2011 Linfield Football Camp: One-On-One Pass and D-Line Pass Rush Drill Breakdown

If you couldn't tell, Wildcat11 loves the annual Linfield Football camp. It's a great time to get a football fix in early summer and see a number of familiar faces and seeing the next generation of players getting after it. We have two clips for you today. The 1st is of one-on-one passing drills with the DBs and WRs locking horns in a red zone drill called "slant of fade" It's just like the name says....from the 8 yards line the WR can either run a slant of fade route and the result is either a score or stop.

The next clip is an instructional video of Defensive Coordinator/D-Line coach Jackson Vaughan breaking down a pass rush circuit with the assist of some current 'Cats. This is a great piece that showcases the instruction the players are receiving at camp.

Erik Hedin signs with Spokane Shock

1st Team All-American Eric Hedin has signed his 1st pro contract.

As reported on Catdomealumni.com's twitter feed and Catdomealumni.com's facebook page this past Tuesday became official yesterday as the Spokane Shock announced they have signed Linfield All-American Defensive End Eric Hedin for the remainder of the season.

The Shock sit at 6-7 on the season with 5 games remaining on the season as Spokane is still pushing to try to make the Arena League playoffs. Hedin will see action this weekend in his 1st professional game as the Shock travel to New Orleans to play the New Orleans Voodoo.

You can watch all AFL games live or via archive thought AFLLIVE and their partner Nifttv.com/afl

Hedin is the 4th Wildcat this spring/summer that is actively playing professional football. 2x All-American QB and Linfield Quarterback Coach, Brett Elliott, is in the top 5 in most offensive categories as he's lead his Georgia Force to an 8-6 season and are in the thick of the AFL playoff race.

Over in the German Football League, 2010 Linfield stand-outs, Aaron Boehme (D3 All-American) and Paul Nishizaki (D3 All-Region) continue to help their Schwabisch Hall Unicorns to a 7-0 start as Boehme leads the GFL in total yards per game and a host of other offensive categories and Nish is doing what Schwabisch Hall had hoped and that's dramatically improved the 'Corns rush defense as Schwabisch Hall is 3rd in the GFL in Rush Yards Given up per game.

Eric Hedin's hometown paper, the Kitsap Sun ran a story yesterday with some quotes from Eric on getting signed with the Shock.

WC11 is expecting many AFL QB's fall victim to Hedin as every NWC QB did in 2010.

2011 Linfield Football Camp: Scrimmages

Your Linfield Wildcats are hosting the program's 24th annual summer football camp for teams in the Pacific Northwest (and some Cali schools). It's one of the very best camps in the region as teams converge to the 'Catdome to get instructed by the Linfield staff and many former 'Cats who come back to camp to help coach up the attending teams.

One of my favorite features of camp are the daily controlled scrimmages that take place where the teams get to get after it on the gridiron. During the recently completed 1st session of camp the most anticipated scrimmage was between 5a rivals the Sherwood Bowman and Mt. View Cougars. Here is a taste of the action between two of the best in the Oregon 5a class.

WC11 will be posting up more video on the annual camp throughout the week. Go 'Cats!

2011 Incoming 'Cats: Wide Receivers

Welcome to our 1st in a series of posts where we preview our Linfield incoming class of 2011 recruits.  Linfield has released two posts detailing our incoming group of 36 'Cats and the ADvantage will be posting up their HS/JC highlight clips group-by-group. 

We're starting off with our 7 incoming Wide Receivers.  All 7 WR's hail from either Oregon or Washington and there looks to be a nice blend of size and play making ability. While we only have 4 clips (WC11 is working on pull the clip of one and missing the two others), you'll see why Linfield targeted these players to add to a group of WR's that have some proven vets and a young group of WR's that the staff is excited to see mature.

**PLEASE NOTE**  Wildcat11 wants to track down every player clip (DVD or on-line) that is listed on Linfield's press release.  However,  I've been unable to track down every single player DVD.  Some didn't have a DVD on file and others I just couldn't find. If I didn't have your video posted PLEASE don't take it personal. WC11 tried his best and if you didn't have a DVD on file then I looked for a clip on-line. I never want to short change our 'Cats.

Video are in alphabetical order (Last name)

Colin Nelson, 6’6, 200, Eastlake High School - Sammamish, Wash.


Evan Peterson, 6’1, 185, Issaquah High School - Issaquah, Wash.


Jackson Ruckert, 5’8, 170, West Albany High School - Albany, Ore.


