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1. Sick of private school whining.
Yes, I know fans of both public and private schools tend to get very whiny when traditionally proud programs hit the skids. But it seems that that noise has grown louder and louder when it comes from the private school side.
This year, all we seem to hear about on the primary message board is how La Salle’s coaching is horrible, they all gotta go, it’s too good of a team, blah blah blah blah blah.
It’s nothing new, either.
Rewind to 2004. The Marist Spartans are the defending Class 3A state champions. Head coach Mike Allison has moved on, accepting the head position at Gresham High School. Enter Lance Lovitt, who labored for what must have felt like an eternity (it was only two years) at Creswell. Lovitt’s style fit the style most often seen in his native Eastern Oregon: line ‘em up and run right at ‘em.
Of course, it also seemed to fit the personnel available. Granted, Lovitt was a defensive mind, but he also was smart enough to recognize that he didn’t have a 6-7 quarterback or game-breaking running backs and wide receivers. He was stuck with a small team and huge expectations.
With the ball on the ground, the Spartans faithful were screaming for Lovitt’s head on their beloved silver platter before the Spartans even got to the Sky-Em portion of their schedule. And it worked. He was canned after one season, moved on to La Grande and, since then, has progressively made the Tigers (at the very least) a conversation point when it comes to Class 4A title contenders.
La Salle, it’s been done. Put up or shut up because, quite frankly, this game is old and tired.
2. You just got Jack(son)ed
Oblivious 4A football followers got a true taste of what this year’s Marist team is all about Friday night after the University of California-bound senior sprinted for 220 yards in a 27-17 win over Scappoose. I know I’ve said it several times, but this kid is the real deal.
As Scappoose head coach Sean McNabb said afterward (and I’m paraphrasing), we’ve got -- maybe -- Division II and III skill kids going up against a Pac-10 running back. You’re not going to see a kid like that at our level very often.
Even with a large black wrap around his left hand, Jackson was able to hold onto the ball (just one fumble and two dropped passes) and his breakaway speed was too much for the Indians to chase down.
Scappoose is one of the faster defensive teams in Class 4A, which doesn’t bode well for anyone else lining up against Brandon (Mr. Jackson, if you’re nasty).
3. Air Boschma
OK, so it doesn’t have the same ring as Air Coryell or even Air Bell (Roseburg’s nickname during their 1980 state championship season). But whatever YC second-year head coach Allen Boschma has the Tigers doing, he’s got his team firing on all cylinders (a weak tie-in to Bosch spark plugs).
Serious 4A fans new Y-C was on the verge of a breakout year, riding a talented class of athletes much in the same way Banks had done this entire decade before running the cupboard completely dry last season.
Zach Anderson is putting up some lofty passing numbers, but here are the things I really want to see: 1) How is the running game? and 2) How will Anderson and the Tigers perform under pressure?
Chances are, the answers to either of those questions won’t be known until the Cowapa League season kicks off on Oct. 6.
4. Far Worst? Doubt it.
The addition of Siuslaw and loss of the Coquille definitely raised the stock of the Far West League, long the most dismal overall grouping of Class 4A football programs. But there are three other teams carrying their own share of the weight as the Far West flag rises up the pole.
You’ve got Brookings, which beat a Del Norte, Calif., team that just hammered No. 2-ranked Hidden Valley. Not too shabby there.
Then you have Sutherlin, a state playoff team last year that was only a play or two from knocking off Scappoose in the second round.
Finally, there is the old newbie Siuslaw, which has allowed a meager six points in two games.
I’m not buying North Bend or Douglas quite yet, but now it finally looks like this league may have a four- or five-team race for three playoff spots. And, unlike past seasons, people might actually WANT to watch this race.
5. Getting your Mc(Affrey) on
Am I the only person who thinks that Sisters junior running back Cory McCaffrey will be close to 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns before his Outlaws host Marist on Oct. 12? Looking at the schedule, Sisters should have a cakewalk until that date.
6. The Crane Train
Not many of you may have heard of T.J. Crane before this season, but the Marist Spartans -- and I mean nearly every one of them -- got to meet Crane up close and personal last Friday night.
Crane, the No. 1 running back in Scappoose’s spread offense, has been solid on that side of the ball, but has been an absolute workhorse from his strong safety position as well. In games against Cottage Grove and Marist, Crane is estimated to have nearly 40 tackles total (16 against the Grove, estimated 20 against Marist; awaiting official numbers).
Of course, when your strong safety is making that many tackles, it’s a sign of weakness along the defensive front, which the Indians will be trying to fix as the season goes along.
7. Pulling a ‘Coug
In Pullman, Wash., it’s the equivalent of pulling a Munson (see “Kingpin,” starring Woody Harrelson and Randy Quaid).
In Cave Junction, it’s called running over the opposition.
Yeah, it’s a little early to be engraving a state football trophy for Illinois Valley, but what about this start for the Cougars?
Two games, 40-plus points in each, and a 2-0 start. Production from a handful of different players.
IV was disappointed it didn’t get some relief in reclassification with a drop to Class 3A. But right now, it’s not really looking like they needed it.
8. GOL = Rodney Dangerfield
“I come from a stupid family. During the civil war my great uncle fought for the West.”
Maybe that’s why the east side teams get no respect: cross-mountain breeding.
In all seriousness, this whole mess along the Blue Mountains could get really ugly when La Grande and Baker finally strap it on. (Yes, Ontario, I’m counting you out of a GOL title.)
Cries of disrespect from the “West Coast Bias,” bickering amongst each other over who deserves to be ranked higher, who’s better, who’s going to win when the two meet in La Grande on Oct. 20.
You know, if I didn’t have a game to cover that night, I’d LOVE to be in that stadium. Most west-siders have no clue what Eastern Oregon football is all about. I had the pleasure of watching it for four years, and if I didn’t have a game to cover that night, you can bet my butt would be in La Grande.
9. Newport woes
Look, it was understandable for there to be some lagging dissatisfaction among Newport fans once the legendary Gene Morrow finally hung up his whistle. But what is happening now in Newport over the past five or six years is starting to get redundant.
Coaching has been blamed by many in the community. I’ve always said look to the players first. Well, even when Newport has had the players, the results have been less than stellar.
Is it finally time for a change in Cubville?
10. Harrington on the horizon?
Just a quick note from the NFL: as awful as Dante Culpepper has been in Miami in the first two weeks, I wonder what is the over/under on how much longer before Joey Harrington takes the reins?
My guess: two more weeks.
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