They’re the new kids on the block in the Mid-Columbia. Oregon school welcomes the move

Being the new kid on the block can be kind of scary. For the Hermiston football team, it is embracing the move to the Mid-Columbia Conference this season.

“We are excited, absolutely,” Hermiston coach David Faaeteete said. “Our kids play legion baseball and other things against the Tri-City kids, and they don’t always do so well. We are looking forward to every week.”

Hermiston is the first Oregon school to jump the boarder to the WIAA. The Bulldogs come in having won the Oregon 5A state title last year with a 38-35 victory over Churchill, and posting a 12-2 record.

But the Bulldogs lost 17 seniors from last year’s team, including running back/linebacker Jonathan Hinkle, and wide receiver/defensive back Dayshawn Neal, who caught two touchdown passes in the title game.

“We are young and most of our returning guys played JV,” said Faaeteete, who is heading into his fourth year as head coach. “But our JV team was undefeated last year.”

There is a silver lining for the Bulldogs. Quarterback Andrew James returns for his third year as a starter. Last year, he had a combined 3,541 yards between rushing and passing, and accounted for 30 touchdowns.

“As kids mature, they get better at things,” Faaeteete said. “His command of the ball has gotten a lot better. He throws the ball and runs. He is a dual threat quarterback.”

Receiver Jordan Ramirez also returns, but with Neal on the field last year, he was a second or third option.

“Jordan had three or four touchdowns last year, but having a kid like Dayshawn Neal, who is your go-to guy, everyone else is waiting their turn,” Faaeteete said. “Andrew and Jordan have played together since youth sports. They know each other very well.”

Senior Jacob Liebe is the only returning starter on the offensive line. Junior Chase Bradshaw has some experience, taking over at tackle when one of the starters went down.

Hermiston will open its season Aug. 31, hosting Pasco in a battle of the Bulldogs.

“Pasco has a new coach (Leon Wright-Jackson) who was a legend there,” Faaeteete said. “He has great experience with running backs and offense. We are expecting to see a run-heavy team, but we won’t know until we line up Friday night.”

The move to the MCC was a good one

The Bulldogs competed in the Class 5A Special District 1 last year, which included Pendleton, The Dalles and five Bend-area schools.

With a rising student population, Hermiston was expected to be pushed to the 6A level when the Oregon Schools Activities Association (OSAA) reclassified for 2018. The nearest 6A conference to Hermiston is the Portland Metro League, about 185 miles each way for a league game, but it was likely the Bulldogs may have ended up in the Mt. Hood Conference.

The move also keeps student-athletes in class all day. The longest road trip for Hermiston in the MCC is Walla Walla, a mere 55 miles.

“Not only that, but kids get to have me as a teacher all day,” joked Faaeteete, who teaches history. “We aren’t going to be behind in our lesson plans. There will be no Fridays off.”

It’s not yet known how much money the school will save with the move, but it’s more than enough for Faaeteete’s assistants to get a bump in pay.

“Seventy to 80 percent of their pay was funded by the booster club,” Faaeteete said. “It’s motivation for them. They feel like they are valuable, and it improves our athletic culture.”

A little fanfare

This season will mark the first that Hermiston and Pendleton have not met on the football field in “about 100 years,” said Hermiston athletic director Larry Usher.

“It was just a matter of time,” Usher said. “Pendleton is not that big. We are really excited about the move to the Mid-Columbia Conference, but we are cautiously optimistic. They are one of the toughest in the state. Look how many state titles they won last year.”

Executive directors Mike Colbrese from the WIAA and Peter Weber from the OSAA will be at the Aug. 31 game. Hermiston will receive its WIAA banner, and there will be a commemorative medallion for the coin toss.

“It will be a special night for us,” Usher said.

It could be a standing-room-only night. Usher isn’t quite sure how well the Tri-City fans travel, but knows it will be well more than the 50 or 60 from the Bend area schools.

“We built a $6 million stadium five years ago, and now I think we need more seating,” Usher said. “It’s coming, it just won’t be here for the first game.”