With games ten days away, it's time to start looking at the teams. Here's the preview schedule:
Today (25th) = North Eugene, Ashland and Willamette
Friday (27th) = Springfield, Ashland and Churchill
Tuesday ( 31st) = Marshfield and Marist
Wednesday or Thursday (1st and 2nd) = League Prediction and Opening Game Previews
Most of the preview this year has been written by a parent volunteer, Chris Park. I'll take on the Marist preview, photography and maintaining the site. Before we start the preview..... I had a great talk with Marist coach Frank Geske today.
Most of you know my favorite sports are football and baseball, hence the football and baseball website. While I was talking to coach Geske, I realized that football coaches are smarter than baseball coaches. Coach Geske was talking about all of his defensive schemes and blocking schemes and offensive schemes. I was getting dizzy. My mind cleared and I tried to remember the last time a baseball coach changed his offensive approach for one game because the other team ran a different D...I couldn't think of a time when a number four hitter was moved to the bottom of the order because of a difficult D. Also, it dawned on me that baseball coaches never bring in their outfield to blitz, or drop their infielders back deep because they pretty much know the long ball is coming. I hope the baseball coaches aren't reading this.
Okay, you want to read Chris Park's team previews:
2010 MID WESTERN LEAGUE PREVIEW
The Midwestern League has a new look for 2010 following OSAA realignment. Thurston moves up to 6A, leaves the MWL and joins the Southwestern Conference, now renamed Special District One. Marist is granted a request to play up a classification, leaves the SkyEm League and 4A behind and joins the MWL. Springfield and Marshfield have each played Marist over the past two seasons, so familiarity with the Spartans is developing. Southern Oregon high schools Eagle Point and Ashland form a two team conference conveniently named Southern Oregon. However, many of the Midwestern League teams play both Ashland and Eagle Point for their non league games, so we included a team preview of those teams as well. It should be a competitive league with the top teams succeeding with quality QB play and high scoring offenses. Churchill and Springfield return experienced QB’s. Today starts a team by team look at the upcoming 2010 season, in no particular order, for the “New Look” Midwestern League.
NORTH EUGENE:
North Eugene last made the playoffs in 1993, the longest dry spell of any team in the Midwestern League. Despite an absence from the post season, Head Coach Eric Johannsen is excited for the 2010 season. He returns 20 seniors and leadership looks to be a strength of this team. The Highlanders return 6 starters on offense and 7 on defense from last year’s squad that went 4-5 overall and 1-4 in league.
North Eugene loses a big part of their offense and defense with the graduation of RB/LB Michael Bibbee who received a scholarship to play football at Oregon State. Two Senior quarterbacks return for the Highlanders, Dylan Lubonski (763 yards passing on 61 completions of 114 attempts and Jackson Landgreen (149 yards passing on 9 completions of 18 attempts). Honorable Mention All-League Senior receiver/RB Alex Wilson returns (227 yards on 31 carries). Seniors Michael Gregory and Alex Compton return to anchor the offensive line.
The defense has plenty of depth in the backfield with Jackson Landgreen (37 total tackles), DB Cody Ficek (21 total tackles) and DB Alex Wilson (20 total tackles). Up front the line will look to seniors Derek Duquette, Michael Gregory and Michael Gilder.
According to Coach Johannsen “with the departure of Michael Bibbee to OSU, finding a consistent running game and improving our team defense” will be priorities. KEY GAMES: The Highlanders do not have non-league opening games and thus no opportunity to work out the kinks. They hit the ground running with three big games. The opener is on the road at Marshfield on 09/10, followed by Marist at home on 09/17 and at Churchill on 09/24.
Players Mentioned 2009 Height/Weight
QB/DB Dylan Lubonski Sr 5' 11" 175
Rec Alex Wilson Sr 5' 6" 150 HM receiver
OL/DL Michael Gregory Sr 6' 2" 260
OL/DL Alex Compton Sr 6'3" 205
QB/DB Jackson Landgreen Sr 6' 0" 160 1st team all league DB
WR/DB Cody Ficek Sr 5' 6" 135
OL/DL Derek Duquette Sr 5' 9" 300
OL/DL Michael Gregory Sr 6' 2" 260
TE/DL Michael Gilder Sr 5' 8" 185
WILLAMETTE:
This is a proud program used to making the playoffs. 2007 was the last season Willamette made the playoffs. The Wolverines look to improve on their 2009 3-7 overall record and 2-3 league record. Head Coach Dan Fritz’s Willamette squad was competitive though, with two losses being 20-21 at South Albany and 27-28 at North Medford.
