CBBN NOTES - OCTOBER 3, 2008

The 2008 Columbia Basin Big Nine Conference football standings as of October 3, 2008:

Cascade Division

Div. Overall
4-0 4-1 - Richland
3-1 4-1 - Walla Walla
2-2 3-2 - Kamiakin
1-2 2-3 - Eisenhower
1-2 2-3 - Hanford
1-2 1-4 - Eastmont
0-3 1-4 - West Valley-Yakima

Columbia Division

Div. Overall
4-0 5-0 - Southridge
3-1 4-1 - Pasco
2-1 3-2 - Moses Lake
2-2 2-3 - Kennewick
1-2 3-2 - Wenatchee
0-3 1-4 - Sunnyside
0-3 0-5 - Davis

Results - Friday, Oct. 3

Eisenhower 10, KAMIAKIN 0
RICHLAND 21, Hanford 20
WALLA WALLA 26, West Valley 6
MOSES LAKE 28, Kennewick 13
Pasco 40, SUNNYSIDE 6
Southridge 42, DAVIS 0

Non-League

Ferris 21, EASTMONT 12
Wenatchee 34, RAINIER BEACH 12

Schedule - Thursday, Oct. 9

Hanford at Eastmont, 7:30 p.m.
Pasco at Southridge, Lampson Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

Schedule - Friday, Oct. 10

Eisenhower at West Valley, 7:30 p.m.
Kamiakin at Walla Walla, 7:30 p.m.
Sunnyside at Davis, 7:30 p.m.
Wenatchee at Moses Lake, Lions Field, 7:30 p.m.

Non-League

Kennewick at Richland, Fran Rish Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

CBBN NOTES - SEPTEMBER 30, 2008

CBBN Leaders -- Week 4

Team Offense

Rush Pass Total Avg
1145 323 1468 367.0 - Walla Walla
1015 403 1418 354.5 - Hanford
746 579 1325 331.3 - Southridge
619 697 1316 329.0 - Richland
558 700 1258 314.5 - Eisenhower
490 712 1202 300.5 - Moses Lake
820 334 1154 288.5 - Wenatchee
389 730 1119 279.8 - Eastmont
697 397 1094 273.5 - Pasco
404 580 984 246.0 - Kennewick
728 225 953 238.3 - West Valley-Yakima
414 507 921 230.3 - Kamiakin
423 350 773 193.3 - Sunnyside
382 206 588 147.0 - Davis

Defense

Rush Pass Total Avg
214 496 710 177.5 - Southridge
328 507 835 208.8 - Wenatchee
501 340 841 210.3 - Pasco
295 622 917 229.3 - Kamiakin
525 443 968 242.0 - Kennewick
535 462 997 249.3 - Richland
602 418 1020 255.0 - West Valley-Yakima
760 309 1069 267.3 - Hanford
655 446 1101 275.3 - Sunnyside
608 625 1233 308.3 - Moses Lake
938 317 1255 313.8 - Eisenhower
746 590 1336 334.0 - Eastmont
737 635 1372 343.0 - Davis
744 780 1524 381.0 - Walla Walla

Individual

Rushing

Rush Yds Avg TD
64 573 9.0 9 - Spencer Hessler, WW
79 551 7.0 5 - Jacob Sealby, Wen
52 420 8.1 7 - Gary Winston, WW
57 346 6.1 3 - Carlin Andrew, Pas
31 325 10.5 3 - Kody Winsor, Han
94 318 3.4 0 - Mitchell Vinsent, Dav
53 312 5.9 4 - Travis Chalk, Han
52 298 5.7 7 - Cam Sanders, SR
61 275 4.5 3 - Josh Loera, ML
54 272 5.0 4 - Taylor Elmo, Ike

Passing

Comp Att Yds TD Int (Mininum 8 att. per game)

