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Lockout becomes a personal issue

Posted by :jprokop On : October 31, 2011
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Category: Opinion

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Every year around this time, basketball games start to appear in homes and sports bars all across America. This year, there is a conflict that is restraining this from happening—the lockout.

At the beginning of the year, the National Football League announced that there was going to be a lockout for the season. Negotiations were made and the football season began. This same thing is happening for the National Basketball Association, except that there haven’t been any negotiations made, so the season hasn’t started.

The whole lockout situation is about putting a cap on how much the professional basketball players earn. Most starters on teams make more than a million dollars per contract, costing owners a hefty sum.

However, with this lockout, these owners are losing their revenue. Tickets aren’t being purchased, team merchandise is not being sold, and the businesses within the venue aren’t getting any customers.

There is an understanding that players are being paid a great deal of money but putting the season on hold because of an NBA lockout  costs the owners money and the fans their entertainment.

According to the Los Angeles Times, over the past week, the players union and the owners have tried to negotiate a deal but the players are limited to how much income they are deducted.

Now preseason is canceled, along with two weeks of the regular season. Fans are waiting for these long-term discussions to stop.

All this is because owners want to split all revenue 50-50 and the players have to agree to that before the discussion of a salary cap can happen.

This constant argument between both sides is becoming redundant and needs to subside quickly.

Each day that a basketball game isn’t held is a loss of revenue for the venues and the teams. Negotiations should not have to impact the anticipated revenue.

Someone needs to agree on terms soon, or these teams might lose a lot more of their revenue, and then the players and owners really won’t be getting paid.

The wait must continue, as according to ESPN, there will be about 102 games canceled and the season is set to start on Nov. 28.

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Ivanna Tucker/Features editor
Ivanna Tucker can be reached at linfieldreviewfeatures@gmail.com

 

The top five football movies of all time

Posted by :jprokop On : October 25, 2011
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Category: Culture

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We’re about half way through the football season, so I thought I’d share with you the top-5 football movies of all time!

#5 Brian’s Song

Brian’s Song is the true story of Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers, both running backs for the Chicago Bears in the late ‘60s.

At first, the men don’t get along, but they soon create a bond that can’t be broken.

Piccolo is later diagnosed with cancer and that’s really when their friendship takes off. It’s a powerful movie that has all of the right ingredients for a great football movie.

It tackles racial barriers and is the story of friendship and brotherly love. It takes a focus on the incredible off-field relationship between the two men.

This movie is an absolute tearjerker. If you’re an athlete, or let alone have a pulse, it’ll be extremely hard for you to hold off the waterworks.

Favorite Quote: “I love Brian Piccolo, and I’d like all of you to love him. When you hit your knees to pray tonight, please ask God to love him, too.” – Gale Sayers

#4 Longest Yard

“Longest Yard” is the story of an ex-NFL player who has a little too much to drink and gets a little aggressive with his girl, his car and some police officers.

He finds himself in jail, where the warden challenges him to a game between the inmates and the guards. It starts off quickly with former star, Paul, losing control and going on a classic car chase. It ends with an epic game between the vicious criminals and the deserving guards.

The ‘74 version is much better than what the remake could do. It’s strong, “manly,” and bluntly, bad ass at the core. If you haven’t seen the original, it’s worth renting!

Favorite Quote: “Hey Pop, the time you hit Hazen in the mouth, was it worth 30 years?” – Paul Crewe

#3 Rudy

I’ve never really appreciated Rudy until the last couple of years.

I’ve always felt like it’s kind of an overrated movie, but the last few times I’ve watched it, I’ve really enjoyed it.

It’s the story of a small town kid, who has always been told he’s too small, and his incredible journey to make the Notre Dame football team. “Rudy” has to overcome many obstacles in order to reach his goal.

Favorite Quote: “You just summed up your entire sorry career here in one sentence! If you had a 10th of the heart of Ruettiger, you’d have made All-American by now! As it is, you just went from third team to the prep team! Get out of here!” – Coach Parseghian

#2 Remember the Titans

Remember the Titans is the amazing true story of a high school football team in the middle of severe racial tension from all around.

Coach Herman Boone, played by Denzel Washington, takes over the head coaching job and is responsible for bringing the team together.

I saw this movie when I was 10 years old, and I swore that it would always be my favorite movie. It has it all: the come-together story, the unforgettable characters, the comedy and the last play to win it all!

(One of my) Favorite Quote(s): “Fake 23 Blast…with a backside George reverse…like your life depended on it!” – Coach Boone.

#1 Friday Night Lights

In my opinion, it just doesn’t get any better than this movie.

FNL is the best football movie ever made.

It has everything: an intro that sucks you right in (you can hear the radio show while all of the players roll into their first day of camp), an unbelievable season (star player goes down, so the team is forced to come together and pick up the slack after a few losses), and a lights-out, roller coaster finish.

