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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 2002)
io______ Sports Men’s basketball scores perfect week WEdNEsdAy, FEÒRUARy 27, 2002 Tir e CI ac I< amas P rint NICK BARRON Business Manager SALENA DE LA CRUZ / Clackamas Print Clackamas' Russ "Air" Schnieder flies to the basket in the Cougars' Feb. 20 romp over the Panthers of Portland Community College. Schnieder ended the night with 19 points, three rebounds and five steals. Clackamas’ men’s basketball team will take a two-game win ning streak to Mount Hood Community College on Feb. 27, after feasting on Portland Com munity College and Linn- Benton. The Cougar men beat PCC in their first meeting of the sea son and had no problem in dealing with the Panthers the second time around on Feb. 20, defeating the Southern Divi sion foes 109-89. The first 20 minutes of the game featured a fired-up Panther squad, with Portland tying the Cougars at 36-36. Clackamas’ Lawson Struve put the Cougars ahead for good with a three-point shot that boosted the home team to a 39-36 lead, which they would not surrender for the re mainder of the match. Cougar sophomore, Struve, took over the game, dropping in 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Matt Tabisz and Russ Schneider were major contributors as well, finishing with 19 points each. Mat Tondreau struggled to score, but captured 10 rebounds in the game. Linn-Benton hosted the Cou gars on Feb. 23, who promptly beat the Roadrunners by a score of 102-92. Michael Kuebler finished the night with 27 points, seven rebounds and five assists. It was Struve, once again, who put on a stellar per formance, scoring 25 points on 73 percent field goal shooting. Conference assist leader Marvin Noble fed the Cougar offense with 10 assists in the rout. Clackamas was nearly perfect from the charity stripe, knocking down 14 of 15 free throws. Both victories, combined with Lane’s loss to Chemeketa bn Feb. 23, place the Cougars in sole possession of second place in the Southern Division. better now. We’ve got the Southwestern Oregon contin lineup a little more set. We’ve ues to hold onto first place, got the rotations a little more down. We went through some despite a loss on Feb. 20. The Lakers of Southwestern kind of changes the last few and the Cougars both have one weeks, but things are back to regular-season game left before normal. And I think we’re fo the Championships (Mar. 8-11). cused, and I thought we played The only scenario that would pretty well the last couple of see Clackamas winning their games.” Clackamas is 23-5 on the sea league is a Southwestern loss to Linn-Benton on Feb. 27, and son, which has to make Cougar a Cougar victory on the same opponents squeamish if the night at Mount Hood. In that team believes it is just now event, both teams would play coming together. Within the on Mar. 2 for a tiebreaker, since next two weeks, Clackamas’ both teams would have split season will either become one their season series at one game for the scrapbook, or the trash can. apiece. Although the Northwest To reach Nick Barron e-mail Athletic Association of Com barronoru@hotmad.com or drop by munity Colleges Championship B-104. Tournament looms in the near future, the Clackamas coach is not allowing his team to drift too far into the future. “We’re just trying to focus on the game Wednesday. It’s important that we win, to pro tect our number-two seed,” Wegner said. Currently, the Cougars hold a one-game margin the South ern Division over Lane for the second seed, which will prob ably face Lower Columbia in the tournament’s opening round. Wegner’s team has beaten the Red Devils twice this year. “We’re focused on Mount Hood right now. We know that we’re in the NWAACCs, (and) our long-range goal is to go there and play as well as we can. But the step-by-step pro cess is to make sure, right now, today, we have a good prac tice. And tomorrow we have a good practice. And Wednesday we play well (against Mount Hood),” explains Wegner. “We’re starting to jell a lot better as a team,” Tabisz de clared, almost as a warning to the rest of the NWAACC. Coach Wegner reiterated Cougar guard Marvin Noble that thought by saying this: “I sets up for a three-pointer in Clackamas' 109-89 victory. feel like we’re playing a little Pitchers, catchers hope to carry baseball team _______ ELENA BORYSKA * Sports Editor The Cougar baseball team will open up its 2002 season on the road at Pendleton to take on Blue Mountain Community College this Saturday, March 2. Although they couldn’t prac tice outside as much as Blue Mountain, Head Coach Robin Robinson is still hopeful about his team’s chances. “This Saturday will be our challenge to see what we’re re ally like, and we’re playing a tdam...(which has been) out side practicing for the last five weeks, and we’ve been outside about four days total,” said Robinson. “We have a little disadvantage, but I feel like we’ve got better talent than they do, so we ought to be able to go over there and be suc- cessful anyway.” Last season, the Cougars fin ished with an overall record of 10-27, and a league record of 5- 20. The 2001 team was competi tive and had many close games, but also had a lot of average players. “We had no depth catch ing and no depth on the mound, “ said Robinson. “This year we feel very solid.” For catchers, the Cougars have two who .they feel are good in freshmen Nik Mason and Beau Holstad, along with two others who could do the job. The team looks good poten tially in pitching, beginning the season with more depth than CCC has had in three or four years. But still, the pitch ing is young and unproven. The tentative starters are the freshmen: Ty Combs, from Redmond High School, Josh Gaylord from Wilson, Jordan Denny from The Dalles, Chris Runyon from Parkrose; and sophomore Brandon Gleich, who will fit into the picture as a starter or reliever. Freshman Chris Hess is a good Cougar pitcher and will start in the out field and also come in to re- lieve/close. Some of the returning sopho mores will be making some ad justments in fielding positions this year. Sophomore Matt Paulsen, one of Clackamas’ best pitchers, will start at third base and come in to relieve/ close. Tom Henderson will move over from third base to first base. Colin Griffin will shift over from second base to short stop, and Scott Hunter will make the move from right field to center field. With all of these adjustments, the Cougars will hopefully be able to do a good job of repre senting Clackamas while play ing in the tough Southern Re gion. To reach Elena Boryska e-mail MightyMouse030@hotmad.com or drop by B-104. Cougar Baseball March 2 @ Blue Mountain C.C. 1:00 p.m. March 9 @ Lower Columbia 12:00 p.m. Support your local Cougar
