Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 1999)
TI te CÍAckAMAS P rint WedNEsdAy, O ctoòer 15, 1999 JAMES KHOSRAVI I Clackamas Print Oregon senior wide receiver Tony Hartley is one of the top NFL prospects but holds a limited role in the Ducks' offense. Bellotti needs to increase Hartley’s role in offense I wonder what University of Oregon Head Coach Mike Bellotti is thinking. Normally, if a coach has one of the top receivers in the nation, he would factor that receiver quite strongly into his offensive game plan. For Oregon however, it seems to be different. Tony Hartley, a senior flanker from Los Alamitos, CA, is arguably the top receiver in the Pac-10 and one of the top receivers in the nation [A pre season NFL scouting report had him listed as one of the top 20 receiving prospects in the nation]. Apparently, Mike Bellotti.disagrees somewhat; at least it sure looks that way. Bellotti is putting Hartley on the field for only about half of the offensive plays, opting for another receiver [usu ally junior college transfer Marshaun Tucker or Keenan Howiy] for the other half. I wouldn’t have a problem with Bellotti occasionally giving Hartley a rest, or even playing him out of a three receiver set [which Oregon did quite a bit last year]. The problem I have is with Bellotti purposely removing one of his best offensive skill players from the lineup on half the plays and replacing him with someone not of the same caliber. Don’t get me wrong, Tucker and Howry are good receivers, but they aren’t Tony Hartley. Hartley is something special. He’s the complete package; he has size, speed and knowledge of the game. Most importantly however, Hartley is Oregon’s most experienced player on offense.. Hartley has been a starter since his sophomore season. That’s over two and a half seasons. It's that experience that gives Hartley the edge over the other receivers in terms of his knowledge of the game. Hartley knows exactly where to be, and when to be there. Hartley won’tcut his pass route off short; he will run it to where it needs to be run to get the first down. The other Oregon receivers haven’t quite got the grasp of this yet. Against UCLA on the last play of ; game, Or egon receiver Marshaun Tucker ran his route to about the 2 or 3 yard line. He caught the ball, but he didn’t get into the endzone. Oregon lost. Hartley knows to run his route into the endzone, and would have known exactly where it started. He has shown this in previous games. I’m not sure Tucker realized he was on the one or two yard line instead of in the endzone. It is in situations like this that Hartley’s experience comes in handy. He showed that against USC, when he made several key receptions on the game tying drive. Bellotti is only hurting his chances of success in crucial moments of the game by pulling Hartley in the non- crucial moments. AJ Feely has not yet developed the connection with Hartley that should exist between a quarterback and his go-to receiver. I’m not even sure Feely has a go-to receiver. He rarely throws to Hartley, and the statistics prove it In four of Oregon’s six games, Hartley had only 3 catches or less. In two of those games, he had just one catch. Feely clearly doesn’t feel as com fortable throwing to Oregon’s top wide receiver as he should. The reason for that is Hartley’s playing time. Playing Hartley only half the game has prevented Feely and Hartley from developing a strong quarterback-re ceiver bond. The lack of this bond has al ready cost Oregon two games, the Michigan State game [in which Hartley had only 3 catches] and the UCLA game [in which Hartley had only 1 catch]. So lets junk this "receiver by com mittee" system and play Hartley full time. Oregon is in need of a definitive go to receiver, and Hartley will provide them with just that. SALENA DE LA CRUZ / Clackamas Print Sophomore Paul Kezes, shown above competing in the Clackamas Open, finished 9th in the men's race at the Ricks College Invitational with a time of27:00. Cougars show toughness at Ricks JAMES KHOSRAVI Co-Sports Editor overall. Stephanie Costanzo fin ished as the top performer on the women’s side for the third time in four meets, finishing with a time of 20:35. The Clackamas men raced well as a team. They took the challenge and went with it, especially fresh man Tomm Johnson. Clackamas' men and women showed a lot of mental toughness Saturday at the Ricks College In vitational. The Ricks meet proved to be tough on both sides, with strong competition, poor racing condi “Tomm Johnson had a good race, tions [wind gusts of up to 35 mph] very good race again,” said Coach and an elevated Hickey. “He’s a course stretch big time run ing the Cou ner— every time I think we have a gars’ mental he’s challenged toughness to its championship he steps up and limits. makes a state team on both sides “With the ment.” [men and women]. wind it was just Johnson placed brutal,” Coach Mike Hickey 4th in the men’s Mike Hickey Head Coach race, running said. “Our ath with a time of letes really had 26:15. This was to dig down and the second time be mentally Strong throughout in three meets Johnson has had a the race.” The Clackamas women had a difficult meet, finishing fourth top 4 finish [Johnson finished third in the Clackamas open]. Sophomore Paul Kezes also had Alcohol Awareness another good race, finishing 9th with a time of 27:00. Kezes has finished in the top eight percent of the field in the previous three races. Clackamas’ season should start to come into focus after this weekend’s meet at Lower Colum bia College. “We’ll have a better idea [of where we stand] after this week end; we’ll have a better idea of how we’ll do [at the end of the season] after that race,” said Coach Hickey. “On the men’s side we’re pretty solidified. On the women’s side, they still have a lot to prove to themselves.” Coach Hickey has faith that his teajns will respond with the proper frame of mind. “We’re coming into the final phase of the season.. .a champion will respond by pressing and breaking though. I think that’s the type of team we have. I think we have a championship team on both sides [men and women].” Earn your degree. By off for the weekend, i ft was a lough time for me. I needed money for college, but I didn't want a loan coming due Alcohol Awareness Week will be held Oct. 18-22 in Gregory Forum. The event is open to students, friends and family, who may re ceive information and ask ques tions about alcohol-related problems. If the weather permits, the pro duction will be held outside with the possibility of a band and BBQ on Friday. For info, contact ASG at 657- 6958 ext. 2477. when I graduated. So a friend told me about the Air Force Reserve. You can qualify for over $9,000 toward your college expenses on the Gl Bill, and receive credits through the Community College of the Air Force while you earn a salary. Plus, you get on-the-job training that can help launch your career. Listen, it takes more than a good mind to get a college education. It takes money too. Take off with the Air Force Reserve one weekend a month and two weeks a year. You can be making __ the grade, getting AIRFORCE paid, and having RESERVE the time of your life. (503) 335*4738 1*800*232*3421 www.afreserve.com APN 10-908-0033