The characters are well-developed and believable. James “Boobie” Miles is a star on and off the field. He would put guys like T.O. and Ochocinco to shame in the smack-talk category. And what about Coach Gary Gaines, played by Billy Bob Thornton, and all of his epic speeches to his team? Here’s one of my favorites:

“Gentlemen, the hopes and dreams of an entire town are riding on your shoulders. You may never matter more than you do right now. It’s time.”

Honorable Mentions: The Junction Boys, The Program, North Dallas Forty, Any Given Sunday, The Express, The Replacements and The Waterboy.

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Hayden Mace/For the Review
Hayden Mace can be reached at linfieldreviewculture@gmail.com.

Football mid-season report card is out

Posted by :jprokop On : October 18, 2011
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Hey ’Cats. We’ve reached the midpoint in the fall sports season, a time I usually like to take to reflect on how the team has performed thus far and what areas still need focus as the year rolls on.

So far this football season, we’ve seen a young quarterback come into his own, a running game suddenly revitalized and a streak preserved for a 56th consecutive season.

Here’s the mid-season report card for the football program in a few condensed areas.

OFFENSE:

The Wildcats’ offense has been nothing short of prolific when everything is clicking this season, averaging 453 yards of total offense and 43.6 points per game.

In close games like those against Cal Lutheran and Willamette, the offense has been able to execute clutch plays and convert in the red zone when needed most. Junior quarterback Mickey Inns has found his passing touch, throwing at least one touchdown in every game this season and racking up four consecutive games with more than 200 yards through the air to only three interceptions.

Junior tailback Josh Hill, stepping in against Cal Lutheran for the injured Aaron Williams, has created havoc for opposing
defenses while averaging more than 80 yards per game.

A deep receiving core has provided Inns with many targets to choose from; eight receivers have nabbed touchdown catches this season. The offensive line has been rock solid, giving up only two sacks all season.

Dropped passes continue to be an issue, however. Last week against Pacific, two clean passes by Inns that would have become touchdowns were dropped in the end zone. Also, the Wildcats had 10 penalties for 96 yards that kept the pace of the game slow and gave Pacific additional chances to score. These mistakes can and will be fatal once playoff season begins.

GRADE: B+

DEFENSE:

The top defense in the Northwest Conference continues to flex its strength every contest. This year, the Wildcat defense is allowing only eight points and 291 yards per game, a jaw-dropping statistic through five games.

Sophomore standouts Tyler Robitaille and Dominique Forrest have been key players on a young linebacking core that has helped
gather 23 sacks for 148 lost yards and 77 tackles for loss that resulted in a net 245 yards lost.

The ball-hawking veteran secondary has pulled down nine interceptions so far this season, including two from All-American safety Drew Fisher, who also leads the team in tackles.

It’s hard to find fault with such a stifling defensive performance, but there are always little things present that bear scrutiny. Clean, consistent tackling is always the ideal level to strive for as a defense, and some missed tackles in the backfield and in open space have led to big plays by opposing offenses. On the whole this has been pretty clean, but nonetheless is something to continue to work towards. Additionally, silly penalties that give life back to an opponent’s offense were a persistent problem against Pacific last weekend.

GRADE: A-

SPECIAL TEAMS:

The unsung hero of the 2011 season, Linfield’s special teams play has been unreal. Junior punter Josh Repp has pinned six of his 16 punts within the 20-yard line and is averaging 34.9 yards a punt.

The return team has been stellar as well, with one kickoff returned 86 yards for a score last weekend against Pacific and two punts blocked and returned for scores in the past two weeks as well.

Coach Joseph Smith has mixed up his return men and found success across the board, with six Wildcats averaging more than 20 yards a return. Kicker Josh Kay has been near perfect, only missing one field goal against Willamette in heavy rain but nailing all 29 of his PAT attempts.

I don’t have a lot of negative things to say about Linfield special teams this season except that the onside kick attempt against Puget Sound was pretty terrible. That could use some work.

GRADE: A

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Chris Forrer/Sports columnist
Chris Forrer can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

’Cats knock out the Pacific Boxers

Posted by :jprokop On : October 18, 2011
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Sophomore defensive end KeAlli Poomaihealani goes to tackle Pacific University’s quarterback during the second half at Pacific on Oct. 15. Joel Ray/Photo editor

Sophomore Tim Edmonds dives for Pacific University’s runningback Gunther Schultze during the game at Pacific at Lincoln Park Stadium on Oct. 15. Joel Ray/Photo editor

The Linfield football team ground down the Pacific University Boxers with touchdowns on offense and special teams to cruise to a 49-6 victory Oct. 15 in Forest Grove, Ore.

