FB: Northwest Conference

[coco]

Was it a Pacific player who did that? I can see it clearly in my mind and it was hilarious, but I have to admit I don't remember who we were playing. It was at the Catdome, and our ball carrier was on the far side heading north when an opposing player came off the sideline and hit him. What a shocker!
Think of the grief that kid got the rest of the season.

[speedybigboy]

My thoughts exactly, Speedy. I've been pulling for L&C to do well, also. It seems as if they have it all in place now, with an administration backing them, a solid coaching staff, and their recruitment is working. I keep hoping those kids can pull out a win.

I'm also thinking that Pacific is on the verge of bringing back football, maybe very soon. They'll need some time to get the program up and running from the time they announce their comeback, and it will be expensive.

What is your favorite memory that happened at Pacific?

Since it's the off-season I'll bore you with my favorite memory of playing in Forest Grove. 

We went to Forest Grove for the last game of the 1983 season with a 6-2 record, 3-1 in conference, and ranked #9 nationally.  Back then in NAIA d2 only 8 teams made the playoffs and you basically needed to be in the top 8 in the poll to make the field.  Linfield was also 3-1 in conference and playing another 3-1 conference foe (can't remember who), so at best we figured win and earn a tie for the conference championship.  We figured it'd be Linfield.

As sometimes  is the case in Oregon in early November it was raining that day and the ground was already soggy from previous rains.  If you don't remember the stands at Pacific they were wooden and the first row was elevated a few feet of the ground.  The front of the stands had a wood wall face that went clear to the ground.  As the game progressed the water started to pool against that wall and form a lake around the visitors bench.  In the second half the lake was reaching the sideline.  We're all drenched, muddy from the field (okay, I wasn't THAT muddy since I'd spent most of the game on the sidelines), and standing in ankle deep water on the sidelines.  Late in the second half a teammate, who shall remain nameless, turns to me on the sideline and says "I gotta go".  I say whaddya mean the offense is on the field.  He says, "no I gotta take a whiz".  I said something to the effect that he should just go, I mean who's gonna notice, right.  I wasn't serious.  Momentarily I look over at him, he's got a big #$%^ eating grin on his face and there's steam rising off his leg.  I decided I didn't need to stand in that part of the "lake".

In the end we won the game easily.  Then while we are shaking hands with the Boxers and generally milling about the PA announces that Linfield's game finished in a tie, giving us the outright conference title.  Now were whooping it up and then the kicker comes, the 8th ranked team (some Colorado team I think) lost, pretty much assuring us a playoff bid.  One of our players goes running down the sideline and does a belly flop slide through the mud in celebration.  Pretty soon everybody is following suit, well everyone except myself and Urination Man.  Even Frosty went belly first through the mud with water flying up on all sides.

Beating Pacific: 
Conference Title:   
Making the Playoffs:     
Grin on Teammates face: PRICELESS

[speedybigboy]

Was it a Pacific player who did that? I can see it clearly in my mind and it was hilarious, but I have to admit I don't remember who we were playing. It was at the Catdome, and our ball carrier was on the far side heading north when an opposing player came off the sideline and hit him. What a shocker!
Think of the grief that kid got the rest of the season.

What year was that?  I thought that only happened in "Strange But True Football Stories"

[coco]

It was a while back. I'm sure someone with a better memory or the stats can tell you. It definitely made the news at the time. The kid was embarrassed afterwards, and said he was frustrated at losing and his emotions got the better of him.

[wildcat11]

It was a while back. I'm sure someone with a better memory or the stats can tell you. It definitely made the news at the time. The kid was embarrassed afterwards, and said he was frustrated at losing and his emotions got the better of him.

Coco,

Of course Catdomealumni.com has the video of this play!  1989's sideline surprise

The video is slightly wrong in the information.  It was a starting Pacific LB that came off the sideline to make the hit.  I've actually been in contact with him and I'm going to try to line up an interview for our blog.

[fbgcat]

I remember playing a jv game in Forest Grove in '84.  The only grass, what little there was, went from the 20's into the endzones.  The field gave off some sort of swamp gas aroma.  Seagulls were grazing prior to the game.  And with the stands built almost over the field I always thought it was like the football version of the gyms in "Hoosiers."

[speedybigboy]

It was a while back. I'm sure someone with a better memory or the stats can tell you. It definitely made the news at the time. The kid was embarrassed afterwards, and said he was frustrated at losing and his emotions got the better of him.

Coco,

Of course Catdomealumni.com has the video of this play!  1989's sideline surprise

The video is slightly wrong in the information.  It was a starting Pacific LB that came off the sideline to make the hit.  I've actually been in contact with him and I'm going to try to line up an interview for our blog.

nice video 11,

As a kid I had a book with strange football stories (wrong way run, etc.) and an episode like that was in it.  Couldn't remember what schools.  Thought maybe your story was the same one but it would have happened in the 60's or earlier.

[Gig Harbor Cat]

Didn't that hit make ESPN ?

[coco]

WC11,

What was I thinking? Of course you would have that clip! Man, that was bizarre.

Speedy and fbgcat, I remember the Pacific stands and field the same way you do -- a far cry from the Catdome back then, not to mention now. They will have some major work to do if they are going to bring back that facility. I hope they have some alums with deep pockets.

Great football story, Speedy.

[coco]

I don't know if the hit was on ESPN, but it was on the Portland news shows.

[Wildcat'64]

YEP....the play did make ESPN.  In fact it has been re-run several times over the years. 

[wildcat11]

Catdomealumni.com Special!

The Red and Purple Interview is back and this time we spoke with Pacific Athletic Director, Ken Schumann, about the possible return of football in Forest Grove.

The Red and Purple Interview: Pacific AD Ken Schumann

[Gig Harbor Cat]

It kind of reminds you of the new Bud Light commercial where the ref takes out the QB for a beer.

"  What, it was a clean hit !!"

Phone it in

GHC

[speedybigboy]

Catdomealumni.com Special!

The Red and Purple Interview is back and this time we spoke with Pacific Athletic Director, Ken Schumann, about the possible return of football in Forest Grove.

The Red and Purple Interview: Pacific AD Ken Schumann

WC11, Excellent interview.  Sounds hopeful.  Any read on the Faculty's opinion of the whole matter? 

GHC, same thought ran thru my head, I just couldn't remember which beer the ad was for 

[Pat Coleman]

Somehow I think Bluenote's ad hoc fundraising campaign to aid Linfield's scheduling should go to Pacific football's startup costs, not toward a one-game airplane solution.