Linfield College football is built on many pillars. The support from the administration, the incredible hard work from the coaching staff, the support from the Linfield community. However, one of the key aspects of the duration of the program's success are the many Wildcat players that grind away working hard for the opportunity to show they can contribute to the team on game day.
Wildcat11 was also a grinder. I came into the program as a quarterback and red shirted (when it was still allowed). Then spent time as a back-up before I made a move over to defensive end my 3rd year into the program when I finally had the opportunity to make a contribution on game day.Looking back on that time, it was the best thing ever for me. I gained a work ethic, found other ways to contribute to the team's success, and kept working towards that moment when my number was called. That's why I relate to our latest player blogger, Linfield Junior Running Taylor Avritt.
Taylor is a grinder. He's had to put in some hard work into the program, discover just how bad he wanted it and the result was being a key contributor of the 2009 Linfield Wildcats. I have so much respect for 'Cats like Taylor because they have a deep understanding of sticking to something they love and making the most of when that time comes. I think Taylor's story will ring true for many of you former 'Cats and a good number of current 'Cats on the roster. Keep working hard 'Cats! ------------------------------- As a player at Linfield, I've had to pay my dues. Whether those dues are in the form of sweat, blood, taping, film sessions or even more X's and O's than school text books, each is worth every minute of the grind.
As a freshman (2007) I came into Linfield with high hopes but a great sense of hesitancy and curiosity. I, as most freshmen do, had no idea what to expect in a College program. Although confident in my training habits and work ethic, I had no true idea how my skill matched up to my teammates. I had a lot of very very good competition in the running back position. With so much talent I ended up being moved to Weakside Linebacker. This was a huge transformation because although I played the position for 3 years in high school, my senior season was designated strictly to running the ball. I struggled with the change. I'll be completely honest, I absolutely hated it. I love football, LOVE IT, but I hated the fact that I was not thought to be good enough and compete with the rest of our RB's. I told Coach Smith this as well, because I was building a relationship with him as a coach and as my recruiter. I was lucky enough to be moved back to running back the week of Southern Oregon and remained there. I finished the year gaining no scout awards on defense and multiple scout awards as a running back, which I felt was appropriate. I was terrible at LB. But I was terribly happy to be back playing RB. My sophomore season (2008) was just as much of a grind. I flirted with the 2nd string offense for a couple of weeks due to injuries, but was, in my eyes, demoted back to scout after performing as best as I could with the 2's. At this point I was pretty unhappy. Unhappy with my performance, unhappy with decisions that were made, and unhappy with football. But I found virtue in scout, particularly playing receivers. I took it upon myself to beat each and every corner we had and, of course, catch every ball that came my way. It was a matter of pride; I was too prideful to consider myself just a scout player my entire career, and took it out on all the starting DB’s. I finished the year with scout accolades and hungrier than every to make a name for myself as a running back my Jr. year.
I am incredibly happy with the year we had as a team, and naturally am happy about getting a chance to play. Throughout my first two years at Linfield I learned how to be patient; patient with football, patient with people, and patient with my own ambition. I had to be patient this year as well.
My first game I got to play in was against Occidental as the fullback for our punt team. I had to make the best of that position, blocking as well as I could and assisting in tackles in coverage. Southern Oregon was the first game I was put in as a running back, which is reminiscent of my freshman year moving back to scout offense during Southern week. I remember vividly the game down under the lights in Ashland. Coach Smith always talks about making the best of your opportunities as they are presented. I feel I made the better of that first opportunity against Southern, and was granted more and more opportunities throughout the year. I finished the regular season getting more and more time as a running back, and played every special teams position throughout the post season. This gave me a new passion for playing special teams next year, which I cannot wait for.
Every player wants to be the man. I’m just like every player. I would love to be the man at running back, carrying the team on my back as best I can. But I know we have a group of talented RB’s who will all be competing for time on the field. Just as Coach Smith says, I have to wait for the opportunity to present itself. I look forward to that opportunity my senior season, and when it comes believe I will run with it like my hairs on fire.
Not everything the Catdomealumni.com cameras shoot can make it into the Linfield Wildcats Highlight DVD so instead of just having those clips waste away on Wildcat11's hard drives the ADvantage will be posting up some of the extras to kick start your Mondays.
Ah yes, it's about that time of the year when we kick off Catdomealumni.com's annual video season. As usual a new video will be posted up each Monday starting on March 1st.
The very first video will be the 2009 scoreboard team introduction video (3/1/2010). WC11 has to put himself over a little bit and say that I'm pretty proud of the clip. I think it's uptempo that does a good job in avoiding the cheesy cliches that one could easily fall into. Overall, the videos have been strong over the years and each season we try to get better and I'm proud of that.
In fact, I think our vids stack up pretty well with most small college products and I know for a fact we blow Division I FCS Drake College out of the water. However, if I ever start slipping and put out a clip like the one below please take away my editing software.
Wanted to say thanks to all that sent in questions for our very first mailbag segment. It was pretty dang fun to answer and while I did ramble on a bit on a few questions I couldn't stop typing. One thing I do want to make clear is that every one of my replies is soley my opinion and is not that of Linfield College or the football program. I didn't write anything outlandish but I just want to make it clear that my thoughts on may or may not happen to Menlo are just what I've pieced together over the years.
If you have a question for the next mailbag segment you can send them here: mailbag@catdomealumni.com
------------------------------------------ If someone in McMinnville was interested in getting frozen yogurt and renting a DVD at the same time, are there any options for those wanting to be efficient in McMinnville?
But the real question, with the addition of Pacific University to the NWC, how many years do you think Menlo will remain in the league? I'm curious if the conference will bite the bullet and keep them in to ensure the complete DIII schedule?
