FB: Northwest Conference

[Catville Commissioner Elect]

Hi George,

Just had a chance to read your playoff predictions and the follow-up posts and I think for the most part you have it pretty well nailed down if those that win continue to win since your analysis and predictions are pretty much on the mark. 

The only other possibility I see based on D3's cost of flying teams around the country, the cost of having Whitworth fly out of Spokane, Linfield fly out of Portland, and the cost of flying teams in and out of LAX and Orange County, I think a scenario (if the cats win of course because if they don't it is a moot point) is that Central may end up at Oxy (weather also a consideration that time of year), and a rematch of the Linfield/Whitworth game.  It  has happened before and will happen again where teams from the same geographical region play each other in a first round. 

One round trip for Central (Oxy definately deserves a home game) or Oxy into or out of the LA area and a bus trip for either Linfield or Whitworth is definately cheaper than having two teams flying out of PDX and Spokane.  Remember sometimes it is a crap shoot trying to figure out what the D3 selection committee will do.  Although Linfield has two losses, one was to a very good D2 school and the other was to a ranked D3 school on the road.  Although the D2 game should not be considered we all know better.

I also wonder what will happen when the majority of the SCIAC schools refuse to schedule Whitworth, UPS, etc. as they have Linfield and keep with the L&Cs, Colorado College, Mississippi College, etc. to get games.  Why play the best when you can beat the rest!

[Foss]

LnD - that's a pretty cool story.

Spirit – Hard to argue with your feelings on Rogers. Still, you must be feeling pretty good out there with the Cards big Game 7 win in NY, then getting a split in Detroit (plus the 'Cats starting to come together, of course).

Whitworth guys – Your team is confusing me. I was expecting an explosive offense and a so-so defense, and it has been just the opposite.

The Pirates have now went 4 straight games (Lewis & Clark game doesn't count) with the offense scoring less than 20 points (defense scored 7 of their 26 in their last game). Is the offense not as good as we thought it was going to be? Did you lose some key guys from last season, or is it something else?

At the same time, the defense is playing extremely well. That has been the story up in Spokane this year – not the offense. The 'Rats have held their opponents to 7 points or less (in regulation) in 5 of their 7 games, and the most they've given up is 16. That is pretty impressive.

I'm wondering what peoples' (especially Pirate posters) thoughts are on this.

[cawcdad]

Man I'm feeling pretty darn good right now. OK, so I'm patting my own back.  Just read the preview for the Menlo game on the Cats Site.

Coach Smith:

. . .Their two quarterbacks, Adam Hazel and Greg Parker, are have different strengths. Hazel is more of a passing threat and Parker is a heck of a runner. Their most productive player on offense is their tight end, Keith Marin. They have been very effective on special teams and Jihad Mahasin is a very shifty player

cawcdad from Sunday:

. . .They use two QBs. Greg Parker who is a better athlete and scrambler, but makes some unwise decisioins. The other, Adam Hazel, throws a much nicer ball, a drop back passer. . . .I think the Oaks TE is the second best in the NWC. He is a good sized kid with good hands and blocks well.. . .The Oaks kick returner was leading all D-III in kick returns yards, just ahead of Masters. He is good.

[bluenote]

Foss...my take on it is that even though we have 2 losses, Whitworth hasn't played a team yet that is as good as we are right now and we're getting better every game. WHOOPS....we need to be thinking Menlo, not Whitworth.....Menlo won't know what hit them after this Saturday, that's my 2 cents....

This is the Hall of Fame Game....Let the Fur Fly!   

[Foss]

Blue, I agree with you there - the 'Cats will be the 'Rats toughest opponent yet. Just to clarify, this isn't meant to spark discussion on how Linfield will matchup with Whitworth. There is plenty of time for that next week. Both teams have big challenges this weekend. I'm just looking for thoughts on why Whitworth's expected-to-be-potent offense has been less than impressive for most of the season, as well as possible reasons why their defense has been surprisingly very good.

[light n' darkness]

thanks foss!!!! at least one person thinks so!!!

tux:
in '84:
we went into the half down 16-0. we get the ball and throw an int to start the half. they score again and make it 22-0 (i guess they miss the 2 point try). then with 3:08 left in the third, rutschman kicks the FG after getting close. i guess he figured that we needed one sooner or later. if i know rutscham he had it all planned before the game.

[light n' darkness]

tux:
if i remember correctly plu went a number of seasons without a FG attempt. they just saw everything as 4 down territory. guttsy, plu-ish and it seemd to have worked, they took the crown in 1999 i think? some of the lutes may know the details.

go cats

[Foss]

lnd, were you on the '82 or '86 team, too? If so, which one would you take in a head-to-head matchup vs. the '84 squad and why? Feel free to rank all three if you want. I know this is probably a tough question, but you seem like the type of guy who has no problem giving his honest opinion.

[pineconefan]

Foss, you make good observations and ask good questions.  I too have been somewhat surprised that the explosiveness of the Whitworth offense the last two years has been missing. 

But first about the defense - I thought they'd be good this year, I just didn't know how good.  This is the best Whitworth defense I've seen in 25 years.  They are fast and aggressive.  This is essentially the same group that took hard knocks two years ago as freshmen, but have grown and improved.  The stat of the year - 18 picks to three passing TDs. 

