Sports By Joward

Columbia Basin wins the east, the top spot

2012-03-01T00:34:00.000-08:00

NWAACC Women's Basketball

With the regular season finally finished, we get down to where things really begin to matter: the NWAACC Tournament. The top seeds in the East, South, and North are well represented, but the Western Region's poor inter-region record has finally taken it's toll. Oddly enough, we only have one top eight match up in the first round, and it is the opening game of the tournament, Clackamas vs. Bellevue. That will be the game to watch for a possible upset, as long as people are in the gym to see it. Coaches rankings are in italics under each team's record.

I will be in attendance, covering the tournament for the NWAACC. Game recaps will be available on www.NWAACC.org.

1. Columbia Basin (25-2, 13-1 East)
#1 Coaches, 1st seed in the East

Previous Ranking: No. 1, No. 1 Coaches

Winning arguably the strongest conference in the NWAACC is what gives Columbia Basin their biggest boost here. That, and they're on a ten game winning streak to enter the tournament. Columbia Basin finished with the best overall record, losing only to Yakima Valley (box) and North Idaho College (box). Those losses, combined with the loss of leading scorer Andrea Bland, were about as low as things got for CBC, who was one of the better defensive teams in the league. Their opponents only scored over 60 points six times. Columbia Basin held seven teams to less than 50 points, three teams to less than 40 points, and absolutely shut down Peninsula, allowing only 26 points in that contest.

Columbia Basin will take on Tacoma Community College in the first round at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 3rd.

2. Lane (22-4, 13-1 South)
#2 Coaches, 1st seed in the South

Previous Ranking: No. 2, No. 2 Coaches

Lane holds the league's longest current win streak entering the tournament at 11 games. That streak includes an impressive sweep of Clackamas, winning at home on Jan. 21 (box) and on the road on Feb. 18 (box). They climbed strongly into the championship hunt in quick fashion this season, fielding only one sophomore from last year's roster. Nevertheless, Lane is second the the NWAACC in scoring and blocks, and is strong in assists, steals, and rebounding. About the only "weakness" that Lane has is their high level of turnovers, nearly 20 a game. That, however, is remedied by the sheer number of possessions they have and the quickness with which they score.

Lane will face Peninsula College in the first round at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 3rd.

3. Walla Walla (20-6, 11-3 East)
#3 Coaches, 2nd seed in the East

Previous Ranking: No. 7, No. 4 Coaches

As with the previous two teams, Walla Walla seems to be entering the tournament on the right foot. The post season is about who can win the big match ups, which is something that Walla Walla showed in their season finale when they traveled to take on Yakima Valley and came home with a victory in a game that decided 2nd and 3rd place in the NWAACC East (box).Walla Walla's numbers have fallen slightly, but they still continue to lead the league in 3 point percentage. Some questions still linger over which Warrior team will arrive in the Tri-Cities, but if they can get started where they left off, they're in great shape.

Walla Walla will play Pierce College in the first round at noon on Saturday, March 3rd.

4. Skagit Valley (20-6, 15-1 North)
#7 Coaches, 1st seed in the North

Previous Ranking: No. 6, No. UR Coaches

Skagit Valley's Northern Region championship was narrow, beating out No. 8 Bellevue by just one game. SVC split their two games with Bellevue this season, the one loss being the last loss since mid December when they lost to Lane (box), and is among the league's best in scoring. They sit at fifth in average points with 74.12 points per contest, and are tied for third in the NWAACC in field goal percentage. Skagit Valley is also near the top in free throw percentage, which should benefit them in their first round game, as their opponent has committed almost 200 more fouls on the season.

Skagit Valley will match up against Umpqua in the first round at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 3rd.

5. Clackamas (22-4, 11-3 South)
#4 Coaches, 3rd seed in the South

Previous Ranking: No. 3, No. 3 Coaches

Clackamas spent most of the season leading the southern region in dominant fashion, and sat atop the league in points, steals and assists by a fairly wide margin. In the last few weeks, however, things have turned around. Injuries to key players and bad shooting brought Clackamas down a little from their pedestal: they now lead Lane by less than half a point in scoring, and Chemeketa has surpassed them in assists, and they hold a slim lead over Pierce in steals. Clackamas did recently regain a key defensive player, but it remains to be seen whether they can withstand the rigors of the four day tournament.

Clackamas will face Bellevue in the first round at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 3rd. It is the only match up to feature two ranked teams.

6. Chemeketa (19-6, 11-3 South)
#6 Coaches, 2nd seed in the South

Previous Ranking: No. UR, No. 8 Coaches

Chemeketa's 79-51 (box) dismantling of Clackamas would normally bump them far above their southern region counterparts, but Chemeketa has a questionable loss as well. That loss came to the hands of Linn-Benton, who finished 4-10 in the south, and didn't make the playoffs. Chemeketa managed only 37 points in that contest, which makes it that much more impressive that they finished sixth in scoring in the NWAACC with just over 74 points per game. Chemeketa is led by the southern region's Player of the Year, Janelle Weiss.

Chemeketa will take on Whatcom in the first round at 10 p.m. on Saturday, March 3rd.

7. Yakima Valley (20-7, 10-4 East)
#5 Coaches, 3rd seed in the East

Previous Ranking: No. 5, 6 Coaches

Yakima Valley's big showdown with Walla Walla to end the season didn't go quite the way they'd hoped. Simone Jordan has taken over the role of leading scorer since the Yaks lost Brandi Henton in the preseason, but such a prolific scorer is difficult to replace, and Jordan's 29 points weren't enough to push Yakima Valley past Walla Walla, as they fell 75-68 (box) to surrender second place in the NWAACC East. However, despite YVCC's recent trip up, they're still a team to be reckoned with. The only team that they lost to in region play that wasn't ranked in the top eight at the time of the loss was... oh wait. There isn't one.

Yakima Valley will play Clark in the first round at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 3rd.

8. Bellevue (22-5, 14-2 North)
#8 Coaches, 2nd seed in the North

Previous Ranking: No. 4, No. 7 Coaches

Bellevue had won 11 games in a row. They'd beaten a good Skagit Valley team on the road by 13 points (box). They were ready to take a shot at the Northern Region championship. Then they went and lost an unwarranted game to Everett , who is 7-9 in the regular season but managed to beat Bellevue at home in a close, 59-57 heart breaker (box) for the home team. The loss put them a game behind Skagit Valley, and ultimately cost them the region title. The title that they DO hold, however, is the oddest shooting percentage. They shoot a dismal 27 percent from beyond the three point line, but are tied for the best in the league at 43 percent overall.

Bellevue will face Clackamas in the first round at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 3rd.

Teams moving up: Skagit Valley, Walla Walla
Teams added: Chemeketa
Teams moving down: Clackamas, Yakima Valley, Bellevue
Teams dropped: Clark

Southern Region All-Stars

2012-02-27T23:45:00.000-08:00

Southern Region All-Stars:

Player of the Year:

Janelle Weiss- Chemeketa Community College

Coach of the Year:

GregSheley- Lane Community College

1^st TEAM

Kersey Wilcox-Lane Community College

Lauren Codling- Chemeketa Community College

SamMcCloud- Clackamas Community College

SamanthaThornton-Umpqua Community College

QuyneeEharis-SW Oregon Community College

2^nd TEAM

Reed Levings- Lane Community College

Jenny Johnson- Clackamas Community College

Heidi Halemeier- Linn-Benton Community College

MeganShields- Lane Community College

DeannaTupai-Umpqua Community College

Sophomore All-Stars

Janelle Weiss- Chemeketa CC

Samantha Thornton- Umpqua CC

Sam McCloud- Clackamas CC

Lauren Codling- Chemeketa CC

ReedLevings- Lane CC

HeidiHalemeier- Linn-Benton CC

DeannaTupai- Umpqua CC

KristenSwim- Umpqua CC

AliciaLove- Linn-Benton CC

MakeshaBizon- Clackamas CC

Alt: KelseyGeorge- SW Oregon CC

Chantell Stanton- Chemeketa CC

HONORABLE MENTION

Kimberly Van Dyke-Chemeketa CC

Chantell Stanton-Chemeketa CC

KiaraBerry-Portland CC

KatiePagh-Portland CC

AshleighAnderson-Clackamas CC

MaKeshaBizon-Clackamas CC

KelseyGeorge-SW Oregon CC

KristenSwim-Umpqua CC

AliciaLove- Linn-Benton CC

EmilyBurch- Mt. Hood CC

Freshman of the Year

Kersey Wilcox-Lane Community College

All- Freshman Team

Quynee Eharis- SW Oregon CC

Jenny Johnson- Clackamas CC

MeganShields- Lane CC

Kimberly VanDyke- Chemeketa CC

Kiara Berry- Portland CC

Katie Pagh- Portland CC

Ashleigh Anderson- Clackamas CC

Jordan Klebaum- Chemeketa CC

MeganFeldman- Clackamas CC

JoleenChanco- Lane CC

Defensive Player of the Year

Sam McCloud- Clackamas CC

All-Defensive Team: (Tie in voting)

Joleen Chanco- Lane CC

KailiawaPua- Umpqua CC

QuyneeEharris- SW Oregon CC

KimberlyVan Dyke- Chemeketa CC

ReedLevings- Lane CC

EmilyBurch- Mt. Hood CC

Whatcom still on top as NWAACC gets wild

2012-02-17T02:32:00.000-08:00

NWAACC Men's Basketball

The Racin' to the Basin is definitely on, as the NWAACC tournament is now only about two weeks away. Things have gotten tight in the Western region with a pair of teams battling for the top spot, Whatcom continues to whether the numerous runs made at then in the North, and Clackamas is beginning to make things interesting in the Southern Region. At this point only seven of the sixteen playoff seeds are spoken for, meaning that this year's tournament is still largely up in the air. Here's how things look from Joward's perspective: Coaches rankings are in italics under each team's record.

1. Whatcom (20-3, 12-1 North)
#1 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 1, No. 2 Coaches

Early in the season, most of the attention was on Bellevue and defending champion Peninsula. While Whatcom was once the dark horse that came somewhat as a surprise, everybody knows about them now. In just the last two weeks, Whatcom has defeated Bellevue, Shoreline, and Peninsula, the closest victory being 88-80 (box) at home over Peninsula. Time and again, Whatcom has proved their prowess, both on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. They are third in scoring in the league (89.55 ppg) and second in rebounding (44.36 rpg), and haven't lost since late January.

