2017 Game 1 Preview: Linfield (0-0) at Chapman (0-0)

Hello Football Season!

The new football season is finally upon us. And the word “new” is going to be used often in the early 2017 season for this Linfield Wildcat Football program, as a plethora of new faces will be making their impact upon this football team.  Departing from the ‘Cats from 2016 is an outstanding group of seniors led by All-American quarterback Sam Riddle.  The 2016 senior class had their fingerprints all over the ‘Cats as Linfield’s offense leaned on seniors to produce at receiver and running back, and the defensive secondary was a standout senior class that was in complete sync with each other.  Not to be forgotten was a great group of specialists that departed the program as well.  With all that talent gone, it created a vacuum that would seem pretty bleak for the prospects of this year’s team, but while the ‘Cats are lacking in experience in some key positions, Linfield will not be lacking in talent and possibilities.

Yes, this 2017 roster is teeming with talent.  In attending practices over the past weeks, it’s evident that Linfield has talent up and down the roster and it’s going to be a matter of how quickly it will take for these players to solidify as a unit to fully realize just how good they could be. However, the ‘Cats can’t wait very long to come together as the front end of the schedule is loaded with outstanding competition. If it takes a prolonged period of time for both sides of the ball to find themselves, the ‘Cats long terms goals of the 2017 season could be up in smoke before we’re even out of September.

For Linfield fans there are some known quantities to hang your hat upon as we enter the season. Leading the charge for Linfield is an outstanding trio of Senior Linebackers.  LB’s Jason Farlow, Jake Reimer, and Mitchell Kekel have been tearing it up since their sophomore years and are the centerpiece of the 2017 defense.  It’s a group of LB’s that’s very comparable to the 2013 trio led by Dominique Forrest in that all three bring different elements to the defense that make them top flight defenders in the conference. Junior Patrick Pipiton is also going to be a player for Linfield at LB as well as Senior Ishmael MacNiel.

Standing in front of linebackers is a stout defensive line group led by defense tackle Zach Grate and defense end Marcus McGovern.  This is shaping up to be a good defensive line for the ‘Cats.  Grate is a two time 1^st team All-NWC defensive tackle and has come into camp in the best shape of career. McGovern is also an all-conference performer that has come into his own as a team leader and playmaker along the line. Accompanying Grate at the DT spots are Chris Stinchcomb, Jake Handran, Havili Eteaki, Dakota Church, Caden Wakefield.  Paring up with McGovern are Asa Schwartz, Tony Kraus, Sam Fults, and Devan Illingworth. Asa Schwartz returns to the program this year after missing the 2016 season due to injury and should be an excellent boost to the defense. Asa was a starter his first two years in the program (2014, ’15) and will add excellent athleticism to the defensive line.

So, needless to say the Wildcat defensive front seven is looking promising. It’s a great combination athleticism, size, physicality, and speed. The biggest unknown on the defensive side of the ball is the defensive backfield. Gone are five multiple year starters that were the back bone the past two defenses. This is where the opposition is going to test the ‘Cats.  However, don’t get panicky Wildcat fans. The Linfield secondary does return players that have seen starts, extensive time, and guys that just need the opportunity to shine.  The most likely starters at the two safeties spots are Junior Duke Mackle and Senior Nate Sample.  Mackle is a stud and has a chance to blossom onto the scene as an all-conference talent.  Nate Sample is what you like at Linfield’s Monster back slot in terms of a physical hard hitting presence.  Nate played very well last year when he was given his opportunities and I’m expecting him to have a great senior season.

Cory Stowell had multiple starts last season at corner and could be a breakout defender in the NWC. There will be a host of other names at the other corner position you should get familiar with now: Andrew Schweiterman, Isaac Williams, Anthony Guttadauro, and Marquis Perrilliat to name a few.  You could see a number of combinations of these players at corner for Linfield.

Over at Rover back, Senior Wade Ransom and Sophomore Niles Tuihalangingie are going to quickly become fan favorites of the Linfield faithful. Wade has all the physical tools (6’2”, 210 lbs) and had to battle injuries during his career but has the potential for a great senior season with his length and athleticism. Mark me down as a fan of Niles Tuihalangingie. I love Niles physicality at the point of attack and his willingness to stick his nose in the action. 

