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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (March 2, 2011)
6 The Clackamas Print Wednesday, March 2, 2011 Cougars ready for upcoming NWAACl tournament game By John Howard The Clackamas Print All photos by John Howard Clackamas Print Freshman Max Jacobsen goes for the tip-off against Lane Community College in the game on Friday, Feb. 25, held at Clackamas in the Randall Gym. Jacobsen has led the Cougars in scoring for the season, hitting the bucket for 27 in this game alone. Coming off back-to-back championship seasons, men’s bas ketball Head Coach Clif Wegner is getting used to facing hungry teams. “For a lot of teams, beating us is like their (Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges) championship,” said Wegner. “I don’t want our kids to dance on the floor after every game, but I always tell them, ‘You have to match that emotion. You have to match that energy because they want to beat you more than anybody, so you have to come out feeling the same way.’” Although the season got off to a rocky 0-2 start, Wegner’s team has come storming back to take the Southern Region title, finishing at 19-6 and looking ahead to the upcoming tourna ment. The team has been led in scoring by freshman post player Max Jacobsen, who Wegner said has been central in the Cougar’s successful season. “The impact of Max is that he’s brought a lot of poise and leader ship. He came out of a Division 1 program at Portland State, so he’s been around big-time college basketball,” said Wegner. “He’s so good in the low post that he makes it so people can’t guard him one-on-one, so they either -have to double him and give us something on the perimeter or he just does his thing.” Jacobsen’s dominant interior play has placed him with the leaders in points and rebounding, averaging 20.1 points and 8.1 rebounds for the season. Jacobsen is also one of the league’s most efficient players. He leads the league in field goal percentage and is fifth in scoring but has played fewer minutes than all Region Championship. Not did the team win the regioi they clinched the region titli finished with a three game ion over the four teams tie second place. As is standard for Wes team, they didn’t celebrate 1 after winning the title. “They didn’t talk about it much. They started talking] the NWAACC champions! like that,” said Wegner, ■ team stayed as calm and] posed as they do all game] sitting on the bench and sin ing their teammates. “I’ve I H on them at different times being more emotional andH energetic, but that’s just a p of how good we’ve been an bad teams want to beat us.’ Both Jacobsen and soph Travis Robbins agreed that, they dropped a few games had a successful season an were prepared for the playc “As far as progress as a a we know we could havi those games and we could ) played a lot better,” said Ro “I think those losses are to make us a better team a going make us real fired I when we get to the touma iei Wegner is happy wiB team’s focus, and is positivfl the outcome of the challenge] this weekend’s 16 team M ment presents. “I think everybody ifl really good state of mind] Wegner. “I like the team at] I like how they’re playing tl er. Kids are coming off the I and contributing; they’re nol ing selfishly. They’re buyiifl the big picture and trying to| championship together.” The team leaves Friday fl NWAACC tournament, whi I be held in Kennewick, Was] Cougars tip off at 6 p.m. al Clark Community College« but three of the league’s top 15 scorers. Wegner said that he would go beyond putting Jacobson as the team’s most valuable player. “He’s the most outstanding player on the championship team,” said Wegner. “I would think he’d be the (Southern Region) MVP and there won’t be much discus sion about it.” Despite Jacobsen’s strong nightly showing, the significant injury to wing Paul Walter, whom Wegner deemed as the team’s “glue player,’’ has opened oppor tunities for a host of other play ers. Assistant Coach Paul Fiskum noted that it was important to have a deep team in order to take the next step in competition. “It really was a total team effort this year. 'We’ve had a lot of different contributions,” said Fiskum. “I think that’s a good sign as we get to the (tournament) because you definitely need more than a starting lineup to win the championship.” Fiskum went on to say that the team lives and dies on the effort that they put into each game. “The low point (of our play) is whenever we hit the floor and we’re not ready to play. We don’t have the energy that you need to play and win college basket ball games,” said Fiskum, who has been teaching PE classes and coaching at Clackamas since 1976. “We felt like every loss we had this year, we contributed greatly to it by not going quite as hard as we could have.” Focus and energy issues aside, the Cougars have had a remark able season. After setting a goal of shooting 50 percent from the floor for the season, the team has emerged as the best percentage team in the league and the only team to shoot over 50 percent. They have also accomplished their goal of winning the Southern i - 'Fi j i Í j .. gK J íébrhí what is my next move? Ranked as one of the best values and best baccalaureate colleges in the West by U.S.News & World Report aoio, Warner Pacific is an urban, Christ-centered liberal arts college in the heart of Portland. With 27 undergraduate majors, you can choose from hundreds of career options. . I___ ____________________________________________ £_____ —------------- --*■ Sophmore Brandon Troxel (24) shoots for two of his 18 points against Lane’s defense. Troxel shot a team high nine free throws in the 79-61 win for Clackamas.
