THIS WEEK: Western Washington University Vikings (1-3) vs. Central Washington University (2-2) in inaugural "Battle in Seattle" at Seahawks Stadium (FieldTurf - 67,000 capacity) at Seattle, Wash., on Sat., Oct. 4, at 6 p.m., in a non-conference contest.
Western got its first win of the season last Saturday, a 42-35 overtime decision at home over NCAA Division I-AA independent Saint Mary's CA. That snapped a four-game losing streak for the Vikings which began last year and ended a three-game losing string at Bellingham's Civic Stadium. Both streaks were the longest since the mid-80s.
Western's 1-3 start is its worst through four games since 1988. Two of the losses were to teams ranked nationally in the American Football Coaches Association/NCAA II Top 25. The Vikings fell in their season and home opener on Sept. 4, 44-27 to No.8 St. Cloud State MN. They then dropped two road contests, being edged 23-20 in overtime at Western Oregon on Sept. 13 and losing 52-28 at No.19 Nebraska-Omaha on Sept. 20 (tied 28-all at halftime) before coming back from a 21-point deficit to edge Saint Mary's.
Central, which had a bye last week, was shocked in its season and home opener on Aug. 29, losing 38-28 to defending NAIA national champion Carroll MT. The Wildcats split a pair of road games, defeating Fort Lewis CO, 24-7, on Sept. 6 and losing at NCAA I-AA Eastern Washington, 48-29, on Sept. 13. Central returned home to crush Western New Mexico, 41-3, on Sept. 20.
The Wildcats were ranked among the top 10 in all six NCAA II preseason polls, being No.1 in the Sports Illustrated Top 10. They were No.2 in Lindy's Football Annuals, No.3 in Dopke.com, No.8 in Don Hansen's Football Gazette, and No.9 in both the AFCA and Street & Smith's.
Western finished 6-4 last year, extending its school-record string of non-losing seasons to 12 (previous best was six). Its second-place finish in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference snapped a string of three straight league titles for the Vikings, who had won five conference championships in seven years.
Central had an 11-1 record in 2003, going undefeated during the regular season and winning the GNAC title before losing at home to UC Davis, 24-6, in the first round of the NCAA II national playoffs.
SERIES HISTORY: 91st meeting. Central leads the series, 55-31-4. Western lost 35-28 in overtime last season at Ellensburg, snapping a three-game series winning streak - 36-14 at Bellingham in 2001, 35-22 at Bellingham in 2000 and 27-7 at Ellensburg in 1999 - the Vikings' longest since 1976-78. The win in 1999 was Western's first over the Wildcats at Ellensburg since 1977, ending a 10-game losing streak there. The Vikings' longest series winning streak of four was accomplished twice, 1937-40 and 1949-52.
The only previous series meeting held at a neutral site was in 1968 at Yakima (Central won 14-7).
The series began in 1922 and was tied at 18-18-2 after the 1959 season. Central dominated the next 31 years, posting a 31-7-2 record. The cross-state rivals have split the last 12 meetings.
RADIO: KBAI (930 AM-Bellingham) is broadcasting all Western football games live this season with sports director Doug Lange handling the play-by-play duties for the eighth consecutive season. Providing the color commentary for the sixth straight year is former Viking quarterback Jason Stiles. The pre-game show, hosted by Mark Scholten, begins at 5:35 p.m. The KBAI broadcast can be picked up via the Internet at wwuvikings.com.
All Central football games are carried live on KXLE (1240 AM), with Rob Lowery (17th year) and Dave Heaverlo (12th year) calling the action.
2002 RESULTS: Western finished 6-4 and placed second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings (2-1). Central Washington was 11-1, being undefeated during the regular season and winning the GNAC championship (3-0). The Wildcats lost to UC Davis, 24-6, in the first round of the NCAA II national playoffs.
WESTERN REPORT: Despite the disappointing record, Western's offense has been moving the ball well, racking up 439.2 yards a game, including 342.8 through the air. In this week's NCAA II national statistics, the Vikings are second in passing offense and 16th nationally in total offense. It is turnovers that have hurt them, as Western already has committed 13.
The main cog in Western's offense is sophomore wide receiver Andy Olson, who has 29 receptions for 632 yards and six touchdowns. Olson, who ranks second nationally in receiving yards per game (158.0), has had two of the top 10 receiving yardage games in school history the last two weeks, having seven receptions for 182 yards and two scores against Nebraska-Omaha and following that up with an 11-catch, 199-yard, one touchdown effort versus Saint Mary's. His 21.8 yards a catch average is school-record pace.
Senior Ryan Van Diest has 16 receptions for 252 yards, and senior slotback Nate Kuhns has 13 catches for 111 yards despite missing two games. Sophomore tight end Nick Yoney also has become a threat, with six of his seven catches coming in the last two games. Kuhns caught the game-winning touchdown against Saint Mary's.
The Vikings use a rotation system at quarterback, with senior Josh Shimek and junior Steve Nichols switching after every second series until one establishes the hot hand. Both have had 300-yard performances this year, Shimek throwing for 307 yards last week against Saint Mary's. For the season, Shimek has completed 49-of-87 passes for 662 yards, with four touchdowns and two interceptions, while Nichols is 47-of-82 for 709 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions.
Starting at running back is sophomore Duncan Sherrard, the GNAC co-Freshman of the Year in 2002. Sherrard has rushed for 287 yards and two touchdowns, and has two more touchdowns on receptions. He had a touchdown both rushing and receiving against Saint Mary's. Sophomore Jake Carlyle also had two scores last week, both on the ground, and has rushed for 148 yards and three touchdowns on the season.
On the offensive line, senior guard Jon Pagan and sophomore center Loren Winter are both returning starters.
On defense, the Vikings have struggled at times, allowing an average of 449.8 yards a game. Western's line was outstanding last week. Sophomore end Joey Joshua had 14 tackles, 11 of them unassisted, to earn GNAC Defensive Player of the Week honors, and senior tackle Brad Mann added seven stops, including a sack. Joshua has 27 tackles on the season, including 4.5 for loss, and has also defensed three passes.
Junior strong safety Rob White leads Western in tackles with 47 and also has one interception. White, who ranks sixth nationally in solo tackles and seventh in total tackles, led the Vikings in stops in 2002 with 99.
All of Western's linebackers are returning starters. Senior Lann Olson, Andy's older brother, is second on the team in tackles with 39, including a team-best seven for loss. Senior Brett Thompson and junior Jesse Looker, the younger brother of St. Louis Rams' receiver Dane Looker, complete the starting unit.
On special teams, junior Michael Koenen is 4-of-7 on field goals, with six of the attempts coming from over 40 yards, and is 13-of-14 on extra points. He currently ranks No.10 among school career scoring leaders with 168 points, needing three to move into ninth place and four to move into eighth place.
Koenen, a consensus first-team NCAA II All-America punter last year when he led the nation in punting, is averaging 40.2 yards a punt, and has sent 10 kickoffs for touchbacks. Andy Olson is averaging 12.7 yards a punt return, and Carlyle and freshman Matt Wilson have combined to average 24.0 yards on kickoff returns.
CENTRAL REPORT: Leading the offense for the Wildcats is senior quarterback Zak Hill, who has thrown for 7,746 career yards, second in Central history only to Jon Kitna. Hill threw for 2,694 yards last season to earn first-team all-GNAC honors despite missing three games with a shoulder injury, and has picked up where he left off, throwing for 1,189 yards through the first four games this year, with 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
Hill has a talented cast of receivers to throw to, despite the loss of junior Brian Potucek with a knee injury. Potucek, who is out for the rest of the season, was the 2002 GNAC Offensive Player of the Year and had 12 receptions in the first two games.
Senior receivers Jake Roberts and Josh Lopez both have over 100 receptions in their Central careers. Roberts has been the go-to receiver this year, making 35 grabs for 452 yards and five touchdowns, and ranks third nationally in NCAA II in receptions per game (8.8). Lopez, who had seven receptions for 189 yards and two touchdowns against Western as a freshman in 2000, has 12 catches for 129 yards and two scores, and junior Moses Lewis is averaging 22.4 yards a catch on nine receptions.
Junior running back Willie Johnson, who scored three touchdowns in last year's meeting, has missed the last two games with an ankle injury but is expected to be in the lineup today. Johnson ran for 929 yards last year to earn GNAC Newcomer of the Year honors. With Johnson out, junior Emilio Iniguez has picked up the slack, rushing for a team-high 330 yards and two scores.
The offensive line features three returning starters led by junior tackle Evan Picton, a first-team all-GNAC selection in 2002.
Anchoring the defense is junior nose tackle Dustin Hawkins, who has twice earned all-GNAC honors. He had three sacks in the victory over Western New Mexico. Behind him is a linebacking corps that returns all of its starters. Junior Blake Walker leads the Wildcats in tackles with 32, including two sacks, and is joined by seniors Levi Teasley and Mitch Richards.
In the secondary, senior Nick Omatsu, an all-league pick last year, has 18 tackles and a team-high four passes defensed. Another returning starter is senior cornerback Rocky Martinez.
