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The first week of football for the Central Valley Conference, 2007 edition, yielded no huge surprises. Sixth-ranked West Salem finally got over the hump, beating Sprague for the first time in school history. But it was far from easy as the Olys used hard nosed defense to give them a chance to win. West did not record a first down in the second half against the Big Orange defense and Titan all-everything player Jordan Bishop was coralled most of the night. The decisive late game play involving a collision between Sprague fullback Tony Wilson and West Salem linebacker Chase Sexton on the Olympian’s two-point conversion try may have registered on a seismograph nearby. The two big guys crashed together right at the goal line, Wilson’s helmet flew off, but the football remained just outside the end zone to preserve the Titan victory. Kudos to both players—monumental effort should be praised. They will see each other again during the basketball season, minus the pads and hopefully the hitting. McNary’s win streak for the season is now four straight games, after holding off McKay 20-17 at home. For the tenth ranked Celts, it may have been a wake up call about improving their game as they struggled a bit against a Scots team that had lost 2 of 3 preseason contests. McNary’s non-league encounters were admittedly against some lesser teams, but they did provide a measure of needed confidence. Coach Rick Ward and his staff will have much to talk about as they prepare for a non-conference game with Clackamas. Redmond finally gets to play a CVC game after dusting Miwaukie by 30 points last week. Could be an interesting game at South Salem, as the Saxons showed some marked improvement in beating North Salem this past week to reclaim the Mayor’s Cup. Still, if the Saxon pass rush can’t get to Panthers QB Cody Johnson, it could be a long night... Johnson already has 768 passing yards in four games. Random thoughts: I have two big pet peeves. One is when fans consciously root against their opponents. I don’t care what level it is at, this practice brings the game down to a juvenile level. I watched an Oregon State booster get tossed from Reser Stadium a few weeks ago after being taunted by Utah backers. Don’t get me wrong, the Beaver Believer got way out of line, but it could have all been avoided if the focus remained on supporting your own team. Sportsmanship isn’t just limited to the playing field. My other sports related annoyance involves those of us in broadcasting. It drives me absolutely nuts when sportscasters or talk show hosts use the pronoun “we” when talking about the team they announce for. Excuse me—do you actually strap on the pads and play? Step back a bit, announcers. There is nothing wrong with being a “homer” if this is the only team you follow, but you are not ON the team itself. Enjoy week two of the CVC.
Mark Gilman can be contacted at mark@fullaccesssports.com
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First week musings