FB: Northwest Conference

[ClassicCat]

Johnnie Fans in Spokane,
I know the big event is tomorrow at the Pine Bowl, but weather permitting, check out Coeur d'Alene (30 miles east of Spokane) and their Christmas parade and fireworks display. As a CAT enjoying life in the great Inland Northwest, I know it's quite impressive. You guys have a million lakes, but Lake Coeur d'Alene, well, it's special.

Chewey,
My thoughts on PLU and its trip to mediocrity. The whole western side of Washington is in the dumps. It must be the water. The "water" was good in my day - Olympia beer. UW no longer is the gem of the NW. PLU nolonger has Frosty on the sidelines. He too was a gem. SW is not totally to blame, game-day coaching or otherwise; he lacks the presence Frosty brought to the table. My point, at least 13 present day Linfield student-athletes hail from the Puget Sound area. Another dozen or so live in the Vancouver area. A significant amount of CATS hail from the I-5 corridor? Setting academics aside, PLU has a real problem, not so much with their facilities, but with athletic alums. Linfield doesn't.

Also, Johnnie fans
When Coach Gagliardi retires, your program will continue as successfully as it is now. Linfield had no problem, Rutchman followed Durham, Langsdorf followed Rutschman, Locey followed Lansdorf, Smith follwed Locey. The commonality: each grew the Linfield experience, as a player or coach.

I wish both the Pirates and the Johnnies good luck tomorrow. I good game promotes D3 football. With the exception of last weekend, championship D3 football has not been played in Spokane. There are many present day high school athletes in eastern Washington, north Idaho, western Montana who need to be exposed to our brand of football.

[ClassicCat]

I need to clarify a couple of things from the above post: The Coeur d'Alene event is Friday night - tonight . Secondly, there is nothing wrong with Lute athletic alums. There are just not enough of you to adovate your alma mater to the many fine collegiate aged men and women. Improve on that and I bet the number of quality recruitments follow.

[wildcat11]

Linfield Video: Special edition!

Helmets for Hunger

KGW news story on the Wildcat's helping out some local McMinnville families in need during the holidays.  Great job 'Cats!!!!

[dawg gone it]

Good luck to the Rats....GO NWC... keep the left coast alive!!!!

I hope Clark has a good weeks rest and his ankle is fine and ready to go.

[TC]

Also, Johnnie fans
When Coach Gagliardi retires, your program will continue as successfully as it is now. Linfield had no problem, Rutchman followed Durham, Langsdorf followed Rutschman, Locey followed Lansdorf, Smith follwed Locey. The commonality: each grew the Linfield experience, as a player or coach.

I agree that when it is John's time to step aside the SJU program will not suffer.  It's not like he's being phased out, but he has surrounded himself with very talented assistants--much more talented than a "normal" coach would have access to.  Fasching, Haugen, and (love him or hate him) Jim Gagliardi all have resumes that would qualify them for nearly any head coaching position on D3.  Instead, they have bought into the SJU style and tradition.  When you have a program as unique as St. John's the tradition is bigger than any one person.  Whether one of the afformentioned coaches or Mike Grant (Bud's son, most successful large-school high school coach in recent memory, and former Johnnie) or someone else takes over, they will do it because they want to continue what John has built, not replace him.

GO JOHNNIES!!!

[(509)Rat]

Clark's still hoblin a little but his ankle seems to be better than it was last week.  Today was a gorgeous day in Spokane, no precipitation up north meaning the field got a chance to dry a little after the downpour the last few days.  Johnnie fans shouldn't expect to see snow unless it comes during game time.  The more and more I look at SJU's record, score, and the occasional game film at a iends house...the more I think Whitworth has a better show than most people are giving them.  I don't think they will need a +2-3 turnover margin to win, and I don't think they will lose simply because of SJU's coaching or experience (Browneagle will tell us otherwise on the playoff experience though).  Should be a good game, hope I can make it to the Pinebowl before too much of the first half is over.  Go Pirates!

[sju56321]

509- you might want to go over what ever it was you were looking at-this game will not be close-unless you think 21 points is close. SJU 35-14 Witworth.

[Olinemom]

Linfield Video: Special edition!

