Scooter Chapman
Dawgs have their day - and so do I
Published on Wed, Dec 2, 2009 by Scooter ChapmanRead More Chapman
If you recall last week's prose, your ancient scribe said the Washington Huskies would win the Apple Cup, say, 31-24 over the Washington State Cougars.
The Apple Cup is back in Seattle, sports fans, following a 30-0 victory for the Dawgs over the Cats last Saturday in chilly Husky Stadium. WSU was trying for a record-setting third-straight win, but Washington's defense clamped down on the Cougars and now WSU only can claim they have won four of the past six.
It was a different game for me as I took grandson Ryan to the game. I took him even though he was wearing his Washington State hoodie. Yes, he's a Cougar, in his third year in Pullman.
Husky fans were in fine form before the game. We toured the tailgate area south of the stadium and it was wall-to-wall canopies with a few WSU canopies in between the purple. There was plenty of food for everyone and I suspect many of the tailgaters arrived in their seats loaded with anti-freeze for the cold night.
I took young Mr. Chapman up to the press box for a look-see. The first person we ran into was veteran WSU radioman Bob Robertson. The Cougar Hall of Fame broadcaster recently was honored when they renamed the radio booth at Martin Stadium in Pullman the Bob Robertson Broadcast Suite. A much-deserved honor.
We chatted for quite a while and the veteran radio man noted that the PAC-10 is a young conference with plenty of players coming back on all teams and there is only one senior quarterback this year.
I took a look at the roster sheet and noted: WSU started three seniors on offense; two were backups. The Cougars started three seniors on defense, two starters.
Washington started four seniors on offense, two starters and six on defense, two starters.
It was back downstairs for the game. Ryan and I had choice seats in Section 50 in the south upper deck in the first row, but we were surrounded by rabid, make that super rabid Husky fans. Just before the bands came out, I hit the concourse, but when I came back two people sitting to my right brought bench chairs with backs and there was no room to sit. I managed a place one row back.
The band drew big interest. After the Cougars performed, the 240-person strong Husky band took the field and dazzled. I put the glasses on Ryan's girlfriend Claire Allison, a junior at U-dub. She plays the clarinet and we watched her with much interest.
Seems Claire and Ryan played in the same Central Kitsap band many moons ago. Both live in the Bremerton area and now text long-distance every hour. I learned that Husky band members have to audition, there are no scholarships and on game day, it's a chore.
For the Apple Cup, band members had to be there by noon for the 3:30 p.m. kickoff and spent an hour and a half rehearsing, then playing pre-game and halftime and staying after the game for more music. She was done near 8 o'clock.
Husky band over Cougar band by 20.
The game? Washington State has not scored a touchdown in the first period all season long. They had a chance to score on a double pass play that found two Cougars wide open in the end zone, but the pass was long.
Washington bottled up the Coug offense with blitzes and hard hits. WSU only made it inside the Husky 35-yard-line once and that was to the 33. Washington's defense knew the Cougars had two banged up quarterbacks and stuffed the Cougs much like they stuffed the USC Trojans when Troy started a freshman quarterback.
On offense, the Huskies ran and passed the ball with Jake Locker doing the thing he does best, run when the situation opens up. He had 94 yards rushing and 196 passing, a portent of things to come when he is a senior. Freshman Chris Polk had 119 yards and Washington dominated time of possession to get their 30-0 shutout, the first Apple Cup zero since 1964.
Next year the game will be in Pullman the first Saturday in December. I thought about that as the third quarter wound down last Saturday and it became rather chilly. I wonder what it will be like in Pullman next year?
Can the Huskies continue to look good this Saturday against Cal or was Washington State really a bad team? If they can hit the Bears as hard as they hit Cougars, they could pull off an upset.
Wednesday whirl
Preps - Winter sports are under way with Sequim boys and girls already with two hoop games under their belts. Olympic League play opens Friday with the boys hosting Klahowya, the girls at Klahowya.
The swimmers splash Thursday and the football uniforms aren't even put away yet. Congrats to Erik Wiker's team for their great effort in the playoffs.
Speaking of playoffs, the prep football wars wind up in Tacoma with two games Friday and four games Saturday. Lynden, by the way, trounced Archbishop Murphy in the semis and Sequim fans are wondering what if it hadn't been raining and storming in Silverdale?
Tiger by the tail - Only Tiger Woods could have an accident in his SUV in front of his house and have it on every international newscast available. You or I would've had no news coverage. But, alas, when you are a superstar ...
Seahawks - Seattle needed last week's win against the St. Louis Rams and now must show their fans they can handle San Francisco when the 49ers visit this Sunday. Seattle still is vulnerable to the mid-range pass and they have to tighten up the coverage.
