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Prospects dim for battered Ashland By DON HUNT Under ordinary circumstances, Ashland High football coach Jim Nagel would welcome a trip to the Oregon coast and a matchup with the No. 1-ranked Class 4A team in the state. After all, the Grizzlies have a chance to end Marshfield's 46-game regular-season winning streak, and playing in front of the 5,000 or so fans who are expected to pack Susick Stadium tonight in Coos Bay makes for an exciting setting. But the circumstances are anything but ordinary for the Grizzlies. Quarterback/linebacker Zach Hassell will miss his second straight game with an ankle sprain, and two other valuable skill position players are now also sidelined: halfback Kris Pavilionis (sprained ankle) and wide receiver Jesse Jones (bruised knee). "We'd just as soon be playing the Little Sisters of the Poor, but Marshfield's on the schedule and so we'll head over there and see what happens," Nagel says. "If we were healthy, then this is a game we'd look forward to playing." Both Hassell and Pavilionis were injured in the Grizzlies' 21-20 exhibition victory over the Japanese All-Stars on Sept. 3. Hassell sat out last week's 28-0 loss to Roseburg, and while Pavilionis returned for that game, he reinjured his tender ankle. Jones was hurt in the Roseburg game. To make matters worse, several Ashland linemen are banged up, meaning that at least nine Grizzlies will be going both ways for the second straight game. "We've got less depth than we've had in a number of years," Nagel says. Hassell's absence means that sophomore quarterback Mike Allen will draw another start. The 6-foot-4, 175-pounder was unmercifully harassed in the Roseburg game and his passing numbers reflected as much: 11-of-30 for 102 yards and no touchdowns. Allen did manage to throw a TD pass that was called back. "He's bounced back pretty well," Nagel says. "It's going to be another tough environment for him to play in, but I'm not sure it can get much tougher than last week. "He's a talented kid, and if we can give him some help with our running game and our pass blocking then he can do some good things." Marshfield, meanwhile, is coming off a 21-20 victory over Midwestern League rival Churchill that boosted the Pirates to their No. 1 state ranking. Although Marshfield hasn't enjoyed the postseason success that Ashland has, coach Kent Wigle has nonetheless put together a powerhouse program. Wigle is also 2-0 against Nagel, beating the Grizzlies 36-21 in the 1992 state title game and 20-19 in the opening round of the 1994 playoffs. "The strength of our team this year is our athleticism," Wigle says. "We've got a lot of guys who can move around." Perhaps the best Pirate athletes are quarterback Trevor Woods, the defending state champion in the pole vault with a leap of 16 feet, 4 inches, and do-everything Todd Lewis, the team's starting tailback, best defensive player (inside linebacker) and place-kicker. Woods, a 6-foot-3, 186-pound senior, is also a 4.0 student. He connected on 12-of-17 passes for 152 yards in the win over Churchill. "He can run, he can pass and he's a good leader," Wigle says of Woods. "He's just a very athletic young man." Wigle says his team pays little heed to the 46-game win streak. The last time Marshfield lost during the regular season was Nov. 5, 1993, when Grants Pass traveled to Coos Bay and pinned a 28-7 defeat on the Pirates. "We don't talk about it a whole lot," Wigle says. "We just get ready to play each week, do our best on Friday night and let the chips fall where they may." Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.