Coverage of Whitworth at Linfield NCAAD3 football 11/21/2015 playoff game in 11/24/2015 McMinnville N-R edition

Take down the jolly roger

By Robert Husseman, McMinnville N-R/News-Register 11/24/2015

Perhaps a thought should be spared in commendation for the Northwest Conference, the Siberia of NCAA Division III. Little-known and –understood, let alone seen, by the Eastern-oriented powers that be, the conference wrangled two bids for the D-III football playoffs out of the selection committee.

The at-large selection of Whitworth, then ranked No. 25 nationally by d3football.com, surely was a pleasant surprise to NWC officials. For Pirates coach Rod Sandberg, a member of the D-III selection committee, it would be a mixed blessing: Whitworth would tread familiar ground in facing No. 2 Linfield Saturday at Maxwell Field.

“They’re one of the best teams in the country and we want to be the best,” Sandberg said Saturday afternoon. “To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. To have an opportunity to play them twice I think was very beneficial for our program.”

Linfield had won the previous matchup, 52-10 on Oct. 24, outgaining the Pirates by over 300 yards and controlling the game from start to finish. Saturday at Maxwell Field would be different, but the outcome would feel eerily similar.

Whitworth received the ball for the game’s first drive and unveiled a facet rarely seen from a Linfield opponent: tempo. Three of the Pirates’ first six plays went for 10 yards or longer as Whitworth worked quickly to snap the ball.

“It’s something they show on film,” Wildcats defensive end Alex Hoff said. “We just practiced for that. We were ready for it.”

A miscommunication resulted in the Pirates calling a timeout at the 13-minute, 9-second mark of the first quarter. Whitworth quarterback Ian Kolste rushed for four yards on first down and threw two incomplete passes, leaving Rehn Reiley to kick a 44-yard field goal.

“For us, we are capable of executing against a team like that. When you make small mistakes, it’s just amplified against a team like that,” Kolste said.

It was a strong drive at the outset that petered out at the finish. Linfield responded with 31 straight points to close out the first half but made a rare mistake to open the third quarter. Wildcats punter Kevin McClean failed to corral a snap, eventually fumbling the ball. John Carroll would fall on it, but Whitworth would take over possession at the Wildcats’ 32-yard line.

The Pirates would not have better field position in the game.

“What we said at halftime too was, hey, we’re going to keep shooting,” Sandberg said.

Kolste found Chase Takaki on a 23-yard reception on fourth-and-9 to set up first and goal from the Linfield 8-yard line. Kolste, a sophomore from Oak Harbor, Washington, kept the ball on a pair of rushes for five yards and threw two incomplete passes.

The last, best scoring drive in the 48-10 Linfield victory had been snuffed out by the Wildcats.

“It was huge. Anytime you have your backs are against the wall and you’re playing on your side of the 50, it’s just a different feeling,” said Hoff, who finished with two tackles. “It’s good for us to get that experience going into the playoffs. We know we’re going to have those drives where they do cross our 50. We haven’t really been tested that much this year. Playing that and getting that experience is huge, I think, for everyone going into the playoffs.”

“We’re coming out and still expecting to obviously make it a game,” said Kolste. “For it to go the way it was was obviously a disappointment.”

Linfield emerged from the NWC rematch with its expected result, to the delight of the 1,518 in attendance. Whitworth (9-2) had put up more total yardage (293) than any opponent of the Wildcats this season and had exactly the same result as Linfield’s other competition to show for it.

“I don’t think anything’s surprising about what they did. It’s just how well they do it,” Sandberg said. “That’s what’s hard.”

Quietly, Eric Igbinoba has been one of Linfield’s many offensive standouts in 2015.

At 6-foot and 195 pounds, Igbinoba has the speed to pull away from NWC defensive backs and the vertical leap to challenge them on fade routes. 

The junior from Cheney, Washington, who grew up 23 miles from Whitworth’s campus, entered the D-III playoffs as the Wildcats’ third-leading receiver (16 catches, 320 yards, three touchdowns) behind Erick Douglas III and Spencer Payne.

What has held Igbinoba (pronounced ee-BIN-o-bah) back this season are his hands. Dropped passes have plagued him and occasionally stalled Linfield drives. In the second quarter against the Pirates, Igbinoba mistimed a jump for a Sam Riddle pass, which hit him in the chest.

“The one earlier in the game, right before half, it was right in the sun. Just lost it as soon as I saw it coming my way,” said Igbinoba. “Definitely, in practice (I’m) trying to focus, looking the ball all the way into my hands every time. Something I’m working on, and hopefully keep on improving with.

“Usually when we do like a special teams drill and I’m off, not involved in it, I’ll get one of the quarterbacks and another receiver and we just get some more catches in.”