Columns by KONP 1450 AM sports announcer Scooter Chapman appear weekly in the Sequim Gazette. He can be reached via
e-mail at scooter@olypen.com.
The Apple Cup is back in Seattle, sports fans, following a 30-0 victory for the Dawgs over the Cats last Saturday in chilly Husky Stadium. WSU was trying for a record-setting third-straight win, but Washington's defense clamped down on the Cougars and now WSU only can claim they have won four of the past six.
It was a different game for me as I took grandson Ryan to the game. I took him even though he was wearing his Washington State hoodie. Yes, he's a Cougar, in his third year in Pullman.
Husky fans were in fine form before the game. We toured the tailgate area south of the stadium and it was wall-to-wall canopies with a few WSU canopies in between the purple. There was plenty of food for everyone and I suspect many of the tailgaters arrived in their seats loaded with anti-freeze for the cold night.
I took young Mr. Chapman up to the press box for a look-see. The first person we ran into was veteran WSU radioman Bob Robertson. The Cougar Hall of Fame broadcaster recently was honored when they renamed the radio booth at Martin Stadium in Pullman the Bob Robertson Broadcast Suite. A much-deserved honor.
We chatted for quite a while and the veteran radio man noted that the PAC-10 is a young conference with plenty of players coming back on all teams and there is only one senior quarterback this year.
I took a look at the roster sheet and noted: WSU started three seniors on offense; two were backups. The Cougars started three seniors on defense, two starters.
Washington started four seniors on offense, two starters and six on defense, two starters.
It was back downstairs for the game. Ryan and I had choice seats in Section 50 in the south upper deck in the first row, but we were surrounded by rabid, make that super rabid Husky fans. Just before the bands came out, I hit the concourse, but when I came back two people sitting to my right brought bench chairs with backs and there was no room to sit. I managed a place one row back.
The band drew big interest. After the Cougars performed, the 240-person strong Husky band took the field and dazzled. I put the glasses on Ryan's girlfriend Claire Allison, a junior at U-dub. She plays the clarinet and we watched her with much interest.
Seems Claire and Ryan played in the same Central Kitsap band many moons ago. Both live in the Bremerton area and now text long-distance every hour. I learned that Husky band members have to audition, there are no scholarships and on game day, it's a chore.
For the Apple Cup, band members had to be there by noon for the 3:30 p.m. kickoff and spent an hour and a half rehearsing, then playing pre-game and halftime and staying after the game for more music. She was done near 8 o'clock.
Husky band over Cougar band by 20.
The game? Washington State has not scored a touchdown in the first period all season long. They had a chance to score on a double pass play that found two Cougars wide open in the end zone, but the pass was long.
Washington bottled up the Coug offense with blitzes and hard hits. WSU only made it inside the Husky 35-yard-line once and that was to the 33. Washington's defense knew the Cougars had two banged up quarterbacks and stuffed the Cougs much like they stuffed the USC Trojans when Troy started a freshman quarterback.
On offense, the Huskies ran and passed the ball with Jake Locker doing the thing he does best, run when the situation opens up. He had 94 yards rushing and 196 passing, a portent of things to come when he is a senior. Freshman Chris Polk had 119 yards and Washington dominated time of possession to get their 30-0 shutout, the first Apple Cup zero since 1964.
Next year the game will be in Pullman the first Saturday in December. I thought about that as the third quarter wound down last Saturday and it became rather chilly. I wonder what it will be like in Pullman next year?
Can the Huskies continue to look good this Saturday against Cal or was Washington State really a bad team? If they can hit the Bears as hard as they hit Cougars, they could pull off an upset.
Wednesday whirl
Preps - Winter sports are under way with Sequim boys and girls already with two hoop games under their belts. Olympic League play opens Friday with the boys hosting Klahowya, the girls at Klahowya.
The swimmers splash Thursday and the football uniforms aren't even put away yet. Congrats to Erik Wiker's team for their great effort in the playoffs.
Speaking of playoffs, the prep football wars wind up in Tacoma with two games Friday and four games Saturday. Lynden, by the way, trounced Archbishop Murphy in the semis and Sequim fans are wondering what if it hadn't been raining and storming in Silverdale?
Tiger by the tail - Only Tiger Woods could have an accident in his SUV in front of his house and have it on every international newscast available. You or I would've had no news coverage. But, alas, when you are a superstar ...
Seahawks - Seattle needed last week's win against the St. Louis Rams and now must show their fans they can handle San Francisco when the 49ers visit this Sunday. Seattle still is vulnerable to the mid-range pass and they have to tighten up the coverage.
Columns by KONP 1450 AM sports announcer Scooter Chapman appear weekly in the Sequim Gazette. He can be reached via
e-mail at scooter@olypen.com.
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