Pop Quiz at Willamette

Pop Quiz with the Wolverines. I started the quiz with Zach Hatefi, but his X-men teammates soon took over.

GH is Gary Haliski
ZH is Zach Hatefi
X-Men are Hatefi's teammates

Zach Hatefi, back row-far right, and his interrupting pest X-men friends. 








GH: What have you worked on over the summer to make yourself a better player?
ZH: Tempo, getting the play calls faster.

GH: Who on the team has impressed you most over the summer?
ZH: Austin Black. This is his first year on varsity. He's working hard as a receiver.

GH: Who do you want to beat the most?
ZH Springfield. Blake Taylor transferred from here to Springfield.
[X-men are screaming Marist]

GH: What's your pregame meal?
ZH: Pasta.
X-men: Whatever they serve in the cafeteria.

GH: What music do you have an your Ipod?
ZH: I don't have one.
GH: MP3 player.
ZH: Nope, but I listen to Credence Clearwater.
GH: Anthing else?
ZH: Nope, just Credence:
X-men in total bewilderment: Nothing else?
ZH: Nothing.

GH: Who are your favorite college and/or pro teams?
ZH: Vanderbuilt.
GH AND X-men: VANDERBUILT?
ZH: Yeah, Vanderbuilt
GH: Pro team?
ZH: Seattle
X-men: That's better.

GH: Who is the toughest, meanest football coach at Willamette?
ZH: Chad Carpenter, I think he graduated from Willamette in 2002.
GH: Does he let you date?
ZH: Yeah.
GH: What do you consider a proper first date?
ZH: That's too personal.
X-men to a man: They pay.
GH: Where would you take a date for a formal dinner?
X-men: Taco Bell
GH: Oh, come on.
X-men: Oregon Electric Station.
GH: What meal would you order?
X-men: Filet Mignon.
GH: What's your favorite restaurant to go to when you're not on a date?
X-men: Roaring Rapids.

GH: What is the best thing to do for fun in Eugene in the summer?
X-men: Go to Fern Ridge Lake with the defensive linemen and the ladies.

GH: I think we better be done.
X-men: Don't you want to know about the X-factor?
GH: Nope, we're done.

Will Big Line and New O Translate to Wolverines Wins?

I wasn’t sure what to expect as I walked towards the Willamette weight room. Last season got off to a horrible start when two way first team all leaguer Danny Granillo, a real beast, tore his ACL early in the first league game. What followed was a disappointing Wolverine season record and then their quarterback transferred to Marist. So when I walked through the door, I was surprised when I immediately felt positive excitement in the air. I was also surprised that Willamette had picked up North Eugene’s head coach as offensive coordinator and a Marist assistant coach. On top of that, Jordan Holmes, a two year starter at center for Oregon ran the Willamette weight program over the summer and talked to the players a lot about what it takes to win.  I immediately knew something positive was brewing at Willamette. 

Here are some questions I threw at Head Coach Dan Fritz and the offensive coordinator, Eric Johannsen.

How many players have turned out?
About 48 in the sophomore through senior level, but we have 36 freshmen.

Who are your returning starters and other key returning players?
Junior Tyler Johnson returns and was a two way all league tackle and linebacker. He was voted team season captain.
What’s a team season captain and isn’t it unusual for a junior to be selected?
We have a captain for the team and we have captains for each position, and yes, it’s unusual for a junior to be selected. Zach Hatefi and Mitch Crownover return as wide receivers. Austin Black will join them and brings some speed to our receiving group. Another junior, Jordan Edres, will also get time at receiver. Sophomore Cam Ferguson, is very elusive and will be returning kicks. Jordan Visarraga will be our tailback with Dante Giles getting playing time.

Everyone in the league lost their quarterback. All of the coaches are concerned about that position. Have you decided on your QB?
Dustin Leber is our quarterback. He was back up quarterback last year and got some playing time in during our playoff game against South Albany. He came in for a series when our starter got hurt.

Willamette got off to a nice start last year offensively, scoring 34 points in the first two games. Then the production fell off until the playoff game. Any changes in store in the scheme or areas of emphasis to address the issue?
Ball security killed us last year. We couldn’t get into any tempo on offense. We’re putting in a new offense, similar to what coach Johannsen ran at North Eugene last year. A spread offense with the inside zone and zone read option. Leber is a good fit at quarterback for this offense. It’s a lot like what the Ducks use. So far, the kids have been really good with the installation of the new offense.
    Also, we have good size on the line. Tyler Johnson at left tackle, Drew Clements and Mitch Wilkens at left guard. Lance Henderson is center. Trent Waggoner [baseball player] at right guard and Sam Duncan at right tackle. Bryce York is at tight end and can run out of a fullback position.

Defense has to be a concern this year. You lost Grannillo right off the bat last year, and it seemed like the defense never came together. Plus, the D was on the field a lot because of the turnovers on offense.
Yes, it was a little bit of both. We have a new defensive back coach. Nick McCarthy moved over from Marist to work with our DB’s. I’m [head coach Fritz] stepping back in as defensive coordinator.

Any players close to D-1 or small college ball?
Bryce York, Mitch Crownover and Jordan Visarraga have shots. They’re probably a little undersized or not quite big enough for D-1, but could do well at a smaller college. Watch junior Tyler Johnson. He’s not far away from Granillo (Granillo was a 2 way 1st team all league as a junior) Tyler’s an animal in the weight room. Time will tell.

It seems like Willamette has developed more than your fair share of great receivers, like Michael Calef, Taylor Woodke and Cam Koehler and you’ve got a couple of potentially really good ones this year. Have you just been fortunate that these kids have shown up or does Willamette work a lot at developing wide receivers?
Our wide open offensive tradition goes back many years, long before even Calef. We adjust to our personnel, and the new offensive scheme this year is better suited for Leber, our qb. Also, we do work the receivers a lot after weight workouts.

That was the end of the formal interview. The energy and spirit in the weight room and on the field was really good. The big linemen that coach Fritz talked about were definitely big and looked like they had been hitting the weights. The Willamette visit was a good way to end the week. The Wolverines certainly have the potential to do well in league. Like every other team, they better get their new qb up to speed fast and that will depend an awful lot on the O line. With all the up beat attitudes and the usual football camaraderie on a beautiful day I couldn’t help but think that for a lot of players, they were near the end of their football careers. Coach Fritz hit it on the head when he said, “We’re trying to build good memories. For 45 of these 48 players, they are probably in their last years of football. We want these years to be a good experience.”

