Monday, February 28, 2011

The 2011 Video Season has now started!


Yeah, it's not the start of football season but for Linfield football fans it's the start of something to help drag you through the spring and summer months as we build towards another season under the 'Catdome. Today is the kickoff the our now annual video season where each and every Monday, until the start of fall camp, Catdomealumni.com will be doing our best to post up a new video up on the mothership.

For the 4th year in a row we kick off the season with the 'Cats Video Board - Team introduction clip that ran before the 'Cats hit the field at each and every home game this past season. We're pretty proud of the 2010 effort and think that we've improved this intro clip each year out and on the page there are easy hotlinks to our previous efforts (2007, 2008, and 2009).

Along with new videos we also spiff up the place with some new signage as we roll out new banners for ADvantage 'Catdome and our 2011 Billboard (See Photo above). This year's Billboard we're featuring our standout group of senior defensive backs.
Linfield Professor and Photographer Brad Thompson donated the photos of Strong Safety #33 Kala'e Parish, Rover #9 Kole Kriger, and Corner #5 Taylor Skore while your Linfield S.I.D Kelly Bird donated the stills of Free Safety #4 Drew Fisher (2009 PLU Photo Gallery), Corner #33 Christian Hanna (2009 UST Photo Gallery), and Corner #6 Nate Dixon (2008 SOU Photo Gallery). Thank you to both Brad and Kelly for letting WC11 use those stills to help create the billboard and be sure to check out their work and purchase some of their great work for yourself, friends, or family.

This is our 4th Billboard to "hang" in various locations around the Portland Metro area. The 2011 Billboard when "up" yesterday in downtown Portland so if you're around P-Town you may see it around. Check out our Archive Billboards from the previous 3 years. 2010 Billboard, 2009 Billboard, 2008 Billboard.

Along with our new Billboard we have three new banners for ADvantage 'Catdome to rotate.




Once again, Brad Thompson donated the photos of the three 'Cats above. Running Back #30 Aaron Williams, WR #12 Deidre Wiersma, and Corner #6 Nate Dixon will top off the blog for the 2011 season.

Keep spreading the work/sending links out about 'Catdomealumni.com and blog. The site keeps growing each year and we hope to do the same in 2011. Catdome!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

2005 Linfield vs 2009 Linfield: Who do you got?


It's a fantasy question that comes up with any fan of their particular team: "Could this year's team beat that year's team?"  It's a fun question and you have all seen ESPN run specails facing off past years Super Bowl winners off against each other.  Could the 80's 49ers take out the 70's Steelers (Answer: Yes) and for fans of YOUR Linfield Wildcats that question has come up over the past few seasons about the great Linfield teams of the past decade.  Obviously the 2004 Linfield National Championship team stands alone but there are a number of squads that were "this close" to breaking though the Salem, Va. to play for it all.  

Asking WC11 to chose between these teams is a Sophie's Choice moment and honestly I couldn't say who would win between 2002, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010.  They were each great teams in their own regards and honestly I don't want to put up with the grief from various 'Cat players asking me how come I'm dogging out this or that year's team.

HOWEVER, one former Linfield Wildcat dropped me a line out of the blue with probably the most detailed breakdown you'll ever read that pits the 2005 Linfield Wildcat team vs the 2009 'Cats.  1993 Linfield Graduate and 3 time football letter-winner Chris Ellis penned the epic below that examines position group by position group, intangibles of each team, signatures wins, and comes up with his conclusion on who would win a showdown at the 'Catdome between two great Linfield squads.  Just a fun and great ready by Chris and I can't thank him enough for sending this in to WC11 so I could share this with the rest of you.  

So how do you have in this game?
-----------------------------
The 2005 Linfield Wildcats lost a heartbreaker to the University of Wisconsin Whitewater in the national quarterfinals. The game featured an explosion of offense for both times, countless lead changes, and the feeling that neither team really lost the game. The 2009 Linfield Wildcats took a lead into the fourth quarter against the University of Wisconsin Whitewater in the national semifinals, but again fell just short. Both UWW teams went on to play in the national title game, with the 2009 team winning it all.

The two teams took different paths to get there, but the bottom line is that both were among Linfield’s finest teams. Sure, the same arguments could be made for the 2000 squad and (depending on how far back we go) the 1992 team, but given their similar ultimate fates (losing to the UWW machine late in the playoffs) and their relative closeness chronologically, their distinct offensive styles, and the turned-over roster, it’s hard not to wonder ‘what if’ the 2005 Wildcats played the 2009 Wildcats.

Clearly, this game would have to be played in the CatDome. This would have to be a December game, when both teams have a season’s worth of experience, mojo, momentum, and playoff desperation built up. Neither team would be allowed to wear all purple.

So without further fanfare, let’s break this thing down, unit-by-unit…

DEFENSE

Defensive tackles: Greenberg/Ketler vs. Nishizaki/Steele

-Greenberg and Ketler had started together on the 2004 championship team and were coming off all-conference seasons. Steele was a freshman and Nishizaki was a returning starter. Greenberg and Ketler were a much more important to the 2005 team’s pass rush than Nishizaki and Steele were to the 2009 team’s pass rush. They had more tackles for loss than Nishizaki and Steele did. Teams almost always tried to keep Linfield’s high-scoring passing attack on the sidelines by running the ball and bleeding the clock. It didn’t work. Greenberg and Ketler are two major reasons why. ADVANTAGE, 2005

Defensive ends: Tom/Soo vs. Estrada/Hedin

-Tom was a returning starter, and Soo got a lot of starts in 2004 due to Kelly Bertrand’s injury. While Estrada had begun 2008 as a starter, he had not been able to finish the season. Hedin was a completely different player at the end of 2009 than he was in the beginning, but the talent was there, and as the season neared its end he became a TFL machine. While Soo and Tom were solid performers, they couldn’t match the raw statistics and penchant for game-changing plays that 2009 ends brought. ADVANTAGE, 2009

Linebackers: Olson/Caffal/Rodgers/Rombach vs. Jackson/Tkachuk/Partlow

-Probably the toughest position to call. Both staffs were absolutely loaded with talent, smarts and experience. Both units had depth throughout. Olson was the best of the bunch individually, but Jackson could line up anywhere, and had a knack for negative plays that got his team fired up and sucked the life out of the opposition. Tkachuk was never out of position and was as reliable as night following day. Both sets had depth and versatility. Either could defend the run or pass with equal aplomb. ADVANTAGE: EVEN

Corners: Boock/Armstrong/Hazenberg vs. Dixon/Comfort/Skore

-To truly understand how amazing a football player Brandon Hazenberg was, consider that he tied for the 2005 team lead in interceptions despite starting only three games at corner AND starting every game at wide receiver. Dixon, Comfort, and Skore had good years by any measure, but their best years were still ahead of them. ADVANTAGE, 2005

Safety: Mehl vs. Fisher

-No offense to Brian Mehl, but in Drew Fisher we’re talking about the best Linfield Safety since Ray Lions and one of the best handful ever. ADVANTAGE, 2009

Rover: Foreman vs Krieger

-No need to look past the stats here. Krieger had more tackles, tackles for loss, sacks, and interceptions. Foreman forced and recovered more fumbles. ADVANTAGE, 2009

Monster: Ort vs. Parish

-You know those hits where the entire crowd lets out an “Ooooh…” and feels a little bit uncomfortable for a few plays afterward? Parish delivered a handful of those. Ort delivered one or two of those just about every game. And he had that First Team All America thing going for him, too. ADVANTAGE, 2005

OFFENSE:

Center: Donaldson vs. Otineru

-Two capable, veteran anchors of two very good offensive lines. Two different offensive styles. The nod goes to the two-time academic All-American. ADVANTAGE, 2005

