with 23 assists, led by McConnell with 15 and Lee five.

Hanner and McConnell each recorded 10 digs, Siegner six and Ribeiro five.

Siegner received Player of the Game honors for her performance.

The Burns JV team also won both of their matches against Umatilla and Riverside.

The Hilanders host Ridgeview on Thursday, Sept. 20, with matches starting at 4 p.m.

On Saturday, Sept. 22, Burns varsity team competes in the Sisters Tournament.

The Hilanders host Grant Union at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25.

•••
The Hilanders hosted Crook County on Thursday, Sept. 13, and it was a clean sweep for the visiting Cowgirls.

The Cowgirls, currently fifth in the 4A rankings, won the varsity match 25-14, 25-11, 25-13.

Siegner had half of the team’s 12 kills, while Bentz and Long each finished with three.

The Hilanders did come up with six blocks, led by Long and Carson with two each.

McConnell had eight assists and the team came up with 21 digs, with McConnell, Siegner and Kylee Fisher each getting three.

Hanner was chosen as the Hilander Player of the Game.

Crook County won the JV match in two games and the Cowgirls beat Burns two games to one in the frosh/soph match.

•••
The Burns volleyball team swept the Lakeview Honkers in non-conference action on Tuesday, Sept. 11.

The Hilanders beat the Honkers 25-18 in the first game, took the second game 26-24 and then put the match away with a 25-20 decision in the third game.

The Hilanders recorded 31 kills in the match, led by Siegner with 13. Bentz added seven kills and Long had four.

McConnell had 11 of the team’s 18 assists, while Ribeiro and Lee each had three.

Burns played well on the defensive side, coming up with 56 digs. Siegner finished with 19, Fisher 15, Bentz seven and Ribeiro five.

Travis Landon of Crane fights for extra yardage in the Mustangs’ win over McKenzie. (Photo by RANDY PARKS)

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

The Crane Mustangs rolled up 567 yards of total offense, including 342 yards on the ground, on their way to a convincing 78-22 win over McKenzie on Friday, Sept. 14.

The Mustangs’ Tyler Opie had a banner day, catching three touchdown passes and rushing for three more, as well as recording a safety as the first half came to a close. He also threw for one score.

The Crane defense was a force throughout the game, holding the Eagles to 272 total yards, including a minus 13 on the ground.

McKenzie received the opening kickoff, and after picking up one first down, their next three plays resulted in a loss of eight yards and an incomplete pass. On fourth-and-long, the snap went over the punter’s head into the end zone, resulting in a safety and a 2-0 Crane lead.

The Mustangs returned the free kick to the Eagles’ 35 and the offense went right to work. Opie ran for a 6-yard gain, followed by a 19-yard run by Zalin Arritola. After an incomplete pass, Opie connected with Nic Nyman for a 10-yard TD pass. Opie ran in the 2-point conversion, and Crane led 10-0.

McKenzie fumbled on their very next offensive play and Crane recovered at the Eagles’ 39. Four plays later, Opie scored from five yards out and added another 2-point conversion to put the Mustangs up 18-0.

The Eagles finally got their offense moving and drove deep into Mustang territory before turning the ball over on downs at the Crane 11.

It took Crane only six plays to get into the end zone again, as Travis Landon hit Opie on a 32-yard halfback pass for the score. Opie again added the 2-point conversion for a 26-point lead.

McKenzie had to punt on their next possession and Crane moved the ball to the Eagles’ 24 before going out on downs.

On second-and-13, Landon picked off Victor Vidal’s pass, giving the Mustangs possession at the 45.

The Eagles took the ball back on the next play, however, as Opie’s pass was intercepted by Blake Anderson at the Crane 41.

Not to be outdone, Landon came up with his second pick on the very next play, giving Crane a first down at their own 23. The Mustangs drove the ball down to the Eagles’ 5-yard line, before two penalties took them back to the 29. Opie then pitched it to Nyman going right; Nyman stopped and threw it back to Opie down the left sideline for another Mustang score.

The Eagles answered with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Vidal to Anderson and a 2-point conversion.

The Eagles tried an onside kick, but the ball barely went a yard upfield where Crane’s Riley Joyce scooped it up and raced to the 4 before being caught from behind. Opie carried it in from there, and Crane led 38-8.

Vidal and Anderson hooked up on another long scoring play, this one covering 61 yards, on the Eagles’ next possession, cutting the lead to 22.

McKenzie recovered the ensuing onside kickoff, but Blaise Schulze came up with an interception to give Crane a first-and-10 at their own 21.

On fourth-and-four, Opie raced around the left side and went 73 yards for the score. Landon then added the 2-point conversion.

Crane’s final score of the half came with Opie sacking Vidal in the end zone as the buzzer sounded.

Crane received the second-half kickoff, and on first down, Nyman lofted another pass to Opie for a 50-yard score and Arritola added the 2-point conversion for a 56-16 lead.

Crane began their next offensive possession at the Eagles’ 20 and Justin Baldwin carried four straight times, getting the score from two yards out. He also added the 2-point conversion, and the game went to a running clock because of the 45-point rule.

The Mustangs tacked on another 14 points on an 18-yard run by Thomas O’Toole, a 2-point conversion pass from Landon to John O’Toole and an 8-yard touchdown pass from Jack Bentz to Landon.

