3 stories of possible interest

FOOTBALL

By Robert Husseman
Sports Editor

Aug 21, 2015  

McMinnville N-R/News-Register

Comforts of home at end of Wildcats’ fall camp

It is a quirk of scheduling and circumstance that Linfield football’s first game of the season, against Chapman University on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Maxwell Field, is also the Wildcats’ homecoming game.

It is also the beginning of one of the more comfortable schedules Linfield has received in recent memory.

“You want to play at home, where your parents can see you, and all that stuff,” senior guard Eric Pitassi said.

Five of the Wildcats’ nine regular-season games are at home this fall, including two non-conference tilts against Chapman and Redlands (Sept. 19) to open the season. The only game Linfield plays outside the state is its regular-season finale on Nov. 14 at Pacific Lutheran.

The schedule stands in stark contrast to the 2014 slate, which began with consecutive California road trips and did not feature a home game until Oct. 11, the fifth week of the season.

“Last year was rough with the traveling,” Pitassi said. “It’s going to be nice not flying anywhere – at least, that we know of – in the regular season. Whatever playoffs have in store, if we’re lucky enough to get to that point, which is our goal.”

The approximately 147 Linfield football players who arrived Tuesday for the beginning of the team’s fall camp have the team goals down pat. Northwest Conference championship first (which would be the Wildcats’ seventh in a row), followed by a run through the NCAA Division III playoffs. From there, it’s off to the races for a berth to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the D-III national championship game. Along the way, a 60th consecutive winning season would surely be attained, perpetuating the nation’s longest winning streak.

Sixty years! Before long, Linfield football will file for Social Security.

The players returned to Maxwell Field for the annual debriefing and preseason merriment with the taste of the 2014 D-III playoffs still in their mouths. Linfield was stuffed on its final drive by D-III semifinal host Wisconsin-Whitewater; the Wildcats had erased a 14-0 deficit but ultimately fell, 20-14, to the eventual national champions.

“I wouldn’t say we’ve got a long way to go, but we’ve kind of got to make it to the next step up,” senior cornerback Kyle Belcher said. “Obviously, where we finished last year, we’ve got higher aspirations than that this year.”

How Linfield finished in 2014 is rather beside the point. The Wildcats’ home loss to Willamette and do-or-die showdown with Pacific washed away on the night of Nov. 15, when sophomore linebacker Parker Moore was stabbed to death across from the Linfield College campus. Moore’s death sparked an outpouring of support from the football world and the inspired on-field playoff run. A No. 35 memorial, Moore’s jersey number, still exists along Maxwell Field’s west fence.

Moore will remain with the team in some capacity as Linfield manages the rigors of its 2015 season.

“I feel like we’re kind of getting closer each time. The group we have now, we’ve got a lot of returners and a lot of experience. People have been out there, in Whitewater, in those situations in the playoffs. I think we’ve got the perfect group of guys.”

To sum it up: whether physically or figuratively, Linfield football isn’t going anywhere.
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FOOTBALL

By Robert Husseman

Sports Editor, McMinnville N-R/News-Register

20 Aug 2015  

Linfield football enters fall camp: Five questions surrounding the Wildcats

1. Who makes up the starting offensive line?

Two starters return from an offensive line unit that helped pave the way for the nation's 33rd-best offensive attack. Senior guard Eric Pitassi is a two-time all-NWC selection, while senior tackle Jacob Hanke shook off an injury-plagued 2013 to solidify the right side of the Wildcats' line.

It will be difficult to replace 6-foot-5, 300-pound left tackle Steven Schultz, but Linfield has an able replacement in senior Thaddeus Cox, who missed parts of 2014 due to nagging injuries of his own. Junior guard Stephen Nnabue is a top candidate to fill an interior line spot, and junior Austin J. Lee could factor in as well.

Center will be the biggest, and arguably most competitive, position battle in camp. Sophomores Matt Matteo and Will Heck each received opportunities to snap as true freshmen, and junior Marc Kraidman also has experience with snapping. The lingering question will be whether offensive line coach Doug Hire elects to move Pitassi to center should any of the three underclassmen falter.

2. How can Sam Riddle get better?

It took him a couple of games to establish himself as the starter, but the junior from Hillsboro ran with the quarterback job to the tune of 217.5 passing yards per game (second in the Northwest Conference), 34 passing touchdowns (first), a 60.3 completion percentage (fourth), and 8.6 yards per attempt (first among regular starters). Add in Riddle's rushing ability (he led the Wildcats with 562 yards on 134 carries)  and the 6-foot-2, 205-pounder made life miserable for opposing defensive coaches.

Riddle won't have the luxury of throwing the ball to Charlie Poppen, who ranks third in Linfield's career annals in pass receptions and yards and second in passing touchdowns, in his junior season. Poppen has graduated, along with 2014 second-leading receiver Evan Peterson and 6-foot-6 senior Colin Nelson. Senior Brian Balsiger returns after an injury-plagued junior season, and at 6-foot-2 he is one of the Wildcats' tallest receivers.

Junior receiver Erick Douglas III was impressive in summer workouts, and 6-foot-3 sophomore John Carroll and 6-foot junior college transfer Zach Kuzens each possess great athletic ability. Riddle's tight end corps is also stocked, led by senior Levi Altringer. To be a better quarterback in 2015, Riddle must continue using his throws to stifle the defensive backs of the Northwest Conference and beyond. After all, Poppen, Peterson and Nelson won't be there to bring down every jump ball. 

