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Written by DRH   
Thursday, 17 July 2008 19:04    Hits: 692
It’s the year of the running back in the MWL. There are no less than four backs in the league capable of taking home all kinds of honors – 1st team MWL RB, League Offensive Player of the Year, All State honors…

Willamette senior Craig Loper is the most established, going into his third year starting for the Wolverine varsity. Springfield senior Dusty Jarvis is the playmaker, perhaps the MWL’s fastest player in pads capable of taking just about anything for a 70 yard scamper to paydirt. North Eugene junior Michael Bibbee is the man-child, a 6-3, 220 pound force of nature that broke onto the scene last year to much acclaim. And Thurston junior Omar Jackson is the fresh face, splitting carries with a first team all-league RB last year, and looking to turn those expected extra carries this season into double the production (think Jeremiah Johnson to Jonathan Stewart).

The MWL has become a quarterback’s delight in recent years – from Alex Brink to Brett McLennan to Corey Moran to Andrew Schumacher and Avery Roeman and Tym Pearson – but the running back is back in style for ’08.

Also back in style – diversity on the championship podium. From 1994 to 2006, only three schools stood tall at the end of the year to take home championship hardware – Marshfield (1994-99) and Sheldon (2001-05) put together two of the state’s all-time great dynasties, and Churchill won titles in-between transitions from one dynasty to the other, or in the first year of reclassification. That all changed in 2007, when Willamette (first title since 1993) and Thurston (first title since 1989) broke through the pack and gave the MWL a set of fresh faces atop the league. Since champions usually repeat in this league more often than not, will Thurston or Willamette (or both?) reign again, or will Springfield break through and breath even more fresh air on the league trophy? Here’s how I see it shaking down…

(note: This isn't college or pro football, where player movement makes front-page headlines and everybody knows when a back-up offensive guard switches teams. A player I listed playing for Churchill might have transfered to Willamette back in March, but that doesn't mean the majority of us know about it. If I've gotten something wrong and you know of something I don't, pop on by the 5A Football Message Board and let me know.)

1. Thurston

Last Season: 5-5, 4-1 MWL. 5A Second Round (lost to Crater 17-9).

Projected 2008: 8-1, 5-0 MWL.

Senior QB Tym Pearson is back after taking home the MWL Offensive Player of the Year award as a junior. A dual threat with a big arm, Pearson is in for a big senior season. If his junior-to-senior improvement is anything like his sophomore-to-junior jump, there’s not much stopping Pearson from being the best QB in 5A. He recently ran a wind-aided 4.31 40 yard dash at the Oregon Top Gun QB1 Challenge. Junior RB Omar Jackson split carries with Travis Newman last year, but will get the bulk of the action all to himself this time around. He’s a talented, shifty back capable of putting up big numbers. Senior WR Danny Urness is the wildcard. He made quite the splash as a sophomore in 2006, but got hurt mid-season and has only played in one game since. He was injured again during baseball season, but if he’s able to play the Colts offense (and defense) will benefit from his 4.4 speed. There’s talent returning on both sides of the line, and as usual, the Colts will trot out one of the best LB units in the area. Senior Matt Collier and junior Kyle Wright were both named to the all-league team last year, and junior Andy Jaros has been a big offseason surprise. The secondary must be rebuilt, but if Urness is good to go, he’d instantly give the Colts one of the MWL’s best cover corners.

Interesting Fact: Thurston will be looking to tie the school record for both consecutive playoff appearances (5, from 1994-1998) and consecutive MWL titles (2, from 1988-1989). 

Bottom Line: The Colts were better than their .500 record a year ago, but a brutal non-league schedule plus Pearson missing the first two games didn’t allow Thurston to get on track until the league season. This year, the schedule is a little lighter, and Thurston remains one of the most talented teams in the MWL. A dynamic senior quarterback gives Thurston the edge in their quest to repeat.

2. Springfield

Last Season: 4-5, 2-3 MWL.

Projected 2008: 7-3, 4-1 MWL.