2. Tacoma (20-4, 12-1 West)
#3 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 6, No. 5 Coaches

Tacoma won of what may have been one of the biggest games for the NWAACC men this season when they went on the road to take on Clark and went home with a 74-71 victory (box). The victory pulls Tacoma into a tie for first in the West, a tie that will be broken when Tacoma visits Clark on February 18th. The number one seed in the west will more or less be on the line in that game, as no other team has a real chance of catching the two programs before the season ends. Tacoma continues to be led by one of the NWAACC's best guards in Mark McLaughlin, who leads the league in scoring with just under 28 points per game.

3. Clark (22-2, 12-1 West)
#2 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 2, No. 1 Coaches

Clark continues to be one of if not the most efficient team in the league, averaging 18+ assists on 30 made baskets per game. They are also impressively balanced, with five players averaging in double figures, and no player averaging over 16 points per game. However, their fantastic season may be ruined by Tacoma if they can't beat them on the road. It'd be a shame to see such a strong team not win their own region, but things are that tight at the top of the West.

4. Spokane (19-4, 8-2 East)
#4 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 8, No. 8 Coaches

Things got a little interesting when Spokane dropped off the face of the earth for a few games following the streak of terrible weather in eastern Washington. Since then, Spokane has definitely gotten back on track. Before falling 80-77 (box) to Walla Walla on the road, Spokane had won eight in a row, reclaiming first place in the East. Spokane has improved dramatically in scoring, now averaging more than 84 points per game. Of course, the 114 points that they put up on Blue Mountain may have helped with that...

5. Big Bend (19-4, 9-3 North)
#3 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 3, No. 8 Coaches

Big Bend has won eight of their last ten, the two losses being reasonably close losses to Spokane and Walla Walla on the road. They have asserted themselves as one of the better offensive teams in the league, averaging a steady 48% from the field and putting up 88.48 points on average. At this point, Big Bend still has hope of a region championship if they win out.

6. Peninsula (20-4, 10-3 North)
#5 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 5, No. 3 Coaches

Much of the hype surrounding the super team from Port Angeles has faded now that they've failed to beat Whatcom twice. The team that wowed during the preseason has come down to earth, but just barely. There's no doubt that Peninsula has the talent to make another run at the NWAACC finals, it's just a matter of whether they can get things together and make it there. Peninsula's offense continues to be led by the league's second leading scorer in J.T. Terrell.

7. Shoreline (15-9, 9-4 North)
UR Coaches
Previous Ranking: UR, UR Coaches

Shoreline's stats are downright ridiculous. As their motto is "40 minutes of fast break basketball with defense as an afterthought" it makes perfect sense that they lead the NWAACC in scoring by a wide margin. They also lead in assists, rebounds (offensive, defensive and total), turnovers and are second in steals. Their breakneck pace has translated into flashy stats, but also into wins. Shoreline has simply run away from nearly all their opponents with the exception of Peninsula and Whatcom. While defense does win championships, defense would get quite a test from a team like this.

8. Clackamas (13-10, 7-4 South)
UR Coaches
Previous Ranking: UR, UR Coaches

This ranking would make no sense if you simply look at the standings in the Southern Region. Clackamas is third, behind Mt. Hood and Chemeketa. Then you look at Clackamas' record as of late and you begin to realize that they're a lot better than their record might say. They've only lost twice in the last seven games, and one of those two losses was on a score keeping error on the road against Chemeketa and a two point loss to Mt. Hood at home. Since the 74-73 (box) loss at Chemeketa, Clackamas has more than bounced back, beating Linn-Benton before traveling to Mt. Hood and blowing out the Saints 67-46 (box). According to Clackamas head coach Clif Wegner, he and his team believe that they're the "best team in the south." They just might be right.

Teams moving up: Tacoma, Spokane
Teams added: Shoreline, Clackamas
Teams moving down: Big Bend, Clark, Peninsula,
Teams dropped: Bellevue, Clackamas

Columbia Basin women lead February Madness

2012-02-17T00:49:00.000-08:00

NWAACC Women's Basketball

As the NWAACC Tournament looms ever closer, the focus starts to switch from which teams have the best record to which teams are playing the best right now. Eleven of the sixteen tournament seeds have already been claimed, but teams are still jostling for positioning, which leads to several huge match ups in the next several weeks. Lane will travel to Clackamas, likely to decide the Southern Region champions. Clark will travel to Centrailia in a similar game. Skagit Valley and Bellevue, who are tied at the top of the Northern Region standings, have split their two meetings and are both looking to win out. In this part of the country, we know it as February Madness. Coaches rankings are in italics under each team's record.

1. Columbia Basin (22-2, 10-1 East)
#1 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 4, No. 1 Coaches

The Hawks have won seven in a row since losing to Yakima Valley, including a 65-60 (box) victory over the very same YVCC Yaks that hammered them only a few weeks earlier. Guard Andrea Bland is still on the bench, but Columbia Basin has made do without her and many others for that matter, playing only seven players in their last two consecutive games. Columbia Basin might be playing good now, but they'll have trouble competing in the tournament unless they get some of their players back in action.

2. Lane (20-4, 10-1 South)
#2 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 7, No. 5 Coaches

Like Columbia Basin, Lane hasn't lost in quite a while. Their streak goes back eight games, dating back to their loss at home to Chemeketa on January 14th. Since then they've had quite the run. They've had three games where they scored 98 points or more, and on all three occasions, they won by more than 45 points. Lane's biggest win by far was their 71-68 defeat of Clackamas (box) at home. Lane will travel to Oregon City to face Clackamas on February 18th in a game that will feature the two top scoring teams in the NWAACC, and a game in which the winner will most likely win the southern region's #1 seed in the league.

3. Clackamas (20-3, 9-2 South)
#3 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 1, No. 2 Coaches

Clackamas being a team that has a particular disdain for jump shots, they live and die on their ability to shoot the three pointer and get layups. If the threes aren't falling, Clackamas has a tendency to play horribly overall. They've been bit by their mistakes only a few times this season, one being a heartbreaker on the road against Lane (box), one being a 28 point embarrassment on the road to Chemeketa (box), and the other being a 20 point loss to Yakima Valley during the preseason. Guard Ashleigh Anderson has continued to look good for Clackamas, who leads the league in scoring with just over 79 points per game.

4. Bellevue (19-4, 11-1 North)
#7 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 6, No. 8 Coaches

At ten games, Bellevue sports the longest active winning streak in the NWAACC. The Bulldogs avenged their only loss in their region on February 8th when they marched in to Skagit Valley and came away with an 82-69 victory (box), tying the northern region standings. Not much remains on the schedule for Bellevue, who will play three of the bottom four teams in the north before the season is up, including 0-20 Edmonds, who averages only 44 points per game.

5. Yakima Valley (17-6, 7-3 East)
#6 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 3, No. 4 Coaches

As up and down as teams come, Yakima Valley has their hands in some of the most impressive victories that the NWAACC has seen all season. They knocked off host Clackamas at the Clackamas Crossover Tournament in the preseason, and dealt Columbia Basin a crushing defeat on January 21st. Yakima Valley has been fairly consistent as of late, putting together a streak of six wins before falling 69-47 to Walla Walla on February 8th (box) and pushing Columbia Basin to the brink (box) on February 12th. Yakima Valley has done a decent job of bouncing back from the loss of their leading scorer, but doubts still linger as the tournament looms.

6. Skagit Valley (16-6, 11-1 North)
#9 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 2, No. 7 Coaches

Skagit Valley had won 12 games in a row before dropping a game at home 82-69 to Bellevue (box). While that win streak included some of the NWAACC's bottom feeders, they are still one of only three teams to accomplish such a feat. Statistically, Skagit Valley hasn't looked quite so good lately, a run of slower offensive nights has bumped their points per game down to just over 73.

7. Walla Walla (17-6, 8-3 East)
#4 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 5, 4 Coaches

Along with some their eastern region companions, Walla Walla has been up and down. They had an impressive win over the aforementioned Yakima Valley (box) on February 8th but turned around three days later and lost to 8-14 Wenatchee Valley 67-59 (box). The loss at Columbia Basin was expected, and the win over Yakima Valley could and should have been used as a springboard to finish out the season. However, it seems that the Warriors, who continue to lead the league in 3 pt shooting, have fumbled the opportunity away.

8. Clark (19-4, 12-1 West)
#5 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 7, No. 6 Coaches

Clark may have moved up in the rankings had things continued the way that they were. They were riding a 16 game winning streak, were undefeated in league, and were running away in every game that they played. That all came to a halt when Clark dropped a game at home 71-61 to Peirce (box), breaking the NWAACC's longest streak so far this season for both the men and the women. All their hard work aside, Clark could lose the #1 Western seed if they don't win against Centrailia on February 22nd. Even with that win, Clark will have to work hard to keep ahead.

Teams moving up: Lane, Bellevue, Skagit Valley
Teams moving down: Clackamas, Yakima Valley, Walla Walla

Whatcom men climb to NWAACC's No. 1

2012-02-01T00:32:00.000-08:00

NWAACC Men's Basketball

Now that the regions have gotten some play under their collective belts, things are beginning to get rather mixed up. The powerful NWAACC North is now battling against itself, meaning that many of the teams at the top have been falling as of late. New to this week's rankings is the South-leading Mt. Hood, the only team from the Southern Region that has made the list. Mayhem is sure to continue as the regular season unfolds, but here is how things have shaken out so far: Coaches rankings are in italics under each team's record, and will be updated when they are made available.

1. Whatcom (15-3, 7-1 North)
#2 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 2, No. 4 Coaches

Forget for a moment that Whatcom lost to Seattle on January 28th, and get a good look at their accomplishments over the past few weeks: They outscored the NWAACC's highest scoring team, Shoreline, in a 120-97 affair. They have victories over both Bellevue (box) and Peninsula (box) on the road. And before their 70-62 loss to Seattle on the road, they had won nine straight games. Behind an incredibly balanced scoring attack (six players averaging 10 points or more, three players have scored 29+) Whatcom is looking more and more like a championship contender out of the heavyweight Northern Region.

2. Clark (17-1, 7-0 West)
#1 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 3, No. 2 Coaches

Clark hasn't lost in over a month, and in that time they've only had one game where they won by less than ten points. They've won seven straight since their loss to Snow College back in December, and are proving to be one of the better rebounding teams in the league, averaging just over 45 a game. Clark is also near the top of the NWAACC in assists with 17.61 per game. Interestingly enough, Clark is second in both categories to Shoreline, which is a team that easily leads the league in scoring because of their ridiculously fast pace and their refusal to play defense.

