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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Auction to benefit Boys & Girls Club 40th annual Ski Swap starts Saturday Learn about the latest Apple operating system Rotary Clubs pitch in to rebuild the Weed Libary Police Reports Education In Portland, mindfulness classes ease stress of high school Student beats the odds AHS students form ribbon for AIDS awareness Kiwanis, Lions team up to help Nature Center Teacher's Tips: College not the end-all for every student Environment ‘Tis the season — for wild mushrooms Don't like weather where you are? 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Missing teen's mom hopes for safe return ... Auction to benefit Boys & Girls Club ... 40th annual Ski Swap starts Saturday ... Missing teen's mom hopes for safe return ... COLLEGE FOOTBALL Tow overcomes heart condition to spark Raiders Speedy RB electrifies crowd, looks forward to showdown at No. 1 Carroll By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Nov. 25, 2014 @ 2:00 am By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Nov. 25, 2014 @ 2:00 am » Social News Sean Tow didn’t know why his heart was acting funny, thumping sporadically, adding beats where none should have been. But when he heard the diagnosis – premature ventricular contractions, or PVC – he tried to stay positive. It was mid-August, only weeks before the Southern Oregon University football team was set to open its season with a game at Menlo, and Tow (pronounced like “pow”) was looking forward to building upon what had been a successful freshman campaign, during which he rushed for 565 yards and eight touchdowns. But suddenly, the results of an electrocardiogram test were threatening to derail not only Tow’s sophomore season but his entire football career. All he knew was that the doctors said he had PVC and sinus bradycardia — a slow heartbreak — and that they felt a wait-and-see approach was best. But wait how long? Tow, who spent the next few agonizing weeks back home in Diamond Spring, Calif., undergoing tests, didn’t know what to think. “It was kind of like, as the weeks go on and as appointments go on we’ll see how it is,” he said. “There was a week when they said, ‘If this scenario happens then you’ll probably be done, but if this happens then you’ll be good.’ And then that same week is when they said, ‘OK, you’re good to go.’” How did he deal with the possibility that his playing days could be taken away prematurely? By refusing to believe that that could happen. “I never really let that thought into my head,” he said. Some may see that as avoidance, but a 5-foot-6, 160-pound running back excelling at a game designed for giants doesn’t get there by listening to reason. “I kind of just made sure the whole time that I had positive thoughts and that I was going to get through it and eventually get back on the field,” he said. On Sept. 20 against the College of Idaho, Tow did get back on the field and immediately showed the Raiders what they had been missing. He had seven rushes for 47 yards and a catch for 10 more in helping the Raiders dismantle the Coyotes 56-28 — up to that point, SOU’s most prolific offensive performance of 2014. Tow has had some better performances since, including Saturday’s big game against MidAmerican Nazarene in the first round of the NAIA Football Championship Series, but his return to the field against C of I was special. “Ahhh,” he said, a wide grin spreading underneath a lumberjack beard, “it was amazing. It was amazing. It was a great time. And on the field, it seemed like I didn’t miss a beat.” Tow’s return gave the Raiders (10-2) three unique back to throw at opposing defenses, and it’s proven at times to be a deadly combination that could be especially vital this Saturday, when eighth-ranked SOU travels to Helena, Mont. for a quarterfinal game against Frontier Conference rival and No. 1-ranked Carroll College (10-1). Normally, SOU goes to the air to loosen up opposing defenses, but the weather forecast in Helena on Saturday calls for sub-20-degree temperatures and, yes, snow. If the white stuff does blanket the field at Nelson Stadium and degrade the field’s traction, it may also throw off the timing between SOU quarterback Austin Dodge and his receivers. And if that happens, the Raiders may turn to their running game. As Tow proved against MidAmerica Nazarene, that’s not necessarily a disadvantage for the Raiders. Like a baseball manager calling on a closer with unhittable stuff, SOU often uses Tow sparingly early in games before unleashing him in the second half. Saturday’s game was a perfect example. Tow carried the ball only once in the first half, accounting for only two of the Raiders’ 72 rushing yards in the opening two quarters. It was a tight game — SOU led 20-17 at the break. But in the second half the Raiders cut Tow loose, and he went off, finishing with 13 rushes for 124 yards and a touchdown. Tow’s style is everything one would expect given his size. He darts through holes then toys with linebackers, often using a knee-buckling jump-cut or tornado spin to pocket a few extra yards, always reaching for every last inch while ducking under larger shoulder pads. Against MidAmerca his longest run was 29 yards — not a game-breaker. But he probably had three of the game’s five most dazzling plays, at one point bringing the crowd to its feet with an insane four-cut needle into the Pioneers’ side. “He’s like a water skipper out there — boop, boop, boop, and they can’t get a hand on him,” said SOU head coach Craig Howard, waving his hand through the air to imitate a moving target. “He runs that inside zone and he runs that outside zone. And when he runs the inside zone there might be a linebacker sitting right in the hole and all of a sudden, boom, he’s gone. He’s got the quickest feet of any back I think I’ve ever coached. I mean, he’s a buck-65 – a lot of people say guys that small shouldn’t play college football. He’s proving them all wrong, and I’m so glad he’s on our team.” Now, Howard is hoping that Tow, who’s rushed for 587 yards and six touchdowns this season, and the Raiders can prove everybody wrong and shock the Saints on Saturday. Southern Oregon and Carroll split their season series, with each team defending its home field, but Carroll is 2-0 against SOU in the playoffs — winning back-to-back quarterfinal showdowns in 2001 and 2002. Tow, who is used to playing the role of underdog, says the Raiders are looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity to make some more history. Already responsible for pulling out the most wins in a season in program history, SOU on Saturday will be gunning for another program first: a berth in the NAIA semifinals. “We’re all pumped,” he said. “We’re all excited. Respect all, honor all, we know. We respect them, but we’re not going to afraid of anyone. It’s going to be a great time. We’re ready to go.” Joe Zavala can be reached at 541-776-4469 or [email protected]. By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Nov. 25, 2014 @ 2:00 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. fantasy football Fantasy Football: Projecting Winners and Losers for Week 14 Dec. 3, 2014 at 2:54 pm Week 14 Fantasy QB Rankings Dec. 3, 2014 at 12:22 pm Latest Roddy White Injury Update Dec. 3, 2014 at 11:53 am Source: Big Ben Has Fractured Wrist Dec. 3, 2014 at 11:02 am Fantasy Week 14 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Dec. 3, 2014 at 10:30 am Updated Fantasy Week 14 Overview by Position Dec. 3, 2014 at 10:00 am calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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