2013 A & B Football Report B-8 All-State Team

Player of the Year: Jake Straughan, QB, Sr., Colton
Coach of the Year: Darrin Reppe, Wilbur-Creston
First Team—Offense
QB - Jake Straughan, Sr., Colton
RB - John Lesser, So., Liberty Christian
RB - Sam Schafer, Jr. Odessa-Harrington
RB - Mason Copeland, Sr., Wilbur-Creston
REC - Dino Williams, Sr., Lummi
REC - Zeke Greene, Sr., Neah Bay
OL - Bill Hanson, Sr., Neah Bay
OL - Casey Sewell, Sr., Touchet
OL - Deion Hoskins, Sr. Lummi
ATH - Elias Martinez, Sr. Touchet
K - Cesar Velasquez, Sr., Touchet
RS - Mason Copeland, Sr., Wilbur-Creston

Second Team—Offense
QB - Josiah Greene, Sr. Neah Bay
RB - Craig Nelson, Sr., Rosalia
RB - Ben Short, Sr., Northport
REC - Ruben Butler, Sr., Touchet
REC - Dalton Patchen, Sr., Colton
OL - Garet Townsend, Jr., Wilbur-Creston
OL - Ivan Hernandez, Sr., Touchet
OL - Jacob DeWulf, Sr., Odessa-Harrington
ATH - Mikey Piechalski, Jr. Pateros
ATH - Dallas Isaak, So, ACH
K - Jorge Caballero, Sr. Pateros
RS - John Lesser, So., Liberty Christian


First Team - Defense
DL - Josiah Greene, Sr., Neah Bay
DL - Colton Goble, Sr., Touchet
DL - John Reamer, Sr., Neah Bay
DL - Cesar Velasquez, Sr., Touchet
LB - Tyler McCalley, Sr., Neah Bay
LB - Colter McKeown, Sr., Touchet
DB - Jake Straughan, Sr., Colton
DB - Elias Martinez, Sr., Touchet
DB - Edgar Rincon, Sr., Touchet
P - Jorge Caballero, Sr. Pateros


Second Team - Defense
DL - Nolan Finley, Sr., Cusick
DL - Zeke Greene, Sr., Neah Bay
DL - Alex Putman Jr., Wilbur-Creston
LB - Ruben Butler, Sr., Touchet
LB - Mickey Piechalski, Jr., Pateros
LB - Nick Anderson, Jr., Wilbur-Creston
LB - Devin Cooper, Sr., Lummi
DB - Cole Svec, Sr., Neah Bay
DB - Dallas Isaak, So., ACH
DB - Aaron Fritts, So., Republic
DB - Kobe Kalama, Jr., Lake Quinault
P - Cesar Velasquez, Sr. Touchet

2013 A & B Football Report B-11 All-State Team

Player of the Year: Dylan Hartz, QB, Sr., Lind-Ritzville-Sprague
Coach of the Year: KC Johnson, Adna


First Team—Offense
QB - Dylan Hartz, Sr., Lind-Ritzville-Sprague
RB - Connor O’Neill, Sr., Lind-Ritzville-Sprague
RB - Brian Reynolds, Sr., Morton-White Pass
WR - Kalen Dunlap, Sr., Morton-White Pass
WR - Hudson Zavala, Sr., La Conner
TE - Ryan Whitmore, Sr., Lind-Ritzville-Sprague
OL - Tyler Frederick, Sr., Lind-Ritzville-Sprague
OL - Zach Counts, Sr., Morton-White Pass
OL - Harrison McGaughey, Sr., La Conner
OL - Anthony Paladeni, Sr., Napavine
OL - Jarradd Morley, Sr., Lind-Ritzville-Sprague
ATH - Cort Ruzicka, Sr., Lind-Ritzville-Sprague
K - Jorge Lara, Sr., Liberty Bell
RS - Austin Getz, Sr., Colfax


Second Team—Offense
QB - Rylon Kolb, Sr., Morton-White Pass
RB - Wil James, Sr., La Conner
RB - Darol Ratsavongsy, Sr., Raymond
WR - Darryl Galloway, Sr., De Sales
WR - Devon Acevedo, Jr., Waitsburg-Prescott
TE - Ben Powell, Sr., Morton-White Pass
OL - Tanner St. Clair, Sr., Morton-White Pass
OL - James Hopkins, Sr., Reardan
OL - Nate Bartlow, Sr., Waitsburg-Prescott
OL - Josh Brown, Sr., Colfax
OL - Robert Duckworth, Sr., La Conner
ATH - Sean Hurlbert, Sr., La Conner
K - Jared Hammond, Sr., Napavine
RS—Mike Thompson, Sr., Adna


First Team - Defense
DL - Zach Counts, Sr., Morton-White Pass
DL - Jarradd Morley, Sr., Lind-Ritzville-Sprague
DL - Tyler Frederick, Sr., Lind-Ritzville-Sprague
DL - Tony Picard, Sr., White Swan
LB - Colin Sheffels, Lind-Ritzville-Sprague
LB - Tanner Smith, Sr., Oroville
LB - Wil James, Sr. La Conner
LB - Cort Ruzicka, Sr., Lind-Ritzville-Sprague
LB—Ben Powell, Sr., Morton-White Pass
DB - Dylan Hartz, Sr., Lind-Ritzville-Sprague
DB - Connor O’Neill, Sr., Lind-Ritzville-Sprague
DB - Luke Kindred, Sr., Oroville
DB - Ryan Schafer, Sr., Asotin
P - Cort Ruzicka, Sr., Lind-Ritzville-Sprague


Second Team - Defense
DL - Sean Hurlbert, Sr., La Conner
DL - Tommy Seaman, Sr., Morton-White Pass
DL - Mark Foster, Sr., Napavine
DL - Cesar Dominguez, Sr., Liberty Bell
LB - Levi Hardie, Sr., Colfax
LB - James Hamilton, So., Raymond
LB - Gianni Bertucci, Sr., Morton-White Pass
LB - Jimmy Brooks, Sr., La Conner
DB - Travis McMillion, Sr., Onalaska
DB - Keith Gfeller, Sr., Colfax
DB - Trent Green, Jr., Darrington
DB - Sam Scrabeck, Sr., Naselle
P - Carson Ketter, Sr., North Beach

2013 The A & B Football Report 1A All-State Team

Player of the Year: Marcus Goldbach, RB, Sr., Freeman
Coach of the Year: Ron Lepper, Mount Baker













First Team—Offense
QB - Ruvim Tyutyunnik, Jr. River View
RB - Marcus Goldbach, Sr., Freeman
RB - Connor Fulton, Sr., La Center
RB - Izaiah Schwinden, Sr., Mount Baker
RB - Rex Pittsinger, Sr., Cashmere
WR - Terran Brown, Sr., River View
WR - Brady Widner, Sr., Zillah
TE - Mason Tobeck, Jr., Cascade Christian
OL - Jacob Allison, Sr., Cashmere
OL - Teigan Glidewell, Jr., Freeman
OL - Robert Luke, Sr., Charles Wright
OL - Spencer Blackburn, Sr., Meridian
OL - Zach Jacobson, Sr., King’s
ATH - Casey Reuther, Sr., Cashmere
K - Alex Tyska, Sr., Mount Baker
RS - Brady Widner, Sr., Zillah

Second Team—Offense
QB - Hunter Huddleston, Woodland
RB - Eli Whitmire, Sr., Woodland
RB - Anthony Louthan, Jr., Montesano
RB - Kurt Calhoun, Sr., Zillah
WR - Cody Hand, Sr., River View
WR - Sam Chambers, Sr., Meridian
TE - Hunter Gates, Sr., Mount Baker
OL - Reggie Chumley, Sr., Zillah
OL - Wummi Oyetuga, Sr., Charles Wright
OL - Colin Christensen, Sr., Royal
OL - Danny Kirkpatrick, Sr., Mount Baker
OL - Asa Schwartz, Sr., Chelan
ATH - Connor Wonderly, Sr., La Center
K - Andrei Dyson, Sr., Cascade Christian
RS—Casey Reuther, Sr., Cashmere

First Team - Defense
DL - Jacob Allison, Sr., Cashmere
DL - Spencer Blackburn, Sr. Meridian
DL - Reggie Chumley, Sr., Zillah
LB - Andrew Zender, Sr. Mount Baker
LB - Rex Pittsinger, Sr., Cashmere
LB - Mason Tobeck, Jr., Cascade Christian
LB - Gunner Vanderbilt, Sr., Connell
DB - Kian Genteman, Sr., Freeman
DB - Cole Muder, Sr., Blaine
DB - Terran Brown, Sr. River View
DB - Justin Rivas, Sr., Okanogan
P - Lucas Swanson, Sr., King’s