The Millers are a quarterback away from a special season. Senior Mike Travess is back after splitting time there a year ago, but he’s strictly a running threat. For Springfield to truly shine – they return more all-league talent than any other MWL team – they’re going to need to establish an aerial threat to take the pressure off of senior RB Dusty Jarvis. Jarvis is a special talent with the speed to turn any carry into a score, but if opposing defenses stack nine in the box without worrying about Springfield’s passing game, the Miller’s offense is going to struggle again. Senior speedster Zady Navarro is a gamebreaker at WR, but again, he needs someone who can get him the ball. Senior OL Aaron Boehland is the best big man in the MWL, and should be playing at the next level this time next year. He’s the anchor. On the defensive side of the ball, senior Marshall Curry is a terror coming off the edge. Springfield has one of the top LB units in the state, but ironically, might only be #2 in their city thanks to Thurston – seniors Bill Hamilton and Donovan Ramsdal get it done. In the secondary, Navarro is one of the best corners in the area regardless of classification.

Interesting Fact: It’s been 17 years since Springfield has beaten archrival Thurston. Is this the year? After a number of seasons of not even being competitive, the Millers have turned the annual Springfield Civil War into a trio of nailbiters the last three years: they’ve lost 17-7, 13-7, and 17-13 dating back to 2005.

Bottom Line: This Springfield’s most talented team since 1996, the last time they made the playoffs. Skip Raish made his name with his run-and-shoot offense at Willamette, and a league championship is certainly within reach if he can develop a quarterback – either Travess or someone else. If not, Springfield is too good not to make the postseason, but they’re senior-heavy and might not have a championship opportunity like this for the foreseeable future.

3. Willamette

Last Season: 10-2, 4-1 MWL. 5A Quarterfinals (beat Hillsboro 44-14 in the second round, lost to Bend 28-21 in OT in the quarterfinals).

Projected 2008: 5-5, 3-2 MWL.

The team that won a share of the MWL title, and the league’s top seed in the postseason, is largely gone; but what Willamette returns is quality at key positions. Senior QB Spencer Phillips is back, who did extremely well balancing out the offense last year. Phillips recently finished third overall at the Oregon Top Gun QB1 challenge, which combined a series of skill tests involving the top QBs from around the state. Senior RB Craig Loper returns, too, and will no doubt once more be the Will-Hi focal point; he’s been doing it since his sophomore year, so no change there. Loper has run for huge yardage the last two seasons, and nothing suggests that that will change in 2008. But the departure of WR/LB Michael Calef, the 2007 MWL MVP, can’t be overstated. That’s a huge void to fill. Graduation gutted the Wolverine offensive and defensive lines, but senior DL Eric Ruiz is a nice piece to build around. Willamette is long on big bodies to restock the lines, but they aren’t long on experience. The defense, the MWL’s best last year, must be rebuilt almost from scratch.

Interesting Fact: The MWL’s single-season rushing record is 1658 yards, set by North Eugene’s Kailee Wong in 1993. Rightfully so, Wong is generally regarded as the best football player to ever come out of the league. Craig Loper ran for 1554 and 17 scores last year, good for second place all-time. Loper is already well over 2,000 yards in his career. With another huge season, is there any reason we won’t consider Loper one of the best to ever lace ‘em up for a MWL school?

Bottom Line: Philips and Loper are good enough to get Willamette back into the playoffs, but this isn’t a championship contender. The non-league schedule is much tougher this season so don’t expect another 5-0 start. Stand-out seniors at the most important offensive positions are big pluses, but the Wolverines are going to need to answer some questions, perhaps to even hold off Churchill and North Eugene for the final postseason berth.

4. Churchill

Last Season: 6-5, 3-2 MWL. 5A Second Round (beat Pendleton 21-6 in the first round, lost to Glencoe 23-16 in the second round).

Projected 2008: 5-5, 2-3 MWL.

Churchill has some rebuilding to do, but can help themselves with a position switch. While Hank Turner’s graduation at RB leaves a hole, it can be easily filled by senior WR/DB Eric Knapp, an extremely athletic big-play threat who helped saved Churchill’s season last year by taking snaps at RB and rushing for a pair of scores against Springfield. The move makes sense for this reason: Knapp is a special player who needs to touch the ball as many snaps at possible, and Churchill has QB issues. Instead of praying your brand new QB can get Knapp the ball fifteen yards downfield, why not simply hand the ball off to him and let him work? Morgan Ostrander and Zach Rose both graduated, leaving a big question mark at quarterback. Junior Casey McFadden is an interesting option, but I’m not sure what route the coaches will go. Senior WR Blake Determann can help pick up slack in the receiving game. There’s plenty of athletes on defense, including Knapp, who’s my preseason pick as MWL Defensive Player of the Year. He’ll shut you down.

