Humboldt State University celebrates rain or shine
Humboldt State students came out to celebrate their homecoming week, and not even the rain could stop them.
With performances from various HSU clubs, everyone gathered in the UC Quad at 7 p.m. as Associated Students kicked off the festivities by introducing our very own Marching Lumberjacks.
“Honestly, Humboldt has a lot of pride and I’m not quite used to it,” junior transfer student Valeria Banuelos after watching the Marching Lumberjacks storm the quad playing Black Sabbath’s “Crazy Train.” “I’m from SoCal and all the schools I’m used to don’t have school spirit whatsoever.”
The Marching Lumberjacks were then joined by HSU’s Cheer Club as they played songs like “Heartbreaker” by Pat Benatar and “Rubber Ducky” from Sesame Street.
“It’s crazy to have us be adults and still have all this school spirit,” Banuelos said . “I’m so out of my comfort zone meeting new people and just how friendly people are here is really helping this feel like home.”
As the Cheer Club and the Marching Lumberjacks ended their performances, there were also performances by the Global Connections Club, Lambda Theta Phi Latino frat and Lambda Theta Alpha Latina sorority. These performances help bring culture to Humboldt State, something that AS Legislative Vice President Gabriella Valdovinos Balandran strives for.
“I’ve been a part of a Associated Students programs since the 10th grade,” says Valdovinos Balandran. “Bringing students and culture together like this has always been a passion of mine. This unity also helps our students mental health and that’s one of our missions.”
As the homecoming pep rally ended, most students left to go warm up and dry off at home. Some chose to stay and dance in the rain as the DJ continued playing his set.
“It isn’t about just wearing colors, it’s about promoting unity and inclusivity here on campus,” said AS member Estrella Corza. “Regardless of major, hometown or income, this is a place we can be together.”
Linebacker Demetrick Watts receives GNAC defensive player of the week
On the second possession of the game, Jacks wide receiver Leo Wagner ran into the end zone receiving a pass from quarterback Andrew Tingstad after a 10-play, 70-yard drive.
The Jacks (1-4, 1-3) beat Simon Fraser (1-5, 0-4) 23-16 at the Redwood Bowl on homecoming weekend.
“It was great to win,” Wagner said. “We’ve worked hard and it’s been a long time coming.”
While keeping Simon Fraser off of the scoreboard for the first quarter, the Jacks defense came up with a safety when they sacked Simon Fraser quarterback Miles Richardson and the Jacks offense got the ball into the end zone making the score 9-0.
Lumberjacks defenders sack Simon Fraser quarterback Miles Richardson in the endzone for a safety. The Jacks won their first game of the year 23-16 on Homecoming night at the Redwood Bowl on Oct.6. | Photo by Nick Kemper
With a 38-yard pass caught by wide receiver Gary O’Leary, the Jacks were now on Fraser’s one yard line. Tingstad completed the drive with a short run into the end zone, giving the Jacks a 16-0 lead.
“I think we’ve shown a lot of progression,” said Special Teams Coordinator and Linebackers Coach Brett McMurray. “They know how to get after it now, it’s just time to keep on rolling.”
Defense stood tall as they only allowed one drive completion by Fraser before halftime. Fraser quarterback Miles Richardson completed an eight play, 68-yard drive that capped off with a four-yard pass into the end zone caught by receiver Rysen John.
Halfway through the third quarter of the game, defensive back Evan Camarena intercepted the ball for his second weekend in a row. After returning the ball for 50 yards, he fumbled in the end zone, but linebacker Demetrick Watts was right behind him for the touchdown recovery.
“I was hustling,” Watts said. “I just wanted to block for him and then I saw the ball bounce and I just had to make sure I secured it.”
The Jacks offense completed the game with 300 total yards, 119 of which came from running back Tyree Marzetta over 18 carries.
“Offensively, there’s still some things we need to pick up,” Marzetta said. “But the o-line did their thing tonight and I was just able to find holes and push after that.”
Tingstad finished the game with 121 passing yards and a touchdown, as well as 13 rushes for 49 yards.
Great Northwest Athletic Conference defensive player of the week Demetrick Watts finished with eight tackles, one tackle for a loss, a sack, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
“I’m still not where I need to be but I’m happy to get that recognition,” Watts said. “It made me feel good, my hard work is paying off.”
Defense continues to show their strengths as Moses Finau led with nine tackles, Ryan Shell with eight tackles, and Curtis Williams, Hunter Esary, and Brandon Wright each had a sack.
Defensive backs Ereon Nash and Patrick Marzett finished with three pass break-ups each.
“Whoever we have next week, it doesn’t matter,” Marzett said. “We are just going to come out hard and get another win.”
The Jacks travel to Odessa, Texas for their next game against Permian Basin on Oct. 13. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
With all the sadness caused by the loss of the football program, at least the Jacks ended their final Homecoming game with a boom. | Photo by Nick Kemper
Humboldt State Women’s soccer split the weekend falling 2-1 on Friday to the Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes but taking the win from the Cal State Poly Pomona Broncos Oct. 7 at the College Creek Field.
In the first game, the Jacks controlled much of the first half possessions and brought on the physical play. The Jacks had statistical advantages in most areas including shots and shots on goal.
A breakaway, just 13 minutes into the first quarter, had Jacks left midfielder Alex Jenkins charging down the field being just one step ahead of the defender.
Jenkins, putting a boot through the ball, hit a solid shot off the inside the box but it deflected off the goalie’s outstretched knee resulting in a save for the Coyotes goalie.
“We had chances in both halves and we didn’t do enough,” Jack’s head coach Paul Karver said. “We can create but in this game you have to finish.”
On the Jack’s defensive side, center back Jensen Smith kept Coyote strikers out of position and kept the box clean. This streak came to an end as Jack’s defensive clearances started landing at the Coyotes attackers feet.
The Coyotes capitalized for the first goal of the game, shot by Gabby Evaristo in the 55th minute. Evaristo froze the goalie as she went around a Jacks defender and pushed it just past a diving goalie, Brooke Townsend, into the back of the left side goal.
A 1-0 lead by San Bernardino didn’t stay long as the Coyotes struck again just three minutes later with a long cross from Kelly Kevershan to Evaristo getting her second goal of the match.
The Jacks still had some fight as Alex Jenkins found herself in the box where she was fouled with just four minutes left in the match.
Jacks junior midfielder Lindsay Stoner (25) keeps the ball close and protected down the left side of the field. | Photo by Matt Shiffler
Jack’s midfielder Lindsay Stoner stepped in to take the penalty kick. Stoner fooled the goalie and hit the ball to the left burying it into the back of the net.
Trying to hurry they picked up the ball to rush it back for center kick off. Play resumed as the Jacks looked for some late-game heroics but fell short 2-1 in full time.
“We dominated a lot of that game,” Jenkins said. “It’s a bummer and unfortunately it didn’t go our way.”
Day 2 Humboldt State vs. Cal Poly Pomona
Down 1-0, the Jacks Alex Jenkins took her own shot that ricocheted off the post and scored the game-tying goal at the 58-minute mark.
“It’s our first weekend home in a month, we’re so lucky to have alumni and our parents watching,” Alex Jenkins said. “It was awesome getting those 3 goals today, especially at home for everyone.”
The Jacks created time to celebrate with family and fans as they beat the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos 3-1 Sunday, Oct. 7 at the College Creek Field.
The Jack’s pace picked up after Jenkin’s goal and in the 84th minute, Sabine Postma took a penalty shot from outside the box lifting the ball over the Broncos defensive wall and past their goalie for a 2-1 lead.
Jacks sophomore forward (2) Erin Siegel out leaps the competition while trying to score a header. | Photo by Matt Shiffler
Adding another late header that found the back of the net by Jacks midfielder Pikake Hix, HSU was leading 3-1. The spectacular header put the finishing touches on the Jacks comeback victory.
This was their first home win of the season and the Lady Jacks now have a 4-7-1 overall record.
Next game is in the Central Valley as the Lady Jacks travel to Turlock, California, to take on the Stanislaus State Warriors on Friday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m.
HSU has 3-year grace period after football cut to meet Title IX requirements
With the effects of Title IX looming after the cut of football at Humboldt State, many fear the impact on women’s sports while others look forward to it’s advancement.
HSU Crew member Bailey Cochran sees it as an opportunity to make women’s sports more competitive.
“It might change the team to be more focused on being competitive and being successful,” Cochran said.
HSU President Lisa Rossbacher’s decision to cut football on July 17 was due to budgeting concerns. The fight to keep the team started during the 2017 fall semester when Rossbacher announced the team would stay for another season as long as the community could put up the $500,000 that the University would match.
The amount of money raised was cut short by $171,000, leading Rossbacher to announce the discontinuation of the football program.
“It’s football that’s at risk,” Interim Athletic Director Duncan Robbins said, “not any other sports.”
Title IX is part of a federal law that was passed in 1972 to allow for equal opportunities for men and women on college campuses. It’s broad in scope and is often used to open opportunities in athletics.
Title IX requires that each university allow for equal opportunity in different ways. The number of athletes required to stay in compliance is directly related to the ratio of men to women on campus. It also encompasses dollars spent for gear and scholarships.
With over 90 male athletes cut from the 2017 football roster, the fate of women’s sports at HSU has left some wonder about the future. Robins doesn’t mince words.
“We’ve been trending more and more women dominated on this campus over time compared to years ago,” Robins said. “We have to try to keep up with that as an athletic department.”
HSU’s campus currently has a ratio of about 47 percent male to 53 percent female. Because of that, the school needs more women athletes to stay in compliance with Title IX, which means the risk to women’s sports is lower. This means that sports teams with large rosters won’t be dramatically impacted.
The Jacks women’s crew team competed at the Blue Heron Redwood Sprints Regatta on March 24. | Photo by Robert Cranfill.
Women’s sports have three extra teams with no male counterpart. They are softball, volleyball, and crew. At the moment, there is no foreseeable way to add more male teams because of budgeting concerns.
“Every time we add a sport, we add cost and we don’t have the money,” Robins said.
Track and field is a dual gender sport, and because there are more men than women on our HSU track team, Robins does not believe it will be a huge problem complying with Title IX.
“Turns out that there are a lot of young men who want to run and throw in college,” Robins said, “so we think we’ll have an easier time than in other places.”
Jamey Harris, the head distance coach, a subcategory of the track team, said that women in the sport aren’t in immediate danger of being cut. He said they will still be recruiting women as well as men to grow the roster as a whole.
Harris said the football teams termination won’t have “a huge impact, just a few more guys each year won’t be cut.”
“At this point we turn away any male student athletes that are just not at the level that they need to be to be competitive right away,” Harris said.
However, more men will now have the opportunity to be trained up and compete at the college level.
In fact, being able to grow the roster on both sides will be advantageous to the track team as a whole. With 21 events and only 40 athletes on each team, the track team may benefit from the effects of Title IX.
“Adding more athletes gives us more event coverage,” Harris said.
Robins said that no change is easy in university level sports, but said HSU has excelled at balancing the roster numbers.
“We’ve done a very good job at giving opportunities to women’s athletes,” Robins said. “On a typical roster size they might not have been given that opportunity.”
Cochran, a junior and three year crew member, is a recipient of those opportunities. She had never considered crew as an option in college until she was handed a flyer and joined with a few other young women.
She sees this as a growing opportunity for the crew team to take their competition to the next level. She thinks this may give the crew team the edge to be able to focus on specifics rather than training people up who have never been in athletics before.
“We have so many people that it’s not necessarily all focused in on the people who want to get to championships right now,” Cochran said.
Cochran does admit that taking away opportunities for women who have never competed before is a reality.
“It’s a give and a take,” Cochran said, “depending on what aspect you’re looking at.”
Tyla Turner (#12) floats between Cal State East Bay defenders Kayla Blair (#21) and Savannah McGill (#32) for the layup. | Photo by Zac Sibek.