52 87 674 8 2 - Hayden Hilty, Ric
47 82 676 7 6 - Taylor Elmo, Ike
41 67 16 5 5 - Andrew Mendenhall, SR
32 57 403 5 3 - Travis Chalk, Han
74 108 712 4 3 - Josh Loera, ML

Receiving

Rec Yds Avg TD
26 295 11.3 3 - Billy Brice, ML
21 210 10.0 1 - Chris Richardson, ML
20 378 18.9 6 - Jordan Gaut, Ike
19 254 13.4 4 - Brett Jacobs, Ric
17 295 17.4 2 - Devin Jones, SR
16 187 11.7 0 - Jimmy Ramos, Est
15 190 12.7 1 - Drew Loftus, Ken
14 241 17.2 6 - Will Treacy, Est
14 199 14.2 3 - Clayton Homme, SR
14 111 7.9 1 - Mario Saldana, Sun

Scoring

TD XP FG Pts
9 0 0 54 - Spencer Hessler, WW
8 0 0 48 - Gary Winston, WW
7 0 0 42 - Cam Sanders, SR
6 0 0 36 - Jordan Gaut, Ike
6 0 0 36 - Jamison Rowe, Ric
6 0 0 36 - Jacob Sealby, Wen
6 0 0 36 - Will Treacy, Est
5 2 0 32 - Jason Hanson, Ken
5 0 0 30 - Brett Jacobs, Ric
4 2 0 26 - Taylor Elmo, Ike

CBBN NOTES - SEPTEMBER 26, 2008

The 2008 Columbia Basin Big Nine Conference football standings as of September 26, 2008.

CBBN Cascade Division

Div. Overall
3-0 3-1 - Richland
2-1 3-1 - Kamiakin
2-1 3-1 - Walla Walla
1-1 2-2 - Hanford
1-2 1-3 - Eastmont
0-2 1-3 - Eisenhower
0-2 1-3 - West Valley-Yakima

Columbia Division

Div. Overall
3-0 4-0 - Southridge
2-1 3-1 - Pasco
2-1 2-2 - Kennewick
1-1 2-2 - Moses Lake
1-2 2-2 - Wenatchee
0-2 1-3 - Sunnyside
0-2 0-4 - Davis

Friday, October 3, 2008

Eisenhower at Kamiakin, Lampson Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
Hanford at Richland, Fran Rish Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
West Valley at Walla Walla, Borleske Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
Kennewick at Moses Lake, Lions Field, 7:30 p.m.
Pasco at Sunnyside, Clem Senn Field, 7:30 p.m.
Southridge at Davis, Zaepfel Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

Non-League

Ferris at Eastmont, 7:30 p.m.
Wenatchee at Rainier Beach, 7 p.m.

FALCON FOOTBALL NOTES - SEPTEMBER 19, 2008

In the Tri-Cities, the biggest matchup tonight features Kamiakin playing host to Hanford at Lampson Stadium.

The Falcons bounced back from a Week 1 loss to Moses Lake by crushing Sands of Delta, British Columbia, 51-3 last week.

The Braves, meanwhile, are 2-0 despite having an offense that is 11th in the 14-team league. They are surviving as they have the past two years with a strong defense (200.5 yards per game, No. 4 in the league) and special teams play.

Ethan Morgan is No. 3 in the league with a 37.1-yard average on 10 punts (most in the league), and Gavin Richter has kicked field goals in each of the first two games.

"I never thought we'd be able to find a kicker as good as (Stephen) Gilbert (now at Western Washington)," said Kamiakin coach Craig Beverlin. "And I'm stunned at how well our defense is playing. Because of our lack of size, I thought it'd be a problem, but it's turned out our quickness and speed have made up for it."

The offensive woes have started at quarterback, where junior Corey Hutchison has thrown six interceptions in two games. He was benched for part of last week's win over West Valley, with sophomore Joe Jansen taking over. Jansen was just 3-of-13 for 58 yards but did lead the team on a scoring drive.

"Right now, we have a lot of holes on offense, and we're just trying to plug them up," Beverlin said. "We've got to get our quarterbacks comfortable and move the ball on a more consistent basis."

FALCON FOOTBALL NOTES - SEPTEMBER 3, 2008

2007 Falcon Recap: 3-7, 2-4 CBL 3A, tied for fourth; lost to Kamiakin in regional playoffs.

Coach: Rob Oram (4th year, 9-21).

Last league title: 1999.

Projected Starters

Offense Yr Ht Wt

QB Travis Chalk Sr. 6-0 190
RB Kody Winsor Sr. 6-0 200
RB Nick Betzsold Sr. 5-7 175
WR Kyle Wagar Sr. 6-2 205
WR Jordan Friesz Sr. 6-2 210
TE Thor Buchanan Sr. 6-0 205
T Matt Latka Jr. 6-0 250
T R.J. Harris Jr. 6-1 250
G Brian Elzie Sr. 5-10 190
G Channing Stredwick Jr. 5-11 250
C Ryan Craig Sr. 6-0 235
PK Joe Clements Jr. 6-1 180

Defense Yr Ht Wt

DT Blake Suazo Jr. 5-9 260
DT Clinton Price Jr. 6-0 205
DE Jordan Friesz Sr. 6-2 210
DE Kurt Rueter So. 6-4 210
OLB Kody Winsor Sr. 6-0 200
MLB Ryan Craig Sr. 6-0 235
OLB Thor Buchanan Sr. 6-0 205
CB Cameron Wagar So. 5-10 180
CB Nick Betzsold Sr. 5-7 175
FS Travis Chalk Sr. 6-0 190
SS Kyle Wagar Sr. 6-2 205
Punter Travis Chalk Sr. 6-0 190

Others to watch: LB J.Clements; OL Suazo; OL Rueter; QB Brenton Griffin, jr. (6-2, 180); DL Chance Beebe, sr. (6-0, 200); DL Chris Tenney, soph. (6-2, 200); DL David Lowe, soph. (6-1, 260); DB Dylan Dikes, jr. (5-9, 150); RB/DB Shawn VanDeMark, jr. (5-8, 160); WR/DB Pete Zachara, jr. (6-2, 180); DB Brian Cherwien, sr. (5-9, 170); WR Brad Elzie, sr. (5-7, 140); OL Jeff Gaunt, sr. (6-0, 295).

Outlook

Oram has slowly rebuilt the program, even though the record might not reflect the improvement.

For the third straight year, the Falcons went 3-7, but included in that was a double-overtime loss to Southridge, a seven-point loss to Moses Lake and their first playoff appearance in eight seasons.

This is the year that the Falcons think they can break through, perhaps post their first winning record since 2002 and qualify for state for the first time since 1993.

The year got off to an inauspicious start with the loss of starting guard Jeff Gaunt, a 6-foot, 295-pound senior who suffered a torn ACL just before the start of fall camp.

It's caused some shuffling on the offensive line, which already was having to replace three starters and saw the move of Craig from left guard to center.

"We have some talented players on the line, but many of them are inexperienced," Oram said.

If they can open some cracks, the Falcons have the skill players to exploit them to full benefit.

Winsor is a top talent, getting looks from Oregon State, WSU, Boise State, Utah and Brigham Young. He'll play linebacker at the next level - he was a unanimous all-league selection there - but this year he'll also flash his 11.3 speed in the 100 in the backfield.

"He's got great speed, but he's also very physical," Oram said. "As a sophomore, he was a track guy. Last year, he became a football player who also runs track. He represents our program very well."

While Winsor was a known quantity last year, Kyle Wagar was much more of a surprise, catching 30 passes (eight for touchdowns) and averaging 20 yards per catch despite missing half the season with mononucleosis.

Running the show will be Chalk, who took over the starting job late in the year when James Rogers was injured. He was raw, completing less than half his passes, but he has a strong arm - he was the ace of Hanford's pitching staff in the spring.

"He's obviously a talented athlete, but his best asset is his decision-making," Oram said.