Helmets for Hunger

KGW news story on the Wildcat's helping out some local McMinnville families in need during the holidays.  Great job 'Cats!!!!

Thanks WC11 for this video.  What an excellent program this is!!

[pennstlbu]

I wish both the Pirates and the Johnnies good luck tomorrow. I good game promotes D3 football. With the exception of last weekend, championship D3 football has not been played in Spokane. There are many present day high school athletes in eastern Washington, north Idaho, western Montana who need to be exposed to our brand of football.

Unfortunately, no one in western Montana is going to be paying attention to this game, outside of myself. Even though I'm from western Montana and went to school at a NWC school, not many people out here are aware of DIII football in the northwest, even at Whitworth in Spokane, which is only a 2 and a half hour drive from Missoula. Add in that this weekend that Montana and Montana State are hosting home playoff game, as well as Carroll College, and you get Montanans focusing solely on playoff football in the state of Montana.

[ClassicCat]

Unfortunately, no one in western Montana is going to be paying attention to this game, outside of myself. Even though I'm from western Montana and went to school at a NWC school, not many people out here are aware of DIII football in the northwest, even at Whitworth in Spokane, which is only a 2 and a half hour drive from Missoula.

My point exactly.

One thing I'm disgruntled about, for the sake of D3 football, is the lack of exposure I'm seeing on local TV about the Johnnies, and especially Coach Gagliardi. How many times does a legend come to town? Oh well, Spokane needs more experience in working with D3 sports. Too bad they won't get it. CATS are on the prowl.

Great story - Helmets for Hunger. Thanks for sharing.

[Olinemom]

Unfortunately, no one in western Montana is going to be paying attention to this game, outside of myself. Even though I'm from western Montana and went to school at a NWC school, not many people out here are aware of DIII football in the northwest, even at Whitworth in Spokane, which is only a 2 and a half hour drive from Missoula.

My point exactly.

One thing I'm disgruntled about, for the sake of D3 football, is the lack of exposure I'm seeing on local TV about the Johnnies, and especially Coach Gagliardi. How many times does a legend come to town? Oh well, Spokane needs more experience in working with D3 sports. Too bad they won't get it. CATS are on the prowl.

Great story - Helmets for Hunger. Thanks for sharing.

Now that I've seen Oregon vs OSU on Fox Sports Pacific, I think they should show the Whitworth vs St John's game tomorrow.  The last time I saw Coach Gagliardi was when they beat MUC at the Stagg Bowl (2002?).  Why can't that be the game tomorrow afternoon.  I think their uniforms would be better looking than those horrible uniforms I saw this afternoon.  I mean those yellow things on OU reminded me of Rowan on a bad day.  And I didn't much care for OSU's either.  Give me d3 uniforms anyday --with the possible exception of the aforementioned Rowan, whose uniforms, whether brown or yellow are indescribably ugly.   Who is with me on this?  WE WANT WHITWORTH vs ST JOHN'S.  Why even Touchdown Tommy would agree with this proposal.  E-brownies to all who agree.  They come with no calories, in every flavor and never get stale!!

[speedybigboy]

I need to clarify a couple of things from the above post: The Coeur d'Alene event is Friday night - tonight . Secondly, there is nothing wrong with Lute athletic alums. There are just not enough of you to adovate your alma mater to the many fine collegiate aged men and women. Improve on that and I bet the number of quality recruitments follow.

still not following your logic, do you mean there aren't as many former players coaching high school football in the area?

[coco]

WC11,

That's great that you posted that news clip about the Helmets for Hunger project that the 'Cat seniors do each Thanksgiving. It's in the local paper every year, but it was good to see that a Portland TV station pick up the story.

[Kilted Rat]

Safe travels to all heading to the game today!

Wish I could be there, but my trip to the left coast is deferred another year due to fiscal constraints, family driving in from 700 miles away constraints, holiday constraints, wedding of a buddy constraints, and legal constraints regarding carrying Hamm's beer on a plane that I don't have a ticket for.


Hope its a great game with a favorable end result

[ClassicCat]

Speedy,

I think it really helps that young people are being influenced by positive people, former athletes could to mind. It doesn't necessarily mean having teaching and coaching positions, a business owner, insurance and/or financial planning rep, physician, anybody with influence can recruit.