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Pirates expect better showing against Jefferson
By Joe Hansen, Sports Writer
Thursday, November 13, 2008 | No comments posted.
In all his 38 years of coaching, Marshfield football coach Kent Wigle has yet to see this — he’s now meeting a team in the state playoffs the Pirates have already faced this season.
Unfortunately for Marshfield, that earlier meeting was a 43-27 home loss at the hands of Jefferson, the No. 2 seed from the Class 5A Portland Interscholastic League.
In all fairness to the Pirates, though, the Marshfield team that lost at home to the Democrats on Sept. 26 isn’t the same squad that will travel to Portland on Friday night. In the preseason defeat, the Pirates were without running back/linebacker Kyle Brown, backup quarterback Jeff VanPulliam, linebacker Chris Thomas, lineman Jordan Chaplin and others, and starting quarterback Kyle Tedder and lineman Chris Cordova were both ejected from the game in the fourth quarter.
The loss was near the end of a rough patch for Marshfield, before the team went 3-2 in league play to earn a trip to the Class 5A playoffs. Now healthy after a bye week, the Pirates think this time around the outcome will be different.
“I think we’ve grown tremendously (since the loss). We’ve flipped a 180,” said Tedder. “Having played them once, we know what we need to prepare for better and what new things we need to prepare for. And them beating us once gives us incentive.”
One thing is clear: The Pirates will have to defend the run better than they did in September — in the loss, Marshfield gave up 356 yards of rushing to Jefferson.
“The biggest key for us is to stop their run,” said Brown, also a first-team all-league selection at linebacker, who watched the September meeting from the sidelines with a concussion. “Them running against us hurt us the first time.”
More than 200 of those yards came from ever-dangerous running back Marlon Miles, a smooth, patient back who does a good job of waiting for blocks.
“He’s pretty amazing if you give him time,” said Wigle of Miles. “He’s been a really steady player for them all year long. He’s had some other good ballgames. Was that his best one? Possibly.”
The Pirates also were burned by TD passes of 78 and 31 yards over the middle, however, as Marshfield went into halftime up 20-6 but gave up third and fourth quarters of 18 and 19 points, respectively.
“We just came out flat in the second half,” said Tedder. “We had chances to make some plays. It just came down to how we came out in the second half. I don’t think that’s going to happen again.”
The Pirates will be playing on grass at Jefferson for just the third time this year, having encountered natural surfaces at Marist and Thurston. The field is bound to be wet, too, which will make things interesting. Marshfield’s been practicing these past two weeks on grass, though, and Wigle doesn’t think playing on grass will be a setback for the Pirates.
“We’re comfortable with it. That’s going to slow (Jefferson) down a little bit too,” said Wigle. “With the weather being what it is, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
All told, though, the matchup should be a battle between two teams that have struggled with tough schedules and other setbacks throughout the season; the Pirates’ opponents this year were a combined 71-32 on the year, for example, and the 4-6 Democrats (3-1 PIL) spent the preseason getting beat up by the likes of No. 1 West Albany and No. 3 Sherwood.
“It’s two teams that maybe their records don’t reflect how good of a ballclub they are,” said Wigle. “Things are going to be competitive. You’re going to have to make plays to win.”
Notes: To get to Jefferson High School, take the North Killingsworth exit off of Interstate-5 in Portland. Then take a right on North Killingsworth and stay on North Killingsworth to North Commercial Avenue. Off of North Commercial you will see Jefferson High School Stadium and parking area... Ticket prices are $6 for adults and $4 for students. ... The winner of Friday night’s game will advance to face the victor between Silverton and Mountain View in the quarterfinals next weekend. If Marshfield wins, the Pirates will play that quarterfinal game at home.
Unfortunately for Marshfield, that earlier meeting was a 43-27 home loss at the hands of Jefferson, the No. 2 seed from the Class 5A Portland Interscholastic League.
In all fairness to the Pirates, though, the Marshfield team that lost at home to the Democrats on Sept. 26 isn’t the same squad that will travel to Portland on Friday night. In the preseason defeat, the Pirates were without running back/linebacker Kyle Brown, backup quarterback Jeff VanPulliam, linebacker Chris Thomas, lineman Jordan Chaplin and others, and starting quarterback Kyle Tedder and lineman Chris Cordova were both ejected from the game in the fourth quarter.
The loss was near the end of a rough patch for Marshfield, before the team went 3-2 in league play to earn a trip to the Class 5A playoffs. Now healthy after a bye week, the Pirates think this time around the outcome will be different.
“I think we’ve grown tremendously (since the loss). We’ve flipped a 180,” said Tedder. “Having played them once, we know what we need to prepare for better and what new things we need to prepare for. And them beating us once gives us incentive.”
One thing is clear: The Pirates will have to defend the run better than they did in September — in the loss, Marshfield gave up 356 yards of rushing to Jefferson.
“The biggest key for us is to stop their run,” said Brown, also a first-team all-league selection at linebacker, who watched the September meeting from the sidelines with a concussion. “Them running against us hurt us the first time.”
More than 200 of those yards came from ever-dangerous running back Marlon Miles, a smooth, patient back who does a good job of waiting for blocks.
“He’s pretty amazing if you give him time,” said Wigle of Miles. “He’s been a really steady player for them all year long. He’s had some other good ballgames. Was that his best one? Possibly.”
The Pirates also were burned by TD passes of 78 and 31 yards over the middle, however, as Marshfield went into halftime up 20-6 but gave up third and fourth quarters of 18 and 19 points, respectively.
“We just came out flat in the second half,” said Tedder. “We had chances to make some plays. It just came down to how we came out in the second half. I don’t think that’s going to happen again.”
The Pirates will be playing on grass at Jefferson for just the third time this year, having encountered natural surfaces at Marist and Thurston. The field is bound to be wet, too, which will make things interesting. Marshfield’s been practicing these past two weeks on grass, though, and Wigle doesn’t think playing on grass will be a setback for the Pirates.
“We’re comfortable with it. That’s going to slow (Jefferson) down a little bit too,” said Wigle. “With the weather being what it is, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
All told, though, the matchup should be a battle between two teams that have struggled with tough schedules and other setbacks throughout the season; the Pirates’ opponents this year were a combined 71-32 on the year, for example, and the 4-6 Democrats (3-1 PIL) spent the preseason getting beat up by the likes of No. 1 West Albany and No. 3 Sherwood.
“It’s two teams that maybe their records don’t reflect how good of a ballclub they are,” said Wigle. “Things are going to be competitive. You’re going to have to make plays to win.”
Notes: To get to Jefferson High School, take the North Killingsworth exit off of Interstate-5 in Portland. Then take a right on North Killingsworth and stay on North Killingsworth to North Commercial Avenue. Off of North Commercial you will see Jefferson High School Stadium and parking area... Ticket prices are $6 for adults and $4 for students. ... The winner of Friday night’s game will advance to face the victor between Silverton and Mountain View in the quarterfinals next weekend. If Marshfield wins, the Pirates will play that quarterfinal game at home.
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