Eastern Washington Idaho State Montana Montana State Northern Arizona Northern Colorado Portland State Sacramento State Weber State

Posts Tagged ‘eastern washington’

2008 OOC schedule, make or break?

Friday, April 18th, 2008 by BWahlberg in Big Sky, football

Happy to be blogging here, many of you probably know me as RE/MAXGriz over on egriz, I was asked to add some of my long winded insight into the blog features here.  Earlier this week in a discussion about the next season I thought I’d take a look at how the conference has booked their out of conference schedule (OOC).  It’s interesting what’s been set up, and for the amount of teams that are really striving to reach the playoffs, I was pretty surprised at how difficult they set up their schedules.  So lets take a look at what each team has set up before conference play starts:

Eastern Washington – Two FBS schools in Texas Tech and Colorado, in back-to-back games, ouch.  I know that the gap between top FCS teams and many FBS teams has closed, I see both of these games as very tough ones to win for EWU.  They’ve also got a home against Western Washington and two open dates (which I’ll bet one gets filled).  I’d expect possibly a Great West team or maybe another D2 school if they don’t want to travel.  If they look to a mid-west or east coast FCS team I’d expect they’d have to travel out there.  3 road games and 1 home game OOC could be rough, however it could also really toughen them up for the conference.

Weber State – They’ve also got 2 FBS teams, Hawai’i and Utah, probably both losses, those are both very good football teams.  The two home games they have booked are lower division schools, Dixie St and Montana-Western.  So chances are they’ll be 2-2 when done with the OOC, however they’ll not have a single win to help their status with the playoff committee, they’ll have to win at least 7 conference games to be even considered, if they even go 6-2 in conference play they’ll just have 6 Division 1 wins.  So Weber must be banking on winning the conference auto-bid this year.

Idaho State – ISU has Boise and Idaho booked in their OOC, as well as North Dakota.  Boise will most likely win, Idaho… who knows, I’d think the Vandals would have the edge there.  North Dakota went 10-2 last year and beat Southern Utah (although SUU didn’t win a game).  I think this game will be tough for ISU, they’re rebuilding and they’re having budget issues, so they probably won’t book an FCS road game as well.  They could limp out of the OOC with either a 1-2 or 0-3 record.

Portland State – They’ve got an OOC that tilts to their favor, games against Cal Davis and W. Oregon.  I don’t know much about Davis, so I can’t say how competitive they’ll be.  PSU should have their system in place and I think they’ll win both of those games.  Also they travel to Washington State, Wulff, WSU’s coach will be familiar with them, but he’s rebuilding a Cougar team that could have trouble stopping the spread offense.  Could be interesting to see what happens.

Montana – The Grizzlies have a bear of an opening game, testing a defense with 8 new starters against Cal Poly’s amazing and experienced offense.  The Wofford game stung Montana, and Cal Poly could do the same.  After that Montana returns to home to host Southern Utah, Central Washington and Cal Davis.  Most likely they’ll finish the OOC 3-1.

Montana State – Another team with 2 FBS and 2 lower division schools.  The Cats play Minnesota and Kansas State back-to-back, they also host Adams State and South Dakota.  MSU could be in a similar bind as Weber State, coming out of their OOC 2-2 and relying on winning the conference to make the playoffs.  I think they might have a chance to knock off Minnesota, they beat Colorado a few years back, so who knows!

Sacramento State – CSUS has an interesting OOC, they host two lower-division schools, Humbolt State and Southern Oregon.  They also travel to Davis and to Colorado State.  Since half of the conference is playing Davis, maybe I should check up on these guys!  Sac could be 3-1 OOC when it’s all said and done, they don’t play Davis until late, as they usually do. 

Northern Colorado – They’ve got 3 games booked so far, they travel to Purdue and travel to (guess who?) UC Davis.  They also host Texas State.  Didn’t they beat Texas State last year, or the year before that?  UNC is still building, and they’re on the rise, they could come out of this 1-2 but most likely I’ll say 0-3. 

Northern Arizona – NAU plays Arizona State, New Mexico Highlands (who?), and Southern Utah.  Pretty straight forwards, ASU will most likely beat NAU, but the other two games should be wins for the Lumberjacks.  2-1 OOC is decent. 

—-

Quick, “Who is UC Davis?” note – Just looked it up, Davis went 5-6 last year, their most notable wins were against Portland State and beating San Diego late in the season.  They didn’t do much else.  A quick manual count has them losing 12 seniors to graduation from the 2007 season, which included some skill players.  They’re a younger team, probably still finding their way.

—

It amazes me how some teams almost schedule themselves right out of the playoffs, I know it’s usually because of money issues, but there’s a lot of cases where teams would have made the playoffs if they wouldn’t have booked 2 or 3 FBS teams, or didn’t book 2 or 3 Division 2 (or lower) schools.  It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out, it’s just a bummer we’ve got to wait so long until football season actually starts.

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Big Sky, football | 7 Comments »

New Eastern Washington Forum on BSF

Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008 by chris in Eastern Washington, Site Updates

I would like to announce the launch of the new Eastern Washington Eagles Message Board on the BigSkyFans.com Network.

The new forum should create a great place to start the new EWU community and chat with fans from EWU and other schools.  The forum is located at http://eagles.bigskyfans.com.

If you are a fan of Eastern Washington or want to chat with them, join the forums today!  This is a new forum so if you can help spread the word, the forum should grow quite well!

This makes Eastern Washington, Idaho State, Montana, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Portland State, Sacramento State, and Weber State that are now part of the BigSkyFans.com Network!

Enjoy the forums and if you have any questions, please feel free to let me know!

Tags: , ,
Posted in Eastern Washington, Site Updates | 7 Comments »

PSU VS Kansas (3/20)

Tuesday, March 18th, 2008 by wiviking in Big Sky, Portland State

The Vikings are finally in the big dance, and instead of excitement, fans may feel like they are looking down the barrel of a gun. As a 16 seed, going up against 30-3 Kansas, I wouldn’t blame them. Many expected to be at least the 15, with some estimates as high as a 14 against a school like Xavier. However, as bubbles burst and conference champions fell in tournaments, it became likely that the Green would not be lucky this time around. So, here we are, waiting for the blade to drop, and yet I’m still ecstatic, and I know I’m not alone. Even the NIT would have sufficed for many, but the fact that the basketball team was able to take care of its business seems to be a metaphor for PSU’s progress as a whole, and its future. Oregon being Oregon, PSU will be trumped by the Ducks’ luck slipping in to the tourney.

Why did the Vikings drop to a number 16? Interest of fairness, attendance/money. UMBC, who is statistically a worse team , got what would have been the Viks’ 15 seed. Their game is in Raleigh against 2 seed Georgetown. The hope is that UMBC will be able to get their entire allotment to the game if it is that close. Georgetown will have no trouble with that, but the proximity should also give them a pseudo home court advantage. PSU would probably only be able to get about 15 fans to a game in Raleigh, and would create much less sentimentality than they will in Omaha. In Omaha, the Viks will be the fan favorites outside the KU allotment, even though the game is close to Kansas.

The fact that they got this far amazes me. I had a lot of doubt about the season after the meltdowns against San Jose State at home and Eastern Washington on the road. The beginning of the season was marred by awful finishes to a majority of the games, and a lack of cohesion. The second half dominance began with Deonte Huff carrying the team as the only consistent presence, both physically and offensively. Next came Jeremiah Dominguez’ decision to become completely unstoppable and send a message to the Big Sky. Julius Thomas went down with a broken rib, and Scott Morrison seized the opportunity to reassert himself as the center of the team. Tyrell Mara’s injury led to the eventual evolution of Kyle Coston into a starting role, and Andre Murray was able to fill in the hole left by Dupree Lucas’ mysterious step back. So, justly the Viks deserve the 16. The committee is supposed to seed based on recent personnel and results, but consistency is also important, and the Viks certainly weren’t that.

