Linfield football practices at TCU, home of the Horned Frogs

Linfield football team practiced 9/13/2013 in Sam Baugh ("Slingin' Sammy") Indoor Practice Facility on campus of Texas Christian University/TCU in Fort Worth, Tex. TCU home of Horned Frogs sports teams. 

Photo--Wildcat football trio holds "Fear The Frog" t-shirt in TCU's indoor practice facility.

Photo--Linfield football linebackers at TCU: Left to right-Tim Edmonds (senior), Dominique Forrest (senior), Louie Colasurdo (Senior), Derick Turner (sophomore), Eli Biondine (Sophomore), Taylor Smith (freshman)

On 9/14/2013 in Abilene, Tex., at Hardin-Simmon University's Shelton Stadium/Parramore Field, Linfield Wildcats beat the HSU Cowboys, 71-51, in Linfield's season opening game.

Photo--Linebackers of Linfield football in Abilene after HSU victory: Left to right (top row)-Taylor Smith (freshman #37), Tim Edmonds (senior #25), Coach Phil Rohmbach (LB Coach),  Eli Biondine (Sophomore #30), Louie Colasurdo (Senior #20) Coach Brian Dundas (LB Assistant Coach). Left to right (bottom row)-Dominique Forrest (senior #5), Derick Turner (sophomore #42),

Wildcatville thanks Matt Smith for providing linebacker photos and identification! Other photo and video slideshow from Wildcatville.

All-volunteer Water Crew keeps Linfield football team hydrated

Good Hydrations: Linfield football's five-man water crew gives the program a lift

By Andrew Kilstrom of the McMinnville News-Register, 9/13/2013

Every Linfield home football game, John Schindelar and his five-man water crew arrive at Maxwell field two and a half hours before game time.

The men help prepare the locker room, mix Gatorade, prepare the various water jugs and bottles and collect towels.

They then move to the field, where they set everything up for both the offense and defense, making sure everything is perfect before kickoff is underway.

During the game, Schindelar follows the defense with a “six-pack” of water bottles, ready for anyone who needs a drink.

John O’Connor does the same for the offense.

Eric Lundeen is in charge of mixing all the Gatorade and helps Schindelar with the defense.

Schindelar’s son, Jason, is in charge of providing the coaches and referees with water at a moment’s notice, and Bill Harlan roams the sideline doing whatever else is needed.

Together, the five men help Linfield run as smoothly and efficiently as possible on game days, unnoticed by most, but vital nonetheless.

“That’s our only goal, really,” John Schindelar said. “To do whatever is needed of us and help out in whatever way we can. Our main job is taking care of the water, but there’s a lot more we do, too.”

The group does more than work home games. They work summer practices, making sure the players get the water they need.

Schindelar said their rule is to always be at practice when it’s 80 degrees or warmer. They don’t always work practices in the morning or later in the season when it’s cooler, but when they are at practice — around 48 hours a week combined — they’re helping with more than just the water.

In addition to handling the water, Schindelar and company help equipment manager Mack Farag with cleaning helmets and applying decals. They’ll stay as late as 10 p.m. some Fridays making sure everyone’s helmet looks brand new for game day.

“They do a lot more than what you see on game day,” said Tim Marsh, creator of the Wildcatville blog. “There’s so much behind the scenes stuff that no one gets to see.”

The five members of the water crew are all volunteers, donating their own time and money on road trips to serve the Linfield football team. The entire group rarely travels to away games, especially ones across the country like Saturday’s game against Hardin-Simmons, but there’s always someone with the team to take care of the water.

This week it’s Schindelar traveling with the team to Abilene, Texas. While it’s expensive at times, he said making the trips with the team is always worth it. He’s experienced many great memories during his 25-plus years of working on the Linfield water crew.

“I’d say the best memory is the year we won the national championship,” he said. “There’s so many great memories and great people you meet, but that was special. I still remember it, a beautiful day, even though it was 15 degrees below zero. It was special.”

The members of the water crew aren't the only ones that enjoy what they do for the Wildcats on a daily basis. Their efforts don’t go unnoticed by the coaching staff and players.

Coach Joseph Smith and his team realize the sacrifice and hard work the five men put in, and are always appreciative.

“I can’t say enough about our water crew and the things they do for us every single day,” Smith said. “They’re out there in the heat running around with water bottles, helping out with anything and everything. It’s people like them that allow our team to be successful every single year.”

Schindelar said he sees the appreciation on an everyday basis. Interacting with the players has always been one of the most appealing aspects to the position.

Nothing the crew does goes unappreciated by the Wildcat players.

“The draw is that at Division III you have a really nice program,” Shindelar said. “You have really, really nice kids. When we take water to them, every kid says, ‘thank you, appreciate you being here today, this is the best water we’ve ever had.’ It just goes on and on and on.”

Chances are Linfield will experience its 57th consecutive winning season this year, the all-time record for all divisions of college football.

While the five men running around the sidelines will often do so without recognition, their impact will be major. Win or lose, Schindelar and his team are happy to do what they do.

“It’s just so much fun he said,” he said. “Some of my best memories have come from Linfield football.”
...........
Photo cutline: John O'Connor, left, and Eric Lundeen prepare water for Wildcats players. Photo by Marcus Larson.

Get ready to enjoy 'Abilene' like you've never heard it sung before

On 9/12/2013, John S of the Linfield Water Crew and Wildcatville arrived in Abilene, Tex., to prepare for the 9/14/2013 Linfield football game in Abilene vs. Hardin-Simmons University. (Yes, the song describes Abilene, Kan., not Abilene, Tex., but that's no reason not to sing it about the latter.) 

