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52 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, October 10, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 7, 2004 This time, a close game looms Panthers hope to atone for last season’s shellacking in Friday’s Black and Blue Game By DON HUNT Mail Tribune Bill Singler compares Friday night’s North Medford-South Medford football game to a heavyweight prize fight. "You hope you’re still standing in the last round and can still deliver a punch," Singler says. Last season, Singler’s Panthers were KO’d in the first quarter when the Black Tornado exploded for 37 points on the way to a 60-17 victory in the contest known as the Black and Blue Game. Friday’s matchup figures to be much closer as the Black Tornado puts its 5-0 record and No. 1 state ranking on the line against the 3-1, ninth- ranked Panthers. Singler is downplaying the revenge factor and claims he has barely mentioned last season’s humiliating defeat, the most lopsided in the 18-year history of the series. But the final score is etched on the blackboard in the Panthers’ locker room. Advertisement "I think it gives everyone more incentive because that was a brutal defeat," South Medford quarterback Jon Weaver says. "It’s not something we’ve harped on or talked about too much, but the seniors in particular are really pumped up for this game." South Medford won three of its last four regular-season games last year before losing to Canby in first round of the state playoffs, and has carried that momentum into 2004. Facing perhaps the state’s toughest nonconference schedule, the Panthers stunned defending state champion Tigard 24-21 in overtime in their opener and followed up with a 27-14 win over then 10th-ranked West Linn before losing 35-9 to second-ranked Lake Oswego. South Medford then romped to a 50-14 win over Crater in its Southern Oregon Conference opener before encountering a bye last week. Singler thought the bye came at a good time. "It gives us a chance to regroup after a demanding preseason schedule," says Singler, whose players didn’t practice the first two days of last week. "We were able to clean some things up personnel-wise and scheme-wise, and I know the kids enjoyed having those two days off. "We’ve had some great practices this week and so we’ll see what happens." North Medford, meanwhile, had to replace eight starters on defense and three on offense from last season’s state runner-up squad, along with nearly its entire coaching staff after John Beck and Co. went to Crater. But the Tornado hasn’t missed a beat. Buoyed by the near-flawless play of senior quarterback Ben Running and the hard running of senior tailback Josh Casebere, North Medford has rolled to wins over Lakeridge (35-31), Central Catholic (45-28), Clackamas (25-19), Ashland (49-14) and Crater (42- 6). The victory over then top-ranked Clackamas on Sept. 17 boosted the Tornado to the No. 1 state ranking. Running has passed for a state-leading 1,192 yards and 13 touchdowns, while Casebere has piled up 748 yards rushing and six scores. Casebere has also taken three screen passes to the house. Running’s favorite target has been senior wide receiver Kyle Williamson, whose 463 yards (on 22 catches) leads the SOC. Friday won’t be the first time both teams have been ranked in the top 10 — they were among the elite in 2001 and 2002 when they met on the final night of the regular season — but it might be the first time in series history that both teams will bring high-caliber offenses, hard-nosed defenses and sound kicking games to the fray. North Medford owns the better offense statistically but South Medford has the superior defense. The Tornado ranks No. 1 in the SOC in the former (averaging 454.4 yards per game) while the Panthers rank No. 1 in the latter (yielding 259.3). "It looks like a pretty even game," says North Medford coach Rod Rumrey, who guided the Tornado from 1988-2000 and then retook the head coaching reins when Beck left last March. "Turnovers, field position and special teams are probably going to be the things that decide it." Singler says South Medford’s greatest challenge is to put the clamps on Casebere, who has run for more than 100 yards in all five of North Medford’s games. Casebere is aided by a veteran offensive line that’s anchored by 6-foot-1, 295-pound center Johnny Vaigafa and 6-2, 270-pound guard Lorenzo Arenas. "Casebeer might be the best back in the league," Singler says. "If he starts to run wild then their play-action (passes) clicks and you’re in big trouble. "It’s going to be interesting to see how our defensive front and linebackers hold up." South Medford linebackers Justin Meyer, Jon Lang, Kyle Singler and Ryan Odell might be the best in the SOC as a group. Singler, the coach’s 6-foot- 7, 200-pound nephew, also plays free safety and is a huge threat on offense from his tight end position. The Panthers made a notable change in the Crater game when they moved 250-pound Ben Koziol from linebacker to defensive tackle and then put Odell in Koziol’s linebacker spot. "That’s made us stronger at both positions," Singler says. The Panthers don’t have a running back in Casebere’s class, but Odell and Logan Boyd give them a good 1-2 punch. The go-to guy for South is Singler, whose height allows him to catch the ball over shorter defensive backs. Singler ranks third in the SOC in receiving with 20 catches for 275 yards and two touchdowns. The Panthers are hoping for a breakout game offensively. "I think we can bring a lot more to the table offensively than we’ve shown so far," Weaver says. Weaver and Running attended the same quarterback camp in Thousand Oaks, Calif., last July. They developed a friendship and have been rooting for each other this season. But for 2½ hours Friday, they’ll be doing their best to outshine the other and help their team deliver a knockout punch. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities