Western Oregon Weekly Football Digest

The Wolves face the Willamette Bearcats Saturday night at McCulloch Stadium. Kick-off is set for 7:00 PM.

Salem-News.com Sports

MONMOUTH - Ready to roll: After nearly four weeks of practice, the 2006 version of Western Oregon football will finally hit the field this Saturday night at McCulloch Stadium in Salem, taking on the Willamette Bearcats. Kick-off is set for 7:00 PM.

Quietly optimistic: The Wolves, under second-year head coach Arne Ferguson, carry a three-game winning streak into 2006. They finished 2005 with victories over Humboldt State, Western Washington and Puget Sound, wrapping up the campaign at 5-6—a four win improvement from 2004 (1-9).

Listen up: If you can’t make it to the Labor Day weekend contest under the lights, you have some listening options.

The game will be broadcast live on KCCS-1220 am, with WOU sports information director Russ Blunck making the call, The Coach Bear Blunck on analysis.

The Western Oregon website will also have the game, at www.wouwolves.com, or you can go directly to KCCS’s site at mykccs.com. (It will work this year, we promise).

In addition, you can listen to the game on your cell phone or your home phone through TEAMLINE, for $5 a game. Just dial (216)-502-3200, and punch in WOU’s code: 9736.

Watch out: Watch the game again on Wolves Replay, courtesy of Capital Community Television, who will broadcast the game. In Monmouth-Independence, tune into channel 17 on your cable provider, while in Salem, channel 22 is your choice. Replay times will be available soon, and will be posted on www.wouwolves.com.

Tickets, please: Reserved tickets at Willamette are $7, general admission is $5 and students are $3. The Bearcat box office number is (503) 370-6420.

Series snapshot: The Wolves and Bearcats have met 27 times, with Willamette holding a slight lead in the series, 14-12-1. The Bearcats stunned the Wolves in their last meeting at McCulloch Stadium, opening the 2004 season with a 38-21 win. But WOU kicked-off the Arne Ferguson era in 2005 with a dominating 35-0 victory, WOU’s first shutout in five seasons. Perhaps the most memorable game in the all-time history between the two schools came in 1997 when they met in the first round of the NAIA playoffs. The Bearcats won a spine-tingling 26-20 overtime verdict, and went from there all the way to the national title game.

Veterans and baby vets: At the end of the 2005 season, WOU had 10 starters in the line-up that were either true freshmen or redshirt freshmen. Those players are all a year older now, and will mix with a group of seven seniors and ten juniors that are penciled into the projected starting line-up. The Wolves return nine players with starting experience on offense, and ten on defense.

Boss man: Much attention will be focused on WOU senior tight end Kevin Boss (6-7, 255), who was a Lindy’s first team pre-season All-American and was a second team choice by the Football Gazette. The Philomath native caught 53 passes last year for 621 yards and eight touchdowns, and has also caught the attention of NFL scouts, who have been making arrangements all summer to watch him in practice or in games this fall. Boss, who has been clocked under 4.6 in the 40, will also line-up at wide receiver from time to time.

Making his Mark: Responsible to get Boss the ball is junior signal caller Mark Thorson (6-6, 230), who started last season and completed a school-record 186 passes. The Sandy native tossed 16 scoring strikes and totaled 1,916 yards through the air. Thorson has very capable back-ups waiting in the wings in Josh Vanlue (6-5, 240), a redshirt freshman who began his career at Kentucky, and brother Ryan Thorson (6-6, 230), a senior who was WOU’s starting quarterback in 2003.

Vote for Vinny: In addition to Boss, another player with all-star potential and a football career beyond collegiate is senior running back Eliot Vinzant (6-0, 220). In 10 games last season, the Portland State transfer rushed for 1,073 yards, the fourth-highest single-season total in WOU history. The former 3A player of the year at Scappoose also set a school record for consecutive 100-yard games with seven, a streak that carries over into 2006. He was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year in 2005.

Knudsen news: WOU’s smallest offensive starter is one of its biggest threats. Senior receiver Tyler Knudsen (5-10, 180) led the Wolves with 62 catches last season for 600 yards. His 96 career receptions in two seasons ranks ninth all-time at WOU. Knudsen, out of Centennial High School in Portland, is also a kick-off and punt return threat, averaging 8.9 per punt and 14.1 per kick-off return last season.

These guys have eaten together before: WOU’s offensive line returns mostly intact from 2005, and four of the men in the trenches will be playing at least their third season together. Ryan Belcher (6-4, 330) will be starting for the fourth consecutive season at guard, while juniors Paul Wright (6-4, 290) and Brett Rhodes (6-2, 255) will get the nod for the third season in a row at tackle and center respectively. Allan Mikolas (6-4, 315) begins the season as a back-up as he recovers from an injury, but he has seen starting action in parts of the last two seasons.

Dynamite defense: The Wolves lost their top three tackles to graduation (Jon Apgar, Bret Hughes, Dane Wagner), but return 10 players who have starting experience on the defensive side of the ball. Second team all-conference selections Tyler York (6-2, 225) and Anthony Marin (6-0, 270) give the Wolves all-stars are linebacker and tackle respectively. Jason Buckmier (6-3, 210) returns for his third season as a starting safety, and junior Matt Buche (6-1, 225) is back for a third consecutive season at linebacker. The Wolves would like to carry over the defensive momentum it had at the end of 2005, when they gave up a total of just 22 points in their last two contests.

Buy local: The Wolves have 19 Salem-area athletes on their roster, including eight listed on the first or second team depth chart. All of WOU’s first game starters on offense or defense are from the state of Oregon.

Ferguson factor: Head coach Arne Ferguson begins just his second season as the Wolves leader, but he bleeds WOU blood after half a lifetime on the campus. The Vale, Oregon native was a three-time All-CFA defensive back for the Wolves from 1986-88, and began his coaching career for the Wolves in 1989. He has been WOU’s defensive coordinator since 1997. In Ferguson’s first season at the helm in 2005, the Wolves went 5-6 and finished the season on a three-game win streak.

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