Sports
6
Wednesday, January 13, 1999
IT ie CI ac I< amas P rìnt
Gut-check time for streaking Cougar squad
because we had an off night shoot
ing.
!'We had some players step up and
Not very many people around the
have some huge games for us."
Northwest knew what to expect with the
Tonight marks the first matchup be
Clackamas men's basketball team.
tween Coach Wegner's new team and
The only thing they knew was that it
his former team.
Wegner coached the Mt. Hood
would be good.
Saints to the playoffs last season be
They were: right.
The Cougars [2-0, 12-4] are running
fore accepting the head coaching role
over competition as of late and
at Clackamas.
"I know all of the players on
are only getting better.
On Saturday, Clackamas, led by
that team," said Wegner.
"They haven't been playing
new Head Coach Clif Wegner,
played one of its best games of the
great basketball lately but
year—defeating Linn-Benton 84- Tonight:
they told me they wanted to
68.
Mt. Hood win this game more than any
The Cougars' winning formula
other game. They'll be
is a simple one: one of the top Time:
pumped up so it's going to be
coaches in the Northwest direct
a dogfight."
8 p.m.
ing the best shooting squad in the
Mt. Hood [1-1, 6-10] is one
Saturday: game behind the Cougars in
Northwest equals wins.
Last Wednesday, the Cougars'
the Southern Region stand
Lane
put their precision shooting on
ings.
display against the Portland Pan Time:
This Saturday is gut-check
thers—winning 106-83.
time for Clackamas.
8 p.m.
Sophomores Billy Bright and
Lane visits Randall Gymna
Cody Eckman led Clackamas
sium for a game, the top
with 22 and 18 points, respectively. Abe
ranked Titans, don't plan on losing.
Smith knocked down 16 points, David
"I don't like to think ahead too
Cohen dropped in 15 points while Jared
much," noted Wegner. "If we beat
Price and Tony Edgerton each scored 12.
Mt. Hood, though, it should set up
Edgerton, Bright and Cohen each re
quite a showdown. It could really de
corded rebound numbers in double fig
termine who's the top team in the
Southern Region."
ures.
In all, the Clackamas offense is aver
The defending Southern Region
aging a blistering 91.3 points per game
Champions have been flawless with
while holding opponents under 80
a 15-0 record this season.
points on defense.
In the year's first Horizon Air
Coaches' Poll, Clackamas was ranked
"We played good defense on Satur
day," said Coach Wegner. "We needed it
#8 in the Northwest.
JOHN THORBURN
Sports Editor
JOHN THORBURN / Clackamas Print
Clackamas guard Cody Eckman stretches towards the rim against Portland
Community College in the Cougars' 106-83 victory.
Cougars win and win and win ...
JOHN THORBURN
Sports Editor
The Clackamas women's bas
ketball program doesn't know how
to lose.
Heading into its 1998-99 cam
paign, the Cougars didn't get
much respect. The defending
Southern Region Champions
weren't picked to repeat, they
weren't even picked to finish #2.
The Cougars are earning re
spect, however, and they're doing
it the old-fashioned way.
Clackamas [2-0,12-5] sits atop
the Southern Region standings
along with the Umpqua
Timberwomen [2-0, 16-0].
For the Cougars to win their
second-straight title, a near per
fect season is almost necessary.
Clackamas got a big scare this
past weekend, escaping Albany
with a 63-62 victory over Linn-
Benton.
"Linn-Benton has got a pretty
good team this year," said first-
year Head Coach Jim Martineau.
"They haven't been too successful
in recent years, but they're going
to win some games this winter."
Clackamas has relied on a suf
focating defense and a well-bal
anced offensive attack. Four Cou
gars are averaging in double fig
ures with Sophomore Nichole
Hayden leading the team with a
16.1 average.
When Hayden had a difficult
night on Saturday, her teammates
stepped up.
"We've had some players really
stepping up their games these last
few weeks," said Martineau.
"We'll need play like that from this
team all season to contend for the
title.
"Noelle Johnson had a good
night for us. The stats don’t really
show it but she stepped in and re
ally played some solid basketball
for us."
One player that has given the
Cougars a boost is Sophomore
post, Rachel Hudson.
Hudson is averaging 13 points
per game after seeing limited ac
tion as a freshman last season.
"Rachel has been a real pleas
ant surprise for us," noted
Martineau. "She's helped us out of
some tight spots. She's turned into
one of the better posts in our
league and that's going to help us
out tremendously down the stretch
of the season."
Last Wednesday, the Cougars
avenged a 1998 loss to Portland
Community College with a 71-46
victory.
Melinda Freeman led Clacka
mas with 15 points while Hayden
and Hudson each recorded 12
points. Hudson also grabbed 12
rebounds to complete the double
double.
Tonight, the Cougars face off
Gridiron days
of Clackamas
football
JOHN THORBURN / Clackamas Print
Reserve post, Katie Krupicka, pleads her case to the officials
after being called for a foul In last month's Lower Columbia Red
Devil Invitational. The Cougars [2-0, 12-5] finished third in the
tournament.
against the Mt. Hood Saints at
6p.m.
The Saints [1-1, 5-9] upset
heavily-favored Chemeketa a
week ago but suffered a 25 point
loss to Umpqua this past Saturday.
"Mt. Hood is a dangerous team,"
noted Martineau. "They're a
rollercoaster team that can beat
you or roll over for you. We have
to play our best to avoid getting
upset."
On Saturday, the Cougars host
Lane Community College at 6 p.m.
The Titans [0-2, 7-9] are still
searching for their first win in the
Southern Region.
Both games should be a good
tune-up before traveling to
Roseburg to take on the top-
ranked Umpqua Timberwomen
next Wednesday.
It was the decade of disco.
The grass was a little greener,
the stands were lined with specta
tors.
It was the era of Clackamas
Community College intercolle
giate foot
ball.
That's
right, foot
ball.
Many, if
not most, stu
dents are not
aware of the
gridiron days
of Cougar football.
It began in 1971 and last until
1977
The sport that allowed young
players to extend their careers just
two years longer than high school
met its demise due to economic
problems.
That's right, the sport of foot
ball just became too expensive.
In its days of glory, NWAACC
football consisted of 11 schools—
the nearest at Mt. Hood Commu
nity College.
See The Box, page 7