Senior punter Joe Smith is off to a great start, averaging a NCAA II-leading 47.5 yards a punt. Freshman placekicker Cody Sadler is 3-of-5 on field goals and has made 13-of-14 extra points.
NOTES: Western's last game in Seattle was in 1977 when the Vikings lost 24-0 to Pacific Lutheran in the NAIA District 1 Championship game at the Kingdome. Intercepting three passes for PLU in that contest was middle linebacker John Zamberlin, now Central Washington's head coach ...Cornerback Bryan Jarrett is the first true freshman to see action for Western since Nate Kuhns did so in 2000. Jarrett, who is starting, has 11 tackles and two pass breakups, and blocked a potential game-winning field goal in the dying seconds of regulation at Western Oregon ... Western had six turnovers against Western Oregon. The last time the Vikings did that was Nov. 8, 1997 in a 36-22 loss at Central ... Western is in the midst of a three-week span in which each of its opponents is coming off a bye week ... The Vikings have had eight overtime games in their history, including two each in 1997, 2002 and this season.
TURNOVER/TAKEAWAY: Western, which is plus 98 in turnover/takeaway ratio (220 to 318) over the 13 seasons, is minus-9 this season (13 to 4). The last time the Vikings finished with a negative total was in 1991.
INJURY REPORT: Starting offensive guard Todd Gowing is not expected to play this week after missing the Saint Mary's game with an ankle injury. Defensive end Derek Noble's status is indefinite as he has missed two games after suffering a leg injury at Western Oregon.
TOUGH SCHEDULE: Smith calls Western's 2003 schedule "the most challenging" in school history. The Vikings play three NCAA I-AA schools, two of which, UC Davis and Northern Colorado, are beginning their first year of provisional status after being longtime NCAA II powers. There are two games against teams from the rugged North Central Conference, St. Cloud State and Nebraska-Omaha. As well, the Vikings have two regular-season matchups with archrival Central Washington, which was 11-1 last year.
KOENEN NAMED TO FOUR PRESEASON A-A TEAMS: Junior Michael Koenen was named to four preseason All-America teams as a punter, being honored by Street & Smith, Don Hansen's Football Gazette, Lindy's Football Annuals and D2Football.com. He was a first-team Daktronics, D2Football.com and Football Gazette All-American last fall, and second-team Associated Press Little All-America. Koenen led DII in punting with school-record 44.9 average. He also holds school marks for longest punt (73 yards), longest field goal (54 yards), consecutive field goals (8), and consecutive PAT conversions (40). Koenen ranks No.10 among school's career scoring leaders with 168 points, converting 90-95 PATs and 26-44 field goals. He needs three more points to move into ninth place and four to tie for eighth.
MILESTONES: Rob Smith needs four wins to become the first coach in Western history to reach 100. Only two four-year collegiate coaches have reached that figure while coaching in the state of Washington, those being Frosty Westering at Pacific Lutheran (251) and Don James at Washington (153). Smith currently ranks fourth, with Washington's Jim Owens third with 99.
COACHES: Rob Smith (Washington, 1981) is in his 15th year as head coach and his victory total (96-49-1) and winning percentage of 66.1 are the best in Western history. Smith has directed the Vikings to their only five national playoff berths in 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1999, and guided them to their best regular-season (No.1, 1995) and final (No.1, 1995) national rankings. He was named GNAC Coach of the Year in 2001, Columbia Football Association Coach of the Year in 1989, 1995, 1996, 1999 and 2000, and American Football Coaches Association College Division Region V Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1996.
John Zamberlin (Pacific Lutheran/1979) is in his seventh year (38-28) as head coach at Central. He earned GNAC Coach of the Year honors last season, directing the Wildcats to an 11-1 record, the GNAC championship and the first round of the NCAA II national playoffs. Prior to his arrival at Central, Zamberlin spent nine seasons as an assistant at Massachusetts (1987-90), Eastern Washington (1992-94) and Richmond (1995-96). He played seven seasons in the NFL with New England (1979-82) and Kansas City (1983-85). Zamberlin earned NAIA All-America honors as a linebacker at Pacific Lutheran, intercepting three passes in a 48-28 win over Western in the 1977 NAIA District 1 Championship Game played at Seattle's Kingdome.
WESTERN NATIONAL STATS RANKINGS (AS OF SEPT. 23)
TEAM: Total Offense - 16. 439.3, Passing Offense - 2. 342.8
INDIVIDUAL: Passing Efficiency - 19. Steve Nichols, 146.8; Receptions - 10. Andy Olson 7.3, Receiving Yards - 2. Andy Olson 158.0; Scoring - 23. Andy Olson 9.0; All-Purpose - 6. Andy Olson, 177.0; Punt Returns - 32. Andy Olson 12.7; Field Goals - 25. Michael Koenen, 1.0; Tackles - 7. Rob White, 11.8; Solo Tackles - 6. Rob White, 7.3,; Tackles for loss- 21. Lann Olson 1.8.
NEXT WEEK: Western travels to Greeley, Colo., to meet Northern Colorado on Sat., Oct. 11 (12 noon MDT) at Nottingham Field. The Bears, who are coming off a 14-10 victory at No.20 Montana State, are in the first of a four-year transition from NCAA II to NCAA I-AA.
BATTLE IN SEATTLE: Western and Central Washington play each other twice in 2003, but with a unique twist. The arch-rivals, who last faced off twice during a regular season in 1970, play the first of the two contests at Seahawks Stadium in Seattle on Oct. 4. The game, which was originally to be played at Ellensburg, was moved as part of a marketing plan to generate interest among the numerous alumni of the two institutions in the Seattle-Tacoma area. After several months of negotiations, the two universities, along with First and Goal, Inc., came to agreement on a deal that was announced on July 17. For information on purchasing tickets, visit the WWU athletics web site at http://www.wwuvikings.com.
WEBSITE: For the latest results, statistics and updates, including reports on all Western athletic events, visit the Vikings website at wwuvikings.com.
LAST WEEK AGAINST SAINT MARY'S: Quarterback Josh Shimek threw a 10-yard touchdown pass in overtime to slotback Nate Kuhns, lifting Western to a 42-35 victory over Saint Mary's CA in a matchup of two previously winless teams at Civic Stadium.
The Gaels, who led 28-7 late in the second quarter, had a chance to win in regulation, but Joe Lucia missed a 39-yard field goal wide left as time expired.
In overtime, Shimek, who was 21-of-35 for 307 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, completed an 18-yard pass to wide receiver Andy Olson on third-and-19, then ran a sneak on fourth-and-1 for the first down. Two plays later, Shimek connected with Kuhns for the go-ahead points.
On the Saint Mary's series, the Gaels faced a fourth-and-5 from the 20. An attempted lateral was overthrown, and Western defensive end Joey Joshua, who had a team-leading 14 stops, 11 of them unassisted, tackled Walter Brock for an 8-yard loss to end the game.
Saint Mary's led 28-21 at halftime and extended that lead to 35-21 on its opening drive of the third quarter, as quarterback Cordel Webb, who started as the signal caller after playing wide receiver the first three games of the season, ran for a 12-yard touchdown set up by a 40-yard gain on a shovel pass from Winston Borba to Stevelan Harper off a fake punt.
But Western rallied behind two 4-yard touchdown runs by reserve running back Jake Carlyle, the last with 2:58 gone in the fourth quarter, to tie the score at 35-35.
The Vikings had a 420-318 edge in total offense. Olson was Western's main weapon, grabbing 11 receptions for 199 yards and a touchdown. The 199 yards are the fourth-best single game total in school history, and he also added 75 yards on four punt returns.
Western scored on its opening drive of the game for the second straight week, going 73 yards in five plays, capped when Olson took a hitch pass from Shimek and sprinted 40 yards for a touchdown, but the Gaels came back with four consecutive touchdowns, each of them coming after Western miscues.
First, a bad punt snap gave Saint Mary's the ball at the Western 16, and on fourth-and-2 from the eight, Webb ran eight yards up the middle for a touchdown. The next score was set up on an interception early in the second quarter by Borba that led to a four-play, 37-yard drive capped by a six-yard run by Chris Harrell.
Borba then scored the next touchdown himself, stripping Western tight end Nick Yoney of the ball and running 64 yards to the end zone, and the four-touchdown charge concluded as a punt hit a Western player in the back and was recovered on the Viking 2, from which Clint Wilson scored on the next play.
But the Vikings rallied in the final 2:15 of the second quarter, running back Duncan Sherrard scoring from 36 yards out on a screen pass from Shimek, then scoring again on a 2-yard run with 50 seconds left in the half. The latter score was set up by Olson, who returned a punt 17 yards then put the ball on the two with a 39-yard reception in which he eluded three tacklers at the Gaels 25.
Saint Mary's, which had a bye last week, revamped their offense for Saturday's game, turning their spread set into a run-oriented system. Webb was just 4-of-8 for 32 yards, but ran 22 times for 58 yards and two scores, and eight different Gaels had rushing attempts. Parker Magnum, who had started the first three games at quarterback, took just four snaps Saturday, but did come off the bench twice in the final drive of regulation to complete passes for first downs on third and long to set up Lucia's field-goal attempt.
