Female
coaches leading area college volleyball programs in Spokane S-R circulation
area for first time in 37 years
UPDATED:
Thur, Nov. 1, 2018, 7:13 p.m.
By Jim
Meehan
Spokane
S-R
It’s been
a banner year for area volleyball, with Washington State in the top 20, Idaho
and Whitworth chasing titles in their respective conferences and Community
Colleges of Spokane closing in on an unbeaten regular season.
The
milestones extend to the sideline, where all seven college programs in The
Spokesman-Review coverage area are led by female coaches.
Idaho
coach Debbie Buchanan pointed out the rarity in a text message. The question
then became: How long had it been? After contacting administrators and sports
information directors and scanning school record books, it turns out it’s the
first time in 37 years.
“That’s
pretty awesome,” said Buchanan, UI’s coach for 19 seasons. “It’s important for
the current coaches, and maybe as importantly for the generation of youngsters
playing now who have that coaching goal in mind. Being a female head coach, you
can show these kids it can be done. You can have a family and still do this.
It’s a sacrifice, but it can be done.”
In 1981,
the coaching roster consisted of WSU’s Cindy Laughlin, Idaho’s Amanda Gammage,
Gonzaga’s Mandy Nyrop, Eastern Washington’s Mary Rubright, North Idaho
College’s Len Mattei, CCS’s Mary Jo (Tracy) Lambert and Whitworth’s Joanne
Atwell-Scrivner.
The
landmark was reached when EWU hired Leslie Flores-Cloud in June to replace
Michael King.
“Wow, I
didn’t realize that,” WSU coach Jen Greeny said. “I think that’s fantastic.
It’s great for our area, and youth volleyball in general can definitely see
that and benefit from some great female role models in our industry.”
The last
time the four area NCAA Division I schools were piloted by female coaches was
in 1986, with Sheri McNeal at Gonzaga, Pam Parks at EWU, Pam Bradetich at Idaho
and Karen Lamb at WSU.
Coaching
was always in the playbook for Buchanan and Greeny following their standout
careers. Buchanan was part of four state championships at St. Maries and signed
with USC, but her career was derailed by a knee injury.
“I had a
unique opportunity, even in high school, to run camps with (then St. Maries
coach) Mitch Santos,” Buchanan said. “Getting injured was devastating at the
time, but sometimes things happen and you have to make the best of it. It led
me down a path that was pretty unique.”
Greeny is
one of WSU’s all-time greats as a three-time All-Pac-10 selection.
“I was
always going to get into coaching probably because of my dad (Jim Stinson,
longtime Davenport girls basketball coach) and both brothers coached,” Greeny
said. “I majored in education with the thought of probably coaching in high
school, but the opportunity came really right away to work with (former WSU
coach) Cindy Fredrick.”
Buchanan
is pleased to see opportunities increasing for female coaches, but cautioned
that more work remains, especially for women landing their first jobs.
“I’ve had
some female grad assistants and it was really hard for them to find a job,” she
said. “If you have a coach get fired from a Pac-12 or the Power Five (conferences),
they’re going to jump into an assistant job and work their way back. You have
to be patient and willing to put the time in.”
COUG
VOLLEYBALL: Valuable Penny for Cougars
Washigton
State’s Penny Tusa continues to deliver filling in for injured All-Pac-12
outside hitter Taylor Mims.
Tusa
earned Pac-12 offensive player of the week honors after posting 34 kills,
including a career-high 19 against Colorado, in a pair of road wins. The
Cougars (17-5, 8-4) have won four of five matches since Mims exited the
Stanford match with a lower-leg injury.
The
versatile Tusa has played setter, defensive specialist and outside hitter in
her two seasons.
“She’s
been playing fantastic,” Greeny said. “She will do whatever she can to help
this team.”
WSU, tied
for second in the conference, entertains No. 21 Arizona on Friday and Arizona
State on Sunday.
:::::::
From WSU
Sports Info
MEN’S
BASKETRBALL COUGARS HOST DEACONS IN LONE
EXHIBITION
GAME
The
Washington State University Cougars men’s basketball team hosts New Hope
Christian College Deacons of Eugene, Ore., in exhibition action, Sunday, Nov. 4
at 2 p.m. at Beasley Coliseum.
• The game
will not be televised or web streamed, but live stats are available at
www.wsucougars.com.
ABOUT THE
DEACONS:
• New Hope
Christian College is a member of the National Christian College Athletic
Association (NCCAA), Division I.
• The
Deacons are a member of the West Region Division, joined by Bethesda
University, Biola University, Ottawa University Arizona, University of Saint
Katherine, West Coast Baptist College and Yellowstone Christian College.
NEXT UP:
•
Washington State opens the 2018-19 season hosting Nicholls State in the season
opener, Sunday, Nov. 11 at 4 p.m. in the second game of a women’s-men’s
doubleheader.
• The
Cougars and Colonels have met just once in the two schools’ histories as WSU
came away with the 78-69 win, Nov. 27, 2009 at the Great Alaska Shootout.
• The
Cougars then head to Kent, Wash. to take on Seattle U at the ShoWare Center,
followed by three-straight home games at Beasley Coliseum with Cal Poly (Nov.
19), Delaware State (Nov. 24) and Cal State Northridge (Nov. 27).
::::::::::::::::
WSU Dad’s Weekend Wine Tasting
From WSU
Insider
Friday,
November 2, 2018 - 3-7 pm
Visitor
Center, 150 E Spring Street, Pullman, WA 99164
Brelsford
WSU Visitor Center, 150 E. Spring St.
ABOUT THE
EVENT
Celebrate
WSU Dad’s Weekend with a Cougar-connected wine tasting.
The
tasting will feature wines by WSU alumni wineries Thurston Wolfe in Prosser,
Wash. and Merry Cellars in Pullman. The wines include Thurston Wolfe’s Petite
Sirah and Pinot Gris-Viognier and Merry Cellar’s Crimson Red Blend and
Roussanne.
