Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Ninety seasons of football Saturdays under the tall timbers of the Redwood Bowl on the hill above Arcata, California, come to an end on Saturday.

Humboldt State fans will say goodbye to the Lumberjacks’ football program this weekend as the team hosts Azusa Pacific in the final game before the school discontinues its football program. Humboldt will close the season at Simon Fraser on Sat., Nov. 10.

The Lumberjacks would love nothing more than to send the community away with a win, but doing so would require an upset of a team fighting for a share of the GNAC championship. Azusa Pacific needs a win over Humboldt State to enter its regular-season finale at Central Washington with a chance to claim a share of the title.

The Cougars nearly missed out on that chance last week. Trailing 6-0 to Western Oregon in the waning minutes, quarterback Tyrone Williams, Jr., found wide receiver Weston Carr for the game’s only touchdown. Jacob Hall then converted the extra point with 17 seconds left to squeak out the 7-6 win. It was the least points scored by an APU team since the Cougars lost 7-3 to Central Washington on Sept. 28, 2013.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, claimed a share of its second consecutive GNAC title with another record performance in a 62-24 win over Humboldt State. Central Washington finished with seven rushing touchdowns, tying the GNAC single-game record, and scored the first five touchdowns of the game.

The contest yielded all three GNAC Players of the Week. Wildcats’ running back Cedric Cooper earned the Offensive Player of the Week award after he rushed 18 times for 97 yards and four touchdowns. Linebacker Tevin Gray earned the defensive award for his seven tackles to go with both of CWU’s interceptions.

Humboldt State’s Adam Herrera was named the Special Teams Player of the Week for his eight kick returns for 193 yards.

Central Washington will play its final non-conference game of the season on Saturday, traveling to Bolivar, Missouri to play Southwest Baptist. Western Oregon will play at Simon Fraser.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Cedric Cooper, Central Washington
RB • 5-11 • Senior • Seattle, Wash.

Cooper carried 18 times for 97 yards and had four of the Wildcats’ seven rushing touchdowns, which tied a GNAC single-game record. Two of those touchdowns came in the first quarter and three came in the first half in the Wildcats’ 62-24 win over Humboldt State, which allowed CWU to clinch a share of the GNAC championship.

Also Nominated: Tyree Marzetta (Humboldt State), Omari Land (Western Oregon).

DEFENSIVE
Tevin Gray, Central Washington
LB • 5-11 • Junior • Lake Stevens, Wash.

Gray finished with seven tackles and made two interceptions in the Wildcats’ 62-24 win over Humboldt State. He ran one of those interceptions back 28 yards for a second-quarter touchdown. Gray also blocked a field goal attempt to run CWU’s total to 10 blocked kicks on the season.

Also Nominated: Nate Proctor, Jr., (Western Oregon).

SPECIAL TEAMS
Adam Herrera, Humboldt State
S • 5-11 • Sophomore • Los Banos, Calif.

Herrera returned eight kicks for a total of 193 yards in the Lumberjacks’ 62-24 loss to Central Washington. He averaged 24.1 yards per return and had a long return of 45 yards.

Also Nominated: Kyler Ooley (Central Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
AZUSA PACIFIC
LAST WEEK: Oct. 27: Beat Western Oregon, 7-6
THIS WEEK: Nov. 3: at Simon Fraser, 1 p.m.

• Sophomore quarterback Tyrone Williams, Jr., found senior wide receiver Weston Carr for a nine-yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The touchdown, combined with senior kicker Jacob Hall’s extra-point, allowed Azusa Pacific to escape with a 7-6 victory.

• The low-scoring game saw the two teams combine for a total of just 517 yards of offense. The Cougars finished with 242 yards of total offense, 189 of those passing yards, and punted eight times.

• Williams finished completing 19 of 36 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed 13 times for 12 yards. Williams enters the week second in the GNAC with 268.8 total offense yards per game and 231.5 passing yards per game. Williams is also 21st in Division II with 16.8 points responsible for per game and 27th with 14.16 passing yards per completion.

• The reception for Carr was his only of the game. A total of six APU players caught passes, led by senior wide receiver Gaige Allen’s 53 yards on five catches. Junior wide receiver Darrell Adams, Jr., caught four passes for 52 yards. Carr leads the GNAC with 69.7 receiving yards per game and is fifth in Division II with 11 receiving touchdowns.