Interesting Fact: Once feared statewide for its stable of running backs – Seth Lacey, Niles Mittasch, Sol and Caleb Rexius – Churchill, surprisingly, hasn’t had a 1st team MWL tailback since Derek Manwill in 2004. A once prolific passing attack, based on the shoulders of the Rhode brothers, has only one all-league quarterback since 2001 (Andrew Schumacher, 2006).

Bottom Line: Churchill has made the playoffs both seasons of the 5A MWL, and can do so again if some of the offensive problems that plagued them last year get worked out. The Lancers never found a replacement for QB Andrew Schumacher, and that’s got to be priority number one this offseason.

5. North Eugene

Last Season: 3-6, 0-5 MWL.

Projected 2008: 6-4, 1-4 MWL.

The Highlanders return big junior RB Michael Bibbee, a 6-3, 210 pound wrecking ball who rushed for big yardage as a sophomore. He’s a fantastic piece for a young defense to build around. QB Derek Duman graduates, so a new passer will need to be established. Junior Miles Andy is the only returning (experienced) QB on the roster, but senior WR Tyler Vanderhoff is an excellent athlete who completed two of four passes for 107 yards and two scores in 2007. There are certainly options for the coaching staff to consider. Vanderhoff is also one of the MWL’s best WRs. There’s plenty of big bodies to shift through, and the junior class is especially stocked up front. Look for North to get out of the cellar this year. There’s a lot to like about NE football right now.

Interesting Fact: The longest playoff drought in the MWL belongs to the school off River Road. Things looked like they were turning a corner in 2005, when they surprised everybody by finishing .500, beating Thurston, and losing to archrival South Eugene by a point in OT. Then the wheels came off, going 1-9 in league play the next two years.

Bottom Line: The schedule is laughably easy, so expect a fast start. Crescent Valley? Crook County? PARKROSE? NE found just about every cupcake they could find to pad the schedule, but it’s short on quality so MWL play will likely be a jolt back to reality (kind of like last year, when NE started 3-1 but didn’t win a league game). Don’t get me wrong, this a program in a rebuilding mode, so scheduling easy isn’t a bad thing – it’s just that we won’t know a darn thing about the true make-up of this team until well into October.

6. Marshfield

Last Season: 4-6, 2-3 MWL.

Projected 2008: 2-8, 0-5 MWL.

The Pirates were not a good team last year, yet they lose just about every standout from that team. While it’s not always a bad thing to get a bunch of fresh faces into the mix coming off a poor season, the problem is that Marshfield loses just about everyone that made for the few highlight moments of 2007. QB Brogan Oswald is gone, and athletic junior Kyle Tedder looks to take his place. His JV duties were limited last year, given that he’s also the varsity place kicker, so he’s going to learn on the job in 2008. Still, he’s a promising prospect. Little-used RB Talo Silver looks to take up the lion’s share of the rushing duties with Cameron Winfrey’s departure. Will Messerle will be greatly missed at LB. Senior C MacKenzie Freeman is one of the MWL’s best. Can senior WR Levi Meline be Tedder’s go-to guy in the passing game? Lots of questions in Coos Bay this offseason.

Interesting Fact: Marshfield’s six losses in 2007 were as many as the program suffered between 1994 and 1999 – total. 

Bottom Line: That was a very strange run-down for me to write, given that I was a product of a MWL high school in the 1990s during Marshfield’s dynasty era. But times they are a changin’. After the opener with archrival North Bend, the schedule is nothing sort of brutal -- @ Marist, Ashland, Grants Pass, Jefferson. I fear the Pirates might have taken one too many left-hooks by the time MWL play rolls around.

Individual Awards

MWL MVP: QB Tym Pearson, Thurston. It’s a natural progression from ’07 Offensive Player of the Year. He’s got a super running back to take the pressure off of him, several weapons to work with downfield, and an experienced offensive line in front of him. It’s all there.

Offensive Player of the Year: RB Dusty Jarvis, Springfield; RB Craig Loper, Willamette; RB Michael Bibbee, North Eugene. Pick one. All three should put up insane numbers.

Defensive Player of the Year: DB Eric Knapp, Churchill. Quite possibly the state’s best cover corner.

Coach of the Year: Skip Raish, Springfield. True, the COTY honors usually go to the winner of the league title, but you can't deny that getting Springfield to the postseason for the first time in 12 years doesn't deserve the honor.