Students entering sports now as freshman don’t have much change to worry about. Schools are given a three-year period to come back into compliance after a major shift, such as the football roster cut.
Robins said that this helps cycle through the current athletes so it doesn’t affect their graduation.
“Every student athlete that comes in will want to know what their life is going to look like for the next four to five years,” Robins said.
But after the abrupt dismissal of football, athletes may be left feeling uncertain. Cochran just wants open communication between administration and the student athletes.
“I hope they don’t pull the same thing on us where we don’t expect that to happen,” Cochran said. “But then it does.”
Following a 3-0 Loss to the Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes on Friday Oct. 5, the Jacks men’s soccer team could not break even against the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos where they fell short 2-1 on Oct. 7 at College Creek Field.
Friday’s results against the Coyotes was not what the Jacks had in mind. The Coyotes struck first from a cross by senior defender, Cesar Figueroa, finished by Coyotes senior mid fielder, Danny Ortiz, at the 16:01 mark.
At the 55:28 mark another goal was scored by a cross made by Ortiz, finished by redshirt freshman mid fielder Jeronimo Valdapena. Coyote’s sophomore forward, Peter Arellano, sealed the deal with a third goal at the 69:07 mark.
By the end of the match, the Jacks were out crossed by the Coyotes 8-2, which heavily contributed to the Jacks 0-3 loss on Friday.
Friday’s game did not seem to affect the Jacks. The Jacks huddled together, and gave their pre-game chant to let the heavily favored Cal Poly Pomona Broncos know they were here to play.
The Broncos were quick with their passes to start. Shuttling the ball side to side, the Jacks were in full defensive mode for the first 10 minutes of the game.
At the 15:50 mark, Jack’s junior defender Gus Baxter broke through the Bronco’s defense from a wild through ball that was met with a head to head collision with Broncos senior keeper Jakob Hansen, which resulted in a goal from Baxter. After the goal both players stayed on the pitch and went through concussion protocol and were forced from the game.
The Jack’s defense continued to pester the Broncos corner attack. The Broncos were in a major advantage in the corner game, having a total of seven, compared to zero from the Jack’s in the first half.
This came back to hurt the Jacks at the 41:53 mark after a cross from Bronco’s sophomore mid fielder Omar Green, was netted in by Bronco’s freshman forward, Gabriel Castillo, evening the score just before the end of the first half.
The beginning of the second half was more of a chess match than a soccer game. Both teams seemed to be trying to figure out a way to break the net.
Jacks senior keeper Bryan Hernandez was more of a wall then a man with gloves. Hernandez managed to have eight saves in the first half, and continued to make saves, keeping the Jacks hopes alive.
In the second half, the Jacks attack was seen more in the boxscore, than the first half.
With about five minutes to go, Jacks sophomore mid fielder Ethan Waters, almost capitalized on a wide open break to put the Jacks up, yet fell short. Two minutes later Broncos junior defender Jason Ramos nailed a shot in the top middle part of the goal, giving the Bronco’s a 2-1 lead with about three minutes remaining.
The Jacks had one last good shot to even the score from sophomore mid fielder, Ethan Waters, which was held questionable by Jack fans and team mates. What looked to be like a shot that was touched last by Bronco’s senior keeper, Skyler Gibbons-Stovall, was called a goal kick and brought the Jacks to a 2-1 loss.
Jack’s junior forward, Isaiah Dairo following the loss had a few words.
“We came out with a game plan wanting them to play down the line,” Dairo said. “As a team I believe we moved the ball well player to player but at the end just fell short.”
Dairo had two shots, with one on target, yet what hurt the Jacks on Sunday was the amount of shots the Bronco’s took. Compared to the Jacks 13 total shots, the Bronco’s had 27 shots.
Jacks senior keeper Bryan Hernandez did what he could and finished the game with a total of 18 saves. According to Hernandez, Sunday’s game was not just a loss, but showed that this Jacks team is tight and can play against the top teams.
“We did lose, but we proved we can play as good as any other top team in this conference, if not better,” Hernandez said.
The Jack will head to Turlock California for their next game, where they will take on the Stanislaus State Warriors Friday Oct. 12.
After having a win snatched right out of their gloves against Azusa Pacific, Humboldt State football looks to secure a victory in this weekend’s homecoming game against Simon Fraser University to add to the other side of their record 0-4, and conference record 0-3.
On Sept. 29 the Jacks started off strong at Citrus Stadium against Azusa as defensive back Evan Camarena intercepted Azusa’s first pass of the game.
“Considering what we’ve done the last three games,” Jacks wide receiver Leo Wagner said. “We did a lot better on both sides of the ball tonight and defense had one hell of a game.”
Offense capitalized on the first turnover with quarterback Joey Sweeney’s five-play, 23-yard drive and a completed eight-yard pass to Wagner to lead with the first points on the board.
Defense kept the confidence high for the Jacks with a total of six turnovers, two of which were interceptions by defensive back Ju’Wan Murphy.
“The defense competed tonight,” said Murphy. “We’ve just got to keep watching film and get better each week.”
Although defense played a strong game, the offense tried to keep the same momentum but was limited to 189 total yards and the Jacks came up short, losing to Azusa 37-21.
During the 2017 season, the Jacks rolled over Simon Fraser twice winning both games by at least five touchdowns. A victory is on the Jack’s mind as they head into their homecoming game against Simon Fraser.
This weekend’s game is scheduled to kick off Saturday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. The game will be followed by an HSU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2018 recognition and a post game fireworks show.
Lumberjacks outside hitter Lauren Reid led all players on the volleyball court with her game-high 18 kills but it wasn’t enough as the Jacks dropped all three sets (25-23, 25-22, 25-16) to the Stanislaus State Warriors at Lumberjack Arena on Sept. 29.
“We have a pretty young team and I think tonight that really showed,” Jacks middle blocker Emma Flewell said. “We just got scared when we were playing. We were up and the pressure was on and we started playing scared.”
Reid did her part in the first set and was responsible for the first three points of the match. Every time the Warriors closed the gap, Reid was there to nail another kill shot to put her team up. Her 18 total kills accounted for half of all of the Jacks kills.
“Our inexperience has been very much highlighted,” Jacks head coach Kelly Wood said. “We had set one. We had a big lead but it’s like we almost have gotten used to us losing that the pressure got to us in that first set.”
The two teams seemed to be evenly matched but there was an ingredient missing for the Jacks. Reid’s presence was felt by the the Warriors constantly while she was on her side of the court but when she was subbed out to rest, the rest of the Jacks struggled to garner a steady attack. The Warriors kept the pressure on in the second set and hammered away to extend their lead and took the second set 25-22.
“They’re a really scrappy team,” Warriors middle blocker Alana Wilson-Reid said. “No one should ever underestimate them and they pushed us to our limits.”
The Jacks pulled ahead by four in the beginning of the third set but after the score was tied at 10 the Warriors jumped out to a seven-point lead that the Jacks could not come back from. The Warriors had a staggering .257 attack percentage and were the better and more experienced team on this night.
Some of the Jacks standouts were sophomore outside hitter Sumer Hansen who had eight kills and nine and a half total points. Sophomore setter Julianna Burtolucci led all Jacks players with 27 assists along with six digs and Jacks junior libero Odelia Ryan led the Jacks with 23 digs and three service aces.
“We’re working on getting more production out of our front row of our offense,” Coach Wood said. “Offensively we’re just riding Lauren Reid. We’re sending her a ton of balls. We need more balance and we need more production from our offense.”
The Jacks travel south to San Francisco State for their next match on Oct. 5. First serve is at 7 p.m.
Sonoma State’s Seawolves dealt HSU Volleyball a tough 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-10) loss at home Friday afternoon. The loss is the Lumberjacks fifth in a row and their fourth consecutive loss by shutout.
“Such a backwards night for us,” said Jacks defensive specialist Odelia Ryan. “We’ve been saying we want to make progress each week and tonight we didn’t.”
The Seawolves came out hot as they ran up an 8-0 lead over the Jacks. HSU was slow at the gate, but as the game progressed they found a rhythm that brought them back up to a sore of 8-11.