Guards: Holan/Holtgraves vs. Millenbach/Barnes

-Linfield’s 2005 offensive line doesn’t get the props it should because the team lived and died by the pass. When we think of offensive linemen, we tend to think of road-graders opening holes for running backs. Nobody did that better than the brace of guards that boasted two first team All-NWC awards and a first team All-America nod. ADVANTAGE, 2009

Tackles: Lucey/O’Neal vs Heston/Buck

-The players have to play within the system. In 2005 the system was to let Brett Elliott sling the ball all over the yard. To do this, he needed protection, not road-graders. Defenses knew that they were going to see pass, pass, pass in 2005, and they still couldn’t get pressure on Elliott. A lot of the credit goes to the tackles. Heston and Buck were solid players, but Heston’s All-American days were in the future. Lucey’s were now. ADVANTAGE, 2005

Tight ends: Ackerman vs. Sells

-The 2005 team didn’t usually start a tight end, and when he played he wasn’t on the receiving end of many passes. The 2009 team used Sells primarily as a blocker in its high-octane running attack, a role in which he excelled. ADVANTAGE, 2009

Wide Receivers: Allen/Hazenberg/McKechnie vs. Patterson/Slezak/Cederberg

-If there was ever a clone of Trevor Patterson on other Linfield teams, it was Brad McKechnie-good but not great size, good but not great speed, excellent hands, wears #29, and able to light a fire under the team when needed. Slezak and Cederberg were certainly solid contributors, but Trevor Patterson was clearly the best wide receiver on Linfield’s 2009 team, and it wasn’t really close. Brad McKechnie, who was Patterson’s equal, was the third best receiver on the 2005 team, and that wasn’t really close either. Teams had literally no answer for Casey Allen and precious few answers for Brandon Hazenberg. No disrespect to the 2009 guards or either group of linebackers, but 2005’s wide receivers were the most dominant position group of either team. This ranking is not a matter of the 2009 group of receivers falling short; it is an honest assessment of just how unstoppable Allen, Hazenberg and McKechnie were. ADVANTAGE, 2005

Running backs: Kotler/Cruickshank vs. Williams/Lamson

-If the 2005 Linfield team had an Achilles heel, it was the near-total dearth of any ground game. In fact, in the monumental quarterfinal home loss to UWW, Linfield would have been able to milk the clock and win the game had it been able to pick up a single first down in the fourth quarter deep in their own territory. Both Linfield and UWW knew Linfield couldn’t run for the first down, and three incompletions and a punt later UWW was in business in Linfield territory, where they eventually won the game. The 2009 team found ways to run the ball at teams, and finished with a decisive 825 yard cushion over the 2005 team. Put another way, the 2009 team could have lost all of the yards gained by its All-NWC leading rusher, Aaron Williams, and still been within 27 yards of the 2005 team’s total. Ouch. ADVANTAGE, 2009

Quarterbacks: Elliott vs. Boehme

-There is a short list of quarterbacks in Linfield’s history who can legitimately claim to clearly be Aaron Boehme’s superior. A very short list. One of them is indisputably Brett Elliott, a two-time first team All-American, a Gagliardi Trophy winner, and holder of countless records. We tend to forget how seldom Elliott threw an incomplete pass or, God forbid, an interception. Each one was a surprise. It seems like his receivers never had to make ‘tough’ catches unless he was purposely throwing to a pylon or a sideline out of necessity. Boehme was a serious dual threat and a significant asset to the running game who just happened to throw a great ball. Still, a tough second place finish for Boehme. ADVANTAGE, 2005

SPECIAL TEAMS:

Punters: Languemi vs. George/Repp

-Season punting yardage average for 2005: 33 yards
-Season punting yardage average for 2009: 33 yards
Screw it. You aren’t here to read about punters. ADVANTAGE: EVEN