I’m going to hit Springfield’s practice Wednesday and that is probably it for practice visits for the year unless I get another invite. Friday, I’ll be off to Corvallis for the Marist game.  League games start the next week when I'll be watching my alma matre, Marshfeild, plat at North Eugene.
 
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Is it the Season of the Eagles - or is it Eagle season?

My first visit ever to Eagle Point for football was a great one. The temperature was 96 degrees when practice started at 4 PM. It was great baseball weather.

I'm assuming that a lot of the players are outdoorsman and do a little hunting. On the very first exercise, a short warm up jog, one of the assistant coaches yelled out "It's a GRRRRREAT day to be an Eagle!" One of the players yelled out in response, "Not if it's Eagle season." By the time I left at 7:30, I was thinking it just might be a great season to be an Eagle and it'll take a good team to be bag an Eagle.

GH is Gary Haliski
JS is coach Schauffler

GH: How many players have turned out?
JS: About 60 in the sophomore through senior level. About 30 frosh.

GH: Who are your returning starters and other key returning players?
JS: Tyrone Holmes, a two way all leaguer. He has an offer from Washington State. He’s friends with Marist’s Logan Mayes, who went to Washington State. Tyrone has the same physique as Mayes, which makes for a great high school defensive end. Garrett Snow returns as running back and will play linebacker. He’s not going to run away from people, but he’s really tough to bring down. Garrett is also a back up quarterback and one of our linebackers.
GH: Does he play baseball? You know, I"m a baseball guy.
JS: He used to play baseball, but he's been a top 6 javelin thrower in state.
GH: You're killing me. Sounds like a pitcher to me.
JS: Garrett didn't miss any summer workouts and has an offer from Southern Oregon. Zach Reed is a 6' 9" defensive back and will see time as a receiver. A really exciting sophomore is Jorge Quintero. He's really high in football smarts. Brian Strong is at guard. Strong is an interesting story. He was all league last year. He is in an early entry program for the military and won’t be able to join us for the first game. We have eight senior linemen who can play anywhere, and will. Each of them knows two positions. The guys will be fresh and having so many lineman who can play mulitiplie positions helps cover us in case of injuries. Senior Lorne Nesberg is leader of our wide receivers and should have a good year. Junior Kyle Zerger is a really good player. He’ll be playing free safety and wide receiver. It’s his first year starting. A few of other juniors who are looking good are - Johnny Wilkerson, he’s got the potential to start as a receiver - Brandon Wilson is another really good athlete at the defensive back and wide receiver positions - Jakob Combs is backing up Snow at running back.

GH: Who are your linebackers this year?
JS: Snow, Daniel Morgan and Caleb Ash. Ash is more of a strong safegy.

GH: Everyone in the league lost their starting quarterback. Have you settled on one yet?
JS : Daniel Morgan is our quarterback. He's been our backup for two years. Daniel is a great leader. He gets the linemen set up quickly. He’s got a lot of football smarts.

GH: Defense has to be an area of opportunity after last season. The Eagles were able to put up a lot of points on the board, but so were your opponents. Any personnel changes or changes in scheme that should help improve the team?
JS: Our scheme is the same. We were terrible tacklers last year. So we're doing tackling circuits every day. Concentrating on the form of a tackle. And tackling was what we worked on in the off season.

GH: You have a huge home opener with Mountain View. You follow that with home game against the always tough Lancers. Have the players been focusing on those games?
JS: Getting up for Mountain View is easy. They are right up there with Marist and Sherwood as one of the top programs in the state. Two years ago Mountain View scored on the first play of each half and they beat us by two touchdowns. Last year, we lost by two. We're getting closer. Getting up for Churchill is much the same. We know Churchill has good players, a good team, and a good scheme.

GH: How do you like being in the Midwestern League?
JS: We really like it. The down side last year was that seven of our ten games were three or more hours away. But we probably have the toughest league in the state from top to bottom, and that's good. Ashland ended up losing to eventual state champions Sherwood. We lost to state runner-up Marist, who was in our own league, and Churchill made it to the quarterfinals.

That ended the sit down portion of my interview. But as I wandered around the facilities I noticed some great enhancements to practice. The Eagles were videotaping practice, which they share with their players. Plus they had a giant electronic clock which counted down the seconds for each drill and then blasted a big horn for the next drill. I thought I was back in Coos Bay in the 1950’s when there were a million ships and tugs blasting their horns all day long. The ‘Segment Timer’ kept the practice hopping, and I’m sure glad my high school coach didn’t video tape practice – game replays could be quite brutal. Coach Schauffler was proud to point out that Eagle Point has one of the best real grass surfaces of any high school in the state, and it sure looked like it. The boosters were active as could be seen by the parents providing healthy snacks (including a big bowl of fruit!) during the break.  Add in TV on Channel 12 for their first game, and a full season on ESPN radio, the first time the Eagles have been on radio for a full season since 1996, and I felt that this program was really reaching for the stars. Here’s what coach Schauffler had to say about his goals for the program:

JS: We play Mountain View right out of the blocks. We really respect their program and think they are in an elite classification of teams with Marist and Sherwood. Our goal is to join that group. They have reached a superior level and they are superior year in and year out. Consistency doesn’t just happen overnight. Everything you’re seeing is to reach our goal.
      We have a special senior class. They’re not only good in football, but in all sports. I really feel if this group of seniors is successful throughout the year, they will have a positive impact on all sports at Eagle Point for several years. Their leadership and effort has really helped the younger players. We have a lot of good senior leaders, Garrett Snow, Tyrone Holmes and Zach Reed quickly come to mind. It’s good to have strong leadership in the senior class. Hopefully, they have modeled leadership enough that it won’t fall off.
GH: Tell me about the clock and horn on the practice field.
JS: We call that the segment timer.
GH: The what?
JS: The segment timer.
GH: You’ve got to come up with a better name than that. That’s not too flashy.
JS: I actually got that for myself. I just didn’t feel that I was being efficient with my time. The clock is tied into the schedule I gave you. The software lets you program segments for any amount of time. The system gives you an audible warning as it counts down to zero for a segment and then the horn blows and we’re off to the next drill.