3. Big Bend (15-3, 5-2 East)
#7 (tie) Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 7, No. 6 Coaches

Big Bend is a classic example of a team that has their ups and downs. Normally a squad that averages just under 90 points a game, there are two games that stick out: a 94-76 embarrassment to unranked Yakima Valley, and a 74-69 loss to unranked Walla Walla. Those two games are the only times since late December that Big Bend has scored less than 90, and those are their only two losses. Both games were on the road, and so Big Bend can only hope that this won't become a habit. Those two losses aside, Big Bend is still tied for the best overall record in the East, something that may change when Spokane starts to make up the games they missed due to weather.

4. Bellevue (16-2, 6-1 North)
#4 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 1, No. 1 Coaches

Bellevue's 94-84 win over the flashy and high-flying Peninsula might have been more impressive had it not come on the heels of back to back losses. First Bellevue fell dropped a 77-75 nail biter at home to Whatcom, and then went on the road only to get winded by Shoreline 101-93. That said, Bellevue can still pack quite a punch: They are tied for first in the NWAACC in field goal percentage, and average better in assists, steals, and blocks than #1 Whatcom. 2nd place in the leagues toughest division isn't too bad of a place to be, but Bellevue will need to put those stats to work when they visit Whatcom on February 15th.

5. Peninsula (16-3, 6-2 North)
#3 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 4, No. 3 Coaches

What started out as a magical season coming off an NWAACC Championship has turned a little sour in perspective. In the last few weeks, the Pirates have losses to Bellevue and Whatcom, two teams that they trail in the Northern Region. Those losses can be excused, however, in comparison to the narrow victories over unranked teams like Olympic (5-12, 2-5 North), and Edmonds (1-14, 1-6 North). Peninsula is still blowing opponents out, but they are beginning to show their weaknesses in not winning the big games and by letting some weaker teams stick with them. Make no mistake, 3rd place in the North is no consolation after winning a league championship the year before.

6. Tacoma (14-4, 6-1 West)
#5 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 5, No. 5 Coaches

Tacoma had been doing fairly well this season until the puzzling loss to Lower Columbia. Make no mistake, Lower Columbia (11-7, 5-3 West) is a decent team, but Tacoma should be on a different level, given their talented scorer Mark McLoughlin, who now leads the NWAACC with 28.28 points per game, and their track record this season. Tacoma has mopped up against most of the inferior opponents they've faced and fought hard against the top teams in the league. Before the loss to Lower Columbia, Tacoma's losses were only to then #1 Peninsula, #2 Clark, and then #3 Clackamas. Tacoma and #2 Clark College will meet on February 6th for one of two more meetings before the regular season is over, a match up which will shed light on both programs.

7. Mt. Hood (15-6, 6-1 South)
#7 (tie) Coaches
Previous Ranking: UR, No. 8 Coaches

Before falling to Chemeketa 89-77 on the road, Mt. Hood had won eight in a row and nine of ten. Mt. Hood leads the Southern Region, which isn't the region that it used to be. However, the Saints have picked up wins in several difficult gyms, including a 61-59 victory over rival Clackamas. Mt. Hood is one of the best shooting teams in the league at 49%, and leads the NWAACC in 3 point percentage. Chemeketa, as the only Southern team to have defeated Mt. Hood, looks to be the only probable challenger to Mt. Hood for the division title.

8. Spokane (15-6, 6-1 East)
#6 Coaches
Previous Ranking: UR, No. 8 Coaches

Dropping Spokane is a little unfair, given that they've hardly played in the last few weeks due to bad weather conditions. Looking at the games that Spokane has played, however, the Sasquatch have looked strong in region play. Their one loss is to #3 Big Bend, and now Spokane has had an extra week of rest, something that they may need of they're going to make up the missed games before the regular season concludes. Spokane continues their steady boycot of flashy statistics, their best category being free throw percentage, at which they are tied for 1st in the NWAACC with 74%.

Teams moving up: Whatcom, Big Bend
Teams added: Mt. Hood
Teams moving down: Tacoma, Chemeketa, Peninsula, Bellevue
Teams dropped: Spokane

Clackamas women lead injury-ridden NWAACC

2012-01-31T21:38:00.000-08:00

NWAACC Women's Basketball

The story of the last few weeks has been injuries. Big Bend's Alli Neilson went down for three games and most of a fourth, and they've lost four straight pending her return on February 1st. Clackamas has lost their starting forward Lindsay Kanalz to a broken hand and sixth-man Alex Howe to knee injury. Columbia Basin lost second leading scorer Andrea Bland to a knee injury during practice. What remains to be seen is which teams will rise to the challenge and which teams will fall away. Here's how the league looks after one month of region play: Coaches rankings are in italics under each team's record, and will be updated when the rankings come out on February 1st.

1. Clackamas (17-2, 6-1 South)
#2 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 1, No. 2 Coaches

The last few weeks have been rough for Clackamas. They've lost two key players in starting forward Lindsay Kanalz (broken hand) and sixth-man Alex Howe (knee), but have only lost one game, a 71-68 heart-breaker (box) on the road to a very sharp Lane team. If Clackamas shoots even decent, that game is a W, but as it is, Clackamas has stepped up to the plate and won all but two games this season, something that is true for only two squads. As always, Clackamas leads in points, assists, and steals. What they lack in is depth: they have only eight remaining players with which to finish the season.

2. Skagit Valley (13-5, 8-0 North)
#7 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 8, UR Coaches

Skagit Valley has reeled off an impressive 10 consecutive wins, including eight conference wins in a row. They haven't lost since falling to Lane on December 18th. Given, the north isn't particularly strong, but Skagit Valley does have a good looking 75-67 win at Bellevue, and hasn't stumbled against any of the weaker teams in their division. The battle for the crown just may take place on February 8th when a well rested Bellevue team travels to Skagit Valley, who has improved their scoring average considerably and now sit at 4th in the league with just over 74.5 points per game.

3. Yakima Valley(15-4, 5-1 East)
#4 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 5, No. 5 Coaches

After the loss of their leading scorer, it was difficult to believe that Yakima Valley was still a team to be feared. Now that fear has been abolished. Yakima Valley finally gave the mighty Columbia Basin a loss in their region, and a 20 point loss on their home floor at that. While the 81-61 victory may not prove that YVCC is back for good, it definitely serves as a wake up call that they aren't to be taken lightly.

4. Columbia Basin (17-2, 5-1 East)
#1 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 1, No. 1 Coaches

Everything seemed peachy for Columbia Basin, a team that had been embarrassing opponents since November, winning their first 12 and 15 of their first 16 games. Then guard Andrea Bland went down with an injury to her knee on January 12th. Since then, Columbia Basin has stumbled through their four games, squeezing past a marginal Blue Mountain team before being crushed by Yakima Valley at home. For the time being, the Hawks will have to learn to play without Bland, who hasn't played since the injury she picked up during practice.

5. Walla Walla (14-4, 5-1 East)
#3 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 4, No. 4 Coaches

Seeing as their only two losses since late November are Clark (14-3, 7-0 North) and Columbia Basin, it's a bit misleading that they moved down in this week's rankings. The only reason is that there's not much room at the top. Walla Walla needs a statement game, a win that nobody expected them to get. So far this season, they've only beaten the teams that they were supposed to and fallen to the teams that were better than them. Perhaps two chances at such a statement game are fast approaching with games at home against Yakima Valley and on the road at Columbia Basin. Walla Walla has continued their torrid, league-leading 3 point shooting at 40%.

6. Bellevue (15-4 7-1 North)
#9 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. UR, No. 8 Coaches

Bellevue has won six games in a row following their January 11th 75-67 loss at home to Skagit Valley. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Bellevue statistically is that they shoot a very decent 42% from the field despite a dismal 3 point percentage. Adding their weak division and their average stats, Bellevue should do well until the competition picks up in the NWAACC tournament. A lot of minds could be changed if Bellevue can knock off Skagit Valley on February 8th, a game that may or may not decide the region champion.

7. Lane (15-4, 5-1 South)
#5 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 7, UR Coaches

If you throw out Lane's 67-57 loss at home to Chemeketa, Lane's regular season and late preseason have been very impressive. They are the only team since Yakima Valley to defeat Clackamas, winning a 71-68 thriller (box) at home on January 21st. Lane is one of the three Southern teams that lead the NWAACC in scoring with 75 points per game, Lane is also one of the league's top rebounding teams. Lane also continues lead the league in blocks with 4.58 per game, up from 4.25 two weeks ago.

8. Clark (14-3, 7-0 West)
#6 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. UR, No. UR Coaches

It's amazing how long it takes team that is undefeated in their region to get noticed. That says something about the proficiency of the western region, which is displayed when their best team has been beaten badly in meetings with Columbia Basin, Walla Walla and Lane early in the season. However, those must have been on the team's "down" nights, as they also have impressive victories over Walla Walla and Yakima Valley as well as their smooth sailing through the western region opposition.

Teams moving up: Skagit Valley, Yakima Valley
Teams added: Bellevue, Clark
Teams moving down: Columbia Basin, Walla Walla
Teams dropped: Big Bend, Chemeketa

Bellevue takes shot at NWAACC top spot

2012-01-16T19:29:00.000-08:00

NWAACC Men's Basketball

There were only three losses between the eight teams ranked in the top eight, but those three losses were big ones. The #1 team got knocked off by the #7 team, #4 fell to #5, and #5 fell big to an unranked team. Despite the small number of losses and no new teams gracing the JOWARD Power Rankings, the order of things has been shaken up quite a bit, with Clark being the only team to retain their previous ranking. Coaches rankings are in italics under each team's record, and will be updated when they are made available.

1. Bellevue (13-0, 3-0 North)
#1 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 2, No. 1 Coaches

While Bellevue's back to back defeats of Clackamas are beginning to fade in significance, their early season 83-78 defeat of Whatcom is beginning to gain importance. And while critics might say that Bellevue hasn't seen many high ranking opponents so far this season, they have still managed to stay unbeaten. They will be further tested as the regular season progresses, as the North is shaping up to be one of the toughest divisions in the NWAACC. Bellevue's efficiency will be their greatest asset, as four of the six teams that lead the NWAACC in scoring are from the North. Bellevue continues to lead the league in field goal percentage at a solid 50%, and is third in 3pt percentage at 40%.

2. Whatcom (12-2, 4-0 North)
#4 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 7, No. 7 Coaches

Whatcom had just barely broken into the rankings two weeks ago. Since then, they've had two meager victories over pitiful Northern opponents Edmonds (1-10) and Everett (3-10). That was when Whatcom kicked things into high gear. They marched in to #1 Peninsula's gym, and marched out with a thrilling 74-71 victory (box), marking the first time since February 2010 that Peninsula had lost at home. Just three days later, Whatcom proved that scoring wasn't an issue either when they put up 120 points on Shoreline behind Dereck Dickerson's 39 points.