The ’Cats kept the Boxers out of the end zone for the first time all season while limiting them to 228 yards of offense, including -five yards rushing. Despite this, Pacific was able to stay competitive through the first two quarters due to Linfield penalties and mental mistakes. The ’Cats piled up 10 penalties for 96 yards, both season highs.

Junior quarterback Mickey Inns got the scoring started on a 14-yard touchdown strike to junior receiver Lucas Jepson early in the first quarter. Pacific answered right back with a 37-yard field goal that was set up by a 15-yard personal foul penalty on the Wildcats to make the score 7-3. Special teams took over the game for the rest of the quarter, with sophomore safety Colin Foreman returning a kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown and senior safety Drew Fisher blocking a punt and recovering it for a score, setting a 21-3 margin after one quarter.

“Special teams played a huge role,” Fisher said in an email. “They scored twice and provided good field position all day.”

Pacific converted again on its drive to open the second period, helped by four more Linfield penalties. A 22-yard field goal pulled the Boxers within 21-6, but Pacific did not score again for the remainder of the game. Inns tossed his second of three touchdown passes for four yards to senior receiver Buddy Saxon, widening the lead to 28-6. An interception by Fisher wiped out a Pacific drive and kept the score the same at the half.

“Even though we won by a sizable margin, we just didn’t play the game in an emotionally involved way,” sophomore tight end Jacob Priester said in an email.

The Linfield starters remained in for the third quarter to put away the Boxers. Inns fired his deepest touchdown pass of the season, a 65-yard catch-and-run to Jepson, to increase the score to 35-6. On a later drive, four consecutive passes into the end zone fell short, two of them on dropped balls by the receiver. Fisher said these mental mistakes must be eliminated for the team to succeed in the second half of the season.

“We have a lot of work and improvement to do if we want to get to where we want to,” Fisher said in an email. “We need to work on tackling, knocking balls down, intercepting passes, causing fumbles, knowing our assignments better and playing with enthusiasm and passion.”

Linfield’s defense continued to shut down Pacific while backup quarterback sophomore Josh Yoder ran in a score from four yards to cushion the lead further. Third-string quarterback freshman Matt Yarbrough capped the game’s scoring with a 24-yard pass to freshman receiver Colin Nelson. On defense, the ’Cats finished with five sacks for 46 yards and 25 tackles for a loss that added up to 72 yards. The victory assured Linfield a winning season, preserving and extending “The Streak” to 56 consecutive seasons. Fisher said, however, that the team still has a long way to go before reaching its potential.

“The outcome was of course a solid margin of victory,” Fisher said in an email, “But we don’t feel as a team we played to our potential and ability.”

The ’Cats will next face Pacific Lutheran University at home at Maxwell Field on Oct. 22. The Lutes are 4-1 on the season and undefeated at 2-0 in NWC play, and will seek to challenge Linfield’s bid for a third consecutive conference championship. According to Priester, the game against Pacific may have sent an important message to the team about what it will take to succeed in the post-season.

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Chris Forrer/Sports columnist
Chris Forrer can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

’Cats chop down Loggers, 73-7

Posted by :jprokop On : October 10, 2011
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Sophomore cornerback Brandon Funk tackles the Loggers’ ball carrier, sophomore Tieler Souza on Oct. 8 at home. Joel Ray/Photo editor

Junior running back Stephen Nasca celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of the Homecoming game against the University of Puget Sound Loggers on Oct. 8 at Maxwell Field. Joel Ray/Photo editor

Playing for a packed Homecoming-day crowd at Maxwell Field on Oct. 8, the No. 05-ranked Linfield Wildcats put on a clinic in a 73-7 rout with the University of Puget Sound Loggers.

The ’Cats dominated every aspect of the game, amassing 490 yards of offense while limiting the Loggers’ high-octane passing game to only 201 yards, four interceptions and two fumbles. The Wildcats did not surrender a turnover.

“I was really pleased with how our guys prepared all week,” head coach Joseph Smith said. “They had great focus. This was certainly as good a performance as a team as we’ve had in a long time.”

The scoring started early and continued at a staggering pace for the entire contest. Junior tailback Josh Hill darted 12 yards for the first Linfield touchdown to cap a drive that only took 1:01 off the clock.

On UPS’ next drive, sophomore linebacker Dominique Forrest sacked Logger quarterback George Ka’ai and caused a fumble, which was scooped up by sophomore linebacker Tyler Robitaille. A handful of plays later, junior tailback Aaron Williams scampered in for a four-yard touchdown to make the score 14-0.

“Our coaches did a good job of telling us where the holes would be,” sophomore receiver Charlie Poppen said. “They called the right plays at the right times.”

After another sack of Ka’ai gave Linfield another opportunity to score, junior kicker Josh Kay hammered a 49-yard field goal to boost the lead to 17-0.

Kay also set the all-time Linfield record for extra points in a single game by finishing with a perfect 10 for 10.

Junior quarterback Mickey Inns added a one-yard touchdown toss to sophomore tight end Jacob Priester at the start of the second quarter, his first of three on the day.

Robitaille and Forrest each had interceptions of Logger quarterbacks, the latter setting up a 45-yard dash to the end zone by junior tailback Stephen Nasca to put Linfield ahead 31-0.

“I pride myself on making the best of every opportunity I’m given,” Nasca said. “When my name’s called I always want to be prepared.”

Senior cornerback Christian Hanna sparked a scoring frenzy in the final six minutes of the first half by picking off a pass by Loggers quarterback James Korn and returning it 33 yards for a touchdown.

Senior rover Taylor Skore picked off another Korn throw on UPS’ next series, and Inns fired a 37-yard touchdown pass to Poppen on the next play.

Senior defensive tackle Tommy Patrick fell on a fumble by UPS receiver Ross Zuhl to set up Inns’ final touchdown throw, a 25-yard bomb to junior Lucas Jepson.

Robitaille added to the Loggers’ struggles by blocking a punt that was run in 3 yards for a touchdown by sophomore safety Colin Foreman.

At the half, the ’Cats already lead 59-0.

“With a veteran secondary, it’s a lot easier to keep the pass coverages up,” Forrest said. “Turnovers are always something we want to improve on in-game.”

The starters left the field in the second half and gave way to the younger Wildcats, but the scoring continued nevertheless.

Sophomore quarterback Josh Yoder had a 10-yard touchdown pass to freshman receiver Colin Nelson and freshman tailback Trevor Gomez scooted in for a score on a four-yard run, making it a 73-0 margin.

The Loggers finally found the end zone with third-string quarterback Braden Foley tossing a 7-yard score at the end of the third quarter.

Neither team scored in the fourth to leave the score at 73-7.

“You just love seeing the young guys get a chance to go play,” Smith said. “They get to enjoy the fruits of their labor after working so hard for us.”

Next week, the ’Cats travel to Forest Grove to compete against the Pacific University Boxers, a team still seeking its first victory of the season.

“We need to strive for perfect technique,” senior center Hayden Mace said. “Coach Smith preaches that it’s not who we’re playing, we’re playing ourselves.”

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Chris Forrer/Sports columnist
Chris Forrer can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

’Cats claw Bearcats out of win

Posted by :jprokop On : October 5, 2011
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Junior wide receiver Josh Hill outruns Willamette cornerback Alex Holland on Oct. 1 at McCulloch Stadium. Jessica Prokop/Editor-in-chief

In another showdown between the Northwest Conference’s perennial title contenders, the Linfield Wildcats fought their way to a 20-10 victory over the Willamette Bearcats on Oct. 1 in Salem. The two teams combined for 11 fumbles, four of them lost, and two interceptions.

“It was great to play in a big conference game,” senior center Hayden Mace said. “It’s been a strange season so far with only three games in five weeks, so it’s great to be on a normal schedule.”

In a slow first half that featured only 10 points, junior tailback Josh Hill provided most of the electricity offensively for the ’Cats. On Linfield’s first series, he sprang open for a 25-yard dash that set up a two-yard touchdown run a few plays later for a 7-0 advantage. Junior kicker Josh Kay nailed a 35-yard attempt at the top of the second quarter to burgeon the lead to 10-0. Senior cornerback Christian Hanna added to the Bearcats’ misery by scooping up a fumbled ball and racing it back 35 yards to the Willamette 44-yard line.

“The offense and defense really came together,” Mace said. “The defense did their thing and the offense was able to put together drives when we needed them most.”

The scoring stalled for the remainder of the second half, although junior quarterback Mickey Inns assembled a solid half with eight of 15 completed passes for 125 yards and an interception, although it came on a tipped pass. Inns finished his first road game with stellar numbers, completing 20 of 37 passes for 329 yards and a touchdown. Juniors Lucas Jepson and Deidre Wiersma hauled in 33 and 110 yards, respectively, with senior Buddy Saxon netting 61 and sophomore Charlie Poppen grabbing 77.

“Mickey did a great job of standing in the pocket and dissecting their coverages,” Mace said. “If it weren’t for a few dropped balls, I think he would’ve had a career day.”

Inns heated up in the second half and rattled off passes of 21, 24 and 13 yards to three different receivers, the final a touchdown pass to Jepson. Down 17-0, Willamette refused to fold and began clawing their way back into the game late in the third quarter. Hill tried to bull his way into the end zone but fumbled the ball away to the Bearcats. Willamette’s unique fly offense finally clicked as tailback Dylan Jones slashed open the Wildcat defense on a 35-yard run before adding another 20-yard charge into the end zone for Willamette’s first points.

