SPORTS
4A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015
Mariota adapting to plays with Titans Astoria Chiefs rally
for tournament
championship
By TERESA M. WALKER
Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. —
Marcus Mariota never had
to worry about huddling up
to call plays at Oregon — he
and the Ducks simply glanced
to the sideline for what to run
next.
Now with the Tennessee
Titans, it’s up to Mariota to
huddle up his teammates and
call a play only he has re-
ceived from the sideline. The
play can be as short as three
words or as long as 11.
“For me, learning a whole
new system, I have to go over
it constantly so that I know
what’s going in,” Mariota said.
Mariota showed his com-
mand Tuesday as the Titans
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organized workout this off-
season. Whisenhunt says that
hasn’t been an issue since
Mariota arrived as the No. 2
pick overall.
“He’s obviously comfort-
able doing that,” Whisenhunt
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there.”
NFL quarterbacks get
plays called into their helmets
from a coach on the other end
of the radio, and the Titans
also have given Mariota a
wristband as a backup aid for
calling plays.
“He works very hard at it
outside of his time here, so I
think the biggest thing is just
time with him,” Whisenhunt
said of Mariota. “It’ll click.
He’s just got to continue to
hear it as we continue to build,
and we’re going to continue to
throw things on him.”
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his new teammates, Mariota
showed off both the strong
arm and speed as a runner that
helped him win the Heisman
Trophy along with The Asso-
ciated Press player of the year.
He took off for a 30-yard run
at one point, though he also
lost a fumble along with an
interception.
Whisenhunt called it a typ-
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one of many new players on
The Daily Astorian
AP Photo/Mark Zaleski
Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) passes as Alex Tanney (11) looks on
during an organized team activity at the team’s NFL football training facility Tuesday in
Nashville.
offense. Yet Whisenhunt ex-
pects the rookie quarterback’s
speed and ability to run for
big gains to help him earn
his teammates’ respect pretty
quickly. The respect Mariota
had from his teammates is
something the Titans noticed
when scouting the quarter-
back during his pro day at
Oregon.
“They like having guys
that can help them win, and I
think they see that in Marcus,”
Whisenhunt said.
The rookie quarterback
isn’t much of a talker, at least
not in the locker room. Wide
receiver Kendall Wright called
Mariota someone who talks
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something that changes when
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“He kind of lets his play-
ing do the talking,” Wright
said. “Once he puts his helmet
and jersey on, he’s a different
player. It’s straight football.”
The Titans have made it
clear Mariota is expected to be
their starter Sept. 13 at Tampa
Bay ahead of Zach Metten-
berger, their sixth-round draft
pick a year ago out of LSU.
For a franchise that started
three quarterbacks last season,
the Titans also are expected to
keep veteran Charlie White-
hurst around too giving them
three on the roster.
Mettenberger
doesn’t
plan on ceding the starting
job to Mariota. Mettenberg-
er’s right shoulder is healthy
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three games last season, and
he also worked hard this off-
season to be stronger. But
the quarterbacks’ lockers are
right next to each other, and
Mettenberger said Mariota is
really sharp.
“Really he doesn’t need a
lot of my help,” Mettenberg-
er said. “He’s been picking
up things pretty quickly. If he
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But it’s Mariota that has
created more excitement for
this franchise than the Titans
have seen since drafting Vince
Young at No. 3 overall in
2006. His jersey is selling left
and right, and he is the quar-
terback who threw for 4,454
yards last season alone for
Oregon.
Tight end Delanie Walker
cautioned Tuesday was only
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team activities for a franchise
trying to improve after going
2-14 in 2014.
“He got more to show, and
we all going to be watching to
see what he brings to the ta-
ble,” Walker said.
Notes: RB Shonn Greene
was the only player not at the
OTA, and Whisenhunt noted
these sessions are voluntary.
The coach said he would like
Greene here, but the running
back is a veteran who knows
how to prepare himself. ... DL
Sammie Hill hurt a knee during
the session, and Whisenhunt
said he didn’t think it was seri-
ous. ... Rookie receiver Dorial
Green-Beckham aggravated
a hamstring, and Whisenhunt
said they chose to be cautious
by keeping him out.
Astoria’s Cal Ripken Majors baseball team, the
Chiefs, won a recent Majors Tournament Championship
hosted by Knappa.
Naselle, Wash., opened the tournament with a 6-5, ex-
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through the consolation bracket to earn the championship.
The Chiefs rallied to win six games in a row, including
two straight against Knappa to win the championship.
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7-4 in the second game to win the title.
Astoria pitchers Dylan Junes and Tony Tumbarello
combined for both wins in both games.
Initially, the Chiefs trailed Naselle 4-0 in the fourth
inning, before coming back and scoring 14 runs without
an out.
During league play, the Chiefs went 11-0-1 for an
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record of 17-1-1.
Astoria scored an average of 12 runs per game, and
were led at the plate by Tony Tumbarello (.740 batting
average), Dylan Junes (.705) and Hunter Ficken (.622).
Junes had 36 runs scored, while Tumbarello had a .786
on base percentage.
Astoria head coach Len Tumbarellosaid, “Every mem-
ber contributed something during the six-game winning
streak and this championship was a total team effort.
“I am so proud of the way they all gave 100 percent
and competed throughout the tournament.”
The Chiefs’ roster includes, Julian Dalida, Isaak Dun-
away, Hunter Ficken, Jackson Fox, Connolly Fromwiller,
Dylan Junes, Jase Junes, Cannon Kraft, Anthony Reed,
Bailey Stenblom and Tony Tumbarello.
Tumbarello is assisted by Digger Cokley.
Submitted Photo
The Astoria Chiefs raise their championship trophy.
Past Triple Crown winners
ready for Pharoah to join club
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legs only to fail or not run in
Steve Cauthen thinks it’s the 1 ½-mile Belmont, the lon-
long past time for a new horse gest and most grueling of the
to join the exclusive club of Tri- three races run at three different
ple Crown winners.
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The jockey who rode Af-
Cauthen and other connec-
¿UPHGWRDVZHHSRIWKH.HQ- tions of Triple Crown winners
tucky Derby, Preakness and are impressed with American
Belmont Stakes in 1978 be- Pharoah, who chased down
lieves horse racing needs a vic- pacesetter Dortmund in the
tory by American Pharoah in Kentucky Derby and then led
the Belmont on June 6 to boost all the way in the slop to win
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the Preakness.
“I always felt it would hap-
“I just think he’d be com-
pen again,” Cauthen said Tues- ing up to this race perfectly,”
day in a phone interview. “It’s said Billy Turner, the only
long past time.”
living trainer to win the Tri-
The 1970s produced three ple Crown with Seattle Slew.
Triple Crown winners, with “It’s easy if your horse is do-
Secretariat breaking a 25-year ing well and you’re very con-
drought in 1973. Seattle Slew ¿GHQWLQKLVFRQGLWLRQDQGKH
IROORZHGLQDQG$I¿UPHG doesn’t have anything bother-
came along the next year, lead- ing him. If he has things that
ing many to believe the Triple are bothering him, then the
Crown was an easy feat.
pressure is intense.”
“It’s a tough series and it’s
It appears American Pharoah
supposed to be,” Cauthen said.
will have nine rivals in the Bel-
By BETH HARRIS
AP Racing Writer
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Triple Crown hopeful Amer-
ican Pharoah gets a bath at
Churchill Downs in Louis-
ville, K.Y, Tuesday.
mont, including seven that
either ran in the Derby or the
Preakness and two newcomers
to the Triple Crown trail. Amer-
ican Pharoah will be the only
colt to have run in all three legs
of the series.
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