Mount Hood

Homecoming on the gridiron for the Wolves

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

It was a beautiful sunny day as the Wolves took the field for the 2018 Homecoming game. Western had just come off a sizable loss to the Central Washington Wildcats and looked to bring their record back to .500 with this home match.

In the last meeting between the two teams, the Wolves had walloped the Humboldt State Lumberjacks in Arcata, California with a score of 38-13. Hoping to duplicate those results, the Wolves snapped on their helmets and were ready to play.

On the opening drive of the game the Wolves were all business. A touchdown pass set up Western to quickly jump out to a 7-0 lead. The rest of the quarter was filled with defensive stops from both teams, ending with no more points being scored.

Humboldt State put themselves on the board and showed that they were ready for a fight, tying up the game 7-7 in the 2nd quarter. After a score by Western’s offense, the defense showed they could score too with a huge interception that was returned for a touchdown. Going into the half, Western was on top 21-7.

After the announcement of the homecoming court, Western looked to have lost a bit of momentum. Humboldt State kicked a field goal and later scored a touchdown to bring the game to 17-21. However, right before the end of the 3rd, the Wolves were in the endzone once again.

The 4th quarter was gearing up to be anyone’s game. The Wolves’s score late in the 3rd helped them maintain a lead, but the relentless Lumberjacks held the Wolves to a field goal. Both offenses fought hard to give their teams an edge. Western’s defense helped maintain the lead and the addition of two more touchdowns for the Wolves cemented the lead. Western brought the homecoming festivities to a close with a huge 45-24 win.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Bailey Thompson

Wolfie’s Bowl action

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

For the 2018 Homecoming week, the ladies were the first to step foot on the gridiron for the Wolves. The 39th Annual Powerpuff Game: Wolfie’s bowl was gearing up to be a powerful start to this year’s homecoming football festivities. With female students lining up for the On-Campus team and Off-Campus team, this year’s participants were ready for a fight.

The first half of action was a defensive struggle as neither team gave the other an inch. Blows were traded back and forth but neither team found the endzone.

“I was worried because I had class until 6 (p.m.) in Corvallis and I didn’t get here until halftime, but I knew we could hold them off,” said junior criminal justice and exercise science major Mikaela Wong on the Off-Campus team.

Within minutes of the start of the second quarter, Wong torched the defense on a trick play, finding the endzone to put the first points on the board. Due to tight officiating, the points ended up coming off the board. Forcing a turnover, the On-Campus team took possession and marched their way down the field.

Off the power of junior chemistry major D-Dré Wright’s arm, the On-Campus team was the first to put points on the board.

“I just know I’m throwing to the left half of the field. I don’t aim or anything, I just put it up and let my receiver get the ball,” said Wright on her touchdown bullseye.

After falling behind, the Off-Campus team knew they needed to score.

“We called a Mac-Daddy 3, that’s the name of the play. I knew (the ball) should be going to me, I just (have to) streak down the field (and catch it),” explained Wong on how the play was to be executed.

Wong sprinted past the defense and caught the game-tying touchdown pass. After a successful one point conversion, the Off-Campus crew led, 7-6.

Defensive stops came back and forth, but after a missed first down, the Off-Campus team kneeled out the clock to mark their third straight win. Hoisting the trophy high, the crowd cheered and made their way to the bonfire pep rally.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Caity Healy

Opinion: From the Sports Desk

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

“Football is on solid standing at Western… If we get (to add more games to the schedule) with the Lone Star (conference) then we’ll be playing football for the next 50 years at least,” stated Athletic Director Curtis Campbell. His voice gave me no doubt that he held this belief very near and dear, but the facts seemed to point another direction.

Thursday, Oct. 11, I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Campbell about the financial status of Western’s athletics. During the interview it became abundantly clear that Western struggles to compete at a high level athletically due to the inability to fully fund any of the varsity athletics.

“We are the lowest funded school in our conference. We offer the least amount of scholarships in every sport. We are at the bottom of the list,” said Campbell about our ability to offer scholarships.

“In football…you can offer 36 full scholarships. We offer about 15. In baseball you can have nine, and we have three. In track and field you can have 12.7 and we have three. So were the lowest funded school in our conference.”

This inability to fully fund athletics comes at the cost of success.

“The more scholarship dollars you have, the more competitive you are — the teams that are winning in football, and in basketball and in baseball. The teams that are winning are the ones that have the most scholarships to award.”

In Issue 3 of The Western Howl in the article titled, “Opinion: From the Sports Desk” I expressed how football may be on its deathbed due to the monumental cost and microscopic size of the conference. After speaking with Campbell, it became apparent to me that football is not only dying, it’s killing off the sports around it.

“We don’t have the funding…We are the lowest funded school in our conference” Campbell repeated over and over.

The question that kept occuring to me, if Western was struggling so much to fund all the athletic programs, why not condense the amount being offered?

When asked about adding programs, Campbell said, “We’re not funding the varsity sports we currently have… When you fully fund the sports you already have, then you start adding sports. But we’re so far away from that.”

But wouldn’t lowering the amount of programs offered allow the rest of Western’s athletics to thrive?

In 2008, when Western Washington University ended their football program, Eileen Coughlin, vice president for Student Affairs and Academic Support Services said to Tim Booth, Associated Press Sports Writer in his story “WWU Ends Football Program; Ensures Excellence of All Other Sports“, “Ending the football program will allow intercollegiate athletics to meet budget reduction targets, and, most importantly, to protect the quality of the remaining intercollegiate sports,”

Maybe Western Oregon should take a page from Western Washington’s book and protect the sports around football. Because if football stays for 50 years, other sports might not.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Western Men’s Rugby pounces on Seattle University Redhawks

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

After losing a nail biter to Central Oregon Community College on Oct. 7, Western’s Men’s Rugby looked to bounce back against the Seattle University Redhawks. With the sun shining on their backs, the Wolves didn’t waste any time asserting their dominance over Seattle University.

Two minutes into the first period, the Wolves scored off of a breakaway run and made the conversion to quickly bring the score to 7-0. The Redhawks showed they were ready for a fight as they bullied their way down the field, scoring a try and missing the conversion, making the score 7-5. The feverish battle between the teams looked to make for a close match, but Western wasn’t looking for another at home loss.

Tries were scored back and forth until the end of the first period where the score sat 14-10 with the Wolves on top. But for the Wolves, the best was yet to come.

Lighting up the scoreboard, Western found themselves scoring 17 unanswered points throughout the 2nd period. Every large gain by the Redhawks was met with an overwhelming defensive effort and an even more powerful offensive push. Cheered on by hoots and hollers from the crowd, the Wolves rumbled their way to a now lopsided score of 38-10.

In the final quarter the Redhawks showed some signs of life. Outscoring Western 15-14 in the period, the Redhawks hoped to claw their way back into the game. However this effort was no match for the dominant 2nd period. As time ran out, Western finished on top with a score of 52-25.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Western Lacrosse stands tall against the Rippers

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

The freashman heavy Western Lacrosse team took the field on a sunny Oct. 14. The Wolves were pitted against the Rippers, a men’s league team, for their home debut of the fall lacrosse season.

Previously the Wolves split their last four tournament games with two wins and two losses. With this matchm Western hoped to gain experience and add to their winning column.

The first quarter was messy for Western. Unable to win a faceoff, the Wolves quickly fell into a 0-2 hole before finally finding the back of the net. Poor defensive play led to Western falling to a 2-4 score at the end of the first.

“We were playing against an offensive set we hadn’t practiced against. The different look took us a bit to react to,” said senior history major and defenseman Bryce Hinkle.

The Wolves finally found their offensive footing in the second quarter. The senior led offense found the cage six times to capture the lead over the Rippers. Visibly tired, the Rippers offense struggled to hold a possession while the deep bench of the Wolves lead to an offensive run.

Not ready to give up, the Rippers came storming back in the 3rd quarter. After a couple of missed shots and poor goalkeeping from Western, the Rippers buried four shots to bring the game within three points.

It was anyone’s ballgame as the clock began to run in the final quarter of play. Carrying off their momentum from the third, the Rippers fought their way back to bring the game within one. Great defensive efforts were made on both sides of the field as the Rippers battled to retake the lead.

With just a handful of minutes left to play, the Wolves’s offense cemented their lead with a pair of goals. Western lacrosse’s home debut came to a finish with the Wolves on top, 14-11.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Discovering Club Sports

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Whether students are looking to continue their competitive passion for high level athletics or just wanting to learn something new, a viable option is Western’s Club Sports. Joining a team gives students the ability to compete nationally in competitive team sports. Club Sports are open to student of any skill and experience level — many rosters are full of students who have never played the sport before coming to college.

The teams within Club Sports are split into two types: Tier 1 and Tier 2. The Tier 2 sports are geared more toward practicing and enjoying the sport while the Tier 1 sports are about competition with other schools and competing within a national league. Below, I’ve listed the Club Sports currently offered at Western.

 

Tier 1:

Dance Team

Joining the Dance Team allows male and female students the chance to perform in front of the school at home football and basketball games.

Contact the club president Olivia Ashmanskas at oashmanskas14@wou.edu

Men’s Rugby

Playing for the Men’s Rugby Team gives male students the ability to compete against other schools in this full-contact sport.

Contact the club president Chris Davis at cwdavis@wou.edu

Women’s Rugby

Being the only full-contact female club sport, the Women’s Rugby Team is a way for female students to compete in an aggressive sport.

Contact the club president Ciara Brady at cbrady16@wou.edu

Men’s Soccer

The Men’s Soccer team is for male students who want to participate in a higher level of soccer.

Contact the club president Nash Idler at nidler14@wou.edu

Men’s Lacrosse

Being a full contact sport, the Lacrosse Team is another option for male students looking to get involved in hard hitting and fast paced competition.

Contact the club president Justin Morales at jmorales17@wou.edu

Rock Climbing

Whether a student wants to learn how to climb or compete against other schools, the Rock Climbing Club gives the option of a relaxed or competitive experience.

Contact the club president Kayla Baker at kmbaker15@wou.edu

 

Tier 2:

Women’s Soccer

Competing against other schools all around the west coast, the Women’s Soccer Team is for female students looking to play soccer at a high level.

Contact the club president Haylie Shinsato at hshinsato14@wou.edu

Disc Golf

Brand new this school year, the Disc Golf Club is a way for students to learn about and compete in the sport.

Contact the club president Lucas Castanon at lcastanon15@wou.edu

Martial Arts

No matter what the skill level, the Martial Arts Club grants students the chance to show off their martial art skills with others.

Contact the club president Alex Buschauer at abuschauer14@wou.edu

Running Club

Running with the Running Club gives students the chance to participate in team practices on many different courses and trails as well as the chance to join in on some competitive events.

Contact the club president Sean Martinez at smartinez17@wou.edu

Tennis Club

The Tennis Club gives students the opportunity to hone in their tennis skills against different students in a relaxed or competitive environment.

Contact the club president Jacob Bering at jbering16@wou.edu

Wrestling Club

Meeting several times a week, the Wrestling Club gives students the opportunity to spar with their fellow students to help grow their wrestling skills.

Contact the club president Todd Sjullie at tsjullie17@wou.edu

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Wolves’s Men’s Rugby lose close match against COCC Bobcats

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Clouds covered the sky and rain began to fall as Western Men’s Rugby took the field to battle against the Central Oregon Community College Bobcats. A week prior, Western Rugby took on Oregon State University and pulled off an upset beating them 31-29. Hoping to continue their season in the winning column, the Wolves matched up against the Bobcats.

The first 20 minutes saw offensive domination by the Wolves with the ball only crossing back over midfield once. However, despite the offensive pressure, Western was only able to score one try, missing the conversion.

Shortly after their try the Wolves’ defense fell back on their heels. The Bobcats scored and were able to complete their conversion to take a 7-5 lead with close to 15 minutes left on the clock in the half. After a few defensive stops by Western, the Bobcats once against found themselves on the board with another try. After missing the conversion the Wolves were down 12-5 going into the half.

Western needed to make some adjustments at halftime in order to stall the offensive momentum of the Bobcats.

“We made some substitutions because some guys were a little fatigued,” said senior criminal justice major Chris Davis. “But overall it was more so just getting back to the basics… settling back down and getting back to what we do well: running our offense.”

Shortly after the half Western started to battle back, bringing the score to 10-12. However both defenses were relentless as no points were scored either way for the majority of the second half.

As the clock came down to just a few minutes left, the Wolves pulled ahead 15-12. Unfortunately for Western, this lead was short lived as the Bobcats scored a try and conversion to retake the lead. With just a few minutes on the clock Western was unable to recover the lead, finishing the game 15-19 with the Bobcats on top.

Despite the loss, Western still kept their heads high.

“It was encouraging because this team was the conference champion last year and we matched up pretty well,” said Davis. “I think that going forward for the rest of the season, only a two point loss to a really good team like this can be pretty encouraging”

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

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