Towards the end of my visit, I followed the varsity over to the game field and went into the home stands to take a final photo. What a site. Mt. McLoughin was in the background and as far as you could see – across the game field, across the huge practice field and onto the baseball field - there were Eagles and Eaglets (midget Eagles dressed in Eagle blue)

It really was a GRRRREAT day to be an Eagle.

PS: It was a long day that started in Ashland at 8:30 and the Eagles still had a lot of practice to go. I headed back to Eugene forgetting to do a pop quiz with any of the Eagles.

Pop Quiz for Ashland's Taylor Humphrey

Humphrey is a wide receiver and defensive back for the Grizzlies. He was surrounded by a few of his fellow players while taking the quiz and assistant coach Soriano was present to tell Humphrey when to 'zip it'.


TH is Taylor Humphrey
GH is Gary Haliski

GH: What did you work on the hardest through the summer to get better in football?
TH: I worked on speed and strength so I could be the best I could be.

GH: What did you do to improve your strength and speed?
TH: I hired a personal trainer and he had me run in sand and things like that.
Teammates: You're kidding. You hired a personal trainer. We didn't know about that.

GH: What school do you want to beat most this year?
TH: Marist. They are ranked number #1.

GH: What is your pregame meal?
TH: SMURF's eat at Mihama's Teriaki Grill?
GH: Are SMURF's a cult thing?
TH: It's our receiving group.

GH: What do you listen to on your Ipod?
TH: Rock, Hip Hop, Blink-182
GH: No Rap?
TH: I lump Rap into Hip Hop?
GH: You know Rap isn't music?
TH makes a quizzical look.

GH: Who on the team impressed you most this year?
TH: Danial White, our quarterback. Didn't expect him to be where he is at this point. He's really confident and we can trust in him.

GH: What is your favorite college and pro team?
TH: Eagles and Ducks.

GH: Who is your favorite player?
TH: DeSean Jackson. He is the king!

GH: What is the best thing to do in Ashland in the summer?
TH: Go to Emigrant Lake, wakeboard, inntertube and jump off the big rocks.
GH: I think that one ups Josh Paiement of Marist. Josh said he likes to go to Fern Ridge Lake, wakeboard and innertube, but no rock jumping.
TH: Gotta jump off of rocks.

GH: What's your favorite subject?
TH: Psychology. It's interesting and my favorite teacher teaches it.
GH: Do you think you'll pursue it as a career?
TH: Possibly

GH: Where's your favorite place to eat?
TH: Thai Pepper. I like their Pad Tai with chicken.
GH: Who is meaner? Head coach Hall or coach Beau Lehnerz.
TH and all the players present laugh and say without hesitation: Coach Hall!
GH: Does coach Hall have to approve your dates?
TH: No. I am The Man.
GH: What do you consider a proper date?
TH: Dinner and a movie. The best dates are when we have a hot summer night. After a movie you can go to Emigrant Lake, have an iced tea, dangle your feet in the water while listening to a little classical music, and watch the sun set as the moon rises. It's very romantic.

GH: Where would you take a date for a casual dinner?
TH: Great American Pizza.
GH: What kind of pizza?
TH: Cheese:
GH: That's it? Just cheese? That's lame.
TH: Yup. that's it.

GH: Where would you take a date for a formal dinner?
TH (after hints by coach Soriano) : Jacksonville Inn. Thanks coach! That's awesome.

GH: Thanks for your time.

TH: Aren't you going to ask me who my favorite superhero is?
GH: Who is your favorite superhero?
TH: Batman.
GH: Why?
TH: He strikes fear into those who prey on the fearful. Do you want to know who the director is?
GH: Who?
TH: Christopher Nolan.
GH: I gotta go.

Ashland - Hey, they've already made Sports Illustrated!

Thursday was my first ever behind-the-scenes look at Ashland's football program. Coach Hall let me observe a weight training/conditioning session followed by an on the field practice session. The weight training room and adjoining gym were booster funded and might provide one of the best gym/weight room combinations in the state. In my interview with coach Hall, he talks about the tradition and pride associated with the Grizzlie football program and how this year's team will try and maintain that tradition.


GH is Gary Haliski
CH is Head Coach Charlie Hall

GH: How many kids are out for football?
CH: We have about 50 sophomores, juniors and seniors and about 20 freshmen.

GH: Who are some of your returning key players?
CH: Our receiving group is solid. Sam Geisslinger and junior Quaid Walters are the wide outs. Taylor Humphrey will be in the slot. Franklin Lime Ma will be in the mix, but watch him at defensive end. Juniors Jon Volz and Austin Chandler are looking good at running back. Volz had a strong summer camp. He'll be our starting running back with Chandler seeing quite a bit of time. Our only starting returning offensive lineman is Andres Guteirrez, an all league guard last year. Alec Ralston will be left tackle and will be back on the D line, where he was all league last year. We graduated a lot of linemen last year, so we've got some new starters - Logan Hartick will be our right guard and Conor Morrison will be on our D line.. Mason Montgomery, a soph, will move to center.

GH: That leaves us with the one big question every team in the league has, because no one has their own quarterback coming back. Have you settled on your QB?
CH: Oh, yes. Danial White. He was a frosh last year. He's a lefty. He's really picked up his game and the players respond well to him. He's put a bit of pressure on me because he was in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd after going 19 for 23 against the Japanese in our annual Pacific Rim Bowl game. If I don't start him and we lose, everyone's going to say, "How could you not start a kid who was in SI?"  We've got a good back up at QB, RJ Attebury.

GH: Last year you got off to a slow start with Klamath Union and Marist last year, had a close win over Churchill and then finished strong until meeting eventual state champ Sherwood. How do you think you'll start this year and will your offense be as explosive as last year?
CH: There's an explanation for our slow start last year, and it has to do with me. Last year, we committed ourselves to the running game and went to the Pistol offense to start the season. Well, the pistol just didn't fire. The pistol was a dud! So we went back to the spread and we're going to stay with the spread this year.