Second Team - Defense
DL - Gage Taylor, Sr., Connell
DL - Donovan Ishmael, Sr. King’s
DL - Andrei Dyson, Sr., Cascade Christian
LB - Nathan Steenkolk, Sr., Friday Harbor
LB - Max Hiller, Jr., La Center
LB - Kai Clausen, Sr., Chelan
LB - Connor Rubright, Sr., Freeman
LB - Kaleb Heezen, Sr., Meridian
DB - Brady Widner, Sr., Zillah
DB - Dennis Merritt, Jr. Cascade
DB - Max Laib, Sr., Freeman
P - Travis Sowell, Sr., Charles Wright

The A & B Football Report: Players of the Week

Offensive Player of the Week:
Trystan Rosman, QB, Wilbur-Creston HS

In the Wildcats 54-14 win over ACH, Rosman completed 12-of-13 passes for 377 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Rosman had to throw his first pass of the game away, but then completed 12 in a row in only one half of play. His TD passes were from 1, 63, 14, 96, 6 and 54 yards.

Rosman has 27 TD passes on the season with just 4 interceptions.


Defensive Player of the Week
Nate Clark, LB, NW Christian HS

In a 34-33 double-overtime loss, Clark played an outstanding game for the first year from Colbert.

Clark finished with 15 tackles, four sacks, and a fumble recovery.

Clark is one of the defensive leaders on the first year team in the Northwest 2B League.

Special Teams Player of the Week:
Peter Benne, Kicker, Blaine HS

In a pressure situation Friday night at Meridian High School, Benne kicked a 32-yard field goal with 2:08 remaining for what happened to be the winning points as Blaine survived a late Meridian drive to defeat the Trojans 24-21. Benne was also a perfect 3-for-3 in PAT's

Top Performers from Week 7

RUSHING:

Tyler Yarber, Rochester (1A)
270 yards, 34 carries, 4 TD's

Gunnar Brown, Curlew (B-8)
261 yards, 17 carries, 6 TD's

Rama Rudolph, Tri-Cities Prep (B-11)
256 yards, 24 carries, 1 TD

Kevin Knauff, Garfield-Palouse (B-8)
241 yards, 36 carries, 3 TD's

Devin Kelly, Hoquiam (1A)
213 yards, 14 carries, 2 TD's

Travis Mcmillion, Onalaska (B-11)
213 yards, 17 carries, 5 TD's

Keifer Kastl, Onalaska (B-11)
212 yards, 20 carries 2 TD's

PASSING:

Jake Straughan, Colton (B-8)
381 yards, 14-of-18, 4 TD's

Trystan Rosman, Wilbur-Creston (B-8)
377 yards, 12-of-13, 6 TD's

David Olds, Northwest Christian (B-11)
377 yards, 24-of-39, 2 TD's

Ruvim Tyutyunnik, River View (1A)
342 yards, 19-of-25, 6 TD's

Mitch Boesel, Brewster (1A)
329 yards, 13-of-22, 4 TD's

Brandon Van Pelt, Stevenson (1A)
299 yards, 19-of-29, 2 TD's

Cameron Gay, Lakeside (NMF)(1A)
268 yards, 14-of-23, 3 TD's

RECEIVING:

Dalton Patchen, Colton (B-8)
181 yards, 5 receptions, 2 TD's

Cade Smith, Brewster (1A)
167 yards, 8 receptions, 3 TD's

Jeron Konkright, Newport (1A)
156 yards, 6 receptions, 3 TD's

Terran Brown, River View (1A)
149 yards, 9 receptions, 3 TD's

Clay Shelton, Rosalia (B-8)
135 yards, 5 receptions, 2 TD's

Kobie Lewis, White Swan (B-11)
135 yards, 6 receptions, 2 TD's

Colton Van Pelt, Stevenson (1A)
134 yards, 4 receptions, 1 TD

Gus Bonny, La Salle (1A)
132 yards, 7 receptions, 2 TD's

The A & B Football Report Weekly Rankings - Week 7

1A:

1. Zillah (7-0)

2. Cascade Christian (7-0)

3. Woodland (7-0)

4. Freeman (7-0)

5. Mount Baker (7-0)

6. River View (7-0)

7. La Center (7-0)

8. Cashmere (6-1)

9. King's (6-1)

10. Eatonville (6-1)

11. Charles Wright (5-1)

12. Okanogan (6-1)

13. White Salmon (5-2)

14. La Salle (5-2)

15. Connell (5-2)


B-11:

1. Morton - White Pass (7-0)

2. Lind-Ritzville-Sprague (6-0)

3. La Conner (6-1)

4. Raymond (6-1)

5. Waitsburg-Prescott (5-1)

6. Napavine (6-1)

7. White Swan (6-1)

8. Tri-Cities Prep (5-1)

9. North Beach (6-1)

10. Reardan (4-2)

11. Darrington (6-1)

12. Concrete (4-1)

13. Wahkiakum (5-2)

14. Oroville (5-1)

15. Liberty Bell (2-1)

B-8:

1. Neah Bay (6-0)

2. Wilbur-Creston (6-1)

3. Touchet (6-1)

4. Colton (5-2)

5. Liberty Christian (5-1)

6. Lummi (5-2)

7. Cusick (4-2)

8. Rosalia (5-2)

9. Republic (5-2)

10. Sunnyside Christian (5-2)

11. Columbia-Inchelium (5-2)

12. Pateros (4-3)

13. Wishkah Valley (5-2)

14. Selkirk (5-2)

15. Lopez Island (5-1)

The "A & B" Football Report Weekly Rankings:

1A:

1. Zillah (6-0)

2. Cascade Christian (6-0)

3. Woodland (6-0)

4. Freeman (6-0)

5. Mount Baker (6-0)

6. La Center (6-0)

7. River View (6-0)

8. Cashmere (5-1)

9. King's (5-1)

10. Eatonville (5-1)

11. Cedar Park Christian (5-1)

12. Charles Wright (4-1)

13. Okanogan (5-1)

14. Columbia (White Salmon) (4-2)

15. La Salle (4-2)

B-11:

1. Lind-Ritzville-Sprague (5-0)

2. Morton-White Pass (6-0)

3. La Conner (5-1)

4. Raymond (5-1)

5. Waitsburg-Prescott (4-1)

6. Napavine (5-1)

7. Wahkiakum (5-1)

8. Tri-Cities Prep (4-1)

9. North Beach (5-1)

10. White Swan (5-1)

11. Reardan (3-2)

12. Darrington (5-1)

13. Concrete (3-1)

14. Oroville (4-1)

15. Liberty Bell (2-1)

B-8:

1. Neah Bay (5-0)

2. Liberty Christian (5-0)

3. Wilbur-Creston (5-1)

4. Touchet (5-1)

5. Lummi (4-2)

6. Columbia-Inchelium (5-1)

7. Cusick (3-2)

8. Rosalia (4-2)

9. Republic (4-2)

10. Sunnyside Christian (4-2)

11. Lopez Island (5-0)

12. Entiat (4-2)

13. Wishkah Valley (4-2)

14. Selkirk (4-2)

15. Odessa-Harrington (3-3)

Football Makes Us Crazy.......

The author of this article is Daniel J. Flynn. He is also the author of the book “The War on Football: Saving America’s Game. This article is re-printed with permission from Mr. Flynn.

Amazon’s one-time chief financial officer, Joy Covey, who joined the 60 billion company when its annual sales reached 16 million, tragically left us last week. Covey, like 700 other Americans this past year, died in a bicycling accident.

The passing of the former Amazon CFO may have been the only bicycling death you heard about last week. But at least a dozen took place in the United States. Two Massachusetts women who were cycling for charity died in Hampton, N.H., after an oncoming driver veered into their lane of traffic. A hit-and-run driver killed a homeless couple bicycling late at night in Chapel Hill, N.C. An eighth grader in Hopkinton, Mass., and a 25-year old near Grand Junction, Colo., met the same fate while riding on busy roads. Other such fatalities occurred in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Florida and points beyond.

More Americans died from cycling accidents last week than died from football hits during the last three seasons combined. The tragedies led no one to call for a ban on bikes. Everybody seems to comprehend that the positives in health and transportation outweigh the considerable negative of the pedal-powered vehicles. This measured perspective doesn’t extend to our collective view of tackle football, a far less deadly activity that, like biking, provides myriad social and health benefits.

One thousand times more Americans die from swimming than from football hits. Last year, skateboarding collisions killed 15 times as many Americans as football collisions did. About twelve times as many people die annually from crashes on the ski slopes than die from crashes on the gridiron.

If you’re wearing a Riddell or Schutt helmet when you die, the Drudge Report surely will highlight your passing. If you’re not wearing a helmet in a fatal riding or skiing crash, Matt Drudge probably won’t notice. The war on football is as much a clash between perception and reality as anything else.

When journalists do notice serious injuries in sports not named football, calls for abolition do not usually follow. After Michael Ybarra, a Wall Street Journal “extreme sports correspondent,” died from a climbing fall in the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Yosemite National Park last year, no national debate emerged over the wisdom of mountaineering. The celebrity skiing deaths of Michael Kennedy, Representative Sonny Bono, and actress Natasha Richardson thankfully led to an uptick in helmets on the slopes but not in calls to abandon the sport. Caleb Moore’s death while snowmobiling at the Winter X Games earlier this year hasn’t led to a lawsuit against the event or equipment manufacturers. Football plays by a different set of rules.

If the debate over football were about safety, then the scolds seeking to prohibit the game would table their ambition until after doing away with skiing, skateboarding, cycling, and dozens of other deadlier sports.

Safety works as a false front for what’s really motivating the attacks on America’s game. Rough and muddy football clashes with our increasingly risk-averse, passive-aggressive, unsoiled society.

It doesn’t fit in a world of parentally monitored play dates, Xbox babysitters, and trophies for everyone.

The war on football is a cultural tic calling itself a public-health crusade.

Football competes on a rigged playing field vis-à-vis other sports. Our standards for it, partly because of its popularity, are more stringent than our standards for other sports. If a fatality occurs in cycling, it doesn’t register unless it happened to the Amazon CFO or someone similarly famous. When such an injury claims the life of an anonymous football player, every journalistic outlet runs with the story in part because it plays into the existing storyline.

This creepy exploitation of tragedy reinforces an impression about football that is at variance with the facts. Football is safer than it ever has been—and safer than many uncontroversial pastimes ever will be.

Football makes fans crazy. Its distortion of the senses influences the game’s critics.

Special thanks goes to Cashmere football coach Phil Zukowski for sending me the article….

The A & B Football Report Rankings

The A & B Football Report Rankings:

1A:

1. Zillah (5-0)

2. Cascade Christian (5-0)

3. Woodland (5-0)

4. Freeman (5-0)

5. Mount Baker (4-1)

6. La Center (5-0)

7. River View (5-0)

8. Okanogan (5-0)

9. King's (4-1)

10. Cashmere (4-1)

11. Rochester (4-1)

12. Lakeside (NMF) (4-1)

13. Eatonville (4-1)

14. Cedar Park Christian (4-1)

15. Charles Wright (3-1)

B-11:
1. Lind-Ritzville-Sprague (4-0)

2. Morton-White Pass (5-0)

3. La Conner (4-1)

4. Wahkiakum (5-0)

5. Raymond (4-1)

6. Waitsburg-Prescott 3-1)

7. Napavine (4-1)

8. Colfax (3-1)

9. Tri-Cities Prep (3-1)

10. Reardan (2-2)

11. North Beach (4-1)

12. Liberty Bell (2-0)

13. White Swan (4-1)

14. Darrington (4-1)

15. Concrete (3-1)

B-8:

1. Neah Bay (4-0)

2. Liberty Christian (4-0)

3. Wilbur-Creston (4-1)

4. Touchet (4-1)

5. Lummi (3-2)

6. Colton (4-1)

7. Columbia-Inchelium (4-1)

8. Odessa-Harrington (3-2)

9. Sunnyside Christian (4-1)

10. Cusick (2-2)

11. Pateros (3-2)

12. Selkirk (4-1)

13. Lopez Island (4-0)

14. Wishkah Valley (3-2)

15. ACH (2-3)

**NOTE** King's Way Christian is a 1A school playing an independent B-8 schedule and is not eligible for playoffs. They will not be in the B-8 rankings.

Top Performers in Week #4

RUSHING:

Dallas Isaak, ACH (B-8)
311 yards, 19 carries, 3 TD's

Lowden Smith, Dayton (B-11)
300 yards, 43 carries, 2 TD's

Rama Rudolph, Tri-Cities Prep (B-11)
296 yards, 45 carries, 3 TD's

Sam Schafer, Odessa-Harrington (B-8)
267 yards, 18 carries, 2 TD's

Kyler Hazen, Mossyrock (B-11)
249 yards, 29 carries, 4 TD's

Tyler Yarber, Rochester (1A)
223 yards, 34 carries, 1 TD

Kurt Calhoun, Zillah (1A)
22 yards, 24 carries, 3 TD's

PASSING:

Trystan Rosman, Wilbur-Creston (B-8)
299 yards, 13-of-16, 5 TD's

Jake Straughan, Colton (B-8)
273 yards, 13-of-16, 5 TD's

Ryan Collin, Elma (1A)
260 yards, 15-of-18, 2 TD's

Austin Brockie, Lummi (B-8)
250 yards, 12-of-18, 6 TD's

Joe Cutshall, Soap Lake (B-8)
239 yards, 12-of-24, 3 TD's

Sam Schafer, Odessa-Harrington (B-8)
211 yards, 9-of-14, 5 TD's

RECEIVING:

Brant Bosma, Sunnyside Christian (B-8)
219 yards, 4 receptions, 4 TD's

Dalton Patchen, Colton (B-8)
180 yards, 7 receptions, 3 TD's

Austin Getz, Colfax (B-11)
148 yards, 5 receptions, 2 TD's

Todd Swinhart, Elma (1A)
135 yards, 4 receptions, 2 TD's

Mason Copeland, Wilbur-Creston (B-8)
126 yards, 3 receptions, 1 TD

Darryl Galloway, De Sales (B-11)
115 yards, 3 receptions, 2 TD's

Cody Daniels, Liberty Christian (B-8)
106 yards, 6 receptions, 1 TD

Colton Magers, Wilbur-Creston (B-8)
106 yards, 4 receptions, 3 TD's

The A & B Football Report Rankings

CLASS 1A:

1. Zillah 4-0

2. Cascade Christian 4-0

3. Woodland 4-0

4. Freeman 4-0

5. Mount Baker 3-1

6. La Center 4-0

7. River View 4-0

8. Charles Wright 3-0

9. King's 3-1

10. Okanogan 4-0

11. Cashmere 3-1

12. Royal 3-1

13. Montesano 2-2

14. Eatonville 3-1

15. Rochester 3-1

CLASS B-11:

1. Lind-Ritzville-Sprague 3-0

2. Morton-White Pass 4-0

3. Napavine 4-0

4. La Conner 3-1

5. Wahkiakum 4-0

6. Reardan 2-1

7. North Beach 4-0

8. Waitsburg-Prescott 2-1

9. Raymond 4-0

10. Colfax 2-1

11. De Sales 3-1

12. Tri-Cities Prep 2-1

13. Asotin 3-1

14. Willapa Valley 3-1

15. Darrington 3-1

CLASS B-8:

1. Neah Bay 3-0

2. Liberty Christian 3-0

3. Lummi 3-1

4. Wilbur-Creston 3-1

5. Touchet 3-1

6. Selkirk 4-0

7. Colton 3-1

8. Rosalia 3-1

9. Columbia-Inchelium 3-1

10. Odessa-Harrington 2-2

11. Soap Lake 3-1

12. Pateros 2-2

13. Sunnyside Christian 3-1

14. Lopez Island 3-0

15. Wishkah Valley 3-1

**King's Way Christian is ineligible for the playoffs. They are in the 1A classification but are playing 8-man football....

Utah's Union High School Suspends Entire Football Team In Lesson About Character

At Union High School in Roosevelt, Utah, Coach Matt Labrum believes football creates young men.

And it is that belief and his passion for the game that led Labrum and his staff to suspend all 80 players from the team because of off-the-field problems ranging from cyberbullying to skipping classes.

“We felt like everything was going in a direction that we didn’t want our young men going,” said Labrum, an alumnus of the program he’s coached for the past two seasons. “We felt like we needed to make a stand.”

