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Aug 27 1981 GRESHAM (O re ) OUTLOOK and SANDY (Ore ) POST
Tide rising for improved Columbia
Columbia went into the I960 football season with nowhere
to go but up
After all. the Chargers were coming off a winless 1979 and
were trying to shake a 14-game losing streak
They finally did, but not until game No 5 when they beat
Putnam. That was only the beginning for Columbia,
however By the time the campaign ended, the team was
definitely up
The Chargers finished their season with two straight wins,
the first a stunning 21-20 upset of Barlow and the second a 12-0
shutout of Hood River.
The two season-closing wins left the team with a 3-6 record,
but more important, it gave the players something to believe
in for this year
"The kids are still riding high on the emotion from last
year.” says Charger coach Roger Clark, who is entering his
third season at Columbia with the largest football turnout the
school has ever had.
"The things we stress — hustle and great attitude
the
kids have really responded to this year,” Clark says "We
wish we had 30 more bodies out here, but you can't worry
about things like that. We re pleased with the kids' efforts
They really want to do everything we ask of them It’s the
best group I ’ve had here to be around.”
The Charger defense is where the team’s experience is at.
As a result, it should be the Columbia's strong point, at least
early in the season. It may have to be, since the Charger at
tack, depleted by graduation, will need time to retool
"Our defense is going to have to play very well for the first
couple of games,” says Clark.
Clark says he is making almost daily changes in his depth
chart as he tries to put together the best possible defensive
unit. Returnees to the squad include end Craig Jenkins,
tackle J C. Davis, linebacker Alex Law and the entire 19K0
secondary of Toby Ross, John Starbuck. Dave Shepherd and
Todd Henderson.
"Those are the people coming back, but that doesn't
necessarily mean they’ll be our starters,” Clark says. "They
don't have the positions locked up There are other people out
here, some of them lettermen who didn’t start last year All
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As John Starbuck did against Barlow last year. Chargers hope to rise to the occasion in 19X1.
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