Throwback Thrusday features the Top 'Cat

Coach Smith has been roaming the 'Catdome since 1989.

Linfield Football Head Coach Joe Smith is our subject of Throwback Thursday here on the ADvantage.  Coach Smith came to Linfield from Grants Pass High School (Or) and played for Linfield from 1989-1992.  Coach was a 4 year starter at Corner for the 'Cats and helped Linfield capture two Columbia Football Association-Mt. Hood League championships in 1991 & 1992.  Coach Smith's senior season saw the 'Cats advance to the NAIA Division II National Title game where the 'Cats fell short of the program's 4th National Title in a 26-13 loss to Findlay (Oh.).

As a player, Coach Smith was twice named a first team all-conference selection, and a 2nd team NAIA All-American his senior season ('92).  Coach Smith racked up 16 interceptions, 22 pass break-ups, and 127 unassisted tackles.  That's a heck of a career stat line.  Coach was known as a cerebral, fast, and physical player and you can see that style in the play of the teams he leads on the field today.  Fast. Physical. Smart. 'Catdome.

The 2013 Wallpaper is up!

Very excited today to introduce your 2013 Linfield Wildcat Football Wallpaper.  As with the 2012 wallpaper, former Linfield Wildcat defensive lineman Chris Miles ('04) is the man behind this beauty.  Chris is a legitimate talent who's business CMDesign is located in the McMinnville area.   However, Chris can help you out wherever you might be located with logo design, media guides, web development, brochures, business cards, ect.  The list in ways Chris can help your business or a personal event is endless.  (Visit CMDesign on the web).

All I did was provide Chris with the photos and asked Chris to "Be The Hammer".  He did the rest and it came out better than I could have imagined.  At the bottom of the photo is the 2013 Linfield schedule and as always the 'Cats have their work to get done in order to reach this program's number one goal: another National Championship. 

Click on this link to download the full sized image or you can just click on the photo above for the full sized image.  Once you've done than you can right click on the image and set as your wallpaper.

A monster "thank you" to Linda MacClanthan and Kelly Bird for helping me out all season long in terms of letting me use their photos in the highlight DVD and for the project above.  A project like this above cannot happen without great people like Linda and Kelly being so generous with their work.  Their graciousness is another reason of why Linfield football is tremendous. 

Again, a major thank you to Chris Miles and CMDesign for the fantastic wallpaper. If you're looking for a graphic artist to help with an ad campaign, creating brand imaging, or even a slick T-Shirt, Chris is the right person for the job. Visit CMDesign on the web, go like his facebook page, or drop him a call 541.619.7062.

Harlem Shake...Catdome Style

If you didn't know it by now but the Harlem Shake is the latest internet video meme that's firebombing the world. I don't know who patient zero is but the basic of the video is that the clip typically starts with a static shot of people going about their daily business with one person with a mask/helmet/costume that's getting down. When the beat drops the scene turns from one crazy into everyone (and if not more) getting down.  The video typically only last between 35-45 seconds and that's part of the charm.  15 seconds of build up, go bonkers, done.

Current Linfield Student Body President, Nic Miles, wasn't going to let the shake go by without Linfield getting their say so he quickly put together a group of 'Cats together over at the HP apartments to get their Harlem Shake on. I do believe there are a number of current Wildcat football players in the mix including our helmet wearing truffle shuffling lead. Get work 'Cats!

Throwback Thursday: The goal post goes down!

It's Throwback Thursday on the ADvantage and I have a personal favorite to share today. We all know that Linfield holds the College Football All-Division record for consecutive winning seasons. Linfield currently stands with 57 years in-a-row with more wins than losses. But in 1998, the 'Cats went into that season tied with Harvard and Notre Dame at 42 seasons a piece.

Linfield started off the 1998 season at 4-0 but doing so by having to mount comebacks in all four of the 'Cats wins. Willamette came into the 'Catdome that season at 4-1 and looking not to be on the other side of history. It was a tight game the whole way with Willamette taking a 19-14 lead off of two late field goals. It looked like Linfield would have to wait a little longer to clinch year number 43.

Linfield took the ball on their own 15-yard line with 5:30 left in the game and quarterback Brian Higgins engineered an 85-yard touchdown drive that was capped with a 3-yard TD strike to Nick Forsey with 47 seconds left in the game.

Willamette still had a chance to pull it out as they hit two big passes (Wildcat11 missed a point-blank sack (still ticked about it)) to set up a 50-yard game winning field goal attempt. The kick fell well short and the 'Catdome went CRAZY. The students tore down the south end zone goal post and marched that bad boy out to midfield for one of the coolest football moments I've ever been a part of.  The students took the goal post out on campus and I believe the goal post made it to a backyard of a house on Cleveland Ave that night.

You can check out the drive on catdomealumni.com. This was in my early stages of video making so please excuse the production values.

Code Violation

There are just some things on a football field that should be off limits.  One of those is going for the "area".  A Willamette DT wasn't happy in getting dumped on this Linfield TD run and gives Linfield's Drew Wert a slapping "cup check".  Come on man.

Linfield football IS family

Born and raised 'Catdome.