Now switching over to the offensive side of the ball, let’s talk about the known quantity of this unit, the offensive line.  Returning are starters Gabe Mojarro, Ryne Fuhrmark, Dakota Smith, and Will Heck is back after suffering a season ending injury in the regular season game vs UMHB.  Joining these four will be Aaron Kokubun, Matt Matteo, Cody Mitchell, and Duncan Mattson. This is a big and experienced group of players that will also be flexible. Mojarro, Heck, and Mitchell can all play center or guard, and Smith and Fuhrmark should both be outstanding offensive tackles for the offense. It’s a great foundation for the staff to build upon.  Adding to the big bodies on the offensive line is the depth and talent at tight end. I cannot remember a time when Linfield had multiple tight ends that should find their way on the field to contribute. Junior Byron Greenlee has started at tight end in 2016 and is a dependable blocker and safety valve. Sophomore Jacob Calo is shaping up to be a work horse and playmaker that saw extensive time his freshman year and should be a major contributor in 2017. The wildcard is sophomore Sione Atuekaho.  Atuekaho is a freaky athlete that has unlimited talent and reminds me of Levi Altringer in terms of mobility. 

At running back, you’re going to see new faces and names toting the rock for Linfield.  Senior Blake Burnett and Sophomore Austin Martins are both going to get opportunities to be a big part of the rotation at RB.  Burnett showed flashes of allusiveness in spot time in 2016 and Martins should offer up a dose of power running.  There are also new comers to the Linfield backfield that will make a splash as early as this Saturday.  Freshman Dawson Ruhl has made an immediate impact in fall camp with a solid grasp of the offense and with his speed. Artimus Johnson is another freshman back that should get opportunities in 2017 as well as transfer Chidubem Noli, and Kela Marshall.  The talent at running back is almost gross in how deep it is and it’s just a matter of seeing who takes their opportunity and run with it (pun intended).

The receiver position for Linfield is another that has a deep pool of talent that is just needing the chance to produce. Sophomore Tyler Torgerson headlines the group as a potential breakout all-nwc performer.  Torg made a number of plays his freshman campaign and has looked sharp this fall. J.D. Lasswell is a junior that the coaching staff is hoping to have a breakout season. Lasswell has outstanding speed and reminds me of a Deidre Wiersma from 2011-12 and that’s a good thing.  Senior Drew Accimus has shown he can be a great 3^rd down option to move the chains and will be again in 2017 as he moves into a starting role. Converted QB Keaton Wood has impressed at receiver with his athletic ability and on ball skills. I think Wood could develop into a big weapon for the ‘Cats. Also keep an eye out for my boy, Cody Oden. Cody has battled so much to get to this season and I believe will make himself be known in 2017 with his shifty route running style.  Again, the freshman class is littered with talent and leading the charge Kyle Kimball who has a chance to be an asset in 2017.

So now let’s get to the question that I’ve received more this past offseason than them all put together, “Hey 11, who’s going to be the starting QB this fall?”.  Honestly, I don’t know who the starter will be but our two candidates are going to be Junior Troy Fowler or newcomer Aiden Wilder. Troy was the backup to Sam Riddle in 2016 and will get his chance to take the wheel of the ‘Cats offense. Troy has a whip of an arm and is fast as hell. His skillset fits perfectly in what’s been asked of Linfield QB’s since the 2009 season and there is no reason for Troy not to flourish in this system. I’m a big fan of Troy’s on and off the field. To me, the job will be his based on his performance will be when the lights are on.  If the offense produces with Troy at the helm, then I think that’s your guy. However, the other QB in the mix is making it hard to land on concert statements.

Aiden Wilder is a newcomer for the fans of Linfield football but has become familiar to the players and staff as a spring transfer.  I really like how Aiden carries himself as a player and person. He commands confidence and has a calmness that’s easy to like.  Along with that, Wilder is talent.  He has a somewhat different skillset from Troy, but it easy to see in watching practice in why the staff is intrigued by either player. It’s going to be one of those situations where Aiden is going to get his chances and if he blows the doors off the staff, he could win the starting job.

IMO, Linfield has a solid 3^rd QB in the depth chart in freshman Wyatt Smith.  I’ve been impressed with Smith this fall.  The young man has an absolute canon and throws an outstanding deep ball. Wyatt is still learning Linfield’s system but it’s not hard to tell that he has a bright future as a Wildcat.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s dedicate a few words to legs. It would be easy to just gloss over the kicking game but special teams is going to be huge for Linfield this season. Sophomore Will Warne has made some big strides in his game over the past year and has impressed the staff with his growth and accuracy during the fall.   The punting duties should fall to the foot of freshman Colton Ramos.  The Mac native has a huge upside as a punter for Linfield over the next four seasons.  Hawaii native and freshman Clifton Oliver will also be a name that will be called in 2017 along with freshman Casey Weaver.

Ok, I think I did a decent job of covering what the 2017 Linfield Wildcats will look like starting this Saturday.  Yes, there are a LOT of changes that happened this off season and that might make most of the fan base uneasy and the rest of the NWC licking their chops. But I’m telling you that if Linfield can somehow navigate this killer start of the season with Chapman, UMHB, and Whitworth and still be in a playoff position afterwards, the best of this Wildcat team will still be to come as this team grows.

