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Messages - Bearcat Press

#16
Change (finally) in Salem, with Kip Ioane out after 14 years and a record of 85-243 overall, 49-163 in the NWC. Willamette hasn't issued a statement, but it looks like Kip tweeted about it last week:

https://twitter.com/KipIoane/status/1646308852164620288

Longtime local sportscaster Mark Gilman also has a brief writeup about it on his Substack:

https://markgilman.substack.com/p/bits-and-pieces-mid-april-edition

I have never bought the excuse that Willamette's academic standards mean we can't field a competitive men's basketball team--especially when Whitman, UPS, and Lewis & Clark manage to do just that every year. I don't think anybody expects the Bearcats to compete for national titles the way we did in the 90s, but there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to have a team that consistently finishes in the top half of the NWC.
#17
Quote from: Ralph Turner on March 07, 2023, 08:40:55 AM
Quote from: Bearcat Press on March 06, 2023, 02:12:07 PM
Bizarre situation at Linfield, where Shanan Rosenberg may be out as head coach:

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2023/03/linfield-universitys-abrupt-suspension-of-mens-basketball-teams-coach-rose-draws-rebukes-from-players-parents-and-alumni.html
Paywall! Sorry, I could not read it.

Here's the part of the article with the facts of what happened, such as they are. Again, the whole thing is just very weird:

Quote
During a Feb. 18 game against Whitman College, Rosenberg responded to a parent in the stands who was shouting, "Put the seniors in! Put the seniors in!" in the final minute of the team's final game of the season.

According to other parents sitting behind the team's bench, the coach turned back and said something like, "Look, if you want to talk to me, talk to me after the game."

Some people apparently interpreted Rosenberg's retort as a threat, while others attending the game said he appeared to make clear that he wasn't going to deal with the criticism during the game. The team's senior night had been held during a prior Linfield game.

According to Linfield University's Scott Nelson, an associate vice president for communications, a fan's video of the Feb. 18 game showed an "angry confrontation" that lasted more than a minute where Rosenberg, at one point, is "gesturing angrily into the crowd" and yelled, "come outside after the game, sir. Let's have some words then." Nelson said one of the team's players put a hand on the coach's arm, "apparently attempting to defuse the situation."

Two days later, on Feb. 20, Rosenberg sent a text message to some parents, alerting he'd been suspended and couldn't talk further about it.

Players and some parents said they tried to talk directly to the university's athletic director that week, but the director told them it was a personnel matter he couldn't discuss.

Several parents and some of the players, trailed by two campus security officers, then went to campus on Feb. 24 to try to speak with university President Miles K. Davis, who was in a board meeting. Davis ultimately emerged from the board session and met with the group in a room for about 45 minutes, and they pleaded with him to read a stack of letters of support for the coach and explanations from witnesses of what happened.

Earlier that same day, Rosenberg was brought into a meeting with the university's human resources interim manager and the athletic director and told he'd be fired on the spot or could take 21 days to consider a proposed severance agreement, according to his lawyer, Crispin.

At 12:25 p.m. that day, the athletic director emailed the basketball team, telling members that the coach's suspension was "still in place until we have a resolution," and said he couldn't share any more information.

"It's a sad situation that seems to have been taken abruptly with very little warning," Crispin said. "Certainly, from our perspective, it was not well thought-out. He's at a loss at what happened and why. We're seeing what action may be available."
#19
Men's soccer / Re: Go WEST young man (and NORTH)
November 05, 2022, 07:11:30 PM
Willamette demolishes Linfield 5-0 in McMinnville. Bearcats take the NWC title and the AQ to the NCAA tournament.
#20
Men's soccer / Re: Go WEST young man (and NORTH)
November 01, 2022, 02:16:42 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 31, 2022, 02:26:34 PM
Thanks for the very helpful information (and confirming that someone else is reading this thread).  I've been keeping tabs on the Northwest Conference because they generally play a few California teams each year, but I'm a little more plugged in to the SCIAC.