Jeff Tualatin, Or
Wildcat11: First off Jeff, you bring up a great memory of Wildcat11’s as I loved going to Video Yogurt Express during my time at Linfield (mid/late 90’s). Where else could you have picked up a VHS copy of Caddyshack while getting a mountain of vanilla/chocolate swirl frozen yogurt bliss? But times change and I guess the video rental/frozen yogurt business model wasn’t built to last as the business closed and now a Popeye’s Chicken stands in its place. Once again an innovative business falls by the hands of fast food chicken.
But now onto what you really wanted to ask and it’s something that has been on my mind for some time. With Pacific hitting the gridiron this fall that brings the total football membership of the NWC to 8 teams and it does seem that George Fox is really considering bring back football down the road, so at this point there is a possible chance of the NWC having 9 football playing members in the foreseeable future. Wild.
But there has always been this vibe floating around the conference that the NWC’s football only relationship with Menlo has just been more out of necessity than anything else. Yeah, the NWC asked the Oaks to the NWC because the conference wanted the autobid and Menlo accepted because they wanted football to have a home. It wasn’t like Menlo was this prestigious free agent that the NWC presidents were falling over themselves to get on-board. That is really the issue with Menlo is their lower academic and admission standards. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not hating on Menlo because they don’t have Whitman type of admission standards but that was the hurdle for most of the NWC presidents to get over.
So now that the NWC has Pacific on board there are some that think the NWC might get cold blooded and send Menlo back to the Indy circuit. I mean, the NWC wouldn’t lose their autobid with Pacific back. So, while I do think there might be some of the college presidents that would like to dissolve the relationship, I think the NWC coaches and AD’s do not want to see it happen at all. At the end of the day, if Menlo wants to stay I think The Oaks are going to be around the conference, however, if George Fox brings back football I think Menlo’s days in the NWC could be numbered.
Ok, since I’m a little bias being my son plays on the team I would like to know from you. What is your favorite moment from the 2009 season that you can share with all of us Catdomers ? Thanks
Rob Gresham OR
Wildcat11: Wow, that is a great question. The season was packed full of great moments on the field and just as a fan following the team around. I had a ton of anxiety at the start of the year because I was unsure of what to expect. We had experience in some areas but really we had unproven talent all over the field and you never know what’s going to happen until the team take the field. So at the end of the day that first game vs. Hardin-Simmons was not only joyful to watch but I was just blown away with how crisp and talented the team looked.
I can remember walking out to my car after the game saying to myself “This could be one of those great years” and boy did the ‘Cats not disappoint.
Now, if you want to talk about actual 2009 “during the game moments” that stand out in my mind there are a few that just jump out at me.
1) The defense shutting down Oxy in the 3rd quarter. That was just huge because it allowed the offense to start to catch their rhythm and get Linfield back in that game. One of those early season moments that a great team builds on.
2) Boehme to Patterson TD bombs twice during the 2nd quarter of the SOU game. There was nothing fancy about that. It was just Patterson getting on his horse and Boehme putting the ball out there for Trevor to bring home. That took the SOU crowd out of the game and you could just feel the air come out of the Raiders at that point.
3) The end of the 1-month long road trip. At the end of the Whitworth game the ‘Cats knew they had control over their own destiny and while the players had fun being on the road you could sense everyone was glad to have it over with.
4) Boehme trucking a Willamette defensive back. Aaron had done a great job in getting down all year and protecting himself but when he lowered that boom on the sideline it just sent a charge up and down the Linfield sideline. It was Boehme delivering a message of “Today is not your day”.
5) Linfield’s defense undressing Mary Hardin-Baylor during the 2nd half of the 2nd round playoff game. I’ve never seen a Linfield defense play a better half of football. It was just a joy to watch.
6) All of the Saint Thomas game. The Catdome was packed, the place was electric all day long, and to wrap up the 2009 home season with a Regional playoff victory was just too sweet.
I used to like the place near Linfield, I think it's called Alf's. But I went in one time and there were live monkeys in there, along with their poop. Lost my appetite rather quickly. Is Alf's now a monkey free zone, i.e., is it safe to go back in?
Thanks, Tim S. Boise
Wildcat11: Ah yes, Alf’s is still there and last time I checked they still had Monkey’s kicking it in a room next to the main dining area. Alf’s is a throwback that models itself after a 50’s style burger and Milkshake joint but the added attractions are the Monkey’s contained in what looks to be an 8’x8’ room with glass windows. Every time I’ve been in the place they are wearing diapers and I didn’t see their cookies lying around the pen but I get why that ‘ooks you out. The monkeys look very well cared for and they go home with the owners each night. However, each time I did eat there I would be clamping down on one of their ½ pounders with a Monkey staring at me and the only thing running through my head was the dinner scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom when they served “chilled” money brains for desert. Needless to say, I haven’t frequented Alf’s since college.
It's not a question but how about an article on 'Cats that have coached State or National Champions since graduating from Linfield. I always like to see how other 'Cats have fared.
Just an idea, Chris Fredericksburg, TX
Wildcat11: You know, that is a very good idea. The now defunct football media guides did list former players that have gone on to coach state or national champions. Just what I can recall the list was pretty dang long but that is something the Advantage should dip into. When you look at the football program that is one of the keys of the longevity of the programs success. Those ‘Cats that have gone onto and coached high school football have played a huge roll in identifying “Linfield” type kids and getting the program and player into touch. Thanks for the idea Chris!
take your little blog storie and your mailbag and head north ok. Or even better get a damn life. No one cares about the rich boys up north, see ya, dont let that door hit you on the way out, oh feel free to quote me in the mail bag.
