A16
SPORTS
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Season 1 touch football builds skills, and frustrations, too
By ELLEN MORRIS
BISHOP
For the Wallowa
County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — The
Oregon School Athletic
Association’s (OSAA) Sea-
son 1 of fall 2020 has been
a season like no other, espe-
cially for football, and has
left players and coaches
alike inspired, depressed and
hopeful all at the same time.
The game, a 5-on-5 touch
football contest where pass-
ing is supreme and tackling
is forbidden, has motivated
some students who never
would have played in a reg-
ular tackle season to take up
football, and others to move
with their families to other
states where they could par-
ticipate in a more physical,
traditional game.
It’s inspired new and
unique rules, new procedures
and engendered some fresh
ideas.
“Season 1 football is not
really what you’d call ‘foot-
ball’ traditionally,” said
Joseph Charter School Ath-
letic Director Jason Cren-
shaw. “We, as a regional
group of schools, decided to
go with 5-on-5 because even
though it’s limited contact,
there are a lot of kids who
don’t like that contact. And
so our participation has actu-
ally gone up. As a region,
we’re really fortunate. Most
of the state isn’t doing any-
thing, because they can’t.”
Wallowa and Joseph
coaches agree that Season
1 has been a great time to
build offensive and defensive
skills, including quarterback
timing and coaching the fi ner
points of the game.
“Once they get into pads,”
JCS assistant coach Jacob
Holguin, said, “it’s just a
big crash. But here, you can
teach technique and really
build athleticism.”
“We
normally
play
6-man football,” Crenshaw
said. “So 5-on-5 isn’t really
that different except for the
defense. The emphasis in our
regular games is on passing.
With this kind of game you
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Brockcamp has been coach-
ing what he termed “col-
lege-level passing and offen-
sive patterns.”
His running backs, and
offensive ends are more elu-
sive, and now run some
sophisticated routes, and
quarterback Lute Ramsden
has increased his passing
skills, Brockamp said.
The skill-building has evi-
dently worked for the Cou-
gars. They have won three of
their four of games, includ-
ing a 58-35 victory over rival
Joseph and a 63-35 drubbing
of Union, a 2A school which
is playing football at the 1A
level.
Christman said he thought
the opportunity to play teams
that are not in their league,
such as Union, was helpful.
“It gives us a completely
different look at schools we
Ellen Morris Bishop/For the Wallowa County Chieftain haven’t seen for a couple
Enterprise’s Cody Fent stretches to catch a pass during the Enterprise-Joseph 5-on-5 football of years,” he said. “It really
matchup at Joseph on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020. Joseph won 28-24 on a catch in the end zone by shows us what’s out there
Chase Murray on the last play of the game.
and how we stack up against
other schools.”
Season 1 has been so good
don’t have to worry about said, would be expensive.
receivers, quarterbacks and
size disparity as much if you
But none of the players running backs,” he said. “It’s at building skills that JCS
are playing a bigger school. want to shift entirely to touch not really made for the big- assistant coach Holguin said
We’d play La Grande if they football forever.
ger kids who struggle with he’d like to have a preseason
summer league of touch foot-
had a team.”
“No, absolutely, not. I’m the running.”
“I just want to see ready to hit some kids,” they
That said, Eschler noted ball every year.
“Now that it’s established
improvement,” said Enter- commented together.
the several linemen were
prise coach, Rusty Eschler.
Wallowa coach Matt playing, and working on within the county, it should
be something that we have
“The score at the end doesn’t Brockamp and JCS’s Duncan developing new skill sets.
really matter to me.”
Christman both said that one
Brockamp expressed dis- every single summer,” he
Eschler views the “one- downside of a season of only appointment that his defen- said.
Crenshaw was cautious
hand-touch” game as a way touch football is a buildup of sive players were getting lit-
to improve skills at catching frustration.
tle to no playing time, and about the rest of Season 1 and
the football, running routes,
“You’re playing football. little encouragement to the fate of Season 2 and the
rest of the sports year.
and learning a zone defense. But once that exertion and practice.
“(The teams in the region)
“When we play eight-man that energy has been stripped
“Players miss the physical
football, we don’t use a zone out, you can feel the tension. contact of the sport,” he said. are trying to fi gure out if we
much,” he said. “It’s usually (The tackle) is right there,
Brockamp said that sev- can work basketball into Sea-
man-to-man. There’s a lot of but you can’t complete it. So eral Wallowa players and son 1 using our model for
different concepts in fi ve-on- sometimes frustration gets a their families had moved to volleyball maybe in Novem-
fi ve play that you don’t have little high,” Christman said.
Idaho where they could play ber-December,” he said. “But
in eight-man football.”
The coaches also agreed the full-contact sport. He said that’s going to be a deci-
Joseph players were that much of defensive that it’s unlikely that they sion made above us, through
OSAA, the Oregon Health
enthusiastic about the Season skills, especially tackling will return.
1 brand of football.
and blocking, and the work
Holguin noted that some Authority and the governor’s
“I feel like it’s a good of special teams, including players had “absolutely” not offi ce.”
A lot of that depends upon
learning experience for kicking and punting, are “out come out for Season 1 5-on-5
what happens with COVID-
everyone out here,” Juston the window” in this season.
touch football at JCS.
Rogers said. “Everyone out
“In defense, there’s a lot
“Everyone has their own 19 and the metrics that have
here is learning a new set of of one-on-one work. In this fl avor and for some of these to be met. Even if the schools
skills, and having fun.”
kind of season, those play- kids, contact is important to have seasons 2, 3 and 4,
Chase Murray said that he ers take a step back,” Christ- their game,” he said. “They they’re not going to have a
played football as a freshman, man said.
didn’t feel they’d be as val- traditional state champion-
but then stopped because of
Eschler observed that ued as players. So they took ship. But the coaches agreed
concussions. To buy a hel- some of his linemen did not it upon themselves to explore they will do what they can to
met to play football again, he come out for the Season 1 other ventures. That’s sort of keep kids involved in athlet-
ics by thinking outside the
fi ve-on-fi ve games.
what this season is about.”
“This is made for your
On the brighter side, box.
PARK CLOSED,
ACCESS TRAIL OPEN
NOV. 21st., 2020
The public campground at the Wallowa Falls
Hydroelectric Project, known as Pacific Park,
located at the south terminus of the Wallowa
Lake Highway (OR St. Hwy 351) is currently
closed to all public use. The construction in
the campground vicinity required under the
new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
operating license for the project has been
substantially completed and the powerhouse
tailrace rerouted to the north of the
campsites. PacifiCorp plans to re-open Pacific
Park for the 2021 recreation season. We are
actively working out campground management
details and are not taking reservations at this
time. Details will be announced once the plan
is finalized. The access trail to the Wallowa
Falls Dam on the Upper East Fork Wallowa
River has reopened. If you have any questions
regarding the Wallowa Falls Hydroelectric
Project or the closure of Pacific Park, please
email recreation@pacificorp.com or leave
a message on our recreation phone line at
503-813-6666.
Rotary Club of
Wallowa County
10AM - 2PM WALK/RUN
1 MILE • 5K • 10K
Register at:
Early
• Any of the three Community Banks
Registration
• wallowarotaryclub.blogspot.com
Encouraged
• wallowarotary@gmail.com
Funds benefit local scholarships!
To advertise in the Chieftain
contact Jennifer Cooney •
jcooney@wallowa.com • 541-805-9630
209 NW First St.,
Enterprise, OR 97828
541-426-4567
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