GH: You open league with two tough games against Marist and Churchill. How are you going to get the kids, and especially the new QB, ready for those high stakes games?
CH: The Pacific Rim Bowl game against the Japanese should be a big confidence builder. It's hard to tell just how good the Japanese were, but they were bigger and stronger than us and we had lost to them five straight years. So we were underdogs, and the kids rose to the occasion. We'll be underdogs against Marist, so it's good that our kids know they can win even though they are the underdogs. A little fun sidenote is that our QB, Danial White, and Marist's QB, Kamerun Smith, played each other in a Pop Warner state championship game. White's team won.

GH: How do you like being in the Midwestern league - the competition and the travel?
CH: The kids love it. They get out of school to go on the road on Friday's. It's fun. We've got a place in Eugene we always eat. We always try to do a walk thru at the University of Oregon, which is nice exposure to a college atmosphere for the kids. Even before last year, we were playing the Midwestern schools quite often. Springfield and Willamette, and we had a bit of a rivalry with Marshfield. I love the conference, because it's good and there's lots of parity.

GH: I really felt a strong sense of tradition as I toured your facilities. The Jim Nagle Strength and Conditioning Center, references to Coach K (Kitchell), the recent booster funded upgrade of the Fitness center and the accompanying gym. How do you try and continue all of that with the changing dynamics of the community? (Photo below of Nagle Center - a huge weightroom with adjoining conditioning gym.)

CH: The players definitely feel it. Nagel was head coach for 20 years through 2002, won three state titles and won the SOC title six times. Nagel instituted a successful model which I try and follow. There was a lot of emphasis on the little things. Plus a lot of the current coaches were assistants to Nagel. That's provided a lot of continuity which helps sustain the tradition.

    Coach Kitchell was an assistant to Nagel for almost all of Nagel's career. Kitchell really connected with kids and was highly motivational. He continued on with the football program as an assistant after NagelKitch was highly respected all throughout the community for all of the things he taught us. His legacy lives on. A lot of today's players were in grade school and followed football when Nagel and Kitchell were coaches so those names mean something to the players.

     The continued tremendous booster support as seen in the remodeled weight room lets the players know we expect the tradition to continue. There are a lot of alternative activities that steal kids away from traditional sports programs such as football. There are some kids who would be great football players who are playing water polo or snow boarding. That translates into not having as many players as we used to. So we focus on quality, not quantity. We challenge the players to improve to give themselves a chance at competing at the highest level. It's our job as staff to give them to tools that will give them the chance to succeed.

GH: Thanks Coach.

Interesting trivia: Sophomore quarterback Danial White's dad, Greg, was a member of the 1985 Ashland football team. That team was notable for going to the state playoffs after a 33 year playoff drought
Here's a link to one of many Coach Kitchell's tributes

Growing up in a sports family, I've still got my ears open to good coaching.  During the weight lifting, one of the Ashland players was by himself in a squat station.  A coach said, "Are you by yourself?"  The player said, "Yes".  The coach said, "No, you're not.  Go join those guys."  Weight lifting definitely improves an athlete, but improper technique or solo lifting can create a lifetime injury.  My hat is off to the coach for tactfully getting the player to follow proper weight room regimen.

Pop quiz for Josh Paiement - all league receiver

Josh Paiement started at QB in Marist's opener against Corvallis.  He completed his first pass but his throwing hand came down on a helmet, causing a fracture.  Josh sat out a few weeks, then came back and helped the Spartans march to the state final as a starting receiver and  also played defensive back.

GH is Gary Haliski
JP is Josh Paiement

GH:  Josh, what is your favorite sport?  You've played football all four years, you'll play four years of basketball, you played baseball for two years, and last year you were on the track team.
JP:  Football.  It's unlike any other sport.  Also, my dad, Ray, was on the 1973 Marist team that won our school's first state football title.  I've always been around the program and I've always looked up to the players.  I also like the tradition of brotherhood.

GH:  Which school do you want to beat the most? 
JP:  The one we play each week, and especially our opponents in the championship game if we get there.

GH:  What have you worked on most this summer to make yourself better in football?
JP:  My strength, speed and stamina.  I attended several camps, including the Barton camp and Portland State.

GH:  What's your pregame meal?
JP:  Whatever our lovely mothers make.  They cook a different meal every week.  We eat it and then we have mass.  It's always good.

GH: What music do you have on your Ipod?
JP: Everything.  Country, Hip Hop, Alternative, Christian.
GH: No Rap?
JP:  Yeah, I have some Rap.
GH:  Rap isn't music.

GH: Where is your favorite place to eat?
JP: QDoba on campus.  It's a Mexican place.  All of the guys go there.  I like the Queso Burrito.

GH:  Who on the team impressed you over the summer?
JP:  Everybody on the team worked hard.  Paxton Miller pushes himself hard every day.  He leads by example and that really pushes the rest of us.

GH:  What's your favorite college or pro team?
JP:  The Ducks and the Yankees.
GH:  Who is your favorite player from those teams?
JP:  Brian Paysinger. He was my favorite receiver.  I got to know him and spent time with him on media day.

GH:  What is the best thing to do in Eugene on a summer day?
JP:  Go to Fern Ridge Lake and go boating, wake boarding and tubing.

GH:  Does coach Geske let you guys date?
JP:  [laughs] Yeah.
GH:  What do you consider a proper date?
JP:  Dinner and a movie.
GH:  Where would you take a girl to eat.
JP: Red Robin because it's close to the theater.
GH: What type of movie would you take a date to?
JP: A Comedy.
GH: What type of movie would you go to with the guys?
JP: Action or a different type of comedy.
GH: Where would you take a date to eat on a more formal date?
JP:  The Electric Station.

GH:  Any nicknames on the team?
JP: Baird Cat.  That's Austin Baird.  When he was a frosh, he came up to JV's and he was the wild cat.
We call Cameron Crawley 'Crawlspace' or 'Kama-Lama Ding Dong'.
GH:  I don't want to know why.
JP: Hammersmith is Hammertime.

GH:  You're on injured reserved for at least a short time.  How do you  feel, especially thinking back to that first game of last year when you had  your fracture.
JP: I'm hoping to be back in  few days.  Last year I was bummed about it.  I broke my thumb on the first play. I completed the pass!  That was tough last year.  But this year I'm not as worried about it.  It doesn't help to worry about it.

GH:  Thanks, Josh.

Different look on O this year at Marist. Could it get better than last year?

