At the end of every season there are the champions and the also-rans, the All-Conference first teamers and the Coaches of the Year, but this year the sports staff at The East Oregonian also wanted to take a little time to look back at some of the other aspects that made this a great fall sports season in Eastern Oregon.

FRESHMAN PERFORMANCEKelsey Trotter, Hermiston cross country

Trotter started the season as a footnote on the talented Bulldogs squad, placing 11th on the team in the Yakimex III Preseason Time Trial with a time of 24 minutes, 57 seconds. Heading into the Intermountain Conference Championship, Trotter had gained ground but was still considered an alternate for the team as they would surely head to state, finishing eighth in practice on a regular basis. But all that changed when Trotter ripped off a time of 19:57 to take 15th overall, fourth on the team, at the IMC title race. Trotter’s time slipped less than three seconds at the state meet as she finished 25th overall and third on the Dawgs team in 20:12.

BIGGEST UPSETPendleton volleyball over Marshfield

The Pendleton Buckaroos took down plenty of highly ranked teams this past season (West Albany, Bend, Summit, Crescent Valley) but no win was bigger than their road defeat of No. 4 Marshfield to advance to the elite eight of the OSAA state championships Nov. 3. The last time Marshfield had lost at home was Sept. 18 and they were riding a six-game winning streak. After a seven hour-plus bus ride into Coos Bay the night before, the Bucks came out and played with the same reckless abandon that had made them one of the most exciting local teams this season on their way to a convincing 25-16, 15-25, 25-15, 25-10 win. It was the first time the Bucks had made it to the quaterfinals of the state tournament since 1987.

BIGGEST SURPRISEPendleton football hosting a playoff game

They said it was their goal to win a home playoff game at the beginning of the year, and as an East Oregonian favorite to make the playoffs it seemed like a plausible one. But the Bucks started the season with six straight losses and looked like they were headed for the title of season’s most disappointing team. The Bucks never wavered, though, and won must-win games against The Dalles-Wahtonka, Crook County and Hermiston to finish third in the Intermountain Conference and earn the right to host the Churchill Lancers. And even though the Bucks fell short of their ultimate goal, the fact that they were even in a position to pull it off was without a doubt the biggest surprise of the year.

MOST HEARTFELT MOMENTIone’s retirement of Stormy Kendrick’s number 33

Rarely does a freshman have as big of an impact on his teammates than Stormy Kendrick had on those who played with him for the Ione Cardinals. After a heart-defect cut his life short in March. Coach Dennis Stefani said not a day went by when his name wasn’t uttered in practice and Ione High School made sure he would never be forgotten by retiring his football jersey prior to the Cardinals’ game against their rival Condon-Wheeler Knights. The Cardinals responded with a 50-20 win in which they racked up 280 yards on the ground.

BEST FIRST-YEAR COACHKelly Allen, Umatilla football

Several first-year head coaches had good seasons this year. Pendleton’s Walt Johnson led the comeback Bucks, Teresa Humphrey returned to Condon-Wheeler to lead the volleyball team to a playoff berth and second-place in the Big Sky Conference East, but it was Kelly Allen’s turnaround of the Vikings football team that really set the bar for what a new coach and a new attitude can bring to a team. After a 1-8 record in 2006, the Vikings finished 6-3 this season, just one win away from a playoff berth. Not only did the Vikings show a glimpse of what may be to come, they proved to themselves that they can play with the big boys – which is almost as important as the wins themselves.

BEST SINGLE GAME PERFORMANCEJake Talbot vs. Hermiston, Pendleton football

The Bucks came into the game needing a win to go to the playoffs. They had the offensive powerhouse Bulldogs in front of them and a sophomore calling the signals from behind center. But Talbot proved he was up to the challenge and though he didn’t throw for any touchdowns or put up gaudy statistics, his two-point conversion pass to J.J. Rosenberg was one of the biggest passes in the game. Talbot came up big on third downs late in the game and led the offense on a fourth-quarter comeback to tie before running in the winning touchdown from 17 yards out in overtime. He finished the 20-14 win with 59 yards on the ground and 85 in the air.

MOST DOMINANT PERFORMANCEHeppner defense shuts out conference

It’s been said several times already, but the Heppner defense deserves every ounce of praise given them for shutting out their entire league schedule and stretching their conference winning streak to 61 games. Granted, Helix and Weston-McEwen volleyball both went undefeated at home this season, but by not allowing a single point to the teams they play the most, the Mustangs set a new standard for defensive excellence in Eastern Oregon.

BIGGEST MORAL VICTORYIrrigon football getting first win

Not since bell bottoms and acid rock were the rage has Irrigon football been able to say they had won their latest football game. But in the third year since the school reopened, the Knights were able to do just that after a 6-0 win over Weston-McEwen Oct. 5 in front of the home crowd. They always say the first win is the hardest and even though the Knights won just one game last season, at least they can go into next season with that milestone behind them.

BEST FAREWELL PERFORMANCEKaitlyn Muller, Helix volleyball

The Helix Grizzlies didn’t make it back to the state championship this year, but with third place their best possible finish, the team rallied behind senior Kaitlyn Muller and her 28 kills and 12 blocks in their 18-25, 25-8, 25-12, 23-25, 15-6 win over Imbler. Muller had been a force for the Grizzlies all season but she may have saved her best performance for last as her team sent her out in style.