“We need to improve on the little things,” Inns said, “things like small mental mistakes and penalties.”

A short punt by junior punter Josh Repp gave the Bearcats the ball back on the 27-yard line of Linfield. The defense held strong however, with freshman corner Jeremy Patrick stuffing Jones for a loss on third down.
Willamette converted the ensuing 40-yard field goal to pull within a touchdown at 17-10. The ’Cats proceeded to eat up five of the remaining eight minutes left in the game on a scoring drive capped with another field goal from Kay, this one a chip-shot from 24 yards deep to set the final margin at 20-10.

The Wildcat defense locked down the rest of the game to preserve the win. Bearcat quarterback Brian Widing was trucked for an 8-yard loss by junior defensive tackle Tyler Steele and sophomore defensive end Brynnan Hyland, one of three sacks for the ’Cats.

“Overall, we’re happy with how the game went,” Inns said. “We’re proud of how our offense and team performed under pressure.”

The No. 06-ranked Wildcats will return to Maxwell Field on Oct. 8 for the annual homecoming game against the University of Puget Sound
Loggers. No. 05-ranked Bethel was upset last weekend, which could signal a Linfield rise in this week’s www.d3football.com Top 25 poll.

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Chris Forrer/Sports Columnist
Chris Forrer can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

It’s not all about the quarterbacks

Posted by :jprokop On : September 19, 2011
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Category: Opinion, Sports

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Today’s football world, in both the NCAA and the NFL, is a quarterback-centric one. It’s become a common belief among coaches and players that having a marquee player behind the gun could instantly take a program from the pits to the top, or at the very least make a big impact on the team’s win-loss percentage. Four quarterbacks were taken in the top 12 picks of the NFL draft last June, causing ESPN to declare the 2011-12 season “the Year of the Quarterback.”

But is having a stud under the gun really the most important thing for a football team to have? Maybe I’m just jaded by all the media hype heaped on this rookie class of quarterbacks, but I can’t help but think that this much emphasis on a team’s play caller is completely absurd.

Alabama won a BCS national championship in 2010 and their quarterback, Greg McElroy, only completed six of 12 passes for 58 yards. The Tide defense was the difference maker that night, snagging four picks and knocking Colt McCoy out of the game in the first quarter.

With all that said, I will admit that I thought Linfield football’s preseason ranking of No. 7 from www.d3football.com was probably too high, due in no small part to the turnover at the quarterback position. Yes, the defense was going to be as strong as ever, and yes, the offense still had some potent weapons at its disposal. The special teams unit had grown substantially with young talent last season, too. Don’t get me wrong, I still held that we deserved a top-15 ranking, to be sure. But I felt that having to acclimate a new quarterback to fill Aaron Boehme’s all-American sized shoes was going to be no easy task.

Perhaps just to show those like me who had their doubts as to the lofty ranking, the Linfield defense put on an absolute clinic against Cal Lutheran on Sept. 7. This is a team, mind you, with a tailback that ripped the Linfield D for 100 yards in a single quarter and a receiver who racked up 200-plus yards the last time they met. The defense was overwhelming on every drive, every down and every moment they had to take advantage of.

Meanwhile, a tailback who only rushed for 227 yards in the entire 2010-11 season suddenly slashed open a mighty Kingsmen defense for 164 yards and two scores. Josh Hill’s breakout performance has given the run game some legitimacy; Linfield hasn’t had a back top 150 yards since 2003. And this wasn’t Lewis & Clark, folks; this was a No. 16 ranked program that has played us hard for the past two seasons in five total match ups, none of them complete blowouts.

Under the gun, new starting quarterback Mickey Inns was okay. He made a few mistakes, picked up a handful of yards, managed the offense pretty well for a first-timer and showed some flashes of brilliance in open space in play action situations. He’s not Boehme, but who cares? Nobody expects him to be. I’ve been watching this guy play ball for six years, three here and three at Gresham High School, so believe me when I say he’s going to thrive in Coach Smith’s offense when he gains greater mastery of it.

My point is, teams win championships, not quarterbacks. Our coaching staff is first-rate; the secondary is lights-out; we’ve got a suddenly revitalized ground game. These are all important. But after seeing what our boys can do collectively with the personnel they have around this season, I know this team is perfectly capable of competing for a deep playoff run or, knock on wood, a national title as long as they play to their potential, as Coach Smith loves to say. I’m not booking my tickets to the Stagg Bowl yet but hey, who’s to say I won’t start putting money aside, just in case.

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Chris Forrer/Sports columnist
Chris Forrer can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

Promising season anticipated for football

Posted by :jprokop On : September 12, 2011
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The 2010-11 Wildcats show support for their teammates during a fall football game. Photo courtesy of Megan Dunn

The Linfield College football program carried out its annual fall camp in August amid the high expectations that always surround the storied program but with many questions, as well.