“They didn’t make mistakes coming out,” Ryan said. “They made bad first touches better and got kills off of them, and we didn’t.”
The second set was the most evenly fought set of the match, but that didn’t stop the Seawolves from opening hot with a 5-0 lead. The Jacks remained competitive, but the Seawolves 10 point lead called for a timeout by Jacks Head Coach Kelly Wood.
With a new mindset the Jacks pulled five fast points to bring the set’s score to 14-19. HSU compiled a match high with a .108 hitting percentage in this set, but ultimately the Seawolves snapped back into a groove and put them away at 25-20.
“We had great offense that set,” said middle blocker Emma Flewell. “It is just that nothing was happening at the same time. We would have good serve receive and couldn’t run the offense or vice versa.”
Any momentum the Jacks compiled in the second set was extinguished in the 3rd. The Seawolves scored six of the first seven points in the match and ended on a 7-0 run to finish the night with a lopsided 25-10 victory.
“They got lucky and caught us on a bad night,” said junior outside hitter Lauren Reid. “This loss is more of a mental failure, we can physically keep up with a team like this, it was just their night not ours.”
Reid was a crucial part of the offense as she finished with seven of the Jacks 22 kills in the match, four of which she tallied in the first set.
Sophomore setter Juliana Bertolucci set her teammates up throughout the night as she recorded 13 of the Jacks 18 assists. On the defensive end, sophomore middle blocker Hannah Cantrell led the way with four blocks and senior outside hitter Natalie Picone recorded 12 digs.
“Different mindsets need to be on the same page next game,” said Reid. “We’re going to work on cohesiveness because we need to think for team plays and not individual ones.”
The Green and Gold will have ample time to work out the kinks in their play before resuming conference play against Chico State on Friday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Lumberjack Arena.
Over 4,000 students and community members showed to support Humboldt State football as the Lumberjacks took the field against their longtime rival, Western Oregon Wolves on Sept. 22 and fell 38-13.
“Western Oregon is a solid team,” Jacks co-offensive coordinator Ryan McFadden said. “They made us work for every single yard we got.”
Wolves quarterback Ty Currie had the recipe for success against the Jacks defense, using his pocket athleticism and ability to keep plays alive. With all the extra pocket time, Currie was able to keep his eyes downfield and finished with 334 passing yards.
Jacks offense looked to match the quick start with freshman wide receiver Jaden Cumming’s 12 yard catch from sophomore quarterback Andrew Tingstad.
However, the Jacks momentum down the field was quickly halted by penalties that wiped away any progress. The struggles continued, dooming the Jacks to a sluggish total gain of 82 yards in the first half.
Jacks junior running back Isaiah Hall averaged four yards per carry but totaled just 56 yards. The offense secured only 14 first downs throughout all four quarters, going 7-16 on 3rd and 4th down conversion attempts.
Penalties from the referees played an important part of the game for both teams. The Wolves saw most of the yellow flags with 14 penalties totaling a loss of 113 yards.
On the Jacks side of the ball, safety Patrick Marzett was ejected in the second quarter when the refs deemed his hit on a Wolves receiver, late and unnecessary.
“Almost isn’t good enough but I’m really proud of these dudes, they don’t quit,” Head coach Damaro Wheeler said.
Western Oregon lead Humboldt State 38-0 as they entered the 4th quarter. With the game closing in on the Jacks, they dug deep into the playbook and called the newly famous trick play “The Philly Special”.
The play had quarterback Tingstad walk up to the line snapping it directly to the running back where he then pitched it to senior wide receiver Gary O’Leary. O’Leary acted as he would run but quickly pulled up the ball and looked downfield for the uncovered Tingstad.
“Gary’s pass was perfect, all I had to do is watch it fall into my hands,” Tingstad said. “It was money.”
96 yards in 14 plays is easily the most impressive the offense looked all season.
“After we scored that first one it was contagious,” O’Leary said. “That’s what happens when you score, people get going and come together.”
The Jacks scored once more in the closing minutes with a 15-yard pass from Tingstad to freshman running back Christian Quirarte.