Chalk also anchors an experienced secondary at safety, and Craig moves from tackle to middle linebacker, where he can be more of a playmaker.

But the Falcons' best defensive player may be Friesz, who also missed part of last season with mono and was unable to play as a sophomore.

"He may be the best athlete we have out here. I mean, have you ever heard of a kid playing defensive end and wide receiver?" Oram asked rhetorically. "If he plays like he did in the spring, he'll be awesome."

FALCON FOOTBALL NOTES - SEPTEMBER 4, 2008

Columbia Basin Big Nine Cascade Division honor roll and predictions.

Strongest Arm - Corey Hutchison, Kamiakin

Best Running QB - Gary Winston, Walla Walla

Surest Hands - Jamison Rowe, Richland

Hardest Hitter - Seth Kline, Eisenhower

Best Athlete - Taylor Elmo, Eisenhower

Fastest Player - Kody Winsor, Hanford

Most Underrated - Jordan Friesz, Hanford

Top College Prospect - Taylor Elmo, Eisenhower

Top Impact Newcomer - Jacob McKinney, Richland

Biggest Shoes to Fill - Jake Haworth, Richland

Must Step Up - Travis Chalk, Hanford

Program on the Rise - Hanford

Upset of the Year - Walla Walla over Eisenhower

FALCON FOOTBALL NOTES - SEPTEMBER 3, 2008

Columbia Basin Big Nine Cascade Division players to watch.

Ryan Craig, OL/LB, Hanford

Should be more of a playmaker on defense with move from tackle to middle linebacker.

Taylor Elmo, QB/DB, Eisenhower

An electrifying athlete who can beat you with his arm or legs; he's projected to play defense in college.

Peter Girgis, OL/DL, Richland

His addition to offensive line at midseason helped Bombers' attack get on track; also a disruptive force on defense.

Corey Hutchison, QB, Kamiakin

Braves ready to open up offense thanks to this left-hander who throws a good deep ball.

Seth Kline, LB, Eisenhower

An all-league pick as a sophomore, he packs a wallop with every hit of his 6-1, 220-pound frame.

Dane Knapp, WR/LB, Kamiakin

Injuries have derailed his career so far, but if he can stay healthy, he'll have a big season.

Jamison Rowe, WR/DB, Richland

The 4A's Defensive MVP last year, the Bombers want to get him involved more on the offensive end this year.

Cody Shepherd, TE/DE, Richland

Baseball is his favorite, but several coaches say he could be a legit D-I football recruit.

Kyle Siekawitch, RB/LB, West Valley

Took advantage of injuries to move up the depth chart and show he deserves to stay there.

Kyle Wagar, WR/DB, Hanford

Didn't get fully healthy until midway through last year, yet still caught team-high 30 passes.

Kody Winsor, RB/LB, Hanford

A former regional 100 champion in track whose true calling card is at linebacker.

Gary Winston, QB/DB, Walla Walla

Move behind center allows this playmaker to control the action on every down.

FALCON FOOTBALL NOTES - AUGUST 27, 2008

Hanford coach Rob Oram never has been a fan of the WIAA rule barring shoulder pads during the first three days of practice for the prep football season.

Exhibit A for his rationale came sauntering toward the practice field midway through Monday's session.

Junior Pete Zachara had his right arm in a sling, the result of his diving for a pass during practice Thursday and landing on his padless shoulder.

Zachara, projected to be a key reserve at both receiver and in the secondary, is scheduled for an MRI later this week.

"It seems to happen to at least one player every year," Oram said, shaking his head. "It's never because of contact, but them hustling, trying to make a play, and they land on their shoulder. I just don't understand the rule."

Otherwise, the Falcons' preseason camp has been fairly quiet.

Most of their position battles were solved during spring and summer ball.

"We came out of team camp with a solid depth chart," Oram said. "For the most part, the preseason is about refining what you worked on from June 1 to Aug. 1."