Tasting
tickets cost $10 and can be purchased at the door beginning at 3 p.m. Tickets
are limited to one per person and proper identification is required. The
tasting includes a 2-oz. pour of each of the four featured wines.
Tickets
also include a commemorative Brelsford WSU Visitor Center wine glass while
supplies last and act as a 20 percent off coupon for a single bottle of wine.
Participants will also be entered into a raffle for a gift basket featuring a
variety of WSU products.
The event
is open to all ages. A limited supply of light refreshments will be provided by
WSU Dining Services and the visitor center.
More
information at visitor.wsu.edu, visitor@wsu.edu,
, 509-335-INFO or by following the Brelsford WSU Visitor Center on Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Following
in his father’s footsteps
Coug QB Trey
Tinsley went to junior college for a year before finding his way to Pullman
Redshirt
junior quarterback Trey Tinsley fell in love with Pullman right away and
doesn’t regret coming to WSU. “I wouldn’t want to go to school anywhere else,”
he said.
By DYLAN
GREENE, Evergreen
November
2, 2018
As the
saying goes, like father, like son.
That’s the
case for Trey Tinsley, who followed in his dad Scott’s footsteps by playing
quarterback at a Pac-12 school.
Scott
played at University of Southern California from 1978 to 1982 and went
undrafted in the 1983 NFL draft. He was then signed by the Los Angeles Rams and
was on and off the team for several years before finding his way to the
Philadelphia Eagles in 1987, where he played three games while NFL players were
on strike.
“Just
growing up knowing my dad played,” Trey said, “I always wanted to play.”
Scott
wasn’t willing to take credit for Trey developing an interest in the
quarterback position, but he said he remembers his son participating in nearly
every sport he did growing up.
“I’d like
to say I had something to do with it but who knows,” he said.
But Trey’s
journey to Pullman and this conference was much different than Scott’s.
The
redshirt junior quarterback started playing pee-wee football at about age 10.
As he continued participating in the sport, it became a habit and a significant
part of his life. From fourth grade to his senior year of high school, thoughts
of when workouts were and when practice started filled his mind every waking
second.
Once Trey
began looking to continue playing football after college, he didn’t see much
interest.
Eastern
Washington University reached out, but it didn’t work. He received an offer
from Southern Utah University which he declined. Off and on he talked to Eric
Mele, the current running backs coach at WSU, but nothing came out of it.
“I think
[Trey] felt he should have gotten more activity getting recruited,” Scott said.
“I told him if you still want to get in that route, you probably need to go to
junior college.”
So Trey
followed his dad’s advice. He decided junior college would be the best bet for
a chance to play for a Division I school and fulfill his dream of taking snaps
under center for a team in the Pac-12.
After
throwing for 2,182 yards and 13 touchdowns in one season at Fullerton College
in California, Trey transferred to WSU to play under Head Coach Mike Leach and
his pass-heavy system.
“The Air
Raid is like a quarterback’s dream,” Trey said. “If you want to throw the ball,
there is no better place to go.”
Trey
didn’t have to adjust to a completely new system with the Cougars due to his
experience with the spread offense in high school, but he had to learn new
signals and verbiage.
He said it
took him about a year and a half to get comfortable with the new offense, but
once he did it became second nature to him.
Tinsley
said Tyler Hilinski brought the quarterback room together with his outgoing
personality. “There’s not a day that goes by where we’re not thinking about
Klink,” he said.
When Trey
decided to come to Pullman, the coaching staff told him if he worked hard
enough and proved himself on the field, he would have the chance to potentially
start at some point.
This
spring, the opportunity to earn the starting role became a reality for Trey,
and it wasn’t something he took lightly.
“It’s
something I’ve always dreamed about,” he said. “As a little kid you always
dream about playing in front of thousands of people.”
So
throughout the summer, Trey battled fellow redshirt junior quarterback Anthony
Gordon and graduate transfer quarterback Gardner Minshew II for the starting
job.
Despite
the competition between the three, Trey said they all maintained a close
relationship and would pump each other up if they made an amazing throw or play
in practice.
Ultimately
Minshew won the job, but Trey still has had the opportunity to take the field
in every game this season serving as the team’s placeholder, just like he did
his redshirt sophomore season.
Scott said
Trey has embraced the responsibility of being the holder and takes advantage of
every opportunity he gets on the field.
“It’s like
a thankless job you know,” he said. “It’s supposed to be done unless it’s
screwed up, then everybody notices.”
Trey said
he just wants to do anything to strengthen the Cougars’ chances of winning,
even if that includes letting someone else be the starter.
“I want
whoever is going to help us win be the guy,” Trey said. “If it’s not me then
it’s not me, and I’ll do whatever it takes to help our team get better.”
Scott said
it was tough when they found out Trey wasn’t going to start, but he understood
that only one person could win the job and Minshew earned it.
“Everybody
wants to play,” he said, “but you can only play one and Coach Leach doesn’t
make the wrong decision very often.”
One player
who had a big impact on Trey when he first arrived on campus was Tyler
Hilinski. Trey said he and Gordon asked Hilinski questions in their first year
with the team to avoid bothering Falk, but eventually Hilinski’s personality
brought the quarterback room closer together.
“[Hilinski]
was kind of like the glue because after that first season when we were here,”
he said, “he was always bugging [Falk] and making [Falk] more talkative with
us.”
Trey said
Hilinski was a great leader and friend.
“We miss
him every single day,” he said. “There’s not a day that goes by where we’re not
thinking about Klink.”
This
season, Trey is hoping the Cougars win the Pac-12 Championship and earn a shot
to play in “The Granddaddy of Them All,” the Rose Bowl.
No matter
what happens during the rest of his time in Pullman, Trey said he’s glad he
chose to come to WSU.