Linfield Football 2013: 'Cats on the Hats'

Football practice Linfield 9/9/2013

Linfield football scrimmage 9/7/2013

Maxwell Field video display board progress report 9/5/2013

Morning of 9/5/2013 at Linfield's Maxwell Field.,  as you face the scoreboard, the advertising logo sign to the left was dismantled. Later that afternoon, an electrician was on site eyeballing the site prior to work to installing the video display board. Also, in the afternoon, the scoreboard was tested (see video).

Linfield Athletics Facebook page describes the display board:

• It will "communicate informational and corporate messages, scores and stats, and who knows what else." It's nearly 8-feet tall by 31-feet long and weighs more than a ton.

Info about Maxwell Field video display board from Linfield Athletics website:

• "Presenting live action, instant replays, historic video flashbacks and sponsorship messages, Linfield’s state-of-the-art video display board at Maxwell Field keeps football fans continuously informed. The video board communicates thousands of client impressions to a captive audience."

(Postscript – Photos from 'Cat football 9/5/2013 practice included in video.)

Linfield football practice 9/3/2013

Wildcat football practice 8/30/2013

What do Linfield football, Alabama have in common?

The bleachers being assembled (Wildcatville took these photos on 8/27/2013) in the scoreboard end of Maxwell Field were manufactured by and purchased from Outdoor Aluminum of Geneva, Ala. You thought the headline meant commonalities between Linfield Wildcat and Alabama Crimson Tide football? For the record, it's an about 210 miles drive north from Geneva (less than an hour from the Alabama-Florida border) to Tuscaloosa, home of the University of Alabama.

Postscript – For the record, Oregon State University football coach/former Linfield assistant coach Mike Riley played football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. 

Kickoff will be at what time?

An observer of college football claims, "The only similarities between DI and DIII football are the ball, the game rules, the field dimensions and the equipment. The way the games are played and the athletes playing them are very different." 

One thing that is not similar is knowing, months in advance, the time of the game kickoff

What time does a DI football game kickoff? Who knows? The ticket and schedule say it's TBA/to be announced. 

About DI, "The extent of ESPN’s influence over college football is literally displayed on the face of your ticket to next week’s game. Tickets to most games are printed with the date and the opponent’s name, but something is missing: the kickoff time. That is because ESPN, under its contracts with conferences, has the right to set kickoff times and wait until 12 days before game day, or in some cases only six, to inform universities." -- 'College Football’s Most Dominant Player? It’s ESPN,' New York Times, 8/25/2013 

What time does a DIII football game kickoff? It's on the ticket and schedule.

Ad Rutschman 'develop people' quote on Linfield Bookstore wall

In late spring 2012, Barnes & Noble College announced it "partnered with Linfield College to operate their campus bookstore." Previously, the store was college-operated.

After that changeover, Barnes & Noble College redesigned layout and displays in the McMinnville campus store. The bookstore sent out a request to Linfield community members asking for quotes it might use in that effort.

A Linfield staff member, who requested anonymity, was among those responding. "I found this gem (quote from Ad Rutschman, Linfield athletic director emeritus and former Linfield football and baseball coach) as well as a few others, and passed them along. This is the one (the bookstore) chose. I like it," the staffer said.

Chad Cottrill, bookstore manager, said, "... We wanted to have an inspirational quote from a Linfield coach, professor or administrator that would be a focal point" in the store's new layout.  "Coach Rutschman's words were very appropriate for the message we wanted to convey to the Linfield community and visitors to the campus" when they visit the store.

There are Linfield Bookstores on the McMinnville and Portland campuses.

Photos taken in Linfield Bookstore by Wildcatville on 7/29/2013.

Linfield Water Crew vital part of Wildcat Football

Wildcatville photos taken 8/23/2013 at practice.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

Is one of these posters an imitation of the other? If so, which is which?

Linfield 2013 football practice underway

Wildcatville shot still photos and video during an 8-21-2013 practice session.

Fresh paint for Maxwell Field concessions building

Fans arriving at Maxwell Field for Linfield football's 2013 season opener Sept. 21 against Cal Lutheran will be using a freshly-painted concession building (johns, football game food). Wildcatville photos, taken the morning of 8/22/2013, show Wright Touch Painting of Yamhill at work.

Hops salute Linfield nat'l baseball champs 8/13/2013 in Hillsboro

Syndicated column about Linfield sports from 1987

Georgie Anne Geyer is an "American journalist and columnist for the Universal Press Syndicate, says Wikipedia on 8/14/2014. " This column appeared in the 6/30/1987 edition of the Ellensburg, Wash., Daily Record newspaper.  She died May 15, 2019.

Linfield Homecoming 2013 in October

In U.S. Mail and at the Linfield website is information about Linfield 2013 Homecoming. It will be held Friday-Saturday, Oct. 4-5. Click here for info about the annual BWC Homecoming golf tourney, BWC/Linfield Homecoming barbecue and more. Below is a Wildcatville slideshow looking back at Homecoming 2012.  The photo above, which is included in the slideshow, was taken during last year's barbecue.

You can see Wildcat football games in Texas, Ohio during 2013 season

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.

The season begins Saturday, Sept. 14, in Abilene, Texas, versus the Hardin-Simmons University Cowboys at Shelton Stadium.

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. 

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.

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.