Zack Young, 5’10, 180, Lake Oswego High School - Lake Oswego, Ore.

Video Not Available:
Kyle Harris, WR, 6’0, 170, Westview High School - Portland, Ore.
Taylor Hein, WR, 5’11, 185 Canby High School - Canby Ore. (Will try to add tomorrow)
Lucas Jepson, WR, 5’10, 180, Cabrillo Junior College, Aloha, Ore.

Some additonal thoughts on "61" and a few other great plays from 2004

So if you couldn't tell Wildcat11 has been hip deep in the archives the past few weeks in tracking down plays for our Number Series. I'm very happy with how "61" came out and think those 12 minutes go by pretty dang fast. Thankfully we had the radio call (albeit fuzzy and faded) but it was great to have Daryl Aune and Dave Hanson's voices to help bring home that clip.

A couple of items that I thought stood out to me about that clip:

-I completely forgot about how great the bleacher configuration in the End Zone looked during the Whitworth and SOU clips (TDs 17-25). This set up only lasted a few game but it made an intimate 'Catdome even more so with having a wall of bleachers and fans that enclosed the south end zone. However it wasn't meant to be as the portable bleachers were too tall and causing issues for the players and officials on the field in seeing the 24 second clock and scoreboard so they made to be moved to pretty much the configuration you've seen at every home game since. Too bad because it was a fun set up.

-When interviewing Brandon Hazenberg for the clip he asked me what my favorite TD was of the clip and that's a hard question for me to answer. However, if I had to narrow it down it has to be two for me and they came on back-to-back TDs. TD number 41 the 57 yard bomb vs Willamette just stands out in my mind. I was on the sideline around the 50 when I watched Brett 1/2 roll to his left and came to a stop, pivot, and dropped a dime to Carter all in one motion. Being so close it was a jaw dropped. The next is number 42 and for a different reason. Tyler Kaluza caught a magnificent 20 yard fade with the Frosh pivoting and making a twisting grab. Being a video nerd I just loved how Videographer Mike Rhodes captured that TD. It was a piece of art.

-While pouring over the tapes I came across a couple of other plays that I had to post up as one-offs:



The 1st is this 92 yard punt return TD by Hazenberg (still a school record). The clip struck me funny for a few reasons. 1st it was just a hell of a return by Haze. Poor Menlo was just so beaten down by the end of this one. The 2nd reason I posted this up was a great reminder how our fan base wants nothing, zero, zilch, to do with going to a Linfield hosting Menlo football game. Seriously, every home game in 2004 was packed with fans except for Menlo. I think our fans would rather spend the day at the DMV than watch Menlo play football.



This is just a flat out sick one-handed catch by George Cater vs Oxy. Loved that Oxy was running their bring the house blitz that left single coverage on our outside receivers. This defense worked out so well the next year Oxy ran a defense where they dropped all 11 defenders in pass coverage and Linfield still hit for a TD pass. I'd wager a small fortune that the Oxy D.C. from those two years still wakes up in pools of sweat having nightmares of Elliott and Company rattling holes in the Tigers secondary.

Catdomealumni.com:Numbers Presents "61" Brett Elliott's TD passes in 2004

#5 threw 61 TD passes in 13 games in 2004 in setting an NCAA All-Level record

Watch: Numbers presents "61"

It was the perfect storm for Linfield in 2004.  Coming off a great 2003 season the 'Cats just graduated All-American quarterback Tyler Matthews and those that followed the program knew the 'Cats had a truckload of talent coming back on both sides of the ball in 2004.  Enter Brett Elliott.   We all know the Elliott story at Linfield at this point, if you don't then read this NY Times feature on Brett before the 2005 season, Brett was starting for the Utah Utes suffered a season ending wrist injury vs Texas A&M in 2003 and Alex Smith took over and took off for Utah.

Elliott's pain was Linfield's gain as Brett made the decision to leave Utah because he wanted to be on the field doing what he loved best and that was just playing.  There was so much curiosity on how Brett would perform leading up to the 2004 season opener vs WOU and questions how a big talent would fit in the world of small college football but from the moment he stepped on the field with that collection of insane talent it was pure magic.

In watching all 61 of those TD passes in a row it seemed almost effortless at times and now being almost 7 years removed it makes you appreciate even more just what that group did.  Linfield is going to continue to be great and set records and put up crazy offensive performances (just like the last two seasons) but 2004 (and 2005) was just different.  It was watching lightning in a bottle....that struck from short distances to long bombs and into the smallest of windows.  Just take the 12 minutes and 30 seconds out of your day and enjoy an epic season where Linfield and Brett Elliott stood alone.