3. Clark (14-1, 4-0 West)
#2 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 3, No. 3 Coaches

Clark's numbers have dropped slightly since their lone loss to Snow College on December 30th. However, it's more likely that Clark has settled into a rhythm than they're backtracking. They've won their first four meetings in region play, and have already defeated Tacoma during the preseason, a team that is sure to challenge them as the regular season continues. Clark has dispatched every team from their division that they have faced, defeating Tacoma, Lower Columbia, and Green River, who are #2, #3, and #5 respectively in the West.

4. Peninsula (14-2, 4-1 North)
#3 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 1, No. 2 Coaches

Coming into the season as both the defending champs and arguably the NWAACC's most talented squad, Peninsula has fallen on a bit of a rough patch. They dropped a game to #7 Whatcom on their home floor, and went back out a few nights later only to barely escape with a 79-77 victory over a dreadful 1-10 Edmonds team. And that was after the "best practice of the year," according to head coach Lance Von Vogt, who also said over twitter that things were "back on track" after the win on the road at Edmonds. We'll have to wait and see if the league's front runner is back to their old, dominant selves.

5. Tacoma (12-3, 4-0 West)
#5 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 6, No. 6 Coaches

Given that Tacoma has started out the regular season 4-0 and that their only two losses in the last 13 games have been to #1 Peninsula and #3 Clark, the fact that they now have point guard Josh Lord back in the lineup can only spell good things for the Titans. Tacoma's star guard Mark McLaughlin has continued to improve, now leading the league with 28.47 points per game, and is also averaging over seven rebounds and three assists per contest.

6. Chemeketa (11-4, 4-0 South)
#9 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 8, No. 5 Coaches

Chemeketa is an example of a team that runs a lot, but actually plays some defense. Of the two teams that average over 100 points, they are the much more efficient squad. They shoot a higher percentage and commit far fewer turnovers. One of three teams from the South to start off the regular season 3-0, Chemeketa has the best overall game. Wherever they lack, they make up for it in pure scoring, putting up 103 points per game, which is 13 points better than Whatcom, the next team back. Chemeketa's biggest hurdle seems to be playing on the road, where they've had some close scrapes. They nearly lost their lead at Clackamas, but finished with a 100-88 overtime victory, and were nearly caught off guard again when they faced Lane, but escaped with a 95-92 win.

7. Big Bend (12-2, 2-1 East)
#6 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 5, No. 4 (tie) Coaches

Big Bend has been putting together an impressive season. They began by winning 11 of their first 12 games, including a stunning 80-77 victory over then #1 Spokane to hand them their first loss. Since then, Big Bend put a beat down on Spokane, flattening the Sasquatch 101-84 (box). After that, things didn't look quite as good. In a game that doesn't quite make sense, Big Bend fell 94-76 to unranked Yakima Valley, throwing a wrench into their strong season so far. The East is a whole new breed of mess at this point, as there are six teams tied at 2-1 in region play, including the 3-11 Treasure Valley Chuckars. In the likely event that the loss was a fluke, Big Bend should ride their solid across-the-board numbers to a region championship.

8. Spokane (13-3, 2-1 East)
#7 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 4, No. 4 (tie) Coaches

For a team that started off by winning their first 11 games, Spokane has fallen a long way. A pair of losses to Big Bend have made it clear that the Sasquatch definitely aren't the dominant team in the East that they appeared to be during the preseason. Spokane does have a few categories to note: they lead the NWAACC in three pointers made, but also lead in attempts by a decent margin, while only shooting 34% from beyond the arc. Something they do excel in is free throw shooting. They are tied with Peninsula at 74% for the best in the league.

Teams moving up: Bellevue, Whatcom, Tacoma, Chemeketa
Teams moving down: Peninsula, Spokane, Big Bend

Clackamas women regain No. 1 ranking

2012-01-15T20:38:00.000-08:00

NWAACC Women's Basketball

Things always tend to shake up when region play begins, and these last two weeks were no different. The dominant teams from the Southern and Eastern regions now face off against one another, and the weaker teams from the West and North face slightly easier competition than during the tough preseason. The Western and Northern regions include seven of the NWAACC's eight teams with three wins or less, and boast only eight teams with winning records. Here's how the league looks after two weeks of region play: Coaches rankings are in italics under each team's record, and will be updated when the rankings come out on January 18th.

1. Clackamas (14-1, 3-0 South)
#2 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 2, No. 2 Coaches

Ever since the crushing 72-53 loss to Yakima Valley in a sloppy, 32 turnover contest, Clackamas has reeled off three good wins in a row. The 83-50 victory over SW Oregon saw the return of wing Ashleigh Anderson, which should add further depth to a Clackamas team that already has been as deep as any team in the NWAACC thus far. Even more encouraging was center Jordin Feldman's 14 point performance against Chemeketa, showing that Clackamas is building more of an inside presence to go along with their already stellar 3pt shooters, who lead the league in 3 pointers made and attempted. Clackamas continues to lead in average points (78.43), assists (18.07) and steals (17.07).

2. Columbia Basin (15-1, 3-0 East)
#1 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 1, No. 1 Coaches

The only thing that bumped CBC down to #2 was the fact that one of their three wins was over Treasure Valley, a team that is 2-12 on the year. Yes they got the win, but that game was a cakewalk: only one player had over 25 minutes for Columbia Basin in the 69-52 rout. The Hawks' other two wins were decent, but until they take on one of the heavyweights, they'll have a hard time passing Clackamas until much later in the season when strength of schedule balances itself out. CBCC continues to hide in the middle of the stat books. They have yet to lead the league in any statistical category except one: wins.

3. Big Bend (13-3, 3-0 East)
#6 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 8, No. 7 Coaches

All of the sudden, Big Bend has jumped from one of the mediocre teams to one of the teams to beat. They're one of just two teams in the strong NWAACC East to be undefeated in their region, and have piled up an impressive record. Their biggest win of the season so far was a 65-63 defeat of Yakima Valley on the road, proving that they're definitely for real, despite having a soft preseason. It still remains to be seen whether Big Bend can keep this up, though. The East will be a battle to the finish with four teams boasting 11 wins or more.

4. Walla Walla (11-4, 2-1 East)
#4 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 5, No. 3 Coaches

The Warrior's first three regional games have been a mixed bag of competition. Walla Walla has a nine point loss at home to #1 Columbia Basin, a narrow, 61-60 victory on the road over #6 Blue Mountain, and a 75-28 pummeling of a dismal Treasure Valley team that may go 0-14 in the powerful East. So far, no surprises. Walla Walla is sitting right where they should be: playing decent against the best teams, beating the teams in the middle of the road, and absolutely mopping up against the bottom of the barrel.

5. Yakima Valley (12-4, 2-1 East)
#5 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 4, No. 4 Coaches

Defending NWAACC Champion Yakima Valley was off to a decent start, despite a few hiccups and some consistency issues. That was, until their leading scorer, Brandi Henton, went down with an ACL injury on December 18th at the Clackamas Crossover in Oregon City, Ore. Last week, doctors determined that Henton would be out for the remainder of the season, providing a sizable setback for the Yaks to bypass. Henton will remain a part of the team, and they might need her support after such a loss.

6. Chemeketa (10-4 2-1 South)
#3 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. UR, No. UR Coaches

There are three teams in the NWAACC South tied at 2-1 in region play. Chemeketa is one, and defeated both #3 Lane and unfairly unranked Umpqua. Their only loss so far in the South is to #1 Clackamas, and that was a close game on the road. Of the three losses remaining on Chemeketa's schedule, two of them are to Columbia Basin, and one of the losses was in overtime. The Storm are third in 3pt percentage, blocks, and average points, and are second in assists, led by Janelle Weiss, who is one of only three players to average at least 15 points and 4 assists per game.

7. Lane (12-4, 2-1 South)
#9 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 3, No. 7 Coaches

Lane has winning streaks of five, four, and three. Their losses aren't too much to feel bad about, as they're to #2 Columbia Basin, #1 Clackamas, and a Bellevue team that went their first eight games without a loss. But that's only three of the four. The last was a 67-57 loss to then unranked Chemeketa at home, a feat that hadn't happened for years until Clackamas broke college basketball's longest home winning streak at 83 last season. Lane continues to score well in the fast-paced South, averaging 73.7 points per game, and leads the league in blocks with 4.25 per contest.

8. Skagit Valley (9-5, 4-0 North)
#10 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. UR, No. UR Coaches

Especially for a team that started out 1-4, Skagit Valley has come an awfully long way. Since their horrendous start, Skagit Valley has won eight of nine, including a victory over Bellevue and an 82-71 win over Big Bend. With the preseason out of the way, the defending champions from the North should cruise to a second region title unless the rest of the region wakes up all of the sudden. Skagit Valley's most notable statistic is steals, where they are second in the league with nearly sixteen and a half steals per game.

Teams moving up: Clackamas, Big Bend, Walla Walla
Teams added: Chemeketa, Skagit Valley
Teams moving down: Columbia Basin, Yakima Valley, Lane
Teams dropped: Bellevue, Blue Mountain

Columbia Basin No. 1 in Power Rankings

2012-01-04T02:58:00.000-08:00

NWAACC Women's Basketball

The last three weeks saw the last of the undefeated teams in the NWAACC, and the teams have begun to split themselves into three groups. Clackamas and Columbia Basin are off ahead of everyone else, Lane, Yakima Valley, and Walla Walla sit on a middle tier, and Blue Mountain, Bellevue, and Big Bend round out this week's JOWARD Power Rankings top eight. Coaches rankings are in italics next to each team's record.

1. Columbia Basin (12-1) - #1 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 5, No. 4 Coaches

The Hawk's one loss isn't too much to worry about: it was to NJCAA Champion North Idaho, and it was relatively close compared to many of North Idaho's other bouts in the NWAACC. Columbia Basin still doesn't have the most impressive schedule or the flashiest stats, but they've still managed to clean up lesser opponents without much of a slip up so far. However middle-of-the-road their numbers may be, they're still 12-1. Whether they've got what it takes will be seen once region play begins, as they have four of the eight ranked teams in their region.

2. Clackamas (11-1) - #2 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 1, No. 1 Coaches

Clackamas was running away from opponents before they tripped and fell flat on their faces against Yakima Valley on December 18th in the final of their own NWAACC crossover tournament. The 72-53 rout came with 32 turnovers, something that has been a problem of theirs, averaging nearly 23.5 turnovers per contest. They normally make up for such a stat with takeaways of their own, leading the NWAACC in points, assists, and steals. This time they just didn't get away with it.