So the coach and his staff gathered the team together after Friday night’s loss to Judge Memorial Catholic and told them he was concerned about some of the players’ actions and behaviors off the field. He instructed them all to turn in their jerseys and their equipment. There would be no more football until they earn the privilege to play.

The coaches told them there would be a 7 a.m. meeting the next day where they would have an opportunity to re-earn a spot on the team.

“We looked at it as a chance to say, ‘Hey, we need to focus on some other things that are more important than winning a football game.” Labrum said. I think it really meant something to them, which was nice to see that it does mean something. There was none of them that fought us on it.”

A few days before, guidance counselors informed the coaches about a student who believed he was being harassed by football players on an online chat program.

Other issues that concerned the coaches included failing and skipping classes, and showing disrespect to teachers.

“It had gotten to a new level.” said Labrum. “We felt like we weren’t respecting the teachers, what they were trying to do inside the school. We weren’t reaching the young men like we wanted to reach them.”
So they stopped playing football and started to discuss character.

During Saturday’s team meeting, Labrum gave the suspended football players a letter titled “Union Football Character,” explaining exactly what the boys would need to do if they wanted to earn their jerseys back.

Instead of practicing during the days leading up to a homecoming game against Emery High this Friday, they were told to perform community service, attend study hall and a class on character development. They were also required to perform service for their own families and write a report about their actions.

Also, players needed to show up on time for classes, and those with bad grades must show improvement if they wanted to play.

School administrators learned of the decision to suspend the team the day before it happened, said they supported the move and saw it as more of an opportunity than punishment.

“As I thought about it, I’ve got 100 percent confidence in our coaching staff,” said Principal Rick Nielsen. “They are just excellent men. Sometimes we do think we’re bigger than the game.”

No parent complained about the decision to the administration. Most expressed support and gratitude.

One parent, Jenn Rook, admits her first reaction was to hurry off to find a coach to corner, but then her son told her what led to the decision.

“OK, that’s not so bad then, Rook said. I do support it. These boys are not going to be hurt by this...It’s not a punishment, I see it as an opportunity to do some good in the community.”

After meeting with the coach, Jeremy Libberton totally supported the coach.

After I met with him, he’s got my support,” said Libberton. “I’m encouraging my son to stand strong, to stand with the team and get through this…

One player, Gavin Nielsen says his passion for the game hasn’t diminished, but he does have a new perspective on what it means to wear the Union High uniform.

“I still have the love for it and everything, he said Monday while leaning on a shovel used to remove weeds. “But it helped me realize, it’s not all about football.”

The "A & B" Football Report Top 15 Rankings

Here are The "A & B" Football Report rankings:

1A:

1. Zillah 3-0
2. Cascade Christian 3-0
3. Royal 3-0
4. Freeman 3-0
5. Mount Baker 2-1
6. Charles Wright 3-0
7. La Center 3-0
8. Montesano 2-1
9. Woodland 3-0
10. King's 2-1
11. Cashmere 2-1
12. Okanogan 3-0
13. River View 3-0
14. Cascade (Leav.) 2-1
15. South Whidbey 3-0

B-11:

1. Lind-Ritzville-Sprague 2-0
2. Morton-White Pass 3-0
3. Reardan 2-0
4. La Conner 3-0
5. Napavine 3-0
6. Wahkiakum 3-0
7. Asotin 3-0
8. Waitsburg-Prescott 2-1
9. Raymond 3-1
10. Oroville 2-0
11. Colfax 1-1
12. North Beach 3-0
13. Tri-Cities Prep 1-1
14. Willapa Valley 2-1
15. DeSales 2-1

B-8:

1. Neah Bay 3-0
2. Touchet 3-0
3. Liberty Christian 2-0
4. Lummi 2-1
5. Wilbur-Creston 2-1
6. Soap Lake 3-0
7. Selkirk 3-0
8. Colton 2-1
9. Rosalia 2-1
10. Columbia-Inchelium 2-1
11. Pateros 2-1
12. Odessa-Harrington 1-2
13. Republic 2-1
14. Sunnyside Christian 2-1
15. Wishkah Valley 2-1

Top Performers From Week 3

Here are the Top Performers from Week 3:

Rushing:

Alex Putman, Wilbur-Creston (B-8)
272 yards, 24 rushes, 7 TD's

Tyler Yarber, Rochester (1A)
235 yards, 26 rushes, 4 TD's

Colton Ashchoff, Kalama (1A)
227 yards, 21 rushes, 3 TD's

Jarred Corbett, Toutle Lake (B-11)
222 yards, 23 rushes, 4 TD's

Criag Nelson, Rosalia (B-8)
208 yards, 22 rushes, 2 TD's

Anthony Louthan, Montesano (1A)
207 yards, 25 rushes, 2 TD's

Passing:

Ryan Rapp, Newport (1A)
239 yards, 15-of-30, 3 TD's

Jay Becker, King's Way Christian (B-8)
239 yards, 6-of-11, 4 TD's

Mikey Piechalski, Pateros (B-8)
204 yards, 16-of-28, 4 TD's

Match Burnham, Liberty (Spangle) (B-11)
202 yards, 16-of-33, 2 TD's

Dominic Cain, Selkirk (B-8)
202 yards, 14-of-20, 2 TD's

Gunnar Blix, Wahkiakum (B-11)
183 yards, 7-of-10, 0 TD's

Mitch Boesel, Brewster, (B-11)
178 yards, 12-of-20, 1 TD

Receiving:

Jeron Korkright, Newport (1A)
196 yards, 5 receptions, 3 TD's

Devin Acevedo, Waitsburg-Prescott (B-11)
135 yards, 6 receptions, 1 TD

Austin Zeller, Davenport (B-11)
134 yards, 4 receptions, 3 TD's

Mason Swenson, Concrete (B-11)
98 yards, 3 receptions, 1 TD

Daryl Galloway, De Sales (B-11)
98 yards, 3 receptions, 1 TD

Cody Zyph, Kiona-Benton (1A)
96 yards, 3 receptions, 0 TD's

Cody Hand, River View (1A)
72 yards, 2 receptions, 1 TD

Cody Daniels, Liberty Christian (B-8)
66 yards, 2 receptions, 2 TD's

Coaches "Proactive" in dealing with the "Concussion" Issue

The injury to Davenport’s Max Mielke last Friday night got the discussion going again about head injuries in the ultimate team sport of football.
In the past few months, 2 players from the east coast have died from helmet-to-helmet hits. One player, Damon Jones, 16, a junior running back from Brocton, New York died from a helmet-to-helmet hit.

DeAntre Truman , from Georgia’s College Park’s Creekside High School died in an August scrimmage after suffering a broken neck and fractured cervical vertebra.
After talking this week to several coaches from around the state of Washington, I am totally convinced that the sport of football is in great hands and that the coaches at the A & B levels are some of the best coaches in the state. They are teaching the proper fundamentals and techniques of tackling and are proactive in findings ways to make this great game safe.

On May 14th 2009, Gov. Christine Gregoire signed the nation’s toughest youth athlete return-to-play law.

The law, (House Bill 1824), known as the Zachary Lystedt Law, requires medical clearance of youth athletes suspected of sustaining a concussion, before sending them back in the game, practice or training.

Some key provisions of the law include:

Youth athletes who are suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury be removed from play. “When in doubt, sit out.”

School districts work with the WIAA to develop info and policies on educating coaches, athletes and parents about the risk of concussion including the dangers of returning to practice after a concussion or head injury.

All student-athletes and parents sign an information sheet about concussion or head injury prior to practice at the start of each season.

Athletes who have been removed from play receive written medical clearance prior to returning to play from a licensed health-care provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussion.

Though the laws are in place, Lind-Ritzville-Sprague coach and AD Greg Whitmore is still concerned about the state of the game.

“I believe that our game as we know it is in peril,” said Whitmore. “We must change and that starts with us thinking outside the box to make this game safer.”

A couple of ideas that Whitmore suggested would be to reduce the current schedule of 10 games to 9. And that all teams begin their season with a jamboree.

“In fact I would like to see all sports schedules be reduced by 10 percent. Basketball from 20 games to 18 games, and so on.” Whitmore said. “We must become the leaders in the movement.”

Waitsburg-Prescott coach Jeff Bartlow agrees with going to a 9-game schedule and a jamboree to begin the season.

“I think if you are looking at safety in our sport, one of the options we have to look at is going back to the 9-game schedule as well as the jamboree.” said Bartlow.