According to head football coach Joseph Smith, an average day at camp can last as long as 13 hours. Players take part in drills, real-game scenarios and meetings, as well as strength and conditioning training exercises in the HHPA pool to prepare them for the rigorous demands of the season.

“We’re about where we expected to be,” Smith said. “We have some turnovers in some key spots that have yet to be filled, but I’m pleased with where we are.”

Among those departures are last season’s Northwest Conference Offensive and Defensive players of the year, quarterback Aaron Boehme and defensive end Eric Hedin, class of ’11. Both players began professional careers, with Boehme cur playing overseas in the German Football League and Hedin playing for the Arena Football League.

Additionally, Smith said that the presence of former Wildcat Paul Nishizaki will sorely be missed on the defensive line, as well as linebacker Bubba Kukahiko, class of ’11.

“Our defensive line was really tremendous with [Nishizaki] and [Hedin],” Smith said. “We’ll have guys that will fill in, but those guys were pretty darn good. The senior linebackers we lost hurt, too, and [Boehme] was amazing.”

Despite the loss of those senior leaders on either side of the ball, many outstanding players remain to anchor the ’Cats, including senior tailback Aaron Williams. Williams, who injured himself last season and had to sit out the second half of the year, will be a force on offense. On defense, junior linebacker Axel Cederberg will be a leader and help mentor a young linebacking core.

“Our running back core is strong,” Smith said. “Josh Hill and Aaron Williams are two very good backs.”

Furthermore, Smith said that a number of transfer students and freshmen have impressed the coaching staff in camp and could have an instant impact on the field. Specifically, Smith mentioned that transfer junior wide receiver Lucas Jepson has shown a hunger and energy that could put him in a position to play from day one.

“Lucas Jepson is playing good football right now,” Smith said. “[Running back] Zack Young, a transfer, is definitely talented enough to play. [Linebacker] Brian Dundis is another transfer who will figure in things as well.”

Thus far, Smith believes the team’s secondary is its strength largely due to strong senior leadership. Led by senior safety Drew Fisher and senior cornerbacks Taylor Skore and Nate Dixon, the veteran ball-hawks that have compiled numerous all-region and all-American honors, opposing teams will have to prepare thoroughly before thinking about passing deep against the Wildcats.

The offensive line has also been identified as one of the team’s strong areas, although camp has been punishing for many of the lineman. Returning linemen junior Kaston Gleason and senior Jordan Barnes look to build on the success the o-line found last season and lead the first-time starters.

“The secondary is outstanding,” Smith said. “Some good play makers, good solid tacklers. I look for them to be steady for us. The offensive line should be as well but they’ve been pretty banged up.”

Smith said the linebacking core and defensive line have been inconsistent so far due to the wear-and-tear that comes with camp, but should come together after having more time to play as a unit. He also emphasized that consistency at the quarterback position must improve for the Wildcats to find success on the field. Junior quarterback Mickey Inns is the heir-apparent but faces competition from sophomore Josh Yoder and incoming freshman Ben Bolton. All three have shown moments of brilliance, but no player has separated himself from the others yet.

“In reality, it’s been up and down,” Smith said. “We haven’t had the consistency there that we really want. Mickey Inns has had some good days, and when he’s in rhythm he moves the ball pretty well.”

With two weeks remaining before the team’s season opening game against California Lutheran University on Sept. 10, Smith remains confident his players have the potential to achieve the level of excellence Linfield fans have come to perennially expect in the Catdome. With strong leaders like Fisher, Dixon, Cederberg and Williams, this season’s football squad is sure to extend the program’s NCAA all-divisions record for consecutive winning seasons and make a strong run at capturing a third consecutive NWC title.

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Chris Forrer/Sports columnist
Chris Forrer can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