Opie completed four of 11 passes for 68 yards with one touchdown and one interception, Landon was 3-for-5 for 70 yards and one TD, Nyman was 2-for-2 for 79 yards and two scores and Bentz was 1-for-1 for eight yards and one score.

Opie rushed for 124 yards on eight carries, Arritola carried 10 times for 54 yards, Landon had six rushes for 54 yards, Baldwin picked up 81 yards on nine carries, Joyce added 18 yards on three carries and T. O’Toole had 11 yards on two rushes.

Opie caught three passes for 111 yards, Nyman had three receptions for 43 yards, Landon two catches for 33 yards, T. O’Toole one catch for seven yards and Joe Valentine one for 31 yards.

McKenzie’s Vidal completed 17 of 37 passes for 285 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.

Leading rusher for the Eagles was Josh Ness, who picked up just four yards on three carries, and Anderson was the leading receiver, hauling in seven passes for 202 yards.

The next game for the Mustangs is set for Friday, Sept. 21, when they travel to Adrian for their league opener. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. MT.
1    2    3    4   Final
McK  0   16    0    6    22
Cra  26   22   24   6   78

The Hilanders’ Tanner Crafts takes the opening kickoff back 82 yards for a score (photo by RANDY PARKS)

Late score gives Pros the win

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

Kody Nelson broke free for a 35-yard touchdown run with 4:47 left to play and Lane Williams connected with Rayce Houser on the two-point conversion to give Grant Union a 28-27 comeback win over Burns in the season opener for both teams on Friday, Aug. 31.

The Hilanders had one more chance to pull out the win, but they turned the ball over on downs on their final possession, and the Prospectors ran out the clock to pick up the win.

The game couldn’t have started out any better for Burns as Tanner Crafts fielded the opening kickoff and returned it 82 yards for the score.

Burns made it 14-0 in the second quarter as Austin Feist scored on a 23-yard run with 5:42 left in the half.

The Burns defense then forced Grant Union out on downs, and it looked like the Hilanders would take the two-touchdown lead into the locker room at halftime.

The momentum took a big swing the other way on the very next play as Soren Larson picked up a Hilander fumble and sprinted 36 yards down the sideline for a touchdown.

Following an onside kick attempt, the Hilanders had good field position at the Grant Union 49, but Seth Nonnenmacher’s first-down pass was intercepted by Tucker Wright, giving the Prospectors possession at the Burns 49.

The Prospectors moved the ball down to the 22, but Nonnenmacher picked off Lane Williams’ pass and the Hilanders led 14-6 as the second quarter came to a close.

Grant Union started the third quarter with a 67-yard scoring drive, capped off by a 2-yard TD run by Williams. Williams also ran in the two-point conversion to tie the game at 14-14.

The Hilanders regained the lead early in the fourth quarter as a bad punt snap gave them great field position, and Feist scored his second touchdown of the night from 23 yards out.

The Prospectors started their next drive at their own 31 and on fourth down, Williams connected with Houser on a 62-yard scoring play. The two-point conversion failed, giving Burns a 21-20 lead with 8:14 to play.

Feist returned the ensuing kickoff back to the Grant Union 48 and four plays later, Matson Gahley powered in from five yards out putting the Hilanders up 27-20. The extra-point kick was no good however, setting up Grant Union’s final game-winning drive.

On first down from their own 36, the Prospectors’ Blake Tirico picked up four yards, followed by a 17-yard pass completion from Williams to Dalton Reimers. Tirico then rushed for eight yards, followed by Nelson’s 35-yard score to bring Grant Union to within one. Williams then found Houser open for the two-point conversion and the victory.

The Hilanders rushed for 141 yards, led by Feist with 81 yards on eight carries.

Nonnenmacher completed six of 15 passes for 37 yards and three interceptions.

Grant Union picked up 207 yards on the ground, led by Tirico with 56 yards on 15 carries.

Williams was 3-for-13 for 88 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Burns travels to Sisters on Friday, Sept. 7, for a non-conference match-up with the Outlaws. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

1    2    3    4   Final
G.U.  0    6    8    14    28
Bur   7    7    0    13    27

First quarter
Burns — Tanner Crafts 82 kickoff return (Feist kick)
Second quarter
Burns — Austin Feist 23 run (Feist kick)
G.U. — Soren Larson 36 fumble return (kick failed)
Third quarter
G.U. — Lane Williams 2 run (Williams run)
Fourth quarter
Burns — Feist 23 run (Feist kick)
G.U. — Rayce Houser 62 pass from Williams (run failed)
Burns — Matson Gahley 5 run (kick failed)
G.U. — Kody Nelson 35 run (Houser pass from Williams)
Individual statistics
RUSHING—Grant Union, Williams 12-50, Nelson 5-44, Tirico 15-56, Goin 11-41, Gardner 1-0, Ackerman 3 (-27), DesJardin 2-11. Burns, White 3-5, Nonnenmacher 10-38, Gahley 5-17, Feist 8-81.
PASSING—Grant Union, Williams 3-13-1 88. Burns, Nonnenmacher 6-15-3 37.
RECEIVING—Grant Union, Tirico 1-9, Houser 1-62, Reimers 1-12. Burns, Feist 4-26, Crafts 2-11.