Boommersmommy (SOU supporter) via the Oregon Live Small College Board
Wildcat11: Well, I'm already North of Ashland so that is no problem. He may have a point about getting a life but I think the blog/site are just a healthy hobby. However if he thinks Linfield are "rich boys" I would hate to hear what he would say about Whitman because they could buy and sell any school in the conference x2. I am going to miss playing SOU next season.
Hope all is going well, here is a question for your mailbag: If George Fox were someday to bring back football, would the NWC then boot Menlo? Wouldn't the Oaks be a better fit geographically for the SCIAC?
Mike East Lancing, Michigan
Wildcat11: Ah, see I told you what may or what may not happen with Menlo is on the mind of many NWC/Linfield fans. One rumor that popped up was that Menlo was in contact with the GNAC about membership into their Division II conference. I almost fell out of my chair from laughing so hard but the more I looked into it this actually might be legit. Menlo sports are split over NCAA Division III (Football & Baseball), NAIA Independent (Wrestling) and the bulk in NAIA’s CalPac Conference.
What’s happening is that the NAIA conference Menlo is in (CalPac) is being weakened by some of their members defecting to a Division II private school conference, the Pacific West Conference. Menlo could very well be hedging their bets that if the CalPac falls apart The Oaks may very well make a move to the DII Pacific West Conference for the bulk of their sports and seek Division II football membership into the GNAC. So while Menlo and Division II football doesn’t sound right there is a scenario where it might very well happen.
This is a legit question Wildcat11, one that recruits need the answer to. As they come to the Catdome and see Alums and fans rabid support for this program. There must be something about this program that generates that drive and pride of being a Cat Fan !! Looking back, where does the magic come from?
Larry Tacoma Wa.
Wildcat11: Consistency and continuity I think are reasons why the older alumni base is so locked into the program. The program has changed with the times in regards to style of offenses/defenses and affiliation. Coaches and players have also changed over the years but the Linfield program is still rooted in the core values and tradition first installed by Paul Durham and then really cemented and matured under Coach Rutschman. Just look at the current staff, Coach Smith played for Coach Rutschman, Coach Hire played for Coach Rutschman, and a number of guys on staff were brought up on the same value system that was established years ago. The alumni see that in how the program continues to operate and it keeps those connections strong.
You just don’t see that very often in athletic programs very often. When a head coach leaves you have the new hires come in and change and shape the program to their belief system (and that’s understandable). With Linfield, the program hasn’t had that with Coaches Langsdorf, Locey, and now Smith all being moved up from coordinator positions to take over the head job. While each head coach put their own stamp on Linfield they always have stayed true to the ‘Cats core values.
I like what you're doing to expand the site features. That can only help generate more hits in my opinion. It will, of course, also keep us in the loop through the terrible wait until Spring Ball starts.
I'll do my part in any way that I can to support the entire Catdome Nation (sorry to steal that phrase from elsewhere) How ‘bout the "Catdomosphere"? That's probably overused and from numerous others as well....but you get my point.
That clip you showed from the cutting room floor was interesting from a perspective of the team transitioning from their "private-team-time" lives to their..."Public Game face" life. Anyway, that's the way I saw it and I appreciated it from the point of view.
Steve McMinnville
Wildcat11: It seems that just about every single college fan base puts “Nation” at the end of it. Heck the proliferation of the “Nation” tag has even work itself into the title of a ESPN show called “Sports Nation”. I think that "Nation" is pretty well played out at this point and that is why we at Catdomealumni.com work really hard to stay away from the term.
I’ve been trying to work in the Catdome Family this past season since the Linfield fans are a pretty tight knit group of people and we are a family unto ourselves. Not saying that “Catdome Family” is now the official term of the Linfield fan base but just a suggestion. You know, we could just use a collective noun that describes a grouping of cats. How about “The Catdome Clowder”?
Also, thanks for mentioning the cutting room floor clips. There is just a large amount of footage that doesn’t make it into the highlight DVD and I feel it just kind of wastes away on my hard drive so we’ll keep on putting those out on occasion…no frills just some extra footage.
Can/should we create a title for ex-wildcat players who defect to a conference rival for what they perceive to be greener pastures? Especially if that player winds up getting trucked You-Tube style in the biggest game of the new team's season by a quarterback who looks like he could hide behind a rake?
Chris Roseburg, Or.
Wildcat11: You know for me that moment was more about Boehme making a statement about the toughness of this 2009 Linfield team and not about getting over on a former teammate. Transfers and in-conference transfers happen. But I’d be lying if I wrote that didn’t make me smile just a little bit after the fact (it did). However, I have to say you only do college and college football once and if you’re not happy then you should do yourself the service of finding a place you enjoy. So credit to that former Wildcat for making the move, I have no issue with it. But in regards to your question I guess we can just call it “Lowering the Boehme” on someone. Does that work?
Aaron Boehme was named the 2009 Ad Rutschman Oregon Small College Athlete of the Year (Male, obviously) at the annual Oregon Sports Award that is held up at the Nike World Campus. Boehme threw for 3,261 yards, 33 passing TDs, a 60.5 completion percentage with a 149.09 QB rating. Oh yeah, he also rushed for 466 yards and 10 tugs on the ground. Not a bad year for the 'Cats Junior QB as he was also named the 2009 Northwest Conference Offensive Player of the Year and 3rd team All-West Region by D3football.com.
As I mentioned when Aaron was named NWC Offensive POY, this award is well earned by Aaron as he had to overcome a bitterly disappointing personal year in 2008 when he broke his collarbone in the opening contest but this type of an award is also a reflection of what this team accomplished this past season. Aaron would be the first to tell you that without his O-Line giving him dog years to throw the ball, WR's to make huge plays, and RBs to gash defenses, scout team guys giving the offense great looks this type of personal year can't happen for a QB. However, don't let what I'm writing get it twisted...Aaron is everything Linfield could have envisioned for their QB when he first walked on campus back in 2006. Not only does he have the skills but he possesses the intangibles that a player needs to help elevate his team.
