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53 °F 5 Day Forecast Saturday, November 29, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend September 19, 2003 Ashland head coach David Coldiron leads his team through a practice Friday in preparation for tonight�s game against North Medford. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven A Grizzly surprise Under its new coach, Ashland is 2-0 heading into tonight’s game against North By DON HUNT Mail Tribune With a new coach, a new approach and a lot of new faces, this was supposed to be a rebuilding season for the Ashland High football team. The Grizzlies, a state power during the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, suffered losing seasons in 2001 and 2002, prompting longtime coach Jim Nagel to step aside. Enter David Coldiron, a hard-working, high-energy, high-spirited Californian who took over the program last summer. Advertisement Coldiron didn’t promise miracles, but he vowed his new team would not be outworked or outhustled, and that it would develop a defensive intensity that was lacking in recent years. To the surprise of many, the Grizzlies are off to a 2-0 start heading into tonight’s Southern Oregon Conference opener against third-ranked North Medford at Spiegelberg Stadium. Count Black Tornado coach John Beck among Coldiron’s supporters. "They look a lot better on film than they have the last two years," says Beck, whose team was picked to win the SOC. "They’re running around on defense making big plays, and they’re finding a way to win in the fourth quarter. "What that guy (Coldiron) has done in such a short amount of time is impressive." Ashland has won both its games in the fourth period, using David Morris’ 26-yard interception return to defeat Pleasant Valley, Calif., 20-13, on Sept. 5 and Robert McNamara’s 37-yard field goal to beat Gresham, 9-6, last Friday. What made both victories all the more noteworthy was that they came under adversity. In the win over Pleasant Valley, Ashland lineman Alex Aleccia was taken off the field in an ambulance with a head injury. Last week, starting tailback Riley MacGraw missed most of the game with a neck injury, and starting quarterback Logan Bishop had to leave the contest in the fourth period after injuring his foot while attempting an extra-point kick. Aleccia, who returned to school this week, is sidelined indefinitely, but MacGraw and Bishop are expected to be in the Grizzly lineup tonight. "I’m beginning to like our odds in the fourth quarter when a game is on the line," Coldiron says. Coldiron knows, however, that the Grizz will probably need some breaks just to stay in the game against the Black Tornado, which is still seething over last Friday’s 21-14 loss to top-ranked Lake Oswego. Ashland’s biggest challenge will come up front, where its linemen will be outweighed by an average of nearly 50 pounds per player. "They’re big, physical and fast," Coldiron says of the Tornado. "I don’t see too many chinks in their armor. "Our hope is that we can create some turnovers and make some big plays." North Medford’s hope is to put the Grizzlies away early. "We’ve done a lot of hitting in practice this week," says Tornado linebacker Brian Jimenez, who attended elementary and middle school in Ashland. "On Monday, we were smacking heads left and right, just getting our intensity back. "In a way, I’m glad we lost. It was a good wake-up call and made us realize we’ve got a lot of work to do." Tornado tailback Rob Folsom is ranked second in the SOC in rushing with 266 yards and five touchdowns. Folsom fumbled the ball away twice in the loss to Lake Oswego, but Beck says he won’t hesitate to repeatedly hand it to him tonight. "We’ll give the ball to Rob in a pressure situation any time," Beck says. North Medford’s Beau Hovland is the No. 2-ranked quarterback in the SOC with 411 yards passing, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times