“I
wouldn’t want it any other way,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to go to school
anywhere else.”
::::::::::::::::::::
When dad
doesn’t come to Pullman for WSU Dad’s Weekend
Students
who won’t be celebrating with their fathers share stories
By ANGELICA
RELENTE and MADYSEN MCLAIN
Evergreen
Nov 2,
2018
Some might
say distance makes the heart grow fonder. For some out-of-state WSU students,
Dad’s Weekend might just give them a reason to give their dads a call.
Melanie
Murray, a sophomore pre-veterinary animal science major, said her dad could not
attend because of the cost of traveling to and from San Diego, California. Her
dad also did not enjoy the cold weather during Dad’s Weekend last year.
“He’s just
a California guy,” Murray said. “He’s never going to get out of that, just like
his flip flops and board shorts and stuff.”
Murray
said her dad wanted her to attend San Diego State University. She considered
University of California, Davis, but preferred to attend WSU instead.
“I’ll get
farther here to get where I want to be for vet school than anywhere in
California,” she said.
Murray
said she bonds with her dad through music and concerts.
“One of
the concerts we went to was for Bastille,” she said. “They were one of my
favorite artists at the time.”
Kaylah
Blas, a junior business management major, said her dad cannot attend Dad’s
Weekend because of work. She said this does not bother her because she will
come home to Daly City, California, over Thanksgiving break.
Blas said
the memory that stuck out the most from her childhood was the morning she spent
with her dad doing her hair and getting ready for her first grade school
pictures.
“I’d be in
the bathroom for at least an hour and a half with him brushing it down [and]
putting gel [in],” she said. “If you look at my school picture, I look like I
have no hair because my hair is just glued to my scalp.”
Alyssa
Takamura, a sophomore psychology major, said she did not ask her dad to come to
Dad’s Weekend and thought the flight to and from Maui, Hawaii, would be too
expensive.
Takamura
said she wished she had a better relationship with her dad so they could
participate in activities and events happening on campus.
“I went to
the football game last year, and to see all the other [students] with their
dads — it must be nice,” she said.
Zoe
Xavier, a junior mechanical engineering major, said her dad cannot attend
because he is busy with work and engineering projects. She also mentioned the
time it takes to travel from her home in Anchorage, Alaska.
“It’s hard
to get here from Alaska,” Xavier said. “It’s a long flight just to get to
Seattle.”
She said
it was difficult to adjust at first with her parents far away, but her dad
supported her choice to attend WSU. Her dad also influenced her decision to
pursue her major.
“He likes
to tell me about his work projects,” Xavier said. “I find that so cute because
I finally understand what he’s talking about.”
Alexis
Evans, a junior anthropology major, said she did not want her dad to drive by
himself for six hours from Oregon City, Oregon, to get to WSU. She said it
bothered her when her dad could not come to Dad’s Weekend before, but it does
not bother her now.
Evans said
her favorite memory with her dad was during the University of Oregon and WSU
football game this past month. She was wearing Cougar gear, but her dad was
not.
“The
50-yard line, all the way up four rows down, you can see a guy wearing neon yellow
— that’s [my dad],” she said. “We re-watched the game just to see him.”
Grace
LaPierre, a freshman chemistry major, said her dad is busy and has an on-call
type of job in Chelan, Washington, which hinders him from coming to Dad’s
Weekend. She is from Liverpool, New York, and said she is used to not having
her dad around.
“I’d see
him maybe two weeks every other year, and then after that it was a month every
year,” LaPierre said. “I can understand why other people wouldn’t be so used to
it.”
Despite the
distance, LaPierre said she considers herself close to her dad.
“I’m like
a miniature clone, [a] 50-50 split between my parents,” she said.
Gema
Garcia-Ochoa, a freshman psychology major from Lake Quinault, Washington, said
her dad cannot afford to take a day off this weekend.
“We had a
plan for him to come here, we had this whole list of events,” Garcia-Ochoa
said. “It really hurt for him not to come, but I understand.”
Garcia-Ochoa
said she recalled a time when her dad taught her how to fish which ended in a
“fishy” situation.
“I had a
little cousin and I caught his underwear,” she said. “[It’s] safe to say he
didn’t take me fishing for about another two months.”
Garcia-Ochoa
said at first her dad was hesitant with her studying across the state, but he
eventually realized it was best for her future, and she enjoys being at WSU.
“The ‘home
away from home’ sense really hit me,” Garcia-Ochoa said. “I met and interacted
with a lot of other people who made me feel at home.”
Jordyn
Tucker, a junior biology major, said her dad will not be attending Dad’s
Weekend festivities because he is not a huge football fan.
“Dad’s
Weekend is mostly about football and he’s not into football, so I don’t see a
reason to invite him over for it,” she said.
Tucker’s
family lives in California and she said the tickets to fly to WSU are simply
too expensive.
“I’m
saving him money in a way and at the same time I don’t know if he would enjoy
it as much as the other dads,” she said.
Tucker
plans on spending her time relaxing instead and said she will text her dad at
some point during the weekend.
She
suggested WSU provide more activities that are not focused on football and
still give dads and their kids a chance to bond.
Chris
Holzknecht, a transfer sophomore majoring in sport management, is not having
his dad, an elementary school teacher in California, visit because has to work.
“We’re big
sports fans, especially football,” Holzknecht said. “I think it would be cool
to watch the Cal game.”
Because
his dad cannot come, Holzknecht will spend his weekend doing homework, he said.
“Luckily
my teachers gave me a lot of assignments to do,” he said, “so I have to get a
lot of work done.”
Kuria
Pounds, a freshman majoring in broadcast news, said he respects that his dad
does not like being in large crowds. Instead of coming this week, he said his
dad will visit during Veterans Day weekend.
“He didn’t
want to deal with the hassle [of] Dad’s Weekend,” he said.
Pounds
plans on returning home this weekend to watch the game on TV and visit with his
dad.