This is the 5th time a Linfield football players has been named the Oregon male small college athlete of the year since they've started giving out this award in 2001 and as you can see it's a pretty heady list of 'Cats: David Russell (2002), Ty Matthews (2003), Brett Elliott (2004 & 2005).
Congrats to the Linfield players, staff, and of course to Aaron Boehme on the incredible honor.
Last Spring after George Fox University received a 1.2 million dollar gift, GFU announced there are talks about George Fox considering adding football at the University. I think Fox is feeling the pressure of Pacific adding their team and GFU being the only DIII school in Oregon now not to have a program.
However, I was dead wrong because George Fox ALREADY has a football team....a flag football team. The Bruins gridiron gang played a physical game of flag grab vs the Warriors of Corban College and I was about to run through a wall I was so pumped after after watching the video below. Nothing and I mean NOTHING says football like a M.W. Smith music bed and dudes named "Snuggles" breaking off huge plays.
The Bruins ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!!!!!!
****Update, 2:28 PM 1/29/2010*** Well, that was fast as the Bruin Nation can't take some light ribbing and they pulled the video down. Talk about being sensitive.
HA! You can't keep the ADvantage down George Fox! Here is a game report on the Bruins 20-14 overtime win over Corban that brings to an end "4 years of frustration" All I can say about that report "Boom Goes The Dynamite!"
I'll post up soon about the 2009 Linfield Football Highlight DVD (It's pretty darn good) but there is so much extra footage this season that didn't make the highlight DVD that we'll be posting up moments that were left on the cutting room floor. Enjoy the weekend and keep the questions coming into the mailbag.
Have you ever wanted to know just what Wildcat11 thinks is the best burger in McMinnville? Or, what was the moment he thought this 2009 season was going to be special and just why he hates going to games at Puget Sound so much? I know...you're dying to find out.
OK so we're going to give this new segment a shot here on ADvantage Catdome. Yeah, this is a clear rip off of Bill Simmons Mailbag segments on ESPN.com but really is the Sports Guy going to care one bit that a DIII blogger is biting his style? Doubtful, so we're going to give this a try and see if it bombs or if this will be a occasional segment for the ADvantage.
However, this "ADvantage Mailbag" segment can't happen if you, the loyal readers of this blog, don't hold up your end of the deal and send in questions. You can pretty much ask as me ANYTHING you want (as long as it has nothing to do with why I knew a guy named "The Mad Crapper") and I will do my best to give you my honest thoughts and opinion. Fire in questions about Linfield, Division III football, TV programs, Movies, food, etc.
Now, I do think I'm a Linfield football expert but I'm not claiming to be a pop-culture, food, movie, or life expert but I do have opinions that you may or may not what to hear.
Linfield Senior Wide Receiver Gunnar Cederberg is a “Linfield” guy to his core. I think the best way to describe Gunnar is hard working, a player that embraces his roll on the team, and is passionate about football and Linfield. Those are the reason why I ask Gunnar to give his thoughts on the incredible season of 2009. Not only did Gunnar did a great job in telling part of his personal story but he’ll also tell you when this 2009 team came together and why. A big ‘thank you’ to Gunnar taking the time to share his story and we’re looking forward to see him on the diamond for the ‘Cats baseball team this spring. ------------------------- The 2009 football season is something that will not only go down in the record books as one of Linfield’s best but it will go down as one of the greatest 9 month stretches of my entire life. You might be thinking that nine months is a little longer than the scheduled football season but our 2009 run started way before fall camp began. You can ask any player or coach that has been a part of a successful team, that a success of a season is not only made on the days leading up to a game but the hours and hours of hard work that are put in by the team during the off season. Coach Smith constantly stresses, “to do the right thing" and for us as a team and individuals to be accountable for our actions and this team took that to heart. We made it a priority to work as hard as we could when other teams might be taking it easy. Every player and coach that was a part of this tremendous run bought into a common goal, made a plan, stuck to that plan and ended up with a very rewarding outcome to the end of our season. This was a very special group of guys that made up this 2009 coaching staff and roster and my senior season is one I will never forget.
Personally my 2008 football season was one I would rather forget. I began the season as a player who figured to help contribute to the team but near the end of the second game my performance was not up to par. I suffered a string of injuries in the next two weeks and eventually was forced to end my 2008 season after the 5th week due to a severe shoulder injury. It was a dreadful season for two of my roommates as well. Trevor Patterson and Aaron Boehme also suffered injuries that ended their 2008 campaign and as a house we missed nearly all of the 2008 season. I underwent shoulder surgery near the end of November and was only able to run with my teammates as we began morning workouts in early February. Because I was unable to participate fully I was able to observe the hard work and dedication my teammates demonstrated through the early dark hours of February. To this day I will never forget the sweat, hard work and pain (Friday dodge ball) that every single guy displayed. It made me extremely proud to be apart of something that we all knew could be great and would be great if we continued to put the work in. This is where I feel we became a team. With these hours of work put in and just being around each other this is were we came together and became the great team we ended up being. Relationships were built and friendships started that will last guys the rest of their lives. To many of my teammates and myself this was one of our greatest college experiences.
With two weeks before the start of spring ball my shoulder had shown little improvement in health and I learned I would need a second surgery to correct the problems that were accruing. I underwent the surgery and by nothing short of a miracle I was able to participate in spring ball and continue to be able to work hard and be on the football field with my teammates. Spring ball went incredibly well and again as a team we continued to learn how to play with each other and grow as a single unit on both sides of the ball. From the beginning of spring practice we all saw that hard work in the off-season pay off. Just as any other team would we all experienced some bumps and hardships along the way to improvement but we all knew that fixing them would not be a problem. You could feel the excitement throughout our team as practice came to an end and we knew that we still had a long way to go but every single one of us was willing to put the work in during the summer to get better and continue to become the team we knew we could be.