First, lets get to the rumors about the Marist transfers. The 6' 8" Texan is only 6' 7". Okay, there is no transfer from Texas. There is also no 6' 5" transfer from South Eugene. Kamerun Smith did transfer in from Willamette High as well as James Banks from South Eugene. Both are juniors. We know Kamerun is tall, but Banks is only 6' 1", I'm sure that's disappointing to the Spartan fans who were seeing visions of a 6' 5" beast. However, Banks is pure football guy and even more of a smart guy - what with his calculus class at the U of O.

Turnout: Marist has 58 players listed on the varsity roster. There's another 22 frosh.


Returning starters: Marist lost 10 defensive starters. Paxton Miller is the returnee. Marist returns six all league players on offense.  Taylor Walcott, Austin Baird, and Josh Paiement at receiver spots.  Greg Park in the backfield and Mitch Olive and Paxton Miller on the line.

I spent a lot of time with coach Geske in a far reaching interview. Here's a paraphrasing of our talk.

GH is Gary Haliski
FG is coach Frank Geske

GH: Several MWL coaches have asked me, "Marist can't be as good as last year, can they?". Well, can you?
FG: No. We were able to do some extra things because of Devereaux and Mayes on defense. The other teams had to account for them at all times. We were also incredibly fortunate to have guys like Inouye and Beattie on the corners. They didn't weigh a buck forty, but they had perfect technique and would drill guys. Silver was special on offense. We've got to replace 10 starters on defense. We'll be good on D because we have so many players who can play each position and we have a lot of competition within our team. Our offense is really, really good and has an opportunity to be outstanding.

GH: What were your subvaristy records last year?
FG: Our frosh team had one win while the JV's went undefeated.

GH: Non of the MWL teams return their QB. You've got Kamerun Smith, who played at Willamette last year. Who's it going to be at QB?
FG: Smith is our quarterback. We have several guys who can come in at QB. Josh Paiement and Tyler Dennis could handle the job as well as some others, but Smith is our QB and is picking up the system quickly.

GH: Smith is a drop back passer, whereas Logan Silver was a passing tailback at QB last year. With Greg Park back as a running back and James Banks in the backfield, will you have a different look?
FG: Park and Banks are two really good backs. We'll be able to have different sets. Two back sets, a set with one back with an H back. They can catch so they might not be in the backfield at all, sometimes.

GH: You've got Walcott, Baird and Paiement back at receiver spots. Any other receivers?
FG: We're loaded at the receiver position. You can expect to see Jonathon Tharpe, Josh Harper, Sam Krier a lot. I call Krier "Mr. Diggs', he's fearless over the middle.

GH: Do you have more depth this year? Can you have more players play just one way? Perhaps Walcott and Kamerun Smith?
FG: I'd like to get Kamerun on the D line, but he's most likely just going to see Qb duty. I'll try and hold Walcott to the offense, but he can chase anything down from a free safety spot - so I wouldn't be surprised to see him on D at times.

GH: You lost 10 starting defenders. How do you reload your defense?
FG: All of our running backs are linebackers. All of our O linemen are D linemen and our receivers are our DB's. We'll be rotating a lot of players through all positions a lot. We're getting pretty good on D. And this is really helping our Qb, Kamerun. Kamerun gets to see six to seven coverages every day. That's going to help him a lot and he has to mature very quickly in our first two games. [Marist opens at Corvallis and then travels to Ashland]

GH: Your practices are at tempo on the very first day. It seems like all of the kids know what station to go to and when to go there. Even the frosh.
FG: We spend time during conditioning going over practice and tell the kids we expect them to be ready on the first day. We do 80 minutes of technique to start each practice. We rotate every player of every class through each station.
GH is thinking.[So maybe some of the players don't really know what's going on the first day, they just follow their group around from station to station. Looked good to me. Practice was fast paced, and the Spartans really do spend the first 80 minutes on technique.]

GH: Last year you were loaded with horses and it looked like you had great leadership. Do you think the leadership will develop to the same level this year?
FG: I think it will be the same. I am well aware that I am very fortunate to be coaching at Marist. I remember how busy I was coaching at Franklin and Tigard. A fair amount of my time was spent dealing with peripheral player issues that didn't have anything to do with the kids on the field. At Marist, the varsity kids are already good citizens with good habits.
   It took me awhile to figure out why our frosh teams do so poorly and then they end up doing very well. Our current group of juniors were winless as frosh in the Sky-Em league. I finally realized that when the frosh come into Marist, every one of their teachers loads them up all day long with doing the right thing. The frosh would get that all day long and would figure out that they probably shouldn't have an aggressive football attitude in their every day activities. Then they'd show up to practice with a good citizen smile, and we'd want them to go after it. We coaches wanted more of the Joe Paterno thing, "Gentlemen off the field", but be able to flip a switch when they get on the field.
   The losing frosh seasons were frustrating but I figured out why and worked with my coaches on it, telling the coaches that the frosh year in the classroom pays dividends. We end up with kids who are diligent, they eat right, they train right, they take care of their families and they take care of each other. By the time a player makes varsity, 'It' has just happened. And I get to focus on football.

GH: Thanks, coach.

Coach Geske touched on a lot of players that I haven't fit into the above conversations, sometimes because I can't read my scratch notes. Here's some mentions that I can still read:

Jet Taylor (5' 8", 205 LB/RB) is The Little Stud.

'Hammertime' (junior Eric Hammersmith) is battling senior Ryan Whalen for the center spot.

Tony Ford (6' 2", 24) will be joining Hammertime, Mitch Olive, Paxton Miller and Whalen rotating on the D line.

Colton Bowden, Cody King (MiddleLB), Jet Taylor and James Banks give the Spartans a lot to work with at the LB position.

Sophomore Dante Castille (5'10", 310) is pushing around some of the junior and senior linemen and just might see a lot of playing time.

Three juniors really stand out. Austin Baird, Paxton Miller, and James Banks. Banks is tough and has a super high football IQ to go along with the U of O calculus class. Miller is all football, and Baird is super quick and tough as nails. I grabbed Baird and state sprint champion Taylor Walcott for a staged photo for a story of who is faster. Walcott is a senior and has proof of how fast he is via his OSAA state sprint champion medal. Baird is fast, but he is a lowly junior and a baseball player, so he doesn't get to show off his speed. During conditioning, the Spartans run lots of 100's, so eyes are on Walcott and Taylor. Walcott seems to win those. But football is about the 40 yard dash, and one day the team had to put them to the test, and the version I heard was that Baird eeked out Walcott in the 40. Being competitive, Walcott challenged Baird to a 100, where Walcott proved that he would be the guy to throw to if Marist is ever first and ten from their own one yard line. During the photo shoot, when I asked them who won the 40, they laughed and said it was really, really close.

Best coaching comment of the day as I was walking around taking photos: A non varsity player was explaining to a coach that the player should only play on one side of the ball and there wasn't any reason to practice both ways. The coach said, " Football isn't a democracy. At Marist we give you an equal opportunity to play both offense and defense.

I'll post Josh Paiement's pop quiz answers Friday, and I'll be posting practice photos of all teams next Monday.

Off to Ashland and Eagle Point Thursday.

Pop quiz for Dalton Milburn - All league tight end

Pop Quiz of Marshfield's Dalton Milburn 6' 7" 260 lb All League Tight End

The underlying theme of the first question is that the Ainsworth brothers are the head coaches of football and basketball at Marshfield. Justin is the head football coach and Jesse is the head basketball coach. Dalton Milburn was all league in both sports last year.

GH is Gary Haliski
DM is Dalton Milburn

GH: I was hoping your head football coach would be standing next to you when I asked this question, but he's not. What is your favorite sport to play, football or basketball?
DM: [Dalton looks around for coach Justin Ainsworth]. Basketball, but if coach was standing here, I would say football.

GH: Now the toughie. Which coach is better? Justin in football or Jesse in basketball?
DM: [Laughs, squirms, and after a pause...] Uh, they both have their unique attributes.
GH: You're ready for TV interviews.

GH: What did you work on the hardest through the summer to get better in football?
DM: Strength.

GH: Which school do you want to beat most this year?
DM. No doubt about it, while the league games are the most important, we have to beat the [North Bend] Bulldogs.

GH: I sense a little revenge.
DM: A lot.

GH: What is your pregame meal?
DM: For lunch it's Subway. About 2 to 3 hours before the game I start chugging Gatorade.

GH: What music do you listen to on your Ipod?
DM: I start off slow with some country. About two hours before the game I listen to rap, and in the locker room it's all rock til we step on the field.
GH thinking: [Is Rap music?]

GH: Who on the team has impressed you the most so far this year?
DM: Jason Sweet.. He's really stepping up to the role of quarterback.

GH: What is your favorite college football team?
DM: The Ducks.

GH: Who is your favorite Oregon player?
DM: Joey Harrington.

GH: What's the best thing to do in Coos Bay in the summer? Especially on a glorious day like today.
DM: Go upriver [Coos River} or go to the beach and have a bonfire. Get outdoors.

GH: Thanks, Dalton.

Marshfield Preview: Lots going on

There's lots going on at Marshfield!!!!

New turf, no more road trips for home games, going to a no huddle offense, new junior quarterback, two new assistant coaches, an odd D front.....

What a gorgeous day on the bay! Friends try and convert me to the beauty of the Yachats area, but there's nothing better than Coos Bay and the beaches on a summer day.

Head coach Justin Ainsworth and the Pirates will be playing their home games at Susick Stadium. The turf is awesome, both in looks and performance. The Pirates should have an extra spring in their step now that they are back at home in arguably one of the best high school football venues in Oregon.

I sat down with coach Ainsworth and some of his staff and gathered the following info:

Turnout: 74 players as of Tuesday, frosh thru seniors. Of interest is that this years group of frosh are the first class to enter Marshfield who have participated in a three year old south coast youth tackle program. Next year's incoming frosh group is projected to have 30 or more players and will have another year of the youth tackle program under their belts.

Returning starters. Marshfield lost a ton of seniors last year, including a first team all league back and six all league defenders. All league tight end Dalton Milburn returns as well as strong safety Ty Cutting. Both Milburn and Cutting will be three year starters. Chase Messerle returns at safety. Parker Forte returns and will be the Pirate center. Brad Beaudry and Frank Montenegro also return on the line.

GH is Gary Haliski
JA is head coach Justin Ainsworth

GH: No MWL team returns their quarterback. All the coaches have to be concerned. Who is fighting for your starting QB spot?
JA: Jason Sweet, a junior, is our QB. He was the JV starter last year. We'll probably be much more balanced this year between running and passing with Jason as QB.

GH: You lost a first team running back to graduation. Who is going to try and fill those shoes?
JA: We're deep at running back, but not experienced. Seniors Ty Cutting and Chase Messerle figure to be our main ball carriers with sophomore Alex Brown getting playing time. Again, we're deep, we have a lot of potential tailbacks behind those guys.

GH: What about your receivers? Obviously you have 6' 7" Dalton Milburn back at tight end.
JA: Yes, MIlburn's obviously our tight end. 6' 2" junior Jacob McAvoy will be our wide receiver.

GH: You mentioned Beaudry, Forte and Montenegro on the line. That doesn't fill all of the holes the graduating seniors left. Any others own starting spots so far?
JA: Looks like sophomore Bill Fields will be a guard for us, and we're going to be using Dalton two ways. You'll see him as a defensive end a lot more this year.

GH: McAvay, Cutting and Messerle can cover the pass. Who's going to be joining them as a DB?
JA: We're expecting Cody Roark to step up and play well right alongside those guys.

GH: You were up and down last year at game time. A big loss to Springfield, a solid win over Willamette, an upset over Eagle Point, a loss to North Bend?
JA: We've got to get more consistent. We talk to the players about it, but they are the ones who have to do it.

GH: Turnovers cost you last year, what....
JA: They KILLED us! We've just got to emphasize it!

GH: The Coos Bay school district is going to a four day week for the kids. Do you anticipate any problems or opportunities?
JA: I'm concerned about a couple of things. Our class day starts at 7:40 AM and goes to 3:30. Add in practice and homework and that's a long day. We're going to have to help the kids manage that. The other issue I am concerned about is what the kids will do on Friday's when they don't have school. They've got to make good choices and be ready to play Friday night. The coaches will have in-service day's on a lot of Friday's, so we'll have to rely on the team to manage themselves.

