FB: Northwest Conference

[pdawg]

Look with a smile and look with a glare;
Look for the 05 CATS to take to the air;
Look for a lot of the same and little new;
Look for Haz to got on offense and defense too;
Look for Elliott to pass and run;
Look for the OL to provide protection;
Look for the RBs to pound away;
Look the OL to open holes all day;
Look for the DL to handle their own;
Look for the LBs to protect their zone;
Look for the DBs to come up with a pick;
Look for special teams to do the trick;
Look for multiple CAT scores through the air;
Look for Allen to get a pair;
Look for the CATS to reach forty-eight;
Look for the Wolves to be frustrated;
Look for the Wolves to get twenty-one;
Look for the CATS to get it done! 

[downtown48]

Linfield Game Preview

http://www.linfield.edu/sports/release.php?id=1130

WOU Game Preview

http://www.wouwolves.com/fb/releases/2005-06%20archive/fb090605weekly.htm

[d-train]

Okay, so the WOU-Linfield game will be closer than last year -- but the 'Cats are still at least 2 touchdowns better.

What I've been wondering about since hearing the WOU-WU score is what's up with the Bearcats? Defense is slow and small, offense goes 1 for 15 in third-down tries. Are they in for a long year? They have UMHB this week then a very tough road trip to Azusa. They could easily have three losses (and very little confidence) before even facing anyone in the conference. Could they recover from that type of start or will they be in a negative funk all year? OR was this just a fluke performance and Willamette will be right in the thick of the race for the playoffs?

[Tuxguy]

desertcat1, when do you plan to come up for a game? Bring the twins!!!!  "GO CATS"

[downtown48]

I would think that Willamette will figure it out somewhat.  It sounds like they have a lot of new guys and I would imagine there is a bit of a learning curve on that gimmick offense.  Most of the players were probably used to playing in a real offense in high school so it takes some time to get acclimated.  I would think they will be right in the thick of things by the time the conference rolls around, as they usually have some good athletes...

[OregonCityCat99]

Seems like yesterday we were Bertrand's sack to clinch the title!! Saturday starts the road to another Stagg Bowl.

Tailgate starts early!!

[wildcat82]

I was at the Willamette game and from what I saw, Whitworth with beat them by at least two TD's PLU should beat them, the Cats will destroy them and I think UPS has a shot at beating Willamette this year.  I lost count at how many 3rd and long situations the Bearcats had and they tried to run the ball.  They have zero passing game and I think coach Smith has shared with the rest of the league his notes on how to swat and kill the fly!
Sounds like there is a potential for a record crowd and Mac Field this Saturday?  Where are the rest of you Wildcat Nation Freaks setting up your tailgate parties?  I was thinking about the parking lot over by the baseball fields?  I hope a waive of purple and red floods Monmouth!

[pennstlbu]

Pennstlbu's NWC Predictions

UPS @ Pomona-Pitzer...UPS is on a mission this season. Their talent is right up there with PLU, Willamette, and Whitworth now. UPS 30-13.

Redlands @ Whitworth...Don't know much about Redlands, but don't think they'll be able to keep up with the Pirates. Whitworth 34-24

Linfield @ W. Oregon...Is WOU that much better this season or has Willamette fallen that much in a year? Doesn't really matter. Linfield 41-21.

PLU @ Cal Lutheran...I admit I don't know much about CLU either, but I'll guess that PLU wins in a close one. PLU 17-16.

Mary Hardin-Baylor @ Willamette...Can the Bearcats play the Crusaders tough again or are they in for a tough season? UMHB 38-17.

[spiritof86]

Predictions are hard with the cats being unseen so far this year, but I am confidant that a 3 td win is in the cards. the defense is going to be salty and the offense has achieved a level of confidance that will not be shaken.

My wife started on back-to-back D3 basketball championship teams, so I picked her brain about the mindset of a team looking to repeat. She said that in her case, and in Linfield's, the confidance level of the team is so high that losing will never occur to them. Linfield will watch tape 9 weeks this season and see a team that they are clearly better than, and they will take this confidance very far.

