Frosty's farewell tour hits Catdome
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It was cool and overcast as more than 4,000 fans encircled Maxwell Field for what everyone knew would be the last chapter in a storied rivalry. Both teams lined their opposite sidelines as the national anthem played. After the captains from both teams decided the coin toss PLU head coach Frosty Westering started toward midfield. Linfield Athletic Director Scott Carnahan, former Linfield coach Ad Rustchman, and current coach Jay Locey walked together from the Linfield sideline to meet him.
“Over the years you’ve brought the best out of Linfield football,” Carnahan told Frosty as they all stood at midfield. He then presented him with a game ball signed by Ad Rustchman, Ed Langsdorf and Jay Locey — the three Linfield coaches who competed against Frosty over the past 31 years. Those three coaches have a combined 268 career wins. Frosty has 300 by himself — that’s how good he is.
Frosty said he appreciated the rivalry over the years and gave the Linfield crowd his patented “Attaway!” His players formed a tunnel from their sideline to midfield for Frosty to walk through as the entire stadium rose to its feet clapping.
The game was played and PLU tried its hardest to stop the Wildcats potent offensive attack but they couldn’t pull out a victory falling 19-10.
Outside the PLU locker room was a 10-foot by 10-foot sign that read, “Frosty and PLU Football: The Definition of Class.” After the ceremony and hard fought battle nobody in the jam-packed Catdome could disagree.
An offensive defender
Concordia-Moorhead cornerback Josh Vickerman scored two touchdowns in 53 seconds to jump to an early lead against Hamline and never look back. With 12:07 left in the first quarter Vickerman scooped up a botched punt snap and took it 15 yards for the score. Two plays and 53 seconds later Vickerman picked off Hamline quarterback Andy Gagnon and scampered 42 yards for his second score in under a minute. The Cobbers went on to win 57-14 and Vickerman finished with two touchdowns, four tackles and the interception in limited action.
Comeback kids
The Bethel Royals extended their perfect season on Saturday against the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire but it took several impressive comebacks to push their record to 5-0. The Royals fought back from three, 14-point deficits before they finally finished off the Blugolds 45-42.
Bethel struck first on a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown but proceeded to surrender 21 unanswered points as UWEC took a commanding first half lead. Bethel, didn’t panic, but chipped in a short score to cut the Blugolds’ lead to seven just before the break. An 8-yard touchdown run in the third quarter brought Bethel to a tie but their troubles were about to begin again.
UWEC pinned the Royals down 14 points for a second time in the game when they scored two touchdowns in three minutes. After trading the next two touchdowns Bethel was again down 14-points in a fourth quarter that featured four touchdowns and a field goal—which would come from Bethel’s Paul Tschetter and account for the Royals’ three point victory.
Bethel showed their resilience and served notice that while they may be down in games they are never out until the final horn.
Stat Line of the Week
Simpson quarterback Mike Donnenwerth
28-for-48, 423 yards, three TDs; seven punts, 41.6-yard average
School record: 3 touchdown passes in a game
School record: 44 career touchdown passes
Quote Machine
“We’re not going to press the eject button, we're not going to press the panic button.”
— Central head coach Rich Kacmarynski following his team’s third straight IIAC loss after sharing the conference championship in 2002.
Games of the Week
No. 17 Bethel at St. Olaf, Northfield, Minn.: St. Olaf coach Chris Meidt once recruited Scott Kirchoff to play quarterback for the Bethel Royals. On Saturday he’ll have to devise a defense to stop him from becoming the conference’s all-time leader in passing yards. Meidt who once ran the offense for Bethel now is in his second year as the head man at St. Olaf. Bethel needs this game to remain undefeated and St. Olaf needs it to save their season.
No. 6 Wartburg at Loras, Dubuque, Iowa: Both teams come in undefeated but each has gotten there through different routes. Wartburg has been dominant all season climbing from No. 16 to No. 6 in the D3football.com poll. Their defense has allowed only 35 points in four games while solidifying themselves as the favorite to win the IIAC. Loras has gone undefeated with close victories and upsets after being picked to finish fourth in the IIAC preseason coaches poll. A Wartburg victory is expected but if Loras pulls out a win the IIAC won’t look at all like it did in 2002.
Whitworth at Willamette, Salem, Ore.: Whitworth and Willamette are the last two teams to open their NWC schedule. Willamette is coming off a 54-0 thrashing of Chapman while Whitworth comes in rested off a bye week. Both teams tied with PLU for second place in the NWC in 2002 and either of them could pressure Linfield for the title this year — whoever wins this game will get a leg up.