GH: This is your third year as head coach. Did you make many changes when you took over, and if you did, have the players bought into the changes?
JA: One of the reasons I took this job is that coach Wigle had a blueprint for success and I didn't need to make a lot of changes. He also left me with a great staff. But this year we're making lots of changes - some due to the type of personnel we have on the field and some other changes we had planned on. We're going no huddle. We're really pleased with the way the guys are picking it up. Hopefully, we'll be doing more spread offense. We're putting in on odd line on D, we've got a new young quarterback, we're planning on being more balanced on offense and we've got two new coaches. Mark Wheeling will be coaching our frosh. Wheeling was a stud QB for Reedsport's state championship team. And we're fortunate to get recent Marshfield grad, Colin Cooper, on the staff. We lost some really good coaches, but coach Chad Scriven returns and will handle the D-line.

GH:  Looking at last year's roster, either you have the shortest team in the league or have the most honest height and weight roster listings in the league.  Which is it?  (Coaches in the coaches room laugh)
JA:  Neither, we stretched every 1'4 inch we could last year.


GH: Thanks for the visor.
JA: You're welcome.

2011 MWL Football Warm Ups - 1st Statewide Poll & more

I'll start football coverage in earnest starting next Tuesday, the 16th.  But the first OregonLive polls have been posted and I thought I'd let you know how I voted and issue my annual 'Way to Early MWL football Prediction'.  I also have some comments on Marshfield considering a request to move to 4A.

OregonLive Preseason Poll

Preseason polls are mostly an exercise in futility.  Voters, including me,  aren't sure who has transferred in or out of schools.   And how many voters are really tracking how many seniors graduated throughout the state and how good a school's JV team was?  Not me, I can barely keep up with the MWL.  Here's how I voted with the OregonLive poll rank in parenthesis.

1. Sherwood   (2)   The Bowmen lost Long to Lake Oswego, but so what?
2. Mt. View     (4)
3. Marist          (1)  Yes, the Spartan receivers return, but......
4. Corvallis       (3)
5. Crsnt Valley  (6)
6. Lebanon       (8)  A periodic MWL team throughout history, so they must be good.
7. Wilsonville    (7)
8.  Liberty      (10)
9.  Jefferson      (5)  Jeff is usually good for at least a q-final game.  I'll probably move them up in my next vote.
10. Eagle Pt.  (12)   It's gonna be Snowing in the South

At the 6A level, I voted Aloha #1, Sheldon #4 and Roseburg #7.

My Way Too Early MWL Prediction - August 8th

1.  Marist.  Not as easy of a route to the title as last year.  A team doesn't lose Silver, Mayes, Deveraux, Swindling, Beattie and more without going down a notch.  But the entire speedy, tough, sure handed receiving corp returns.  Austin Baird was second in league receiving yards last year, Taylor Walcott was fourth and Josh Paiment was good for 29.6 yards per catch after coming back from an injury while playing QB.  Whoever ends up at QB  just needs to put the ball out there for the receivers to catch.  Not to be overlooked will be the return of running back Greg Park, at 89 yards per game - 4th in league last year..  That gives the Spartans great flexibility on O.  If the lineman develop quickly, look out MWL!  A lot of talk about ex-Wolverine Kamerun Smith at QB.  My stepson, Alex Brink, came home from a camp he was working this summer and asked me if 'Smith' was the name of the Willamette QB I had been touting.  Alex liked what he saw.  Here are my thoughts - Smith throws a sweet ball, but expect to see a lot of speed rushers attack from the outside to test Smith's running ability.  Smith is tall enough to dink the ball to an outlet back in a jam, so he might not have to run, but  I sure wouldn't let Smith stand back and throw all day.

2.  Eagle Point.  I liked the fight the Eagles showed in their game at Churchill last year.  The Eagles came out and looked like they were going to destroy Air Lancer, going up 14-0 in the first Q.  But Churchill tied it by halftime.  The Lancers were up 21-20 after three.  Eagle Point said enough of this fancy-pants passing game and played Snowball, by rumbling Garrett Snow the fourth quarter for a 39-21 win.  Eagle Point then easily handled Willamette the next week, but had a Jekyll & Hyde season after that.  I like the fact they DL/T Tryone Homes is back.  He was 6-4, 240 last year.  The Eagles can fill four other positions with all-stars besides Snow and Holmes.  Zach Reed and Devon Adams return in the secondary along with Daniel Morgan (6' ", 200 lb LB last year).  Adams doubled as a very good receiver.  Bryan Strong returns as an all league O lineman.  In case you've forgotten - Snow isn't just a running back, he also caught 18 passes in league last year.

3. Air Lancer.  Running Back Aaron Ingram (6th in league rushing yardage last year) alone should be enough for me to rank Churchill number two.  But the Lancer's lost their top three receivers and their quarterback, so Air Lancer will struggle.  Hah!  I've seen Churchill lose a ton of talent before.  Before you know it, the other team's heads are spinning.  Junior receiver Andrew Bennion will likely be one of the Lancer's who keep the Air Lancer tradition going.   Jake Dezarn returns as an all league DB.  I'm sure the Lancers will put his hands to use somewhere as he is an excellent baseball player.  Juniors to be all leaguers DL Gavin Cowles (6' 2", 200 last year)  and center Jermeny Crutchfield (5-10, 170 in 2010) return. By the way, RB Ingram is much like Eagle Point's Snow in that Ingram also catches the ball out of the backfield a lot.

4. Ashland.  Ashland tore up Japan in the Pacific Rim Bowl earlier this month.  Looks like the Grizzlies found a good QB in soph Daniel White.  He has good receivers in Sam Geisslinger, Franklin Limema, Taylor Humphrey and Quaid Walters.  One Volz graduated at running back.  This year it looks like junior Jon Volz will get more carries.  The Grizzlies lost Jake McCoy in a trade for another player to be named later - or maybe never.

The top four teams are from the top of the MWL alphabet - A, C. EP M - ,  therefore the bottom four must be from the bottom of the MWL alphabet - M, NE, S, W.

5. Willamette.  I"m going with the Wolverines over Springfield for 5th.  Every team in the league lost their starting quarterback.  I think it's easier to build on a good returning running game and Willamette has some good backs returning.  Jordan Visarraga, Dante Giles and Bryce York all got a decent amount of carries behind Skyler Moore.  Visarraga had occasional glimpses of brilliance, which he'll need to turn into a regularity if the Wolverines are to succeed.  The receiving corp should be quite capable with 6' 1 ' Zach Hatefi and 6' 4 '" Mitch Crownover returning. Keep an eye on two-way all leaguer (LB, OT) junior to be Tyler Johnson.