Kickers: Dailey vs. Kunioka

-Neither kicker was particularly outstanding on extra points and field goals, though Dailey had more range. However, let’s not forget ulcers that the 2009 team gave fans by surrendering excellent starting field position after short kickoffs. ADVANTAGE, 2005

Punt returners: Hazenberg vs. Sequeria

-PJ’s stats compare surprisingly well with Hazenberg’s, but Hazenberg gets the nod if for no other reasons than that he handled almost three times as many punts, and was a reigning All-American returner. ADVANTAGE, 2005

Kick Returners: McKechnie/Cruickshank/Hazenberg vs. Abbott/Skore/Patterson

-Neither unit set the world on fire with their returns. For lack of a more compelling statistic, we’ll award this one to the unit with fewer fumbles. ADVANTAGE, 2009

INTANGIBLES:

-The 2005 team was royalty. The core of the 2004 national title team was in place, and there was never any real doubt that they were the best team in the country. They had a passing game that simply could not be compared to anyone else’s. They had, in throwing just about any pass at all to Casey Allen, a “Cap Boso from Tecmo Bowl” play for goal line situations. They had hard-hitting veterans on defense whose style of play was ideally suited to playing with the big leads that they usually had. But lost in the afterglow of the 2004 national title and the return of Elliott and 3 of his top 4 receivers was the significance of the loss of several key pieces (O.J. Gulley, Eric Hillison, Ty Smith, James Wilson, Thomas Ford, Riley Jenkins, Kiki Sagoian).

-The 2009 team had momentum. From the season’s outset, they were considered ‘just another pretty good’ team, and were not even supposed to win the NWC. 2009’s seniors had endured an un-Linfield-like three year playoff drought and back-to-back-to-back 6-3 seasons. Many of their best players (Boehme, Lamson, Patterson, Estrada, Nishizaki) had missed big chunks of seasons with injuries. While there was not really any concern that The Streak was in jeopardy, there was not any inkling of just how good this team really was. There was a sense that the returning leaders, especially the linebackers, were really special. There was a belief that Boehme would be outstanding, but we had so little real-time game experience to draw on that we didn’t really know. The team seemed to feed off of the uncertainty and frustration of previous seasons and use it as fuel to achieve.

-Ultimately, the 2005 team was a team slightly on the decline. Ever so slightly. But their talent, particularly on offense, was truly phenomenal. The 2009 team was hungry, and poised for a season to take what they had been denied in previous seasons, and was undoubtedly a team on the rise. This gives 2009 an edge in momentum, and tips the scales in its favor. SLIGHT ADVANTAGE, 2009

COACHING:

-Most of the staff was the same for both teams. The 2005 team was rich in returning starters, especially on offense. They carried the weight of high expectations, and the burden of every game being every opponent’s ‘super bowl’. We must not underestimate the difficulty of having a largely one-dimensional offense that opponents STILL cannot stop. The 2005 coaching staff made this work. There were very few tactical mistakes made, and practically none repeated. The 2009 team had to find itself in a lot of ways. The defensive backs were a young group that really needed to come together (and did) in order for the team to win. The 2009 team’s offensive play calling was a little too predictable at times, and it hurt them occasionally. 2005’s was too, but they simply had such talent at quarterback and receiver that it didn’t matter. 2005’s defense thrived on playing from ahead and keeping desperate offenses at an arm’s length. 2009’s defense lived and died by the big play. It is easy to forget how effortlessly Mary Hardin Baylor ran the ball at the 2009 defense in the playoffs before the defense started forcing turnovers and returning them for scores, and how Concordia Moorehead couldn’t take Linfield down despite 2005’s offense ‘only’ scoring 28 points.

SIGNATURE REGULAR SEASON GAME:

-Given recent history, the fact that it was on the road and the fact that is was a chance to make history, the 2005 team’s victory at Southern Oregon was a big one. This was the only regular-season game where there was really much hand-wringing about the outcome leading up to the game. There didn’t need to be. An enduring memory from this game was the Wildcat crowd imploring the coach to go for the 2-point conversion to set Linfield’s score at 50 points instead of kicking the PAT to make it 49 so that the score could match the new number of consecutive winning seasons that the victory assured the program.