Willamette tied Puget Sound 0-0 and Pacific Lutheran beat Linfield 4-0 on Sunday.  They switch opponents on 11/5.  One would think Willamette has the upper-hand since are playing the weaker Linfield squad, who they beat 4-1 earlier in the season, but Pacific Lutheran beat Puget Sound 4-0 earlier in the season and Linfield has been known to frustrate stronger opponents, like when they beat Whitman 1-0.

On paper, Willamette is much better than Linfield, but Bearcats/Wildcats is a heated rivalry no matter what the sport, plus it'll be senior day in McMinnville.  I wouldn't be at all shocked to see it come down to the wire.

As an alum from a time when Willamette was consistently the worst team in the NWC, it's been very fun to watch the program slowly, steadily get built up over the past decade into a consistent contender. I really hope they can finish it off this weekend.
#21
Men's soccer / Re: Go WEST young man (and NORTH)
October 31, 2022, 02:07:16 PM
Quote from: Kuiper on October 29, 2022, 07:09:48 PM
If Willamette falters against either and the Lutes win out, then they will end up tied (and I don't know the tiebreakers after they split the season series 1-1).  That's important because there's no tournament in this conference.

The NWC's second tiebreaker is win-loss record versus the next team in the standings, which is Whitman. Willamette holds the tiebreaker because the Bearcats went 1-1 against the Blues while PLU went 0-2.

So Willamette wins the NWC with a win, a draw + a PLU draw, or a loss + a PLU draw. PLU wins the NWC with a win + a Willamette draw/loss.
#22
Quote from: speedybigboy on September 22, 2022, 08:14:38 PM
Quote from: Andy Jamison - Walla Walla Wildcat on September 22, 2022, 06:00:04 PM
....Wonder where all the various posters have gone... board is kinda boring now... we need new blood! Would think that Fox would have a poster or two...

GustyJ is a George Fox supporter, he posts occasionally. As for myself, what does this old Lute have to say when we haven't had a winning season in 6 years. Can't exactly talk trash. I can't even reasonably pick my team to finish second in the conference anymore. But I'm out here, lurking.

I'm still lurking too, but yeah ... just not a lot for me to post about on the Northwest Conference board when my team hasn't won a Northwest Conference game since 2016.  The wins over La Verne and Hilbert were fun--getting boat raced at home by Pomona-Pitzer, not so much.
#23
Interesting hire in Salem, as Trey Shimabukuro makes the short trip from Monmouth (where he was WOU's quarterbacks coach) to take over as Willamette's offensive coordinator:

https://wubearcats.com/sports/fball/2021-22/releases/20220225lpwicr

It looks like the Willamette's defensive coordinator position may be open too, since Aaron McGinty is no longer listed on the coaches page of WU's athletics website.
#24
Speaking of retirements, Mike Allegre, the "Voice of the Bearcats" for the last 29 years, announced last weekend that he'll be stepping down at the end of this basketball season.  Mike has been a relentless source of positivity and optimism through a ton of on-field ups and downs, and Willamette athletics won't be the same without him.
#25
Quote from: catjumper on November 05, 2021, 02:50:18 PM
Do they have programs available, or is it advisable to print out rosters and bring them with us?

Yes, there will be game programs. They're usually at the ticket booths by the front gate, which is also where you'll need to show proof of vaccination.
#26
Quote from: gren on November 03, 2021, 09:42:20 PM
Quote from: wildcat11 on November 02, 2021, 11:43:00 PM
Currently you must be fully vaccinated, and provide proof, to attend any Linfield sporting event.
You also must wear a mask. unless eating drinking picking your nose or being insubordinate. Underwear is optional.

Just a heads up for any Linfield fans making the trip to Salem this weekend: these same rules are in effect at McCulloch Stadium.  The concessions stand is closed as well.  But hey, at least the tickets are free.
#27
Quote from: MonroviaCat on October 10, 2021, 02:54:57 PM
Quote from: wildcat11 on October 10, 2021, 10:28:57 AM
I don't fault Frank.  He's thinking of 2018/2019 Linfield teams and will eventually discover that this is a different breed of 'Cats this season.

