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SUNNY Temp: 51 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Tuesday, November 26, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend November 12, 2002 South Medford football coach Bill Singler, in his fifth season, has been named coach of the year in the Southern Oregon Conference after directing the Panthers to the conference championship. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli A Singler sensation By DON HUNT Mail Tribune Bill Singler’s rebuilding process as the South Medford High football coach hit rock-bottom on Oct. 15, 1999. The Panthers blew a 17-0 halftime lead to Klamath Union and lost, 18-17, at Spiegelberg Stadium. The boo-birds and the naysayers were out in force. Singler would win only one game that season, the same number he had won during his inaugural season with the Panthers in 1998. Armchair quarterbacks were beginning to question whether the former Medford High and Stanford University receiver was the right man for the job. Where was the progress? Where was the improvement? Where were the wins? "I told people when I got the job that I hoped they weren’t looking for a quick fix because there wasn’t one," Singler says. "We were starting from the ground floor." Singler weathered the criticism and, three years later, guided the Panthers to the Southern Oregon Conference championship. For his efforts, Singler was named the conference’s coach of the year. South Medford quarterback Boomer Marshall, who passed for a school-record 2,180 yards and 25 touchdowns, was selected as the SOC’s offensive player of the year, while Grant Pass middle linebacker Dan Eubank was tabbed as the defensive player of the year. North Medford had the most selections on the first-team all-star squad — eight players at 10 positions — while South Medford had five players at six spots. Even though Singler suffered back-to-back 1-8 records his first two seasons, he knew there was a stockpile of talented players on their way up. This year’s gifted group of seniors, headlined by Marshall, running back Andrew Reed, wide receiver Ryan Benson and tight end Eric Fischer, were eighth-graders during Singler’s first season at South. "That group never lost a football or basketball game in middle school, and so we knew they were special," Singler says. "They knew how to win before they ever got to South, and that’s something that’s hard to teach." Marshall took over the starting QB job as a sophomore in 2000 and led the Panthers to a winning record (5-4) and a berth in the state playoffs for the first time since 1996. The improvement continued last season, when South Medford went 7-2 and tied for second in the SOC, and the Panthers catapulted to the title this fall. The regular season was capped by a 45-41 victory over North Medford when Marshall threw for a school-record 452 yards and five touchdowns. "I told our team after that game that they very likely had just witnessed the best performance by a quarterback in the history of that (Spiegelberg) stadium," Singler says. "We’ve got a great group of seniors, but Boomer has always been the catalyst. He has an aura about him. He expects to win, he plays to win and the other kids have jumped on his shoulders." Marshall has thrown for 4,381 yards, 47 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions over the past two seasons while leading the Panthers to a 16-3 record, and he’s amassed 6,160 yards and 57 touchdowns during his career at South. Marshall was a unanimous choice as the first-team, all-SOC quarterback, and no other player was nominated as the offensive player of the year. Eubank, meanwhile, was named the top defender after anchoring a Grants Pass defense that paced the SOC in total defense and scoring defense. Eubank, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior who is being recruited by Portland State, Northern Arizona, Western Oregon and Southern Oregon, averaged 12 tackles per game for the Cavemen. "He was a first-team, all-conference pick last year and he worked his tail off to get better," Grants Pass coach Jeff Weiss says of Eubank. "He was a member of our 1,000-pound club (combined weight for bench press, squat and power clean) and he improved his 40-yard dash time from 4.8 (seconds) to 4.7. "He’s one of those kids who lives and breathes football, and he took command of our defense." Three of North Medford’s offensive linemen — center Aric Hawkins, guard David Faaeteete and tackle Brian Heil — were named to the first team. Tailback Reese Lamson, who ran for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns, also made the grade for the Tornado, as did wide receiver Tyler Engle, defensive end Steve Hanlin, linebacker Joe Borelli and place-kicker Shawn Hale. Faaeteete, at tackle, and Engle, at defensive back, were also chosen to the first-team defense. Along with Marshall, other South Medford players on the first unit were place-kicker Corey O’Neill, defensive back Ryan Alvis, tight end Fischer and Benson, who made the team at wide receiver and linebacker. Ashland’s lone first-team selection was defensive back David Morris, while Eagle Point’s only first-team pick was punter Tyson Nelson. The all-star team was chosen by the league’s coaches at a dinner in Medford. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S