Drops can lead to confidence issues, but those are averted with additional opportunities. Another pass is another opportunity to make a play.

And when called upon against the Pirates, Igbinoba flourished. All three of his receptions, 65 yards in total length, went for touchdowns. He beat defensive backs on routes and made the occasional tough grab; on a fourth-quarter pass, from nine yards out, Igbinoba leapt over a Whitworth defensive back to catch a Tom Knect fade pass.

“It was definitely exciting but I’ve really just got to thank the quarterbacks, and the line for protecting Sam out there and giving me the opportunity to go up and make a play,” Igbinoba said.

Igbinoba was not alone in his yeoman’s work. Sophomore Ryne Fuhrmark played capably in relief of normal left guard starter Stephen Nnabue (ankle injury). Safety Mikey Arkans shook off nagging injuries to break up three passes and intercept Kolste once (cornerback Dylan Lewis also intercepted a pass).

Linfield football is a team with star power. In the D-III playoffs, it may only go as far as its supporting cast can take it.

Fast facts

What: No. 25 SUNY-Cortland at No. 2 Linfield, NCAA Division III playoffs second round

When: Saturday, noon

Where: Maxwell Field, McMinnville

Radio: KPDQ AM 800; KSLC 90.3 FM

Streaming: Visit www.linfield.edu/sports and click on “Broadcasts” for a live stream

Tickets

Information courtesy of the Linfield athletic department:

All reserved seat ticket sales will be conducted through Linfield's online ticket portal, linfieldsports.universitytickets.com.

Season ticket holders have until Monday at 9 p.m. to confirm their seats. Season tickets not confirmed will then be made available for sale to the general public. Season ticket holders requesting to purchase additional reserved seats must wait until general public sales begin Wednesday at noon.

Reserved ticket sales for the general public, including Cortland State fans, begin Wednesday at noon at linfieldsports.universitytickets.com. Online sales conclude Friday at noon.

Reserved tickets for faculty, staff, students and retirees become available for purchase in the athletics office beginning between 8 and 10 a.m. Wednesday.

If you experience difficulty after attempting to purchase tickets through the online portal and need technical assistance, please call 503-883-2421 before 5 p.m. on Wednesday. Be prepared to leave contact information and a member of the staff will return your call as soon as is reasonably possible.

The ticket office is closed Thursday and Friday in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday and no one will be available to take telephone calls or return messages.

All covered reserved seats are $15, uncovered reserved tickets are $12 and adult general admission is $10. General admission tickets are sold day of the game only. All tickets sold on the day of the game are on a cash-only basis.

General admission for students with a current college or high school ID card are priced at $5 and sold day of the game only. Children under 3 are admitted free.

No complimentary tickets will be issued and Northwest Conference passes will not be honored.

Once purchased, season ticket holders may pick up their tickets Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. Wednesday in the athletics office. Tickets not picked up on Wednesday may then be picked up Saturday at the stadium ticket booth beginning at 10 a.m. Please bring a photo ID when picking up tickets.

Linfield 48, Whitworth 10

Sam Riddle threw for 268 yards and four touchdowns and Spencer Payne racked up 188 total yards as the Wildcats – ranked No. 2 by d3football.com – defeated the No. 25 Pirates Saturday afternoon before 1,518 at Maxwell Field.

Payne had 139 rushing yards on 25 carries and 49 yards on four receptions. Eric Igbinoba caught three touchdown passes, including one from Riddle as part of a 24-point second quarter that gave the Wildcats (10-0) a 31-3 halftime lead. Levi Altringer (nine yards) and John Carroll (12 yards) were also on the receiving end of Riddle’s touchdown passes; Riddle (15-of-24, 268 yards; 11 carries, 27 yards) scored Linfield’s first points on an 11-yard run in the first quarter.

As Ian Kolste went offensively, so did visiting Whitworth (9-2), the NWC runner-up to Linfield. The Pirates’ quarterback completed 29 of 52 passes for 175 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Kolste also led Whitworth in rushing, with 68 yards on 17 carries.

Tavon Willis ran for 52 yards on six carries, and Brian Balsiger caught three passes for 61 yards to aid Linfield’s offensive effort.

Dylan Lewis and Mikey Arkans intercepted passes for the Wildcats, with Arkans also breaking up three passes. Skylor Elgarico had six unassisted tackles.

Whitworth linebacker Patch Kulp (seven tackles, one for loss) was his team’s leading tackler.

Linfield hosts No. 25 SUNY-Cortland Saturday, Nov. 28, at noon at Maxwell Field. The Red Dragons of Cortland, New York, enter with an 8-2 record, having claimed the championship of the New York-based Empire 8 Conference.