-The 2009 team went into Willamette knowing that the road to the NWC title and a ticket to the playoffs went through Salem. Willamette had enjoyed a brief stay atop the NWC, having beaten Linfield barely in 2007 and badly in 2008. From the outset in this game, Linfield took control and never let it go. The final score showed only a three-point score differential, but in reality it was a ten-point game much of the way until Willamette scored a touchdown with just seconds left. The enduring, and symbolic, image from this game was Aaron Boehme trucking Bubba Lemon. Linfield was now indisputably in charge of the game and the NWC once again. ADVANTAGE, 2009

SIGNATURE PLAYOFF GAME:

-In 2004, Linfield had smoked Occidental 56-27 in the first round of the playoffs. You’d think that Oxy would have had that fresh in their minds, and that they would have made some adjustments. They might have. If they did, it didn’t matter. In the 2005 rematch, Linfield jumped out to a 35-7 halftime lead, never looked back, and won 63-21. This game served notice that if anyone thought Linfield had lost a step from 2004, they needed to think again. The 2009 Linfield team, coming as it had from relatively humble roots, hadn’t really played a team believed to be a national power since beating Hardin Simmons in the season opener. When Mary Hardin Baylor came to town, many in the D3 community thought that the Crusaders ground game would grind up the ‘Cats. Linfield’s defense saved the day, forcing 7(!) turnovers, 3(!) of which were returned for scores in a 53-21 beatdown. The 2005 team did what everyone thought it could do, and did it in typically impressive fashion. The 2009 team did what many thought it could not do. SLIGHT ADVANTAGE, 2009


THE GAME:

-There are so many plausible ways for this game to go...I can envision 2009’s running attack getting it going against the 2005 defense, keeping the clock ticking and keeping Elliott on the sidelines. I can envision 2005’s aerial show jumping out to a quick lead and forcing Boehme to pass to keep up.

A lot of this comes down to matchups. 2009’s strength, its interior O-line and running backs, would have to get it going against a couple of outstanding tackles and an All-American tackling machine at linebacker. Remember, UWW’s Justin Beaver ran for almost 200 yards against 2005’s defense. If Williams, Lamson, Boehme, et al could approximate this, then the game could be really interesting.

2005’s receivers would have to get open against an All-American safety and Elliott would have to hope that Andrew O’Neal could keep an on-the-rise Eric Hedin out of his grill. Remember, Willamette’s Brian Schoettgen, a tall, athletic receiver, gave 2009’s team fits. And Schoettgen was at best a very poor man’s Casey Allen. And Schoettgen never had Brett Elliott throwing him the ball.

Either of these matchup scenarios, or countless others, could swing the game into one team’s favor. Josh Ort gets off a big hit and knocks Trevor Patterson out of the game, 2009’s passing game is severely limited. One big Jaymin Jackson sack/strip could cause a 14-point swing in 2009’s favor.

So here’s what we KNOW:

-The 2005 team will not be able to run the ball effectively. Kotler and Cruickshank are not going to morph into Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen.

-The 2009 team will give up short fields every time it scores. Kunioka is not going to start putting kickoffs through the end zone.

-Elliott and 2005’s receivers will get their yards and their points. They averaged 48 points, 384 yards, and 4.5 touchdowns per game.

-2009’s defense will, at some point, come up with at least one big, game-changing play. Their biggest playmakers thrived when the opposition threw the ball. This opponent will oblige.

In the end, the 2005 team’s capacity for the big play on offense and its lethal red zone passing game will be just too much for the 2009 team to overcome. 2009 keeps it close and plays their hearts out, but comes up short.

FINAL:

2005 WILDCATS: 42 
2009 WILDCATS: 31

-Written by 1993 Graduate and Football letter winner Chris Ellis (Glide, Oregon)

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Nishizaki and Boehme will blitz Germany as they continue to play ball.


