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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 29, 2005 Tornado, Comets both hunger for SOC win By DON HUNT Mail Tribune Both teams are craving for a Southern Oregon Conference victory. Neither has fondness for the other. That should make for a spirited high school football matchup when Crater plays host to North Medford Friday at Dutch Meyer Field in Central Point. Kickoff is 7 p.m. While neither team will be out of the state playoff hunt with a loss, the Comets (2-2, 0-1 SOC) and the Black Tornado (1-3, 0-1) need a second straight conference loss like the Gulf Coast needs another hurricane. Crater hasn’t beaten North Medford since 1995, but the Comets probably have their best team since then. Their defense, anchored by bone-jarring linebacker Cody Clark, is the stingiest in the SOC, yielding just 224 yards per game. Advertisement The 6-foot-3, 222-pound Clark was a ubiquitous force during the Comets’ 21-14 overtime loss to South Medford last Friday, belting quarterbacks, running backs and receivers throughout. On one play, he ripped off the helmet of Panthers tailback Dan Welcome. "Crater is going to hit you in the mouth," says North Medford defensive coordinator Jeff Olson. "They certainly have the horses to do it." The Tornado, which suffered a 46-42 loss to upstart Ashland last Friday and has now lost three in a row for the first time since 1995, shouldn’t have any problem matching Crater’s intensity. There are still some hard feelings lingering from the spring of 2004, when John Beck and most of his coaching staff left North Medford and went to Crater. Rod Rumrey, who had coached the Tornado from 1987-2000, returned to lead the red and black last season. "I expect to see an intense game," says Beck. To help get ready for the skirmish, Rumrey put his team through full contact drills all week. Normally, North Medford isn’t in full pads on Mondays. Part of his reasoning was also to stabilize a Tornado defense that is giving up an SOC-worst 37.3 points per game. "It’s been a physical week of practice," says Olson. "We probably put too much emphasis on what we were trying to do scheme-wise early in the year, rather than the fundamental aspects like hitting and getting off blocks. "I’m confident our defense is going to play a lot better Friday." Crater’s offense, meanwhile, has struggled to put points on the board since its season-opening 30-19 win over Marshfield. The Comets have some good skill position players in running backs Charlie Reina and Callan Hartzer and wide receiver Tyler Davis, but their offense stalled last week after starting quarterback Brian Theis left the game with a concussion in the first quarter. Beck said Theis won’t play Friday, either, leaving the signal-calling chores to Cory Staniforth. The athletic junior is capable of hurting teams with his feet, but he completed only 2 of 10 passes for 76 yards and three interceptions against South Medford. "We need to break out offensively," says Beck. "Cory made some bad decisions last week, but until now he hasn’t been getting many reps with the first-team offense. He’s a playmaker who started a bunch of games last season. We believe in him." North Medford’s No. 1 playmaker is senior tailback Ryan Folsom, the SOC’s leading rusher with 478 yards and six touchdowns. But neither team figures to put many points on the board, and that means turnovers and field position loom more important than usual. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail Tornado, Comets both hunger for SOC win ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s