KU, the number 1 seed, is the natural favorite to win the region and get to the Final 4. Every year the #1 has continued to be an automatic ticket to the second round. However, they face the toughest opponent of any of the 1 seeds, and will have to deal with a fairly difficult region. If you are a Jayhawk fan, don’t be fooled into thinking that the effort that beat Northern Arizona by 41 and Eastern Washington by 38 at home will produce the same result against this Viking team.

The Vikings drew a very difficult match-up, but one that is more favorable than Duke or Wisconsin due to Kansas’ balanced size and aggressive style of play. At 3 out of 5 positions, the Viking starters should be able to hold their own, and their depth may finally prove vital, as Kansas will force physicality and athleticism. At the same time, some of the normal position players will be forced to play against players who are much larger and talented than they have become accustomed to in the Big Sky.

Match-Ups
In an effort to make room for people playing out of position, I will revert to the form the previews took at the beginning of the year; position by position.

Center
PSU: Scott Morrison KU: Darnell Jackson
Julius Thomas Sasha Kaun
JR Moore
Scott will start here, and should see his normal number of minutes if Kansas plays one of these three and he doesn’t get in foul trouble. The starter here will be either Jackson, Kaun, or Darrell Arthur. If Arthur starts, or lines up at center a lot, Julius Thomas or Alex Tiefenthaler will likely see time against him. Jackson is only 6’8”, but at a chiseled 250, he is extremely powerful inside. The most similar player Morrison has gone up against was Akron’s center, Jeremiah Wood. However, Jackson is more talented offensively. Morrison has really struggled when forced away from the basket. In this game, that will almost certainly happen, and if he can’t adjust, another player may be the best option, even though it will create a huge rebound gap. If Scott gets in foul trouble with Jackson in, Thomas is the obvious replacement. However, if it’s Kaun, Moore may see some time. He won’t be able to run the court with Kaun, but should be able to bang with him in the post for a few good minutes.
Advantage: Jayhawks

Power Forward
PSU: Kyle Coston KU: Darrell Arthur
Alex Tiefenthaler
Tyrell Mara
A player who is physically ready to play power forward in the NBA, Darrell Arthur was the star of a team of stars this year. He averaged 13 points and 6 rebounds, which will only be impressive when people look at the number of players from this team on NBA rosters in 5 years. He turned down the opportunity to be the guy at Baylor for the media, history, and opportunity at Kansas, and there is a chance that this year he will be rewarded.

Physically, the only player built to match up with Arthur is Tiefenthaler. They are both 6’9” 225, and play physical basketball. The difference is that Tief resorts to an outside game on the offensive end, whereas Arthur stays down low and dominates in the post. However, Tiefenthaler has seen a sharp decline in minutes with Kyle Coston’s steady improvement. As the likely starter, Coston will have to really have to shoot the lights out from the 3 point line, because there is no way he can handle Arthur in the post. He is definitely capable, and the Viks will hope he can and keep the game from becoming a laugher. Is Tyrell Mara really healthy? All indications say no. He was unstoppable at times in Alaska, and a strong defender his freshman year. Since then, he has been out with an injury, and dropped to a reserve role. If he is available at 100%, he would be a very useful asset. If not, he can become a defensive liability, and has gone cold offensively. If he isn’t forced to play center, Julius Thomas could also be very useful here. He plays a very similar game to that of Arthur on the boards and defensively. Though he isn’t an offensive threat, he might be able to keep Arthur further away from the hoop. Realistically, nobody is going to stop Arthur. The solace the Viks can take is that they could outscore him at the power forward if their shooters can get hot.
Advantage: Jayhawks

Small Forward
PSU: Deonte Huff KU: Brandon Rush
Justynn Hammond
Why is Brandon Rush still in college? Well, an injury definitely contributed to it, but the potential future lottery pick wants the same things Arthur wants, the big stage, and the opportunity to compete for a national championship. If he and his teammates can stay grounded and shoot free throws well, they shouldn’t really be challenged until the Sweet 16.

Every Viking fan knows Deonte Huff. For those who are Kansas fans, or underdog supporters, this is the guy to watch for excitement. If he was 2 inches taller, and had a pretty shooting stroke, he would be a mirror of Rush. He brings the house down with his dunking ability, creates tons of fouls with his uncanny ability to get to the hoop, and can hit shots from the outside as well. Defensively, he doesn’t really match up, so Kansas will look to get Rush the ball to exploit Huff. The two players could easily score the same number, or one could outscore the other by 20. It really depends on whose shots are falling from distance. Although I’d love to say this was a push, I have to give the advantage to Kansas based on defensive ability and the size difference. However, it could just as easily go the other way. Justynn Hammond is an unknown at this point. To get an idea of his story, there should be links from the Oregonian website. If he is available, Hammond could fare well here. His defense is superior to that of Huff, and his long arms and superior shooting stroke give him a fighting chance. If not, Tyrell Mara or Dupree Lucas may play here, but neither really matches up well physically.
Advantage: Jayhawks

Off Guard
PSU: Andre Murray KU: Sherron Collins
Dupree Lucas Rodrick Stewart
Brian Curtis
It is rare when a 6’2” shooting guard has a height advantage after high school. Especially when he is going up against a highly rated recruit who has the ability to rebound with the big men. However, that is the situation for Andre Murray in this match-up. It should be interesting to watch, because his playing style won’t necessarily be changed as a result. He will almost certainly continue to shoot whenever he is open on the offensive end, but he may be a little more aggressive if he has a chance to get by Collins. Dupree Lucas will also have to deal with Collins, and a combination of other guards. His defense a necessity, Lucas may see the kind of minutes he became accustomed to with consistent play last year. Brian Curtis may also see playing time for his defense, here or at the point. I honestly feel that the Vikings have a chance to hold their own here, It depends entirely on the rotation Bill Self chooses. If Collins, Robinson, and Chalmers all play extended time off the ball, the Vikings have no chance, but if Collins and Murray/Lucas is the primary match-up, I feel the efforts could counterbalance each other.
Advantage: Push

Point
PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez KU: Mario Chalmers
Mickey Polis Russell Robinson
Mario Chalmers dropped 30 points against DJ Augustin on Sunday. Chalmers and Russell Robinson are the best point guard tandem in the country, a 1 and 1a combo like Jordan Farmar and Darren Collison were for UCLA. Is there anything to be positive about? Maybe.

The Vikings have Big Sky Player of the Year Jeremiah Dominguez. The 5’6” phenomenon completely tore through the entire Big Sky the second half of the season, and when he makes outside shots, he is literally unstoppable. No matter his size, he gets to the hoop. Perhaps a good comparison is Earl Boykins. He can drop a shot from anywhere, but he is inside all the time anyway. When he is at his best, he is a terror on the defensive end as well. He can strip the ball with the best, and his unparalleled quickness ensures he’s the first one to the hoop. If Dominguez gets in foul trouble, the game is over. Mickey Polis was on fire from the outside at Washington, and it’s as if he has become ash. In all fairness, Dominguez hasn’t given Polis much opportunity to prove himself since then, but the Viks will need all the help they can get, and outside shooting will be essential if the game is going to stay close.
Advantage: Jayhawks

Other players for Kansas who could make a difference: center Cole Aldrich, and guards Conner Teahan and Tyrel Reed.

