Scooter Chapman

The defending NWAACC men’s soccer team is doing quite well, thank you, as they jumped off to a 6-0 pre-season start and now are into conference play in an attempt to make the playoffs again and defend the title they won last fall.

 

The Bucs got off to a good start with a win at Edmonds on Saturday.

 

Coach Andrew Chapman’s squad is talented, with just the right mix of speed, ball handling, passing and scoring.

 

The team is deep in talent and fun to watch on their new field, which is beautiful.

 

If you haven’t seen the new Wally Sigmar Athletic Complex yet, you’ll be amazed. It’s well done, with no high spots or low spots, no mud holes, just green fake grass.

 

The field will be rededicated at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, with festivities sandwiched between the two games with Whatcom: women at noon, men to follow at 2:15 p.m.

 

College president Dr. Tom Keegan will speak and Jean Sigmar and her family will be on hand to rededicate the new facility.

 

Wednesday whirl

Former Rider fast pitcher Stacey Webb is enrolled at Olympic College in Bremerton and is expected to bolster the mound staff of the Ranger fastpitch team. Yes, I would’ve liked to see her in a Peninsula Pirate uniform, but that program is gone, along with the backstop, diamond and dugouts at PC.

 

I did not get a chance to tell you how great the first Sonny Sixkiller golf tournament went in July. I can tell you now it was a big hit and all enjoyed the weekend, including the 30 Husky legends that showed up to help Sixkiller raise money for the Olympic Medical Center Foundation.

 

The tourney garnered some $40,000 and it was a first-class event, folks. I look forward to next year’s second event.

PAC-12
The action heats up this week with the opening of the conference season for teams in the North Division.

How do I see the race? I think it will be Stanford and Oregon right down to the wire, with the Cardinals getting the nod.

 

I like Washington to hold off Cal for third, then Washington State and Oregon State. The improved Cougars will not be on television until the Apple Cup.

 

Out of the PAC-12 South, look for Arizona State to beat out Arizona, with USC third, then Colorado, Utah and UCLA. It could be final year for Rich Neuheisel at Bruinville.

Salt Creek

It really doesn’t matter which individual or team wins the annual cross-country event at the Salt Creek Recreation Area, it’s just a great event with upwards of 800 high-schoolers running the three-mile-plus course on the road, the trails and in and around the old World War II bunkers.

 

Hats off to P.A.’s Dwayne Johnson who manages and organizes this great event.

 

Reach Scooter Chapman at scooter@olypen.com.