LETS GO CATS!!!!!

[catback4]

Wow, out a couple of days on the board and look what at all the fun I miss!  Talked to a couple Cats this weekend while they were watching the game and pretty much everyone's diagnosis of the game was the same.  WOU was much bigger and more physical than Willamette, BUT I don't think Willamette is all that good yet.  That offense takes time to perfect and with all the new players I'm sure it isn't where it will be at the end of the year.  As for WOU "bringing it" I hope they do because the Cat WR and Brett will be picking those blitzes apart!  I see draws and screens in the mix so Mordy and Lasswell could get loose!!!  Look for Keck and Haze on some specially designed plays I'm sure coach Locey will put a couple of those little wrinkles in.  I say the cats take it 42-21 with 14 of WOU 21 coming in the 4th quarter.  The wolves may make it closer if they grow their grass real long like UWSP!
I also think that the Cat's "D" is much better than Willamette and Brandon Tom, Greenberg, and Kettler will NOT get pushed around by anyone.  Remember how big and physical UWLX was supposed to be right???

woufan just for the record Casey Allen is not a 10.6 guy in the 100m, but he has much better football speed anyway!  The only legit 10.6 guy on Linfield's team is my man Chris Boock a tough shut down corner. 

[wildcat11]

A couple of articles to take a peak at......

Oregonian on Western Oregon:  Opening victory alters Western's Outlook

Excerpts:

---"We've really, really been looking forward to this," said Western Oregon tight end Kevin Boss, who caught a third-quarter touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Mark Thorson to put the Wolves up 21-0. "We've been looking forward to this since the first half last year. Last year, losing that game really put us on a downward spiral."

"Last year." Western Oregon fans don't say those words as much as they spit them, as if trying to get a bad taste out of their mouths.

---"We have some discipline now," said (Sr Defensive Back, Bret) Hughes, who became a father on Father's Day when his wife, Rachel, gave birth to daughter Avery. "Coach Ferguson implemented some discipline on this team. We had a team meeting. He implemented his rules, then asked the seniors what they wanted.

"We don't have any back-stabbing going on here. The backups aren't complaining. We're enjoying ourselves."


Tacoma Tribune on UPS:New Mentality

Excerpts:

---"It's pretty much been a 180 (degree turnaround) since when I started here," said senior offensive lineman Rob Clements, a second-team all-Northwest Conference selection last season. "Football was a joke, we felt like it was a joke. The first couple of years, we didn't think we could win. During practice, it was more offense against defense. Now we're definitely one squad. (The turnaround) definitely started with the new (coaching) staff."

---"This year will be a huge step to see if we're there maturity-wise," Willenbrock said. "This team has still won one conference game in four years, so we're not there yet, but hopefully we can make a move in the conference. Four years ago, I might have been a little impatient – I thought things were going to move along a little quicker. But it does take time. If you can improve every year, then the excitement of the program stays positive, and you can continue to attract recruits."

---"We've had the toughest camp that I've ever been in," Clements said. "But it's also been great. We definitely want to go after the conference title."

[woufan]

Didn't you have the NWC 100 meter sprint champ as a wide receiver? Or did he graduate? And I thought that was Allen? I'm kind of confused here. Is Boock the NWC sprint champ?   

[downtown48]

Boock has won the NWC 100 at least once that I know of.  The only other wide out that I can remember having was Sonte' Wong a few years back.  I don't remember if he won the 100 but he was right there.  He did win the long jump and triple jump if my memory serves me right.

[beancounter]

From the NWC website at www.nwcsports.com

Chris Boock ran a 10.84 100m and a 22.51 200m on 3/12/05

Casey Allen ran an 11.18 100m on the same date

[wildcat11]

Boock did run a 10.65 at the NWC conference championship in '03.


^{2x NWC 100 meter champion}