I think the Viks will play one good half. However, that means the Jayhawks are up by 20 at half, and the Green keep pace with their backups, or that it’s close at the half, and KU pulls away at the end. Either way, this game will be exciting to follow, and hopefully an experience Viking fans will remember as the beginning of something great.
Prediction: Kansas 85-68

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Big Sky, Portland State | No Comments »

PSU VS ISU (2/14)

Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 by wiviking in Big Sky, Idaho State, Portland State


It would surprise most people around the league if this game was really close, even though the Bengals are 6-4 in conference. PSU beat them by 10 in Pocatello, and Matt Stucki went for 26 in that game. It is possible he can equal that effort, but in all likelihood that won’t be enough to pull off what would be a major upset. The only way the Bengals can win this one is if the Vikings beat themselves. We have seen it happen this year, but not recently. Games that come to mind are the awful home meltdown against San Jose State, and the road loss to Eastern Washington. The current rotation for the Viks is a very confident one, and for good reason.

Match-Ups
Center
ISU: Lucas Steijn PSU: Scott Morrison
This match-up was ugly the last time around. Morrison had a very solid all-around game while holding Steijn to just 3 points and 3 rebounds. I don’t see much changing. Steijn has only averaged 7.3 points and 3.3 rebounds all season. The other option for the Bengals, Demetrius Monroe, has rebounded a bit better, but is no more of an offensive threat. In fact, ISU doesn’t really have any post presence, so PSU may be able to put a little more pressure on the wing players.
Advantage: Vikings

Forward
ISU: Logan Kinghorn PSU: Kyle Coston
ISU tends to go with a 4 guard lineup, one of which being Kinghorn. However, he is the best rebounder, so he will likely match-up on whoever the Vikings have inside other than Morrison. He only managed one rebound in their first game, but he only played for 17 minutes. He has outplayed Coston in every offensive category so far this year, but in their head to head match-up he had no points and just one rebound. Factor in Alex Tiefenthaler’s 16 points in the first game, and PSU dominated at this position. You have to figure that Kinghorn will be able to fare a little better in the second game.
Advantage: Push

Guard/Forward
ISU: Amorrow Morgan PSU: Deonte Huff
Morgan had a very solid second half the first game. He had a tough time in the first half, but was able to salvage 11 points. The sophomore may become one of the better players in the conference in years to come. Like Huff, he has the ability to score in many ways. All that said, I have to again give the advantage to the consistent senior. He has been solid for the Vikings all year, and there has been no indication that he will do anything less in the future. At home, he has been even better, averaging 15 points per game. I’ll take 15 against 10 any day.
Advantage: Vikings

Off Guard
ISU: Austin Kilpatrick PSU: Andre Murray
If Kilpatrick is going to beat Murray, it will be with his size. At 6’6” he may be the tallest player Murray has to match up against. If Murray is going to win, he’ll have to beat Kilpatrick with his quickness and athleticism. As PSU should have the inside advantage in this game, Murray will be allowed to stick to the role of shooter, unless the game gets close. He has shot the ball well at home, and has adapated well to a starting role. With no clear advantage in this one, we’ll have to see what wins out.
Advantage: Push

Point
ISU: Matt Stucki PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez
Stucki may be the one player who gives Dominguez serious problems defensively. Dominguez has been great all year, but the 6’6” Stucki is a full foot taller than Dominguez. This match-up is an accented version of the one at shooting guard. Height and power versus speed and quickness. Here, I give the advantage to Stucki based on their outputs in the first game. Dominguez was able to hit right on his averages, but Stucki was great, going for 26 points.
Advantage: Bengals

Bench
The Vikings have the advantage here. The Bengals have three bench players who average 5 or more points per game, but none who is a real threat to go for a bunch of points. At home, the Viking bench players just tend to do better. Alex Tiefenthaler had 16 points the first time around against ISU, and will try to duplicate that on Thursday. Other players may see extended time, as they did against Sac State, if this game has the kind of spread one would expect.
Advantage: Vikings

I am hard pressed to predict the score in this one. The teams hit right on their season averages in the first match-up. On Thursday, the question is whether the Vikings are looking past ISU to their weekend match-up with Weber State. If so, this could be a close game. Both Amorrow Morgan and Matt Stucki are very solid players. I don’t think the Vikings will have trouble here. The upperclassmen have pulled the team out of their tailspin, and really righted the ship. The role players should get their minutes, and save a major injury, the Viks should roll at home.
Prediction: PSU 76-60

Tags: ,
Posted in Big Sky, Idaho State, Portland State | No Comments »

Official 2008 Montana Grizzlies Recruits

Thursday, February 7th, 2008 by chris in Montana

2008 SIGNEES ALPHABETICAL ROSTER
FLAYER pOS HT WI. YR EXP HOMETOWN (PREVIOUS SCHOOL)
Thomas Bauer LB 6-2 237 Jr. JC Niwot, Co (Saddleback CC)
Brandon Beecher DB 5-10 175 Fr. HS Aurora, CO (Overland HS)
Levi Buckles WR 6-3 % 195 Fr. HS Post Falls, ID (Post Falls HS)
Charles Burton OL 6-5 2315 Fr. HS Long Beach, CA (Milikan HS)
Tyzer Cady WR 6-0 180 Fr. HS Colstrip, MT (Coistrip HS)
Mike Cummings DB 6-1 192 Fr. HS Scottsdale, AZ (Chaparral HS)
Ray DeBruycker DE 6-3 205 Fr. HS Choteau, MT (Choteau HS)
Beau Donaldson RB 6-1 223 Fr. HS Missoula, MT (Big Sky HS)
Andrew Douglass LB 6-2 225 Fr. HS San Clemente, CA (San Clemente HS)
Kyle Finneman P 6-2 205 Fr. HS Havre, MT (Havre HS)
Sam Gratton WR 6-0 190 Fr. HS Billings, MT (Senior HS)
Greg Hardy TE 6-5 245 Fr. HS Fairview, MT (Fairview HS)
Josh Harris DR 6-5 210 Fr. HS Kalispell, MT (Flathead HS)
Eric Homec DR 6-5 215 Fr. HS Bozeman, MT (Bozeman HS)
Matt Hulse DL 6-3 260 Fr. HS Chandler, AZ (Hamilton US)
Jared Hunt DB 6-3 175 Fr. US Helena, MT (Helena Capital HS)
Trumaine Johnson — WR 6-3 180 Fr. HS Stockton, CA (Edison HS)
Gerald Kemp — QB 6-2 185 Fr. HS San Diego, CA (Rancho Bernardo HS)
Ryan Kessman WR 6-0 195 Fr. TR San Jacinto, CA (BYU)
Kyle Kmet OL 6-5 300 Fr. US Bonita, CA (Bonita Vista HS)
Blake Lebeau OL 6-5 275 Fr. US Union City, CA (James Logan US)
Matt Lipski OL 6-9 320 Fr. HS Ashland, OR (Ashland I-IS)
Donny Lisowski DB 5-11 190 Fr. HS Seattle, WA (O’Dea HS)
Mike McCord DB 6-0 185 Fr. HS Phoenix, AZ (Maryvale HS)
Caleb McSurdy LB 6-2 240 Fr. HS Boise, ID (Borah HS)
Dan Moore RB 5-11 215 Fr. HS Tucson, AZ (Mountain View US)
Jon Opperud OL 6-7 280 Fr. HS Milwaukie, OR (Milwaukie HS)
Brooks Rabold LB 6-2 205 Fr. HS Billings, MT (Central Catholic US)
Jabin Sainbrano WR 5-1 1 165 Fr, HS Temecula, CA (Great Oaks HS)
Russell Schey - K 6-2 180 Fr. HS Billings, MT (West HS)
Alex Shaw LB 6-2 220 Fr. I-IS Spokane, WA (Lewis & Clark HS)
Josh Stuberg LB 6-2 190 Fr. US Helena, MT (Helena HS)
Cody Von Appen DB 5-10 180 Fr. HS Kailua, HI (Kalaheo US)

TOTAL SIGNERS: 33.

GEOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN: Montana-12; California-8; Arizona-4; Colorado-2; Idaho-2; Oregon-2 Wash ington-2;Hawaii- 1.

BY POSITION: Wide Receiver-7; Linebacker-6 Offensive Line-5; Defensive Back-5; Defensive Line: 4; Running back-2; Tight End-I; Kicker-I; Punter-I; Quarterback- 1.
Griz 2008 FB Signees Add 4-4-4

Jabin Sainbrano (Pronounced: san-braw-no), WR, 5-11, 165, Fr., HS, lemecula, CA (Great Oaks HS): Jabin was a first team all-conference player at wide receiver and defensive back…chosen football MVP as a senior…lettered in football, track, and wrestling…served as team captain in track…voted recipient of Community Service Award. ..his high school football coach was Scott Strohsnider. Personal: Parents: Rick and Julia Sainbrano of Temecula. Major: Undecided. Birth date: March 13, 1990.

Russell Schey (Pronounced: Shy), K, 6-2, 180, Fr., HS, Billings, MT (West HS): Russell was named the “AA” first team at kicker twice. ..he was a first team all-state pick at safety as a senior…he is a two-time all-league selection at kicker and at defensive back…he earned letters in soccer (I), basketball (1), football (3), and track (2)…was team captain in football…his 2006 football team was the state champions with a 13-0 record…he made 150 PATs and converted 97.9% of his PAT attempts…kicked 10 career field goals with a long of 43 yards…he scored 211 career points in football, the third most in school history.. .his track team won the state title last year.. .his prep football coach was Paul Klaboe. Personal: Joan and Steve Schey of Billings. Major: Business. Birth date: March 3, 1990.

Alex Shaw, LB, 6-2, 220, Fr., HS, Spokane, WA (Lewis & Clark HS): Alex was the Washington 4A co-Player of the Year as a senior for the state champions who had a record of 11 -2…he was first team all-state and all-conference at running back and at linebacker in 2007…his senior season he rushed for 1,655 yards, and he gained 793 yards on 151 carries in the state playoffs..he rushed for 176 yards and was voted the “Player of the Game” in the state championship against Bothell High School game. ..nominated for the Eastern Washington “Student-Athlete of the Year Award”.. first team all-league, team MVP, and honorable mention all-state at defensive end as a junior…Greater Spokane League shot put (55-0) champion as a junior and member of winning 4×100 relay team…team captain in football as a junior and senior…earned three letters in football, basketball, and track. ..his prep football coach was Tom Yearout.. .Personal: Parents: Carl and Diane Shaw of Spokane. Major: Undecided. Birth date: June 28, 1990. Misc. Info.: He has a 3.6 GPA.

Josh Stuberg (Pronounced: stew-burg), LB, 6-2, 190, Fr., HS, Helena, MT (Helena HS): Josh was a first team all-state pick at cornerback as a junior, and a second team pick at wide receiver and kick returner.. .he led the state in touchdowns (15) and scoring (9.0 points a game) in 2006, and was third in all-purpose yards (1 ,324)…an all- conference player at cornerback and receiver as a sophomore and junior…second team all-state choice at wide receiver as a sophomore when he was second in the state in receptions. ..he started both ways as a senior, but was injured most of the season…placed in three events in the state track meet as a sophomore and injured for most of his junior year.. .high school football coach was former (1985-88) Griz quarterback Tony Arntson. Personal: Parents:
Rob and Carolee Stuberg of Helena. Major: Business. Birth date: August 18, 1989.

Cody Von Appen (Pronounced: vawn-ah-pln), DB, 5-10, 180, Fr., HS, Kailua, HI (Kalaheo HS): Cody was a first team all-conference selection following his junior and senior seasons in high school.. .as a senior he passed for 975 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 537 yards and nine scores…his junior year he passed for 11 TDs and rushed for 4 touchdowns.. .he was named his gird teams MVP on offense as a senior…chosen his high school’s “Athlete of the Year” as a freshman, sophomore, and junior…he has lettered four times in football and basketball, and three times in baseball…Persoflal: Thea Wheeler of Kailua and Fred Von Appen of Missoula. Major:
Undecided. Birth date: August 12, 1990. Misc. Info.: Cody’s dad, Fred, was an assistant head coach at Montana in 2003 and 2004. Fred coached in the professional and college ranks for 35 years.
Griz 2008 FB Signees Add 3-3-3
Donny Lisowski, DB, 5-11, 190, Fr., HS, Seattle, WA (O’Dea HS): Donny was a first team all-league selection at quarterback and defensive back as a senior…he was chosen the game MVP of the state-semi-final football game in 2007…nominated to East-West All-Star Game…named among the top 20 defensive backs in the state of Washington by Rivals.com and tabbed one of the top 100 recruits in the state by the Seattle Times…lettered in football (3), wrestling (1), and track (4).. ,track team MVP as a junior…state finalist in the 200 and 400 in 2007.. .league champion in wrestling as a freshman.. .prep football coach was Monty Kohler. Personal: Parents: Bob and Mary Lisowski of Seattle. Major: Journalism. Birth date: Jan. 20, 1989.

Mike McCord II, DB, 6-0, 185, Fr., HS, Phoenix, AZ (Maryvale HS): Mike was named All-Region Two-way
Player of the Year as a senior…selected first team All-Region at quarterback and defensive back in 2007…named Region Offensive Player of the Year.. .all-state honorable mention both ways following his senior campaign. ..in 2007 he rushed for 1,070 yards and passed for 490, and had 82 tackles and two interceptions. ..team captain as a junior and senior and offensive player of the year as a senior…earned three letters in football and two in track…his high school football coach was Pat Rowe. Personal: Parents: Michael and Anna McCord ofPhoenix. Major: Undecided. Birth date: May 9, 1990.

Caleb McSurdy, LB, 6-2, 240, Fr., HS, Boise, ID (Borah HS): Caleb was a first team all-state pick at linebacker and second team at tight end following his senior season when he had 65 tackles (52 solos), 8 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks, along with 22 catches for 232 yards and 4 touchdowns…a three-time all-conference selection at linebacker… voted his team’s “Defensive Player of the Year” as a junior and senior, and received “Commitment Award” those seasons as well…won the state championship in the shot put (56-6) and discus (166-0) as a junior and was tabbed “Thrower of the Year”.. .placed in the state shot put three times.. .team captain in football and track junior and senior years…his prep teams won state track titles in 2006 and 2007…his high school football coach was Vince Mann. Personal: Patrick and Nancy McSurdy of Boise. Major: Business. He carries a 3.7 GPA. Birth date: Feb. 24, 1990. Misc. Info.: He is Borah’s record-holder in the bench press (390) and squat (515). He plays the drums in a jazz band.

