Mount Hood

‘Jacks chip away at Wolves

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

Just before the Wolves football team were able to gain traction on Oct. 21, the Humboldt State University Lumberjacks were swift to put the first points up.  Just before the Wolves were given the opportunity to have their prey in the crosshairs, the ‘Jacks were there to elude their momentum. And before the Wolves were able to see a positive outcome in the game result, there were the ‘Jacks chopping down at the adversarial Wolves to a 42-32 victory.

The away action in Arcata, California displayed a balance between such big and even short chops by both teams.

Less than four minutes into the game, two big offensive plays for touchdowns by the ‘Jacks would deal the Wolves the first blow, putting them at 14-0.

GNAC rushing leader in all-purpose yards, and ‘Jacks senior tailback, Ja’Quan Gardner would be the recipient of one of those touchdowns.k

But a big play made by the Wolves would swing things their way.

A fumble by HSU quarterback Robert Webber, recovered by Wolves redshirt freshman lineman Tayvis Passos, shifted such position. The Wolves’s hunt to get back into the game meant capitalizing on the turnover after a field goal was made.

Later in the second quarter, a 90-yard punt return for touchdown by senior wideout Paul Revis amounted to 17 unanswered points and a Wolves lead of 17-14.

The game took another swing after the ‘Jacks scored 25 unanswered for a big gap at 35-17.

The Wolves fought back valiantly, chipping away at the lead until midway in the fourth quarter where they would cut the deficit to 10 after a goal line-passing touchdown from Wolves senior quarterback Phillip Fenumiai to senior receiver Zack Suarez.

The ‘Jacks would prevail in the end, however, with a final score of 42-32.

The rematch proved exciting, with GNAC leaders on both ends providing contributions for their teams.

Gardner made his runs throughout the game, netting a total of 215 yards on 35 carries. While leading receiver in receptions, Revis would be a key factor catching six for a total of 89 yards including the highlight punt return.

Fenumiai got his start while the starting quarterback, senior Nick Duckworth, did not play due to injury.

Next on tap for the Wolves is opponent Tarleton State where they will look to end a two game slide. The away game will be played on Oct. 28th in Stephenville, Texas. Kick-off is set for 4 p.m.

 

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Wolves roll over to ‘Cats

Zoë Strickland | Managing Editor

Western got trampled in their second home game of the season. On Oct. 14, the Central Washington University Wildcats, currently undefeated in the GNAC and No. 10-ranked in the division, headed to McArthur Stadium to face off against the Wolves. The game ended 42-0.

It was a red-out event as the Wolves continued to try and play off of the momentum from last week’s game where they beat Simon Fraser 82-21. However, the Wildcat’s strong offensive line got the best of the Wolves.

Western racked up a mere 261 offensive yards, with Central Washington running 474 yards.

Sophomore linebacker Andrew Weber led Wolves defense with 11 tackles throughout the game, and senior wide receiver Paul Revis led with 96 receiving yards from a total of 8 passes.

The score was 28-0 at the half — 21 of the points were scored by passes from junior Wildcat quarterback Reilly Hennessey. Hennessey was the GNAC Athlete of the Week for the week of Oct. 8. The remaining 7 points were the result of an interception by Wildcat senior defensive lineman Bo Banner in the beginning of the second quarter.

The third quarter led to an additional two touchdowns on the part of Central Washington, leading to the final score of 42-0. No points were scored in the last quarter.

This loss places Western football at 1-4 in the GNAC, and 2-5 overall. On Oct. 21 the Wolves head to Arcata, California to face off against their longtime rivals, the Humboldt University Lumberjacks. The game is set to kickoff at 6 p.m. The Wolves lost to the Lumberjacks 48-49 when they played them at home in September.

 

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

Wolves’ volleyball sees double loss to Alaska teams

Zoë Strickland | Managing Editor

Western’s volleyball team experienced a double loss at home against the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks and the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves.

The Nanooks travelled to Western’s campus for a game on Oct. 12. Though it looked promising after the first set, the Wolves played — and lost — a tight game. The final score was 3-1 in favor of Alaska Fairbanks.

Junior Mariella Vandenkooy scored 22 kills and three blocks for the Wolves, topping the Western leaderboard.

The first set leaned in heavy favor of the Wolves. Though Nanook sophomore Kim Wong got her team on the board with the first kill of the game, the Wolves followed with three kills and two attack errors — gaining five consecutive points. A kill by Nanook Maddie Davis interrupted the streak of points, which resumed with five more after Davis’s kill. The rest of the first set was a back and forth between the two teams, finally ending with a score of 25-14.

The middle two sets were both rounded out at 28-26, with the Nanooks taking the lead on both. While the Wolves completed their first set win with a series of consecutive kills, the Nanooks pieced their wins together.

The last set began with four consecutive points for the Nanooks. Their scoring took a brief break, allowing for Western to put themselves on the board with two points, and then resumed with a consecutive streak of five more. The rest of the set mimicked the first, resulting in a final score of 19-25, cementing the Wolves’s loss.