• In addition to his key extra point, Hall punted eight times for an average of 44.9 yards per punt. He had three of his punts land inside of the 20-yard line. Hall is seventh in Division II in net punting, averaging 43.9 yards per punt.

• Senior linebacker Adrian Shocks led the Azusa Pacific defense with 11 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. Shocks enters the week averaging 6.6 tackles per game.

• Azusa Pacific is still among teams receiving votes in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, receiving five points. The Cougars moved up to No. 9 in this week’s NCAA Super Region 4 rankings.

• Azusa Pacific enters the week second in the GNAC with 404.8 total offense yards, 151 rushing yards and 29.8 points per game. The Cougars are fourth in Division II with 39.51 net punting yards per game, fifth with 3.78 team sacks per game and tied for 13th with 21 turnovers gained.

• Azusa Pacific will play its final two games of the regular season on the road. The Cougars play on Saturday at Humboldt State in what will be the final home game for the Lumberjacks.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
LAST WEEK: Oct. 27: Beat Humboldt State 62-24
THIS WEEK: Nov. 3: at Southwest Baptist, 11 a.m. (CDT)

• Central Washington finished with 594 yards of total offense and tied a GNAC single-game record with seven rushing touchdowns in a 62-24 rout of Humboldt State on Saturday.

• The seven rushing scores ties mark reached two other times in GNAC history. Azusa Pacific scored seven rushing touchdowns against Dixie State in 2014 and Humboldt State scored seven against South Dakota Mines in 2015.

• With the win, Central Washington clinched at least of share of its second straight GNAC championship and its fifth in school history.The Wildcats also moved up one spot to No. 19 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches Top-25 Poll. The Wildcats are No. 8 in the latest NCAA Super Region 4 rankings.

• The Wildcats scored the seven rushing touchdowns on 276 rushing yards. Sophomore running back Michael Roots led the way as he carried 14 times for 130 yards and a touchdown. Senior running back Cedric Cooper was named the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week carried 18 times for 97 yards and four touchdowns. Roots leads the GNAC with 124.2 all-purpose yards and 96 rushing yards per game. He is 25th in Division II with 864 rushing yards. Cooper is second in the GNAC with 112.2 all-purpose yards per game and third with 77.9 rushing yards per game.

• Senior quarterback Reilly Hennessey completed 14 of 21 passes for 287 yards and a touchdown and also rushed six times for 56 yards and a touchdown. Hennessey leads the GNAC and ranks 19th in Division II with 285.4 total offense yards per game. He also leads the GNAC and is 23rd in Division II with 248.6 passing yards per game.

• Junior linebacker Uli Ma’ae led the Central Washington defense with 10 tackles, a half-tackle for loss and a half sack. Junior linebacker Tevin Gray had nine tackles and both of the Wildcats’ interceptions, which included a 28-yard return for a touchdown in the second quarter, earning him GNAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Ma’ae is tied for seventh in the GNAC with 6.6 tackles per game while Gray is tied for second in the GNAC with 0.44 interceptions per game.

• Freshman kicker/punter Colin Manners made eight of nine point-after attempts and punted three times for an average of 31.7 yards per punt. Manner is 21st in Division II with 42 yards per punt and leads the conference with 7.8 points scored per game.

• Central Washington leads the GNAC and is fourth in Division II with 523.7 yards of total offense per game. The Wildcats lead the league and are 16th with 247.8 rushing yards per game. Central is also second in Division II with nine blocked kicks and third with 46.2 points per game.

• Central Washington plays its final non-conference game on Saturday, traveling to Bolivar, Mo., to take on Southwest Baptist.

HUMBOLDT STATE
LAST WEEK: Oct. 27: Lost to Central Washington, 62-24
THIS WEEK: Nov. 3: Hosts Azusa Pacific, 1 p.m.
 
• Humboldt State finished with 364 yards of total offense, but could not a first-half scoring barrage that saw Central Washington score seven touchdowns, including five straight to open the game, in a 62-24 loss to the Wildcats in Arcata, Calif.

• The Lumberjacks finished with 193 passing yards. Junior Joey Sweeney led three HSU quarterbacks to play, completing 15 of 28 passes for 154 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Sweeney enters the week averaging 148 passing yards per game.

• Senior running back Tyree Marzetta had nearly all of Humboldt State’s rushing yards, carrying 13 times for 168 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown run that opened scoring for the Lumberjacks. Marzetta is second in the GNAC with 83.2 rushing yards per game and is seventh in Division II with 7.74 rushing yards per carry.

