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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 28, 2007)
10 Sports Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007 T vlackamas Print Winter sports gear up for 2007-2008 season All stories by Melanie Fisher Expectations high for wrestling this season After coming off one of the best years in the team’s history, the Cougars are expecting a lot of themselves. Last year, they finished an impressive fifth at the National Junior College Association Division 1 Wrestling Championships. The Cougars are known for producing impres sive wrestlers. According to the college Web site, many go on to more advanced levels of competi tion. The team is excited for the upcoming season. “We have recruited some very talented kids, and I am excited to start working with each of these young men,” states Head Coach Josh Rhoden on the college Web site’s wrestling page. The Cougars are counting on Marty Eng and John Bates. Eng has been an Oregon Sports Athletic Association state champion and a Greco state champion, plus a Triple Crown winner. Bates was a 4A state champion and a two-time 4A place winner. As a senior at Oregon City High School he had a 38-0 record. Last year, he was the Region 18 heavyweight champion, and placed third at the NJCAA National Championships, which earned him All-American honors. The wrestling team hopes to throw down the mat and beat the count. They have already com peted in three tournaments this year. The Patriots are carrying on their dynasty with an undefeated streak and are taking down any team that gets in their way Andrea Simpson | Sports Editor Robert Crawford Clackamas Print A wrestling team member tries to escape John Bates’ (top) hold in wrestling practice. Bates placed third at the NJCAA National Championships last year. Women's basketball shoots to score Josh Hudson Clackamas Print A Clackamas player dribbles around an opponent. The basketball team is currently 3-2 this season. The women’s basketball team is coming off a sec ond-place finish and a 20-10 record, and is hoping to carry on the tradition of talent. “We expect the season to go as normal, which means coming in first or second and qualifying for tourna ments, which we havg done for the past eight seasons,” Coach Jim Martineau said. “The Cougars have won four out of the last six league championships and are hoping to win it this year,” he added. The team has only four returning players and is counting on their seven new players to help carry the load. Talented players to watch for include Rachel Copeland, who was 1st Team All-Regions and averages 16 points per game. Kelsey New, an honorable mention for all regions last year, averages 13 points per game. New puts up impressive numbers with her three- point range. She made 79 three-pointers last season, the second greatest amount of three-pointers made in one season. Then there is Monique Tribble, who was injured last season and is entering her third year here at the college and on the team. “When she is healthy, she averages double figures in both rebounding and scoring,” Martineau said of Tribble. The team has the momentum to have an amazing season. Men’s basketball aims After last season’s championship win, the Cougars have a lot to live up to. The team finished with a 29-4 record and won both the Southern Region Championship and the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges champion ship. They are hoping to repeat fate this year under the coaching of Clif Wegner. This is Wegner’s ninth season at Clackamas, and he has proven himself with impressive numbers, which include a recap of the team’s achievements in 2006 and 2007. Last year, he was named Coach of the Year by the league. However? the Cougars are going to have to find a new recipe for success after having lost nine of their players. “We are still a team that you are going to have to work at to beat,” Wegner said. “We do still have size and tal ent.” Some key players to watch for this season, accord ing to Wegner, are Scott Martin from Rex Putnam High School, Adam Brickley, who was 1st Team All-League his senior year, and Jeff Sego, who was team captain during his senior year in Black Hills, Wash., a three-year varsity letter and a two-time 1st League All-Team mem ber his junior and senior year. Clackamas just finished hosting the NWAACC jam boree Nov. 3. to top last season This season, as I watch and root for my beloved Patriots, the question on my mind is: Can anybody halt their winning streak? The team has a record of 11 -0. They !are the only undefeated team in the NFL. Possibly the sweetest match-up for all Patriots fans was the one against the Indianapolis Colts. Ever since the Colts defeated the Pats to advance to the Super Bowl last year, Patriots fans have gritted their teeth and felt the bitter sting of defeat every time Peyton Manning has shown his face on T.V. - and with all his ad campaigns lately, it seems like that is every other commercial. Most recently, the Patriots went head-to-head with the Philadelphia Eagles. Head Coach Bill Belichick gave a press conference on Friday, Nov. 23, and answered questions about what they would be up against on Sunday. As quoted from a video on the Patriots’ Web site, Belichick said that Eagles have a good defense and they just needed to be on their toes. The game was back-and-forth and ended up coming down to the wire. It was the fourth quarter with four minutes to go, and the Eagles had possession. The scoreboard had the Eagles with 28 and the Patriots with 31. Patriot’s fans were on the edge of their seats as Eagles quarterback A.J. Feeley threw for a touchdown, but it was intercepted by Patriots comer- back Asante Samuel. The Patriots ran the clock down and won with the same score. Tom Brady has been considered the star of the team since he secured his first Super Bowl ring in 2001. But other key players make up the unde feated team. Randy Moss was thought by sports analysts to be washed-up and done with his career when he played for the Oakland Raiders. When he was drafted to the Patriots, however, he truly had a chance to shine as a wide receiver. Another player who was outstand ing was Wes Welker. He broke through the line, and Brady found him for some amazing plays. Welker replaced wide receiver Troy Brown after he was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform List. The Patriots look like they can go all the way this year. They are unde feated because they know their strong points and they play like a team, which is refreshing in a league full of egocentrics and individual stars. Any questions or comments? Sportsed@clackamas.edu Brian Freeman, number 24, blocks a shot against a Chemeketa CC player in the 2006-2007 season.