One factor that might hinder the approval of Whitmore’s and Bartlow’s suggestions is the fact that football is the cash-cow for high school athletic budgets. A loss of a home contest could cost a school thousands of dollars.

Another suggestion that has been mentioned is that we could “limit” contact during the week of practice.

“If we begin to limit contact during the week, aren’t we compromising our players?”, said Tom Sanchez, Head Football Coach and Athletic Director at South Bend High School. “If we limit the time we get to teach our players proper form and technique, we are doing our players a disservice.”

One suggestion that Sanchez brings up is during the off-season, eliminate the scrimmages between other schools. That includes scrimmages during team camp.

“I know that during scrimmages with my team, I can control the hitting between my team,” said Sanchez. “But between my team and another, I have less control.”

One of the major concerns is the next count for re-classification. Athletic Directors are hearing that the numbers for reclassifying the 2B’s or B-11’s will be around 84-243. If those numbers are true, it will mean that the small 2B’s could be playing schools three-times their size.

Teams like Montesano, Cascade Christian, Zillah, Okanogan, Cascade (Leavenworth) could be in the 2B classification. Seriously? That would not be healthy for the state of the game.

In chatting with several members of the Northeast 1B/2B, they will be proposing an amendment to the WIAA that 0-to-100 will be classified as 1B or B-8, 101-200 will be 2B or B-11, 1A—4A 25 % each of schools 201 and above.

“You shouldn’t be playing someone that is more than twice your size.” said the 1B/2B members. “Benefits would be safety, stability for the 1B and 2B schools, competitiveness is more important at the B level than an equal number of teams, especially since many 1B teams do not have the full offering of sports, etc.”

Week One Leaders

Here are Week One's Leaders:
RUSHING:

Devin Cooper, Lummi (B-8)
16 rushes, 272 yards, 3 TD's

Craig Nelson, Rosalia (B-8)
22 rushes, 260 yards, 4 TD's

Dallas Isaak, ACH (B-8)
29 rushes, 229 yards, 2 TD's


Tyler Yarber, Rochester (1A)
26 rushes, 228 yards, 2 TD's

Jake Straughan, Colton (B-8)
5 rushes, 206 yards, 3 TD's

Wade West, St. John-Endicott (B-8)
14 rushes, 201 yards, 6 TD's

Mckoy Bichler, Rainier (1A)
14 rushes, 192 yards, 4 TD's

PASSING:

Trystan Rosman, Wilbur-Creston (B-8)
13-of-21, 282 yards, 6 TD's

Dane Pedersen, Tri-Cities Prep (B-11)
8-of-14, 256 yards, 2 TD's

Owen Lanning, Waitsburg-Prescott (B-11)
12-of-15, 196 yards, 3 TD's

Jake Straughan, Colton (B-8)
6-of-6, 195 yards, 2 TD's

Josiah Greene, Neah Bay (B-8)
11-of-18, 179 yards, 3 TD's

Ruvim Tyutynnik, River View (1A)
9-of-14, 176 yards, 4 TD's

Carter Allred, Royal (1A)
7-of-11, 169 yards, 1 TD

RECEIVING:

Bennett Pedersen, Tri-Cities Prep, (B-11)
5 rec., 160 yards, 1 TD

Jose Pence, Royal (1A)
4 rec., 118 yards, 1 TD

Joey Rosman, Wilbur-Creston, (B-8)
3 rec., 115 yards, 0 TD's

Chris Ryckman, Columbia Burbank, (1A)
7 rec., 108 yards, 3 TD's

Dillion Frank, Colton (B-8)
3 rec., 106 yards, 1 TD

State Champion Bulldogs to play without a stadium

For the second straight season, Montesano's High School Football team will be a team with out a home field.

The planned reconstruction of the Rottle Field grandstands, destroyed by fire last September, will not be completed for the 2013 football season.

The project, targeted for completion by mid-October, was due to difficulties with the concrete risers that would support the wooden benches in the grandstand.

Stadium constructor Rognlin's Inc. of Aberdeen, refused the precast risers provided by the supplier.

"There was some bowing to the concrete risers and areas that were not square, so they were having trouble fitting into the brackets," said Monte superintendent Dan Winter. "That caused them to realize they had a bow in them."

The defending 1A football champs had already rescheduled three of their five home games - Sept. 13 against Cascade Christian, Sept. 26 against Woodland and their homecoming contest Oct. 18 against Tenino - for Aberdeen's Stewart Field.

Fire destroyed the stadium's grandstands last Sept. 16, forcing the varsity football squad to play all but one of its remaining games away from home. The Bulldogs overcame the handicap to capture the 1A State Football Championship.

The "A & B" Football Report: 1A Pre-Season Rankings

1. Royal (13-1 in 2012)

2. Montesano (12-2 in 2012)

3. Cashmere (10-1 in 2012)

4. Mount Baker (10-2 in 2012)

5. King's (11-1 in 2012

6. Connell (5-5 in 2012)

7. Zillah (9-2 in 2012)

8. Charles Wright (8-1 in 2012)

9. Meridian (6-5 in 2012)

10. Freeman (7-3 in 2012)

11. Okanogan (5-5 in 2012)

12. Woodland (8-3 in 2012)

13. La Center (11-1 in 2012)

14. Cascade (Leavenworth) 7-3 in 2012)

15. Hoquiam (10-1 in 2012)

The "A & B" Football Report: B-11 Pre-Season Rankings:

1. Lind-Ritzville-Sprague (13-0 in 2012)

2. Morton-White Pass (12-1 in 2012)

3. Waitsburg-Prescott (11-2 in 2012)

4. Colfax (5-3 in 2012)

5. Reardan (8-3 in 2012)

6. La Conner (11-2 in 2012)

7. Adna (7-4 in 2012)

8. Tri-Cities Prep (5-5 in 2012)

9. Napavine (7-4 in 2012)

10. Raymond (7-3 in 2012)

11. DeSales (9-2 in 2012)

12. Mossyrock (7-5 in 2012

13. Willapa Valley (7-2 in 2012)

14. Wahkiakum (8-2 in 2012)

15. Concrete (8-3 in 2012)

The "A & B" Football Report: B-8 Pre-Season Rankings

Here is The "A & B" Football Report B-8 Pre-Season Rankings:

1. Neah Bay (12-1 in 2012)

2. Touchet (9-2 in 2012)

3. Cusick (12-1 in 2012)

4. Lummi (10-3 in 2012)

5. Liberty Christian (14-0 in 2012)

6. Wilbur-Creston (3-7 in 2012)

7. Colton (5-5 in 2012)

8. Garfield-Palouse (4-5 in 2012)

9. Almira-Coulee-Hartline (8-3 in 2012)

10. Wellpinit (8-3 in 2012)

11. Odessa-Harrington (6-5 in 2012)

12. Columbia-Inchelium (7-4 in 2012)

13. Selkirk (5-5 in 2012)

14. Pateros (6-4 in 2012)

15. Wishkah Valley (5-3 in 2012)

The B-11 and 1A Rankings will be out Saturday and Sunday...Stay Tuned!!!!

How You Can Use Social Media in Football Recruiting

Social Media and the world of College Football Recruiting can go together like two peas in a pod. Sometimes the results are not positive.

Too often in today's world, we see a recruit cross the line on social media and do something that will, at the very least, paint themselves in a bad light. In worse case scenarios, we've seen it potentially impact the actual recruitment of a player.

It's certainly not going away, so instead of abusing it, let's adapt a way we use it. Social Media can be used for good as well, and when utilized correctly, it can be extremely helpful, especially for a small high school football recruit.

Big 5-star recruits may not need to utilize it, but lesser known recruits, can really benefit from using social media.

Here are some ways that college football recruits can use social media to their advantage.

Separate Your Personal Life From Football:
This is the kind of advice that I would give to a high-school student or even a young college student trying to get a job.

You have to separate your personal and private life, especially on social media. If that means you have to create two separate accounts, one for being a kid and one for football, then by all means be smart and do that.

What many recruits don't realize is that the recruiting process for them is essentially one very long job interview. Not only does it lead to a potential free education, the experience of a life time and multiple extremely valuable contacts, but also for some - it leads to big time football.

Don't be naive enough to think that college coaches and their staff do not monitor the Facebook pages and Twitter handles of all recruits that are on their target lists. Let's throw in Pintrest, Instagram or even a personal blog.

After all, if it's on the internet, then its public domain.

The best thing a recruit can do on social media is to stand out by not standing out. Believe me, your positive interactions will be noticed just as much as somebody else's negative ones.