3. Lane (10-3) - #7 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 6, No. 5 Coaches

Of the teams tied at 10-3, Lane has been the most consistent. Their wins aren't all that impressive, but their losses are to #1 Columbia Basin and #2 Clackamas, as well as the aforementioned North Idaho. Lane may be the most well rounded team in the NWAACC, even if they don't have the best record. Lane is 3rd in the NWAACC with 75.77 ppg, leads the league in blocks, and is among the leaders in steals.

4. Yakima Valley (10-3) - #4 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 4, No. 6 Coaches

YVCC's trouble still seems to be consistency. On one hand, they handed then No. 1 and undefeated Clackamas their first loss in a 72-53 blowout. But on the other hand, they've also coughed up games to unranked Linn-Benton and unranked Clark. However, things may be turning around, as the Yaks have two wins of over 40 points, and four wins of 16 or more since their back to back losses in early December. Things may be looking up once the NWAACC's leading scorer, Brandi Henton, returns from injury.

5. Walla Walla (9-3) - #3 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 3, No. 2 Coaches

Of all the teams to play North Idaho College, the Warriors have done the best job. Still losing 71-65, Walla Walla fell by only 6 points, the closest margin for any NWAACC team. If Walla Walla's only other loss was to #4 Yakima Valley, then they'd most likely be ranked much higher than they are. That isn't quite the case, as Walla Walla fell in a puzzling game to Clark in which the NWAACC's second highest scoring team couldn't muster 60 points in the 70-59 loss to an unranked team for the first time this season.

6. Blue Mountain (8-3) - #9 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 7, No. 8 Coaches

The Timberwolves have been teetering on the edge of success all season. That is, until now. They finally announced their coming out party in an 86-66 trouncing of then No. 2 Bellevue. Blue Mountain continues to shoot extremely well from the field, and leads the NWAACC in free-throw percentage. However good their shooting is, they still lack a strong inside presence, as their rebounding is dreadful, and they have only five blocks all season long.

7. Bellevue (8-3) - #5 Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 2, No. 3 Coaches

Once a team that sat nearly atop the rankings, Bellevue has clearly fallen from grace. All went well until a forfeit with Spokane, and since then the Bulldogs have lost two of four, their stumbling seemingly culminating in the dreadful blowout at the hands of the Blue Mountain Timberwolves on December 30th. Only time will tell whether Bellevue can halt their skid down the power rankings.

8. Big Bend (10-3) - Unranked Coaches

Previous Ranking: No. 8, No. 7 Coaches

One would think that the 68-63 victory over then #2 Bellevue would put Big Bend a lot higher on the list, but then you have to consider that two of their losses were to teams at .500 in Whatcom and Skagit Valley. As for much of the rest of Big Bend's schedule, it's dismal. The rubber will really meet the road when region play begins, as Big Bend's Eastern Region is shaping up to be a tough place to play this season.

Teams moving up: Columbia Basin, Blue Mountain, Lane
Teams moving down: Bellevue, Walla Walla, Clackamas

Peninsula claims top spot in Power Rankings

2012-01-04T02:30:00.000-08:00

NWAACC Men's Basketball

A few weeks removed from our first set of power rankings, we've had a lot of chances to see the top ranked teams in action. The NWAACC crossover tournaments December 16-18 provided a lot of inter-region play, and the Clackamas Holiday Invitational grouped together some of the top talent in the league in the days between Christmas and New Years. Let's take a look at how the teams stack up now. Coaches rankings are in italics next to each team's record.

1. Peninsula (10-1) - #2 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 2, No. 3 Coaches

Main reasons for Peninsula's advancement? After falling to a darn good North Idaho team back in November, the Pirates have reeled off seven consecutive wins, including a 78-75 nail biter vs. #6 Tacoma and a 20 point blowout over Holiday Invitational host Clackamas in the tournament championship. Early in the season, it seemed that J.T. Terrell would be Peninsula's everything, and that all of their offense would run through him. Watching them play, it's apparent that he is only a part of their potent offense AND defense. Peninsula has at least three players that could go Division-I after this season, and maybe more.

2. Bellevue (10-0) - #1 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 4, No. 2 Coaches

It's always difficult to snub an undefeated team, especially after a convincing 88-50 win like Bellevue had over Walla Walla on December 18th and the victory over then #8 Whatcom on November 27th. However, with Bellevue there are a few suspect moments: they beat unranked Highline (1-8) by the skin of their teeth, and have played mediocre Clackamas and lowly S. Puget Sound twice each. That said, Bellevue is averaging 49% from the field and 39% from behind the arc, good for 2nd and 3rd place respectively in the league.

3. Clark (10-1) - #3 Coaches
Previous Ranking: Unranked, No. 7 Coaches

Clark was one of those teams that somehow fell through the cracks early in the season. Even boasting a 5-0 record and a crushing win over then #3 Clackamas, Clark couldn't muster anything higher than a #7 ranking in the coaches poll. This time around, they're taken much more seriously. Clark went off for five more victories, including a 81-71 victory over then #4 Tacoma, before falling to Snow College 77-59 in the championship of their own holiday tournament [bracket]. One of the best shooting teams in the NWAACC at 48%, one of only five teams to average 18+ assists, and second in the league in rebounding, Clark will be a force to reckon with as they enter region play.

4. Spokane (11-2) - #4 (tie) Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 1, No. 1 Coaches

That's right, Spokane is on a losing streak. After flashing out to an impressive 11-0 record and grabbing a win over powerhouse North Idaho college. Now that they've fallen to Big Bend in a close match up and then were blown out 76-56 in a rematch with North Idaho, their lack of outstanding stats is a little less easy to forgive. Their gaudy blocks were about the only thing that they stood out in, and that has lost a bit of its luster. One thing that can be said in the Sasquatch's credit: they've only allowed one team to score more than 80 points.

5. Big Bend (10-1) - #4 (tie) Coaches
Previous Ranking: Unranked, No. 8 Coaches

Big Bend has been somewhat of a surprise this season. Their one loss came against (wait for it) North Idaho, and it was they that knocked undefeated and #1 ranked Spokane from their pedestal in a 80-77 thriller. Big Bend is averaging 89.55 points per game, good for 4th in the NWAACC and leads the league in steals at a stunning 14.91 per game. Big Bend will need to show a few more wins over quality teams, as nearly all of theirs are against opponents with more losses than wins, but if the success keeps up, Big Bend could make some noise in this year's tournament.

6. Tacoma (8-3) - #6 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 6, No. 4 Coaches

Tacoma has fallen on some hard times recently in the injury department, forcing them to lean heavily on their star Mark McLaughlin in last week's Invitational at Clackamas. McLaughlin showed that he was worthy of the go-to position on the team, and stepped up to the plate, scoring 86 points in his three games at the tournament. However valiant McLaughlin's efforts, basketball really is a team effort, and that should change when Tacoma gets several of their key players back. "Once we get our point guard (Josh) Lord back next week from an injury we will make a run," said Tacoma Head Coach Carl Howell. "He is our heart and soul and has missed the last four games." And Howell is right. When they get those pieces back, Tacoma will be scary good.

7. Whatcom (8-2) - #7 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 7, No. 5 Coaches

Watcom's only two losses are to current #2 Bellevue and #4 Spokane. They're averaging 91.67 points per game and outside of a 2OT win over Highline and a 188-109 win over the NWAACC's highest scoring team, Shoreline (103 ppg), Watcom has only allowed a team to score over 80 points twice, holding their opponents to under 70 points a game. To compound that, they lead the NWAACC in shooting percentage at a red hot 51% and are third in rebounding.

8. Chemeketa (8-4) - Unranked Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 7, No. 5 Coaches

Since going 0-2 to start the season, Chemeketa has gone 8-2, but it's not their record that impresses. It's their ability to score. Now they may forget completely about defense from time to time, but they have a high of 153 points (vs. NW Elite) and score an average of 102.75 points per game. They're also second in the NWAACC in assists (18.42 apg). Now if they could just learn to slow down the other team...

Teams moving up: Peninsula, Bellevue, Clark (added), Big Bend (added), Chemeketa (added)
Teams moving down: Spokane, Yakima Valley (dropped), Walla Walla (dropped), Clackamas (dropped)

Clackamas Holiday Invitational Preview

2011-12-23T18:19:00.000-08:00

It finally feels like basketball season is here! Clackamas is hosting their first men's tournament of the 2011 campaign, and I'll be there to take in as many games as possible. Here are some ways to keep up with the action:

Firstly on twitter @JWHsports.
Secondly on my Facebook page.
Thirdly on Cybersports for a live stats broadcast!

Until then, Merry Christmas!
John William Howard

Clackamas Holiday Invitational -

A good first look at some NWAACC powerhouse potential

Early in the season, it's often difficult to get a good read on how teams will finish in the standings by the time that the NWAACC tournament rolls around in March. Some of that is satisfied by the four "crossover" tournaments that are held each preseason where two teams from each region are hosted by one of the participating schools and play a short, and usually drab three-round tournament. There are exceptions, though. Sometimes one of the tournaments will be heavy laden with ranked teams, providing great entertainment for the handful of fans that show up expecting a run-of-the-mill exhibition match, as well as giving a chance for the top teams to clash before it really counts.

Another one of the chances that those teams have is the set of holiday invitational tournaments. These tournaments don't have the crossover requirements, and that means that hosts don't have to bother inviting teams that don't really belong there. The most prestigious of those tournaments on the men's side is that hosted by Clackamas Community College beginning December 28th. This tournament features five teams that I've put in my JOWARD Power Rankings, and three of the top teams from the current coaches poll. It is the only one of the three invitational tournaments that has all NWAACC teams (Clark's alumni are participating in their tournament, and Big Bend's has only four teams, one of which is from Canada) and is the only invitational that has more than one ranked team.

Let's take a look at the first round:
Rankings are Joward Power Rankings

No. 6 Tacoma CC vs. Linn Benton CC

Mark McLaughlin

Wednesday, Dec. 28 - 1 p.m.

As silly as this may sound, don't let Linn-Benton's three wins fool you. See, of those three wins, two of them were against Linfield JV. The other was against 4-4 Columbia Basin, which is semi-respectable. But they lost to 2-5 Everett, for goodness sakes. Expect Tacoma to come in and wrap this one up, complete with a little bow, fairly early and cruise to an easy victory. Tacoma guard Mark McLaughlin will be a player to watch, as he is second in the league in scoring with 28 points per game, and he is the only player to have broken the 40 point barrier so far this season.