As reported by Linfield Sports, two seniors off of the ‘Cats 2010 roster will continue their football careers overseas playing for the Schwabisch Hall Unicorns (UNICORNS!!!!) in German Football League.

2nd Team All-American quarterback Aaron Boehme and All-West Region Defensive Tackle Paul Nishizaki will be teamed up once again as they will take on the best in Germany over a 15 game schedule vs the other 14 teams in the GFL. Both Nishizaki and Boehme will be headed out in March to get settled in before the start of the 2011 GFL season.

How did all of this start? “(Unicorn) Coach Gehrke contacted (Linfield D.C.) Coach Vaughan about me. I contacted him and it was pretty easy from there. I always wanted to travel after college so this was the perfect opportunity for me.” Wrote Nish to Catdomealumni.com. As for Boehme: “They contacted me sometime in December, I had been previously contacted by a team in France, but I didn't see myself fitting there. Then Schwabisch Hall called and I entertained the idea for a while before finally verbally committing a few weeks ago.”

Both Nish and Boehme are ready to face off versus a stiff level of competition, as the GFL is considered one of, if not, the best Europe football league on the continent along with the European Football League. It should be a great measuring stick as Nishizaki will battle against offensive lines with tremendous size but as Nish stated “Coming from Linfield we have played some good offensive lines, Western, Whitewater, Hardin-Simmons, St. Thomas, etc. I am just excited to see how I will stack up.” I think we have little doubt that both Nish and Boehme are going to be just fine and should excel on the field.



One question that popped in my mind immediately is the perceived language barrier, especially for an American Quarterback. As Boehme explained it will not be as large of a hurdle as one might think “My coach told me that about maybe 60% of the German players speak very good English, about 30% speak decent English and maybe 10% have a hard time. So for the most part it won't be too great of a challenge to communicate, and almost all of the terminology for the offense is in English. I will also hopefully learn a few things of German before I leave to make things easier!”

Probably the most appealing aspect of playing in the GFL for both our Wildcats is the opportunities to not only get to continue to play ball but the chance to see and live in another part of the world. “We have a break in September so hopefully Boehme and I can travel around for a bit. I am committed to playing football for the Schwaebisch Hall Unicorns and if we have time to travel around our busy football schedule then I will take advantage of it.” Boehme echoed that thought “Because the team is somewhat of a semi-pro team for those players from Germany, I will have a lot of time to see some sights! There are two practices a week and games on Saturdays as all of the players have jobs during the rest of the week, for instance, my coach is a teacher. So Nish and I will be hopefully traveling to different countries and seeing much of the very different European culture!” Not a bad deal at all.



Other ‘Cats Continue the Quest

While Boehme and Nish have their tickets punched for their next football seasons that doesn’t mean they are the only ‘Cats looking to land on a professional roster this upcoming year.

-1st Team All-NWC Wide Receiver Chris Slezak has been in contact with Arena Teams in Washington and Colorado and hopes to play after graduation this spring.

-2nd Team All-American Offensive Tackle, Aaron Heston, will be working out at the Portland State Pro Day on March 9th in hopes to catch a NFL/CFL scouts eye.

-1st team All-NWC running back, Simon Lamson, is currently in contact with various European teams in hopes to landing on a roster for this summer.

-1st team All-American Defensive End Eric Hedin is also trying to land in a NFL camp this summer.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Video Season is two weeks away....



Catdomealumni.com is just two weeks away from kicking off our annual video season where each Monday we'll post up a new video clip for the week. We'll start off the season with the 2010 Team Scoreboard Intro clip and roll though the 2010 highlight video. As we get deeper into the spring well have a special "numbers" month that I think you'll all enjoy and hit spring football and our the college's annual summer high school football camp. To wrap it up we'll have your 2011 Off/Def preview and next thing you know it will be the start of fall camp! [Bart Scott] CAN'T WAIT! [/Bart Scott]

To whet your appetite the video above is the project WC11 put together for Linfield Sports that highlights the 'Cats 2010 season. Hope that gets your week started right and be sure to spread the word about 'Catdomealumni.com! You make all the difference!

