Thoughts from last Friday's games (24th)

Last Friday I bypassed the Springfield-Marist game to see Ashland and Willamette for the first time.  I was hoping to catch the Miller-Spartan game on the radio as I watched the Grizzlies and Wolverines.  Instead I ended up listening to the Lancer-Highlander game. 

Ashland at Willamette

The game was a little torturous to watch for the first quarter. Both teams were trying to find ways not to win the game.  I have to tell you, I am ready to see a game where both teams play well from beginning to end. 

Ashland pulled away in the second quarter and took a 27-6 lead to the locker room at halftime.  I liked the Grizzlie style of play.  Jake Scarmanich is the real McCoy for Ashland, a team that has the very real Jake McCoy.  The two quarterbacks present opponents with a bit of a nightmare.  Scarmanich didn't have the greatest of passing games last week, but for the season he is completing 57% of his passes.  He can pull the ball down and run like a  rabbit.  He's shifty, fast and strong, which has resulted in Scarmanich being fifth in league rushing from his qb position.  Jake McCoy, on the other hand, is even better with his passing - 67% completions.  McCoy, a junior,  apparently realizes what Scarmanich can do with the ball, so McCoy likes to get the ball to Scarmanich, who is averaging 19 yards per catch. 

The Grizzlies didn't throw much in the direction of their leading receiver, TJ Murphy.  But that didn't hurt Ashland's production in the air against Willamette, as they spread the ball around to 7 receivers who averaged over 20 yards per catch.  Sophomore Talen Heater was the leading receiver for the Grizzlies this game.  That's good for the future of Ashland - the Grizzies have three receivers who are  getting a fair amount of action who will be back next year along with qb Jake McCoy.  That's also good for the present.  Coach Hall has developed a stable of receivers including several solid seniors who will want to take Asland, 2-1 in the MWL, to a 6-1 finish in the MWL 8 league.

My photos of the Grizzlies show them getting to the ball en masse.  You'd be amazed at what still photography can reveal.  Linemen not making contact with people - looking like they are just standing around; the same two or three guys in on each defensive play - getting exhausted; technique - tackling, blocking.  Mostly though, you notice if most of the team stays in the play til the finish.  Photos show the Grizzlies do a pretty good job of it.

Willamette can't be happy with their turnover woes.  But I think there are some bright spots.  Sophomore qb Kamerun Smith throws a pretty ball.  He's tall and can easily see over the line.  There's a lot to learn at qb - from reading defenses to hitting receivers on the break.   And improving arm strength will get the ball to it's target a lot quicker.    Smith could grow into a really good qb, and he's certainly has a good start.  I think a little pitching in baseball this spring would help.  Another young player of note was sophomore rb #16 Dante Giles.  If Ashland's Scarmanich runs like a rabblit, then Giles is Super Rabbit.  I'm hoping Coach Fritz keeps giving this guy carries, Giles looked great and his team seemed to get pumped up when he touched the ball.

Eagle Point at Marshfield

I originally planned to drive to Coos Bay for this game, but after seeing Marshfield lose to Springfield 50-6, I changed my mind.  What a mistake!  Fortunately, I was able to listen to the game on KMHS.  Marshfield games are carried on the internet.  If your team is playing at Marshfield and you can't make it, listen to one of the best high school sports announcers in the country, Matt Jarvis.  He does a lot of big time announcing, including announcing at the OSAA state track meets. 

Marshfield coach Justin Ainsworth plans to continue the Pirate coaching tradition of longevity among head coaches.  Marshfield had just three head coaches in the 63 years before Ainsworth took over the helm.   I hope I'm still alive in twenty years, because I'll ask Justin, "What do you think was the most important game of your head coaching career?"  It might be the win over the Eagles.  Just the previous week Marshfield looked horrendous as they turned the ball over eight times in their fourth ever loss to Springfield.  A Pirate player lost his cool on the field.  A pirate broke his ankle.  During the following week two players quit and two kids were suspended for a game for disciplinary reasons.  #8 Eagle Point was coming to town, make that North Bend.  Marshfield lost use of it's stadium for the entire season.  Coach had to be wondering if the kids would mutiny or rally round the PIrate flag.