“Schedule-wise
[Dad’s Weekend] is fine,” he said. “It’s just the amount of people that are
coming here is the one thing that is turning my dad away.”
Anna Post,
a freshman architecture major, said some of the reasons her dad will not come
are that she never bought a ticket to the game before they were sold out, and
he is more interested in soccer than football.
“I might
tag along with my friends’ parents instead, or I might visit my sister because
she’s close,” Post said.
She said
Dad’s Weekend would be more inclusive if there was a bigger selection of events
to choose from.
“Basically,
every event is either the football game or surrounding the football game,” she
said.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chance to
hear ‘Back Home’ live on campus, in the Coliseum!
Andy
Grammer will be performing beloved WSU song, more
Andy
Grammer, who sings pop hit and Cougar staple “Back Home,” will perform at WSU
on Friday.
By EMMA
LEDBETTER
November
1, 2018
Andy
Grammer, the singer behind the hit Cougar football anthem “Back Home,” will be
performing at Beasley Coliseum for Dad’s Weekend on Friday, Nov. 2.
Grammer is
currently on his national The Good Parts Tour and will be making a stop at WSU
for a special Cougar concert. Grammer will be performing for an hour and a
half, preceded by a 30-minute headliner, Beasley Coliseum Director Leo Udy
said.
“[Grammer]
has a high energy show, he’s got quite a few songs that are popular on the
radio pop charts right now,” Udy said.
Grammer is
known for his pop hits “Fine By Me,” “Keep Your Head Up” and “Honey, I’m Good.”
His song
“Back Home” is played at every home football game for fans to sing along with.
The song is widely regarded as a representation of what Pullman is for WSU
students and alumni: the home they will always return to. The student section
can be especially loud and unified while singing “Back Home” after the first
quarter.
“[It’s a]
once in a lifetime opportunity to sing ‘Back Home’ with Andy Grammer,” Udy
said.
“[Back
Home] is going to be the coolest part … I hope he plays it more than once,”
said Parker Griffin, a Cougar football fan known by many as “Sign Boy.”
He said he
is excited to welcome Grammer for his first visit to WSU.
“I was
actually surprised that [Grammer] hadn’t been here yet, like to visit a
football game or raise the Coug flag before the game,” Griffin said.
Students
and dads attending Friday’s concert will be experiencing once-in-a-lifetime
entertainment because of the presence of the Coug spirit, Udy said. For WSU,
Grammer represents the notion of always returning to your roots and staying
true to Cougar values.
“Whenever
[‘Back Home’] comes on, it’s just like a unification of Cougar pride, that’s
probably the best way to describe it,” Griffin said.
::::::::::::::::::
An
unexpected arrival
WSU women’s
basketball redshirt junior forward Borislava ‘Bobi’ Hristova did not plan on
coming to U.S. until her parents encouraged her to give it a chance
By TAYLOR
DUNLAP, Evergreen Nov 2, 2018
After
living in Varna, Bulgaria, all her life, Borislava ‘Bobi’ Hristova had to make
massive adjustments when she moved to Washington to start her college career as
a forward on the WSU women’s basketball team. Not only was she forced to make
living adjustments, but she also had to adapt to the different style of
basketball that was played in the U.S.
Hristova
said she started playing basketball under her parents’ influence when she was
in the third grade. Coming from a home filled with athletes, she said her
family brought her into the gym with them which gradually developed into her
passion for the sport.
Hristova’s
journey to play at WSU was unexpected as she said she initially did not want to
come to the states to play. However, she said her parents saw the offer from
WSU as an opportunity for her and encouraged her to try it out.
“In the
beginning I never thought of coming into the states,” Hristova said. “I was
kind of, you know, negative, but my parents were like ‘Go try it and you can
come back anytime’ and I was like, I’m just going to try it and see how things
will go.”
Hristova
said her parents were not the only ones who convinced her to come to WSU.
Senior center Maria Kostourkova, who is also from Europe, talked with her and
encouraged her to give it a shot. With that, Hristova said she was set and
determined to play in a different country, leading to the start of what would
be a successful college career.
Coming
into WSU from a different country was somewhat of a challenge for Hristova as
she spoke very little English and was adapting to the new environment, she
said. Although this was a hard transition, she said the school offered support
and that her overall experience at WSU has been great.
“Since my
freshman year I did not know the language good and the help that I got was just
tremendous,” Hristova said. “Everyone on the athletics just helps you achieve your
goals and keep a high academic performance along with support.”
With the
support from the school, Hristova said she quickly adjusted to living in
Pullman and attending college. However, there was one other thing that posed a
challenge: the fact that the style of basketball was different in the U.S.
Hristova
said her first year at WSU was filled with a lot of weight training and
conditioning due to the fact that basketball in America was played with much
higher intensity than in Bulgaria. She said she soon realized she needed to
strengthen herself to give her more power and speed so she could be a
successful competitor on the team.
“Back in
Europe, it’s not as fast as it is here and I think that’s the biggest
difference,” she said. “It’s not as focused on strength and power.”
Hristova
started 29 out of 30 games her freshman year, scoring in double digits 26 times
throughout the season. In her first year she broke a 26-year-old record of
scoring 20-plus points in nine games and set a WSU freshman scoring record with
490 total points.
Going into
her sophomore year, she said she was excited to continue what she started
until, after only nine games, she suffered a foot injury that took her out for
the season. This injury led to her redshirt sophomore season in 2017-18.
In that
season, Hristova led the team in scoring as she averaged 17.8 points per game
and she became the second-fastest player to reach 1,000 points in only 60 games
played. Hristova has played a crucial role in the scoring aspect on the team;
however, her goal for this season is to be a more well-rounded player.
“I believe
everyone can step up and contribute to the team in different ways,” Hristova
said. “But this year I’m going to emphasize on not being just a one-way player
but extend my game to rebound more, involve my teammates, assist and also just
play defensively.”
Coming
into this season with five freshman and a new head coach, Hristova plans on
serving as a role model to her teammates. Last season, the team ended with a
10-20 overall record, so Hristova said she and the team want to strive for more
wins this year.
The
upcoming season is approaching fast for Hristova as the team has already
competed in its exhibition game against Warner Pacific University. The team
earned a 106-41 win, with Hristova leading the team in scoring at 26 points
while adding six rebounds and four assists.
After
playing in the exhibition game, Hristova said she is excited for the new team
and ready to take on the new season.
“It’s good
to be back, that’s the biggest thing,” Hristova said. “I think we have a lot to
prove to people and this game was kind of the start.”
::::::::::::::::::::
Proud past
of Pelluer
Sixth-year
linebacker has rich family history in Cougar football dating back to 1925
Four
generations of Pelluers have played for the Cougars, starting with Peyton’s
great-grandfather.
By JOHN
SPELLMAN, Evergreen
November
2, 2018
WSU is a
university filled with great tradition and family legacies. However, perhaps no
one has closer family ties to the Cougar tradition than sixth-year linebacker
Peyton Pelluer.
Pelluer is
the anchor for the Cougar defense who has helped carry WSU to No. 8 in the
College Football Playoff rankings. Under new defensive coordinator Tracy
Claeys, sixth-year senior Pelluer has emerged as one of the top linebackers in the
Pac-12.
Maybe more
impressive than his on-field play this season is the legacy of Peyton as the
latest in a long line of Pelluers here at WSU.
Peyton’s
great-grandfather Carl Gustafson was a member of the WSU football team as
flanker from 1925-27. The next Pelluer to line up for the Cougars was Peyton’s
grandfather Arnie, who played in Pullman from 1953-55.
Scott
Pelluer, Peyton’s father, was a linebacker at WSU from 1977-80 before going on
to the NFL where he played for the New Orleans Saints.
However,
after Scott, a few Pelluers decided to change the tradition and showcase their
football skills in Seattle at University of Washington. That is where Peyton’s
uncle Steve was quarterback from 1980-83 and his brother Cooper was a
linebacker from 2010-13.
Despite
his brother’s commitment to UW, Peyton decided to attend WSU as part of the
2013 signing class. That class is regarded as one of the best years of
recruiting in WSU history and key in the turnaround of the football program
under Head Coach Mike Leach.
In his
final Dad’s Weekend game at Martin Stadium as a player, Peyton said he knows
how important the Saturday game against Cal is.
“My dad is
at every game, he supports me whether it is home or away,” Peyton said.
“My family
is awesome with traveling and supporting me. I guess Dad’s Weekend is more
special for him than other weekends, so I just try to put it on for all the
dads out there and have fun with it.”
Peyton
will look to put on a show for his family and all the other dads gathered in
Pullman to cheer for the Cougars at 7:45 p.m. Saturday in Martin Stadium.
::::::::::::::::::
No. 8
Cougars face Golden Bears
WSU seeks
revenge against Cal who spoiled last season’s perfect 6-0 start in major upset
in Berkeley
Story by JOHN
SPELLMAN of the Evergreen, Nov 2, 2018
Revenge is
a dish best served cold, as the saying goes. Revenge is what the Cougars hope
to serve the University of California, Berkeley, on Saturday night at Martin
Stadium, where it’s forecasted to be below 50 degrees Fahrenheit for the 7:45
p.m. kickoff.
The No. 8
Cougars (7-1) have won four consecutive Pac-12 conference games after losing
their first one to University of Southern California. However, WSU is looking
to exact some revenge on the Golden Bears after last season when a lackluster
performance in Berkeley snapped their undefeated start and resulted in a
blowout.
“We need
to lock into this game,” Head Coach Mike Leach said. “Not a lot that happened
last year transfers to this year, we just got to focus on right now, this
game.”
The
Cougars will be led on offense by starting quarterback Gardner Minshew II, who
has caught the national spotlight and emerged as a Heisman Trophy candidate.
Minshew leads the nation in passing yards with 3,183 yards. Over 300 yards
separate him from second place and he is the only quarterback in the country
with over 3,000 yards passing.
Leach said
he believes Minshew is the best in the business.
“As far as
production and performance, I think he is the best [quarterback],” Leach said.
“He needs to improve and he needs to improve as fast as he can, but he’s got
the best numbers so he is the best one.”
The
Cougars have also gotten a lot of offensive help from their running backs, redshirt
junior James Williams and freshman Max Borghi, as both scored touchdowns
against then-No. 24 Stanford University last Saturday.
However,
the Cougars are expecting a big challenge this weekend from the Golden Bears
(5-3), who are coming off a big upset against then-No. 15 University of
Washington.
Leach said
the Cougars will face a tough defense Saturday.
“[Cal’s]
defensive backs are quick and they run around, they run the ball pretty good,”
Leach said. “They can get some explosive plays and tangle you up.”
Cal opened
the season 3-0, reaching as high as No. 24 in the rankings before losing three
games in a row in conference play and then winning their next two. Cal’s
offense is led by two quarterbacks who split time during each game, redshirt
freshman Chase Garbers and redshirt sophomore Brandon McIlwain.
They both
have been effective on offense, throwing for a combined 11 touchdowns. However,
they also have a combined 11 interceptions, giving the Cougar defense an
opportunity to create turnovers to stop Cal.
One man
who will have a heavy workload on Saturday night is Cal redshirt senior running
back Patrick Laird, who averages over 80 rushing yards a game but also makes
some catches out of the backfield for a balanced Golden Bears passing offense.
The Cal
defense has been performing at a high level lately, giving up just 17 combined
points in its last two games with wins over Oregon State University and UW. The
Golden Bears have given up the eighth-fewest passing yards in the nation this
season.
