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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 2009)
orts Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009 the clackamas print 7 Ihehales Tapscott chooses PSU become a contributor. Geving said, “We expect him to come in and have an immedi ate impact for our team. He’s extremely skilled; he is ready to compete right when he walks in the door. So, we’re expecting big things out of him when he gets here.” Wegner also sees him as being an instant impact player for the Vikings, saying, “He is going to make them better. He could be in their starting lineup, I’m convinced.” Geving also agreed, saying, “He has a great chance to come in and start if he continues to work hard and continues to work hard when he gets here.” Neither Tapscott nor Wegner see Portland State as. his last stop, though. Both think he has the ability to take his career to the next level and play over seas. Wegner said, “He’s got a chance to be bigger than that. He’s got a legitimate chance to play overseas and make some money playing basketball for a long time.” His physique also helps his case. Coming in at 6’5” 205 pounds, Tapscott’s size makes him a force to be reckoned with on the court. Wegner added, “He’s got the kind of body that I think is going to handle the pressures of basketball for a lot- of years. Some guys’ bodies start to break down after a few years but he’s got a different kind of body.” Five years of organized com petitive basketball, that’s all Chehales Tapscott has under his belt. That’s all he needed. For one of Oregon’s most sought after high school recruits and one of Clackamas’ best play ers to wear the red and blue, it has been a long journey of hard work and perseverance, a jour ney that has paid off. kACC All-Star hales Tapscott Is skills at Lamas and signs Portland State lersity Ry Mark Foster I Sports Editor Las a McDonald’s All- Lan nominee and an [ 5A first team All-State |n coming out of Century ISchool. Now he has |one of the best players Icome out of Clackamas jnity College. Next stop kales Tapscott: Portland diversity. ■someone who did not ■playing competitive led basketball until his Ln year in high school, It has accomplished a lot Ide quite a name for him- Icaught the attention of a leople during high school, Illy shined and improved hie at Clackamas. In his Erst outing as a Cougar, It off for 34 points and 22 Ids. Ithat was not a typo. Id coach Clif Wegner was |hed at the show his high- |d freshman recruit put Lgner said, “It was like ■you didn’t even notice ■was just so steady on |ng” ■ was just the first of Lrformances of this cali- [Tapscott. tapscott’s first season as Lar. Wegner doesn’t think | saw his star forward less than 1 0 points and 10 Ids in a game. He went so Io say, “I believe he had a Bouble every game.” I year, Wegner doesn’t [to see anything less. He I to see a lot more. He [at Tapscott still has room L and hasn’t reached his [tential yet. Icott feels that, com- I Clackamas and playing Wegner, he has been able |e huge advances in his [really helped me out B before I used to be a Bio could attack the bas il now I’ve added more handling and shooting so | I’m ready to go now,” Bit said. |s been able to showcase [lents on the court and [he deserves to make the [oplayD-1 basketball. John Shufelt Clackamas Print Chehales Tapscott, who was a McDonald’s All-American nominee in 2008, earned NWAACC All Tournament MVP honors last season leading the Cougars to a conference title. He’s also very happy that he is going to be a Viking next year. The proximity to home and his father made the choice that much easier, although PSU was his first choice. About Portland State being 'his first choice, Tapscott said, “Yeah, it-was because it’s close to home, close to my father, and I actually like the coaching staff there too.” Not a bad choice seeing as the Vikings have made the NCAA tournament the past two years. Head coach Tyler Geving is ready for Tapscott to arrive on campus and believes he can Cougars basketball Pre Season: Nov. 27-29: Red Devil Classic at Lower Colum bia College Dec. 4: vs. Clark College at CCC Dec. 13: vs. Columbia Basin College at CCC Dec. 18-20: Clark NWAACC Crossover at Clark College Dec. 28-30: Clackamas Holiday Tourney at CCC men’s soccer doesn’t reach goal, lose in first round By Mark Foster I Sports Editor ® a season comes to an end than expected, one word [to mind: disappointment The fougars soccer team’s season [short in the first game of the fon by an opponent they felt R better than. [ust the seventh minute, [ Grow of Spokane put in [ould be the only goal of the fne crucial moment of the Rt cost the Lady Cougars ■son. [homore Allison Riggs acknowledged that they got lucky, referring to the goal scored by Grow. She said, "... they got lucky. They got past one of our defenders; they got that break away. I don’t think Chelsea [Gray] had any way of stopping it It was a-one-on-one with the keeper.” From that point on, they needed to hold Spokane, and that is exact ly what they did. Unfortunately, Clackamas could not get as lucky as their opponent The Spokane keeper held them at bay, blocking every thing that came her way. Riggs said, “We had shots all day long and they were great shots, our offense was in their face.” Coach Tracy Nelson also agreed that not being able to end what they started contributed to their downfell. “We couldn’t finish our opportuni ties. We dominated the game, but struggled to finish off the game,” said Nelson. They knew going into the game it was going to be tough and that it was either win or go home. Prior to the postseason, Nelson pointed out that the weakest part of their game is scoring and finishing. Leading up to the game against Spokane, she said, “We have strug gled to score this season. We have been working a lot on finishing in the final third for the past two weeks.” Riggs attested to the rigorous practices Nelson has put them through, saying, ‘Tt was frustrating because we worked our asses off and were definitely the better team and it just didn’t show at the end.” After an early exit, there isn’t much for a team to do but learn from their mistakes and look to the future. Despite the negatives, Nelson did take some positives from the game. She hopes that this game is something that will stick with her freshman and they will remember during the off season and going in to next year. Nelson didn’t seem satisfied with the season as a whole and thought she shared the same feelings as her players, saying, “We had a lot of expectations going in to this season and our goal was to win another NWAACC championship. I think everyone was disappointed with the way the season ended.” For a team with an abundance of talent, a push for another NWAACC title run is not an unlikely feat, but for now the Lady Cougars must wait another year for their shot
