FB: Northwest Conference

[Foss]

bluenote, thanks.  Fortunately, work has been slow lately (probably soon to change) so I've been able to spend more time on what's really important. Ha. But even with all this extra time, I still suck at playing guitar.

[D O.C.]

Olinemom...welcome on over to the NWC board.
The gent with the purple flag (and the Popeye-like forearms to waggle the danged thing) will post on the NWC board now and then under (ready?)... Purple Flag.
As his manager/agent I can state he would enjoy hearing from you.

[cawcdad]

It is Thursday of Willamette week and where are the Bearcat posters? River? He made one hit and run last week. bearcatSID also did a hit and disappear. What ever happened to WuWu?

Cats salty D will rock the Bearcat world on Saturday!!!!

[desertcat1]

I sent a specail type of Fly killing salt to the Catdome South,  just  look for the guy with all the stiches to deliver a real salty D this week. time for a total Fly termination.

apply salt  to ground game = one dead fly

apply salt to air game =  all dead flies

Cats win from Salem West to Salem East  "Again".

Go Cats

[Tezbaseball]

Tez18, ....Happy to help! I help the kids on the Block each year!

Looks like rain for sat. but I'm sure the skys will open up when the Cats take the field.

Pat....Noticed the vote on the front page"competitive Rivalry game". Wouldn't the Wildcats vs. Bearcats count, we are playing for the Conference title? Sure they lost a few, but this is always a good game! I'm sure their are many rivalries this weekend though.

See you all at the Game....GO WILDCATS!   Welcome Dr. Hellie

Tuxguy, thanks for the support. KOB is a wonderful program. Been with them 6+ years and counting. So about that tux I'll stop in the store sometime soon and interduce myself

[bluenote]

Could somebody give me a brief run down on the basics of stopping the fly? I know the fly is rather un-orthodox but I believe I read somewhere that some coach has even written a book on defending the fly. Maybe even Speckman has also? I know they do a lot of deceptive line blocking, like the line will show pass block and then they will run. And that counter seems to always give us fits.....I think Brandon O. will have something to say about that this week....I know you have to be very discipline against the fly...anyone care to fill us in on the basics of defending it...maybe D-Train???

Foss...just listen to Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Santana more often and it will start rubbing off on you, plus it helps if you actually practice at least an hour or more a day...   

[desertcat1]

Could somebody give me a brief run down on the basics of stopping the fly? I know the fly is rather un-orthodox but I believe I read somewhere that some coach has even written a book on defending the fly. Maybe even Speckman has also? I know they do a lot of deceptive line blocking, like the line will show pass block and then they will run. And that counter seems to always give us fits.....I think Brandon O. will have something to say about that this week....I know you have to be very discipline against the fly...anyone care to fill us in on the basics of defending it...maybe D-Train???

Foss...just listen to Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Santana more often and it will start rubbing off on you, plus it helps if you actually practice at least an hour or more a day...   

Blue,
just take notes on Sat. 

Foss,
you gota make those fingers bleed baby..

[Gig Harbor Cat]

Blue,
  Here is my take on the fly.  My experience is that we ran the fly at our HS in California,  Went to a clinic and listened to Speckman and got his game tapes from his high school team. 
  Each play from scrimmage shows at least 3 options, so assignment football for the D is a must.  You will notice on Sat that willamette will feature wide line splits,  In running the Fly they like to spread the D line and get better blocking angles.  If you notice in playing Willamette over the years the D will go along just fine and then give up a long one,  Missed assignment !!!  Also Willamette has always has a huge FB kind of like Jerome Bettis type. 
   The Cats are the best at containing the Fly-  I expect our D to employ the bend dont break ploy and shut the Fly down.  I'm looking forward to seeing this one.

   GHC

[Bubs1856]

I hope Olson has a pretty good idea about what is going on with the fly...he ran it in high school.

Discipline in the right set shuts that offense down, very similar in my opinion to stopping the option.  #26 gets them in the right set and they play assignment football you can count on the Bearcub offense struggling all day.

[river]

Thought I would get my predictions in so I can say I told you so later.
BEARCATS over Rats by a last minute touch, just as the pinecone/bowl crowd is beginning prematurely to celebrate, 35-31.

Then, Bearcats over Linfield, which will be saving Elliott for the playoffs, when the Wildcats find out they'll be playing SJU in the playoffs.  OT - WU 55, LC 48.

Both Bearcats and Wildcats go to playoffs.  The better 'Cats win national title in Salem.

If the Bearcatsdon't go to the playoffs after they win on Saturday (see above), and the Wildcats win the Stagg again, wouldn't that make the Bearcats No. 1? 

[Cat#4]

If Oxy is the only SCIAC team to get in and they loose in the first round does that make last year a fluke? Do we go right back to thinking they're an ease first round win?  
The SCIAC has had one playoff run (in recent years) with Oxy. Should we be looking at Cal Lutheran more closely or will it take a few trips by Oxy to help the rest of that league get a pool C bid?  

I'm sure they're more then a few of you who have an opinion on this, lets here it.  

[d-train]

Could somebody give me a brief run down on the basics of stopping the fly?

Bluenote,

These other guys have it nailed pretty well. My high school also ran the FLY and later I faced it as a Lute linebacker. The FLY is a tricky one, and (unlike my high school coach) Speckman runs it especially well. Assignment football is the key – you'll get burned trying to read. Against most offenses, linebackers and other defenders can read the action of the O-line and/or fullback (does anyone still have a fullback?) and likely will be led to the point of attack. With the FLY, that's exactly what they are hoping you'll do and you'd be playing into their hands. Willamette fakes not only with the ball, but also with O-line action. They'll have the whole line block for the sweep while running a backside fullback dive. They'll have linemen pull for no reason but to fake the defenders. The key is this: you assign folks to an area or guy depending on which way that motion man is coming. Then you aren't trying to figure out who has the ball...you just have to remember who you have or where you have to be given the direction of the sweep action. One other hint: no motion or motion all the way across the set almost always means pass (or draw), and their favorite pass pattern is 10 and out. He doesn't really go deep.

[bearcatsrgood]

Bearcats 35 Linfield 31

[d-train]

#4,

I think a star-quality QB is a huge advantage in D-3. Linfield is more than a one-man show, but Elliott totally takes them to the next level. PLU should have dropped from contention after a huge and very talented '99 class graduated (Hicks et al.), but Chad Johnson still had a year left and got them into the playoffs, past Bethel in the first round, and into OT with St. John's (who was the runner-up that year).

Collins is that type of player on an otherwise good, but not great, team. Depending on the match-up, they should win one playoff game this year before getting knocked out. But even with Collins, they are largely overrated (IMO). Cal Lu deserves a look based strickly on the playoff criteria, but they're a fairly weak choice in the grand scheme of things. The SCIAC is still catching up.

[D O.C.]

I'm tellin' ya Occidental has confidence. They ACT like they are good and so far no one has pulled the curtain.

You've been contemplating it over your bubbles so I will ask it of you before your Friday night imbibe...
switch Elliott and Collins.
Could LINFIELD win it all again?
Wouldn't Occidental still be where they are?