Some of the top athletes from across the state hit the gridiron for one final time this past Saturday in the 28th Eight-Man All-Star Game played at Community Stadium in La Grande.
For East coach Jack Henderson, he had a week to work with Ben Anderson and TJ Kennedy.
He also got the chance to join forces with Sherman High School athletes Maverick Winslow and Ryan Asher.
“The all-star week was great. Those four players represented their schools and communities very well throughout the week,” Henderson said. “As a coach, it is always enjoyable to get to know kids during all-star week, and although the competition is great between Dufur and Sherman high schools, I’ve always appreciated the abilities of Maverick and Ryan. It was a pleasure to coach them for a few days. They are great guys with bright futures.”
On the field, Triad’s James Homfeldt returned a fumble for a touchdown and Lowell’s Kenny Lane added an 80-yard interception return score to help the West squad break open a 14-6 halftime lead in what ended up being a 30-6 victory.
With the win, the West snapped a two-game losing streak and evened the series at 14-apiece.
Last year, the East came away with a 36-24 win.
“We had a great group of guys who all played hard during the Eight-Man All-Star game,” Anderson said. “Even though we didn’t get the win, I am proud to say that I got to play with these guys. I made a lot of friends during this great experience, and hopefully, we keep in touch in the future. I want to thank everyone who supported the team and send a special thanks to Chuck Steeves, and all the coaches on the East team, Jack Henderson, Charlie Little and Lance Dixon.”
Winslow was a first-team all-state selection at running back and a second-team pick at linebacker this past fall.
Winslow, who was also the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team winner on both sides of the ball, rushed 85 times for 1,186 yards for 13.95 yards a carry, and added a team-leading 23 touchdowns. Through the air, the senior had six catches for 78 yards and three scores.
He also returned a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown during the season.
With Asher, an all-state winner this past fall, as one of the anchors, the Huskies racked up 2,907 yards and 51 touchdowns on the ground, and tallied 1,766 yards passing with 23 more trips to the end zone.
In their four years as football players, Sherman amassed a 32-13 record and went 20-3 in Big Sky Conference play. This past fall, the Huskies went 9-2 overall and won the league title with a 6-0 record.
Winslow walks away from the game with countless memories.
Although he has a trophy case full of awards and individual accolades, he hopes that his legacy is one that showed young kids how to play the game the right way.
“I am happy with what I have done, and hopefully I have set the bar high for other athletes,” Winslow said. “I hope I set a good example for the kids, and gave them something to strive for, so that they can become great athletes and good citizens as well.”
Henderson has been on the Ranger sidelines since 1987 and has a record of 242-87 in that span with eight state titles. He has coached for and against all-league and all-state winners, and can stake claim to several Coach of the year awards.
Little is a huge part of that success, so being on the field with him this past meant so much.
“C.S. did a fine job as usual,” Henderson said. “This was his first experience coaching in the all-star game and it was great to work with him in a different setting. He is a huge part of our program at Dufur High School, and did a great job during all-star week.”
Anderson played a pivotal role this past season for the two-time state champion Dufur Ranger football program.
As the starting center on the offensive line, the passing game and running game flourished, as Dufur scored its most points (710) since the 2006 season (699). Anderson earned second-team all-league honors for his play.
Kennedy, a first-team all-state selection at defensive end, saw his share of double teams and still made plays. He set a high mark on defense with 28 sacks this season and forced teams to adjust to him all season long. The Ranger defense, under the watch of C.S. Little, who coached the East team this weekend, finished fourth in the 1A ranks in scoring defense with 189 points allowed in 13 contests.
Charles Anderson saw a positive change for his son and for Kennedy, saying that playing under Henderson and Little has taught them how to be humble winners, but more importantly, given them the ability to deal with losses and compete for the next wins.
“Many times, the person across from Benjamin was bigger than him, and the coaches taught him to overcome adversity and get the job done,” Charles Anderson said. “These coaches took a week off from their summer vacation to coach a team of guys that probably won’t step on the field again. Maybe we will see these new men become the next generation of coaches or leaders in their communities, because of the inspiration of H and C.S.”
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