I'm two days late and I don't have a ton to say. I did feel the need to post the few blurbs I did come up with last week, so without further delay, here they are:
I'm planning to be at these games this week, so check online for updates (Cover It Live is the tool we use to post automatic updates during games and also allows for comments and questions from fans during the game, so be sure to check out our Web site if you can't make it to the games I will be posting from.):
Here's where I'll be:
Friday: Douglas soccer vs. Carson, 6 p.m. (Cover It Live)
Douglas volleyball vs. Manogue, 8 p.m. (Cover It Live)
Saturday: Whoever is left standing
Soccer title is at 4 p.m.
Volleyball title is at 6 p.m.
- Douglas junior soccer player Katie Dry has now scored the winning goal in seven of her 11 career playoff games.
She scored the winning goal in four of Douglas' five playoff games last year and had the winning goal against Reed and Damonte Ranch during last week's regional tournament.
- Carson has won 9 league titles in the girls' soccer program's history, including seven of the 11 titles awarded since the Sierra League was established in 2001. However, they've only won a regional title twice (1998 and 2001) and have not won one in nine seasons. Their bizarre playoff hex continued last week as they fell 1-0 to Galena in the semifinals after wrapping up their second-consecutive unbeaten regular season.
- Douglas has moved into a tie with Reed for most regional titles in Northern 4A girls' soccer history (4). Galena has three, Wooster has three (the first three ever awarded in '92, '93 and '94), Carson has two and McQueen, South Tahoe and Reno each have one. Hug, North Valleys, Spanish Springs, Manogue and Damonte have never won one, although Hug is the only program that's been in the Northern 4A since before 2000.
- While the Douglas girls' soccer and volleyball teams each rank among the most storied programs region-wide within their respective sports, this is the first time the two programs have won a regional title during the same season. They have, however, won league/division titles in the same season four times.
- With Friday's loss at Reed, the Douglas football team finished the season 1-4 on the road, marking the first time the program has posted a losing record on the road since 2004. Of course, dealing with Manogue, McQueen and Reed at their respective fields (Galena was the other loss) is tough enough as it is. Douglas is just 2-10 combined playing at those schools in the last 10 years. That 2004 season, Douglas lost at Reed, at Hug and at McQueen.
- The Douglas football team outgained Reed by nearly 100 yards of total offense (339-247) and had 13 first downs to Reed's nine while allowing only eight pass completions on defense. Reed's 116 passing yards were the least Douglas has allowed against the Raiders at least since 2004.
- This week's Reed-Carson playoff game should be something to see. I think the match-up between Carson's Sawyers (along with the offensive line) and Reed's tremendous defensive line will be the key. Don't expect Carson to get much yardage between the tackles. Anything the Senators do will have to be around the perimeter, and even then, it's going to be tough.
- Mat Metz's late and short Interception return for a touchdown ran Douglas' streak of games with a defensive score to three. Against Spanish Springs, Galena and Reed combined, the Tiger defense accounted for 26 points. That's over 25 percent of the points Douglas scored in the final three games of the season.
- With its shutout wins over Reed and Damonte last week, the Douglas girls' soccer team broke its own state record for shutouts in a season at 14. The previous mark, which they shared with two other schools, was 13 from last season.
- Despite missing a large portion of the season with an injury, Zack Williams finished his varsity football career at Douglas with 191 completions over two seasons. That ranks third on the all-time school career completions list behind Luke Rippee (292) and Tim Rudnick (199). He finished ahead of Chris Griffith (179), David Laird (141) and Paul Meadows (120). Current Carson coach and former Tiger QB Blair Roman is eighth on the list at 119.
- Williams also finished fourth in career passing yards (2,230) behind Rippee, Rudnick and Griffith, and fifth in career passing touchdowns (17) behind Rippee, Rudnick, Griffith and George Streeter.
- Austin Neddenriep wrapped up his career sixth on the school's receptions list with 53, six in career receiving yards with 814 and fourth in career touchdown catches with 11.
I've made no small passing mention of my time at TCU in this column over the past couple of years. So, you all know my keen interest in the Horned Frogs somehow finagling a way into the BCS title game.
For as long and as ludicrous as this list has been this year, it's now down to two basic things.
1) TCU needs to win out impressively against San Diego State (which is a potential trap game) and New Mexico.
2) Either Oregon or Auburn need to lose, once.
The former is quite likely, although you never can tell in college football, especially this season, where no one has been safe from anything.
The latter is completely up in the air. We'll have to see if Cam Newton can overcome the nightmare of a midseason scandal that's been dropped at his feet enough to beat Alabama (or even Georgia for that matter). I don't see Oregon losing, but it sure would be handy if Oregon State could come up with an all-timer of an upset.
Here's the revised Purple Perfect Storm, which grows thinner by the week:
Nov. 13: Utah wins at Notre Dame. This isn't necessary, but it would be helpful to show that No. 5 BCS ranking wasn't a mistake.
Nov. 27: Auburn loses at Alabama. This is a must, plain and simple.
Dec. 4: Oregon loses at Oregon State - If Alabama can't beat Auburn, then this is the last resort - plus it would give TCU another boost in the computer rankings given its season-opening win over Oregon State. Final stop-gap: Someone other than Auburn or LSU wins SEC title game. Florida? South Carolina? Anyone?
It also wouldn't hurt if Wisconsin lost once more, Ohio State too, because you just never know.
I've pulled Boise State losing to Nevada off the list because through this whole process, I've come to realize the most important thing this season is that a non-AQ school breaks through.
Even if TCU can't go, I'd settle for Boise State. I honestly believe a small school getting into the title game is what is going to turn the whole BCS system on its ear. I think that is the final straw for the big schools/conferences to give in to a playoff system. But that is another column item for another day.