• Junior wide receiver Kaleo Garrigan led nine HSU players who caught passes, making four receptions for 70 yards. Garrigan is fourth in the GNAC with 55 receiving yards per game.

• Sophomore Adam Herrera was named the GNAC Special Teams Player of the Week after he returned eight kicks for a total of 193 yards, averaging 24.1 yards per return. Herrera is second in the GNAC with 23.9 yards per kick return.

• Freshman linebacker Moses Finau once again led the Humboldt State offense with eight tackles, including five solo efforts.

• Humboldt State enters the week averaging 307.6 total offense yards per game and are fourth in the GNAC with 129.5 rushing yards per contest. The Lumberjacks are second in the GNAC in punting, averaging 34.1 yards per punt.

• It will be a bittersweet day in Arcata, Calif., on Saturday as Humboldt State will play its final home game before the discontinuation of the school’s football program. the Lumberjacks will host Azusa Pacific for a 1 p.m. kickoff. Humboldt State will conclude the season at Simon Fraser on Sat., Nov. 10.

SIMON FRASER
LAST WEEK: Idle
THIS WEEK: Nov. 3: Hosts Western Oregon, 1 p.m.

• Simon Fraser had a bye last week. The Clan will finish the season with two straight home games, beginning this Saturday when they host Western Oregon.

• In the Clan’s last game, Oct. 20 in Ellensburg, Wash., 425 yards of total offense was not enough to keep up with Central Washington’s GNAC-record 719 yards as the Clan fell to the Wildcats, 60-19. The Clan finished with 470 passing yards but were held to minus 45 yards of rushing.

• Senior quarterback Miles Richardson completed 27 of 46 passes for 470 yards, three touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. He enters the week third in the GNAC with 202.2 passing yards and 217.6 total offense yards per game.

• Junior wide receiver Rysen John had a career day, catching 12 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown, which came on a 55-yard scoring reception in the second quarter. The performance is the fourth best in GNAC history by a receiver. John is ranked second in the GNAC with 65.5 receiving yards per game.

• The SFU defense kept quite busy with sophomore linebacker Griffin Barrett, freshman cornerback Mason Glover and sophomore defensive back Anthony Crescenzo all finishing with nine tackles each. Six of Glover’s tackles were solo efforts. Barrett enters the week ninth in the GNAC with 6.4 tackles per game.

• Simon Fraser leads the GNAC and is 11th in Division II with 298 passing yards per game. The Clan ranks third in the GNAC with 358.4 yards of total offense per game. In the Division II stats, Simon Fraser is fifth with 11 fumble recoveries and 19th with 20 turnovers gained.

WESTERN OREGON
LAST WEEK: Oct. 27: Lost at Azusa Pacific, 7-6
THIS WEEK: Nov. 3: at Simon Fraser, 1 p.m.
 
• Western Oregon relied on senior kicker Adrian Saldana for all of the team’s scoring Saturday, but it wasn’t enough as Azusa Pacific scored the game’s only touchdown and PAT with 17 seconds to go to beat the Wolves 7-6 in Glendora, Calif.

• Saldana connected on both field goal opportunities he had, making a 25-yarder with less than a minute gone in the second quarter and a 31-yarder with 3:15 to go in the third quarter. Saldana has made 11 of 16 field goals this season and is 14th in Division II with 1.22 field goals per game.

• Western Oregon finished the day with 275 total offense yards, 193 of which came on the ground. Freshman running back Omari Land led the way as he carried 18 times for 98 yards with a long rush of 24 yards. Junior running back Niko Jackson carried 15 times for 63 yards. Land enters the week fourth in the GNAC with 60.3 rushing yards per game while Jackson is seventh with 43.4 rushing yards per game.

• Junior quarterback Ty Currie completed 11 of 20 passes for 82 yards. Junior wide receiver Chris Mack caught two of those passes for 24 yards. Currie enters the week fourth in the GNAC with 179 passing yards per game.

• Freshman Jaylin Parnell led the WOU defense with 12 tackles, including seven solo tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack. Parnell is fifth for the Wolves with 35 total tackles.

• Western Oregon enters the week ranked fourth in the GNAC with 316.4 total offense yards per game and third with 24.1 points per game. The Wolves are tied for 13th in Division II with 21 turnovers gained and second in Division II with four defensive touchdowns.

• Western Oregon will close the 2018 season with three straight home games and finish the GNAC portion of its schedule on Saturday at Simon Fraser.