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55 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, September 10, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 7, 2004 Phoenix’s Hull in Shrine Game tonight By KEVIN GOFF Mail Tribune Recent Phoenix High graduate Vern Hull and three other Skyline Conference football players will compete in the 52nd East-West Shrine All-Star Game tonight in Baker City. The Shrine Game selects the best senior players from the Class 3A, 2A and 1A ranks. Other Skyline competitors on the East team are Illinois Valley’s Mike Pagnotta, Mazama’s Thomas Nealy and Henley’s David Prewitt. Hull, a first-team all-Skyline Conference and honorable mention all-state lineman, arrived in La Grande last Saturday and has been involved in two-a-day practices throughout the week at Eastern Oregon University. "It’s been a lot of fun," he says. "I know about four of the 30 guys (on the East team), so it was cool to see some familiar faces. All the guys are really, really talented." Advertisement Prior to arriving in La Grande, players from both teams made the customary visit to the Shriners Hospital in Portland. The Shrine Game annually brings in between $70,000 and $85,000 for Shriners hospitals. "That was really great," says Hull, who gets five days of rest following Saturday’s game before starting daily doubles with the Southern Oregon University football team. "We watched a video about what Shriners does and what we are playing for. Then we got to do about two hours of activities with the kids. "You could tell it really brightened their day." Among the other activities players have participated in were a player appreciation dinner and Shrine Golf Tournament at Buffalo Peak. A parade through Baker precedes the 7 p.m. game. Each player’s accomplishments are on display in different stores throughout the town. "It’s great how everyone is involved in this," says Hull, who helped the Pirates to a 6-5 record and their first state-playoff win since 1989. "All the people seem pretty excited about us being here. There’s a lot of local support for this." The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Hull will start at offensive tackle and most likely will play on the defensive side, as well. Pagnotta, who was voted the Skyline’s offensive player of the year, should see major minutes at running back and in the defensive backfield. Pagnotta led Illinois Valley to a 6-3 overall record and 3-3 mark in conference play. The Cougars finished tied for fourth in Skyline play and just missed the state playoffs. Nealy earned first-team Skyline honors as an offensive guard, while Prewitt made the honorable mention list at a defensive lineman position. Reach reporter Kevin Goff at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities