Aug. 22, 2005
BELLINGHAM, Wash. -
UPCOMING GAME: Western Washington University Vikings (0-0) vs. Mesa State College Mavericks (0-0) at Stocker Stadium (Grass-8,000 capacity) in a non-conference contest at Grand Junction, Colo., on Saturday, Aug. 27, at 6 p.m. PT.
It is the first meeting between the two schools and the contest is the season opener for both teams.
Western is 11-5 in season debuts under head coach Rob Smith, defeating Fort Lewis CO, 27-25, in last year's opener at Bellingham. The Vikings have won 13 of their last 19 openers, including one string of eight consecutive victories that ended in 1998, after losing 14 straight from 1972-85. They are looking for their first back-to-back winning debuts since 1998.
The Vikings finished 6-4 overall last year and tied for second place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with a 3-3 record. They have won league titles four of the last six years and six crowns in 10 seasons.
Mesa State was 0-11 overall last season and finished ninth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference at 0-8 after being picked to win in the preseason coaches poll. The Mavericks have lost their past 12 games. In 2003, they finished 10-2 and took the RMAC title with a perfect 8-0 record, winning 10 straight games before losing 20-15 to Central Oklahoma in the first round of the NCAA Division II national playoffs.
SEASON OPENERS: Western is 11-5 in season debuts under head coach Rob Smith, winning two of its previous six openers. The two wins during that stretch were 24-16 at Central Oklahoma to begin the 2002 campaign and 27-25 over Fort Lewis CO last season. The Vikings have won 13 of their last 19 openers, including one string of eight consecutive victories that ended in 1998, after losing 14 straight from 1972-85. They are looking to post back-to-back season-opening wins for the first time since 1998.
SERIES HISTORY: First meeting.
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 10th consecutive season. Providing the color commentary for the eighth straight year is former Viking quarterback Jason Stiles. The pre-game show with host Mark Scholten begins at 5:35 p.m. PT. The KBAI broadcast can be picked up via the Internet at wwuvikings.com.
The game also will be broadcast on KZKS (105.3 FM-Grand Junction, Colo.) with Ken Bench calling the action and on the Internet (wwuvikings.com).
2004 RESULTS: Western finished 6-4 and tied for second in the GNAC at 3-3.
Mesa State had a 0-11 record, finishing last in the RMAC at 0-8. The Mavericks had won the RMAC championship in 2003 (10-2 overall), winning 10 straight games before losing 20-15 to Central Oklahoma in the first round of NCAA Division II national playoffs.
WESTERN REPORT: Senior wide receiver Andy Olson leads six offensive and six defensive starters returning from a Western squad that was 6-4 last season for coach Rob Smith, who is currently the longest tenured coach in the Pacific Northwest (16 yrs., 105-56-1).
Olson had 68 catches for 1,075 yards and 15 touchdowns last year, ranking 10th in NCAA Division II in receiving yardage (107.5 avg.). He already ranks among the top four in Western history in all three categories. Sophomore slotback Chris Robinson (40-432-3), another key receiving threat, was the 2004 GNAC Freshman of the Year. Also back is first-team all-league senior tight end Nick Yoney (20-188-4).
Senior running back Duncan Sherrard was a first-team all-conference pick last year, running for 811 yards and five touchdowns. The offensive line is led by first-team all-league senior center Loren Winter, a three-year starter. At quarterback, junior James Monrean has made just one career start, but in that game tied a school record with five touchdown passes.
On defense, senior linebacker Craig Keenan returns after recording a team-high 85 tackles. Senior cornerbacks Sly Whitfield, Jr., and Brett Hall are also back. Whitfield led the team in interceptions (3) and pass breakups (5). Keenan and Whitfield were both second-team all-league picks.
On special teams, junior Zach Russell returned two kickoffs for touchdowns last year, and sophomore Ryan Conwell blocked three kicks.
MESA STATE REPORT: The Mavericks were 10-2 in 2003, winning the RMAC championship and reaching the first round of the NCAA II national playoffs.
But it all came apart for Mesa State last year, as it went winless at 0-11, and was last in the RMAC in points scored (15.9 avg.) and allowed (38.4), as well as total offense (275.5) and defense (471.0). The Mavericks enter the season on a 12-game losing streak. Mesa State, which was picked to win the RMAC last year in the preseason coaches poll, has been slotted at sixth this season.
The Maverick offense was solid in the rushing game last year, running for 162.1 yards a contest. The top returning rusher is junior fullback Kevin Miller, who ran for 255 yards and three touchdowns on 61 attempts last year. Senior fullback Andy Coren had 218 yards and a touchdown on 51 carries in 2004, and had 323 yards and four scores as a junior. Redshirt freshman Bobby Coy, the preseason RMAC Offensive Freshman of the Year, bolsters the running back position. Most of the offensive line returns, led by 285-pound senior tackle Brian Trautman (lettered in ice hockey in high school), who was a first-team all-RMAC pick and a second-team D2football.com All-American in 2003. Trautman, who has made 28 career starts, received a medical redshirt after missing most of last season with a knee injury.
Junior Sean McGraw is the starting quarterback. He saw some action last year, completing 7-of-10 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown. But McGraw has few experienced targets to throw to. In fact, McGraw himself is the leading returning receiver, having nine catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns last season. Sophomore Drew Bohannan, a transfer from Scottsdale CC, figures to be the top receiving threat. On defense, junior safety Kyle Murray is the leading returning tackler with 91 stops a year ago. He also had an interception, four passes broken up and two fumble recoveries. Senior linebacker Jarrod Wyatt had 87 tackles last season, and senior cornerback Joe Krile had 50 tackles and two interceptions. Another important returnee is senior linebacker Scott Hodges.
Krile is a major threat on special teams, who has twice been a first-team all-RMAC pick as a kick returner. He averaged 34.0 yards on 21 kickoff returns in 2004, including a 96-yard return for a touchdown, and averaged 12.9 yards on 11 punt returns, with a long of 61 yards. But both the punting and placekicking duties are open.
WESTERN INJURY REPORT: Transfer cornerback Kevin Jones suffered a broken thumb on the second day of practice, but is expected to play Saturday as is starting wide receiver Andy Olson, who suffered a collapsed lung on Aug. 12. Two reserves, defensive tackle Gavin Kvangnes (broken wrist) and wide receiver Matt Hoss (broken jaw), suffered season-ending injuries during preseason practice.
LAST MEETING: None
OLSON STREAKS AND MILESTONES: Senior wide receiver Andy Olson enters the season with a school and GNAC record string of touchdown catches in nine consecutive games (two in seven of those contests). He ranks No.3 among Western career leaders in both touchdown catches (27, 3 short of record) and receptions (150, 31 short of record), and No.4 in receiving yards (2,480, 788 short of record). Last year, Olson set school and league records by making 15 touchdown catches. He had 68 receptions overall for 1,075 yards. He ranked No.9 nationally in receiving yards per game (107.5 avg.) and broke his own GNAC record. He also finished No.12 in receptions per game (6.8).
WESTERN NOTES: The Vikings are 4-0 against RMAC teams. They posted a 26-14 win over Chadron State in 1999 and won three times over Fort Lewis (48-10 in 2001, 52-14 in 2002 and 27-25 in 2004) ... Senior running back Duncan Sherrard ranks fifth among school career leaders in rushing yards with 2,258. He needs 380 to move into fourth place ... The Vikings are 61-19 (.763) at home since Smith became head coach in 1989, and are 12-4 in home openers.
COACHES: Rob Smith (Washington, 1981) is in his 17th year as head coach and his victory total (105-56-1) and winning percentage of .651 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 and 2003, 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.
Joe Ramunno (Wyoming, 1984), who is in his eighth season as head coach at Mesa State, has a record of 43-37-0. He directed the Mavericks to RMAC titles in 2000 and 2003. The school made its only NCAA II post-season playoff appearances those two years. He previously coached at Palisade (Colo.) High School, where he won four state championships.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA PICK: Western senior wide receiver Andy Olson was named to the Don Hansen's Football Gazette preseason All-America Team for the second straight year. He also was a second-team preseason All-American on www.CollegeSportsReport.com and d2football.com. Senior offensive center Loren Winter was a third-team www.CollegeSportsReport.com pick.
GNAC PRESEASON POLL: For the first time in nine years, Western is neither the favorite nor co-favorite to win a league title in football. This season, the Vikings were voted second behind arch-rival Central Washington in the GNAC Coaches Preseason Poll. The only other time during the past decade that they were not favored was in 1996.
The Vikings placed second in the GNAC last season with a 3-3 record. They have won four league championships over the past six years, and six crowns in the last 10 campaigns. Western's lowest finish during that stretch was second in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2004.
Western got one first-place vote in this year's poll, with Central receiving the other three. The Wildcats finished with 15 points on the 4-3-2-1 system, with Western getting 12, Humboldt State nine and Western Oregon four.
LAST WEEK: No game
NEXT GAME: Western is at Topeka, Kan., on Sept. 3 for a non-conference contest with Washburn University at 11 a.m. PT at Yager Stadium at Moore Bowl. It is the Vikings first series meeting with the Ichabods.
WEBSITE: For the latest results, statistics and updates, including reports on all Western athletic events, visit the Vikings website at wwuvikings.com.
PROBABLE TWO DEEPS
WESTERN WASHINGTON
OFFENSE
TE 13 Nick Yoney (6-3, 240, Sr.-2V, Arlington, WA) 86 Logan Cullen (6-2, 235, Fr.-RS, Anacortes, WA)LT 70 Brandon Torrey (6-3, 290, Jr.-2V, Graham, WA/Bethel) 59 Dale Moore (6-2, 270, Fr.-RS, Vancouver, WA/Evergreen)LG 67 Peter Van Datta (6-2, 270, Jr.-2V, Bremerton, WA/Central Kitsap) 57 Zach Myers (6-2, 295, So.-TR, Sammamish, WA/Skyline)C 53 Loren Winter (6-1, 270, Sr.-3V, Bothell, WA/Juanita) 66 Dan Trask (6-2, 275, Fr.-RS, Aberdeen, WA)RG 64 Tyler Sleeman (6-1, 305, Jr.-2V., Black Diamond, WA/Tahoma/EWU) 74 Tyler Ashby (6-4, 290, Fr.-TR, Seattle, WA/Ballard/UW)RT 56 Will Freitag (6-3, 265,Sr.-1V,Maple Valley,WA/East.Cath./Minn.-Crookston) 77 Evan Noteboom (6-4, 310, So.-SQ, Lynden, WA)SB 19 Brett Upchurch (6-1, 175, So.-1V, Sammamish, WA/Eastlake) 8 Chris Robinson (5-10, 200, So.-1V, Lakewood, WA/Clover Park)WR 1 Andy Olson (6-2, 210, Sr.-3V., Chehalis, WA/W.F.West) 87 Zach Russell (6-2, 180, Jr.-1V, Bothell, WA/Lake Washington)WR 9 Matt Wilson (5-10, 185, So.-1V, Auburn, WA) 81 Casey Dell (5-11, 185, So.-1V, Moxee, WA/East Valley)RB 29 Duncan Sherrard (5-9, 200, Sr.-3V, Seattle, WA/Roosevelt) 27 Jake Carlyle (5-7, 195, Sr.-3V, Olympia, WA/Capital)QB 14 James Monrean (6-1, 230, Jr.-1V., Bellingham, WA/Sehome) 6 Adam Perry (6-0, 185, Fr.-RS, Longview/R.A. Long)
DEFENSEE 72 Geoff Hise (6-2, 260, Sr.-3V, Snoqualmie, WA/Mount Si) 93 Matt Overton (5-11, 245, Jr.-TR, Tracy, CA/Diablo Valley JC)N 94 Ryan Lucas (6-5, 275, Jr.-1V, Vancouver, BC/North Delta/Simon Fraser) 75 Kyle Winkley (6-3, 280, Fr., Tumwater, WA/Black Hills)T 71 Junior Aumavae (6-1, 280, Fr.-RS, Palmer, AK) 97 Richard McCrae-Lauba (5-10, 230, Fr.-RS, Bellevue, WA/Sammamish)E 99 Ryan Conwell (6-5, 225, So.-1V, Kent, WA/Kentwood) 30 Chase Schmidtz (6-1, 210, Sr.-TR, Bellingham, WA (Meridian/EWU/Moorpark JC)OLB 46 Adam Klingenberg (5-11, 215, Sr.-3V, Walla Walla, WA/Walla Walla) 34 James Day (5-10, 195, So.-1V, Vancouver, WA/Mountain View)MLB 32 Craig Keenan (6-0, 225, Sr.-1V, Salem, MA/Hamilton-Wenham/Palomar JC) 49 Brandon Elliott (6-2, 235, So.-1V, Auburn, WA/Fife)OLB 39 Shane Simmons (6-1, 215, So.-TR, Kent, WA/Kentlake/Idaho) 47 Tieba Bropleh (5-10, 215, So.-1V, Bremerton, WA)LC 18 Ekene Agwuenu (6-1, 205, Sr.-TR, Chino Hills, CA/Ayala/Nevada) 3 Ocie Moore (5-9, 185, So.-1V, Seattle, WA/Kent-Meridian)RC 4 Sly Whitfield, Jr. (5-8, 170, Jr.-2V, Seattle, WA/Garfield) 42 Brett Hall (5-7, 175, Sr.-3V, Kennewick, WA/Columbia Basin CC) 7 Kevin Jones (5-10, 180, Jr.-TR, Seattle, WA/Kentwood/C.of Siskiyous)SS 33 Steve Davis (5-9, 190, Fr.-RS, Kennewick, WA/Kamiakin) 25 Mike Schmit (5-10, 180, So.-SQ, Vancouver, WA/Columbia River)FS 22 Todd McClellan (5-10, 200, Jr.-2V, Lacey, WA/Timberline) 2 Jason Barton (5-9, 185, Sr.-3V, Gig Harbor, WA)
SPECIALPK 83 Ace Younggren (6-0, 175, Fr., Snohomish, WA) 31 Bobby Peck (6-0, 180, Fr.-TR, Edmonds, WA/Meadowdale/Edmonds CC)P 45 Corbin Anderson (6-0, 190, So.-TR, Veradale, WA/University/EWU) 88 Josh Lider (6-2, 190, Fr., Bellevue, WA/Sammamish)H 15 A.J. Porter (6-1, 215, So.-1V, SeaTac, WA/Kennedy) 19 Brett Upchurch (6-1, 175, So.-1V, Sammamish, WA/Eastlake)LS 93 Matt Overton (5-11, 245, Jr.-TR, Tracy, CA/Diablo Valley JC) 15 A.J. Porter (6-1, 215, So.-1V, SeaTac, WA/Kennedy)LS FG 93 Matt Overton (5-11, 245, Jr.-TR, Tracy, CA/Diablo Valley JC) 99 Ryan Conwell (6-5, 215, So.-1V, Kent, WA/Kentwood)PR 22 Todd McClellan (5-10, 200, Jr.-2V, Lacey, WA/Timberline) 25 Mike Schmit (5-10, 165, R-Fr., Vancouver, WA/Columbia River) 1 Andy Olson (6-2, 210, Sr.-3V., Chehalis, WA/W.F.West)KR 87 Zach Russell (6-2, 180, Jr.-1V, Bothell, WA/Lake Washington) 9 Matt Wilson (5-10, 185, So.-1V, Auburn, WA) 5 Jordyn Jackson (5-9, 175, Fr.-RS, Vancouver, WA/Columbia River) 7 Kevin Jones (5-10, 180, Jr.-TR, Seattle, WA/Kentwood/Utah State)
PROBABLE TWO-DEEPS
MESA STATE COLLEGE
OFFENSE