Cal has
the advantage in the series history against WSU with a 47-27-5 record against
the Cougars and the Golden Bears taking last season’s game 37-3 in Berkeley.
However, the last time these two teams met in Pullman in 2016, WSU defeated Cal
56-21.
This a
must-win game for the Cougars if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive,
but there is no place better to win than at home. WSU has won 11 consecutive
games at Martin Stadium which is the third-longest streak in the program’s
history.
Despite
garnering national attention with a 7-1 record, Leach said he takes a
one-game-at-a-time approach.
“I am just
worried about beating Cal,” Leach said. “All we got to do is worry about
beating Cal. The best way to enhance any chances of any scenarios or
hypotheticals is to beat Cal.”
WSU faces
the Golden Bears at 7:45 p.m. Saturday in Martin Stadium for Dad’s Weekend. The
game can also be seen live on ESPN.
:::::::::::::::::
No. 10 WSU
football vs. California: What to watch for — and a prediction
11/2/2018
The
situation is similar to last season when the Cougars played at Cal. WSU was 6-0
and ranked in the top 10, then lost 37-3. That should help the Cougars stayed
focused.
Section
Sponsor
By Scott
Hanson Seattle Times
No. 10
Washington State (7-1, 4-1 Pac-12) vs. California (5-3, 2-3)
When:
Saturday, Nov. 3, 7:45 p.m.
Where:
Martin Stadium
TV/Radio:
ESPN/710 AM
Line: WSU
by 10
WSU
players to watch
QB Gardner
Minshew — 294 of 414, 3,183 yds., 26 TDs, 6 INTs
WR Tay
Martin — 51 rec., 478 yds., 7 TDs
RB James
Williams — 333 yds. rush, 404 yds. rec., 11 TDs
LB Peyton
Pelluer — 54 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss
California
players to watch
QB Chase
Garbers — 82 of 124, 880 yds., 9 TD, 4 INT
RB Patrick
Laird — 142 carries, 660 yds., 5 TDs
WR Vic
Wharton III — 36 rec., 347 yds., 0 TDs
Keys to
the game
Don’t get
caught up in the hype
The
situation is similar to last season when the Cougars played at Cal. WSU was 6-0
and ranked in the top 10, then lost 37-3. That should prove helpful in keeping
the Cougars focused. They will need to be against a Cal team that could give
them trouble if they are not ready.
Score at
least 28
Washington
State has not scored less than 28 points this season, and if the Cougars can
reach that number Saturday they should be in good shape against the Bears, who
are offensively challenged and whose best chance appears to be in a low-scoring
defensive battle.
Avoid
turnovers
Washington
State had seven turnovers in last season’s loss to Cal. It is hard to imagine
the Bears winning this game without winning the turnover battle.
Prediction
The
Cougars might be slowed a bit by Cal’s gritty defense, but they should pull
away for a fairly easy win.
Washington
State 31, California 17
::::::::::::::::::;
Men’s
basketball hits Jack Friel court for exhibition match
Coach
Ernie Kent’s squad is full of fresh faces, will get first taste of competition
By COLIN
CONNOLLY, Evergreen 2 Nov, 2018
The WSU
men’s basketball team will get its 2018-19 season underway with an exhibition
game against New Hope Christian College on Sunday.
Last
season, the team started 6-0 and won the Wooden Legacy tournament. The Pac-12
proved tough as the Cougars went 4-14 in conference, finishing with a 12-19
overall record.
Head Coach
Ernie Kent said the offseason has been a long grind for the team. He said it
will be nice to kick off the season and they are anxious to do so. This year’s
team has a lot of new players and to get everybody on the same page, Kent said
they have done a lot of off-court exercises.
“The
biggest thing we’ve done in terms of cohesiveness and pace is work away from
the floor,” Kent said. “Having the trust to give the ball up and spread the
floor out.”
The
Cougars had a closed-door scrimmage in which Kent said he got a chance to watch
the new, younger players play alongside the veterans in a game situation.
He said he
really liked the fight and ability to regain energy the team showed. At times,
he said there would be four new players on the floor with only one returner and
the composure everyone showed impressed him.
Kent said
he wants to see the team gain a sense of urgency. In terms of going from
possession to possession, every game will be intense and they need to have that
urgency at all times, he said.
“This is a
tougher group mentally and physically than we’ve had here before,” Kent said.
A
high-pace offense with more ball movement and more intense defense is what Kent
said he expects to see from his team this year. He said they have worked on the
basics, focusing on playing on-ball defense. He said the players like to get
out in transition and show off their athleticism.
WSU will
face New Hope Christian College in an exhibition game with a 2 p.m. Sunday tip
off in Beasley Coliseum.
:::::::::::::::::
Friday
night …WSU soccer takes on rivals in Apple Cup in Pullman on WSU campus, Lower
Soccer Field
Cougars
will host University of Washington Huskies in last game of Pac-12 Conference
play Friday night
Nov 1st 2018 Evergreen by Ty Eklund
WSU soccer
will host University of Washington on Friday for the Apple Cup and its last
game of conference play and the regular season.
After an
intense game against No. 1 Stanford University on Sunday that ended in a double
overtime 1-1 tie, the Cougars look to end their season with a win.
Coming
into this anticipated match against the Huskies, the Cougars recently had their
own triumphs at home against the dominating Cardinal soccer team.
The close
matchup showcased the defensive skills of WSU. With a persistent Cougar offense
and an error on the Cardinal goalie, the eventual WSU goal was made by junior
forward Morgan Weaver who tied the game in the 77th minute.
“Honestly
I was just reading the goalie and she just didn’t play the best pass to her
outside back,” Weaver said. “I was able to cut it off and I took a touch
forward and I looked up and she wasn’t in the goal and I shot. I was like,
‘Please go in.’ ”
Weaver
leads the team for most goals and with the score against Stanford she now has
nine on the season. She also has four assists and a .417 shot on goal
percentage.
