Uwe Dedering map at Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository, edited by Wildcatville.
Too far for you to
travel to McMinnville for a Linfield home football game? How about watching the
Wildcats play in Texas or Ohio? Linfield has games in both states on its 2013 schedule.
On Saturday, Sept. 28, in Cleveland at Case Western Reserve University, Linfield will be the homecoming opponent for the Spartans on Case Field.
Kickoff for both contests is noon, Central Daylight Time in Texas and Eastern Daylight Time in Ohio.
Linfield
has never traveled this far (to Cleveland in this case) for one regular-season
game before. To have two long football trips like this for regular season games
is unprecedented in Linfield sports history.
The approximately 3,830
miles the Wildcats will travel for these two games (within 15 days) is more
than 750 miles they traveled in all nine of their regular-season road games the
last two years.
Based on the team’s flying and bus travel, there's about 1,790 miles between McMinnville and Abilene and it's some 2,040 miles from McMinnville to Cleveland. The record distance for Linfield football to travel for any game was in 2011. That was about 2,440 mile trip to Dover, Del., and a 49-34 NCAA playoffs loss to Wesley.
The game in Cleveland came about because George Fox University resumes football starting next fall. However, originally GFU announced it was to begin playing again football this season. Because of that, teams in the Northwest Conference had GFU on their 2013 schedules. That left an opening in Linfield's schedule which it's filling by traveling to play at Case Western Reserve.
OHIO CONNNECTIONS
Linfield President Thomas Hellie and his wife, Julie Olds, have Ohio connections. He was a tenured faculty member in theatre and English at Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, 1980-1989. It's about 40 miles from Hiram to Cleveland. A Hiram grad, she earned a master's degree from Case Western Reserve and worked several years as an actress in the Cleveland area.
Linfield President Thomas Hellie and his wife, Julie Olds, have Ohio connections. He was a tenured faculty member in theatre and English at Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, 1980-1989. It's about 40 miles from Hiram to Cleveland. A Hiram grad, she earned a master's degree from Case Western Reserve and worked several years as an actress in the Cleveland area.
John Schindelar,
head of the Linfield Water Crew, volunteers who hydrate the Linfield football
team during practices and games, is a Solon, Ohio, native and grad of Solon
High School and Ohio's Bowling Green State University. He played football at
Solon High and, as a freshman, at Bowling Green. He has a master of education
degree from Ohio's Kent State University and studied at Ohio State University.
His background includes teaching in Ohio. At
Ohio’s Beachwood High School, he was an assistant varsity football coach.
ABILENE
"Blend an old West town and a modern, medium-sized city, then throw in a good dose of hospitality, and a large helping of recreation, and you have Abilene, Texas! Established in 1881, Abilene is located near the geographic center of Texas and is named after a famous Kansas cattle shipping point. Abilene is located in Taylor County and has a population of 116,806. Dyess Air Force Base, home to the B-1 Bomber, lies in the western part of the city. Abilene Regional Airport offers daily connecting flights through DFW." -- Logsdon Seminary of Hardin-Simmons University website
CLEVELAND
"Five miles east of downtown Cleveland, University Circle is one of the city's most energetic and culturally robust communities. It's anchored by Case Western Reserve University and enhances the urban campus experience with some of the nation's best arts, music, historical and medical institutions." -- Case Western Reserve website
LINFIELD FOOTBALL GAMES EAST OF OREGON
1964: At Fargo, N.D., vs. Concordia, Minn., NAIA playoffs, lost 28-6.
1965: At Midland, Texas, vs. Sul Ross State, NAIA playoffs, won 30-27.
1965: At Augusta Georgia, vs. St. John's, Minn., NAIA playoffs, lost 33-0.
1974: At Seguin, Texas, vs. Texas Lutheran, NAIA playoffs, lost 52-8.
2003: At Collegeville, Minn., vs. St John's, NCAA playoffs, lost 31-25.
2004: At Salem, Va., vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor, Texas, NCAA playoffs, won 28-21.
