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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 29, 2005 Ashland quarterback Sam Littleton has hit on 62 of 96 throws (64.6 percent) for 782 yards and nine touchdowns. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Littleton has Grizzlies on the prowl With senior QB flourishing under new coach Charlie Hall, Ashland is off to a 4-0 start entering Friday’s game against Roseburg By DON HUNT Mail Tribune ASHLAND — Sam Littleton has been a diehard Ashland High football fan nearly his entire life. When he was 5, he broke down and cried when the Grizzlies lost to North Medford in the 1993 Class 4A state championship game. Four years later, when Ashland was ranked No. 1 in the state, he won a raffle at Briscoe Elementary School. His reward was a lunch date with standout Grizzly running back Ben Ross and receivers Cy Aleman and Brian Luman. Then in 1998, when Ashland won the last of its three state titles, Littleton was handed a blue T-shirt that Jimmy Werbin — the team’s star quarterback — had worn under his uniform during every game that season. "He (Werbin) was my idol growing up," Littleton says. "Those were some exciting times." Advertisement The Grizzlies haven’t had much to cheer about in recent years. They’ve labored through four straight losing seasons, haven’t made the state playoffs since 2000 and their legendary coach during their golden era — Jim Nagel — hasn’t been around for three years. But thanks in large part to Littleton and new coach Charlie Hall, that old Grizzly magic is making a comeback. Ashland is 4-0 and fresh off a 46-42 upset victory over North Medford as it braces for Friday night’s showdown against ninth-ranked Roseburg at Walter A. Phillips Field. Littleton has been performing much like Werbin and other former Grizzly greats. During last Friday’s win over North Medford, the senior quarterback completed 13 of 17 passes for 223 yards and four touchdowns. For the season, he’s hit on 62 of 96 throws (64.6 percent) for 782 yards, nine TDs and four interceptions. He’s also run for four scores. "He’s been very efficient," says Hall of Littleton. "He’s making good reads and good throws and when things break down, he gets out of the pocket and hurts you with his legs." Littleton showed flashes of brilliance last season when he threw for 1,735 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. But he’s a far more polished quarterback under Hall, who was a Grizzly assistant coach under Nagel from 1998-2000 before taking a job as the offensive coordinator at Northern Arizona University. Like Nagel, Hall is an offensive mastermind and passing game guru who calls plays from the press box during games. Littleton needed most of the summer to learn Hall’s abundance of plays and formations. "It took awhile," Littleton says. "The terminology was different and just learning all the subtleties in the passing game took some time. But he (Hall) held a mini camp before school got out last year and then we had a two-week orientation period after that. "I’ve had plenty of time to absorb everything." Littleton also benefited from the Grizzlies’ trip to Japan. They lost 26-6 to the Japanese All-Stars, but that game got him and the rest of the team ready for their official season opener against North Salem. They rolled to a 24-7 win in that game and followed with victories over Rex Putnam, Cleveland and North Medford. While Littleton has been the hub of a Grizzly machine that leads the Southern Oregon Conference in total offense (371.5 yards per game) and scoring (35.0 points per game), his receivers have been instrumental in the team’s gaudy statistics. Senior wide receiver Josh Cornelius leads the SOC in receiving with 19 catches for 379 yards and seven touchdowns. Senior wideout Aaron San Nicholas is 10th with 160 yards on nine catches and senior tight end Wes Dodds isn’t far behind with 135 yards on 13 receptions. Cornelius had a huge game against North Medford, snagging six passes for 106 yards and three touchdowns. "Josh and I have grown up together," Littleton says. "We’ve played on the same youth teams all the way through. I have the utmost respect for him as a competitor and a warrior. He’s a great receiver and he’s made me look good more than once." Littleton knows that Friday’s game against a typically big, physical and ornery Roseburg team will be Ashland’s greatest test yet. He’s not ready to call the Grizzlies the SOC favorite or even predict a state playoff berth. But he senses some of the old Grizzly mystique is back. "We’re having a lot of fun right now," he says. "And I hope the fans are, too. We’re hoping they pack this place Friday night, just like the old days." Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail Littleton has Grizzlies on the prowl ">[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 Ztechmedia Website Hosting Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Advertisement s