Last week, with spring around the corner, Grant County’s high school athletes kicked off their fall seasons after a year and a half layoff.

With shortened seasons, strict guidelines and short practice windows, high school sports programs across the county were in full swing over the weekend.

Heppner blanks Prospectors in season opener

Grant Union head football coach Jason Miller said in a Monday email that he was, for the most part, proud of the team’s effort in their 35-0 loss to Heppner.

Miller said “lack of experience” played a big role in Friday’s loss.

“We definitely need to improve our blocking and tackling,” Miller said. “The good news is that the players are eager to improve.”

Grant Union will host McLoughlin (1-0) in a non-league play at 4 p.m. Friday.

Redsides rout Panthers in league action

The Prairie City Panthers football team fell to South Wasco County 55-6 Friday at their home opener.

First-year head coach Nick Thompson said the team, a majority of them freshmen, played a good first half.

Thompson said the “well-coached” Redsides forced turnovers on defense early in the second half that led to a deficit they could not recover from.

He said freshman Wes Voigt, in his first varsity game, made plays on both sides of the ball.

Thompson said on offense Voigt was the team’s quarterback for most of the game. He said on defense, Voigt’s pass deflections and “big tackles” as a safety kept the Panthers in the game.

Thompson, a teacher for Prairie City School District, said he was proud of everyone on his team. He said South Wasco, in addition to being the more experienced team, also outmatched the Panthers physically.

“When you combine size, speed and knowledge, it’s pretty hard to come out and produce a win against a team like that,” he said. “What better test than to play arguably one of the better teams that we’re going to face all year right out of the gate.”

Grant Union cross country competes in Heppner

The Grant Union Prospectors cross country teams competed in their first competition of the year at the Heppner Ice Breaker Meet in Heppner March 3.

Senior Sisay Hurty from Stanfield/Echo led the boys 5,000 meter open with a time of 17:19.5.

For Grant Union, sophomore Brady Dole was the top finisher in sixth with a time of 20:11.4. Sophomore Quinn Larson was 10th at 20:53.4, sophomore Max Bailey was 16th at 22:27.7, freshman Skylor Boyd was 20th at 23:28.8, freshman Landon Boyd was 21st at 23:51.3, senior Jesse Randleas was 23rd at 24:10.6 and junior Cole Ashley was 25th at 28:07.8.

Junior Kallyn Wilkins from Condon led the girls 5,000 meter open with a time of 22:27.3.

For Grant Union, junior Katelyn Hughes was the top finisher in seventh with a time of 27:18.0. Freshman Abbie Justice placed ninth at 28:15.7, freshman Aliciana Archibald placed 10th at 28:39.0, junior Riley Robertson placed 13th at 30:31.8 and junior Audrey Walker placed 15th at 31:25.7.

The teams next compete March 11 at the Stanfield Fun Country meet in Stanfield, with the time to be announced.