Dan Moore, RB, 5-11, 215, Fr., HS, Tucson, AZ (Mountain View HS): Dan was an all-state choice in 2007, and named All-Region and all-conference three times…the l4th~ranked poop in the nation by Scout.com. . .as a senior he rushed for 1,941 yards for 21 touchdowns and averaged 9.5 yards a carry, and had 2,525 all-purpose yards (he averaged 229.0 a game).. .voted his team MVP on offense after his senior year. ..team captain his junior and senior seasons.. set freshman rushing record and was a U.S.A Power-lifting champion as a freshman… .his high school football coach was Paul Schmidt. Personal: Parents: David and Amanda Moore of Tucson. Major: Forestry. Birth date: February 1, 1990. Misc. Info.: Has been chosen the MVP of every sports team he has been on since Elementary School (soccer, baseball, basketball, wrestling, and football).

Jon Opperud II (Pronounced.’ Ah-per-ood), OL, 6-7, 280, Fr., HS, Milwaukie, OR (MilwaUkie HS): Jon earned three letters in football, three in basketball, and two in track…team captain and Outstanding Offensive Lineman of the Year as a senior.. .started both ways as a senior. ..high school football coach was Roland Aumueller. ..team captain in hoops as a senior and averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds a game…placed fourth in the state in the discus last season.. ,second team all-state in track as a junior and was all-league in track. Personal: Parent: Gail Opperud of Portland. Major: Undecided. Birth date: Feb. 13, 1990.

Brooks Rabold (Pronounced.’ ray-bold), LB, 6-2, 205, Fr., HS, Billings, MT (Central Catholic HS): Brooks was a two-time all-state and aII~confereflce pick in football.. .selected to play in both the East-West Shrine Game and the Mon-Dak All-Star Game.. .named to Great Falls Tribune’s “Super State Team”…hiS prep football teams won two league titles and one state championshiP.. .team captain as a senior. ..twice voted team MVP on defense. ..earned two letters in basketball and track, and three in football…PreP football coach was Jim Stanton…hiS senior year he had 99 tackles, 17 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 19 QB hurries, 4 fumble recoveries, and 3 forced fumbles. PersonaI.~ Parents:
Pat and Tessie Rabold of Billings. Major: Criminology. Birth date: May 16, 1990. Misc. Info.: His dad, Pat, is a member of the Football Flail of Fame at the University of Wyoming.
Griz 2008 FB Signees Add 2-2-2

Matt Hulse (Pronounced hull-see), DL, 6-3, 260, Fr., HS, Chandler, AZ (Hamilton HS): Matt earned letters in football and track.. .his football team was conference champion his senior year and an Arizona State semi-finalist in 2007 as well…his senior year he had 11 tackles for loss and two sacks…his high school football coach was Steve Belles. Personal: Parents: Sam Hulse Jr. And Alma Jo Cobb Hulse of Chandler. Major: Exercise science. Birth date: Sept. 26, 1989.

Jared Hunt, DB, 6-3, 175, Fr,, HS, Helena, MT (Helena Capital HS): Jared was a key players for his high school squads that won “AA” championships in 2006 (11-2) and 2007 (12-1)…all-state and all-conference as ajunior and senior at quarterback and punter.. track MVP in 2006 and 2007, and football MVP his junior year. ..passed for 1,857 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior, rushed for 366 yards and six scores., and averaged 40.8 yards per punt….voted conference player of the year as a senior…grid coach was Pat Murphy. Personal: Parents: William and Mary Hunt of Helena. Major: Wildlife biology. Birth date: May 23, 1989. He’s played hockey for the past 13 years.

Trumaine Johnson, WR, 6-3, 180, Fr., HS, Stockton, CA (Edison HS): Trumaine was an outstanding quarterback last season, passing for 1,800 yards (with just 5 interceptions), rushing for 500 yards, and he had 22 total touchdowns.. .he was named first team all-league at quarterback and defensive back last season, and voted to his high school’s football “Hall of Fame” at defensive back…his junior year he was first team All-Area and all-league at wide receiver when he had 750 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns…he was tabbed his team’s “Junior of the Year” in football.. .he is also an all-state basketball player…his high school football coach was Elliot Burke. ..Personal:
Parents: Lynn Stallworth and Curtis Johnson of Stockton. Major: Business. Birth date: Jan. 1, 1990.

Gerald Kemp, QB, 6-2, 185, Fr., HS, San Diego, CA (Rancho Bernardo HS): Gerald was named team MVP in football as a senior. ..he was a second team All-North County pick in 2007, as well a first team all-league choice. ..he was also an all-league player in basketball last season..,voted team captain in football and basketball. ..he also competes in track, and last year his track team was league champion…his high school football coach was Brad Elrod…PersOflal.~ Parent: Geradine Kemp of San Diego. Major: Undecided. Birth date: May 23, 1990.

Ryan Kessman, WR, 5-10, 210, Fr., TR, San Jacinto, CA (BYU): Ryan spend one year at BYU last season and was a redshirt. . he was a standout at San Jacinto High School where at wide receiver he was chosen All-C.1.F., allstate, all-league, and his league’s “Player of the Year” as a senior…he had 43 catches for 848 yards and 12 touchdowns, and he had 1,493 total yards at receivers and as,a returner his senior year…his high school football coach was Bill Powell…Personal.~ Parents: Steven and Paulynn Kessman of San Jacinto. Major: Undergraduate studies. Birth date: TBA.

Kyle Kmet (Pronounced: keh-met), OL, 6-5, 300, Fr., HS, Bonita, CA (Bonita Vista HS): Kyle was a an Diego All-Country selection and first team all-conference choice as a senior…he earned three letters in both football and track (shot/discus) and one in lacrosse.. he was also a three-time All-Academic Mesa League pick. ..team captain in football…hiS 2005 football team was the conference champion…hiS high school football coach was Carl Parrick. Personal: Parent: John Kmet of Bonita. Major: Undecided. Birth date: Oct. 16, 1990.

Blake Lebeau, OL, 6-5, 275, Fr., uS, Union City, CA (James Logan HS): Blake was named first team All-East
Bay and all-league.. .his senior football team rushed for 3,542 yards…his football teams won league championships in
2006 (8-3) and 2007 (1 1-1)…served as team captain in football…earned two letters in football…hiS high school
football coach was George Zuber. Personal.’ Parents: Thierry and Luana Lebeau of Union City. Major: Business.
Birth date: April 29, 1990.

Matt Lipski, OL, 6-9, 320, Fr., HS, Ashland, OR (Ashland US): Matt was a first team All-Southern Conference team pick his junior and senior seasons.. his third-ranked 2007 Grizzlies football team went 11-i and advanced to the state semi-finals.. .a three-year letterman in football…an all-conference player in basketball as a junior when his team went to the state 5A play-offs for the first time since l986…currently averaging 14 points, S rebounds, and 3 blocks a game…also lettered in water polo.. .grid coach was Charlie Hall. Personal: Parents: Tom and Sheryl Lipski of Ashland. Major: History or business. Birth date: Nov. 30, 1989.
Griz 2008 FB Signees Add 1-I-I
Beau Donaldson, RB, 6-1, 223, Fr., ~S, Missoula, MT (Big Sky US): Beau was named all-state three times in football.. .earned three letters in football, two in basketball, and four in track…his senior season he set school record and led the state with 1,682 yards rushing for 23 touchdownS…had 13 sacks in 2007…career-Wise he set school standards with 3,749 yards rushing for 44 touchdowns, scoring 278 points…set 10 school records in football…head coach was Gary Ekegren, a former Griz player (1959-6 1) and UM defensive line coach (1977-79)…flrst team allstate both ways as a senior.. .his prep football teams made the state playoffs twice in his career…offenSiVe team MV? as a junior and senior in football, and team MVP his senior year. PersOnal.~ Parents: Larry and Catherine Donaldson of Missoula. Major: Physical therapy. Birth date: July 21, 1989.

Andrew Douglass, LB, 6-2, 225, Fr., US, San Clemente, CA (San Clemente US): Andrew was an All-C.I.F. first team pick at linebacker as a senior. ..first team All-South Coast League as a junior and senior…tabbed South Coast League’s MV? on defense following his senior season…lettered three times in football.. .team captain his senior year…high school football coach was Eric Patton…aS a senior he had Ill tackles (61 solos), 4 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and 2 interceptions. Personal.~ Parents: Richard and Jane Douglass of San Clemente. Major: Business. Birth date: Nov. 16, 1989.

Kyle Finneflian, P, 6-2, 205, Fr., US, Havre, MT (Havre US): Kyle was tabbed all-state at running back and punter…all-cOflfere1~ pick at halfback and linebacker…a three-sport letterman in football (3), track (4), and basketball…ClasS “A” champion in the 100 and 200.. .football team was Central A” champions in 2006~07…foOtba11 team captain and MVP as a senior.. .voted team captain in hoops as well…high school football coach was Kevin Sukut. Persoflal.~ Parents: Bruce and Pam Finnemafl of Havre. Major: Undecided. Birth date: June 14, 1989.

Sam Gratton, WR, 6-0, 190, Fr., HS, Billings, MT (Senior US): Sam was a three-time all-state choice at wide receiver.., selected to play in both the East-West Shrine Game and the Mon-Dak All-Star Game. ..named to the Great Falls Tribune’s “Super State Team”…flamed an All-American and Montana’s Player of’ the Year by PrepNation.COm…PruP football team was the “AA” runners-up in 2007, going 10-3…his senior year he had 43 catches for 723 yards and 7 touchdownS.. .team captain in 2007…co-Special Teams MVP as a senior at kicker…his high school football coach was former (l987-88)Griz wide receiver Mark Sulser… also lettered in track…in his career he had 149 receptionS for 2,155 yards and 13 TD5…Academic All-State with a 3.6 GPA. Personal: Parents:
Scott Gratton and Shelley Haughton, both of Billings. Personal: Major: Undecided. Birth date: Oct. 10, 1989. Sam’s dad Scott played linebacker for the Griz from 1979-82 and was Golden Helmet Award (hardest hitter) recipient in 1981 and 1982.

Greg Hardy, TE, 6-5, 245, Fr., US, FairvieW, MT (Fairview US): Greg was an all-state pick in football, basketball, and track.. .earned 12 letters: four each in football, basketball, and track. ..a three-time all~confereflCe selection in football, hoops, and track.. football and basketball team captain. ..givefl “Warrior Award” and chosen MV? in football.. .hoop team won the district title, going 20-6…high school football coa~h was Kevin Clausen. Personal: Parents: Jim and Mary Hardy of FairvieW. Major: Business. Birth date: Jan. 2, 1990. Greg’s dad, Jim, played football and basketball at Western Montana College (UM-Western).

Josh Harris, DE, 6-5, 210, Fr., HS, Kalispell, MT (Flatllead US); Josh was named all-state his senior year when he had 47 tackles, 7 sacks, and 14 quarterback hurries…team defensive MVP his senior season two-time all-league pick in football. ..honOrable mention all-state as a junior…selected to play in both the East-West Shrine Game and the Mon-Dak All-Star Game.. ,.lettered in football (3), basketball (I), and track (2). Named Academic All-State twice. His high school football coach was Russell McCarVel. Personal.’ Parents: Greg and Jeanie Harris of Kalispell. Major: Undecided. Birth date: Sept. 15, 1989. Josh’s dad, Greg, lettered in football at Montana from 1972-74.

Eric HomeC (Pronounced home-eck), DE, 6-5, 215, Fr., HS, Bozeman, MT (Bozeman US): Eric was an all-state pick at defensive end as a senior when he had 14 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and 6 pass break-UPS, two of which led to interceptions…named to Great Falls Tribune’s “Super State Team”…chosen to play in both the East-West Shrine Game and the Mon-Dak All-Star Game.. .lettered in football and track.. .high school football coach was Troy Purcell. Personal Parents: Steve and Susan Flomec of Bozeman. Major: Business. Birth date: Sept. 15, 1989.
MONTANA GRIZZLIES “CLASS OF 2008” FOOTBALL SIGNEES

Thomas Bauer, LB, 6-2, 237, Jr., JC, Niwot, CO (Saddleback CC): Thomas comes to UM from Saddleback City College in Mission Viejo, Calif., where he was a first team All-Mission Conference pick at middle linebacker.., he was one of the leading tacklers on his 7-3 team a year ago and had 17 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles…he attended Northern Colorado as a freshman and was ranked 10th in the Big Sky Conference in total tackles and had the second most on the team…nominated for Big Sky “Player of the Week” twice as a freshman….he prepped at Niwot High School and was a first team all-state pick as a senior for his 12-I team, and was also named the All-Area Defensive Player of the Year that season…he was first team all-conference as a junior and senior and a three-year starter. Personal: Parents: Ron and Deb Bauer of Niwot. Major: Business. Birth date: October 21, 1986. He has been an honor roll student in high school, at UNC, and at Saddleback.

Brandon Beecher, DB, 5-10, 175, Fr., HS, Aurora, CO (Overland HS): Brandon was a first team all-conference as a junior and all-league as a sophomore. ..prep coach was Tony Manfredi who coached former Griz standout linebacker Tyler Joyce. ..lettered three times in football and basketball. ..plans to compete in track this spring in the 100 and 200…has been timed in the 40 in 4.38. Personal: Parents: Brian Beecher and Dana Moore of Aurora. Major: sociology/criminology. Birth date: Aug. 29, 1990.

Levi Buckles, WR, 6-3 ‘/2, 195, Fr., HS, Post Falls, ID (Post Falls HS): Levi was a second team all-state pick at wide receiver, and first team all-league as a junior and senior…tabbed the Inland Empire League Offensive Player of the Year as a senior when he had 51 receptions for 1,018 yards and 14 touchdowns…prep football coach was Jeff Heinz…first team All-North Idaho and offensive team MV? as a junior and senior…three-year letterman in basketball and team MV? in hoops his junior year. Personal: Parents: Carolyn and Dave Sims of Post Falls and Doug Buckles of Plumnier, Idaho. Major: Undecided. Birth date: Dec. 18, 1989.

Charles Burton, OL, 6-5, 315, Fr., HS, Long Beach, Ci~ (Milikan HS): Charles was an AlI-C.I.F. pick…voted
Moore League co-Offensive Linemen of the Year…on Milikan High’s Weight Lifting Hall of Fame (benches 305 and
squats 325).. .his school football coach was Kirk Diego.. .a four-year letterman in football and twice in track.
Personal: Parent: Felicia Burton of Long Beach. Major: Education. Birth date: Oct. 15, 1990.

