Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Western Oregon is the first team this season to finish the first half of GNAC play and the Wolves wasted no time taking control of the race for the title.
The Wolves have now won three straight games, all GNAC contests, after rolling up a 51-14 decision over Simon Fraser on Saturday. Western Oregon scored the first 44 points of the contest on a day where WOU finished with 532 yards of total offense.
A team that is as solid on offense as it is on defense, the Wolves only allowed the Clan in the red zone twice. Both of those opportunities came in the fourth quarter.
The Wolves picked up two of the three GNAC Player of the Week awards. Sophomore linebacker Jaylin Parnell was named to the defensive honor after he finished with seven tackles, a half-tackle for loss, a half-sack and the game’s only interception. Junior kicker Andrew Gross earned the special teams award after he made seven extra-points and a field goal, averaged 44.3 yards per punt and 58.6 yards per kickoff.
The other conference team in action, Central Washington, appeared dead in the water after falling into a 41-10 third-quarter deficit at West Texas A&M. The Wildcats, however, allowed sophomore quarterback Christian Moore and he proceeded to help put the team in position to challenge for the win. Entering the game midway through the second quarter, Moore completed 18 of 31 passes for 339 yards and threw for four touchdowns.
In the process, the Wildcats went from 31 points down to taking a 48-41 loss. Central outscored the Buffs 31-7 in the final 30 minutes of the game. For his efforts, Moore was named the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week.
The Wildcats will look to snap a two-game losing streak at home this weekend, returning to GNAC play by hosting Azusa Pacific. The Cougars, who had a bye last week, enter with a 1-1 GNAC mark but just 1-3 overall.
Western Oregon will put its three-game win streak to the test on a Lone Star Conference road trip at Texas A&M-Kingsville. Simon Fraser will also hit the road for non-conference play at former GNAC and soon to be Division I rival Dixie State.
THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Christian Moore, Central Washington
QB • 6-5 • Sophomore • Puyallup, Wash.
Moore entered in the second quarter of Saturday’s game at West Texas A&M and proceeded to complete 18 of 31 passes for 339 yards and four touchdowns. He threw for three of those scores in the fourth quarter, allowing the Wildcats to come back from a 41-10 deficit in the eventual 48-41 loss.
Also Nominated: Rysen John (Simon Fraser), Tyler Reid (Western Oregon).
DEFENSIVE
Jaylin Parnell, Western Oregon
LB • 6-0 • Sophomore • Medford, Ore.
Parnell led the defensive charge in the Wolves’ 51-14 win over Simon Fraser with seven tackles, including five solo tackles, to go along with a half-sack and half-tackle for loss. He also had the game’s only interception and a 17-yard return, which the offense later turned into a touchdown.
Also Nominated: Daeon Hudson (Central Washington), Griffin Barrett (Simon Fraser).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Andrew Gross, Western Oregon
K/P • 6-1 • Junior • Gladstone, Ore.
Gross was effective in all aspects of the kicking game in the Wolves’ 51-14 win over Simon Fraser. He made all seven of his point-after attempts and also connected on a 37-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Gross also punted four times for an average of 44.3 yards per punt and kicked off nine times for 527 yards and a 58.6 yards per kickoff average.
Also Nominated: Gavin Todd (Central Washington).
AROUND THE GNAC
AZUSA PACIFIC
LAST WEEK: Idle
THIS WEEK: Oct. 12 at Central Washington, 6 p.m.
• Azusa Pacific enjoyed a bye week last Saturday. The Cougars take to the road this weekend for only their second GNAC game of the season, at Central Washington on Saturday.
• In its last game, Azusa Pacific pulled away from a close game with 24 unanswered points in the second half as the Cougars earned their first GNAC win of the season, 38-12, at Simon Fraser on Sept. 28.
• The Cougars racked up 477 yards of total offense, gaining 314 of those yards on the ground. Junior quarterback Anthony Catalano, making his first APU start, led the rushing charge with six carries for 128 yards. That included a 49-yard run in the first quarter. Catalano also completed 14 of 35 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown. Catalano is fifth in the GNAC with 95.2 passing yards per game and 43.5 rushing yards per game.
