"It's Friday night in America and we're going to play a football game."

That quote is from Riverside football head coach Robin Graff. It's one of the coachisms you either love or hate. I tend to enjoy them, if only for the somewhat bucolic images they often evoke. Lots of teams in Eastern Oregon will take the field this Friday night with the playoffs at stake. At least five local teams will have the added pressure of needing a win to secure or keep alive their playoff hopes. Check this out for more details.

Not a blogger

All the time I spend at work returning calls and e-mails has been wasted...I should be using that time blogging! There's plenty to talk about, too, from the national (LeBron mentoring Terrelle Pryor) to the very local (apparently Hermiston's volleyball team is one of the smartest in the state). However, what really excites me is Pendleton football's chance to win its first league game this Friday when they play Summit. The Storm are 0-7 this year and have suffered a ton of embarrassing blowouts. So has Pendleton, but they've also come through with some wins—okay, two wins early in the year, but still. This is the Bucks game to win or lose. After the rough year they've had, I'm hoping they can pull together and get a well-deserved win.

Governor Chris Dudley?

Soooooo this is interesting. Republican Chris Dudley, former Blazers center, is considering a run for governor. I'm not sure I'm a big fan of athletes running for office. I mean, sure, it works sometimes. Look at Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and the bang-up job he's doing in that city...oh wait. Nevermind.

But it will surely add a little much-needed drama to the Republican primaries if Dudley does throw his name in the hat. What do you think? Good idea?

It's hunting season!

Hunting season has been in full swing for a couple of weeks now, and it's just about time for the EO to check up and see how things are going (at least this is what my editor tells me). In the next few days I'll be asking around and seeing just what's going on in Eastern Oregon as far as deer and elk hunting is concerned. Check the paper and online for a story this Friday.

I'm also trying to schedule a little hunting expedition with a local hunter. I've never been hunting and never shot something bigger than a beer bottle, so I figure now that I live in Pendleton it's time for me to go out there and try my hand at this region's favorite fall/winter activity. Mostly I just want to shoot rifles, but if I happen to hit something, hey, isn't that the point?

A little MNF

I'm just going to go out on a limb and say maybe it's not such a bad thing for the Dolphins that Chad Pennington is out for the year. The offense looked good against the Jets, and Henne was effective in the pocket. EO sports editor Matt Entrup disagrees with me, but I was impressed with what I saw tonight. One thing's for sure: Henne has at least twice the arm strength that poor Pennington (used to) possess.

BMCC volleyball @ home Wednesday

Coaches rarely let themselves get too excited about their teams' chances to make noise in the playoffs, but BMCC volleyball head coach Dave Baty's enthusiasm is hard to resist. The man practically bubbles over with barely contained passion, and why the heck not? His team, with 19 wins already, is just that good. They're intriguing, too, with a 6-foot-1 setter and a dominant middle blocker in 6-foot-2 Kristen Garlie. The outside hitters KC Schmidt and Rebecca Haight are just as talented. If you haven't been paying attention to the Timberwolves, now is the time to jump on the bandwagon. This is their year.

Catch BMCC in a home tilt this Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Get excited

We've got some big-time matchups on the docket for Friday night, but there isn't a more important one for local teams than Hermiston football's home game against Mountain View. These two teams are tied up at 2-1 in IMC play, which means that second-place is up for grabs. Both teams will make the playoffs, but seeding can play a huge factor and the Dawgs need all the help they can get.

Look at the their games against the IMC's best: A 30-22 squeaker against Bend and a 33-29 loss at The Dalles-Wahtonka, the class of the conference. The Mountain View game is Hermiston's last big league challenge before the playoffs start. This is the Bulldogs' chance to set the tone for how the rest of their season will play out. Look for a column this Friday.