6. Springfield. The Millers can build their O line around 1st team guard Clanton Self (6' 0", 260) and all league center Isias Giron (5' 8", 210).  Junior Jon Emerald was an all league DB and will likely be on the receiving end of passes along with returning receivers Alister Jorkan and Dylan Pullen.  (I threw away the Springfield-Marshfield game roster last year as Springfield was shellacking my Pirates 50-6.  With the roster went my list of underclassmen who were getting significant playing time for the Millers.)

7. Marshfield.  Marshfield returns just one all league player, but he's a big one.  Receiver Dalton Milburn was listed at 6' 6" and 260 last year.  Running back chores will likely be filled by Ty Cutting.  Marshfield had three huge sophomore linemen on the roster last year.  If these guys get in shape, look out.  But the tendency the last few years has been to go with whoever is in shape, and a lot of small linemen have pushed the big boys out of the way.

8. North Eugene.  Welcome back head coach Edmund Rivera.  I'll keep expectations low so you can exceed them.  The Highlanders need to get baseball pitcher Andrew Moore to pull a Blake Stepp and play quarterback his senior year.  Not likely, as Moore is committed to gnaw on trees 45 miles to the north, and play some baseball there, too. Rivera will start with a couple of good returning offensive weapons.  Running back Travis Brumwill was good for over 5 yards per carry while watching Alex Wilson get most of the workload.  Receiver Ryan Koth was 10th in league in yardage. 

That's it for the 'way too early' poll.  I hope to visit some practices of several schools before the  first games Sept 2.  I had fun visiting the teams last year and got a good feel for the spirit of the teams.  I'll post another MWL poll update right before the September 2 games.

Please email me with any corrections or comments at mwlnow@yahoo.com

Web Site Restructuring

I'm adding some sports - Soccer and Volleyball.  I added Softball in the spring and the kids and parents seemed to love it, even though it was pretty bare bones.  The fall additions have caused me to change the 'templates' throughout the entire website.  You may notice some odd looking menus at the top of the pages as I work through the various sports.  I think football is in okay shape.  Also, I added an At-A-Glance feature where you can see all MWL schedules and scores on one page - hover over 'Football Home' and you should see 'At-A-Glance' in the dropdown list.  The 'At-A-Glance' page is a bit boring, but you can see it's an easy way to check your opponents schedules and results without bouncing back and forth to other web pages.

If you know any soccer or volleyball fans, please let them know about the pages.  I'd like to  find parents for each sport to blog for the three sports.  (Boys soccer, Girls Soccer and Volleyball)  Parents also might want to send photos or match recaps for me to post, much like happened in softball.

Also, there is a MWL page with news about the teams and OSAA, as well as a section of news about current and former MWL players.   I think you'll find it interesting.  If you ever have any info to share, email me at mwlnow@yahoo.com

Marshfield Going 4A in 2012?

If you subscribe to the MWL twitter feed, you saw the article on Marshfield considering appealing to the OSAA to move to the 4A classification in 2012.

As a Pirate alum and someone who was working at Marshfield High School just a few years ago - I moved back to Eugene in 2008 - here are my thoughts:

It hurts to see the Pirates even think about moving down.  I would have hoped my once powerhouse home town high school would try to stay in 5A as their enrollment likely falls to 800 this fall.  The 5A cutoff is 570. Madison (797) and Jefferson (465) play at the 5A level even though they fall in the 4A classification. Marist (489), of course, is 5A. 

But things are quite different in Coos Bay and I think they tip the balance towards 4A - even if it just for a couple of years.  (Marshfield apparently has two very small classes going through the system, but may jump back up in enrollment in 2014 when larger size classes are expected to enter high school.)  The key difference is that the two Portland schools and Marist play in geographical areas that have a lot of other 5A schools.  Marshfield, on the other hand, has to do a lot of travelling.  Travelling wasn't so bad in the 'old days', as there were no girls sports (so the girls didn't lose study time and get home at midnight or later) and we boys played basketball games on Friday and Saturday nights - no weekday games.  In the modern era, it goes like this: I remember a bus ride back and forth between Coos Bay and Eugene in 2004 as a JV baseball coach.  We shared the bus with the varsity softball team.  Most of the girls studied non stop on the way back while I tried to convince the boys to bring their schoolbooks next time.  The girls even had flashlights to help read their books on a trip that got back to Coos Bay at 10:30 PM. Point being, a bus isn't a good place to study.

The other issue besides study time is costs.  Marshfield is going to a four day school week, moving the 8th graders to the high school campus and shutting down a beloved elementary school.  It just doesn't make sense to be spending money on travel for sports when so much money is being squeezed out of the system on the academic side.

Will student population turn around?  Not likely. There are no jobs on the coast.  Government policies nationally and in our state moves people to more efficient urban settings. As the population shifts, rural areas lose their voting and politcal clout.  No improved transportion routes from I-5, no new large federal buildings, no state or veterans hospitals, no Navy NOAA relocation, no state aquarium. Coos County's population has declined 2 percent since 1980, while Lane county has grown 27%, and Deschutes county 154%!  An interesting observation is that combining Marshfield's and North Bend's student bodies would only make them middle of the pack in 5A, student body wise.  And speaking of Marshfield and North Bend high schools in the same sentence - they should consolidate so they can have better class offerings.  My dad just turned over in his grave.  I can't believe I wrote that.

Final Farewell to Bob Line, Springfield Miller, adminstrator and coach.

I had the pleasure of meeting Bob Line in 2003 when I moved to Coos Bay where he was  principal at Marshfield High School.  I got to know him well and seemed to bump into  him quite often after I moved back to Eugene.  He was an extremely positive person with his only flaw being a member of Springfield's 1967 football team that knocked Marshfeild (my senior year) out of the state playoffs even though the two teams finished 8-1 in regular season.  Bob was tabbed to be the head football coach at Waldport this fall.  Sadly, he passed away this June.  He will be missed.  Article - Waldport will miss Bob Line

Here's that league news page link.  If you have any player, alum, team or coach news to share email me at mwlnow@yahoo.com   MWL League News