Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 1998)
7 T ie ClAckAMAs P rìnt Wednesday, October 14, 1998 Cougars declawed in Salem JOHN THORBURN Sports Editor . They say when it rains it pours. Well, it rained like hell in Sa lem last week. Clackamas hit a brick wall that sent a wake-up call to the Cougars. In a match that was touted as the showdown of two Southern Region powerhouses, the Chemeketa Storm put on a clinic and Clackamas [5-1, 27-3] couldn't even find a seat. The Storm [6-0,29-1] dispelled the visiting Cougars in three short matches 15-4, 15-7, 15-4. "We played just awful," said Clackamas Head Coach Kathie Woods. "Chemeketa is very, very consistent and we just made too many errors." Named by one fan as the JOHN THORBURN / Clackamas Print "Heart-Attack Team," Clackamas Clackamas Head Coach Kathie Woods is confident despite the Cougars' inconsistent play in the is on a rollercoaster ride as it be past week and is ready for her team to get back on top. gins the second half of its season tournament but then went back kane. ond half of its schedule with two this Friday. Clackamas looked lazy and home matches against Southwest "It feels like a rollercoaster," down on Saturday." The Cougars hosted the North confused and were soundly de ern Oregon and Umpqua Commu noted Woods. "We had a down spot against Chemeketa and then west Athletic Association of Com- feated by a hungry Spo nity College this Fri on Friday we went back up in the munity Colleges [NWAACC] kane squad. day and Saturday. Later in the tournament, Crossover Tourna "I've sent a ment this past a drained Clackamas team challenge to this team weekend and placed rebounded with wins to respond. I'm anx third despite win against Centralia and don't play ious to see how they ning six matches Shoreline. well we play do that." "I'm both curious and and losing one. Despite the in horrible, On Friday, excited to see how this consistent play, Coach Clackamas opened team responds," said and when Woods is not disap up against the Coach Woods. "When we we play pointed with her team. Shoreline Dolphins don't play well we play "I could look and defeated them horrible, and when we play good at the Chemeketa in two hard-fought good nobody Can touch us. nobody can game and this past games. Then the We just need to get off the weekend and say that touch us. Spokane Sasquatch rollercoaster. we're struggling," "Every team does this. stepped onto the noted Woods. "But court for a shot at Clackamas, Spokane and our record is 27-3. Kathie the home team and even Chemeketa is show There aren't many Woods failed miserably. ing signs of it. Head teams that can say "Great teams are deter The Cougars dealt JOHN THORBURN / Clackamas Print Coach that. We just need to their next two oppo mined by whichever team regroup and redefine Judi Arbuckle [left] and Kimber York are gets off of the ride first," nents quick losses our roles. I have total anxious for success heading into the second to set up a second added Woods. confidence that we'll half of the Cougars' season schedule. match against Spo- The Cougars dive into the sec bounce back." __ y The Clackamas volleyball team was given the day off Monday by its head coach. They were told to take a break, have fun, and to get away from volley ball. Instead of going out with friends to a movie or shopping, however, sophomore defensive specialist Maren Maggio spent the afternoon in the weight room doing as much as possible to strengthen herself and her team. Maggio, like every other ath lete at Clackamas, wants to win and to succeed. She is a Cougar—part ofTthe winningest athletic program in the northwest in the 1990's. One would think that a team like the Clackamas volleyball squad, with its three straight Southern Division title, its league championship in 1996 and its national ranking two years in a row, would draw a crowd. One would think, anyway. Instead, parents line the bleachers with a few scattered students here and there —de pending on what time the local parties start of course. Now, it's always been argued that a school like Clackamas will never draw a crowd because of its closeness to the Portland Metropolitan area. One could always go to a Portland Trail blazers game or a Power game. They could venture to a Winterhawks hockey game as well. If I'm not mistaken, the Blaz- See Fans, page 8 Akili Smith Duck lands in Heisman race B Wr r University of Oregon senior quarterback, Akili Smith, has found himself one of the nation's top contenders for the 1998 Heisman Trophy. Finally, after years of waning, the wait is over. At last, the Oregon Ducks now have a Legiti mate Heisman Trophy contender. Quarterback Akili Smith has led the Ducks to a 5-0 record and a #11 overall national ranking in the polls. Along the way, he has played himself right into Heisman Trophy contention with stellar play that has already earned him many honors (among them, most recently, offensive player of the week honors and USA Today conference player of the week, on 9/28 against Stanford in a 63-28 victory). The senior Quarterback from San Diego, Cal. ar rived at Oregon in his junior year (1997) as a trans fer out of Grossmont Junior College, quickly lend ing the team a boost as quarterback. After arriving late in spring training, he was forced to split quarterbacking duties with Jason Mass. After learning the offense, he led the Ducks to an upset victory over then 6th-ranked Washington 31- 28 on a last second 29-yard touchdown pass to split end Pat Johnson. One expert said Smith “looked like Houdini on that play,” because he escaped so many defenders. This play was a sign of good times to come. This year while leading U of O to their undefeated record (5-0) and national ranking (No. 11), Smith has made himself a household name. He is the most efficient quarterback in the country, leading the nation with a 196.3 quarterback rating (the rating formula figures pass attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns and interceptions). The No.2 ranked passer (Donovan McNabb, Syracuse) is 20.4 rating points behind him at 175.9 (the NCAA record is 178.4, set by Danny Wuerffel of Florida in 1996). He is ranked 5th nationally with 15 touchdown passes, is 8th in total offense at 297 yards per game, and has Oregon ranked 2nd nationally in both total offense (539.8yards per game) and scoring (50.6 points per See Heisman, page 8