2006: At Abilene, Texas, vs. Hardin-Simmons, lost 21-6.
2008: At Abilene Texas, vs. Hardin-Simmons, lost 29-22.
2009: At UWisc.-Whitewater, Wisc., NCAA playoffs, lost 44-41.
2010: At St. Paul, Minn., vs. St. Thomas, Minn., lost 24-17, NCAA playoffs.
2011: At Dover, Del., vs. Wesley, NCAA playoffs, lost 49-34.
2013: At Abilene, Texas, vs. Hardin-Simmons, yet to be played.
2013: At Cleveland, vs. Case Western Reserve, yet to be played.
Linfield football record for games east of Oregon: 2 wins, 9 losses, 2 yet to be played.
MILES BETWEEN HERE AND THERE
2,437 -- McMinnville to Dover, Del.
"Blend an old West town and a modern, medium-sized city, then throw in a good dose of hospitality, and a large helping of recreation, and you have Abilene, Texas! Established in 1881, Abilene is located near the geographic center of Texas and is named after a famous Kansas cattle shipping point. Abilene is located in Taylor County and has a population of 116,806. Dyess Air Force Base, home to the B-1 Bomber, lies in the western part of the city. Abilene Regional Airport offers daily connecting flights through DFW." -- Logsdon Seminary of Hardin-Simmons University website
CLEVELAND
"Five miles east of downtown Cleveland, University Circle is one of the city's most energetic and culturally robust communities. It's anchored by Case Western Reserve University and enhances the urban campus experience with some of the nation's best arts, music, historical and medical institutions." -- Case Western Reserve website
LINFIELD FOOTBALL GAMES EAST OF OREGON
1964: At Fargo, N.D., vs. Concordia, Minn., NAIA playoffs, lost 28-6.
1965: At Midland, Texas, vs. Sul Ross State, NAIA playoffs, won 30-27.
1965: At Augusta Georgia, vs. St. John's, Minn., NAIA playoffs, lost 33-0.
1974: At Seguin, Texas, vs. Texas Lutheran, NAIA playoffs, lost 52-8.
2003: At Collegeville, Minn., vs. St John's, NCAA playoffs, lost 31-25.
2004: At Salem, Va., vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor, Texas, NCAA playoffs, won 28-21.
2006: At Abilene, Texas, vs. Hardin-Simmons, lost 21-6.
2008: At Abilene Texas, vs. Hardin-Simmons, lost 29-22.
2009: At UWisc.-Whitewater, Wisc., NCAA playoffs, lost 44-41.
2010: At St. Paul, Minn., vs. St. Thomas, Minn., lost 24-17, NCAA playoffs.
2011: At Dover, Del., vs. Wesley, NCAA playoffs, lost 49-34.
2013: At Abilene, Texas, vs. Hardin-Simmons, yet to be played.
2013: At Cleveland, vs. Case Western Reserve, yet to be played.
Linfield football record for games east of Oregon: 2 wins, 9 losses, 2 yet to be played.
MILES BETWEEN HERE AND THERE
2,437 -- McMinnville to Dover, Del.
2,321 -- McMinnville
to Augusta, Ga.
2,254 -- McMinnville
to Salem, Va.
2,042 -- McMinnville
to Cleveland
1,790 -- McMinnville
to Abilene, Texas
1,755 -- McMinnville
to Seguin, Texas
1,632 -- McMinnville
to Whitewater, Wisc.
1,514 -- McMinnville
to Collegeville, Minn.
1,504 -- McMinnville
to Midland, Texas
1,438 -- McMinnville
to St. Paul, Minn.
1,231 -- McMinnville
to Fargo, N.D.
Mileages are estimates, based on
one-way trips. Within Oregon and Washington, Linfield travels by bus from
campus in McMinnville to the opponents' campuses for football road games. For
longer trips, including those east of Oregon, the team travels by air from
Portland International Airport to an airport near the opponent team's campus. The
team travels from that airport to the game site.
PRACTICE
The 2013 Linfield football team reports Aug. 18 and practice begins Aug. 19.