A lot of football programs talk about being a "family" but few have as deep of a family connection as Linfield.  The Oregonian ran a story this past season on the current 9 players on Linfield's 2012 roster who have fathers that were Linfield athletes. 

"I wanted to be a part of something that was bigger than myself," (All-American Offensive Guard) Drew Wert said. "My dad was just happy to watch me play football anywhere. But I think he does take a little pride that I've had a pretty successful career at Linfield." 

Drew is right...being a member of Linfield football is deciding to take part in something bigger, to lock arms and become part of a family that continues to strive for excellence each season.  What drove this aspect home for me this past weekend is when Todd MacClanthan (1988) posted up this photo of himself on Facebook during the 1988 season holding his 4 month old son, Michael.  Fast forward 19 years later and Todd's son is wearing his number and is a wrecking ball for the 'Cats defensive line.  I cannot imagine the amount of pride Todd must feel in seeing his son playing the 'Catdome.

This photo is truly a great visual on how deep rooted Linfield Football is when it comes to family.

Throwback Thursday: Coach Rombach

Coach Rombach brought it every Saturday...and still does.

Throwback Thursday is primary a Twitter theme you'll see when people post up pictures from their past as "throwbacks". Since today is a Thursday, I figured we should have our own Throwback Thursday with the Linfield coaching staff. The great majority of the staff are former Linfield football players. The men on this staff have a deep and connected understanding what it's like to be a Linfield football student-athlete.  These coaches know what they need to do in order to arm the players in their charge with the tools to be success on and off the field.

Coach Phil Rombach is a great man. He was an intense competitor on the field and you could count on Coach Rombach to be the most prepared player every Saturday. That hasn't changed, as Coach Rombach is just as intense and prepared as a coach for the 'Cats. Game Face!

Circle Up!

One thing that I love about Linfield football is there is no need for silly or lame choreographed pre-game warmup routines.  Just circle up and get ready to win.  Go 'Cats!

Audio golden nugget - Linfield at CLU

So Wildcat11 was working on cleaning up his 2012 files when I found this audio clip from Linfield's 33-30 last second victory at California Lutheran. What a classic. In CLU's shiny new soccer/football stadium they have the visiting radio broadcast out in the stands calling the action. When you put the visitor radio call into the home crowd you're just asking for knuckleheads to "audiobomb" the broadcast. Enter exhibit "A" from above.

With Linfield's Josh Kay hitting the game winning field goal with only seconds left a CLU fan let Linfield's play-by-play man Bill Johnson and the Linfield Faithful have it with his reasoning on why Linfield walked out of town with the win. Bill was a total pro and didn't flinch or respond to the clown as you could hear his lip dragging in utter disappointment as he kept stepping on Bill's call.

The fun beings at the 20 second mark. Go 'Cats!

Linfield's Brynnan Hyland up for Oregon Small College male athlete of the year.

Photo Courtesy of Linda MacClanathan

Linfield 1^st team All-American (D3football.com & AFCA) Defensive End, Brynnan Hyland is up for one of the state of Oregon’s highest honors in being named a finalist for the Ad Rutschman Small College Athleteof the Year Award (male).  The award is part of the now 61st Oregon Sports Award held at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton.

Brynnan finished is 2012 season with a NCAA Division III high 19 sacks for 105 yards lost and 20.5 tackles for loss to go along with his 43 tackles on the year.  Hyland's 19 sacks brought his Linfield career total to 32 which is second all-time in Linfield history and only six behind Jim Mayo's 38 career sacks (1977-79).  Brynnan’s dominate contribution helped Linfield’s defense led division III in team sacks (64) and tackles for loss (129) as the ‘Cats stormed onto an 11-1 season that culminated with Linfield reaching the Elite 8 of the NCAA football playoffs.  

This is far from Linfield football’s first appearance at the Oregon Sports Award as five other Linfield Wildcats have brought home the award: David Russell (Running Back – 2002), Tyler Matthews (QB – 2003), Brett Elliott (QB – 2004 & 2005), Aaron Boehme (QB – 2009) and other ‘Cats have been named finalists: Drew Fisher (Safety – 2011) and Eric Hedin (DE-2010).

Along with the players, Coach Ad Rutchman has been named the state of Oregon’s Sportsperson of the Year 4 different times (Slats Gill Award) during his legendary career in 1982, 1984, 1986, and 1991.  

Hyland wraps up on one of his NCAA leading 19 sacks vs Puget Sound.

Linfield football has also been named Oregon’s Team of the Year (George Pasero Award) in 2004, 2003, 1986, 1984, and 1982.  Linfield Football is the only small college football program in the state of Oregon to win the team award and has captured the award the most out of any other team/program in the history of the award (University of Oregon Football – 4, Portland State Volleyball – 4).

Also a shout-out to Linfield softball legend Staci Doucette who is up for the Ad Rutschman Small College Athlete of the Year award (female) for the 2^nd year in a row.  Staci won the award in 2011 after setting every hitting softball record you could imagine.  Linfield Defensive Coordinator, Jackson Vaughan, is also the head softball coach and has built a softball mega-power in capturing multiple National Titles and Softball World Series appearances.