Joshua, who was credited with 14 tackles, was named GNAC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance.
LAST MEETING WITH CENTRAL: Will Johnson scored on a 3-yard run in overtime, his third touchdown of the game, as Central defeated Western, 35-28, in a battle between nationally ranked teams before an overflow crowd of 6,400 at Tomlinson Stadium on Oct. 19, 2002.
Central, ranked No.9 nationally and No.1 in the region, stayed undefeated at 8-0. Quarterback Zak Hill, returning to the Central lineup after missing three games with a shoulder injury, completed 31-of-50 passes for 413 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Johnson's decisive touchdown came two plays after an apparent interception by Western cornerback Anthony Dalton was wiped out by a defensive holding penalty, giving the Wildcats 1st-and-goal at the seven. After Johnson's score, Western took the ball, but following a 4-yard gain, quarterback Josh Shimek threw three straight incompletions.
The Vikings forced the overtime on a 5-yard scoring run by Shimek with 4:39 to play, and had a chance to win the game in the final minute, as a 29-yard interception return by defensive back James Delgardo led to a 54-yard field goal attempt by Michael Koenen. Koenen's kick with 53 seconds left had the distance, but was wide left after being caught in a strong cross wind.
Western held a 21-14 lead at halftime, but Johnson, who ran for 150 yards on 27 carries, scored on a 1-yard run on Central's opening possession of the second half. He then gave the Wildcats the lead early in the fourth quarter, scoring on 4th-and-goal from the one after slipping a tackle in the backfield.
Central had a 604-333 edge in total offense, marking the first time Western had given up 600 yards in a game since 1989.
Western never trailed in the opening half. An interception and 40-yard return by Martez Johnson on the first series of the game put the ball at the Central 15, leading to a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Duncan Sherrard less than four minutes into the contest.
Central responded with a 32-yard touchdown run on a reverse by Brian Potucek midway through the quarter, but the Vikings regained the lead three minutes later on an 11-yard pass from Shimek to tight end Rick Carte.
The score was tied again at 14-14 two plays into the second quarter, as Hill threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Potucek, who had 10 receptions for 178 yards. Western, however, got the final points of the first half, as the Vikings went 80 yards in five plays, with Sherrard, who had a 29-yard run earlier in the drive, scoring from two yards out, giving Western the halftime lead.
Sherrard ran for 94 yards on 18 carries, and Shimek was 20-of-37 for 217 yards and a touchdown. Safety Rob White led the Western defense with 20 tackles.
The game was the 90th meeting between the two schools. Western had won the last three games in the series and was seeking to win four in a row for the first time since 1952. It was also the first overtime game for the Vikings since the 1999 NCAA II playoffs, and the first regular-season overtime since 1997.
HEAD COACH Rob Smith ON ...:
... PLAYING AT SEAHAWKS STADIUM "It should be fun and exciting. It's a great opportunity for our players to experience that atmosphere. It's certainly a game that has generated a lot of excitement."
... RIVALRY WITH CENTRAL "It's turned into a great rivalry. The players on both teams know one another well and we've had some very good games over the past few years. I would anticipate this being another one."
"So much of what we do is Western versus Central. It's that way in recruiting, it's that way as you compete with camps, and it's certainly that way on the field where we're the only two Division II programs in the state. And we compete for many of the same kids in recruiting. It's special that way."
... WILDCAT OFFENSE "You don't stop them. You try to contain them and stop the big play. But Zak Hill is going to complete passes and they're going to get their yards. Roberts and Lewis are excellent receivers."
"We were disappointed defensively last year with our performance against Central, allowing 600 yards. We need to do a much better job Saturday."
... WESTERN OFFENSE "We've shown at times that we can be efficient. We've also hurt ourselves on too many occasions. We're still working on minimizing our mistakes, which have really stopped us and in some ways directly contributed to points for the opponent."
... Andy Olson "He's a very confident player, a very competitive player and a very talented player. And when you combine those three qualities, it makes for someone we need to try and get the ball to as often as possible."
... WIN OVER SAINT MARY'S "It was a nice win. You look at all five of their touchdowns scored directly as result of breakdowns and mistakes that we made, three in the kicking game and two turnovers offensively. So, we were fortunate to escape with the win with the mistakes we made and the fact that we were down 21 points early and then 14 points in the second half. It was a hard-earned win and one that we are going to enjoy."