Our 1st team defense was ridiculously good against Whitworth.  You take away the last two Whitworth drives of the game against the reserves and the Rats had 103 of total offense on the day. 

Game was a wrap at half.  Some dumb penalties and turnovers kept the score out of the 50's/60's but it was a butt whooping of an high order against another ranked team.

Onto who I think is an actual better team than Whitworth in Pacific.  The Boxers are going to try to ball control and shorten the game against Linfield next week (think 2013) so it should be a good challenge.
I like our odds--but agree---Pacific looks pretty tough.  Not sure they have the firepower to keep up with the CATS' but their D may slow us down a bit.

Pacific is good; Linfield is excellent. The Boxers may be able to hang for a while, but if the Wildcats can get ahead by two scores early, I don't think Pacific will be able to come back.

The Bearcats lost by 30 for the second straight week, but it's hard to stay close when your special teams give up three touchdowns: two punt returns and a fumbled snap on a third punt.  I continue to think the defense is the most improved part of this Willamette team--Fox's offense is obviously nothing special, but the Bearcats' undersized unit held them to 283 total yards and forced four turnovers.  Here's hoping for a competitive game at home against Lewis & Clark on Saturday.
#28
Quote from: wildcat11 on October 03, 2021, 11:54:38 AM
Looking around the conference, Pacific is going to be in the mix this season for sure.

The Boxers are definitely good. They have some really dangerous weapons at receiver and about three running backs that will run over and through you.  Defensively, their front seven really outclassed Willamette's offensive line.  Kuykendall had no time to throw, and just about every deep shot the Bearcats tried ended in a sack.

That said, this was a more competitive game than I was anticipating, which I think speaks both to the Bearcats' improvement and to some of Pacific's weaknesses.  Willamette hung around the whole first half--down 21-7, they even had a second and goal at the Boxer 5 right before halftime but couldn't punch it in--and it was still a two-score game until late in the third quarter.  Offensively, the Bearcats had some success with short throws to running backs motioning out of the backfield, which in turn opened up rushing lanes between the tackles.  It was especially fun to see both of Willamette's TD passes caught by freshmen: Joseph Castillo, who is already making a case to get the bulk of the reps at running back, and Noah Niblett, an H-back out of Marshfield High with excellent hands.  The defense managed to really slow down the Boxers' running backs in the second half ... at least until the secondary completely ran out of gas.

IMO, the Boxers are going to absolutely smoke UPS next week and get smoked by Linfield the week after that.  Their game against George Fox on the 23rd will be a rock fight.
#29
Quote from: wildcat11 on September 26, 2021, 04:25:26 PM
Quote from: D O.C. on September 25, 2021, 07:10:39 PM

Somehow I'm sorry to see a football program like Willamette flushed down the drain. Can't really think of a reason why though.

What has happened at Willamette and PLU can easily happen at Linfield with the wrong athletic/university leadership. I'm just gonna enjoy this season for all it's worth.

I didn't get a chance to watch this past weekend's game against Pomona (which was probably for the best--I'm not sure why our backup QB started), but at least from the first two games against UPS and Lincoln, Willamette's progress from 2019 to this season is pretty obvious, at least to me.  The defense is light years better.  Recruiting is improving, and there are a couple of freshmen and transfers on both sides of the ball who look really promising.  We have a solid coaching staff in place, even though there was a pretty significant curveball when the DC left to take the head coaching job at Pasadena City College over the summer.  I think everybody involved with the program knows that it's going to be a long road back to being competitive in the NWC, but lots of folks are working very hard to turn this thing around.
#30
Joint statement from Willamette and Lewis & Clark officially cancelling football and basketball for 2020-21.

https://wubearcats.com/general/2020-21/releases/20201213mttmwh