Here are all 61 Elliott's TD passes in 2004:

WOU
1. 02:50 LIN - Hazenberg, Brandon 75 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (1st qt)
2. 12:50 LIN - Romero, Joe 1 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd qt)
3. 08:21 LIN - Allen, Casey 18 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd qt)
4. 06:16 LIN - Carter, George 79 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd qt)
5. 00:11 LIN - Allen, Casey 52 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd qt)

UW-SP
6. 05:06 LIN - Allen, Casey 13 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd qt)
7. 01:38 LIN - McKechnie, Brad 16 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd qt)
8. 07:32 LIN - Hazenberg, Brandon 11 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (3rd)
9. 12:22 LIN - Kaluza, Tyler 11 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (4th)
10. 10:22 LIN - Allen, Casey 10 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (4th)
11. 03:55 LIN - Ford, Thomas 59 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (4th)

PLU
12. 07:48 LIN - Allen, Casey 24 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (1st)
13. 00:05 LIN - Hazenberg, Brandon 11 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
14. 13:37 LIN - Allen, Casey 45 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (3rd)
15. 14:53 LIN - Carter, George 29 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (4th)
16. 07:43 LIN - McKechnie, Brad 21 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (4th)

Whitworth
17. 13:51 LIN - Allen, Casey 26 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
18. 03:35 LIN - Allen, Casey 21 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
19. 00:42 LIN - Allen, Casey 29 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
20. 14:04 LIN - Carter, George 47 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (3rd)
21. 13:30 LIN - Allen, Casey 22 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (4th)

SOU
22.14:53 LIN - Hazenberg, Brandon 32 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
23. 05:45 LIN - Hazenberg, Brandon 29 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
24. 01:09 LIN - Jenkins, Riley 12 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
25. 13:33 LIN - McKechnie, Brad 13 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (4th)

UPS
26. 02:39 LIN - Allen, Casey 27 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (1st)
27. 00:58 LIN - Carter, George 5 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
28. 12:08 LIN - Hazenberg, Brandon 9 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (3rd)
29. 08:10 LIN - Carter, George 4 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (3rd)

Menlo
30. 08:00 LIN - Allen, Casey 1 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (1st)
31.  01:38 LIN - Hazenberg, Brandon 17 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (1st)
32. 09:47 LIN - Hazenberg, Brandon 16 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
33. 05:04 LIN - Allen, Casey 64 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
34. 01:38 LIN - Allen, Casey 7 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)

L&C
35. 09:30 LIN - Allen, Casey 3 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (1st)
36. 05:17 LIN - Allen, Casey 39 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (1st)
37. 01:14 LIN - McKechnie, Brad 15 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (1st)
38. 11:53 LIN - McKechnie, Brad 40 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
39. 08:24 LIN - McKechnie, Brad 19 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)

Willamette
40. 08:43 LIN - Allen, Casey 5 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
41. 01:14 LIN - Carter, George 57 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
42. 11:32 LIN - Kaluza, Tyler 20 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (3rd)
43. 10:41 LIN - Kaluza, Tyler 15 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (4th)
44. 06:44 LIN - Carter, George 30 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (4th)

UW-LAX
45. 01:04 LIN - Allen, Casey 70 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (1st)
46. 06:38 LIN - Allen, Casey 7 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
47. 02:23 LIN - Kaluza, Tyler 12 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
48. 10:45 LIN - Carter, George 34 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (3rd)
49. 07:18 LIN - McKechnie, Brad 5 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (4th)

Oxy
50. 14:41 LIN - Carter, George 64 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (1st)
51. 02:52 LIN - Allen, Casey 53 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (1st)
52. 14:10 LIN - Allen, Casey 11 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
53. 07:24 LIN - Allen, Casey 13 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
54. 03:01 LIN - Carter, George 29 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
55. 00:16 LIN - Allen, Casey 7 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (2nd)
56. 13:10 LIN - Carter, George 18 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (3rd)

Rowan
57. 10:52 LIN - McKechnie, Brad 36 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (1st)
58. 12:39 LIN - Hazenberg, Brandon 28 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (3rd)
59. 07:23 LIN - Carter, George 51 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (3rd)

UMHB
60. 14:16 LIN - Hazenberg, Brandon 39 yd pass from Elliott, Brett (1st)
61. 05:51 LIN - Jenkins, Riley 10 yd pass from Elliott, Brett  (4th)

"Catdomealumni: Numbers" starts this Monday

61, 22, 56, 22 are numbers you'll remember after this series is wrapped up.

