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--> --> Raider Dave Pettersen is mobbed by 6-year-olds (from left) Katie Shelhorse, Kelsey McKelvey and Nathan Case. Ashland Daily Tidings/CHRIS MILLER Back to school SOU football players are volunteering their time (and bodies) at a local grade school By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Fourth-and-one, seconds on the clock, bodies swarming, screams fill the air. Then, out of nowhere, a ball, a catch, and miraculously, a touchdown. A chorus of cheers. This is the life of Sedric Ashley, Anthony Dobrowolski, Dave Pettersen and other Southern Oregon University football players - an unyielding blur of activity interspersed with perfectly gorgeous moments of clarity. At least this is their life on Wednesday, three days before they play an official game. Today, it's the unofficial game, the one that involves one Raider on this side of the field - which is actually a playground - and a whole slew of kindergartners and that side. The kindergartners are overmatched but relentless, and somehow they always find a way to come out victorious. And not just in football, in tag too. "We just get lucky and tag them," said Jake Quast, a 3-2, 40-pound tag master. Raider football players visit Grace Lutheran Elementary School in Ashland every Wednesday and help out the youngsters with arts and crafts projects and various other in-class assignments. Then comes the Raiders' favorite part of the day - recess, of course. Ashley, a redshirt junior defensive back, tries to explain, but he's bracketed by three screamers competing for his ear. Raider Stadium never looked so quiet. "We read to them, we build projects in class, we eat lunch with them, come out to recess," he says, his voice rising with every syllable. "Some guys go to the third and fourth grade, some guys go to kindergarten. It all depends on how many guys we have total, so we all kind of split up and go to these spots, help out and pray with them and just do everything, basically." The cries grow louder as Ashley continues to raise his voice. "I'm like hearing my name 80 times per second. Sedric, Sedric, Sedric, but it's fun. It's fun." The Raiders started paying visits to Grace last school year, when Raider coach Jeff Olson and his wife, Linda, called the school - their five-year-old son, Dante, attends the school - and made the offer. The school said yes, and it's been a hit ever since. "Sometimes there's six, sometimes there's 10 and we divide them up into the classrooms and they help out," said kindergarten teacher and Raider fan Ruth Olsen. "But the favorite time for the kids is out on the playground where they can hang on them, jump on them, climb on them and chase them." Some of the Raiders get college credit, some don't, and others just do it for the experience. That's why Dobrowolski does it. The sophomore linebacker is studying at SOU to be a teacher. At 6-4, 215 pounds, he probably won't have a problem getting the kids to follow instructions. "This helps me a lot," he said, as 6-year-old Kelsey McKelvey sits on his shoulders and stretches his face like silly putty. "We were in there making guitars and stuff like that, and we come out here and we're just a big jungle gym, I guess." "It's definitely a different experience, but it's a good experience," added Pettersen, a redshirt freshman linebacker. "Getting out into the public and showing that we care about our public other than just fan support at games. We want to get out and show our positive light, too." Mission accomplished, at least as far as the kids are concerned. The Raiders are the center of attention whether they like it or not during recess, when they're hit with a constant barrage of pokes, "look at me's," and high pitch screams at close range, all while playing the part of walking, talking climbing apparatus. "They don't use the equipment," Pettersen says, deftly sidestepping one flailing 5-year-old, "they use us to jump on." Quast likes having the Raiders in the classroom, but he doesn't hesitate when asked what his favorite thing to do on Wednesday's is. "Playing football with them," he said, "because they're nice guys." But like all good things, recess eventually comes to an end. So in go the kids, Raiders in tow, to take part in another popular ritual: snack time. But one question remains: why? Why do the kids enjoy spending time with the Raiders, Dante? Is it their awesome uniforms, the super cool plays they draw up or just how big they are? Which is it? Dante looks down. His nose scrunches. He looks back up and smiles. "Because they like us." Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing