Sports Editor:
Adam Jude
adam jude@dailyemerald. com
Assistant Sports Editor:
Jeff Smith
jeffsmith@dailyemerald. com
Wednesday, October 10,2001
Oregon Daily Emerald
Best Bet
MLB playoffs:
Oakland at New York,
5:15p.m., Fox Sports Net
Roommates motivate each other on and off die
In his first
career start,
redshirt freshman
Sarnie Parker
led the Ducks
with six receptions
for 160 yards,
including his
first touchdown,
in Oregon’s
63-28 victory
over Arizona.
Adam Amato Emerald
■ Many Oregon players were given
a chance to contribute to the Ducks’
latest win, including roommates
George Wrighster and Sarnie Parker
By Jeff Smith
Oregon Daily Emerald
Roommates at home, teammates on the
field and motivators everywhere in-be
tween.
Sophomore tight end George Wrighster
and redshirt freshman receiver Sarnie Park
er pushed each other all summer in prepa
ration for this season. Whether it was lifting
that extra weight, running that extra lap or
catching that extra pass, the two California
natives benefited from each other’s motiva
tion.
While both have had their moments in
the past, Parker catching three passes for 72
yards against Oregon State and Wrighster
displaying his sharp blocking skills in every
game last season, it wasn’t until Saturday
night that they both reached the paydirt.
Wrighster and Parker each hauled in their
first career touchdown pass in fifth-ranked
Oregon’s message-sending 63-28 victory at
Arizona.
In the first quarter, it was Wrighster who
got the Oregon offensive attack rolling when
he gave his team the early 7-0 lead with a two
yard scoring reception.
And in the second quarter, it was Parker
who helped Oregon break away when he
broke loose in the open field and caught a
38-yard touchdown pass from Joey Harring
ton to extend the Ducks’ lead to 28-14.
Wrighster ended up with three catches
for 18 yards while Parker started in place of
Keenan Howry and led all Oregon receivers
with five catches for 160 yards.
“We talked about this all summer, about
getting out there and trying to make an im
pact in a big game,” Parker said. “It’s fun to
be able to go home and be able to talk about
how the game went and how we con
tributed to the win.”
Also living with the two is fellow team
mate Onterrio Smith, who also played a key
part in the win by rushing for 131 yards and
two touchdowns.
Wrighster said that it wasn’t until a late
night conversation with his roomies that he
realized that he had scored the first points
of the game.
“We were talking about the game and
someone said, ‘Man, you scored the first
TD,’ and I was like, ‘I did,
huh?’” Wrighster said.
“So yeah, it was kind of
cool. Everybody wants to
be a part of the scoring of
fense. When you catch
balls and get into the end
zone, it makes you feel even more a part of
the offense.”
Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti has long
liked Wrighster’s blocking abilities but is
practically drooling at the thought of hav
ing two proven receivers at the tight end po
sition. With opposing defenses having to
honor Wrighster’s catching abilities, it
would potentially free up starting tight end
Justin Peelle, who is on every defensive co
ordinator’s game plan.
“George is one of the best line of scrim
mage blockers, and that is good, but if we
can release him and take him down the
field, it certainly would add to our offense,”
Bellotti said.
As for Parker, Bellotti is more than com
fortable having Harrington use him as an
important part of the offense. Parker’s burst
of acceleration is what separates him from
the pack, Bellotti said.
“Sarnie brings a speed factor to the
team, and on the fly, he’s probably the
fastest player on the team other than
Allan Amundson,” Bellotti said. “At the
receiver position, he can definitely stretch
Turn to Football, page 8A
Ducks head to Corvallis
in search of first victory
■The volleyball team takes on
the surprising Beavers tonight
in an attempt to gain their first
Pac-10win of the season
By Hank Hager
Oregon Daily Emerald
When Fox Sports Net comes calling,
you know it’s going to be a good
match.
That’s right, it’s Civil War time. And
although it matches two teams at the
opposite ends of the spectrum,
tonight’s match at Gill Coliseum in Cor
vallis promises to be one for the ages.
The Ducks (8-7 overall, 0-6 Pac-10
Conference) take their underrated de
fense to Oregon State in an attempt to
knock-off the surprising Beavers (10-4,4
2) in the first installment of this season’s
Civil War.
Tonight’s match, slated to start at 7
p.m., will be televised by Fox Sports
Net on a tape-delayed basis. It is set to
be aired at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Spirits will be high, and so will
emotion. But cooler heads will prevail
in a match between the two rivals.
“It’s always fun as a player to go up
against your rival,” Oregon State head
coach Nancy Somera said. “There’s al
ways additional adrenaline, and it’s al
ways fun. We are anticipating that it
will be a competitive match, but we’re
not treating it any different than any
other match. Oregon just happens to
be the next team on our schedule.”
Oregon head coach Carl Ferreira
agrees, and is look
ing forward to play
ing the Beavers. But
he said he doesn’t
have to say anything
to get his players
fired up.
“At all the levels
the kids play, somewhere along the way,
they have traditional rivals,” he said.
' “It’s not like you have to say anything to
get their awareness. I think it takes care
of itself.”
Asked if the match in Corvallis takes
on any special importance because it is
against the Ducks’ only traditional rival,
Ferreira said, “Actually, I think they’re
all important.”
Oregon State, the only squad the
Ducks beat on the road in Pac-10 play
last season, has become a legitimate
presence in the conference. After going
Turn to Volleyball page 6A
Soccer prepares for tangles in Pac-10
■The Ducks will face top-25 foes California
and Stanford this weekend at Pape Field
By Peter Hockaday
Oregon Daily Emerald
A week ago, the Oregon women’s soccer team looked
at this weekend’s matchups with Stanford and Califor
nia with dread.
California was ranked sixth in the country, while
Stanford was close behind, in seventh. At the same time,
the Ducks had looked miserable at the beginning of a 3-0
loss to No. 4 Portland.
But all that changed as the week went on. Portland
smoked a tough Oregon State squad to jump to third in the
country, while Stanford and Cal both dropped games and
dropped in the rankings. Oregon then blew out Portland
State, even after the Ducks’ reserves let in two soft goals.
Still, this weekend’s games loom on Oregon’s schedule.
Duck head coach Bill Steffen said his team will take im
portant lessons into the conference-openers this weekend.
“We learned that we can play well and we can do things
right,” Steffen said. “We also learned that we can’t play slop
py, no matter what.”
The Ducks take on No. 17 California on Friday at 3
p.m., and No. 9 Stanford on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both
games will be played at Oregon’s Pape Field, where
the Ducks are 4-1 this season.
Believin’ in the Bruins
UCLA is having success this season to the tune of a 9-0-0
record and a No. 2 ranking. The Bruins trail only North Car
olina in the polls, and handed No. 3 Portland its only loss this
season in their opener. The Bruins will take on Arizona and
Arizona State, and while neither team is ranked, both are dan
Turn to Soccer, page 6A
Adam Amato Emerald
Chalise Baysa has led Oregon in scoring for three years.