Scooter Chapman
Pigskins and smoking tires on tap
Published on Wed, Mar 24, 2010 by Scooter ChapmanRead More Chapman
We have two big events for the Olympic Peninsula this Saturday, sports fans: the opening of the season for football and auto racing.
Football, you ask? Right.
Auto racing this early? Right.
With college basketball in its final stages, with the National Hockey League and National Basketball League winding up, with Major League Baseball about to start, why not football and auto racing?
The Olympic Peninsula Eagles football team is ready to display its progress at noon Saturday on the
Sequim High gridiron with an intrasquad scrimmage.
Coach Mike McMahan and his staff have been working out some 40 footballers for the past month and it's time to begin the season with a flourish. There will be free food and drinks and no admission charge for the scrimmage.
Many former Wolves and Port Angeles Roughriders dot the roster, and McMahan has high hopes for a franchise that has struggled with numbers and with sponsors the past couple of years.
The team will play home games in Sequim on April 3 and April 24, May 15 and June 19, with starts at 5 p.m. Other home games will be Port Angeles at Roosevelt Elementary School on May 8, June 5 and June 26 at 3 p.m.
Speedway all set
Port Angeles Speedway had a warm-up Saturday and the green flag falls for the first time at 6 p.m. this Saturday when the stocks, hobby stocks, hornets, junior hornets and queen bee cars take to the asphalt oval for what promises to be a busy motor season.
The dwarf cars hit the track April 10, then there will be racing every Saturday night throughout the spring and summer season.
General manager Bert Johnson has made Saturday night at the track a fun time for fans and drivers. The new grandstand is in the right spot, beer is limited to that one section, concessions offer a variety and the stock car pit crews and drivers put on a good show.
There are very few racetracks left in the state and the P.A. Speedway does well with lots of visitors and special shows that are brought in. I have maintained that a good, solid program twice a month would bring out more racing fans and more cars.
With the economy the way it is, many fans don't have the funds to plunk down an entrance fee, then food and drink every Saturday night and as the season goes on.
So get a taste of semi-pro football Saturday at noon, then head for the Speedway for a preview of the summer auto racing season in the evening.
Wednesday whirl
_ We note the death of Olympic High football coach Eric Allen. He died last Wednesday morning after a long bout with cancer. The 44-year-old coach had a brain tumor removed in February 2008 but he's been battling the disease since 2000.
He was 18-22 in four seasons at Olympic and took the Trojans to the playoffs twice and, under interim coach Tim Albee, the Trojans went to the playoffs last fall. Allen will be missed.
_ Dawgs romp - The Washington Husky basketball team that could not win on the road in January has won three straight on the road and is one of 16 teams left in the NCAA hoop tourney.
After beating Cal for the PAC-10 top spot in the 64-team field, the Huskies dispatched Marquette and New Mexico in San Jose to reach the Sweet 16.
Go Dawgs ...
_ Dogs out - The Gonzaga Bulldogs took a tough 87-65 loss to Syracuse Sunday and the campaign ended for the overachievers from Spokane.
Perimeter shooting woes cost the Bulldogs the win as Syracuse lit it up from beyond the arc and took a 15-point halftime lead, building on that to start the second half. We look back and say that the St. Mary's win over Gonzaga wasn't such of an upset after all.
Reach Scooter Chapman at scooter@olypen.com.
Football, you ask? Right.
Auto racing this early? Right.
With college basketball in its final stages, with the National Hockey League and National Basketball League winding up, with Major League Baseball about to start, why not football and auto racing?
The Olympic Peninsula Eagles football team is ready to display its progress at noon Saturday on the
Sequim High gridiron with an intrasquad scrimmage.
Coach Mike McMahan and his staff have been working out some 40 footballers for the past month and it's time to begin the season with a flourish. There will be free food and drinks and no admission charge for the scrimmage.
Many former Wolves and Port Angeles Roughriders dot the roster, and McMahan has high hopes for a franchise that has struggled with numbers and with sponsors the past couple of years.
The team will play home games in Sequim on April 3 and April 24, May 15 and June 19, with starts at 5 p.m. Other home games will be Port Angeles at Roosevelt Elementary School on May 8, June 5 and June 26 at 3 p.m.
Speedway all set
Port Angeles Speedway had a warm-up Saturday and the green flag falls for the first time at 6 p.m. this Saturday when the stocks, hobby stocks, hornets, junior hornets and queen bee cars take to the asphalt oval for what promises to be a busy motor season.
The dwarf cars hit the track April 10, then there will be racing every Saturday night throughout the spring and summer season.
General manager Bert Johnson has made Saturday night at the track a fun time for fans and drivers. The new grandstand is in the right spot, beer is limited to that one section, concessions offer a variety and the stock car pit crews and drivers put on a good show.
There are very few racetracks left in the state and the P.A. Speedway does well with lots of visitors and special shows that are brought in. I have maintained that a good, solid program twice a month would bring out more racing fans and more cars.
With the economy the way it is, many fans don't have the funds to plunk down an entrance fee, then food and drink every Saturday night and as the season goes on.
So get a taste of semi-pro football Saturday at noon, then head for the Speedway for a preview of the summer auto racing season in the evening.
Wednesday whirl
_ We note the death of Olympic High football coach Eric Allen. He died last Wednesday morning after a long bout with cancer. The 44-year-old coach had a brain tumor removed in February 2008 but he's been battling the disease since 2000.
He was 18-22 in four seasons at Olympic and took the Trojans to the playoffs twice and, under interim coach Tim Albee, the Trojans went to the playoffs last fall. Allen will be missed.
_ Dawgs romp - The Washington Husky basketball team that could not win on the road in January has won three straight on the road and is one of 16 teams left in the NCAA hoop tourney.
After beating Cal for the PAC-10 top spot in the 64-team field, the Huskies dispatched Marquette and New Mexico in San Jose to reach the Sweet 16.
Go Dawgs ...
_ Dogs out - The Gonzaga Bulldogs took a tough 87-65 loss to Syracuse Sunday and the campaign ended for the overachievers from Spokane.
Perimeter shooting woes cost the Bulldogs the win as Syracuse lit it up from beyond the arc and took a 15-point halftime lead, building on that to start the second half. We look back and say that the St. Mary's win over Gonzaga wasn't such of an upset after all.
Reach Scooter Chapman at scooter@olypen.com.
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