FB: Northwest Conference

[bluenote]

Those Williamette runningbacks  are one tough group of players.  All of them. The defense was a tough hustle group too.

35-7 Linfield.....enough said.

And here I thought Blue was starting to become part of D O.C.'s kinder, gentler Wildcat Nation!

Seriously, can we get a recap of Linfield/Whitworth from those who saw it?

It was 14-17 at half and the second half score was 28-0. After a butt chewing in the locker room.

[wildcat11]

Those Williamette runningbacks  are one tough group of players.  All of them. The defense was a tough hustle group too.

35-7 Linfield.....enough said.

And here I thought Blue was starting to become part of D O.C.'s kinder, gentler Wildcat Nation!

Seriously, can we get a recap of Linfield/Whitworth from those who saw it?

Linfield played like garbage in the 1st half (flat, uninspired, etc) and Whitworth wanted it more and it showed on the scoreboard..  'Cats snapped out it at half, played up to their ability, and completely dominated Whitworth in the 2nd half and it turned into a route.

[piodad]

I am looking forward to seeing Linfield play in person.   LC probably isn't, but I am.

[Gig Harbor Cat]

Nice second half today Cats. 

Finish up strong  Foot on the gas boys, foot on the gas

GHC  Out

[d-train]

Linfield played like garbage in the 1st half (flat, uninspired, etc) and Whitworth wanted it more and it showed on the scoreboard..  'Cats snapped out it at half, played up to their ability, and completely dominated Whitworth in the 2nd half and it turned into a route.

Sounds familiar...I was at Autzen this afternoon for Oregon/Wash.

[CatDad]

GREAT job today 'Cats!! I think it just took a while for the offense to figure out what they were giving... which was the option and the deep middle versus the cover 2...

also looking at their receiving corp and defensive backs we've got a little healing to do... all part of a grueling season...

Some great things happened out there today and will bode well for the future....

GO CATS!!!

[D O.C.]

Can you just imagine if it was Dick that peed on the track...

Bluenote is a renegade, a rebel, an insurgent amidst the Kinder, Gentler, WILDCAT NATION, and I completely agree with him. Bragging rights last one year, I believe.

Finally on to Lewis & Clark...a smack talkin' Pio supporter.  I love it. It really is a new mellinieum.

So....there will be no more L&C cheerleading from me. They are in a place to do damage to any body so our job this week is to smack them back down where they came from. Hit 'em hard, early and cleats on the neck. No more 'how happy are for you'. Best job LINFIELD can do for them is execute and show how great teams can do it.

[Piobark]

While I am a huge fan of getting seniors into the game and giving them their chance on Senior Day, I do think that the time for that is much earlier than 33 seconds to go. The game was over with a full quarter to go - he had plenty of time to get everyone in.

If the coach screwed up, fine - I'm glad he figured it out before it was too late - but I sure hope he learned from this and will take care of everyone earlier in the game in the future.

On to Linfield - seems like they are always L&C's biggest obstacle regardless of the sport!!!

[Bearcat Press]

While I am a huge fan of getting seniors into the game and giving them their chance on Senior Day, I do think that the time for that is much earlier than 33 seconds to go. The game was over with a full quarter to go - he had plenty of time to get everyone in.

If the coach screwed up, fine - I'm glad he figured it out before it was too late - but I sure hope he learned from this and will take care of everyone earlier in the game in the future.

On to Linfield - seems like they are always L&C's biggest obstacle regardless of the sport!!!

Okay - I swear this is my last post on this topic.

I wrote "game over" on my notepad when the Pioneers couldn't convert on 4th and goal with 12:50 left in the game.  Before that, I had fully expected the L&C offense to kick into gear again - the Pioneers have scored 60+ points twice this year - and I think our coaches had too.  You guys have your best team in a decade, and you're only going to get better.  Seriously - nothing but respect.

After the 12:50 mark, Willamette:
1.) Switched to our second-string senior quarterback.
2.) Switched to our fourth and fifth-string senior tailbacks.
3.) Switched to our third and fourth-string flankers.
4.) Switched to our second and third-string offensive and defensive lines.
5.) Scored two touchdowns.
6.) Got Nate Dick a carry.