Western played Alaska Anchorage on Oct. 14. The team saw a similar fate as the match they played against Alaska Fairbanks three days prior — a 1-3 loss.

Vandenkooy led the board once again with a combined 18 kills throughout the course of the game.

The first set started out with four consecutive points on the part of the Wolves. What started out strong in the beginning of the set remained so, eventually resulting in a 20-8 advantage for the Wolves. After a timeout for the Seawolves, the Alaska team came back to score four consecutive points. The final score before the second set read 25-19.

The Seawolves kicked it up for the second set, putting themselves on the board with six points. As the set progressed, the Wolves consistently positioned themselves just behind Anchorage. The set ended at 25-23 in favor of the Seawolves.

Alaska Anchorage won the remaining two sets, boasting final scores of 25-17 and 25-21, respectively.

The Wolves go on the road next week, travelling to play Central Washington on Oct. 19 and Northwest Nazarene on Oct. 21.

 

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

Men’s soccer gets first win of season

Riley Buerk | Freelance Writer

The men’s soccer game on Oct. 13, ended with Western Oregon University getting their first win of the year, 2-1, over Portland State University. The first half was a defensive battle, and both teams went into halftime with zeroes on the scoreboard.  

Western has been working on defending more as a unit, according to head coach Mark Jorgenson.

“We’ve been working on our shape, and just defending as a unit rather than individually and there weren’t, maybe a couple dodgy moments, but much better than last week. We didn’t really have too much panic tonight, which was nice to see,” said Jorgenson.

The game got off to a late start after only a few of the PSU players showed up before 6 p.m. and most of them arriving shortly after six. This caused a 15 minute delay in start time.

The scoring opened up 15 minutes into the second half with number Tatsuya Koba for Western scoring off a deep pass from first-year left back Brent Walsh. In the 27th minute, Portland State tied the game up off a mistake by Western’s defense. The Wolves kicked the ball into an open middle field and the goalie had to run up to try and get the ball, which left the goal wide open for Portland State to score. This was the only major mistake the defense made.

However, this was the best game for the defense this year.

“We really worked well as a team. It’s a lot less stressful when we’re compact and moving as a unit instead of leaving a bunch of windows and open gaps,” said Walsh.

Western took the lead for good with 12 minutes left after striker Brandon Cortez managed to put a goal in past the goalie.

“It feels awesome to finally get a win, finally get a goal, been struggling with that all year and I feel like our team is finally coming together,” said Cortez.

Western Oregon travels to Corvallis on Oct. 21 to take on the Oregon State Beavers, and try and get a winning streak going.

Contact the author at rbuerk17@wou.edu

Thorns bring home second trophy, Timbers punch ticket to playoffs

Ben Bergerson | Freelance Writer

It was a good weekend for soccer in Portland.

On Oct. 14, the Thorns were victorious in their hunt for a second National Women’s Soccer League Championship win, with a 1-0 result over the North Carolina Courage.

In a very physical game where defense was crucial, the Thorns were up to the task. Goalkeeper Adrianna Franch and the center back pair Emily Menges and Emily Sonnett were threatened at several points during the match, but were able to come away with yet another clean sheet. They came into the match with a league leading 11 shutouts during the regular season.

The match proved to be catharsis for the Thorns, as they had lost in a critical semifinal match in 2016 to the Western New York Flash — now called the North Carolina Courage. When the final whistle blew, the team came streaking across the field to celebrate and Franch ran over to the traveling Rose City Riveters supporters to wave the Thorns crest.

While the women celebrated their victory, the men continued their fight for a second championship trophy, as well.

The Timbers romped to a 4-0 win over D.C. United on Oct. 15. Midfielder Diego Valeri, a strong contender for league MVP, notched another goal, this time from the penalty spot just before halftime.

Just five minutes after the play had resumed from halftime, defender Alvas Powell calmly dribbled up the corner of the 18-yard box and hit a long, sweeping ball that landed in the back of the net for the second goal of the game.

The Timbers continued to dominate the game, as midfielder Sebastian Blanco rounded out the score with two goals in the second half.

While the Timbers’s win guarantees their spot in the playoffs for the MLS cup, they will face a massively important last game this weekend at Providence Park. They will play the Western Conference leaders and Cascadian rivals, the Vancouver Whitecaps.

If the Timbers are able to pull off a win against the tough ‘Caps on Oct. 22, they will sit on top of the Western Conference standings, giving them a first round bye in the playoffs. It will also crown the Timbers with the Cascadia Cup for the first time since 2012.

Contact the author at bebergerson13@wou.edu

Ribich takes the lead

Zoë Strickland | Managing Editor

David Ribich has had a good year. So good, in fact, that he was promoted from his position as a tent assistant at Steens Mountain Running Camp.

“I would be allowed to be a tent assistant last year but the camp founder said ‘you are on the verge of a professional career. We’re going to pull you out of the tent, you’re now a tent coach,’” explained Ribich. “Now, I’m up at camp as an agent for the kids to talk to.”