With the offense not able to produce big plays and defense having trouble filling gaps, the Jacks have started out season with a 0-3 record for first time in 4 years.
“Yeah we made mistakes,” Quarterback Andrew Tingstad said. “But we will continue to persevere, that’s what we do and there’s more coming, I guarantee you.”
The Jacks head to SoCal this weekend as they play Azusa Pacific on Saturday, Sept. 29th at 6 pm. Listen live on ESPN 92.7 FM 1340 AM
With 28 points on the scoreboard by halftime the Central Washington Wildcats stole the show from the Lumberjacks.
Showing no mercy, the Wildcats completed its first shutout against the Jacks since 2007 with a final score of 49-0.
Three Jacks quarterbacks hit the field in Yakima, Washington on Sept. 15. Starter Joey Sweeney and back ups Sohail Moshini and Andrew Tingstad only completed 10 out of 28 passes for a total of 116 yards and an interception.
The Jacks offense struggled to finish drives as they failed to make it to the end zone on this day and the Jacks defense allowed the Wildcats to average 11 yards per rush.
Although Wildcats quarterback Reilly Hennessey completed nine out 17 passes for 112 yards and three touchdowns, Jacks linebacker Moses Finau attempted to slow things down with an interception on the first drive of the second quarter.
The defense tried their best to stop as many Wildcat completions as possible.
Safety Adam Herrera finished with 10 tackles, followed by linebacker Isaiah Sires-Wils who finished with nine. Along with the tackles came a Jack sack from defensive lineman Latufeao Kolopeaua.
The Jacks look to turn around their 0-2 overall, and 0-1 league record as they host the Western Oregon Wolves this Sept. 22 in the Redwood Bowl. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
The Lumberjacks women’s soccer team lost 1-0 at home against the San Francisco State Gators Sept. 16.
The Gator’s senior defender Madison Messier scored in the first two minutes to give SFSU the lead they held the entire game.
“We didn’t come out as hard as we should have,” said Jacks senior goalkeeper Nora Goodrie, “We just got in our heads and we messed up.”
Although Goodrie had four saves throughout the game, the Jacks began the match poorly. A defensive blunder allowed Gators defender Niko Baila to cross the ball from the right corner into the crowded box. From there, Messier reached over a pair of Jacks players for a header that was just out of reach for Goodrie.
“We struggled to get control of the game until the half,” said Jacks head coach Paul Karver. “We had our chances to score but didn’t finish them, and in this conference that will send you home pretty quickly.”
The loss moves the Jacks’ record to 2-3-1 on the season along with a 0-2 record in conference play.
The Lady Jacks tried to respond in the second half by shifting a few players around and eventually found success.
“I thought we were able to keep our energy at the same level,” said junior midfielder Cameron Mejia. “We work better as a team when we respond and our second half was a lot stronger.”
Although the team played better in the second half, the offense still remained in a drought and the Jacks remained scoreless in it’s second consecutive game while only putting up eight shots on goal.
“It lit a fire under our butts to make us work harder,” said senior outside midfielder McKenna Dunn. “We have a night game on Friday so we just have to work hard so we can get back to it.”
The Jacks will attempt to revitalize their offense as they hit the road for their next game. They will travel down to Southern California to face the Golden Eagles of Cal State Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 21. The match will begin at 7 p.m.
The men’s soccer team continued their hot scoring this weekend after beating Concordia University 3-0 on Sept. 7 and adding a 3-1 win Sept. 9 against the Academy of Arts Urban Knights.
Sunday’s beautiful weather had the fans out to cheer on the pumped and motivated Jacks after coming away with a big win on Friday.
Jacks defender Gus Baxter got the team going with an unassisted goal at the 17:52 minute. Three minutes later, off of a set piece from seniormidfielder Max Steinmetz, Baxter assisted Jacks sophomore forward Alejandro Cortes Garcia to take an 2-0 lead against the Urban Knights.
“The ball and I had a great day today,” Baxter said. “My teammates were working hard and you could see that from the first 20 minutes of the game.”
