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69 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, September 28, 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 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 September 14, 2004 At last, it’s home, sweet home, for Panthers Prep Notebook By DON HUNT Mail Tribune They have traveled roughly 1,100 miles the past two weeks and squared off against two of the better high school football teams in the state. They were projected by many to be 0-2 at this point of the season, 1-1 at best. But the South Medford Panthers are 2-0 and ranked second in The Associated Press state poll as they get ready for another heavyweight opponent — sixth-ranked Lake Oswego — Friday night at Spiegelberg Stadium. "I told the kids we were like a college football team that flew across the country twice in two weeks," South Medford coach Bill Singler says. "We were in a bus for five hours each trip. It’s not easy to jump out and play a football game, let alone beat quality teams." If there’s a surprising characteristic to this South Medford squad, it’s a rock-solid defense that is giving up yards and points begrudgingly. After yielding two quick touchdowns to defending state champion Tigard in their opener, the Panthers have allowed only 21 points in their last seven quarters. Advertisement They’re also giving up just 228 yards per game. Coupled with an explosive offense, it’s no wonder South Medford was able to post a 24-21 overtime win over Tigard followed by last Friday’s 27-14 victory over West Linn. "This team has created an identity on defense, and the kids are really buying into it," Singler says. "They’ve developed an enthusiasm and an energy level that none of my previous teams at South has had. "We had the Boomer Marshall era where our success was predicated on our offense. Those were fun years, but this team is more balanced, and I think the kids realize this could be a special season." South Medford was thought to be vulnerable along its defensive front, but tackles Noah Brennan and Brett Roeloffs and ends Rick Imhausen and Justin Fisher have played up a storm the first two weeks. In last Friday’s win over West Linn, that group neutralized the Lions’ massive offensive line that featured 6- foot-9, 325-pound Ben Loebner. "That kid was big as a house, but our guys stayed low and beat them to the punch," Singler says. "We held them to 70 yards and shut them out in the first half. That’s a heck of an accomplishment against a team like that." West Linn pulled within 21-14 in the second half, but South Medford put the game out of reach thanks to standout tight end Kyle Singler. The 6-foot-7 sophomore, a nephew of the head coach, snared a 32-yard pass from junior quarterback Jon Weaver, then a 14-yard touchdown catch on the following play with three minutes left in the game. "Their defensive back had inside position on that longer pass, but it was a jump ball and Kyle won it," Singler says. "Not too many kids are going to outjump Kyle." Kyle Singler also made a big hit along the sideline on defense, knocking one of the West Linn quarterbacks several yards out of bounds. The younger Singler is known more for his exploits in basketball, where he has gotten letters from the likes of Duke, Arizona, UCLA, Syracuse and Kansas. There are those who question why he would risk injury playing football, but the fact is, he’ll probably be as highly recruited in football as he is in basketball by the time he graduates from high school. "And he loves football," Bill Singler says. IT’LL BE A HOMECOMING of sorts for Cleveland High football coach Todd Pasche Friday when he brings his Warriors to Ashland to take on the Grizzlies. Pasche was a wide receiver and defensive back when Ashland first launched its 16-year state playoff run under former coach Jim Nagel. "When I walk out on that field, I’ll probably have more things swimming though my head than my players," Pasche says. "It’s going to be special. I was born in Ashland and my brother and parents still live there." Pasche was a senior in the fall of 1987 when the Grizzlies made their first deep run in the playoffs, advancing to the semifinals before a 24-0 loss to Lakeridge. Two years later, Ashland won the first of its three state championships. "I have some outstanding memories — my experience at Ashland is one of the main reasons I got into coaching," Pasche says. Pasche says he didn’t appreciate how good of a coach Nagel was until a few years after he graduated. "He was a great coach in so many ways," Pasche says. "He had great knowledge of the game and he always had us prepared, but the thing that probably sticks out the most is the way he taught us to carry ourselves with class." Building a program at Cleveland has been a difficult task for Pasche. The Warriors hadn’t won a game in three years when he took over in 2000, and it wasn’t until last season that he was able to get enough players to support a JV team. "It’s been a struggle," says Pasche, whose team went 2-7 last year and opened this season with a 40-20 loss to Milwaukie. "It’s hard to get kids out and keep them out, but I do think we’ve made progress." Cleveland is one of just three Class 4A schools in Oregon that doesn’t have lights, necessitating starting times of 3 p.m. "Playing in Ashland under the lights is going to be a special experience for our guys," Pasche says. 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