No.2 Peninsula College vs. No. 3 Yakima Valley CC

J.T. Terrel at Wake Forest last season.

Wednesday, Dec. 28 - 3 p.m.

This should be the highlight of the first round, despite the coaches not ranking Yakima Valley in the top 8. This game will feature the top scorer in the league in Peninsula's J.T Tyrell (32.25 ppg), who started at Wake Forest a season ago, against one of the best defenses the NWAACC has to offer. Yakima Valley leads the league in both blocks and steals, and is a much better offensive rebounding team than Peninsula. YVCC should put up a fantastic fight, but eventually the Pirates will come out on top by a fairly close margin.

No. 5 Walla Walla CC vs. Everett CC

Michael Crane averages 1.3 blocks

per game for Walla Walla.

Wednesday, Dec. 28 - 5 p.m.
Unlike many of the teams ranked in the top eight, Walla Walla doesn't have flashy stats either offensively or defensively. They don't score a lot of points (73.4 ppg) and their rebounding is middle of the pack at best. They don't have a lot of steals, and while they average a fairly good amount of blocks, it's nothing fantastic. But what they don't do is give up points. Of Walla Walla's seven wins so far, they've held their opponents under 60 points five times. Everett is another one of those slow paced, defensively minded teams. Expect to see a low scoring game, probably with both teams staying under 75 points in a Walla Walla victory.

No. 8 Clackamas vs. Blue Mountain

Taylor Dunn verses Clark

Wednesday, Dec. 28 - 7 p.m.
This match up is as much a coin toss as any of the others. Both teams average around the same stats-wise, and seem to balance one another out. Clackamas gets more steals, Blue Mountain gets more blocks. Clackamas shoots better from the three point line, Blue Mountain shoots better overall. Truthfully, this game could go either way. The game will come down to which team gives their star better support. Clackamas' Taylor Dunn has been averaging over 22 points, ten better than the next man behind him. If I had to choose a winner, I'd say Clackamas simply because they're playing at home and haven't had to travel.

Clackamas women No. 1 in NWAACC Power Rankings

2011-12-12T17:27:00.000-08:00

NWAACC Women's Basketball

With the third women's coaches poll set to come out on Dec. 14, I decided to take a stab at ranking the teams myself. Coaches rankings are in italics next to each team's record.

1. Clackamas (8-0) - #1 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 2

Their wins against JV teams and lowly Portland aside, Clackamas has impressed so far this season, leading the NWAACC in both assists (19) and steals (19.43). If their shooting percentage continues to climb and their decent free throw shooting continues, Clackamas will be a tough matchup come tournament time.

2. Bellevue (6-0) - #3 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 4 (tie)

Of all the undefeated teams, Bellevue has the toughest schedule so far. Their combined opponents are 22-20, making them one of the few good teams to have faced a schedule in which their opponents are over .500. They shoot well when not behind the 3-point line, and are 2nd in the NWAACC in blocks.

3. Walla Walla (6-2) - #2 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 3

Walla Walla's only two losses were an 81-76 overtime defeat to Yakima Valley, and a 71-65 loss to North Idaho College, a NJCAA team. If the warriors can equal out the deficit in points off turnovers (-13 vs. YVCC, -23 vs. North Idaho), odds are they're still undefeated. They also lead the league in 3-pt %.

4. Yakima Valley (5-2) - #6 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 1

One would think that YVCC's win over Walla Walla would put them ahead, and that would make sense without Yakima's loss to sub-.500 and unranked Linn-Benton, and then to unranked Clark. However, the overtime victory against the Warriors says a lot about how Yakima can play when they're good, which apparently isn't all the time.

5. Columbia Basin (6-0) - #4 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 4. (tie)

Normally, Columbia Basin's perfect record would be more impressive, but it begins to lose some of it's glamour when you realize that they've really only played one ranked team in Umpqua, and were out shot by 13% in that game. Defensively they're decent: they held Peninsula to just 26 points, a low so far in the NWAACC.

6. Lane (5-2) - #5 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 6

Lane's only two losses have been to No. 1 Clackamas and No. 2 Bellevue, and the only thing holding them back from climbing again is defeating a ranked opponent. They lead the NWAACC in average points and have been winning by an average of 24.8 points per victory.

7. Blue Mountain (5-2) - #7 Coaches
Previous Ranking: NR

Blue Mountain's wins over Umpqua and Highline and close games vs. No 2. Bellevue and No. 3 Walla Walla have propelled them into the rankings for the first time this season. The Timberwolves shoot a blistering 45% from the field, and trail only Walla Walla in that category.

8. Big Bend (5-1) - #8 Coaches
Previous Ranking: NR

Yes, the Vikings are 5-1, but keep in mind that they've played their own alumni and 0-5 Edmonds CC. However, their victory over Umpqua was a big one: The 97-73 loss was the worse for the Riverhawks all season, setting an opponent high in a loss by 19 points.

And there you have it. Blue Mountain and Big Bend made the jump to the top eight, while Umpqua (6-4), Spokane (3-5) were knocked from the rankings.

View the current coaches poll here.

Spokane tops NWAACC Power Rankings

2011-12-11T01:57:00.001-08:00

NWAACC Men's Basketball

With the third men's coaches poll set to come out on Dec. 14, I decided to take a stab at ranking the teams myself. Coaches rankings are in italics next to each team's record.

1. Spokane (8-0) - #1 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 2

Spokane is the only NWAACC program to have defeated the mighty North Idaho College team that has dominated the rest of the Northwest League thus far. Looking at the overall stats, nothing seems to jump out. They're average in nearly every statistical category until you get to blocks, where they average 5.13 and even that is only good enough for second place. Be that as it may, the Sasquatch have shown up in every game, knocking off North Idaho 70-67 and Yakima Valley 91-85.

2. Peninsula (4-1) - #3 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 1

Behind their stellar new transfer from Wake Forrest, J.T. Terell, Peninsula fared well against nearly every opponent that they've faced, with their only loss being a 102-73 drubbing by North Idaho College. Putting that behind them, Peninsula should look to make a run at another NWAACC title, should things pan out with their new star.

3. Yakima Valley (5-2) - #9 Coaches
Previous Ranking: NR

YVCC's only losses have come by the hands of North Idaho (sound familiar?) and No. 1 Spokane. They are the only team to average more blocks per game than Spokane. While YVCC hasn't defeated any of the teams ranked in the top eight (other than 0-4 Highline), they've knocked off several teams on the fringe including Shoreline and Mt. Hood.

4. Bellevue (5-0) - #2 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 3

While Bellevue's undefeated record may look impressive, they've padded their season so far with two fluff wins over S. Puget Sound and a victory over unranked Linn-Benton. The two wins on their resume worth taking into account are against Clackamas (ranked No. 6 at the time) and then No. 9 Whatcom, handing Whatcom their only loss of the season. If Bellevue can survive the rest of the preseason, their road to the tournament may be paved, given that the North has been weak thus far.

5. Walla Walla (5-2) - #6 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 5

A loss to North Idaho College isn't beginning to look all that bad, and if that was the Warrior's only loss, it might be fairly impressive. However, they did lose to a rather average 5-4 Mt. Hood team. Walla Walla's biggest win is easy their victory over then No. 3 Clackamas in which they held the Cougars to their lowest point total in over 15 seasons.

6. Tacoma (4-1) - #4 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 4

Tacoma entered the season ranked No. 2, and started off 3-0 before falling 79-70 to then No. 3 Clackamas. Like several other teams ranked in the top eight, Tacoma hasn't played hardly anyone, with their schedule being just slightly better than .500.

7. Whatcom (5-1) - #5 Coaches
Previous Ranking: NR

Whatcom's opponents haven't been all that impressive, but the way they've won has been. With the exception of a double overtime win over then No. 7 Highline and a 83-78 loss to then No. 6 Bellevue, Whatcom has won by an average of 13.8 points per game including wins of 25 and 21.

8. Clackamas (4-3) - #10 Coaches
Previous Ranking: No. 6

Clackamas looked fantastic starting out the season, coming in ranked No. 3 and starting off 3-0, including an impressive 79-70 victory over then No. 2 Tacoma. Since then, Clackamas has been dismal, setting consecutive offensive lows in Head Coach Cliff Wegner's tenure of 53 vs Walla Walla and 52 vs. Clark.

It's not time to panic... yet.

2011-12-01T23:24:00.001-08:00

Head Coach Clif Wegner (left, in black) celebrates with his team after winning the 2007 NWAACC title. Clackamas went 29-4 that year, setting their record for most wins in a single season. The mark was met in 2009, also a championship year.

While still in the preseason, Clackamas Community College men's basketball may be in for a rough year if things don't turn around quick.

I met this season of men's basketball at Clackamas with some optimism.

This year's team has plenty of returning talent and a few strong transfer additions, including Taylor Dunn, a transfer from Central Washington that has lit up the scoreboard so far.

The men began the season ranked 3rd in the NWAACC. They started off 3-0 and knocked off the #2 team in the league, Tacoma, in the second round of their preseason tournament. That's reason for hope, right?

Well, yeah. That is until you take a look at what has happened since.

After advancing past Tacoma to the finals of the tournament, Clackams suffered an embarrassing loss, falling 64-53 to unranked Walla Walla in a game that Head Coach Clif Wegner called "feckless, inept [and] disjointed."

That game set a bar, and a bad one. It was the lowest scoring game in Wegner's 16 year career at Clackamas. Things could only get better, right? Wrong.

Two nights later, that bar got even lower as the Cougars fell to unranked Clark 75-52.

After two disheartening losses in a row, I begin to wonder who made the mistake. Did Clackamas not deserve their #3 ranking, or are they simply not playing up to it?

Looking at the record of Wegner's teams, you'll want to rule out both options. Ever since 2000, in Wegner's third season, the Cougars haven't failed to finish in the southern region's top three and hold three NWAACC titles (2007, 2009, 2010). Success has been synonymous for the last 11 seasons, which have averaged 25 victories.

It'd be easy to rule out coaching when looking for a reason for the recent slide. Sometimes team's can have a difficult time finding chemistry. Sometimes players aren't putting their all into games. Sometimes the other team is simply better.

But can you really say that coaching has nothing to do with it? Not really. The coach is the one that has the pulse of the team. He knows, or is supposed to know, the ins and outs of each player's game and is able to balance egos, skill sets, bad habits, friendships and grades. It's an impossible task, really. But for the last decade, it's worked.