The camp’s founder wasn’t exaggerating Ribich’s accolades. In the past year, the track and cross country star has been named the 2016-17 GNAC Male Athlete of the Year, won the 1500-meter title at the 2017 NCAA Division II Championships and travelled to Sacramento, California to compete in the U.S.A. Track and Field Outdoor National Championships.

The latter is an honor few collegiate athletes receive. Described by Ribich as “the Olympic trials in an off-year,” the experience was one to behold.

“I raced against pro and top division athletes,” said Ribich. “I beat a lot of professional athletes signed by companies with contracts. So, this last summer really opened the door for me next year as a professional athlete.”

Ribich went into the event as the 33rd man in the nation and ultimately placed ninth in the final.  Solid stats for someone who started running for a no-frills team on a dirt track in Enterprise, Oregon.

“I didn’t come from the stellar program,” said Ribich. “I just had a good coach, a dedicated coach.”

His coach, Dan Moody, is still working after 42 years, and is currently in possession of the track star’s 1500-meter NCAA trophy — he put it on his mantle.

Ribich’s coach isn’t the only one from Enterprise rooting for him; Ribich gets letters and messages of support from citizens throughout the 2,000-person town. The letters are placed near his door in his room, serving as a constant reminder of both how he got to where he is, and what keeps him going.

“I came from such a small town that I constantly get messages and letters from people. I have them pinned up on my wall in my room right by my door, so everytime I open a door I look at a letter and read it, and that’s why I’m doing it … I’m doing this, and I’m doing it for them. Keeping me motivated is everyone counting on me back home that said ‘you’re going to be a professional athlete some day’ and putting that pressure on me, but it’s like a challenge to me. Having them support me still when I haven’t been home much is incredible.”

For Ribich, the decision to start running was made out of practicality. There were only two sports offered for men in Enterprise: football and cross country.

“I was just that super tiny skinny kid that had a big mouth,” he said. “(Cross country was) what I pretty much was only able to do and because, in cross country, it’s pretty much the only sport a 4-foot-10-inch freshman could beat a 6-foot, fully-matured man.”

Like every graduating senior on campus, Ribich’s future is on the horizon. With a major in communications and a minor in sports leadership and development, he’s paving the way for himself to continue on the path that he’s been running.

First up on his life plan: finishing out his athletic career, regardless of how long it may be. Then, the field is wide open.

“My major and minor are so broad that I know for a fact I want to be in the running community or running field,” said Ribich. “I just don’t know if it’s collegiate coaching, pro-coaching … I really enjoy public speaking. I’m actually writing a journal.”

The journal is a recent project of his — the first entry was written the night before the U.S.A. Track and Field prelims. Ribich is writing the currently untitled journal with the hope of using it in the future as a way of encouraging high school runners.

“I just want to focus on my athletic and running career and … try to travel to high schools, public speak and just say like, ‘guys, you can do whatever you set your mind to. I was an 86-pound freshman from a small school, I went to a division two school, and now — hopefully — I’m a professional athlete.’”

In the immediate future, he still has to finish out the school year. He’ll be running the Wes Cook Collegiate meet on Oct. 14, followed by the GNAC Championships on Oct. 21.

Regardless of the path that Ribich chooses, it’s bound to be great.

“You don’t do college athletics because your friends are doing it, you do it because it’s something you find fun and it’s your passion.”

 

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

Football redeems itself

Zoë Strickland | Managing Editor

After a two-week dry spell, Wolves’ football got back into the action with an 82-21 road win against Simon Fraser University.

On Oct. 7, the team travelled north to Burnaby, B.C. to face off against Simon Fraser and along the way ended up setting a new school record for the Wolves and tying an old one.

The team racked up a record-breaking 82-points — the highest amount to scored since a 2012 game between the Wolves and Dixie State, which set the record at 66-points.

Senior quarterback Nick Duckworth’s six touchdown passes led him to tie the record for most touchdown passes, previously set in 2013.

The team gained 604 offensive yards for the day, against Simon Fraser’s 248-yards.

“It all started with our week of practice. We focused on pushing the ball down the field in practice which resulted in big plays throughout the game,” said Duckworth.

Throughout the game, Western consistently sat above Simon Fraser on the scoreboard.

The Wolves started out strong in the first quarter, with senior Paul Revis scoring a 59-yard, eight-play touchdown. Simon Fraser scored one touchdown in the first quarter, opening up the field to the Wolves. At the end of the first quarter, the board read 24-7.

A similar scoring pattern continued throughout the game, with the Wolves scoring three touchdowns in the second quarter and Simon Fraser inching behind them with their second touchdown of the game.

The score was a promising 44-14 going into the third, and continued to look-up from there.

“Early in the third quarter I threw a touchdown to Paul Revis, and after that I knew our defense would be able to hold on from then on,” said Duckworth.

The Wolves finished out the game with an additional four touchdowns and a field goal.

This game continues Western’s winning streak against Simon Fraser — a streak that began in 2010.

The Wolves are back home on Oct. 14 to go against currently undefeated Central Washington University. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

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