Summer was filled with guys doing what they needed to do to improve and become solid all around players. Some of my favorite memories will be throwing the football around with Boe (Aaron Boehme) and Trev (Trevor Patterson) until the sun went down on a warm night. I will have to say those times are what I will miss the most with out a doubt. With a lot of guys staying close to campus it was easy to get summer throwing workouts together and we eventually got to participate in 7 on 7 versus some other schools around the state. We battled it out with Portland State and Western Oregon and as a team we were very capable holding our on with the so call “big boys” of the state. These scrimmages not only gave us confidence but let us know that if we worked as a team and continued to work as hard as we could that we would be able to do something very special against teams in our Division of the NCAA’s. Summer workouts ended and with great excitement the first day of fall camp started.
With every familiar face that returned to the Catdome more and more excitement started to build and every single player was ready to get after the 2009 season. My final fall camp was a very special because my little brother Axel Cederberg had decided to come and join the Linfield family and play outside linebacker. Being able to line up against him and play on the same field during practice and games is something that is very special to me and I will never want to forget. The first night of camp is always a fun one because you get to meet the entire young freshmen classes that are coming to join our Wildcat family. Staying in the Rutschman Field House and swapping summer stories and meeting all the new guys is somewhat taxing on you because you do not sleep well on the hard floor and century old mattresses but getting to know the young guys and just catching up is worth more than any night of sleep.
“Doubles” as we call it went exceptionally well and we were dying to get after someone who didn’t have the same color jersey on as us. Hardin Simmons could not have made it to the Catdome soon enough. Every player was excited because we all knew what we could do if we played to the best of our ability and we could not wait to show the Linfield Faithful that we had what it took to be a special team. As the score of the game reflected all of the hard work we collectively put in together appeared on that filed during that second Saturday in September. We knew though that it was the first step in a very long season and we now had to focus on going on the road for a solid month to play maybe one of the most difficult stretches of games in the past decade. We took it upon ourselves to make sure we would balance our studies, football and lives so that we could be successful during this stretch of games. The coaches and players did a great job of adapting to all the different things that happened on every single road trip and made sure that the schedule was as consistent as possible. This “road trip” of games made our team become tough and mentally prepared to face anything. With beating Occidental, Southern Oregon, Menlo and Whitworth our team truly showed how good we were. Occidental was a ranked team and was very talented at many positions. Southern Oregon was big, fast and very talented and is always a tough game. During the Menlo game we did not have a half time locker room and were forced to chalk talk in the sand. Finally the stretch of games ended with Whitworth, and every single Wildcat fan knows that Winning at Whitworth is no easy task. Personally I didn’t mind the long extended time away from the Catdome, with my girlfriend on study abroad and all my friends and brother on the trips with me it was just like I was at home playing football. Those four games just gave us more reason to believe we were bound to do great things if we continued to work hard, and we took it upon ourselves to do just that.
Coming home to play in front of our fans was an awesome experience. With beating Lewis and Clark and seeing all the alumni come back and watch us do it was very special, but all of us had the next game in the back of our minds. Every team tries to prepare for the upcoming game and not overlook the game at hand, but in this instance it was very tough. Willamette was looming on the schedule and had been circled for quite sometime now and every player was ready to go out and prove that the game in the 2008 season should not have ended the way it did. There was a heightened sense of preparation and intensity at practice and we were not going to let this game get away from us, we set out with a goal to take every game one at a time and be in the now, but we all had a little bit of pay back on our minds for a couple of reasons. The game was had fought and I feel we came out on top because of the way our team was so close and because of all the hard work we had put in together. In tight games teams beyond a doubt show their true colors and we showed that this was our year in the NWC. The next couple of games were very important due to the fact we needed to finish strong and establish ourselves as a playoff football team. We took care of our business and ensured an undefeated regular season and we entered uncharted territory for every player but one on the 2009 roster, the play-offs. In a way I think this might of helped us though. None of us knew what to expect or how to react, all we knew how to do was play football and prepare to play teams that were extremely well coached and talented. The three straight home games might have helped as well but I still want to go with us not knowing any better. We played outstanding football and peaked at the right moment and continued to grow as a football team at the right time. We made big time plays and saw big time players emerge and make plays that will never be forgotten.
Playing in the Catdome and in front of dedicated fans and family was one of the greatest experiences of my life and I will never forget playing in those big games and being a part of a great season. The way our season ended was not the way we would have like. Every team does not want to lose their final game and not win a championship but to play the way we did and win as many games as we did this season I feel was a great accomplishment. There were some people out there that doubted if the streak would even continue and I hope we just didn’t continue that streak but started another great run of play-off appearances.
Coming off that field in the cold in my final game will be a memory that will hurt but be more satisfying than anything I have accomplished in my life thus far. The memories I have and the friendships I have made will be with me for the rest of my life and I am truly grateful for choosing Linfield and being a part of a wonderful four years. We didn’t win the national championship like we had wanted this past season, but we proved to ourselves and every person who watched us play that we prepared as a team and expected to be and do great things. I will never forget playing with my teammates and putting the tremendous amount of effort into this season. We worked hard and I hope teams after us will see that anything is possible if you commit and play as a team. My final football season was an amazing run and I want to thank everyone who was apart of that run with me. I will never be anything but a Cat, and I will always call the Catdome home.
Well, we had some articles that slipped by at the end of the year that I wanted to round up for you all. You've probably had already scanned most of these but there is a real gem from the Lewis & Clark Student paper about the Pios Homecoming win. You guys enjoy your weekend and the NFL playoffs. Go 'Cats!