Keeping the Cussing To A Minimum:
This is really a piggyback point off the last one, but there is so much you can say about this topic that it's worth talking about.

Please keep the swearing to a minimum. I like to mumble a bad word under my breath now and then, but if there's anything I have learned in my 52 years of life, it's that there's a time and place for everything.

Dropping a four-letter word in a private text to your best buddies is one thing. Constantly doing the same thing on social media is another though - especially on Twitter, where millions of people who don't know you personally can follow you.

I know as a coach, writer and a manager in business that what I say publicly represents myself, but it also represents The "A & B" Football Report. As a recruit, you have to be wise enough to know that saying something on social media is just like saying it in public.

Represent yourself in a professional manner on social media, because that's how colleges that recruit you are going to expect you as a member of their football or basketball program.

Nothing makes me cringe more than when I watch a recruits video only to be greeted by a symphony of swear words coming from a song they decided to dub over their highlight tape.

I guarantee you that Nick Saban doesn't turn up the music on a recruits highlight film. It may pump you up to watch your highlight film, but it's not realistic and it's certainly not pumping college coaches up.

Remember, you are always representing yourself.

Links To You Tube or Hudl Video Packages:
When done well and correctly, highlight tapes can be a great way to build hype, if only amongst a fan base or the recruiting community.

Most high school coaches will send actual game footage and not just a highlight tape to a college coach to watch.

A smart recruit will get a great video package done and link that out on Facebook, Twitter or even start e-mailing it to coaches and recruiting analysts.

Interact With Recruiting Analysts:
Recruiting Analysts love Facebook and Twitter. It's a way that we interact with recruiting fans, get our work out there and sometimes keep tabs on you - the recruit.

Most are extremely friendly and helpful in regards to social media, and even just striking up a conversation with an analyst or expert can help you increase your overall exposure as a recruit.

As a recruit, I can't think of a better contact to have outside of the actual football program. Hype and momentum are two huge factors in recruiting, and like it or not and for better or worse, the media plays a role in both.

Rise Above The Hate:
Rise above the Hate, because there will be plenty of it. Don't get baited by "trolls" that just want to see you flip your lid. Don't worry when a fan base applauds you as a hero and turns around the next day after you decommitt and threatens your very existence.

Fan is short for fanatic, and the Internet allows the craziest of fanatics to have a voice.

One of the worse things a recruit can do on social media is get baited into an argument, because that's when all the rules go out the window. The "troll" has nothing to lose but the recruit has everything to lose.

In a social media world where we've become used to athletes constantly putting their foot in their mouth, a recruit that can handle him or herself with class, dignity and responsibility on social media will be a breath of fresh air.

Be the bigger person and stand out in a positive way. Use it to your advantage!!

QB Josh Straughan: 4,344 Yards and 60 TDs (2011)

QB Josh Straughan: 1,849 Yards and 14 TDs (2012)

Former Colton Star Shining at Stillman College

Colton's Josh Straughan's career couldn't have gone much better as a high school quarterback. The Colton High School product put up some fantastic numbers and went on to receive the AP Washington State 1B Player of the Year award, threw for 141 touchdowns and 10,000 yards in his career - in addition to rushing for 1,256 yards on the ground.

Unfortunately for Straughan, the video-game like numbers weren't enough to impress many Division 1 coaches, who hesitated to give him a full-ride scholarship offer. They may be regretting that decision now.

"You know I figured I wasn't going to get a lot of looks," Straughan said. "And of course, I had a little bit of a chip on my shoulder, especially coming from a smaller school...I had a fair share of people who were supportive of me and I had people who told me I couldn't do it, so it was definitely in the back of my mind, especially coming from a eight-man school. I knew it wasn't going to be easy."

The odds may have been stacked against him, but it didn't take long for Straughn to make his doubters look foolish with the opportunities he was given as a true freshman at Stillman College, an NCAA Division II school in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, some 2,500 miles away from his home.

In his first game of his college career at Stillman, Straughan came off the bench to lead the Tigers to an incredible comeback victory. With his team trailing Central State University 20-7 in the fourth quarter, Stillman coach Teddy Keaton ignored his gut and sent Straughn in the game.

"He's a freshman who played eight-man football - you're thinking I don't want to put him in this situation. I want him to learn. He had been doing it all camp so he had been doing really well, but I didn't give him the start only because I wanted him to grow." Keaton said. "But he kind of put the handles forth. I went to him and said, 'Josh, you're going in and take over.' Nver once did he blink."

By game's end, Straughan had thrown for 143 yards and two TD Passes and led Stillman on three touchdown drives in a 28-27 win. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Dayton Ohio Classic, and the outstanding Newcomer of the Week for the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).

"Before the game I was nervous, but once I got into the game in the fourth quarter, I was ready to go. I had been working for that experience ever since I've been playing football, so I was ready to go when I got in there," said Straughan, who instantly became a hero to his team. "I'm not going to lie, I was pretty excited and so was the team...It was a pretty unrealistic game and my dad was there to see my first college game and my first college touchdown pass, so it's pretty surreal to be honest."

The momentum from the Tigers' season opener was quickly halted when Straughn and the offense was shut down in their following game, but Stillman regrouped to put together a three-game winning streak, defeating Kentucky State, Lane and Benedict, with two of the wins coming on the road.

Stillman faced more adversity when it lost three straight games to fall below .500, but just as he did earlier, Straughan stepped up when his team needed him the most. He threw for 234 yards and four scores against Clark Atlanta University to put the Tigers at 5-5 on the season, and followed it up with a 248-yard and three-touchdown performance against Concordia University.

As a true freshman, Straughan helped the Tigers secure their first consecutive winning seasons in six years. He also completed 203 passes for 1,849 yards and 14 touchdowns. Straughan finished first in number of pass completions, second in passing touchdowns, third in passing yards, and fourth in passing yards per game in the SIAC.

Straughan doesn't plan on leaving the field anytime soon. Not only does he plan on becoming a coach someday, he still has three years left at Stillman. And that is music to Coach Keaton's ears.

By the way, Josh has a brother Jake, who is also a talented QB for Colton High School. His sophomore year, he earned all-league and all-state as a receiver for catching 92 balls for 1,528 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Last year, as a junior, Jake played QB and earned all-league honors as well as all-state by scoring 53 TD's for 3,625 yards. He threw for 40 TD's for 2,814 yards and rushed for another 13 TD's for 811 yards. Jake will play QB this year for Colton and he just committed to play Division 1 basketball for the University of Idaho.

Seahawk's sign Meridian's Lintz

On Thursday, The Seattle Seahawks signed Former Meridian Trojan TE Andrei Lintz to a free agent contract. The 6-5 260-pound undrafted free agent was one of two additions to the team on Thursday.

Lintz who graduated from Washington State last spring, went to a tryout with the New Orleans Saints in April. But with six tight ends in camp, Lintz became expendable.

After his tryout with the Saints, Lintz interned in Omaha, Neb., with a company putting on the US Senior Open golf tournament. He made such an impact, they invited him to Los Angeles to work with the CrossFit Games. Then his opportunity with the Seahwaks cam on Thursday.

Big things were expected out of Lintz last fall during his senior season at Washington State, but a knee injury limited him to two receptions for 14 yards.

Lintz appeared in 43 games for the Cougars and made 10 starts during his career. He finished with 10 receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns and was a three-time All Academic Pac-12 selection.

In May, he was named to the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame 2013 Hampshire Honor Society, which honors the college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers.

While at Meridian, Lintz piled up 628 yards receiving and 15 touchdowns as a senior in 2007 and 718 yards and 16 TD's as a junior.

Pateros Searching For Gridiron Boss

With August beginning, one Central Washington School is still searching for a football coach. Pateros, out of Central Washington is hiring for a football coach. According to the school website, Applications are being accepted and the posting will close August 8.

Thanks to our Research & Records Guru, Dave Maley for letting us know.

MEYERISMS

One of my all-time favorite coaches is Don Meyer. One of the all-time winningest coaches, Coach Meyer has had some influence on almost every coach in the game today. His notebooks and videos have been a big influence on my coaching philosophy. Coach Meyer has had an incredible career and continues to help young coaches to this day.

A coaching friend of mine recently saw Coach Meyer at a clinic and went down to chat with him for a few moments. He told Coach Meyer that his young son was there at the clinic and was getting into the coaching profession. Coach Meyer asked him to bring his son down as he wanted to meet him. That is Coach Meyer...Always teaching and influencing young coaches.