Tyzer Cady (Pronounced Cay-dee), WR, 6-0, 180, Fr., US, Colstrip, MT (Colstrip HS): A 12-time letterman in football, basketball, and track and team captain in all three sports…all-state in football as a senior and all-league twice…all-state performer in track as a sophomore and juni~r…all-conference in basketball his junior year.. .prep grid coach was Mark Ator… member of Colstrip’s 2005 state cl.ampionship track team..retumed three kickoffs for touchdowns…the Clas’s B 100-meter champ as a junior. Personal: Parents: Rick and Tresa Cady of Colstrip. Major:
Undecided. Birth date: Nov. 28, 1989.

Mike Cummings, DB, 6-1, 192, Fr., HS, Scottsdale, AZ (Chaparral HS): Mike was an All-Region selection at wide receiver and at defensive back his junior and senior seasons…all-state wide receiver as a senior and at defensive back as ajunior…footbal! captain and offensive MVP as a senior and defensive MV? his senior year…high school football coach was Charlie Ragle. . .earned three letters in both football and basketball.. .BB defensive MVP three times.. team captain in football and basketball.. .senior year he had 77 catches for 1,421 yards and 18 TDs.. .had 14 career interceptions…football squad won region titles in 200~ (12-2) and 2006 (11-3), and in basketball in 2005-06 (25-4). Personal: Parents: Mickey and Lynn Cummings of Scottsdale. Major: Business. Birth date: Aug. 17, 1989.

Ray DeBruycker (‘Pronounced dee-brucker,), DE, 6-3, 205, Fr., US, Choteau, MT (Choteau HS): Ray was an all-state selection in football, wrestling, and track…two-time all-conference pick at tight end and linebacker. ..state wrestling champion at 189 pounds as ajunior…earned 10 letters in football (3), wrestling (4), and track 3)…team captain in wrestling as a junior and senior, and in football his senior season…prep football coach was Joel Chrisiaens…had 11 sacks his senior season, along with 45 catches for 450 yards and 6 touchdowns.. .chosen MVP of wrestling squad.. .selected to play in Montana’s annual East-West Shrine Game. Personal: Parents: Nels and Lorraine DeBruycker of Choteau. Major: Forestry. Birth date: Oct. 2, 1989.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Montana | No Comments »

PSU VS EWU Preview

Saturday, December 22nd, 2007 by wiviking in Portland State


Alright everybody, are you ready? It is time for Big Sky basketball. Though this game is only a tease into the conference season, it should be a good gauge in how they might fare the rest of the season.

Saturday marks the first shot a Big Sky team has had against the Eastern Washington Eagles in the post-Rodney Stuckey era. All signs indicate that opponents will like what they see. They are 3-1 at home, but the teams they beat in those three games have won a combined 6 D-I games all year. The Eagles are lead by senior Kellen Williams, who averages an astonishing 35 minutes per game. In the first game last year, the Vikings lost 88-70 at home to a strong team led by Stuckey and senior Paul Butorac, and beat the same team 92-88 in Cheney later in the season.

So far this season the Vikings are 3-4 on the road. Tuesday’s defeat against the Washington Huskies made the Vikings 0-3 against the Pac-10, but on the positive side, exposed them to the style of game they’ll have to play if they get to the NCAA tournament in March. It also provoked some questions from fans about the coaching decisions of Ken Bone. There will always be more questions when the team is losing, but concerns that Scott Morrison isn’t seeing enough time definitely appear valid. Along with Jeremiah Dominguez, he is the guy that makes the offense work. Even when he’s not scoring, he forces the defense to focus on him, opening up the perimeter for the rest of the team. From now on the Viks play a schedule full of games they can win, many of which they will be favored in. The January 13 game at Idaho State will be available on ESPN Full Court.

Match-Ups
Center
EWU: Brandon Moore PSU: Scott Morrison
After a lackluster performance at U-Dub, Morrison will look to rebound. Moore will present a challenge on the boards for Scott because he is a strong player inside. Though Kellen Williams leads the team in rebounds, the Eagles will depend on Moore to pick up some big ones inside if they want to win. Neither player is an explosive scorer, but I’ll give the edge to Morrison who leads in all statistical categories and should be able to use his height to get some put back opportunities. The other option the Eagles have used at center is Matt Brunell, but he is a smaller guy who has produced less, so Moore should get the start.
Advantage: Vikings

Power Forward
EWU: Kellen Williams PSU: Tyrell Mara
Mara had a tough night on Tuesday trying to cover Jon Brockman. Unlike that match-up, Mara won’t be at a major physical disadvantage in this one. As a smaller team, the Eagles may be forced to try to use the fast break against the Vikings. If they do, it is at their own peril. Both Mara and Tiefenthaler excel in that system, and outside of Morrison and JR Moore, it benefits every player’s game. Williams is the leading scorer and rebounder for the Eagles, and will not be taken lightly by the Vikings. I expect that they’ll try to really apply pressure with Mara, and when he tires, using Tief. If the Vikings really focus their effort here, they may not win the power forward point battle, but it will be hard for the Eagles to win. Besides Williams and DeLeon, they don’t really have another scoring option, which means bad nights for them almost always equates to a loss.
Advantage: Eagles

Small Forward
EWU: Marcus Hinton PSU: Deonte Huff
Hinton isn’t much of a scoring threat, but that doesn’t mean he can’t make a huge impact on the game. Huff has been the Vikings’ most consistent player offensively, even when he’s not shooting well from the outside. If Hinton is able to slow him down while staying out of foul trouble, it could go a long way in keeping the Eagles in this game late. If he can’t it’s tough to see how they could win. The Vikings have too many advantages on the rest of the floor. As for Huff, he’s really moved into a leadership role by example. He gives great effort every night while performing at a high level, and a great example is the massive improvement in free throw percentage, even though he has played more minutes. I expect him to beat Hinton in every category, but I think Hinton will be able to slow him down enough to keep it close near the end.
Advantage: Vikings

Shooting Guard
EWU: Trey Gross/Milan Stenojevic PSU: Dupree Lucas/Andre Murray
The starter for each team is the more consistent performer. The backups are explosive scorers who can shoot the lights out from the outside. Lucas did a great job along with Dominguez on Justin Dentmon, and has really become a more consistent, if scoring less than before. Murray has developed into a potent weapon for the Vikings as the season has gone on, which has helped the team win some tough games like the one against Utah Valley State. Gross is a pretty good player for the Eagles, but nothing special. Stenovic, the junior newcomer is a different story. Though his effect depends entirely on his shooting, he can really torch an opponent. Even though he is new to the team, the seem ready to delegate a large number of shots to him in tough contests. In games against Wazzu, U-Dub Santa Clara, and Portland, he averaged 9 shots per game and over 11 points. Neither option had any success defensively against Nik Raivio, so the Viks will hope that they can outscore the duo.
Advantage: Push

Point
EWU: Gary Gibson/Adris DeLeon PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez/Mickey Polis
After a tough stretch early in the season, definitely warrants mention as a semi-starter. Though he isn’t the most effective running the offense, and he isn’t as quick as Dominguez, his ability to shoot the 3 ball make him an important piece of the Vikings’ arsenal. After the game off JD came back with a strong effort against the Huskies. If the Viks’ two point guards duplicate their performance from that game, there is no team with a better combination in the Big Sky. The Eagles boast a strong pair themselves. Sophomore Gary Gibson isn’t the prototypical pass first point guard, but he plays a very effective game. He has the ability to score in bunches at times, as the big total against Idaho speaks to. The real star of the team may be Bronx native and future candidate for All Big Sky Adris DeLeon. He is the team’s best passer and third best rebounder. If need be, he can carry the team on his shoulders offensively (22 points @Washington, 24 @ Kansas.) If the Viks are able to shut down Williams, and Stenojevic has an off-shooting night, look for DeLeon to pick it up.
Advantage: Push