Head Coach
Todd Shulenberger said he is proud of Weaver’s efforts and contributions to the
team.
“She’s not
just an athlete anymore, [Weaver] is a complete soccer player that is
athletically gifted, hard-nosed and can score goals,” Shulenberger said. “She’s
becoming more and more dangerous as this team keeps growing”.
After a
long double overtime game, the Cougars will look to take the confidence they
gained from staying competitive with the top-ranked team in the nation into the
matchup with their purple and gold rivals from UW.
Both of
these teams have had rough conference seasons coming into the Friday matchup.
The Huskies have an overall record of 8-9-1 and are 3-7 for their conference
season. Their wins came from victories over both University of Oregon and
Oregon State University and most recently a 4-1 defeat of University of
California, Berkeley, on Sunday.
Before the
Huskies’ victory over Cal, they were on a six-game losing streak, with the most
recent loss in Husky Soccer Stadium against Stanford by two goals. During this
losing streak, the Huskies also lost by two goals at home against University of
California, Los Angeles, a team WSU has beaten.
WSU is
11-5-1 overall and holds a 4-5-1 conference record, with three of its victories
coming against the same teams the Huskies beat plus its first Pac-12 win of the
season against UCLA.
This match
has great significance for both teams as they compete to have good standings in
the NCAA Tournament that starts Nov. 9.
“It
doesn’t matter who this opponent is,” Shulenberger said. “Friday, when those
lights go, we mean business and our goal was to move on from here.”
The
Cougars will take on the Huskies 7 p.m. Friday at the Lower Soccer Field. The
game can also be seen live on Pac-12 Networks.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
WSU MEN'S
BASKETBALL: Influx of new players makes Cougs longer, more athletic
By Colton
Clark Lewiston Trib Nov 2, 2018
PULLMAN -
To look across the crimson-encompassed courts in Washington State's PEB
building is to undoubtedly spot a string of new, lengthy bodies crowding the
baseline.
The first
thought that might penetrate the mind: "Wow, this is an absurdly tall
bunch."
Considering
all, they average out at nearly 6-foot-7.
But
someone might recognize less than a handful of the players on coach Ernie
Kent's fifth Cougar basketball club - WSU lost four to transfer, including
standout guard Malachi Flynn, returns a few, but is mostly comprised of
"who's that?" type of guys for the fair-weather sort.
Seven of
them are recent arrivals, by the way. Five are junior-college transfers and the
two freshmen came from touted basketball institutions (CJ Elleby is from
Cleveland High in recruiting hotbed Seattle, and Aljaz Kunc attended Florida's
Impact Academy).
What about
those juco players?
"I
always come back to these two words - energy and toughness are the best things
they've filled," Kent said. "Toughness to be gritty on the floor, to
get after it; get after loose balls, get after rebounds, make tough block-outs
and make tough plays."
This class
of transfers, tabbed a "top-five" one by juco recruiting expert
Cameron Belden, has helped revamp a Cougs team that finished 12-19 last year
(11th in the Pac-12) with some newfound attributes. To name a few, Kent said
they're "longer, more athletic, faster and more energized" with a
budding approach of "freer" ball movement and an expansion of
"long-court, down-the-floor basketball plays versus dribbling the length
of the floor."
One of
them, point guard Ahmed Ali, is bound to be a "matchup nightmare for
anyone, because of his quickness, court savvy, energy and ability to
score," Kent said.
Whew. So
not only is the roster an unobserved one with an atypically high ceiling, but
unheeded will also be the ploys Wazzu applies in the fans' first taste of this
new-look bunch on Sunday, when WSU plays host to New Hope Christian for a 2
p.m. exhibition in Beasley Coliseum.
Rest
assured, though, a couple of contributors and the clear-cut captain return.
That's Robert Franks, a 6-9, 225-pound, all-around capable stretch forward who
nearly tested his merit in the NBA draft, but decided at the end of May to
return for his senior season.
"I
have the opportunity to come back and improve on everything I need to and
improve my draft stock," said Franks, the Cougs leading scorer last year
with 17.4 points per game. "That's playmaking off the dribble, rebounding
and defending the 3."
According
to Kent, Franks augmented his craft over the summer - he scrimmaged with NBA
teams, whose personnel were "up front" with what facets he had to
sharpen. He also got the opportunity to observe professionals, like Russell
Westbrook, in person and analyze the "juice" they bring to practices
daily.
The other
notable, guard Viont'e Daniels, who Kent said picked up "right where he
took off from last year," has been billed by the team as its backcourt
governor.
That
instilled trust might materialize partly from a couple of offseason team
meetings with sports psychologist and WSU alum Dr. Joe Carr, who's worked with
hundreds of college outfits and almost every NBA troupe on the development of
"cohesiveness, units playing together, cheering for each other and being
on the same page," Kent noted.
With trust
comes the aspiration to play much quicker in transition, a key divergence from
last year's unit - "more guys on this team can go run lanes, fill lanes
and go dunk on people," Kent said.
Franks,
for one, has recognized the differences; there's a "sense of urgency"
with this team, underlined by an emphasis on switches and on-ball defense; and
just better defending and boarding in general.
"(Kent's)
been big on: our offense is generated by our defense," Franks said.
"Last year we were able to hang with teams, scoring-wise, but we'd give up
80 to 90 points (WSU allowed a conference-worst 77.6 points per game)."
The hasty
pace, as seen in practice that Wednesday night in Pullman, will have to
compensate for a relative lack of girth on the inside. WSU's got big men James
Streeter (6-10, 270) and Davante Cooper (6-11, 233) to fill the void "in
those stretches where size is a factor for us," Kent said.
But regardless,
down-court speed and spreading the attack amidst a rotation of versatile
transfers, and wary veterans (Daniels, Franks and spot-up shooter Carter
Skaggs) are vital elements for this Coug 2018 foray.
