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MacLauchlan a third generation to don a Black Tornado jersey By DON HUNT Mail Tribune Justin MacLauchlan is a third-generation football player for the North Medford Black Tornado, and he would like nothing better than to duplicate the state championship his grandfather won some 57 years ago. Earl Barnhart, MacLauchlan's maternal grandfather, was a starting halfback on the 1944 Tornado squad that went 10-0, outscored its opponents 293-52 and beat LaGrande 14-0 in the state championship game. MacLauchlan's father, Shawn, was a member of the 1971 Tornado squad that finished runner-up to Corvallis in the state playoffs. "I got the job done, but I wasn't anything spectacular," says Barnhart, now 75 and living in Medford. "I wasn't nearly as fast as Justin. Let's just say I lumbered along." Barnhart gives most of the credit to coach Al Simpson, who took over the program in 1944 and immediately led the Tornado to the state title. Simpson was one of the first high school coaches to implement the "T" formation. Barnhart graduated in the spring of 1945 and went into the service, where he became a paratrooper during World War II. The war ended before Simpson was sent to Europe; instead, he spent several months in mop-up duty in Japan. Upon his return, Barnhart attended what is now Southern Oregon University. He played football there for none other than Simpson, who took over the Raider program in 1946. Barnhart obtained a degree in education from SOU in 1951 and taught for 34 years, most of them at Central Point Elementary School. He later became a counselor at McLoughlin Middle School. Barnhart and his wife, Jean, are regular visitors to Spiegelberg Stadium. "We don't miss many games - home or away," Earl Barnhart says. Shawn MacLauchlan, meanwhile, was a starting halfback on the 1970 and '71 Medford High teams that posted a combined record of 17-2-2. The 1970 team lost to Corvallis 21-10 in the state championship game but failed to qualify for the playoffs the following season despite posting an 8-0-1 record. The Tornado tied Grants Pass 14-14 for the Southern Oregon Conference championship in 1971, but the Cavemen got the nod based on a 349-243 advantage in total offense. Only one team from each conference advanced to the playoffs in those days. "Football was a great experience for me," Shawn MacLauchlan, 47, says. "I played for (Fred) Spiegelberg and he taught me what hard work was all about." Justin MacLauchlan, a wide receiver and defensive back, nearly tasted a state title last season when North Medford won its first 13 games only to suffer a 38-28 loss to Jesuit in the state championship game. The Tornado opens the playoffs Friday night at Hillsboro Stadium, where it meets Sunset in a first-round game. Shawn Hale had never played football until he was talked into attending North Medford's summer camp 31/2 years ago. Soccer was Hale's specialty at the time, but he decided to give football a shot. Hale enjoyed the camp so much he went out for football the following fall and has blossomed into one of the top place-kickers in the state. "I had to make a decision between soccer and football once I got into high school and it wasn't easy," says Hale, who also plays wide receiver and defensive back for the Tornado. The summer camp didn't involve contact drills, so Hale's parents suggested he attend a full-contact camp at Southern Oregon University before making the switch. Hale's first day at SOU was an eye-opener. "I was missing my knee pads and hip pads and the first time I got hit I landed on the track next to the field," Hale says. "That wasn't too much fun but I got through it and realized I could take the punishment." Hale has made 30 of 32 extra points and 6 of 8 field goals this season, including a pair of 41-yarders. He also thumped a 45-yarder against Roseburg that was called back because of penalty. Hale has attended a kicking camp at Willamette University in Salem the past two years, and he turned more than a few heads when he blasted a 60-yard field goal at the camp last summer. "I think that one had a little wind behind it," he says. "But I know I can make a 50-yarder in a game." North Medford offensive guard Dan Johnson returned from a knee injury three weeks ago, but has been relegated to part-time duty because of stiffness and swelling. The 6-21/2, 275-pound senior was the only returning starter on the offensive line from last season's state runner-up squad. "It's real sore and fluid builds up," says Beck, the Tornado coach. "And then he has trouble moving laterally." Sophomore Brian Heil has stepped in for Johnson and done a credible job. Another sophomore - David Faaeteete - starts at the other guard. Heil is 6-2, 230 and Faaeteete 6-1, 240. "We're a little young in the offensive line, but both those kids (Heil and Faaeteete) have improved a ton," Beck says. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.