• Junior running back Dante Davis carried 16 times for 79 yards and three touchdowns, including both of the Cougars’ first-half touchdowns.
• Freshman wide receiver Jasiah Richard-Lewis was the only APU player with more than one reception, catching eight passes for 104 yards. Richard-Lewis leads the GNAC with 87.2 receiving yards per game. He is also third in the GNAC with 99.5 all-purpose yards per game.
• Freshman kicker Ramzee Jaridly went 1 for 3 on field goals, missing for the first time this season, and went 5 for 5 on extra-point attempts. Jaridly is second in the GNAC and 17th in Division II with 1.50 field goals per game.
• Junior defensive back Quentin Frazier led the APU defense with his eight tackles. Junior linebacker Ben Sukut finished with six tackles, a fumble recovery and also intercepted a pass and returned it 29 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown. It is the first interception return for a touchdown in the conference this season.
• Azusa Pacific enters the week averaging 384.2 yards of total offense per game and scoring 26.8 points per game. The Cougars are second in the GNAC in passing offense with 265 yards per game. Defensively, APU leads the GNAC in opponent first downs (82).
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
LAST WEEK: Oct. 5: Lost at West Texas A&M, 48-41
THIS WEEK: Oct. 12: vs. Azusa Pacific, 6 p.m.
• Four second-half touchdowns and 24 fourth-quarter points were not enough to lead Central Washington back Saturday, rebounding from a 41-10 deficit to take a 48-41 loss to West Texas A&M in Canyon, Texas.
• Despite the score, the Wildcats dominated the offensive numbers with 631 yards of total offense to 441 for West Texas A&M. The passing game accounted for 393 yards and all five touchdowns.
• Sophomore quarterback Christian Moore took the majority of the snaps for the Wildcats, completing 18 of 31 passes for 339 yards and four touchdowns. Moore entered midway through the second quarter for freshman Canon Racanelli, who completed 7 of 16 passes for 54 yards and one touchdown. The performance earned Moore selection as the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week.
• Senior running back Michael Roots had a monster offensive game, carrying the ball 21 times for 207 yards and caught three passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. His 291 all-purpose yards is a GNAC single-game season-high. Roots leads the GNAC and is eighth in Division II with 140.4 rushing yards per game. He also leads the GNAC and is ninth in Division II with 175.4 all-purpose yards per game. In addition, Roots ranks 11th in Division II in scoring (10 points per game), and total points scored (48), seventh in total touchdowns (8) and 27th in rush yards per carry (6.27).
• Sophomore wide receiver Tyson Rainwater paced the receiving game, catching six passes for 116 yards and the Wildcats’ final touchdown. Junior wide receiver Tony Archie made six catches for 78 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Archie is ranked third in the GNAC with 67.2 receiving yards per game while Rainwater is fourth with 52 receiving yards per game.
• Sophomore linebacker Daeon Hudson led the CWU defense with 12 tackles, including six solo tackles, and two tackles for loss. Senior defensive back Jeremiah Vasquez and sophomore Cody O’Donnell each had eight tackles. Senior defensive back Tyren Sams had the Wildcats’ only interception of the game. He leads the GNAC with three interceptions and is 11th in Division II with 0.6 interceptions per game.
• Central Washington leads the GNAC and is 18th in Division II with 467 yards of total offense per game and 282.8 passing yards per game. The Wildcats lead the GNAC in first downs (112), kickoff returns (21.9 yards per return) and field goals (8 for 9). The Wildcats also rank 24th in Division II with 112 first downs.
• Central Washington returns home and to conference play on Saturday, hosting Azusa Pacific.
SIMON FRASER
LAST WEEK: Oct. 5: Lost at Western Oregon, 51-14
THIS WEEK: Oct. 12: at Dixie State, 7 p.m.
• Simon Fraser had little chance to rebound from 44 consecutive points scored by Western Oregon to open the game as the Clan fell on Saturday, 51-14, at McArthur Field.