The big question for Willamette is, “who will lead the offense?” following the graduation of RB Rafael Hidalgo (walking at Portland State) and QB Dylan Geyer. Honorable mention all league RB Senior Skyler Mohr (283 yards on 44 carries) and Junior Jordan Visarraga (228 yards on 52 carries) return as likely candidates for the running game. 1st team Honorable Mention Senior Cameron Kohler (373 yards on 27 catches) and Senior Brandon Haines (206 yards on 18 catches) are the leading returning receivers. QB remains up for grabs. Who will be the QB? Whoever it is they likely will be throwing their first pass in a varsity game.
Willamette defenses are known as a solid hard hitting defense and will be led by D1 prospect and 1st team all league offensive lineman and linebacker Senior Danny Granillo and fellow Senior Jacob Aguilar. The keys for Willamette will be finding a capable quarterback and limiting turnovers (13 fumbles lost and 18 interceptions in 2009) and penalties. If they can do that and play solid Willamette defense, they can be competitive in the Midwestern League.
KEY GAMES: The Wolverines need to build on momentum and can start the league schedule strong with a home win versus Springfield on 09/10, and on the road on 10/01 versus North Eugene. After that it only gets tougher at Marshfield on 10/08, home versus Marist on 10/15 and at Churchill on 10/22.
Players 2009 Height/Weight
OT/LB Danny Grannillo Sr. 6' 1" 215 Two way 1st team all league
RB Skylar Mohr Sr 5' 10 180 HM all league
Rec Cameron Koehler Sr. 6' 1" 180 HM all league
Rec Brandon Haines Sr 6' 1" 155
RB Jordan Visarraga Jr. 5' 10" 174
K Jacob Aguilar Sr. 5' 10" 215
EAGLE POINT: The Eagles are a bit of mystery to long time members of the old MWL. In 2009, Eagle Point went 4-6 overall and 2-2 in 5A Southern Sky League and did not make the playoffs, despite a three way tie with Ashland and Klamath Union. Eagle Point beat Ashland 28-20 head to head, but a tie breaker system known as the Azzi System takes into consideration margin of victory in games between teams tied with each other and the Eagles eight point win was not enough.
Head Coach Jacob Schauffler will likely go with senior quarterback in Shane Bluhm. All league wide receiver Aaron Foster will be one of Bluhm's first options. Two more Eagle all leaguers return on offense. Second team guard, J.R. Rogers and Honorable Mention offensive tackle, junior Tyron Holmes, will anchor the O line. The defense gave up a whopping 318 points last year and will need to improve. Three all league defenders will try and change the trend. Holmes was 2nd team all league defensive lineman and Evan Hatfield earned honorable mention as a lineman on D. Tall leaguer Zach Reed (6' 7") returns in the secondary. Senior Daniel Morgan will handle strong safety duties and be on call as back-up QB.
KEY GAME: The difference between a #1 and #2 seed in the Southern Oregon Conference is big. It’s a one game season with Eagle Point at Ashland on 10/22 with the winner securing the #1 seed and getting a bye for the 1st round Play In game and then hosting for the 2nd round Play In game (playing the winner of the #5 Midwestern League versus #8 Mid Willamette Conference). The #2 Southern Oregon Conference seed plays on the road at the #7 seed from what looks to be a very competitive Mid Willamette Conference in the 1st round Play In game.
Players 2009 Height/Weight
QB Shaun Blumn Sr 6' 3" 200
OT/DL Tyron Holmes Jr 6' 4" 240 Two way all leaguer
OG J.T. Rogers Sr 6' 1" 190 2nd Team all league
WR Aaron Foster Sr 6' 0" 200 HM all league
DL Evan Hatfield Sr 6'2" 220 HM all league
DB Zach Reed Jr 6' 7" 200 HM all league
SS Daniel Morgan Sr 6' 1" 165
Mail Tribune Eagle Point Pre-Season article Aug 30
Friday's recaps: Ashland, Churchill and Springfield. If you missed the preseason OregonLive.com 5A poll, here it is 5A poll. Steve Mims of the Register-Guard and I are two of the voters. And don't forget to sign up for Twitter. If you set it up on your cell phone, you can get MWL scores during games. MWL twitter
Feel free to comment or make additions/corrections via this blog, or email me at mwlnow
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