I'd love to know what coach Ainsworth said to his players and what the senior players did to upright the ship so fast.  From the moment the radio broadcast started, you could tell something special was happening.  Announcer Matt Jarvis was conveying the electricity in the air right through the airwaves and internet.  The Pirate QB, Dallas Milburn, played flawlessly and added a pick six as a newly recruited db.  The Pirates returned a kickoff 89 yards.  Pirate punts were pinning the Eagles against their endzone.  Pirate's who were pressed into starting were outstanding.  Sometimes when a team plays like the Pirates did, the game is more meaningful than winning a league title because it teaches the kids so much more.

North Eugene at Churchill

I listened to this game while I was watching the Willamette game.  At one point the announcer said that Churchill had 220 total yards on offense and North Eugene had 25.  The score was 14-7.  Churchill will have to work on finishing off their plays and drives if they are really going to make a statement in the MWL 6.  Churchill eventually put it away 51-20 with 555 yards of offense. 

Springfield at Marist

Probably the only hope for the Millers was to explode on offense.  But the Marist line was too strong, quick, and relentless.  And it didn't help that the Millers ran into Marist with Marist returning speedy receiver Taylor Walcott, tough LB Will Swindling and QB Josh Paiement as a very good receiver.

I've received several emails saying that I was too pro Marist early in the season.  I did back off in my praise, but not in my thinking.  The Spartans are better conditioned by far and they are the only team in the league where everyone goes all out all of the time.  I'm thinking the road to the MWL 8 title will be only mildly bumpy  all the way to Sparta, Greece. 

Polls

MWL fans are predicting much closer games this week.  As of Wednesday morning, the polls had Willamette over North Eugene 62-38 (percentages), Ashland over Marshfield 54-46, Springfield over Churchill 56-44 and Marist over Eagle Point 67-33.  You can vote at MWL polls

RPI
Springfield and Marist are the only two teams in the MWL 8 that have RPI's over 500.  Eagle Point and Ashland will likely join them with wins over Marist and Marshfield respectively.

Stats

I have complete stats from five of the eight MWL teams.  The stats come from various sources including newspapers.  The Medford Mail Tribune still prints all of the home and away teams stats which helps a lot.  The Coos Bay paper didn't report the Springfield game stats, so I'm missing one Marshfield game, which is probaly keeping a couple of Pirates out of the rushing top 10.  I don't have much on North Eugene and Churchill.  The exception being the Lancer's Blake Determan, who has been mentioned with stats in the paper each game.

Rushing

2010 is not a 'Year of the Running Backs'.  Junior Greg Park from Marist is the only RB over 100 yards per game.  Teammate Logan Silver is next on the list.  Thomas Spikes from Springfield is third at 77 yards per game.  Eagle Point's Aaron Foster is fourth, and leads rushers with over 20 carries in Yards Per Carry, with a 7.8 ypc. 

Passing

Sophomore Kamerun Smith is the only QB with over 1,000 yards.  Logan Silver of Marist has 933 yards passing and will probably join the 1,000 yard club this weekend in Eagle Point.  Springfield's Levi Green is the most efficient passer with a TD to INT ratio of 11 to 1.  Green has Marist behind him so his stats should improve.  Silver doesn't have to play Marist so his stats are likely to remain stellar.  Marist's last four games are against Eagle Point, Churchill, Willamette and Marshfield.

Receiving.

The top two receivers have caught passes in only three of the four games so far.  Marist sophomore Austin Baird, leads the league in yards (420) and TDs (7).  But with the return of Taylor Walcott at receiver and qb Josh Paiement's  as a wide receiver instead of QB, Marist worked Paiement and Walcott while Baird didn't have a catch last Friday. 

Brandon Determan of Churchill is a close second in yardage at 408 yards.  Churchill didn't play week 0.  Springfield's John Davidson has been Levi Green's primary receiver for 378 yards so far this year.  Willamette QB Smith, who leads the league in passing yards, has been connecting with Cameron Koehler and Deautne Brown for a combined 626 yards.  Brown didn't play last Friday.   Aaron Foster, who is fourth in league in rushing, is fifth in league in receiving.

Scoring

Nine playlers have 30 or more points.  Aaron Foster from Eagle Point leads the pack with 44.  (Let's see, Foster is the leagues leading scorer and in the top 5 rushing and receiving.  I'm thinking he's up for first team honors so far.  But wait, Marist is on the horizon.)   Marist, which plays Eagle Point Friday, has three players with 30 or more points.  So it will be interesting to see if one of them passes Foster.

Register-Guard Article

Nice article about Kameron Bates in today's Register-Guard (Sep 29).  Bates is out for the season and is trying to get back for baseball. 

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