| Never Give a Duck an Even
Break
By Pigskin Pete Reputations die hard in college football. The Pac10 has been dominated by the Oregon Ducks most of the past decade, but the many preceding decades of league dominance by USC, UCLA and Washington is still reflected when the pigskin pundits across the land are asked to come up with pre-season team and recruiting rankings.
It would appear Duck coaches have filled the most critical gaps left
by graduation. Their signings loom very large…like linemen who scale
as high A cautionary note Not to dampen Bellotti’s enthusiasm, but we recall back in 1982 when then Duck coach Rich Brooks lavished much the same praise on prep all-American running back Kevin Willhite, who never matched his promise while wearing the green and lemon. Ngata’s weigh-in is matched by 324-pound offensive lineman Albert Toeaina from Pittsburg, CA, but both are outscaled by 335-pound defender Junior Siavii, a junior college transfer. Polynesian genes have also built another JC transfer, Chris Solomona,
278-pound defender and 1st team JC all-American; and fullback Matt Toeaina,
225. The latter comes direct from American Samoa, a very unusual
hotbed of prep talent with a history of stocking all Pac10 teams…it seems
these kids are reluctant to wander very far from the Pacific shore.
Size seems to have been a primary criterion for new Ducks. The only two incoming Oregonians, defensive lineman Shawn Perkins of Pendleton and linebacker Cory Larsen of Gresham, are both 6’5” and weigh, respectively, 258 and 222. Other needs addressed Apart from linemen for both sides of the ball, the Ducks’ other significant shortage addressed by new recruits is in the defensive secondary. This is answered with five recruits, including one slated to play immediately, junior college transfer David Dixon, star of a team that advanced to the national JC championship game. The Ducks’ number of small town quarterbacks was doubled with the While the press wasn’t very impressed with Oregon’s new recruits, we’ve seen more than enough Duck victories to be convinced that the Duck coaching staff has cannily collected what they need to continue challenging for national attention. And coaching makes a victorious difference that is underlined by the fact that more highly touted recruit groups have failed for several years to match up to the success Oregon has enjoyed. Beavers also underrated The same seers who rated Oregon number eight in the Pac10 grid recruiting
derby, pegged Oregon State a lowly seventh. Beaver coach Dennis The Beavers’ 2001 receiver shortage is being addressed with JC all-American Deondre Alexander and prep standout James Finley from Los Angeles, declared most valuable player in the post-season California-Florida all-star game. Two of the most highly-rated Northwest prepsters, both at the top of the Washington Husky list, are going to wear orange and black instead. These are running back Ryan Cole of Port Orchard, WA and offensive tackle J.C. Ronnfeldt of Federal Way, WA. Erickson out-talked the Duck recruiters to bring in Roseburg’s towering tight end Joe Newton, considered by most observers as the best player on the Oregon prep scene. Like their hated in-state rivals, OSU landed only two Oregon preps, the other being defensive lineman Josh Linehan of Banks. Vikings stock up Portland State should bring some new grid excitement to PGE Park this
coming fall. The Viks disappointed their followers last year with Coupling newcomers with the proven abilities of returning squad members, the Vikings seem set for a serious run at the national playoffs next season. They will have to shake off a pending disaster looming with an early season visit to Autzen stadium. Only a nice paycheck from another Oregon Duck home sell-out will assuage the embarrassment of a certain Viking rout. Coach Tom Walsh and staff will have a challenge to restore the confidence of their squad for the balance of the schedule. Roses & Raspberries…a prodigious bouquet of posies
to coach Ernie Kent and his over-achieving
Duck basketball team…a big thumb-on-nose
to that same team’s student fans for
getting a tad too riotous (and obscene) in recent home matches…roses
to
OSU cage coach Richie McKay if his
confidence can survive this season’s adversity. We think he has the
goods to eventually return the Beavers to past glory…raspberries
to the fella that put a once great OSU cage program deep in the dumpster—former
athletic director Dutch Baughman, who
made all the wrong moves for both football and basketball programs in Corn
Valley…a floral tribute to Patriots
and Rams for more than living up to
the overwhelming hype surrounding this celebration of capitalism…a big
booo to anyone believing the Blazers will ever return to their
past high status in the Portland community while current management holds
sway…roses to anyone agreeing with
yours truly that
(C) 2001 Oregon Magazine |
Concerning
the latter, Duck recruiting classes are invariably ranked in the lower
half of the league, and the current group is no exception, judged no better
than eighth in a recent polling of “experts” (top 3: USC, UCLA & Washington,
again!). Yet Mike Bellotti and staff deserve more respect for their
talent choices. Their selections took the 2001 Oregon grid group
all the way to number two in the nation. So ignore outside opinions
of the quality of the next incoming crop of Webfoot recruits.
as
335 pounds. Bellotti, usually a fairly taciturn sort, couldn’t restrain
his glee over one of these giants…Haloti Ngata, a defender from Salt Lake
City, who the Duck head master blurted, is “the biggest signing in the
history of Oregon football…” (and he wasn’t referring to the kid’s 324
pounds). Ngata got the nod from no less than three national publications
as the top defensive lineman in America this past prep season.
recruitment
of Zillah, Washington’s Andy Collins, joining Burns, Oregon’s Kellen Clemens
at the signal-calling position. Clemens, a redshirt freshman, delighted
his coaches with his scrimmage performances on last year’s scout team.
Veteran bench-warmer Jason Fife is expected to start at the passing position.
(photo:
Erickson
is a far better judge of talent than that. Consider how quickly he
took the Bevos to the top in 2000 with new talent, largely brought in from
junior colleges. He seems to be aiming at another quick fix for OSU
fortunes that slumped last year. He’s welcoming six new JC transfers
and a touted Division IAA transfer, former Cal State Northridge 320-pound
offensive lineman Isaac Aronson. (
underachievement,
but return the key veterans on offense and have shored up lineman deficiencies
with six JC standouts. PSU is a preference for six Oregon prep stars
who failed to earn an invitation from Division I programs, led by 6-5,
290-pound lineman Steve Blatchley of Springfield.