SPORTS
THE PRINT
March 1,1989
Page 7
Spencer adds to Clackamas1 hope for the future
by Mark A. Borrelli
Sports Editor
After a disappointing season
that saw the men’s basketball team
just miss the playoffs, the Cougars
have hope and enthusiasm for the
future. The late season emergence
of freshman point guard Todd
Spencer has given Clackamas
reason to be optimistic about next
season.
Spencer, a graduate of David
Douglas High School, is one of
the many rising stars on the list of
Cougars expected to return next
season. Spencer’s sparkling play
in the second half of the season
helped Clackamas win five of their
his basketball shoes and head to
Clackamas.
“Clackamas has a really good
basketball program, and I wanted
to go somewhere where I would
be able to play,” said Spencer.
With scorers like Trev Kiser,
Nate Pyatt, and Jeff Hoffman,
Spencer hasn’t really been relied
on to be a scorer, but he has been
the man to get the ball into the
hands of the shooters.
Even though Spencer’s favor
ite player is Larry Bird, it should
be Magic Johnson, because he was
the Magic Johnson of the Cou
gars, leading his team in assists
and finishing Ilin the NWAACC
in assists with a 5.7 average.
“Passing, dribbling, and get
ting assists are my strong points
right now. I need to work on my
free-throw shooting,” said Spencer.
Spencer’s emergence as a team
leader helped the Cougars put
together some of their best per
formances of the season. They
finished 7-7 in league, and tied for
fourth before losing to Lane in a
fourth place playoff game.
“We were really coming to
gether as a team in the last eight
games. We stopped letting little
things bother us, and we were able
to settle down and cut down on
the turnovers,” said Spencer.
The mid-season rally by the
last seven games, putting them in
playoff contention before eventu
ally losing to Lane in the fourth
place playoff game.
Spencer got started playing
basketball at an early age and has
been going strong ever since,.
“My dad got me started play
ing basketball in the fourth grade.
I just love to play the game, and I
have been playing ever since then,”
commented Spencer.
Spencer had an outstanding
basketball career at David Douglas,
playing two strong years of varsity
basketball and being named first
team AIl-Mt. Hood Conference
his senior season. One of Spencer’s
most memorable moments came
from his senior year at David
Douglas.
“Getting to the State tourna
ment in the coliseum was a memo
rable moment. We played West
Linn and lost to them on a last-
second shot I played a pretty good
game, but it was tough to lose like
that,” said Spencer.
After a successful high school
career Spencer decided to pickup
photo by Julie
Freshman point guard Todd Spencer's brilliant play during the
last half of the Cougars' season has given Clackamas reason to
be optimistic about next year.
Drennen Cougars* loaded gun
I by Luis Perez
I Staff Writer
J J. Drennen simply loves bas-
[ ketball. That love for the game is
I infectious not only to her team-
I mates, but also to those who watch
I her play.
The Clackamas women’s bas-
I ketball team has unlimited po-
Itential. They finished second in
■ league play this season and are
peaking at the right time, right
before the playoffs. J.J. is a big
part of their success, using her
deadly outside shooting to pre-
ivent opponents from sagging in
on the post players.
I
“J.J. is a very good offensive
I threat,” said her coach Phil Garver.
l“We have really counted on her
for that outside shooting.”
Garver continued to sing the
■■praises of the Freshman forward
■ from Wilson High School by say-
■ ing that, “I think she’s gaining a
lot more confidence against the
other teams... she’s a good shooter
¡and she penetrates well.”
I™
I"
While J.J. loves to pass the
ball to her teammates Pam (Pem-
ber) and Alicia (Stephenson), her
coach will allow her to shoot in
any game situation.
■
“J.J. can shoot whenever she
wants to. She definitly has a green
light,” Garver said.
Drennen has used that green
light to average 14 points a game
while shooting 49 percent from
the field, a very high percentage
■considering the many difficult shots
■she takes. She has also averaged
■5.4 rebounds per game, which is
■incredible considering that with
■’ember and Stephenson around
■there are few spare rebounds
■available.
Drennen is understandably op
timistic about the Cougars’ chances
for post season glory.
“We have a lot of dedication;
everybody wants to win,” she said.
“If Phil {Garver) is not available
we’ll hold practice by ourselves.”
As long as she can remember,
evetyone has called Jennifer Jill
Drennen J.J., a name she likes.
The Drennen family has always
been committed not only to bas
ketball, but to education as well.
Her father started the girls’ bas
ketball program at Markham
Grade School, where he was J.J.’s
coach. Following her eighth graae
year, he built a basketball court in
the back yard so she could prac
tice.
“He’s worked with me every
summer in the back yard,” re
marked J.J.
The support of her parents is
the main reason that Drennen
became such a good player. “My
parents live for basketball; they
love it. My dad hasn’t missed one
of my games since my freshman
year,” she said.
Drennen had an outstanding
high school career. She started as
a sophomore, was second team
all-P.LL. .as a junior, and by her 1
senior year was first team all-P.LL.
while averaging 15 points a game
and receiving an all-state honor
ablemention. Drennen’s coach at
Wilson knew Phil Garver and
recommended that Drennen at
tend Clackamas.
“I really like Phil. I love Phil’s
coaching philosophy,” Drennen
said.
Drennen is a dedicated stu
dent. Her warm smile and her
easygoing personality seem at odds
With the seriousness she applies
to both basketball and her
schoolwork. She carried 16 cred
its during fall term, a heavy load
for an athlete who spends so much
time practicing. She plans on
continuing her education at a four-
year school, hopefully in Oregon,
and someday hopes to be a juve
nile corrections counselor. Like
some of her friends she is criminal
justice major, which explains a
long standing campus mystery.
“That’s why we’re called the
‘partners in crime’,” J J. remarked.
I
I
I
I
Cougars fell short this year, but
with almost all of the freshman
planning to return next season
hopes are high that next year’s
team will be successful. Spencer
hopes to step in next year and
direct his team to a successful
season.
“My goals are to come back
to Clackamas next year, try to be a
team leader, and do anything it
takes to makeour team a winner,”
remarked Spencer.
With basketball season over,
Spencer now has a lot of time to
do other things.
“Basketball is my hobby. I like
to play a lot of rat ball, hang around
with friends, and party,” said
Spencer.
Spencers career goals are to
be a teacher and a coach, much
like his current coach Royce Kiser.
“He’s a great guy and a great
coach,” Spencer explained.
Spencer hopes to move on to
a four-} ear school after one more
year, and ten years down the road
sees himself coaching an AAA
high school team, married, and to
have had a chance to play college
basketball on the division one level.
Spencer’s hard work, dedica
tion, and tough guy attitude will
certainly lend itself to wfyat should
be a successful Cougar team next
year,withTodd Spencer manning
the controls.
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ARMY BE ALL YOU CAN BE
photo by Jillian Porter
Drennen’s play this year has helped her team be successful.
centimeters
Colors by Muriseli Color Services Lab