Now I'm not saying that the sky is falling and I'm not asking for Wegner's head. In fact, I'm expressing my confidence in him and his team to get the job done. Challenges like this are nothing new to a head coach, and in a month we'll have forgotten about this completely. It's just that they've got another big game against #7 Highline on December 8th. Let's just hope that things get back on track by then.

The ups and downs of sports journalism

2011-11-25T21:23:00.001-08:00

Everybody has their favorite sport. Sometimes it's the sport that they played as a child. Sometimes it's the sport or the team that they grew up watching on TV. Whatever the situation, there is one in particular that people seem to gravitate to. Whether it's because that is a sport in which they are gifted, or just that the sport happens to fit their preferences, they enjoy it more than the others.

Journalists are the same way. Each sport has it's ins and outs. Some are strong photography pieces, while others are difficult to shoot and hardly anything turns out. For writers, certain sports are filled with action and statistics, but others are sparse and finding a story line can be difficult.

Most people would run away from this.
I ran toward it, and it ran toward me.

Men's Basketball: As far as storyline goes, basketball is simple to follow. It's easy to write down which team scored when and you are given a lot of stats to look at after the game is finished. Strengths and weakness for each team are easy to figure out by just looking at a sheet of paper. If you have the right equipment, this sport can be a lot of fun to shoot. Lots of players get into the action, and you get plenty of opportunities for good pictures. Sitting behind the basket is a good place, but if you're not careful you can get run over.

Women's Basketball: The women's game is the same as the men's, it just moves slower and has more outside shooting. The players are smaller and the game is less physical.

Wrestling: Covering wrestling can be a bit of a challenge. A lot happens, but it's difficult to figure out what to write about and what to gloss over. It's easy to say who won, how they won and by what score, but it's hard to describe how an individual match went. Oftentimes in this sport, you have to depend on the wrestlers themselves and their coaches to describe a specific happening, as they will most likely remember it/understand it much better than you will. Photos, as long as the lighting is decent, can be easy and fun. As long as you're attentive, you can capture the wrestlers in some fantastic poses. Crotch grabs are fairly common, and make for plenty of laughs in the newsroom.

Plus, sometimes you get fun faces like this.

Volleyball: Volleyball can leave an unprepared writer in the dust with some of it's newer terms, but it pauses a lot and gives a note taker time to catch up. It's broken up into smaller chunks, and you can compare stats for each set and put them together to tell the story of the whole match. Depending on the camera/lens you've got, this sport can be a challenge. If you want to get shots with the players facing you, you have to be on the far side of the court, putting you a long distance from the action. The best shots are usually of the right side hitters. That gets you close to the players and, since most players are right handed, a majority of the time their faces are turned towards you.

Cross Country: If it weren't for the fact that cross country normally loops around and crosses the same place several times, it would be nearly impossible to get photographs of. The trick to shooting cross country is to follow the coaches. They know the course better than you ever could, and are always at the right spot to watch their runners race past. Writing this sport is difficult, to say the least. The only statistic that you get to work with are times for each athlete. That's why it's best to focus on other things. Like the biker wiping out during the race.

Women's Soccer: The biggest issue with soccer is just that... the field is huge. For a photographer, you have to choose where you stand carefully to get as much of the action as possible before it moves to the other end of the pitch and makes shooting difficult. As a writer, a plotline can be difficult to find for soccer because much of the game is scoreless and is about strategy rather than offensive stats. Also, it can be difficult to figure out who to attribute shots on goal to as the game moves on quickly without pausing for you to catch up.

Just look at the gold you can capture when they don't know you're watching.

Baseball: America's pastime or not, baseball moves slowly for somebody that didn't grow up following it. "Highlight" performances can mean different things for each game, so you can't have a go-to stat that you look for in a recap. You have to watch everything, not just the offensive game. Players spend most of their time dawdling around the dugout and the bullpen, and are usually willing to talk during the game, making interviews easy to attain. Photos are great for this sport, as it is played outside and the sun/sky can be utilized.

Track and Field: This sport has plenty of things going on all at once, and even more athletes competing. There are a lot of stats to look at and a lot of highlights to pen, but little real plot to follow. You have to choose a few big performances and focus on them, telling their story. Photography for this sport can turn out well, but everything is happening all at the same time, and it can be difficult to capture all of the action.

Sometimes the best shots are AFTER the race.

Could I pick a favorite? Probably. Will I? Probably not. Each sport has it's challenges and each sport has parts that I enjoy. You can find a story anywhere, as long as you look hard enough. Sometimes the most interesting thing just isn't what you initially showed up to watch.

Oh, How I've missed basketball

2011-11-21T23:53:00.001-08:00

Clackamas Sophomore Andre Dickson (center, in white) looks to
score during practice on Nov. 21. Dickson had a game high four
steals in last week's season opener verses Linfield University JV.

After I finished classes today, I went to get some photos for one of my writers that was doing a preview of the CCC men's basketball season. I didn't think much of it. It was just a few photos of practice. Quick and easy, in and out.

When I got there, I realized that I'd be staying a lot longer than I planned.

I'd forgotten exactly how much I loved the sport of basketball. Lately I've gotten really in to volleyball and I've always been a soccer lover, but it wasn't until I stepped back on to the basketball court that I remembered how much I've missed it since the season ended so many months ago.

The next few minutes were lost to the squeak of sneakers, the pounding of the ball, the swish of the net and the click of the camera. It's more than easy to be absorbed in the action, it's practically intoxicating.

Then after a few minutes, I came down to earth. I realized that part of the reason I'd missed basketball so much was because there really is less of it now then there was a year ago. Last November, the Rose Garden would pack with 20,000 fans a few times a week to watch the Portland Trailblazers play. This November, the action on ESPN isn't on the court, it's IN court.

That might just be because the NBA isn't just basketball anymore. It's a business. And to be fair, it's a really good business. They attract millions of fans worldwide with their talent and the entertainment that it provides and rake in billions of dollars in ticket sales, TV deals and merchandise.

Clackamas freshman Jake Dewit (12) and Matt Bryant collide

during practice on Nov. 21 in Randall Hall. Bryant had a

double double in last week's game against Linfield JV with 12
points and game high 14 rebounds. Dewit scored five points

and drew the season's first charge.

For that very reason, many basketball fans shun the NBA, claiming that it's too flashy and has gotten away from the pure sport that it used to be. Most of those fans choose to follow the NCAA, where all the athletes (depending on how you see it) are amateurs. At that level, the athletes are still largely moldable and they depend more on their coach to teach than do the pros.

However, even at the NCAA level, the game can still be muddled by money. You don't have to dig very far before you find a case of a recruiting scandal. The reason for those? Money. Better players means more success, translating to better attendance and increased revenue for the college that the team is affiliated with.

In order to escape that, you might have to go one level down, where money means even less. That's where small college basketball comes in to play. At Clackamas Community College, for example, the stands would seat only about 1000 people if completely full, which they never really are. And that's only if they open up each set of bleachers, something that only happens for graduation.

In a situation like that, the revenue for filling the stands wouldn't be a huge difference in the athletic department's budget. The benefit from having a successful team is simply that they win more. Winning calls the attention of prospective players, feeding the success of the program even further. That's as it should be. The sport is focused on the players, not the coaches, not the fans and certainly not on money. Just basketball.

Apparently, nobody cares about junior college athletics

2011-11-14T20:10:00.001-08:00

If you were in Oregon City on a Saturday afternoon in the mid 1970s, it's likely that your plans would include taking in a football game. And not by driving down to Eugene or Corvallis, but right there in the city. You'd pack your food and beverage of choice and head over to a packed Pioneer Stadium and take in real college football with several thousand other fans.

Fans cheer on the Clackamas Community College Cougars

football team during the 1971 football season. College

football was one of the hotter tickets in town and drew

extensive coverage from local media before being cut after

the 1977 season.

Community College football wasn't the only sport that drew the attention of the community. Basketball games held in Randall Hall were full, complete with a pep band and a cheer squad. Football and basketball games were covered by the Oregonian and people came from all over the area to watch the teams play. After all, the college sports teams were made up mostly of home grown players from schools just a few minutes drive away.

That was the '70s. Somewhere along the line, things changed. Football was cut in 1978, and many sports have been added since, but attendance and fan support seems to have dwindled miserably. Often times a women's soccer game can't muster more fans than players and the holes in the audience at basketball games would imply that the teams are terrible and not worth watching. This, however, is completely backwards. Clackamas has built one of the strongest athletic programs in the entire league, winning 16 NWAACC titles and one NJCAA title since 2000. They've taken either first or second 32 times in the last 11 seasons including back to back men's basketball titles in 2009-10 and back to back women's soccer titles in 2004-05.

That begs the question: where are all the spectators? Normally when a team has success, the fans follow. In this case, the success is largely unknown to outsiders. Few even know about the 2011 NJCAA title won by the wrestling team. Even fewer know that women's soccer has advanced to the NWAACC final four six out of the ten years they've been playing at Clackamas.

I happen to think that sucks. And it's not entirely on the Athletic Department. That is happening at the junior college level all over the north west. Media coverage has gone down the toilet, fans have dwindled to naught and the programs are often dismissed as "just community colleges."

The source for that, I think comes from several different places. The first is that it's much easier now to see sports without getting off of your living room couch. ESPN made things easy enough, but with the rise of handheld technology like the iPad and the the Android, fans can see stats, highlights and even stream televised games live wherever they are.

That's a far cry from the '70s and '80s where the hometown team was by far the easiest team to watch. It wasn't division one, but by golly it was still college football right in our backyard.

That leads to another reason. Many many years ago, the college teams in the state of Oregon were good for nothing. They were at the bottom of the then Pac-8, and were hardly worth watching. Memories from those decades are mostly bad, including the 1983 "toilet bowl", a civil war ending in a scoreless tie and featuring eleven fumbles, five interceptions and four missed field goals.

In recent years, things have changed around. Not only is college football considerably better at Oregon and Oregon State than it was years ago, but they've improved in many sports across the board. Fans who wouldn't have been caught dead in Ducks gear now sport it proudly and the home town team is thrown to the wayside.

I think it's time there was a little bit of a revival. Yes, there are more players from outside the area than there used to be, but it's still a chance to see high school stars compete at the next level. The rosters are filled with athletes from Molalla, Rex Putnam, Oregon City, West Linn, Gladstone and Estacada, to name a few.

They're home grown, they're home town and they're good. Why not give it a chance? After all, retro is making a comeback.

Shift of power in women's soccer

2011-11-10T21:52:00.000-08:00

Clackamas CC (white) and Lane CC face off in the one of the final
southern region matches in the 2011 season. Lane (7-6-1) finished
second in the south behind Clackamas (10-5-1). Both teams are
still alive in the NWAACC playoffs and will play Saturday.