I was going through some of Coach Meyer's notes I had and picked out some of my favorite "Meyerisms". Here they are:

"Do The Best You Can With What You Have"
Don't violate the "Wooden Rule"... For those who don't know the Wooden Rule, it is "Don't Whine, Don't Complain and Don't Make Excuses!"

Coach Meyer loves the Wooden Rule. He believes it made no sense to complain about the players he had or the facilities available. Just do the best you can with what you have and work hard to make your players better and to improve the facilities you have.

"If You Want A Better Coaching Job, Make The One You Have Better"
For those who have met Coach Meyer in person, you know Coach is "Big Time" in the coaching world.

One of the all-time winningest coaches in history, never coached at the Division 1 level. But he is still Big Time.

He loved coaching at Lipscomb University and later at Northern State. At the time, Lipscomb was an NAIA institution and Northern State was a NCAA D-2 school.

Coach Meyer just didn't tell other coaches to make their job better, he practiced what he preached and the results was the institution, his players, the community and countless campers and their coaches benefitted as well.

"Champions Don't Look At It Like A Sacrifice; Champions Do What Needs To Be Done"
When the decision to achieve excellence has been made, the rest is not sacrifice. The choice was made before it becomes a sacrifice.

"Do The Ordinary Things Extra Ordinarily Well"
Pay attention to detail. There is no need to make a fancy pass. Just make it crisp, a frozen rope, to the target and away from the defense.

Make the simple shots. Like lay-ups and free throws...especially lay-ups and free throws because that's how you win games.

Screen a man and not space. Be tight with the ball. Face up in triple threat.

These are all ordinary skills in the game of basketball. But Coach Meyer's players did them with an attention to detail that was amazing.

"Know Who You Are and What Your Game Is"
Don't be someone or something you aren't...If you are a post, don't try to play the point position. If you are a supporting player, don't try to be the star.

If you are the player who is supposed to shoulder the burden, shoulder it. Be who you are!!

One of Coach Meyer's favorite sayings was from one of the Dirty Harry films..."Sometimes a man's gotta know his limitations."

The recognition of limitations allows players to take ownership. Ownership allows for progress to be made. You cannot eliminate a problem, a weakness unless you admit it exists.

"It's Not What You Achieve, It's What You Become"
Legend has it someone once asked Coach Amos Alonzo Stagg, head football coach at the University of Chicago, thought about his most recent football team and its success on the field. Coach Stagg, as the story goes, replied he would not know for another 20 years or so.

Coach Stagg wanted to see how his players lived their adult lives and made use of their educations before he determined whether or not he had been successful as their coach and they had been successful as individuals.

Coach Meyer would agree but he would also be interested to see what kind of character his players displayed in their adult lives. Did they live with passion, have a servant's heart, make the "next best choice", and commit to excellence in all that they did. Were they men of character.

"We Have Met The Enemy and He or She is Us"
You have a choice!!! God gives us total control over three things; the choices we make, our attitude and our effort. We are our own worst enemies. We make poor choices, even when we know they are poor choices.

Do the right thing for the right reason. Particularly when it comes to having a team attitude. How many good teams have you seen disintegrate from within because of internal strife, jealousy and bickering. In other words, the enemy is us!

Have a Team Attitude, do the right thing for the right reason.

"You Can Measure Somebody's Character By How They Treat People That Can't Do Them Any Good Or Can't Fight Back"
Life teaches us to be suspicious of people with good reason. Do something to change that!!

Have you had someone do something nice for you and expect something in return? Ever been manipulated by someone who did something for you?? My personal "favorite" is being treated poorly by someone because they believe I can do nothing to help them achieve what they want.

We all have been bullied, particularly when we were kids. The bullies were almost always in a position of power and had nothing to fear from those they bullied.

Character reveals itself in strange and unique moments. When a person has nothing to gain, has power over others, shows compassion for others and treats them with kindness, expecting nothing in return, it says a great deal about what is truly in the individual's heart.

Happiness Begins When Selfishness Ends"
In other words....."Living a Servant's Life!!!

Coach Meyer loves helping others. He has worked long and hard to help coaches and players around the world. He considers himself a fortunate man. He preaches being a servant leader each and every day.....

One of the of my favorite quotes from Coach Meyer is one I try to live by each and every day...."My wish is that every coach would coach for the love of the kids and the love of the game. And that everybody would strive to be a servant leader. You're no leader at all if you're not a servant to the people you lead."

Coaching Changes Update

A couple of coaching positions were filled in the past couple of weeks.

At Goldendale, Chris Twohy begins his second stint as Goldendale's head man. Twohy was coach from 1998-2000. Twohy will replace Don Strother.

At PeEll, Josh Fluke replaces Chris Fitzgerald. At Mary M. Knight, Matt Brkljacich takes over the reins from John Schultz. Brkljacich was the starting QB at Central Washington University during the 1984 and 1985 seasons. He will teach math and science at MMK.

Competitive Leadership: 12 Principles For Success

I have read the book by Former Minnesota Vikings Coach Brian Billick called "Competitive Leadership: 12 Prinicples for Success". Here are a series of thoughts that I gathered from the book:

A number of core features of an effective work team have been identified including the following:

* a clearly defined and shared sense of purpose
* a list of mutually created and agreed upon objectives
* well defined roles and role relationships
* an environment that encourages shared ideas and feelings

"Individual committment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, and a civilization work" - Vince Lombardi

"You are only as good as the people you hire" - Ray Kroc

Though I am the first to acknowledge that talent is a major key to a team's success, how could I continue in my profession if I didn't feel that my coaching could have a significant impact when I was surrounded by great talent?

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." - George S. Patton

"Ten strong horses couldn't pull an empty baby carriage if they worked independently of each other." Coach John Wooden

Another factor that can affect teamwork is familiarity. In this instance, familiarity refers to how much knowledge team members have of their teammates jobs, and the work environment. All factors considered, the more team members get to know each other and become familiar with the work place, the more likely they are to be bound emotionally to the group.

"When individuals have team spirit, they want the team to succeed and will hold themselves - and every other member of the team - personally accountable for pursuing individual excellence - Vince Lombardi

Too many rules get in the way of leadership...people set rules to keep from making decisions." - Mike Krzyzewski

In his book, "Leading with the Heart", Coach K states that he has one rule for his players: "Don't do anything detrimental to yourself". This rule is elegant in its simplicity.

If you're not sure whether a certain behavior is appropriate or not, it probably isn't.

I have established a speaker bureau to address my team during the course of our training camp and the regular season. This group consist of a cross section of lawyers, law enforcement professionals and qualified counselors who have expertise in areas such as anger management, male-female issues, crisis intervention and motivational speaking.

Peer Pressure is an excellent way to help "suspend" self-interest.

Finally, teamwork and team spirit are fostered when a leader takes specific steps to enable groups to lead themselves. In this regard, one of the most effective actions a leader can undertake is to empower the group to make decisions that can affect the team.

"The secret of winning football games is working more as a team, less as individuals. I play not my 11 best, but my best 11." - Knute Rockne

2013 Rule Changes for High School Football

We have 34 days until the start of football practice and wanted to pass along rule changes for the 2013 football season.

In an effort to continue minimizing the risk of injury in high school football, three additional rules will take effect this coming season to address helmets coming off players' heads during game.

As a follow-up to last year's rules change that requires players to sit out one play if their helmet comes off while the ball is live, the NFHS rules committee approved three additional rules that are extensions of last year's changes.

An illegal personal foul was added to Rule 9-4-3 to state that "no player or non player shall initiate contact with an opposing player whose helmet has come completely off."

In addition, a new listing in Rule 9-6-4 will state that it is illegal participation "for a player whose helmet comes completely off during a down to continue to participate beyond the immediate action in which a player is engaged."

The committee also added language to Rule 3-5-10 to clarify that if the helmet comes completely off during the down or subsequent dead-ball action related to the down - and is not directly attributable to a foul by an opponent - the player must leave the game for at least one down, with the exception of halftime or overtime intermission. When this occurs, an official's time out shall be called.

Perhaps the most significant rules changes this coming season will be one that reduces the penalty for pass interference. While the 15-yard penalty will remain for both offensive and defensive pass interference, the loss of down has been removed for offensive pass interference and the automatic first down has been eliminated for defensive pass interference.

Goodbye to a True Role Model, Mentor, Friend

Last night, I learned that my high school basketball coach, Bob Sutter passed away earlier in the day. My first reaction was of shock, because if there was a man that would truly live forever, it would have been Coach Sutter.

