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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 30, 2005 Ashland-Roseburg rivalry heats up By DON HUNT Mail Tribune The Ashland-Roseburg rivalry in the late 1980s and throughout the ‘90s was one of the best in the state. Between 1985 and 1998, the Indians won three state titles and were runners-up five times, while the Grizzlies claimed three state crowns and twice finished second. Between them, the two teams won or shared 11 of 14 Southern Oregon Conference championships during that span. Don’t look now, but the rivalry may be heating up. Ashland has fallen on hard times in recent years, but the Grizzlies are off to a 4-0 start under new head coach Charlie Hall. They meet the 3-1, ninth-ranked Indians tonight at 7 o’clock at Walter A. Phillips Field. Advertisement Both squads are 1-0 in the SOC. In other SOC contests, North Medford (1-3, 0-1 SOC) travels to Crater (2-2, 0-1) and Grants Pass (1-3, 0-0) journeys to Eagle Point (3-1, 0-1). South Medford (1-3, 1-0) has the night off. "I think Ashland is a heck of a football team — very underrated," says Roseburg coach Thurman Bell. "They’ve got a lot of great skill kids and they do a good job of protecting their quarterback." The Grizzlies posted a thrilling, 46-42 upset win over North Medford last Friday to begin SOC play. Senior quarterback Sam Littleton completed a tidy 13 of 17 passes for 223 yards and four touchdowns to spark the victory, and Dylan Steeves added 84 yards rushing and an electrifying 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Ashland’s offense looks a lot like the old high-octane attacks that former coach Jim Nagel put on the field. And it’s no wonder because Hall is a Nagel disciple. Hall coached under Nagel from 1998-2000, then spent the past four seasons serving as the offensive coordinator at Northern Arizona University. Like Nagel, Hall spreads the field with three wide receivers, sometimes four. Other similarities include passing the ball to set up the run, coaching from the press box during games and scripting a dozen or so plays to begin a contest. "It’s the Bill Walsh philosophy," says Hall of designing planned plays to start a game with little regard to down and distance. "We might come off the script if it’s third-and-short or third-and-long, but the whole idea is to be as unpredictable as possible. "Plus, when you set your plate like that, the kids seem to be a little more sharp in running the plays." The Grizzlies lead the SOC in passing offense (215.0), total offense (371.5) and scoring offense (35.0), but Hall doesn’t ignore the run. He usually goes with a tight end to enhance that part of the attack (and to help protect his quarterback). Steeves, a hard-nosed, 5-foot-11, 180-pound senior, ranks fifth in the SOC in rushing with 271 yards on 43 carries and two touchdowns. Junior Justin Meza ranks seventh with 250 yards on 34 attempts, but he’ll miss his second straight game tonight for disciplinary reasons. "Steeves is a heck of a player," Hall says. "He’s got great balance and vision, and he’s got a burst that most kids don’t." Littleton’s favorite target via the air is senior wide receiver Josh Cornelius, who leads the SOC in receiving with 19 catches for 379 yards and seven touchdowns. Cornelius is also the SOC’s second-leading scorer with 42 points. As well as Ashland has played, the jury is still out as to how it stacks up against a ranked team, especially one as powerful as Roseburg. The Indians’ offensive line, anchored by 295-pound tackles Morgan Heard and Ryan Caddock and 289-pound guard Nick Stenkamp, averages 265. Tailback Jimmy Zhu, himself 6-foot and 195 pounds, ranks second in the SOC in rushing with 439 yards and four touchdowns. Zhu tallied Roseburg’s first three scores during its 42-6 romp over Eagle Point last Friday. "We struggled to stop the run against North Medford, and Roseburg is a more physical team, and so that’s a concern," Hall says. "They really challenge you because they’ve got a power game and an option game. "I would hope we could find a way to slow them down, but it may be a case of our offense having to put a lot of points on the board again for us to win." GRANTS PASS AT EAGLE POINT — Eagle Point not only got the steamroller treatment from Roseburg last Friday, it also lost starting tailback Kris Butler to an ankle sprain for two weeks. Butler was the second-leading rusher in the SOC heading into last week’s game and still ranks fourth with 342 yards and six touchdowns. Junior Shane Tomich and senior Shane Bei will split the position tonight. "Bei has better speed and is also a stronger runner inside, but Tomich catches the ball better and has a better grasp of our offense," Eagle Point coach Harry Hedrick says. "They’ll both see time at running back." Not pleased with his offensive line, Hedrick will insert two sophomores into the starting lineup tonight — 6-2, 190-pound guard Zach Heppner and 6-4, 230-pound tackle Dexter Novak. Another change will come at center, where Marcus Wyatt replaces Jeff Wilson, who’s sidelined indefinitely with a bad back. Grants Pass, meanwhile, reached the win column for the first time last Friday with a shocking 47-14 victory over Canby. Sophomore Buddy Saxon got his first start at quarterback and responded with an 8-for-11, 159-yard passing output that included three touchdowns. Saxon drove the Cavemen 60 yards for a touchdown on their first possession, capping it with a 7-yard pass to Jennings Stewart. "He played an outstanding game," says Grants Pass coach Tom Blanchard of the 6-4, 190-pound Saxon. "I was proud of his poise. We haven’t been too exciting on offense for a couple years, but Buddy gives us hope." Junior tailback Craig Dolmage also had a big game against Canby, rushing for 167 yards and two TDs. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail Ashland-Roseburg rivalry heats up ">[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 Reviews 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 Investments & Loans Advertisement s