Prairie City’s Brooke Teel smothers Grant Union’s Taylor Palmateer during her team’s 44-24 win over the Lady Pros on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022, at Grant Union High School.

The year in sports Top 10 stories of 2022

{child_byline}By JUSTIN DAVIS

Blue Mountain Eagle{/child_byline}

Looking back, 2022 was a banner year in sports for Grant County teams and individual athletes. From individual state championships to unforgettable winning runs, the year brought many accolades to local teams and athletes.

Here are the most important sports stories from 2022:

1. Hodge and Lusco win state crowns

2022 was a year to remember for former Grant Union High School athlete Justin Hodge, who graduated in June. Hodge won the first of two individual state championships on Feb. 26 in Culver, defeating Lakeview’s Wyatt Patzke 16-13 in the final of the OSAA 2A wrestling tournament in the 152 pound weight class.

On May 20, Hodge would capture his second individual state championship of 2022, seizing the Oregon 2A 100 meter dash title with a time of 11.39 seconds. Hodge would add another top three finish to his resume at the state track meet, placing third with the rest of the Prospector 4×100 relay team.

Grant Union freshman Mallory Lusco would also capture a wrestling state championship for Grant Union. Lusco won the title in the 235 pound weight class on Feb. 24, pinning all of her opponents on her way to the crown.

2. A softball season to remember

The Grant Union softball team’s run to the state final was a sight to behold. The team won 23 games in a row before losing to 4A state semifinalist La Grande in the final game of the regular season.

The Lady Pros would rebound from that loss, scoring 34 runs through the first three games of the state tournament and holding their opponents to a single run through the first three rounds.

That run would earn the Lady Pros a berth in the state championship game against a Lakeview squad the team had defeated twice during the regular season. The third time was not the charm for the Lady Pros as they fell 5-3 in the state title game, bringing home second-place hardware.

Despite the state championship loss, the 2022 Grant Union softball season was a highly successful campaign. The team finished the 2022 season with a record of 26-2 along with a perfect 12-0 league mark, all of which culminated in a second-place finish in the OSAA state softball tournament.

The Lady Pro softball team had six players named to the 2A/1A All-State team in 2022.

3. Volleyball teams host post-season games2022 was a great year for volleyball in Grant County as both Prairie City/Burnt River and Grant Union qualified for the state volleyball tournament and hosted state playoff games.

The Lady Pros hosted the Oakland Oakers in the opening round of the state tournament at Grant Union High School on Oct. 29 and fell 3-1 despite a gutsy comeback effort after falling behind 2-0 in the match. The loss left the Lady Pros with a 19-10 record in 2022.

The Prairie City/Burnt River Lady Panthers also hosted a state volleyball match in 2022, welcoming the Sherman Lady Huskies to Prairie City on Oct. 26.

Down three starters, the Lady Panthers fought off a determined Sherman squad to win the match 3-1 and advance to the second round of the OSAA Class 2A volleyball tournament. The Lady Panthers would exit the tournament in the second round, falling to eventual runners-up North Douglas 3-0.

The Lady Panthers put together a spectacular 2022 season, finishing with a record of 23-8.

4. GUHS golf team wins district

Ron Lundbom has been the coach of the Grant Union golf team for 16 years. 2022 saw all his hard work and dedication pay off as the boys team captured the first district championship of Lundbom’s tenure as coach on May 10 in Pendleton.

Led by Tanler Fuller’s fourth place individual result, the district championship allowed the Pros to send a full team to the state golf tournament for the first time ever.

5. Dayville/Monument ends losing skid

In most cases, football is the lifeblood of high school sports. The Dayville/Monument football team hadn’t won a game since their victory over Wheeler County on April 8, 2021, during spring football in a COVID-adjusted season. The Tigers finally got into the win column after more than a year of losses with a 38-32 overtime victory over the Huntington Locomotives on Sept. 8, 2022, at Dayville High School.

The Locomotives defeated the Tigers 20-6 during the prior season.

6. GUHS boys take district track title

The Grant Union boys track team traveled to Athena for the 2A Special District 5 track meet on May 13 and just edged out hosts Weston-McEwen for the district championship. The Prospector boys finished with 124 team points to Weston-McEwen’s 122.

The Grant Union boys sent eight competitors to the state meet in Eugene, which started on May 19 and concluded on May 21.

The Grant Union girls track team had a solid season as well.

The girls placed third at the district meet, with 89.5 team points. Hosts Weston-McEwen and Echo/Stanfield finished tied for the girls district championship with 112 points each.

The Lady Pro track team sent three competitors to the state championship meet in Eugene.

7. McCrackens ride in national rodeo

Grant Union High School siblings Sam and Bailey McCracken both competed at the National High School Rodeo Finals in Gillette, Wyoming, this past July.

Sam McCracken qualified for the National High School Rodeo finals after his third consecutive Oregon State High School Rodeo Association cutting championship.

Sam also notched a third-place finish in cowhorse. Both finishes qualified Sam for the National High School Rodeo Championships in 2022, his fourth consecutive finals appearance.

Bailey McCracken qualified for the national finals for the second time after finishing fourth overall at the state competition in pole bending. While Sam had a bit of bad luck at the national final when his horse took a fall, Bailey found success, finishing in 29th place out of 180 competitors at the national competition.

Bailey McCracken is currently a junior at Grant Union High School and is looking for another national finals appearance in 2023. Sam McCracken graduated from Grant Union High School in 2022 and is in his freshman year at the University of Western Montana, where he is studying natural horsemanship management.

8. Prospector baseball makes a run

Another year, another Grant Union/Prairie City appearance in the Class 2A state baseball tournament. 2022 saw the Pros travel to Coquille on May 23 for a first round state tournament matchup with the Coquille Red Devils.

The Pros would leave Coquille with a 6-2 victory and set themselves up for a showdown with 2A powerhouse Kennedy in Mount Angel on May 25.

Grant Union’s season would end in Mount Angel as the Pros fell to the eventual state champions 13-0. The Pros finished the 2022 baseball season with a record of 16-11.

9. Grant Union, Prairie City renew rivalryPrairie City/Burnt River and Grant Union renewed their basketball rivalry during the 2022 season. On Dec. 6 the two schools, separated by just 13 miles, played their first games since Dec. 28 of 2017.

The teams split the series, with the Grant Union boys picking up a 46-42 win at Grant Union High School and the Prairie City girls mauling the Lady Pros on their way to a 44-24 win in Prairie City.

10. 2A shifts to nine-man football

Change came swiftly to Class 2A football in 2022. A switch from traditional 11-man to nine-man football was implemented statewide across all of Class 2A.

The Pros went 2-7 during their inaugural season of nine-man ball and had seven games where both teams combined to score 40 or more points in the faster-paced nine-man game.