But the offense has honestly been just okay.  My best guesses - Ahsing's absence since the La Verne game has definitely affected the running game.  He is a different hole-hitter then Havercroft and the new guy Milton, who dance alot.  We need a third receiver option to come to the front.  Allan is obviously a huge talent and Steve Silva has been a great get from the JC ranks.  But last year we had three solid options to throw to.  An o-line injury previously referred to on this board has had an impact as well.

I am looking forward to Saturday's game against Willamette.  They have been the Pirates' playoff killers the last two years, and I don't think it has been because they were the better team.  Perhaps on that day (but even that is questionable last year), but not overall.  But they have come through in that big game.  They still have talent around and I expected them to be a lot better than they have been.  But they have a chance to finish well in the league if they can beat Whitworth, L&C and PLU.

[Olinemom]

It was my first visit to Puyallup. Had a great time at the game. What was that strange orb in the sky? Oh yeah, the sun! What a fun day! The Cats' played extremely well. 18 points from the kicker! I sat behind his parents. They were going crazy!
Olinemom- Thanks for your support and the kind words.

See you all next Saturday at the CATDOME.

I'll be there in spirit, believe you me!!!  The audio better work this time or I'm going to be more than a little upset.

[Brasky20]

tux:
if i remember correctly plu went a number of seasons without a FG attempt. they just saw everything as 4 down territory. guttsy, plu-ish and it seemd to have worked, they took the crown in 1999 i think? some of the lutes may know the details.

go cats

We didn't attempt a field goal from 99'-01'.  I think there were only 2 attempts in 98'.  The first attempt in 01' was against Linfield and was successful.  Coincidently, that was the last triumph over the Wildcats.

[(509)Rat]

I agree with what pineconefan has said mostly.

The D-lost one starter from last year and only lose (i think) 2 more next year.  Whitworth's D will be good for a few more years at least.

Whitworth's offensive problems have revolved somewhat around ahsing, and erlenmeyer (O-line) getting injured, but the biggest factor in the offense not scoring has been a mix between the play calling and joel clark.  While Joel is the reason Whitworth is as dangerous offensively as they are, he is also the reason they haven't been putting up a lot of points this year.  He's been off a lot this year on his throws...overthrowing and underthrowing recievers all year.  How you overthrow a 6-7 tight end is beyond me but its been happening.  Every game from hear on out really rests on Clark, if he plays well, Whitworth will win.  The other problem whitwoth has been having is failing to get the ball in the hands of the one player on the field who has the potential to play in the pro's.  Look at Mike allen's numbers from last year and this year.  Allen only has 5 touchdowns this year, less than one per game, compared to 2 td's per game last year.  The coaches get him the ball in the first quarter, he then dissapears, and emerges again as they put the ball in his hands in the 4th quarter.  When you have that kind of talent you need to utilize it (especially when people are in single coverage on him, because they know his chances of getting the ball in most situations is so low).  Whitworth also doesn't throw to him out of his stance in the tight end position where a linebacker would most likely be matched up on him or in the zone Allen's route is in.

Ahsing and Erlenmeyer should be back for linfield, and they WILL be whitworth's most talented opponent of this season.

[light n' darkness]

brasky20:
if i ever get to coach, i'd like to try that sometime. no FG just TDs all the way around, and maybe just go for 2 everytime also. i bet you'd blow some minds.

i wonder if frosty was confident or just trying something new, something plu.

go cats

[light n' darkness]

foss:
i played from '83-'86.

i'd like to see the '82 team play the '86 team. only one guy played for both teams so we could have a go.  that would be a good game. i think that the '86 team is the best of the championship teams, but that being said; the '82 team is the one that started it all off for the cats. they were the guys that went to the mountain top. and we knew it was possible from their achievements.

the '86 team had a kind of maturity, confidence that was hard to crack. we had been around the block as young players and as vets we played extremly well together. there were a lot of "classically trained" linfield wildcat players on that team.  adversity built a lot of charactor into that team.

i don't think i have answered your question. what was your question?

here lets try this:

'61 team makes it to the championship game, a first for linfield college. this puts LC on the national map, and sets the bar for years to come. lb hugh yoshida, plays on this team and will have a direct impact on me as a football player, as he does on many other future players from hawaii.

'82 team wins the thing. they cut a trial for the rest of us wildcats to follow.

'84 team wins #2 in 3 years, but this team is young, we don't even have a starting QB till the playoffs begin. young players put in work, become "OG".

'85 this team is ready for greatness, but plu has their trip to russia and are way ahead of the game when the season rolls around.... but thats another story (this was a very good team, essentially  the same as the '86 version)

'86 team is just hitting on all cylinders from the start. we are confident, steady, meticulous win #3 in 5 years. this is a great team.

the '86 cats were great but the '84 team was my favorite. we were young, we came from behind to win most of our games, we score 33 unanswered pts to win the title.... all those kinds of things made that team fun to be on.

sorry foss i'm not even close the tracks........
anyway
go cats

'04 cats were not bad as well!!!!!

[fbgcat]

Talk about overcoming adversity- The '84 Championship team beat Pacific 2-0, yes, 2-0.  And, I believe, was down at half to Lewis and Clark.  Then the incredible playoff run.  No definite starting QB for most of the season, All-American tight end goes down early to injury.  Seagulls floating on the practice field in December!