Coach was one of three role models in my life that made an impact on me. He came to North Beach High School when I was a 7th grader. He was someone I wanted to be like. All the girls were in love with him. In today's society, kids wanted to be like Mike, I wanted to be like Coach!!!

Coach always demanded your best, whether it was in math class or be it on the football field, basketball court, baseball diamond, or on the track. He had a special way of making you feel good about yourself.

Coach Sutter was a father figure in my life, when I needed one. My own father died when I was 9, and he was one man I totally looked up to. When I coach today, there are things I say and do that remind me so much of Coach.

Coach taught me to always think of others before self. Until his passing, he continued that way of life. In 2009, when my team lost a tough semi-final district tournament game, and we had to bounce back to play the next day, he was there for me to lend support. I have never forgotten that, and I let him know how much that meant to me.

He was the ultimate role model. You never saw Coach in trouble. Coach Sutter was devoted family man and was devoted to our school and to every student that walked the halls of North Beach High School.

Coach is survived by his wife of 42 years, JoAnn, two beautiful daughters, Julie and Angie. I thank them for sharing their husband and father with all of us for so many years.

I hadn't talked to Coach in about 6 months. I wish I had told Coach more often how thankful I was for what he did for me. To let Coach know how much he meant to me, how truly special he was to me and every student he helped along the way. Coach, I love you and will miss you and I will never forget the things you taught me. You left this world a much better place than you found it. You impacted so many people and you truly will be missed.....

New Jersey Bans Trash Talking in High School Sports

New Jersey high school athletes who talk trash could find themselves penalized and themselves under investigation by state officials.

In announcing the new policy, The New Jersey State Interscholastic Association and the State Attorney General's Office said it brings athletic events into line with the state's anti-bullying law for schools.

According to the policy, sports participants could be in trouble and under investigation by the State's Civil Rights Division if they make harassing statements related to gender, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or religion.

Steven Timko, executive director for the agency, said in a statement that obscene gestures, profanity or "unduly provocative language or action toward officials, opponents or spectators" also won't be tolerated.

The new rules, which take effect in the fall, apply to athletes and coaches at the nearly 400 public, private and parochial high schools that belong to the NJSIAA.

Coaches will be responsible for reminding players about the trash-talking policy.

Referees would also be required to report incidents for possible further investigation. If discriminatory remarks are heard, they can assess immediate penalties.

The big question is.....Will the WIAA follow New Jersey?????

West 30, East 6 in Earl Barden Football Classic

Lakewood's Justin Peterson caught 7 balls for 107 yards as the West topped the East 30-6 in the Earl Barden Classic at Earl Barden Field in Yakima Saturday afternoon.

The Central Washington University signee, worked this week exclusively at Wide Receiver, where CWU is interested in Peterson playing, and meshed well with Lynden's Josh Kraght. Peterson's efforts earned him West Offensive MVP honors.

"This was a great experience, especially with my coach (Dan Teeter) here on the staff," Peterson told Scott Spurill of the Yakima Herlad-Republic. "I've had some older teammates play in this game and they always said, 'If you get the chance, you have to do it-don't pass it up.' It wasn't just a game, it was really cool the whole week."

Peterson, a state triple jump champion, caught five passes in the second panel and showed great chemistry with Lynden QB Josh Kraght. The two hooked up on gains of 40, 23 and 10 yards, the last going for a score that put the West up 27-6 with 23 seconds left in the second panel.

The West dominated this one, 432 yards - 184 on the ground and 248 thru the air, scoring 4 of their touchdowns in its seven first half possessions. The West defense was opportunistic in forcing six turnovers and held the East to 21 yards on the ground. Tumwater's Jamie Bryant, 6-5, 260 pound defensive lineman was key to the West's effort, and was voted the West Defensive MVP. Bryant will be heading to Montlake and the University of Washington.

Though the West air attack was outstanding, the ground gain was as good, rushing for 140 yards in the first quarter with touchdown runs by Capital's Kai Van Sickle and Hoquiam's Nolan Hoiness.

The East did have its chances however. West Valley (Spokane) Tyler Stavnes connected with Othello's Juston Lind on a 67-yard scoring strike that drew the East to 14-6 early in the second stanza. But turnovers proved costly in this contest.

Lind had 4 receptions for 112 yards in the first half but left the contest with a separated shoulder. Lind earned the East Offensive MVP. Royal's Brady Dixon was the East Defensive MVP.

West 30
East 6

SCORING:

West - Kai Van Sickle 56-yard run (Derrick Holt kick)

West - Nolan Hoiness 3-yard run (Holt kick)

East - Juston Lind 67-yard pass from Tyler Stavnes (kick failed)

West - Caleb Taylor 40-yard pass from Josh Kraght (kick blocked)

West - Justin Peterson 10-yard pass from Kraght (Holt kick)

West - Field Goal Holt 22-yards

INDIVIDUAL STATS:

RUSHING:West: Van Sickle, 8-68, Andrew Brown, 5-46, Hoiness, 5-40, Brandon Pritchett, 6-17, Dahlton Zavala, 5-17, Taylor Martindale 2-minus 1, Lars Blix, 1-minus 1, Kraght, 1-minus 1. East: Derek Smith, 3-28, Alex Myrick, 10-8, Kody Bartlett, 1-7, Fabian Alvarez, 2-4, Stavnes, 4-minus 5, Lind, 2-minus 11.

PASSING: West: Kraght, 13-21-0-225, Blix, 2-3-0-13, Martindale, 2-3-0-1 East: Myrick, 18-34-2-183, Stavnes, 9-13-1-148, D. Smith, 2-3-1-30.

RECEIVING: West: Peterson 7-107, Taylor 4-80, Zach Vis 2-19, Van Sickle 1-21, Holt 1-15, Hoiness 1-4, Brown 1-2 East: D. Smith 6-72, Bartlett 6-35, Lind 4-112, Alvarez 4-38, Caleb Wiebe 3-13, Koleman Johns 2-46, Dalton Estes 2-29, Austin Johnson 1-12, Dalton Hansen 1-4.

Combined Allocations for 2013 District 7 & 9 1B & 2B Playoff Football

I know it is early in the game, but thanks to Bob Kirk, WIAA District 9 Director for sharing the 2013 District 7 & 9 Combined Allocations for 1B & 2B Football Playoffs.







DISTRICT 7 & 9 1B - COMBINED ALLOCATIONS = 5

D7: NE #5 will play D9: SE #1...Winner will be Dist. 7/9 1B #1
D7: NE #6 will play D7: NE #1...Winner will be Dist. 7/9 1B #2
D7: NE #4 will play D9: SE #2...Winner will be Dist. 7/9 1B #3
D9: SE #4 will play D7: NE #2...Winner will be Dist. 7/9 1B #4
D7: NE #3 will play D9: SE #3...Winner will be Dist. 7/9 1B #5

DISTRICT 7 & 9 2B - COMBINED ALLOCATIONS = 5

D7: NE #5 will play D9: SE #1...Winner will be Dist. 7/9 2B #1
D9: SE #5 will play D7: NE #1...Winner will be Dist. 7/9 2B #2
D9: SE #4 will play D7: NE #2...Winner will be Dist. 7/9 2B #3
D7: NE #4 will play D9: SE #2...Winner will be Dist. 7/9 2B #4
D7: NE #3 will play D9: SE #3...Winner will be Dist. 7/9 2B #5

Rochester Hires Football Coach

For the second straight year, Rochester High School has hired an assistant from Black Hills High School. This time, it is Defensive Coordinator Eric Snelson as its new football coach.

Snelson had been the Wolves' Defensive Coordinator and also coached linebackers for Coach Jack Zilla, who resigned at Black Hills after 15 seasons in February. Snelson replaces Chris Barnes, a former Black Hills assistant under Zilla, who resigned after one season at Rochester. Several former Black Hills assistants, including Zilla, are on Snelson's new coaching staff at Rochester.

Snelson is Rochester's seventh coach since the departure of Bob Wollan, now at WF West High School, in 2002 and the fourth coach since 2010. After Paul Christensen stepped down following the 2010 season, Tom Griggs, and Barnes each coached for one year in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Last fall, under Barnes, the Warriors went 2-7.

Snelson, who also teaches math, played tight end for Stanford, where he was All Pac-10 honorable mention player in 1987. He also played linebacker briefly for the Los Angeles Raiders (1988 and 1989.