Wildcats drop double overtime

Posted by :jprokop On : December 4, 2010
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In double overtime, senior tailback Taylor Avritt fumbled the ball away on the Tommie 3-yard line, and Linfield left Minnesota with a 17-24 loss and its playoff hopes dashed in a nail-biting finish against the St. Thomas University on Nov. 27.
Before the kickoff of Linfield football’s second-round playoff game on the road against the St. Thomas Tommies, www.d3football.com analysts billed the showdown as what could have been one of the postseason’s best.
Those expectations were met in dramatic fashion. After four quarters of play failed to deliver a winner of the game, two more overtimes were needed to determine the outcome.
Avritt, who stepped into a major role in the game after senior starting tailback Simon Lamson left the game due to an injury, played a solid game up to that point with 68 yards rushing, including a key 28-yard burst in the second half.
“The outcome of the game was a pretty terrible event for me personally,” Avritt said. “A lot of people offered words of encouragement, ranging from teammates to fans to parents.”
Early on, long before two overtimes were needed, the game was every bit the battle it was predicted to be. St. Thomas had its way with Linfield early, as junior quarterback Dakota Tracy marched his team down the field on the Tommies’ game-opening drive before handing the ball off to junior running back Colin Tobin for a 1-yard score.
The Wildcat offense faltered early, with senior quarterback Aaron Boehme getting dropped for two back-to-back sacks on the next possession.
The defense of the two teams would set the tone for the entire contest, and neither team scored for the remainder of the first period. Both teams combined for six sacks for a total of 51 lost yards.
“They were definitely the best team we faced defensively, so that is always an adjustment you have to make,” Boehme said. “They are a loaded team defensively with their talent.”
St. Thomas struck again at the top of the second quarter on a 32-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Tim Albright to extend the home team’s lead to 10-0. With their backs against the ropes, the defense needed a stand and got it in the form of junior middle linebacker Christian Hanna. Hanna intercepted a Tracy pass and returned it 50 yards all the way to the Tommie 22-yard line.
Deep in St. Thomas territory, Boehme and the offense finally found the end zone on a 2-yard toss to senior
receiver Chris Slezak.
Boehme finished the day with an odd bunch of statistics: 24-46 for 226 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The number of attempted passes was uncharacteristically high for Boehme, which he attributes to St. Thomas’ stingy defense.
“We really didn’t play well in the first half on offense,” Boehme said. “We were forced to throw the ball a little more in the second half-more than we would have liked.”
On the next Tommies series, junior safety Drew Fisher read Tracy like a book and snatched another pass out of the air for the Wildcat defense. After a 14-yard return and a 15-yard facemask penalty against St. Thomas, Linfield found itself deep in Tommies territory once again, but this time couldn’t convert in the red zone.
The ’Cats settled for a 27-yard field goal by freshman kicker Jordan Walker to tie the score at 10 points.
Fisher made another spectacular interception on the following St. Thomas drive to end the half.
“I think this game displayed the defensive backs as a whole getting more opportunities to make plays on the ball,” Fisher said. “They knew they weren’t going to be able to hold onto the ball against us without taking sacks, which created more errant throws, and then I was able to beat my receiver.”
In the second half, with momentum in their favor, Linfield seemed poised to run away with the game and move into the national quarterfinals. However, the Wildcats struggled in the red zone, and they wouldn’t end up scoring again until their need was absolutely desperate.
The ’Cats, on 19 plays within the St. Thomas 25-yard line in the second half, only gained a net 15 yards, and Boehme threw eight incompletions. Walker also missed a pair of feasible field goals from 33 and 30 yards.
“There were two factors that caused the struggle in the red zone: poor offensive execution on our part and strong defensive execution on St. Thomas’ part,” Avritt said. “Either our offensive game plan didn’t seem to manipulate their red zone defense as well, or our offensive execution wasn’t able to outplay their defense.”
Junior rover Kole Kreiger breathed some life into his team by picking off Tracy for the team’s fourth interception.
In the middle of the fourth quarter on a 12-yard run by Tobin, and with only two minutes to go in the game, Boehme mounted one final, desperate drive to save the Wildcats’ season. He delivered accounting for every yard of a 64-yard march and tied the game on a 7-yard strike to senior receiver Buddy Saxon.
“It was a gutsy comeback at the end for our team,” Fisher said.
In the first overtime, Walker missed another field goal, this one from a difficult distance of 47 yards. The ’Cats’ defense immediately forced a fumble to snuff out the Tommies’ first attempt and sent the game into a sixth period. That’s when tragedy struck, with Tracy finally finding the end zone on a 10-yard pass into the corner of the end zone.
After Avritt’s fumble sealed the game, Linfield’s season came to a crashing end.
However, the players took it in stride and recognized the success they achieved that day and throughout the
season.
“I have no regrets or hard feelings toward this game,” junior middle linebacker Kala’e Parish said. “Every player gave it their best effort and nothing less. The game of football is fun, and being in situations such as double overtime makes the game an incredible sport to play. We had a rough start in the beginning of this season, but all of our hard work seemed to pay off in the end in a game like this.”