TE 81 Austin Schneider (6-2, 215, Jr., Pierre, SD) 80 Austin Able (6-4, 215, Fr.-RS, Aurora, CO)LT 55 Chris Smith (6-3, 245, Jr., Colorado Springs, CO) 77 Ian Wortham (6-5, 295, Sr., Aurora, CO)LG 66 J.D. Lauritzen (6-2, 300, Sr., Salt Lake City, UT) 65 Chris Dennehy (6-0, 285, Fr.-RS, Lakewood, CO)C 50 Justin Brun (6-2, 250, Sr., Rifle, CO) 63 Scott Opperman (6-2, 240, Jr., Morrison, CO)RG 64 Chadd Torres (6-3, 275, Jr., Aurora, CO) 70 Joe Schubarth (6-3, 275, Sr., Sedalia, CO)RT 79 Brian Trautman (6-2, 285, Sr., Littleton, CO) 58 Lonnie Bierbrauer (6-2, 270, Fr.-RS, Arvada, CO)WR 85 Taylor Catt (6-1, 180, Fr.-RS, Fruita, CO) 3 Ryan Whittington (6-0, 205, So., Silt, CO)QB 2 Sean McGraw (6-3, 220, Jr., Meeker, CO) 14 Phil Vigil (6-1, 190, Fr.-RS, Arvada, CO)HB 20 Bobby Coy (5-11, 190, Fr.-RS, Littleton, CO) 8 William Simpson (5-10, 220, Jr., Cheyenne, WY)FB 28 Andy Coren (6-0, 215, Sr., Fruita, CO) 27 Jeremy Mercer (5-10, 215, So., Lakewood, CO)WR 12 Drew Bohannan (5-10, 175, So., Phoeniz, AZ) 15 Frankie Berlanga (5-10, 175, Sr., Soledad, CA)
DEFENSE
E 44 Creed James (6-1, 250, Jr., Burlington, CO) 90 Maurice Manley (6-4, 250, Fr.-RS, Grand Junction, CO)T 53 Trevor Wikre (6-3, 280, Fr., Berthoud, CO) 68 Greg Holtman (6-2, 290, So., Arvada, CO)N 74 Nate Kopenhafer (6-4, 260, Sr., Franktown, CO) 92 Brandon Alexander (6-2, 260, Fr., Norwood, CO)E 47 Kurt Kissner (6-4, 230, So., Cedaredge, CO) 56 Sherron Lewis (6-3, 240, So., Denver, CO)OLB 45 Ryan Kadavy (6-0, 205, Fr.-RS, Greeley, CO) 10 Mike Leary (6-1, 225, Jr., Littleton, CO)MLB 42 Jarrod Wyatt (6-3, 235, Sr., Cahone, CO) 59 Dylan Prijatel (6-1, 215, So., Pueblo, CO)OLB 5 Scott Hodges (6-1, 210, Sr., Scottsdale, AZ) 49 Jacob Cadelinia (6-0, 225, Jr., Ewa, HI)SS 18 Kyle Murray (5-11, 205, Jr., Grand Junction, CO) 37 Robert Losh (5-11, 180, Fr.-RS, Littleton, CO)FS 1 Brandon Charles (5-11, 190, So., Pagosa Springs, CO) 6 Brandon Waymire (6-3, 200, Fr., Parker, CO)RC 4 Art Berlanga (5-10, 175, Sr., Soledad, CA) 9 William Wade (6-2, 185, Sr., Denver, CO)LC 13 Joe Krile (6-0, 200, Sr., Loveland, CO) 22 Nick Reed (5-8, 180, Jr. Auroro, CO)
SPECIAL
P 17 Raul Amezola (5-8, 170, Fr., Englewood, CO) 19 Justin Loy (6-0, 175, Jr., Delta, CO)K 35 Tyler Johnson (5-11, 180, Jr., Sedalia, CO) 17 Raul Amezola (5-8, 170, Fr., Englewood, CO)LS 5 Scott Hodges (6-1, 210, Sr., Scottsdale, AZ) 49 Jacob Cadelinia (6-0, 225, Jr., Ewa, HI)PR 13 Joe Krile (6-0, 200, Sr., Loveland, CO) 1 Brandon Charles (5-11, 190, So., Pagosa Springs, CO)KR 13 Joe Krile (6-0, 200, Sr., Loveland, CO) 9 William Wade (6-2, 185, Sr., Denver, CO)H 3 Ryan Whittington (6-0, 205, So., Silt, CO) 1 Brandon Charles (5-11, 190, So., Pagosa Springs, CO)