WC11 knows it's been a little staggnet on the ADvantage/Catdomealumni for the past week but it isn't because I've been slacking.  We've been working feverishly in the back ground on a cool 4-part video series that I'm dubbing "Catdomealumni: Numbers".  Sports is largely defined by numbers.  People use numbers to compare teams and players of present to those of the past and anybody that follows or knows of Linfield know the biggest number that grows with each winning season (55).  But Linfield is more than just that number as the 'Cats have collected 4 National Titles, 34 conference titles, 43 1st team all-Americans, and 22 playoff appearances.
 
But what about the other numbers that have been accumulated on the field that have help propel Linfield to those numbers that I just listed off?  In thinking about some of those year long or just single game performances that when you looked at the stat sheet afterwards you just say "Did that really just happen?"

Linfield Football often puts up impressive numbers but there are 4 incredible single game or season long numbers that stand alone in the Linfield College Record Book and thought it would be worth taking a look back at these performances.

61, 22, 56, 22

Starting next Monday we'll kick off our Catdomealumni: Number series in looking back at Brett Elliott's NCAA record setting season as he tossed 61 touchdown passes.  The clip will included all 61 touchdown passes during the season and in putting this together it's freaking incredible.  We all know that was a magical season and team but when you watch all 61 TD's in a row it's jaw dropping how good the Linfield passing attack was in 2004.

The next week will tackle the number 22 and that's just what Darren Causey did in 1994.  Causey set the Linfield single game record of total tackles at 22 vs Western Oregon State College in a 7-0 battle in which tackle number 22 was the biggest of the game.  What I loved about this clip, besides all the extra curricular after the whistle, is about 3 of these tackles came via horse collar, which is now illegal, but was perfectly acceptable in 1994.

After Causey's 22, we'll take a two-week break as it's Linfield Football Camp time and WC11 loves putting together a highlight clip of one of the very best Football Camps on the West Coast.

The next number is 56 and no it's not about the 'Cats reaching 56 consecutive winning seasons this year.  We'll be grinding out all 56 carries David Russell had vs Whitworth in 2002.  I've been around some wet and soggy days at the 'Catdome but this day in 2002 might have been one of the worst.  The wind and rain were so bad that day and Linfield had the perfect weapon: a bruising offensive line and David Russell.  This clip is just a display of force and will by the 'Cats as Linfield would hammer the Rats 35-0.

Then we'll wrap it back up by going back to the number 22 and this time we're talking about sacks and Eric Hedin.  The 2010 season is still fresh in everyone's mind and so is Hedin's monster year and thought it would be fitting to clip off 22 sacks of his season together and go out with a bang.    

So be sure to check back in with us on Monday as we kick off Catdomealumni: Numbers

Lost and Found: Brad McKechnie's massive crack back vs Menlo (2005)

Wildcat11 has taken great pride in tracking down massive hits and damage the 'Cats have done over the past 20 years. Armed with an archive of highlight tape footage I feel that we've uncovered many massive hits as we've compiled our video collection of decleaters in the form of: Big Hits I, Big Hits II, and Big Hits III. (sidenote: probably be looking to put together Big Hits IV after the 2011 season)

However, finding a lost great piece of Wildcat footage always warms WC11's heart. In working on a project with Coach Brandon Hazenberg a few years ago he passed along this clip of "Keck" just unloading on a prusuing Oak defender. Loved the clip but it became lost in the clutter of Catdomealumni.com's external hard drive. However, last week when doing some work on our soon to be released "Numbers" series I rediscovered this kill-shot.

It was October 29th, 2005 and the #1 Wildcats were headed to a 7-0 start with a 38-7 thumping of the hapless Oaks. Linfield was faced with a 2nd and 20 from Menlo's 47 early in the 1st and the 'Cats call a little screen pass to RB Mordech Kotler to try to make 3rd down a little more manageable. Kotler however was able to keep the play alive and cut across field where Keck was laying in wait.

The whole play was just technically so sound by Keck. He cleared his defender with a run off route and the instant he saw Kotler cut back Keck didn't come screaming up the field, nope, he pealed back and took a beautiful path to where he anticipated the play was headed. At that point Menlo's Antoine Barlow was a man on fire in trying to track down Kotler. Barlow did have the angle on Kotler and he had to feel he was about to track him down. Barlow never saw it coming.