The Pioneer Log: L&C Football Wins Homecoming Game: 57-35. WC11 added this older story not because the Pios won Homecoming but for the quote of the year from L&C student Rainier Goubault ('10) that appears 1/2 way down the article. That's some school spirit!
Over the weekend the D1 coaching rumor carousel was spinning at full speed when USC Head Coach Pete Carroll left the Trojans for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. The first name to hit to wires as a potential candidate is Oregon State Head Coach, and former Linfield Defensive Coordinator (early 80's), Mike Riley.
Riley quickly put this to bed as he signed a new extension with Oregon State and he joined Isaac and Suke of Portland's 1080 The Fan on their afternoon show "Primetime" to discuss his decsion to stay at OSU.
A big factor that came into play for Coach Riley is that he's already been to a number of programs and wanted to continue to build the Oregon State program. Coach Riley credits Former Linfield head coach and College Football Hall of Fame member, Ad Rutschman, as someone he admires for staying in one spot to build a legacy.
Ah, the first blog posts of 2010. It smells so fresh and clean it’s like slipping on a new pair of athletic socks. We still have a number of items to cover from the incredible 2009 season but now is the time to start looking down the road in what “we” at Catdomealumni.com will bring to the Wildcat masses in terms of new and exciting content in 2010.
Catdomealumni.com and ADvantage Catdome had our biggest year to date (thanks primarily to the ‘Cats great season on the field) but I also feel like we had a great year in the video and blog content. We had some great interviews, play blogs, tons of great video, and coverage of the 2009 season. However, my goal for the site/blog is to make the next year a step up in the quality and diversity of content on the site. So the question is: what do you want to see more of? Obviously, you’re going to get the full display of 2009 season highlights (Starting Monday, March 1st) but what else do you want to see more of? Current player interviews? More Red and Purple Interviews? Video Retrospectives? More news from around the conference? Different voices on the blog? Wildcat11 wants to know!
So in addition to the polls below, please leave a comment with any ideas or you can mail me at: catdomealumni@yahoo.com
During the week leading up to the Division III championship game, the City of Salem puts together a preview/presentation video about the two participating teams playing in the Stagg Bowl. The folks that put this together do a great job as they dispatch videographers to each semi-final game and then edit the clip above.
The reason why I'm posting this is there are some highlights from the UWW/Linfield semi-final game that I know that you would want to watch. Go 'Cats!
This being the last day of the '00 decade, WC11 thought it would be good to review the first full decade of the realignment of the Northwest Conference (The NWC regrouped in 1996 as the Northwest Conference of Independent Colleges (NCIC) and then officially named back to the Northwest Conference in 1998).
During the past 10 seasons there has been one NWC team that has stood out above the others and, of course, that is our Linfield Wildcats. The NWC is not made up of Linfield and the everyone else because we know that there are some very competitive programs throughout the conference. However, when you take a step back and look at the past 10 years the Linfield program has been incredibly consistent and a force on not only the regional but also on the national level.
When you look at the data of the past 10 years below this is a tribute to all of the hard work by the Linfield staff, players, administration, and support folks who have made this program great over the past 54 years. It was a great ride this past 10 years and I have no doubt on Dec 31, 2019 that Linfield will be on top of these same stats. Go 'Cats!
Decade Records (2000-09) (I excluded Menlo due to they were not a member during the entire decade)
Overall Record Linfield.............90-16 Whitworth.........66-30 Willamette........57-43 PLU..................54-40 UPS..................29-62 L&C..................16-69
NWC Record Linfield............48-5 Whitworth.......36-17 Willamette.......32-21 PLU................30-23 UPS................10-43 L&C.................5-43
Home Record Linfield............50-8 Whitworth......35-14 Willamette......32-20 PLU................25-20 UPS................15-30 L&C................10-32
Road Record Linfield..........40-8 Whitworth.....31-16 PLU...............29-20 Willamette.....25-23 UPS...............14-32 L&C................6-37
Playoff Record Linfield.........12-5 PLU...............3-2 Whitworth......1-2 Willamette.....1-2
Coach Of The Year Linfield..........6 Whitworth......3 Willamette......1
Offense Player of the Year Linfield.........5 Whitworth.....4 Willamette....2 PLU..............2
Defensive Player of the Year Linfield........6 Whitworth....4 Willamette....4 PLU............ 2
NWC 1st Team Players Linfield.......122 Willamette....61 Whitworth....55 PLU.............41 UPS.............15 L&C..............9
Statistics (2000-09)
(Full 2002 statistics were not available on the conference site so these stats are the averaged and compiled from 9 seasons (2000-01, 2003-09) and I excluded the 2005 stats from L&C since they only played 4 non-conference games and canceled their NWC games)
Points Per Game Linfield..........36.6 PLU...............30.3 Whitworth......28.5 Willamette......27.7 UPS...............20.8 L&C...............16.9
Points Allowed Per Game Linfield..........18.2 Whitworth....21.3 Willamette....22.9 PLU...............23.7 UPS...............29.2 L&C...............42.5
Pass Offense Per Game Linfield.........286 YPG PLU..............242.8 YPG Whitworth.....205 YPG L&C..............197.5 YPG UPS..............131.7 YPG Willamette....114.8 YPG
Pass Defense Per Game L&C..............171.8 YPG PLU..............192.7 YPG Whitworth.....192.9 YPG Linfield........194.4 YPG Willamette....196.1 YPG UPS..............211.6 YPG
Rushing Offense Per Game Willamette....251.3 YPG UPS.............193.8 YPG Whitworth....172 YPG Linfield........150.8 YPG PLU.............144.8 YPG L&C.............111.1 YPG
Rushing Defense Per Game Linfield........114.3 YPG Willamette....140 YPG Whitworth....148.5 YPG PLU.............155.5 YPG UPS.............160.5 YPG L&C.............249.3 YPG
Total Offense Per Game Linfield........436.8 YPG PLU.............387.6 YPG Whitworth..377 YPG Willamette..366.1 YPG UPS.............325.5 YPG L&C.............308.6 YPG
Total Defense Per Game Linfield........308.7 YPG Willamette....332.9 YPG Whitworth....341.4 YPG PLU.............348.2 YPG UPS.............372.1 YPG L&C.............421.1 YPG
Sacks Per Season Linfield........27.8 PLU.............22.3 Willamette....20 Whitworth....16.6 UPS.............12.3 L&C.............9
Turnover Margin Per Season Whitworth...+8.3 Linfield........+7.5 Willamette...+3.9 PLU............+0.4 UPS............-3.8 L&C............-9.875
Coming off their most successful season since the 2004 National Championship season, the Linfield Wildcats are having players and coaches being recognized on a Regional and National Level. All of these Wildcat players and coaches are very deserving and there are some 'Cats that were not tapped that had a strong case but that is the nature of post-season recognition.