I’m not 100% sure yet on what the offensive identity will be for this team. Part of that depends on who emerges at QB and who settles in at the RB/WR spots. What I do know is that this roster is athletic as heck and has speed across the board on both sides of the ball.

Linfield does have questions to answer and have no time for a warm up as Linfield travels down to Orange for another night game at Chapman.  The Panthers have been understated this off-season but you would be a fool if you just chalked up this weekend as an easy win for the ‘Cats.  Chapman is going to be a heck of a first test for Linfield as the Panthers have a stingy defensive front and developed a darn good passing game as the 2016 season moved along.   Both of those aspects play right into the heart of Linfield’s biggest unknowns this season. 

I’m expecting a tight ball game this Saturday. I mean, who knows what Linfield’s offense will do?  They could get blanked or the ‘Cats O could put up 50 points and look unstoppable.  And we’re not going to know until Saturday and I’m excited to see our guys rise to the occasion.

Get To Know A Wildcat

Jacob Calo, Tight End, Sophomore

Hometown; Beaverton, OR  High School: Southridge High

Favorite place to eat in Mac: 1882

Favorite Movie: Remember the Titans

Favorite Music: Hip-Hop/Rap

Favorite show to binge: Friends 

Favorite Book: Shaken by Tim Tebow

Class I look forward to: Economics of Sports 

iPhone or Android: iPhone

Personal Mantra: Make a difference

Social media of choice: Snapchat

A talent most people don't know about: I'm a pretty good dancer

What first inspired you to play football: My older brother Justin

Favorite Coach Smith Saying: "Linfield football today!"

Favorite part of playing at Linfield: The tradition and family atmosphere 

Which Tight End has the best basketball skills: My intramural record would say me

Post Linfield aspirations: Work in a front office of a professional sports team and/or work with kids with cancer

Wildcat11’s Keys To Victory

Zero Panic. You’re going into a hostile environment with a lots of unknowns, so the last thing you want to do is panic if things are choppy at the start of the game.  It may take a possession, a quarter, a half, or three quarters to start figuring it out. You just have to remain calm and on mission the whole time with the understanding that as the adjustments get made, things will start opening up for opportunities for success.  Lean on each other and just do your job.

Defensive backs rise to the challenge. The Panthers do a good job in slinging it and I figure once Chapman gets a good taste of what I think will be a stout rush defense, the Panthers are going to challenge the ‘Cats secondary early and often. Jacob Isabel will be the Panther’s feature receiver and has buckets of speed for QB Ricky Bautista to target.  The Panthers might get some in the air but the ‘Cats can’t give up the easy ones.

Run the dang football. Chapman’s staff feels good about their defensive front seven so it’s going to be a good challenge for the ‘Cats new look rushing attack.  The last thing any Linfield fans wants to see if 50+ passing attempts coming out of the Linfield offense. That probably means we’re a terrible rushing team and I don’t feel like that will be the case in 2017. The greatest gift the Linfield offensive line can give to our new QBs is the gift of a solid rushing game.  That will make life so much easier when it’s time to start putting the ball in the air.

Limit the big mistakes/turnover. These are the games when turning the ball over or making the unforced errors could come back to haunt you. The ‘Cats have to put ball security as a number one priority.  If Chapman out talents us and can beat us straight up then my hats off to them.  But, it would kill me to see Linfield give the Panthers prime field position or give up big plays due to a bad penalty or miscommunication issue. Make them earn it.

Pressure the QB.  This was probably the biggest disappointment from the 2016 defense was the lack of pressure and QB sacks.  In order for this Linfield defense to be effective, they’re going to have to be a group that gets after the quarterback and make him feel very uncomfortable. If Linfield can get hits on and put pressure on Bautista then it will go a long way towards a Linfield victory.

Making the most of your opportunities.  Opportunity is a word that I’ve thrown around often this preview.  That’s for a good reason.  You have a number of guys that are going to get their opportunity to make their mark on Linfield Football. Just remember that Linfield’s success isn’t a given for you to coast on accomplishments of the past. When you get these types of opportunities in life you either kick the door down or get the door slammed in your face. So what are you going to do with it?

Overall.

‘Cats by 7. Yes, I’m excited and fired up for this season to see who steps up to the plate and delivers the goods for the ‘Cats.  For Saturday, I’m expecting the furthest thing from a polished 2017 Linfield product but the ‘Cats have to know they have ZERO margin for error this season if the ‘Cats want to obtain their always lofty goals. This will be a dangerous game for Linfield but I believe that Linfield will find their “voice” on Saturday night and at the end of the game will be singing a tune of victory back to Oregon.