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Sunset shootout begins Friday
By John Gunther, Sports Editor
Thursday, September 24, 2009 | No comments posted.
Gold Beach and Cascade Christian have been among the state’s elite programs for several years. Myrtle Point and Bandon qualified for the Class 3A playoffs last fall. Coquille, Reedsport, Glide and Rogue River all are undefeated.
The eight teams of the Sunset Conference begin battling for three playoff spots this week in what appears to be a highly competitive league.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of good games,” said Glide coach Jeff Freeman, whose team hosts Coquille on Friday. “We’re all going to be scratching for the league spots.”
Friday’s other games include Gold Beach at Bandon and Myrtle Point at Reedsport. Cascade Christian hosts Rogue River on Saturday.
All the teams are looking for strong starts with only three playoff spots after the league got four bids last year, especially since tradition suggests two of the spots will go to Cascade Christian, which was ranked second in last week’s coaches poll, and Gold Beach, which hasn’t lost a league game in three seasons.
“I think it’s really important to get off to a fast start in league, regardless of who the opponent is,” said Reedsport coach Shane Nelson.
His Braves are 2-0 with wins over Oakland and Waldport, while Myrtle Point is 0-2, with losses to a pair of Class 4A schools.
“For us, right now we really have no idea if we are a bad team playing other bad teams or if we are an average team or a good team,” Nelson said. That makes Friday’s game important for league momentum.
“If we can be competitive with Myrtle Point, then we should be a factor in the race,” Nelson said.
Myrtle Point coach Brad Henshaw, meanwhile, has the challenge of trying to keep his kids positive after a blowout loss to Douglas, one of the better teams in Class 4A.
“I think it is safe to say this was the toughest nonleague schedule we have had in years,” he said. “We’re trying to convince the kids they are a good football team.”
Nelson knows the Bobcats are good, especially on the line and at the skill positions.
“We can’t judge them by their record, just like we can’t judge ourselves by our record, because we are both playing opponents in different classes,” he said. “This will be a tough game.”
Both squads will be looking to cut down on turnovers. Reedsport was able to get away with its three miscues against Waldport because the Braves forced five turnovers.
“If we turn the ball over like we have been, we won’t have a chance,” Nelson said.
Henshaw had a similar thought.
“We need to reduce turnovers if we are going to start being successful,” he said.
Coquille and Glide also enter the first week of league play on a roll, though neither team has faced a top-flight opponent yet. The Red Devils beat a young Creswell club and Glide topped Class 2A Riddle. Both teams also beat Class 2A Glendale.
“It is a big game and a big test for our team,” said Coquille coach David Thomason. “We are playing on the road for the first time this year; we’re playing a league game for the first time and we’re playing a team that has won a game, too. All of those things we have not yet encountered this year.
“I believe we have a good game plan and that the team will continue to give a whole team effort, both of which will help us against a good Glide team.”
Freeman said Glide has made progress, but needs to keep getting better.
“We have some inexperience on the field,” he said. “The kids understand that week to week we’ve got to get better.”
Freeman also is concerned about Coquille’s explosive offense.
“They have a couple big playmakers in Heston Altenbach and Joe Harris,” he said. “Those kids can take it to the house any time, so we’ve got to make sure to contain them.”
Gold Beach and Bandon both opened the season with losses to Class 4A schools before rebounding last week with wins.
Veteran Gold Beach coach Kevin Swift said he has been telling his team, which is inexperienced compared to recent Panther squads, that it will get the best effort by every opponent in the league.
“Teams want to beat us,” he said. “They know that we’ve probably been the best 3A team in the state the last five years.”
Gold Beach wants to still be among the elite teams, but Swift has been telling the players they need to earn that reputation.
“My kids understand that last year is last year and they need to re-prove themselves every year,” he said. “The first thing that we need to prove is that we belong with the elite teams in the state.”
The Panthers didn’t handle that pressure well in an opening loss to North Valley, but played relaxed and better last week in the win over Illinois Valley.
He said the Tigers are a threat under second-year coach Motts Thomas.
“There’s improvement to the program,” he said of Bandon.
Thomas agreed.
“We improved tremendously from Week 1 to Week 2,” he said, adding that he thinks the Tigers match up well with the Panthers at the skill positions, a big change from 2008.
“Last year, Gold Beach had a monster of a football team,” he said. “They had some great players. We were not able to compete with those players.”
Bandon has been fighting illness, but Thomas has hopes for a good game this week.
“I think it will be an entertaining game,” he said.
Bandon has had a good week of practice, and Thomas said the Tigers know the key to the game.
“For us to be successful, we have to stop their veer attack,” he said. “We have to stop their fullback.”
Bandon, meanwhile, has turned to a spread passing attack keyed by quarterback Connor Jackson.
Swift isn’t worried about defending the Tigers’ offense.
“If he was the only school that’s doing it and it was the first time we’ve seen it, I’d be concerned,” he said. “But we’ve been seeing it the past three years.
“It’s not the plays that win games — it’s the kids executing the plays.”
In Friday’s other games involving South Coast teams, North Bend is on the road at Phoenix still seeking its first win of the season, while Marshfield moves up a classification to play Grants Pass on the road.
Siuslaw, also seeking a first win, hosts Newport and Brookings-Harbor, coming off a loss to Phoenix, crosses into California to face Fortuna.
Powers comes back after a bye week for a Skyline League game at Butte Falls.
The eight teams of the Sunset Conference begin battling for three playoff spots this week in what appears to be a highly competitive league.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of good games,” said Glide coach Jeff Freeman, whose team hosts Coquille on Friday. “We’re all going to be scratching for the league spots.”
Friday’s other games include Gold Beach at Bandon and Myrtle Point at Reedsport. Cascade Christian hosts Rogue River on Saturday.
All the teams are looking for strong starts with only three playoff spots after the league got four bids last year, especially since tradition suggests two of the spots will go to Cascade Christian, which was ranked second in last week’s coaches poll, and Gold Beach, which hasn’t lost a league game in three seasons.
“I think it’s really important to get off to a fast start in league, regardless of who the opponent is,” said Reedsport coach Shane Nelson.
His Braves are 2-0 with wins over Oakland and Waldport, while Myrtle Point is 0-2, with losses to a pair of Class 4A schools.
“For us, right now we really have no idea if we are a bad team playing other bad teams or if we are an average team or a good team,” Nelson said. That makes Friday’s game important for league momentum.
“If we can be competitive with Myrtle Point, then we should be a factor in the race,” Nelson said.
Myrtle Point coach Brad Henshaw, meanwhile, has the challenge of trying to keep his kids positive after a blowout loss to Douglas, one of the better teams in Class 4A.
“I think it is safe to say this was the toughest nonleague schedule we have had in years,” he said. “We’re trying to convince the kids they are a good football team.”
Nelson knows the Bobcats are good, especially on the line and at the skill positions.
“We can’t judge them by their record, just like we can’t judge ourselves by our record, because we are both playing opponents in different classes,” he said. “This will be a tough game.”
Both squads will be looking to cut down on turnovers. Reedsport was able to get away with its three miscues against Waldport because the Braves forced five turnovers.
“If we turn the ball over like we have been, we won’t have a chance,” Nelson said.
Henshaw had a similar thought.
“We need to reduce turnovers if we are going to start being successful,” he said.
Coquille and Glide also enter the first week of league play on a roll, though neither team has faced a top-flight opponent yet. The Red Devils beat a young Creswell club and Glide topped Class 2A Riddle. Both teams also beat Class 2A Glendale.
“It is a big game and a big test for our team,” said Coquille coach David Thomason. “We are playing on the road for the first time this year; we’re playing a league game for the first time and we’re playing a team that has won a game, too. All of those things we have not yet encountered this year.
“I believe we have a good game plan and that the team will continue to give a whole team effort, both of which will help us against a good Glide team.”
Freeman said Glide has made progress, but needs to keep getting better.
“We have some inexperience on the field,” he said. “The kids understand that week to week we’ve got to get better.”
Freeman also is concerned about Coquille’s explosive offense.
“They have a couple big playmakers in Heston Altenbach and Joe Harris,” he said. “Those kids can take it to the house any time, so we’ve got to make sure to contain them.”
Gold Beach and Bandon both opened the season with losses to Class 4A schools before rebounding last week with wins.
Veteran Gold Beach coach Kevin Swift said he has been telling his team, which is inexperienced compared to recent Panther squads, that it will get the best effort by every opponent in the league.
“Teams want to beat us,” he said. “They know that we’ve probably been the best 3A team in the state the last five years.”
Gold Beach wants to still be among the elite teams, but Swift has been telling the players they need to earn that reputation.
“My kids understand that last year is last year and they need to re-prove themselves every year,” he said. “The first thing that we need to prove is that we belong with the elite teams in the state.”
The Panthers didn’t handle that pressure well in an opening loss to North Valley, but played relaxed and better last week in the win over Illinois Valley.
He said the Tigers are a threat under second-year coach Motts Thomas.
“There’s improvement to the program,” he said of Bandon.
Thomas agreed.
“We improved tremendously from Week 1 to Week 2,” he said, adding that he thinks the Tigers match up well with the Panthers at the skill positions, a big change from 2008.
“Last year, Gold Beach had a monster of a football team,” he said. “They had some great players. We were not able to compete with those players.”
Bandon has been fighting illness, but Thomas has hopes for a good game this week.
“I think it will be an entertaining game,” he said.
Bandon has had a good week of practice, and Thomas said the Tigers know the key to the game.
“For us to be successful, we have to stop their veer attack,” he said. “We have to stop their fullback.”
Bandon, meanwhile, has turned to a spread passing attack keyed by quarterback Connor Jackson.
Swift isn’t worried about defending the Tigers’ offense.
“If he was the only school that’s doing it and it was the first time we’ve seen it, I’d be concerned,” he said. “But we’ve been seeing it the past three years.
“It’s not the plays that win games — it’s the kids executing the plays.”
In Friday’s other games involving South Coast teams, North Bend is on the road at Phoenix still seeking its first win of the season, while Marshfield moves up a classification to play Grants Pass on the road.
Siuslaw, also seeking a first win, hosts Newport and Brookings-Harbor, coming off a loss to Phoenix, crosses into California to face Fortuna.
Powers comes back after a bye week for a Skyline League game at Butte Falls.
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