However, WC11 does want to say that the AFCA and D3football.com does these awards/post-season teams the right way. They only have so many slots and with over 230 teams in division III selecting these teams is not an easy task but I'm thankful they don't name every player and their cousins to these post-season teams and dilute the significance of the selections.
Let's lead off with the program's 42nd First Team All-American.
Linfield senior offensive guard Scott Millenbach was named to the AFCA Division III All-American team this past Tuesday. Millenbach anchored an offensive line that helped the 'Cats average 40 points a game and avg. 432 yards of offense a contest. Linfield's offensive line was outstanding this season and was a MAJOR reason for the 'Cats 12-1 season. Scott was also named 1st team all-west region by D3football.com and should be in the running for the d3.com All-American team that will be announced this Saturday before the Stagg Bowl.
Sophomore Safety Drew Fisher was named to the D3football.com's 1st team All-West Region Defense. Fish has an outstanding 2nd season in the 'Cats defensive backfield and led the defense in total tackles (73), 9 pass break ups, 4 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, a blocked punt, tied for 1st in Ints (5 w/ Nate Dixon), and might have led the team with bone jarring hits (Jaymin Jackson and Bubba Kukahiko might object to that). Drew had a great season and it wouldn't surprise me if he was named to D3football.com's all-american team.
Junior Defensive Tackle Paul Nishizaki was named to the West Region's 2nd team defense and for good reason. Nish was a major disruptive force for the 'Cats and IMO might just have been the Linfield defensive MVP. Nish has good but not eye popping stats: 30 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 2 sacks, 3 QB hurries, 2 forced fumbles, but his true value was wreaking havoc between the two offensive guards and changing how offenses attack the 'Cats. Offensive Coordinators around the NWC hate Nishizaki and I think that is just about the biggest complement a defensive tackle can get.
Junior Quarterback Aaron Boehme was named to the 3rd team West Region offense. I think we all know that Boehme is one of the top QB's in Division III so I was a little suprised to see Boehme only listed on the 3rd team in the West Region but you have to look at the talent in front of him and it had to be a hard decision for the D3 staff. Whitewater's Donovan is a flat out stud and Monmouth's Tanney was a well known product before the 2009 season and had another monster year. Boehme's stat line is crazy: 3,261 passing yards, 33 passing TD's, 551 rushing yards, and 10 rush TD's. The crazy part, I think he'll be even better next season.
Senior Wide Receiver Trevor Patterson was also named to the 3rd team West Region offense and I couldn't be happier for Trevor. The NWC has some outstanding wide receivers and Trevor was the only one named to the all-region team. Honestly, Trevor was the biggest surprise to me in 2009. Before this season he was so held back by injuries that I didn't know he was this big play receiver just waiting for his opportunity. In some ways I'm a little sad that we didn't get to see a healthy Patterson for multiple years but if you are going to go out as a senior, catching 78 passes for 1,264 yards and 17 touchdowns is a pretty damn good way to go out. His big play ability is going to be sorely missed next season.
Head Coach Joe Smith was named the West Region Coach of the Year and I'm 100% certain that Coach Smith would say this kind of honor is a reflection of the work the entire staff put in this season and he would be right. The 2009 Linfield Coaching staff was incredible from the jump and should be saluted for not only their work during the season but in the winter, spring, and summer. However, Coach Smith is the man upfront that drives this boat and a lot of doubters (babies) were slinging arrows at Coach Smith. Externally, that never seemed to bother him as he knew that the team was on the verge of breaking through. Coach Smith never lost his confidence or his drive during the past few seasons and it made this season sweet to see all the "haters" get silenced and put to bed with a resounding swing of a hammer that was this 2009 season.
Congrats Coach Smith, The entire Linfield Staff, and players on the post-season recognition.
Our 'Cats dropped a 27-17 heartbreaker in the NCAA Semi-Finals to #2 UW-Whitewater. Anyone that followed the game knows that Linfield held a 17-10 lead early in the 4th quarter and looked to be in prime position to pull the upset and advanced to the NCAA Championship game but you have to credit Whitewater for making enough plays to overcome the Linfield lead and pull out the victory.
It was such a bittersweet feeling for the players, coaches, and fans of the 'Cats. Linfield has NOTHING to hang their heads about but everyone in the Purple, Red, and White knows that it was there for the taking but it just wasn't to be. However, that's part of football/athletics and in some ways life. Sometimes you are of the verge of doing something great and for whatever reason it just doesn't happen. In those moments you tend to find out really who you are as a person and from what I saw after the game made me feel pretty dang good. The 'Cats, even though they were bitterly disappointed, handled themselves with class and dignity after the game. True, there were tears, but they stayed together as a team and held each other up in a very tough moment. These guys truly care about the 'Cat next to them and are very proud of what they did this season as they should be. It was an incredible season by anyone standards.