Monday, February 7, 2011

These 'Cats can play



WC11 talks a lot about what a great group of people make up the Linfield football roster year in and year out. I'm not just blowing smoke to make the program look better but the staff does a great job in bringing in student-athletes that are well rounded and are more than just "football players".

Nothing exemplifies this better than the musical talent that a number of guys on the roster possess and display around the Linfield campus on a regular basis. Wildcat11 wanted to shine a light on the Linfield band Na Hemo and the acoustic trio of Boehme-Testa-Inns and find out how they came together and what roll music plays on the Linfield Football Team.

I asked Linfield Senior Offensive Guard #75 Cheyne Kaninau about how Na Hemo got their start: "It all started about two years ago or so around the first week of football camp my freshman year when me and Kala'e Parish (#33 Junior, Monster Back) started messing around and playing some music in our quad in Miller Hall. Then one weekend we went over to a friends house and started jammin' a lot with Chris Kamaka and Sparky Gonzalez (#93 Defensive End) and later our other friend Logan Freitas. We started doing that pretty much every weekend we could. Then came a crazy idea that we try and perform as a "band" at a CatCab during the spring semester. Ever since then we were hooked on performing as a group.

As of now our band consists of me on the bass, Chris Kamaka on guitar, Jeremy Moll on drums, Logan Freitas on keyboard and vocals, Kala'e parish on guitar and vocals, and Sparky Gonzales on vocals. As of last year we played around campus a lot and also started playing a Qube Lounge in downtown Portland right before the summer."

Cheyne told me that Na Hemo is will be hitting a few other clubs in Portland as well as College Luau's at Concordia (Portland), Pepperdine, Portland State, and trying to get on board with the Luau at Pacific University as well.

As for the name "Na Hemo" and what it means? "The word 'Na' in Hawaiian is a pluralizer or an adjective meaning thing or person. A definition of hemo; to be loose. It's fitting because it describes our lifestyle. We're pretty laid back people and just like to have fun and I believe it shows on stage with our energy and enjoyment we get out of every performance."

As for the Boehme-Testa-Inns trio, Linfield Sophomore Quarterback Mickey Inns explained how these three 'Cats hooked up: "We started playing this year after Boehme (Linfield QB Aaron Boehme) told me that James Testa (#15, Junior Rover Back) and he were thinking of doing a CatCab. For the first show we practiced once a week for a few months, usually on Sundays. For the second show over Jan term we had much less time so we practiced quit a bit more over that month."



As you can tell from the video above that you wouldn't know they didn't have as much time to practice as they sounded pretty dang good.

People love good music and for the 'Cats it plays a big role in the togetherness of the team. "The team listens to music before and after every game and practice so we get to hear a lot of different styles. For me, I like hearing all the reggae music because i really enjoy it but have never really listened to it or would know where to find good artists." Wrote Mickey. "I think that the Linfield program supports other interests while keeping us focused on football, but it allows us to keep doing the other things we love like music."

Cheyne echos that thought "I do believe that music plays a huge role on our football team. To me music is an expression and gets people moving. Whenever you step into the locker room be it before practice, after practice, during doubles, before, after, and during half times of games, and that stereo is playing a good jam it gets the whole team together and shows our love for music.

I think that music is a common denominator of enjoyment and expression for all people. I think there are a lot of people on the team with outside interests because that's just how we are. being in a program like Linfield Football it's more than just a team its more like a family and with that whole atmosphere we don't think of ourselves as only strictly football players like some programs might, but we also think of ourselves as people, musicians, dancers, video gamers, students, and family, which sparks each individuals interest in other areas besides just football."

Wildcat11 couldn't have said it better myself.