PROBABLE TWO DEEPS
WESTERN WASHINGTON
OFFENSETE 82 Rick Carte (6-4, 240, **Jr., Juneau, AK/Juneau-Douglas) 13 Nick Yoney (6-4, 225, So., Arlington, WA/Arlington)ST 70 Brandon Torrey (6-3, 270, R-Fr., Graham, WA/Bethel) 79 Justin Simpson (6-5, 310, So., Kennewick, WA/Kamiakin)SG 62 Jon Pagan (6-5, 260, *Sr., Los Angeles, CA/El Segundo) 56 Jeff DeBuigne (6-5, 300, *So., Kennewick, WA/Kamiakin)C 53 Loren Winter (6-2, 250, *So., Bothell, WA/Juanita) 57 Lincoln Stalnaker (6-2, 225, *Sr., Flagstaff, AZ/Coconino)QG 67 Peter Van Datta (6-2, 265, R-Fr., Bremerton, WA/Central Kitsap) 64 Tyler Sleeman (6-1, 275, T-Fr., Black Diamond, WA/Tahoma)QT 72 Geoff Hise (6-2, 255, *Jr., Snoqualmie, WA (Mount Si) 65 Jason Day (6-5, 250, **Jr., Tonasket, WA)SB 2 Jason Barton (5-9, 175, *So., Gig Harbor, WA/Gig Harbor) 8 Nate Kuhns (5-11, 190, ***Sr., Yakima, WA/Eisenhower)WR 22 Ryan Van Diest (6-1, 190, ***Sr., Lynden, WA/Lynden) 5 James Laurence (6-4, 225, T-Jr., Kent, WA/Kent-Meridian)WR 1 Andy Olson (6-3, 210, *So., Chehalis, WA/W.F.West) 9 Matt Wilson (5-11, 180, R-Fr., Auburn, WA/Auburn)RB 29 Duncan Sherrard (6-0, 195, *So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt) 27 Jake Carlyle (5-7, 190, So., Olympia, WA/Capital)FB 98 Joe Casillas (6-3, 220, So., Phoenix, AZ/Arcadia) 26 Nyle Chambers (6-1, 220, ***Sr., Sumner, WA/Sumner)QB 11 Josh Shimek (6-4, 205, **Sr., Pasco, WA/Pasco) 14 Steve Nichols (6-1, 205, **Jr., Stevenson, WA/Stevenson)
DEFENSEE 85 Joey Joshua (6-4, 220, *So., Ferndale, WA/Ferndale) 54 Aaron Dahl (6-1, 235, *So., Gig Harbor, WA/Gig Harbor)N 99 Brad Mann (6-3, 285, **Sr., Redmond, WA/Lake Washington) 71 Andy Thompson (6-4, 300, T-Jr., Milan, IN/Milan)T 93 Nick Ball (6-1, 270, **Sr., Olympia, WA/Olympia) 97 Nicholas Buck (6-3, 245, R-Fr., Kent, WA/Seattle Christian/Kentridge)E 95 JeVarian Gamble (6-2, 270, ***Sr., Lynnwood, WA/Lynnwood) 36 Derek Noble (6-1, 215, **Sr., Bellevue, WA/Newport)ROV 28 Jesse Looker (5-10, 210, **Sr., Puyallup, WA/Puyallup) 38 Taylor Hutton (5-11, 205, ***Sr., Salado, TX (Salado)MLB 33 Lann Olson (6-0, 215, ***Sr., Chehalis, WA/W.F.West) 46 Adam Klingenberg (5-11, 215, *So., Walla Walla, WA/Walla Walla)OLB 51 Brett Thompson (6-0, 230, ***Sr., Auburn, WA/Auburn-Riverside) 43 Jeff Parks (6-3, 205, T-Fr., Graham, WA/Bethel)LCB 87 Bryan Jarrett (6-0, 180, Fr., Puyallup, WA/Puyallup) 4 Sly Whitfield Jr. (5-8, 160, R-Fr., Seattle, WA/Garfield)RCB 42 Brett Hall (5-8, 175, *So., Kennewick, WA/Kennewick) 15 John Shields (5-11, 190, T-Jr., Spanaway, WA/Bethel)SS 40 Rob White (6-1, 215, **Jr., Woodinville, WA/Inglemoor) 30 Dane Kelley (6-0, 190, R-Fr., Wenatchee, WA/Wenatchee)FS 34 Shane Keck (5-9, 190, Sr., Everett, WA/Mariner) 98 Justin Coronado (5-10, 180, Fr., Walla Walla, WA/Walla Walla)