Normally a fledgling program takes time to build a legacy. They struggle for years in futility until they finally strike gold and begin to gain traction. Other times, the complete opposite is true. Some teams hit the ground running and find immediate success. One of those teams is the still rather recently formed Clackamas Community College women's soccer program.

Started up in 2002, they finished the season an impressive 15-5-2, taking second in the powerhouse Southern Region in just their first season of play. Since then, the Cougars have made even more progress, winning an impressive six region titles and three NWAACC titles from 2004-2011. Clackamas has made it to the final four every year except 2006, when they lost to the eventual NWAACC champion Spokane CC in the first round, and 2009.

This year Clackamas has again won their region title and will be hosting a quarterfinal match, but there are some questions as to the strength of the southern region verses years past. Yes, three teams from the NWAACC south, Clackamas, Lane and Clark have all advanced past the first round, but the days of complete dominance seem to be behind us. The East and South aren't alone in women's soccer any more.

That's not to say that the North and West haven't been there. The two conferences have seen plenty of appearances in the final four and championship games, but neither conference has won a title since 2003. That was before the NWAACC split into four divisions, and the team that won, Northern Idaho, is no longer a member of the league.

The balance of power seems to be shifting. The South and East are still dominant, accounting for five of the eight teams still alive, but the Northern region is beginning to rear it's head with two representatives, and an impressive 2-0 defeat of the East's 3 seeded Yakima Valley. The South is having a down year, coming in second to last in non-league play just above the pitiful western region.

2011 NWAACC Women’s Soccer Non-League Play
Division	Record	Points
East	13-7-2	41
North	11-6-5	38
South	4-10-4	16
West	3-11-2	11

Part of that shift comes from a switch that the NWAACC made a few seasons ago. It used to be that the south would play the north and the east would play the west. It wasn't uncommon to see a 10-0 win for a southern or eastern team, and both divisions dominated until region play began. Now the south and east face off, and the north and west face off. This pitches the two strong conferences against one another and the two weak conferences against one another.

That creates a problem. Squads from the power regions that would normally roll to easy victories in non-league games are starting to lose more often when matched up against better competition and teams that would normally get steamrolled are able to make headway when playing much weaker competition. That can create the illusion that the south has faltered and the north has taken it's place, if the casual fan isn't careful.

But is it really incorrect? Could the perceived success in the northern region turn the tables on the NWAACC and create a new power conference? I think so.

People tend to look at wins and losses rather than the strength of schedule, so a team's attractiveness to recruits will be based on that team's record, regardless of who they play. An Everett Community College team that normally would have finished 0-3 against the powerful east now finishes at a respectable 2-1. All of the sudden, soccer players from around the area take a second look at the team that won the "strong" north division and back away from teams in the south and west. What started artificially now begins to gain some substance as the north continues to improve and work toward it's first NWAACC title in eight seasons.

Time will tell. It could be that the south will bounce back, and the north and west fill fall into mediocrity again, but now all eyes turn to the last three rounds of the playoffs. That's when the true test of superiority will be taken. Will the north finally rise to the top? Will the south reclaim the NWAACC title for the first time since Clackamas won in 2007? or will the east continue it's reign? We'll all just have to wait and see.

Much more than a game

2011-11-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

It seems that playing against the odds usually tends to makethe best stories. We get the most excited about David vs. Goliath, a Cinderellateam or succeeding despite huge setbacks. The Superbowl that everyone remembersisn’t the one where the two best teams scrapped with one another for 60minutes, it’s the one where the nobodies came back to win against theirpowerhouse opponents.

It also seems there is nothing quite so inspiring aswatching a player struggle with an injury, but prevail.

Yes, Clackamas lost their final home match to Lane Community College last Wednesday and yes their seven gamewin streak has been snapped, but that wasn’t the story of the game.

The story of the game was watching injured Clackamasgoalkeeper Tori Wilkinson.

Some time between the Oct. 22 game at ClarkCollege and the Oct 25 game against SW Oregon, Wilkinson acquired an injury to her rightknee. At that time, Wilkinson had four shutouts in a row and hadn’t allowed agoal since the end of September. Coach Szpara declined to comment on the injuryitself. “[I’m] taking the Chip Kelly approach,” said Szpara. “I don't reallywant to talk about injuries.”

During the SW Oregon game(which Clackamas won in a 6-0 blowout), Wilkinson was being rested to help heala minor injury heal. When the team ran out on to the field last Wednesday, itwas clear that things weren’t completely back to normal.

The first thing you’d notice was the ugly black brace. Ifthat didn’t tip you off, you might not think to watch the home end of the fieldwhen nothing was happening. You’d see Wilkinson jogging across the field afterher shin guard that had gone astray. You’d see a grimace. You’d definitely seethe pronounced limp after every brush of action.

Wilkinson’s first test came early in the match.

In the 5th minute, Lane’s Kenzie Harding lobbed a cornerkick across the face of the goal to the far post, where Kiki McDonagh headedthe ball past Wilkinson and into the net. There wasn’t even time to raise herarms before Lane had scored, putting Clackamas down a goal for the first timesince losing to top ranked Spokane on Sept 24.

Normally when a goal is scored early in a match andespecially an easy one, it can take the air out of the game. It happens even inbig professional matches. The crowd quiets considerably and the players getchippy with one another.

Perhaps it was a lack of focus or the knowledge that thegame was meaningless for Clackamas, as they’ve already clinched the SouthernRegion Championship. Maybe they were caught a little by surprise by Lane’sphysicality.

Whatever it was, they fixed it. And Wilkinson fixed it.

From that point on, limp or no limp, Wilkinson and theClackamas defense tightened things up considerably. After each time the Laneforwards would near the goal, Wilkinson would corral the ball and boot it backtowards the center of the field. As the game continued, Wilkinson’s pain levelseemed to rise and she could be spotted gingerly favoring her good knee betweenattacks.

Once the final whistle sounded, the injured freshman didn’thobble over to the bench and wait to be treated by the team trainer. She joggedover with the rest of the team. The only sign that she was ailing was thatinstead of cooling down, she sprawled on the ground to remove her brace.

Wilkinson’s secret? She had just put it out of her mind.

“I just don’t think about it,” said Wilkinson.

And you know what? I’d like to see more athletes like her.All too often, a minor bump or bruise will keep a player sidelined for far toolong. Show some toughness.

Not without reason, of course. If you could hurt yourselfworse and threaten the rest of your season, then ok, sit on the bench. But ifyou can play through the pain and make a difference for your team, then youshould be out on the field. Or court. Or wherever it is you play.

Those are the performances that we remember. We rememberwatching Tiger Woods win at the US Open in 2008 with a torn ligament in hisknee an a stress fracture in his tibula. We remember Brandon Roy’s returnduring the 2010 playoffs against Phoenix.It’s those times that you see somebody do something extraordinary that stick inyour mind. Those memories help us to remember that in whatever we’re goingthrough we should just stick it out to the end.

It’s not just a game. It’s not just a distraction from life’s worries. There are lessons to be learned and I just learned another one.

Soccer a 'goal' with soccer city, USA

2011-11-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

It wasn’t long ago that nobody cared about soccer. And in fact, in much of the country that’s still the case.

Hatred of soccer can be attributed to many different factors. Not the least of those is that Americans simply like to be the best at everything. We’re basically the only people that play American Football (except for the Canadians, but who really counts them?). The United States absolutely dominates everyone at basketball. and while Japan and the Dominican Republic have made strides with baseball, they still lag behind.Americans are rabid fans of all those sports and why not? We invented them, after all.

That story is different with soccer. Soccer originated in Europe, taking on European rules and ideals, which differ greatly from what the US is used to. Americans are king of the quick-fix. Examples: microwaves, drive through restaurants and diet pills. Instant gratification is built into our brains and if something isn’t exciting right away, we quickly find it boring and return to something else.

That’s why soccer doesn’t work. Soccer is a long, low-scoring game. There is plenty of drama and action, but little to ‘show’ for it. Americans like scores that are easy to grasp with numbers in the tens and hundreds that show the flow of the game and make it simple to understand what happened. Soccer can be the complete opposite. Two teams can battle defensively and score in the 90^th minute, or a team can put in a goal inside the 1^st minute and will be held scoreless the rest of the game.

The ‘slow’ pace is combined with the idea that soccer players are whiners, fakers and generally overdramatic. Anybody who has youtubed professional soccer will know that there are plenty of examples of players bumping wrists and falling to the ground holding their ankles. The truth is, the sport of soccer doesn’t allow time to stop for players to state their case to the officials, so they often have to over exaggerate things in order to get the attention of the referee. Americans dismiss that as softness, opting for the more ‘masculine’ sport of football, where the players are covered in protective pads from head to toe.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love football. I just happen to be from Portland, where we’re a little different than the rest of the country.

Portland is a place where soccer has not only scraped a living, it has thrived. Dating back further than the early 1920s, when a local team was rumored to have played sailors from a British freighter, soccer gained a foothold in the area’s culture. We’re a city where we like things with a distinct European twinge. We like scarves (even during the summer), we like the rain, we like being green and face it: we like soccer.

While the most visible representation of soccer fever is the Timbers, whose jump to Major League Soccer sparked an even larger and more rabid following than before, the soccer movement can be seen at all levels of the game, starting with youth sports.

Over the past decade or so, soccer has become the most popular sport for children to play, eclipsing youth football, basketball, and even little-league baseball. Much of that success can be attributed to the simplicity of the sport at the youth level. Soccer involves kicking a ball, while baseball, basketball and football require more practice and more skill to get the basics of dribbling, passing and hitting down.

Add in that football is expensive and dangerous, it rains too much in the northwest to play baseball year round and basketball requires a hoop to make it fun and you get why soccer has done so well here: It’s an inexpensive, low-contact sport that can be played anywhere that there is enough grassy space to kick the ball.

With the large fan base a strong pool of talent, soccer has made leaps and bounds in the region. In 2002 and 2005, the University of Portland women’s program won the NCAA championship and since has produced four current members of the US national team, including star Megan Rapinoe. Even closer to home, the Clackamas Community College women’s team took back to back NWAAC titles in 2004-05 and another in 2007, while winning the Southern Region five times since 2002.

Now it makes sense why the University of Portland Pilots are a national women’s soccer power. Now it makes sense why Jeld-Wen stadium fills to the brim every time that the Timbers play, or the US Women’s National Team visits. Soccer is part of our culture here. It’s in our blood. It’s been built from the ground up, and isn’t likely to fade any time soon.