3. How will the defensive line fill its hole in the middle?

Neither Jeremy Girod nor Trey Farber would crack six feet in height without wearing platform shoes, but even that footwear couldn't slow down their torrid march through gaps in opposing offensive lines. The pair combined for 54 tackles (including an absurd 21 for loss) and 10.5 sacks in 2014.

Girod, Farber and senior Seth Fults all graduated, and Marq Randall opted to leave the team following his 2014 season. That depth will be replaced through three avenues:

-Recovery. Farber's brother, Ty, sat out the 2014 season with injuries but has regained his health. His experience with defensive coordinator Jackson Vaughan's playbook will be crucial.

-Transfers. Linfield added former Colorado State-Pueblo defensive lineman John Adam and former Yuba College (California) lineman Dominic Allen, both of whom may enter the mix.

-Returning players. Sophomores Alex Grate and Josh Miller saw defensive snaps as true freshmen and could factor in as sophomores, but the name to watch will be Marcus McGovern. The 6-foot-1 product of Sheldon High School in Eugene impressed teammates in the offseason and may be in line for an expanded 2015 role after recording 9.5 tackles and a sack last season.

4. Who assumes the role of the Monster?

Jordan Giza personified Linfield's "monster back" position during his senior campaign in 2014 with his adept pass coverage skills and ability to lay lumber on ballcarriers in the box. Giza led the Wildcats in tackles (54) and interceptions (two; tied with five other players); his seven passes defensed ranked second among Linfield defensive players.

Junior Skylor Elgarico (14 tackles, one interception is the natural replacement; the Arlington, Washington native spelled Giza for parts of all 13 of Linfield's games in 2014. Juniors Ben Jeskey and Andy Nelson are also listed at monster back. Most intriguingly, Wildcats defensive coordinator Jackson Vaughan hinted at moving junior Mikey Arkans over to the position from safety. Arkans, a 5-foot-11, 180-pounder from Carlsbad, California, was Linfield's fourth-leading tackler (48.5) in 2014, also recovering two fumbles and intercepting a ball. Arkans has the physical chops to make a seamless transition.

5. What of the McMinnville High School alumni on the roster?

Four former Grizzlies will suit up for Linfield this fall, and each may have an opportunity to contribute in game situations.

Junior Spencer Payne managed to finish second among Wildcats in rushing yards (542) despite an uneven season which began with recovery from a broken foot. (He also caught 15 passes for 190 yards and scored six total touchdowns on offense.) Payne changed his body during the summer, losing weight to maintain his speed and retain his grip on the starting running back position.

Sophomore tight end Grant Rubado caught one pass for eight yards in his freshman season, but a year of college-level conditioning has Rubado going stronger in workouts. He could again be in line to challenge for reps behind Levi Altringer this fall.

Freshman Tanner Scanlon is ensnared in a tug of war among members of the coaching staff -- offense or defense? Wide receiver or defensive back? Wherever he ends up, Scanlon's athleticism will keep him in the conversation for early playing time.

Freshman Zach Silver was listed as a running back in Linfield's recruiting class report and is likely to start his college football career there. Silver was a regular presence at offseason workouts, which could boost his stock among teammates and coaches.
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TENNIS

By Robert Husseman
Sports Editor  McMinnville N-R/News-Register

8/21/2015

Linfield tennis programs make changeovers

Ben Belletto knows the key to securing a commitment from a prospective college student-athlete: get him or her on campus.

It is, after all, part of what led the California native to accept the Linfield men’s tennis coaching position.

“Our son had maybe the best weekend of his life up there, just being able to run around and be on the streets a little bit,” Belletto recalled on Tuesday. “It was green, there was trees. The downtown was exactly what we were looking for. I think being able to buy a house in the area is really exciting for us.

“We drove around the back roads (outside McMinnville) … I remember looking at my wife like, this is so stunning for us.”

Belletto’s hiring, formally announced by Linfield Tuesday, stems from circumstances that affect both the Wildcats’ men’s and women’s tennis programs.

Carl Swanson, who coached the Linfield men’s program for 15 years, will join women’s tennis coach Lisa Macy-Baker as a co-head coach of the women’s team, ceding the men’s program to Belletto. Assistant women’s tennis coach Wes Gabrielsen will not return to that position next spring, according to Swanson. (Gabrielsen did not return a message seeking comment.)

“When he and I talked (about the position), I’m like, ‘Ben, you can win a national championship here.’ Because I know he’s driven to do it,” Swanson said. “That’s his goal. From day one, he’s very specific about what the goals are for this program.

“Whatever he wants to do, I know he’s going to do it the right way. I’m going be his biggest advocate and supporter. Whatever the guys need, I’ll be there for them. But it’s a transition year. I knew we could bring in somebody qualified and competent. I’m thrilled that it’s Ben.”

Brent Kingzett, a 2011 Linfield graduate and former Wildcats men’s tennis player, will remain an assistant with the men’s program under Belletto.

Belletto arrives at Linfield by way of Whittier College in Whittier, California, where he was the Poets’ director of tennis, overseeing the men’s and women’s programs. Belletto also spent 11 seasons atop the men’s tennis program at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in Pomona, California, where he led the Sagehens to five consecutive top-20 national team finishes and a pair of NCAA Division III championships appearances. He is a graduate of Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, California.

Belletto inherits a men’s program that posted a winless 2013 season and went 1-15 overall (1-11 Northwest Conference) in 2014. Linfield lost four players to graduation but has just one senior returning.

“They seem like they’re very hardworking. They’re really motivated to put in work,” Belletto said. “Last year was a step up from a year before. I’m going to compete for a championship. I want to be the best. We’re a long ways off from that, but we’re going to come in and establish our work ethic and a championship mentality.

“I think we have kids who are excited about that possibility.”