Bench
Even though they had a tough night on Tuesday, there is still reason to believe in the Viking bench. There is a lot of talent as players have exhibited all year, but a major lack of consistency outside of Murray recently, and Thomas on the boards. This may point out that the lack of confidence that coaches have had in players has had an effect. I look for this trend to continue in this one. Maybe Hammond, Tiefenthaler, or Coston will come back with a strong game. It’s hard to tell who it is going to be at any given time. The Eagles have a bench led by the strong play of DeLeon and Stenojevic. If they have good games, it could help keep an otherwise mediocre offensive team in the game. The advantage goes to the depth of the Vikings, no matter how inconsistent.
Advantage: Vikings

The first conference game, especially on the road, should be a thrill for the new guys. Nobody else has played yet, so the winner gets the top spot in Big Sky rankings for the coming week. If the Eagles are able to come out with a strong shooting game and get some production out of their two bench stars they could win this game at home. Unfortunately, I don’t think they can put together a full team effort yet, and even a semi-solid performance from the Viks should get it done. Hopefully, Coach Bone will give Morrison some more minutes to utilize his advantage.

Prediction: PSU 68-61

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Portland State | No Comments »

Week 6 Predictions

Thursday, October 4th, 2007 by catbob in Big Sky

Here are my humble predictions for week 6 around the Big Sky:

UNC @ ISU- While I have yet to see the Bears in person, I have seen the Bengals, and they are close to being a good offensive team. Depending on who starts at QB (Butler suffered a concussion @ MSU), UNC may have a hard time stopping the pass. Barnett is proving once again he is on the top 3 backs in the Big Sky. UNC has given up a ton of points, and I would like to say their defense has improved, but the least amount of points they have allowed is 31, and that was their 31-0 loss at home to DII Chadron State. If Russell Hill starts, it won’t be as bad for the Bears, but if Butler is healthy, he is a young talented QB with his best days ahead of him.
UNC 17 ISU 35

NAU @ PSU - Lumberjacks, what happened? From what I understand, Kreissen was playing hurt and went out at halftime? What is his status? For this prediction, I will assume he will be a go at gametime. If he does start, this could be the highest scoring game of the year so far in the Big Sky. A classic Big Sky game, where defense is optional. PSU’s Brian White has been on fire lately, throwing for 1,529 yards and 6 TDs in just 5 games, although he does have 5 INTs in that span as well. They beat a very good EWU team last week, and White did it without star receiver Tremayne Kirkland. NAU on the other hand got smoked by an up and coming (maybe) Sac State squad. Did I hear that Skyler Moore was injured? Both teams have the offense, but who will step up on defense? I think NAU is a little banged up, and this game is in Portland where Glanville has drummed up decent support so far.
NAU 24 PSU 35

Sac @ Weber – Weber had a horrible OOC start to the year, but have played well, at least defensively, in conference so far. They did lose their best DLmen last week on a questionable block by UM’s Cody Balough, but they still have plenty of talent on that side of the ball. Teams often struggle with their man-to-man coverage, and will be a good test to see how good freshman QB Jason Smith really is. Whatever happened to Ryan Mole, or the JC transfer that went to the same JC as MSU’s Demetrius Crawford? On the other end, Weber’s offense has struggled mightily, despite having one of the best RB’s in the Big Sky in sophomore Trevyn Smith. Getting his second start at QB should be Cameron Higgins, a dual-threat freshman who may have emerged to the top of the muck that is the Weber QB situation. I’m still not a believer of the Hornets, and I think Weber wins in a low-scoring affair in Ogden, thanks to the play of their defense.
Sac 10 Weber 14

Southern Utah @ #13 Montana State – The T-Birds of Southern Utah have played the most brutal schedule in FCS football so far, and it doesn’t get any better this week as they head to Bozeman to play the 13th ranked Bobcats. SUU’s QB, Wes Marshall, is a good dual-threat QB in a pretty decent option offense, but rumor is he is a game time decision for Saturday. It would be a big blow to the T-Birds hopes of winning, who despite their 0-4 record are not a horrible team. But they are going to have to be above average Saturday against a Bobcat team playing with confidence and swagger. Demetrius Crawford has emerged as the league’s leading rusher, though he has yet to actually start a game (though he does get most of the carries), and is averaging an amazing 7.8 yards per carry. Jack Rolovich has made a few mistakes, but is always going to bounce back and make the big play. The Cats struggled early against a well-prepared ISU squad, but eventually found their rhythm, and settled down defensively, and soundly beat the Bengals 40-20 in Bozeman. The T-Birds were in the middle of their brutal schedule last week at #6 McNeese State, losing 41-20. The T-Birds may put up more points than Bobcat fans will like, and it may take some second half adjustments, but the Cats should beat the T-Birds by at least 2 TDs.
SUU 20 MSU 38

Game of the Week:

EWU @ #1 UM – Eastern was upset last week in Cheney to a PSU squad that is finally beginning to click in that spread offense. The Eagles have thrived on turnovers this year, but lost the turnover battle for the first time last week, and the score reflected that, but still retain the best turnover margin in the nation. The Griz actually have a negative turnover ratio for the first time in recent memory, but are playing very solid on both sides of the ball, despite their lackluster performance offensively against an underrated Weber defense. EWU sophomore QB Matt Nichols is having a stellar season, throwing for 1,129 yards, 11 TDs and just 2 INTs, good for a rating 162.6, good for 9th nationally. The ground game has also produced 8 TDs and over 700 yards of rushing offense through four games. In fact, the Eagles have the 5th ranked offense in the country. They will bring that potent offense into Washington-Grizzly stadium to face the 6th ranked defense in the country, and the #1 scoring defense nationally as well, only allowing 10.3 points per game. UM struggled with what many call their first “real” opponent of 2007, Weber, and look to improve offensively against a EWU defense ranked 97th in the country. Cole Berquist isn’t exactly lighting teams up, but he is playing mistake-free ball and scoring points, and he can do it on the ground as well. EWU always plays the Griz tough in Missoula, but I just can’t quite smell upset here. If EWU can get up early, it will force the Griz to play catch-up, something I don’t think they will be able to do. Whereas if UM gets up early, EWU has the passing offense to get back into it. But I’ll go with the Griz at home.
EWU 24 UM 30

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Big Sky | 1 Comment »

Welcome to Bigskyfans.com

Saturday, April 14th, 2007 by chris in Site Updates

Bigskyfans.com is a new place for fans from each school in the Big Sky Conference to get great information, chat with other fans, view photos and videos and get the latest news and events. The Big Sky Conference consists of nine schools. They are Eastern Washington, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Portland State, Sacramento State and Weber State.

Bigskyfans.com was started by Chris Lynn, the creator of eGriz.com. He hopes to take the success of eGriz.com and help fans of all schools have a place to not only support their team, but also get the best information possible all in one place. This site will be run by a selection of fans from each school which will report on news and events. Each supporting fan will also write articles on desired topics.

There will be a Big Sky Message Board which will contain general forums for the Big Sky Conference. We are hoping this turns out to be a great place for the Big Sky Fans to come together and support not only their team, but the conference as well. Of Course there will be smack talk between teams, this is what being a fan is all about and is encouraged.

If you have any ideas or suggestions, please let us know as we are still in the development stages.

Thanks, Chris Lynn

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Site Updates | 1 Comment »

Copyright ©2007-2010 by

a Missoula Media company