We carry 130+ guys on the roster, and not everybody gets to play - even though there are games where you have 13 backs carry the ball.  But sometimes those guys who don't play a lot decide to stick around and eventually become invaluable members of the team.  Two years ago, Jon Feld, a little-used backup fullback, was the unquestioned emotional leader of a Bearcat team that finished 11-1 and ranked No. 4 in the country.  Those guys deserve a mention in the box score, even if it comes with 33 seconds left in a close-game-turned-blowout, because they've given four years of their lives to that program.

I'm genuinely sorry some Pio fans took this as an insult.  Knowing the Willamette coaching staff and the players like I do, I can assure you it wasn't.

[/end topic]

Of interest to Linfield fans, Mikey Lemon went out with a probable season and career-ending knee injury in the third quarter.  But not before he got to score two touchdowns on the day.

+K, D O.C.

[speedybigboy]

Congratulations to Linfield on winning the NWC automatic bid to the playoffs.  While a loss to Lewis & Clark would drop you to co-conference champs you will still get the auto qualifier by virtue of head to head wins over both PLU and Willamette.  Lutes need to beat the Bearcats then hope for a Pool C bid.

[speedybigboy]

I think the one thing that's easy to forget with the regional rankings is that some weak AQs aren't even ranked right now. MWC anyone?

Chaos in the CCIW and IIAC are probably your best friends at this point. A Central upset might keep both Coe and the Dutch out...maybe. If Auggie could pull off a win and Wheaton knocked off NCC, anything might be possible. A few OAC upsets (Ohio Northern) wouldn't hurt either...
Obviously a Bethel loss would be great for you as well, but I'm praying against that outcome 
Aside from playoffs, the weeks when the regional rankings are released are my favorite part of the season. Everything gets a lot more interesting and the games seem to take on an extra level of intensity. For Bethel, Linfield, PLU, CLU, Central, etc. the playoffs have really already begun. None of them can afford another loss and if they keep winning, they all have at least a shot at the dance.
Man I love DIII playoffs! I'm hoping PLU wins out just to keep the heat on the selection committee

I was going to retort that Linfield could take a loss to L&C or Whitworth and still win the conference but there are so many scenarios left where they wouldn't take the crown that my head started to spin and I figured it would be best to say that the cats should just leave no doubt as they like to say.

yes--isn't lewis and clark still in the hunt?  They just have to beat Linfield, Willamette, and PLU? (in reverse order)

I took a quick look at the standings and remaining games.  Statistically both L&C and Whitworth have a better shot at the title then PLU or Willamette.  If either team wins out (beating Linfield) and the other one loses to Linfield, they would win the conference title (by virtue of a head to head win against Linfield and a 2-way tie record, 5-1).  PLU and Willamette would likely need two losses by Linfield.  PLU and Willamette can each help Linfield and themselves by winning this weekend.  Of course I think it's highly unlikely that either L&C or Whitworth can win out.  Additionally, if Linfield loses to Whitworth AND  Lewis and Clark then the winner of PLU-Willamette would likely be the conference champ if they have not lost in the meantime.

In order to keep it simple, I think I will go with Cat's over Whitworth next week taking AQ 

Mission Accomplished.

[speedybigboy]

From the PLU website article on the game.

"PLU Football Beats Boxers in the Rain" (Headline) and...

"The game was played in a relentless rain throughout its three-hour duration...."

That brings back some great memories 

[coco]

Good win today by the Wildcats. The guys looked great in the second half.

It looks like the Pios may give us a game this year.

[Piobark]

I'm sorry to hear about Mikey - never like to hear about a player getting hurt - especially season ending...

[river]

BCP:  "Frankly, I thought Welch was being a little disrespectful during the anthem as well - more so when he peed on our track." 

It means a lot to me too.  The thought of somebody doing that, if purposefully being disrespectful, is very offensive to me.  If they do it out of lack of attention or something it is annoying and his coach should handle it. Blasting a player on the air without a chance for rebuttal is wrong.

Nothing wrong about it.  From all accounts, Allegre gave an accurate statement of what happened, just as he would in describing any other event at the game.   If  it was the L&C coaching staff's problem, they apparently didn't know about it or didn't see anything wrong with it.  ??("disrespectful" and "peed on the [the opponent's] track")??  I suspect the former although a more mean-spirited person might say that they did not want to upset their "golden boy."  In any event, Welch is the new L&C poster "child" and can only expect greater attention about what he does from here on out.  As DO.C. points out, a resurgent L&C football team has generated a resurgent L&C trash talk meme.