I'm not going to get into a huge recap of the game with the usual "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly" because it just doesn't feel right for me to break down that game. Bottom line, it was a awesome game with two excellent teams trading blows. Yes, Whitewater made the play to win the game but everybody at Perkins Stadium knows that game was up for grabs up till the finals minutes.
What I would like to write instead is just pour out some thoughts on the season. You know that I'm a Linfield honk in the highest regards. I have blind faith in the values of the programs and the people who run it. That may not be the healthiest perspective to have but it's for a good reason. This program will always try to put their best foot forward when it comes to preparing young people for their lives after Linfield and also try their best to put out a high quality product on the field.
That is what this 2009 team did this year. They worked everyday on putting their best on the line. Not just on fall and winter Saturdays but in the early mornings during Jan term and in the springtime when the eyes of the 'Catdome family were not on them. This group of young men earned everything this season. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect at the start of 2009. Sure, we had some very talented ballplayers but we were young in spots and unproven in many others. However, what we didn't know is just how tight the bond of this team was headed into the year. That believe in the player next to them is what carried this team to the heights they reached and will carry the program forward into 2010. They need to be applauded for their effort and performance. It was truly great.
To the Senior Class of 2009. Thank you. I don't know how else the 'Catdome can express what you men did for this program this season. Myself and others can't really know the pressures and frustrations that you all felt the previous few seasons when the program was so close but see the season end at 6-3. The classes of 2006-08 each worked very hard but they all had a taste of the success of the 03-05 seasons and that is something you guys had hanging over your heads coming into the year. Instead of letting that break you down, you guys came together and moved forward, formed your own identity, and carved out your own piece and place in Linfield history. What you did this year was special and it may be one of your greatest memories of your college lives and it should be. You once again set the standard for the teams that follow you and the 'Catdome family can't thank you enough.
WC11 wants to encourage any fans, students, or parents to drop a thank you in the comment section. You can do it anonymously or you can leave your name...it doesn't matter. Just let the 'Cats know how much you appreciate their effort this year. Go 'Cats!
WHAT A RUSH!!!! WC11 is going to have to make it snappy this morning. I'm sitting here at the Southwest gate of PDX getting ready to go down to PHX before heading to Wisconsin. It's going to be a long day. Again, a boat load of links to articles to catch you up to everything Linfield related. Be safe out there this weekend and GO 'CATS!!!!
Alright, I've had about 10 emails asking me how to hook up a CPU to a TV so you can watch the game on the big screen. First you need the link to that game: CBS Sports NCAA Broadcast of Linfield @ UWW Now there are two cables that you need to get ASAP and you can find at any local electronics store (i.e. Radio Shack).
The first thing you need to get is an S-Video cable (you'll need this if you want a picture)The Second thing you need to get is a 1/8th headphone jack to RCA cable (you'll need this if you want sound) So what you do is plug the S-Video cable into your laptop/CPU. If your CPU doesn't have this there are other cord options but really just about every laptop/CPU SHOULD have a S-Video plug. Once you have it pluged into your laptop/CPU, then plug the S-Video cord into your televesion in one of your "Input" options. (Don't plug it into one of the "output" options or it won't work)
Now, plug in the headphone-to-RCA cord into the headphone input of your cpu (like you are listening to music) and then take the RCA jacks and plug them into the audio input on the back of your TV (The RCA jacks have to be in the input option as the S-Video connection if you want sound to be synced with the picture).
Now here comes the part that I can't really help you with. Each CPU is different. Some TV's/CPU's will pick up the S-Video signal automatically and you have nothing to worry about. Others you have to prompt to display on the TV by hitting a function key (most CPU's are Function+F8). Make sure your TV is on the right channel/input selection (where you S-Video and RCA jacks are plugged in should be labeled) and you should be off and running.
You can fool around with the display settings on your CPU to make the picture bigger but I dont' want to confuse you anymore if I have to. If you have other tips or pointers about hooking up your CPU to your TV please post them in the comments section.
I’ve had a number of people ask me why the blog is called ADvantage Catdome. So instead of repeating the explanation over and over, I thought I would just lay it out here.
Back in 1986 my father took me to my very first Linfield game, the final regular season game vs. Pacific (Linfield would roll the Boxers on their way to their 3rd NAIA title). I was 10 years old at the time and I can remember seeing these banners the pep squad/students have hung up on the fences around the Catdome. They read “We have the ADvantage”.
I pulled on my dad’s shirt and asked him what that meant. He pointed to the coaches box in the far back of Memorial stadium and said “You see that man there? That’s Coach Rustchman. He’s Linfield’s advantage.”
It wasn't until later that my dad told me Coach Rustchman’s first name was “Ad”. Get it now? Good. Go ‘Cats!
Linfield College football is built on many pillars. The support from the administration, the incredible hard work from the coaching staff, the support from the Linfield community. However, one of the key aspects of the duration of the program's success are the many Wildcat players that grind away working hard for the opportunity to show they can contribute to the team on game day.
My sophomore season (2008) was just as much of a grind. I flirted with the 2nd string offense for a couple of weeks due to injuries, but was, in my eyes, demoted back to scout after performing as best as I could with the 2's. At this point I was pretty unhappy. Unhappy with my performance, unhappy with decisions that were made, and unhappy with football. But I found virtue in scout, particularly playing receivers. I took it upon myself to beat each and every corner we had and, of course, catch every ball that came my way. It was a matter of pride; I was too prideful to consider myself just a scout player my entire career, and took it out on all the starting DB’s. I finished the year with scout accolades and hungrier than every to make a name for myself as a running back my Jr. year.