There's
still some internal competition, too - specifically at the point guard, small
forward and "five" positions. The rotation will likely become more
apparent when Wazzu finally gets a "common opponent," Kent said (they
were edged by group-of-five notable Montana in a closed, test-the-waters scrimmage
on Saturday). But for now, they're all antsy.
"We've
got a countdown clock sat behind my administrative assistant's desk," Kent
said. "You walk into the office and those days are coming down now to the
wire. ... You can tell there's an anxiousness to wanna get going."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WSU
football
‘All Gas’
mantra fueling Washington State’s highly productive backfield this season
UPDATED:
Thu., Nov. 1, 2018, 9:41 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson of Spokane’s S-R
➤Saturday, Nov. 3:
California Golden Bears at Washington State Cougars, 7:45 p.m. PDT TV: ESPN
PULLMAN –
Amid all the shuffling that took place this offseason for Washington State’s
coaching staff, Mike Leach made a few in-house moves, elevating defensive
quality control assistant Darcel McBath to full-time cornerbacks coach and
reappointing longtime aide Eric Mele, who’d served three years as the team’s
special teams coordinator, to the running backs.
It wasn’t
long after Mele inherited his new title that the fourth-year WSU assistant
conducted a full audit of the previous season, skimming through the numbers,
reviewing game film and jotting down he felt needed correction.
Under Jim
Mastro, the running backs were coming off their second straight 1,000/1,000
season – rushing for 1,096 yards and receiving for 1,073. They concluded the
year with 14 all-purpose touchdowns – more statistical evidence indicating how
Mastro, who’s now at Oregon, revived the position in six seasons on the
Palouse.
But a
coach is nothing if not nitpicky, and while reviewing the numbers from 2017,
Mele came across one that didn’t sit so well with him. Fourteen times last
year, the Cougars failed to gain positive yardage or even make it back to the
line of scrimmage.
They spent
too much time going backward.
“One of
the big things kind of watching film from last year was we had quite a few
negative plays, negative runs,” said Mele, an offensive quality control
assistant at WSU for 2 1/2 years who coached the running backs at Wingate
(North Carolina) University before that. “We wanted to eliminate those and make
sure everything is getting downhill right now.”
With the
sheer volume of passes thrown in Leach’s Air Raid offense, the Cougars are
usually less committed to the run than any other team in the country. That was
especially true in 2017, when their 303 rushing attempts were a distant last.
The next-lowest team was UTEP, which ran the ball 346 times.
That’s to
be expected, but Mele wasn’t pleased to see the running backs, who averaged
16.1 carries per game in 2017, finished the year with just six rushing
touchdowns and 14 negative plays, which amounted to 27 lost yards. The running
backs logged negative plays in nine of the 13 games, had three negative plays
in two separate games and lost a whopping 8 yards on a single James Williams
run in their 34-point loss to Cal.
Mele’s task
this offseason? Get WSU’s running backs thinking positive.
“So even
when the play’s not ideal, we need to fall forward for at least 2, 3 yards,”
Mele said. “Even if it’s not blocked up great. So that’s kind of where it
stemmed from. We’re not hitting the brakes, ever. It’s just, step on the gas
pedal, make the right cut, get up the field. Not a bunch of flashy moves, but
you can make those in the second level when you get into space.”
:::::::::::::::::::::::
Coug Football
Two minute
drill: Keys to victory for Washington State against Cal
Fri., Nov.
2, 2018, 1:40 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson of Spokesman-Review/Spokane-Inland Empire
Don’t take
your eyes off
Cal’s
junior inside linebacker, Evan Weaver, is a Spokane native and Gonzaga Prep
graduate who could’ve went to either of the Pac-12 schools in his home state,
but chose the Golden Bears instead. Weaver, the nation’s 18th-leading tackler,
is a throwback of sorts and plays with a brutish physicality that’s helped
Cal’s defense take a major step forward this season. The fourth-leading tackler
in the Pac-12 is averaging 10.9 per game and he’s had five pass breakups, too,
which includes the pick-six that sealed Cal’s 12-10 win over Washington.
When Cal
has the ball
Beau
Baldwin continues to add new wrinkles to his offense every year, usually based
on the personnel he has. This season, the Golden Bears have tinkered around
with two quarterbacks, though it’s been redshirt freshman Chase Garbers taking
the bulk of the snaps as of late. Garbers isn’t an excellent passer – and
neither is the other QB that could play Saturday, Brandon McIlwain – but he’s
an above-average runner and his improvisation skills give the Cougars something
else to think about when he leaves the pocket. If McIlwain comes into the game,
WSU should be anticipating read-option schemes. The sophomore has thrown for
two touchdowns compared to seven interceptions, but he’s rushed for 100 yards
in two separate games.
When WSU
has the ball
The
Cougars ought to keep it. In Cal’s 37-3 upset of WSU last year in Berkeley, the
Cougars were turned over seven times – and five times via interception. Has WSU
scored on three of the four possessions in which the Cougars were turned over,
at the very least it would’ve been a tight game going into the fourth quarter.
The Golden Bears would like to think that wasn’t a fluke, though, and would
back it up by pointing out that they share the Pac-12 lead in interceptions
(12) with Oregon. Despite leading the country in passing attempts, WSU
quarterback Gardner Minshew has kept his interception numbers down, throwing a
pick every 69 tries. It’ll be especially key to continue that trend Saturday.
Did you
know?
Strong
wind gusts arrived in Pullman on Friday and rain showers could follow on
Saturday. According to Weather.com, there’s a 43 percent chance the game
between Cal and WSU will see precipitation at some point, and while that might
seem like an ominous sign for Minshew and the Air Raid offense, the Cougars
have actually played well in rain the last few times they’ve encountered it.
WSU beat UCLA 27-21 on a wet night in Pullman two years ago, then stomped out
Colorado 28-0 last year amid wind and constant downpours.
#