SPECIALK 19 Michael Koenen (5-11, 185, **Jr., Ferndale, WA/Ferndale) 37 Pat Mutzel (6-1, 205, R-Fr., Bellevue, WA/Bellevue)P 19 Michael Koenen (5-11, 185, **Jr., Ferndale, WA/Ferndale) 7 Ryan Sousley (6-0, 210, **Jr., Yakima, WA/Eisenhower)H 14 Steve Nichols (6-1, 205, **Jr., Stevenson, WA/Stevenson) 11 Josh Shimek (6-4, 205, **Sr., Pasco, WA/Pasco)LS 56 Jeff DeBuigne (6-5, 300, *So., Kennewick, WA/Kamiakin) 13 Nick Yoney (6-4, 225, So., Arlington, WA/Arlington)PR 8 Nate Kuhns (5-11, 190, ***Sr., Yakima, WA/Eisenhower) 1 Andy Olson (6-3, 210, *So., Chehalis, WA/W.F.West)KR 27 Jake Carlyle (5-7, 190, So., Olympia, WA/Capital) 9 Matt Wilson (5-11, 180, R-Fr., Auburn, WA/Auburn)*denotes letters won
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
OFFENSEQB 10 Zak Hill (6-0, 190, Sr., Battle Ground, WA/Prairie) 16 Dale Chase (6-5, 222, Sr., Olympia, WA/River Ridge)RB 35 Emilio Iniguez, 5-9, 188, Jr., Puyallup, WA/Bethel) 34 Willie Johnson (5-11, 235, Jr., Sarasota, FL/Booker)WR 1 Moses Lewis (6-3, 196, Sr., Yakima, WA/Davis) 88 Nate Brookreson (6-2, 192, So., Lacey, WA/North Thurston)WR 89 Jake Roberts (6-3, 195, Sr., Spokane, WA/University) 80 Josh Lopez (6-0, 193, Sr., Wapato, WA/Wapatp)SB 80 Josh Lopez (6-0, 193, Sr., Wapato, WA/Wapato) 7 Nolan Teasley (6-0, 210, R-Fr., Ellensburg, WA/Ellensburg)TE 82 Keith Grennan (6-6, 270, R-Fr., Edmonds, WA/Edmonds-Woodway) 37 Curtis Johnson (6-2, 218, R-Fr., Waitsburg, WA/Waitsburg)WT 65 John Lindsey (6-4, 278, Sr., Puyallup, WA/Rogers) 72 Matt Tracy (6-1, 261, R-Fr., Anacortes, WA/Anacortes)WG 61 Anthony Williams (6-2, 325, Sr., Portland, OR/Jefferson) 71 Zach Myers (6-2, 301. R-Fr., Issaquah, WA/Skyline)C 51 Zach Fife (6-4, 325, Sr., Yakima, WA/West Valley) 54 Michael Don (6-1, 285, So., Prosser, WA/Prosser)SG 74 Rhett Carpenter (6-3, 285, Sr., Kelso, WA/Kelso) 58 Zach Hubbell (6-1, 280, Jr., Mukilteo, WA/Woodinville)ST 77 Evan Picton (6-3, 299, Jr., Manson, WA/Manson) 73 Aaron Gilbert (6-3, 335, Fr., Auburn, WA/Jefferson)FB 47 Aaron Hineline (6-0, 250, Jr., Woodinville, WA/Woodinville) 41 Landon Hall (5-11, 225, So., Edmonds, WA/Edmonds-Woodway)TE 37 Curtis Johnson (6-2, 218, R-Fr., Waitsburg, WA/Waitsburg) 99 John Sehmel (6-1, 235, So., Port Orchard, WA/South Kitsap)
DEFENSELE 92 Phil Dougherty (6-2, 248, So., Anchorage, AK/Service) 95 Mike Romero (6-4, 260, Jr., Spokane, WA/Lewis & Clark)N 56 Dustin Hawkins (6-2, 285, Jr., Spanaway, WA/Bethel) 93 Kellen Becker (6-3, 275, Fr., Corpus Christi, TX/Calallen)T 53 Marlo Airhart (6-2, 280, Jr., Seattle, WA/Mountlake Terrace) 93 Kellen Becker (6-3, 275, Fr., Corpus Christi, TX/Calallen)RE 91 Jacob Galloway (6-5, 235, Jr., Shelton, WA/Shelton) 79 Luke Himmelman (6-1, 226, So., Mukilteo, WA/Kamiak)SLB 36 Mitch Richards (5-9, 230, Sr., Stanwood, WA/Lakewood) 43 J.R. Ross (6-3, 223, Jr., Bremerton, WA/Bremerton)MLB 62 Blake Walker (6-0, 225, Jr., Everett, WA/Cascade) 55 Simon Iniguez (5-9, 220, So., Puyallup, WA/Spanaway Lake)WLB 2 Levi Teasley (5-9, 210, Sr., Ellensburg, WA/Ellensburg) 45 Eric Foss (6-2, 200, Jr., Bonney Lake, WA/Sumner)LCB 6 Nick Omatsu (5-6, 150, Sr., Redmond, WA/Eastlake) 26 Drey Willis (5-9, 185, Jr., Tacoma, WA/Spanaway Lake)RCB 17 Rocky Martinez (5-8, 170, Sr., Lynnwood, WA/Mountlake Terrace) 19 Adam Jackson (5-11, 176, R-Fr., Spanaway, WA/Spanaway Lake)FS 12 Ryan Andrews (6-0, 190, R-Fr., Marysville, WA/Lake Stevens) 27 Derrick Morris (5-9, 185, Jr., Spanaway, WA/Bethel)SS 24 Gerrid Pete (5-11, 196, So., Olympia, WA/Capital) 28 Franco Santiago (5-10, 178, Sr., Auburn, WA/Auburn-Riverside)
SPECIALH 89 Jake Roberts (6-3, 195, Sr., Spokane, WA/University) 38 Joe Smith (6-2, 183, Sr., Enumclaw, WA/Enumclaw)LS 62 Blake Walker (6-0, 225, Jr., Everett, WA/Cascade) 82 Keith Grennan (6-6, 270, R-Fr., Edmonds, WA/Edmonds-Woodway)P 38 Joe Smith (6-2, 183, Sr., Enumclaw, WA/Enumclaw) 18 Coby Sadler (5-10, 164, R-Fr., Ellensburg, WA/Ellensburg)K 18 Coby Sadler (5-10, 164, R-Fr., Ellensburg, WA/Ellensburg) 38 Joe Smith (6-2, 183, Sr., Enumclaw, WA/Enumclaw)KO 38 Joe Smith (6-2, 183, Sr., Enumclaw, WA/Enumclaw) 18 Coby Sadler (5-10, 164, R-Fr., Ellensburg, WA/Ellensburg)PR 6 Nick Omatsu (5-6, 150, Sr., Redmond, WA/Eastlake) 17 Rocky Martinez (5-8, 170, Sr., Lynnwood, WA/Mountlake Terrace)KR 17 Rocky Martinez (5-8, 170, Sr., Lynnwood, WA/Mountlake Terrace) 80 Josh Lopez (6-0, 193, Sr., Wapato, WA/Wapato) 88 Nate Brookreson (6-2, 192, So., Lacey, WA/North Thurston) 23 Kamarr Evans (5-10, 170, R-Fr., Tacoma, WA/Jefferson)
LAST WEEK'S STATS:Western Washington vs. Saint Mary's CASept. 27, 2003 - 12 noon - Bellingham, Wash.
SCORING SUMMARYSaint Mary's 7 21 7 0 0 --- 35Western Washington 7 14 7 7 7 --- 42
WWU - Olson 40 pass from Shimek (Koenen kick)SMC - Webb 8 run (Lucia kick)SMC - Harrell 6 run (Lucia kick)SMC - Borba 64 fumble return (Lucia kick)SMC - Wilson 2 run (Lucia kick)WWU - Sherrard 36 pass from Shimek (Koenen kick)WWU - Sherrard 2 run (Koenen kick)SMC - Webb 12 run (Lucia kick)WWU - Carlyle 4 run (Koenen kick)WWU - Carlyle 4 run (Koenen kick)WWU - Kuhns 10 pass from Shimek (Koenen kick)Attendance: 2,107
SMC WWUFirst downs 14 21Rushed-yards 60-214 34-71Passing yards 104 349Sacks by-yards lost 4-30 1-4Total Offense 318 420Return yards 9-171 12-147Passes 11-7-1 43-26-1Punts 7-34.7 5-35.8Fumbles-lost 2-1 3-2Penalties-yards 8-36 6-45Time of possession 33:23 26:37
Rushing: WWU-Carlyle 11-66, Sherrard 12-32, Nichols 1-7, Team 1--15, Shimek 9--19; SMC-Wilson 18-67, Webb 22-58, Coleman 9-56, Steiner 1-24, Harrell 5-10, Ratliff 3-8, Coogler 1--1, Mangum 1--8.
Passing: WWU-Shimek 35-21-1-307, Nichols 8-5-0-42; SMC-Webb 8-4-1-32, Mangum 2-2-0-32, Borba 1-1-0-40.
Receiving: WWU- Olson 11-199-1, Yoney 3-35, Van Diest 3-27, Kuhns 3-25-1; Chambers 3-12, Sherrard 2-51-1, Carte 1-0; SMC-Ratliff 3-31, Harper 1-40, Soinila 1-16, Coogler 1-14, Steiner 1-3.