• The Clan finished with 312 yards of total offense for the second straight game and gained all but 43 of those yards in the passing game. Sophomore quarterback Brandon Niksich completed 16 of 34 passes for 210 yards. Senior quarterback Mihai Lapuste entered late and proceeded to complete 6 of 7 passes for 59 yards and a touchdown. Niksich leads the GNAC and is 18th in Division II with 257.8 passing yards per game.
• Junior wide receiver Gavin Cobb paced the receivers with his six catches for 90 yards. Senior wide receiver Rysen John caught seven passes for 64 yards and the Clan’s only receiving score of the game. John is second in the GNAC with 73.6 receiving yards per game and fifth with 73.6 all-purpose yards per game.
• Freshman cornerback Solomon Hines had the Clan’s rushing touchdown on a four-yard run in the fourth quarter. Hines also finished with five kick returns for 92 yards, averaging 18.4 yards per return. Freshman cornerback Mason Glover led the rushing game with 12 carries for 30 yards.
• Junior linebacker Griffin Barrett once again paced the SFU defense with nine tackles, including seven solo tackles and two tackles for loss. Freshman linebacker Ian Crocker added eight tackles, seven solo, and two tackles for loss. Barrett continues to lead the GNAC and ranks sixth in Division II with 11.4 tackles per game.
• Simon Fraser enters the week averaging 292.6 yards per game and 253.6 passing yards per contest.
• The Clan returns to non-conference play this weekend, traveling to St. George, Utah for a meeting with former GNAC foe Dixie State.
WESTERN OREGON
LAST WEEK: Oct. 5: Beat Simon Fraser, 51-14
THIS WEEK: Oct. 12: at Texas A&M-Kingsville, 7 p.m.
• Western Oregon scored seven touchdowns and rattled off 44 straight points to open the game to improve to 3-0 in conference play with a 51-14 rout of Simon Fraser on Saturday.
• The Wolves blistered the Clan for 532 yards of total offense, including 281 passing yards. Senior quarterback Ty Currie completed 13 of 20 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing seven times for 53 yards. Currie leads the GNAC with 250.2 yards of total offense per game while also ranking third with 188.6 passing yards per game. Currie is 18th in Division II with 15.21 yards per completion, 23rd with 82 points responsible for and 26th with 16.4 points responsible for per game.
• Sophomore running back Omari Land not only carried 11 times for 40 yards, but also caught the game’s longest touchdown pass on a 90-yard reception in the third quarter for a total of 130 all-purpose yards. Land is second in the GNAC and 30th in Division II with 435 rushing yards with averaging 87 rushing yards per game. Land is also second in the GNAC with 107.8 all-purpose yards per game and is 18th in Division II with six rushing touchdowns.
• Senior wide receiver Tyler Reid proved incredibly versatile. While catching three passes for 50 yards, Reid also completed two passes for 50 yards. Reid was also active on special teams returning five punts for 73 yards and an average of 14.6 yards per punt. Reid ranks 20th in Division II with 11.9 yards per punt return and is eighth in the GNAC with 42.4 receiving yards per game.
• Junior kicker Andrew Gross was named the GNAC Special Teams Player of the Week after he went 6 for 7 on extra-point attempts and made his lone field goal, a 37-yard attempt in the fourth quarter. Gross also punted four times for 177 yards, averaging 44.3 yards per punt, and kicked off nine times for 527 yards. Gross leads the GNAC with 42 yards per punt.
• Sophomore linebacker Jaylin Parnell led the WOU defense with seven tackles, a half-tackle for loss, a half-sack and the game’s only interception for a 17-yard return. The performance earned Parnell selection as the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week. Parnell is tied for seventh in the GNAC with senior linebacker Tyler Wharf with 6.4 tackles per game.
• Western Oregon leads the GNAC with 35.2 points scored per game and 236.2 rushing yards per game. The Wolves also lead the GNAC in pass defense (241.6 yards allowed per game), rushing defense (126 yards allowed per game) and total defense (367.6 yards allowed per game). Western Oregon is ninth in Division II in punt return defense (0.50 yards allowed per return), 20th in rushing offense and 21st in net punting (37.93 yards per return).
• Western Oregon will put its three-game win streak on the line on the road this weekend, traveling south to face Texas A&M-Kingsville.