Chris Forrer/For the Review
Chris Forrer can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

Win sends ’Cats to playoffs

Posted by :jprokop On : November 13, 2010
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Category: Sports

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Senior Simon Lamson runs for the touchdown on Nov. 6 at home against Whitworth University. Lamson scored off a 15-yard run, which brought the ’Cats to a 35-17 lead. Linfield won 42-17. Danyelle Myers/Freelancer

The Linfield Wildcat football team roared back from a 3-point halftime deficit and blew out the Whitworth University Pirates 42-17 at Maxwell Field on Nov. 6. Linfield completely outgunned Whitworth in the second half by outscoring the Pirates 28-0.
Besides improving their record to 7-1, the victory also secured Linfield its second consecutive Northwest Conference championship. In other words, the Wildcat squad is playoff bound once again.
“We have the automatic qualifying bid from the NWC, so we’re into the playoffs,” head football coach Joseph Smith said. “Now it’s a matter of seeding, [it’s] and out of our hands, so we can’t worry about that.”
The Wildcats got a lucky break early when Whitworth junior kick returner Cailen Thomason coughed up the opening kickoff and freshman linebacker Lou Colasuardo fell on the loose ball. Senior quarterback Aaron Boehme and the offense quickly went to work, and Boehme knifed into the end zone on a 9-yard run to stake the ’Cats to an early 7-0 lead.
The Whitworth Pirates immediately answered on the following drive as sophomore quarterback Taylor Eglet ripped open deep throws of 19, 16 and 17 yards before lobbing a 3-yard scoring pass to freshman Wade Meyer to even the score at 7-7.
“Statistically, the defense gave up quite a bit of yards in the first half, as well as those 17 points,” sophomore safety Drew Fisher said. “They executed well on a number of plays.”

Junior Christian Hanna (left) and juinor Kalae Parish bump helments in celebration on Nov. 6 at home against Whitworth University. The ’Cats won 42-17. Danyelle Myers/Freelancer


For the remainder of the first quarter, the teams remained silent offensively, accumulating only a mere 109 combined yards. Linfield found a spark early in the second quarter when Boehme orchestrated a short 55-yard drive and capped it with an 11-yard shot to senior receiver Chris Slezak. For the rest of the quarter, the offense continued to falter, most significantly during a series in which Boehme threw three consecutive incompletions, causing a turnover on downs.
“They [Whitworth] gave us some looks that we hadn’t really seen and weren’t expecting,” Boehme said. “That threw us a little off-kilter for a bit, and we just didn’t execute as well as we could have.”
Eglet and the Pirates immediately answered to Boehme’s touchdown throw by slashing open the Wildcat secondary for a 71-yard catch-and-run touchdown.
The defense had a few bright moments in the second quarter, including a blocked field goal attempt by senior defensive end Eric Hedin. It was recovered by Fisher and held the final Whitworth drive of the half to a 26-yard field goal, but overall he had several problems with execution.
“Football is a game of inches, and unfortunately we were out of alignment and a hair off of knocking a few balls down that could have resulted in a better outcome,” Fisher said. “The secondary wasn’t making plays when needed, the line wasn’t getting pressure on the quarterback, and our backers weren’t in the best position in their zone coverage.”
The coaching staff didn’t get angry at the team in the locker room at halftime, Smith said, but instead made a few adjustments to the defensive schematic and, most importantly, encouraged them to start having some fun.

Senior Simon Lamson smiles with his family on “Senior Day” at the ’Cats last home game. Danyelle Myers/Freelancer


The words must have hit home because the ’Cats came out of the gate in the second half with fully bared claws.
“Really it was just touching up what we were assigned to do, like being in better position in coverage and playing faster,” Fisher said. “And they told us to start having more fun. It sucks to be losing at halftime, but we needed to create an enthusiasm that would carry us and get us going.”
On the half’s opening drive, Boehme and senior tailback Simon Lamson burned up the turf on a 65-yard drive that took less than 3 minutes, punctuated by a 26-yard Boehme sprint into the end zone. During Linfield’s next drive, Boehme found junior receiver Buddy Saxon wide open in the middle of the field for a pickup of 69 yards that nearly went the distance for a score. Boehme took it in himself on fourth and goal moments later.
Then, after another dominating series by the defense, Lamson broke multiple tackles and bulled his way into the end zone again.
In only 13 minutes, the Wildcats found themselves up 35-17.
“We got a little fired up,” Boehme said. “We were tired of playing like crud, so we sucked it up and started really playing as a unit.”
The final nail in the Pirates’ coffin came as Eglet was stuffed behind the line of scrimmage trying to scramble and lost the ball. Hedin scooped it up and returned it 7 yards to the Whitworth 3-yard line. Boehme tossed a 3-yard pass to Saxon to finish the day’s scoring at 42-17.
Boehme ended up collecting 259 all-purpose yards and five total touchdowns with no turnovers, and Hedin is now one sack away from tying the single-season record for total sacks. The pair earned NWC player of the week honors for offense and defense, respectively.
With a playoff berth already secured, the ’Cats must wait for the NCAA to decide playoff seeding on Nov. 14 before learning its opponent.
But first, Linfield travels to Lewis & Clark College for its final regular-season game at 1 p.m. on Nov. 13.
The Pioneers are having a tremendously improved season on offense and could pose problems for the Wildcat defense, especially with their prolific freshman quarterback Keith Welch.

Chris Forrer/Freelancer
Chris Forrer can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.