The Jacks took care of business the first half. They were communicating with every pass made and a sense of control was present whenever they held possession.
The Jacks had seven shots, one corner kick, and only committed six fouls. The Urban Knights responded with four shots and zero corner kicks, followed by six fouls.
With the start of the second half, the Jacks were not as crisp with their passes as they were in the first half. At the 60:26 minute, the Urban Knights took advantage and freshman midfielder, Edvard Edvarsson, nailed the top left corner off a set piece to give the Urban Knights their first goal.
The Jacks took the jab thrown by the Urban Knights leaving the score at 2-1, and started to slow the game down and play to their tempo. The back line fixed their mistakes and held the Urban Knights to only three shots the entire second half, leaving Jacks senior goalkeeper, Bryan Hernandez, to save one other shot.
“We came out knowing we were in control,” Hernandez said. “What was hurting us were the little passes that where coming up short to get an attack going.”
Toward the end of the game the Jacks held their composure and continued to seek out another goal. At the 84:00 minute they were rewarded with an own goal by the Urban Knights sealing the deal with a 3-1 victory.
Steinmetz helped create the tone in the first half and commented on how his team performed.
“We came out aggressive and capitalized on set pieces,” Steinmetz said. “We as a team say, ‘come out with the beast’, and that beast was heard today with this win.”
The Jacks are set to play their first away game this season against rival Sonoma State on Sept. 12 at 4 p.m.
In the Lumberjacks first home game of the season against the Cal State Monterey Bay Otters, excitement was in the air.
The Jacks men’s soccer team attended the volleyball match to support the Lady Jacks along with some of the Jacks men’s basketball team.
It was a close game. The first set ending with a win for the Otters, 26-24. Our Lady Jacks had their work cut out for them, but it didn’t dull their spirits. Jacks senior outside hitter Natalie Picone was determined to lead the team to victory.
Junior outside hitter Lauren Reid had 15 kills in the game scoring for the Jacks.
“Monterey Bay is a very good team,” head coach Kelly Wood said. “They have a really good setter and they run a 5-1 setup.”
Even with the effort put in by our Lady Jacks, the Otters held a fast paced offense. The time frame between setting and hitting was a matter of seconds.
The Jacks were quick on the defense with a total of eight team blocks, but every set fell right behind the Otters.
Despite this setback, Picone gave a pep talk after the second set ending in another loss for the Jacks, 25-20. Picone shared reassuring words to her fellow teammates in the huddle.
During the final set, energy was heightened and the pressure was on. Our Lady Jacks were determined to finish strong no matter what.
The pace of the game quickly picked up and the Otters finished the set 25-19, causing the Jacks to let go of their home opener and lose in straight sets, 3-0. Their record now stands at 3-7.
The Jacks will travel south to play Cal State San Bernardino Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.
Cross Country men and women’s team push boundaries, individual athletes accomplish goals
The Humboldt Cross Country Invitational on Sept. 8 displayed a new leader in the women’s 6k.
Sophomore Kaylee Thompson ran a 21:49.00 college best inside the redwood’s famous Patrick’s Point State Park.
Thompson attributed preparation as key to the season opener.
“We knew what challenges were ahead, and we knew where we were going,” Thompson said. “Being able to practice here and feel more comfortable definitely helped me in today’s race.”
It was a sunny day for running as weather conditions stayed in the upper 50s all morning. Having home field advantage over competing schools like Oregon Tech, Sonoma State University, Simpson University, Shasta College, and College of the Siskiyous was beneficial.
Jacks sophomore Cessair Mckinney placed fourth and clocked in an impressive 22:28.00 time in the race. Mckinney was excited for this race for weeks enduring conditioning all through August.
“I had a rough track season but I’m happy to be back for cross country,” McKinney said. “We have the leadership to look up to but our team is young and we are so excited to see what we can accomplish.”
Energy is high on this women’s squad and they are looking to carry it over to the upcoming meets.
On the men’s side, first-place finisher and returning senior leader Daniel Tull didn’t need a photo finish as he raced a 25:49.00 ten seconds ahead of the competition.
Sophomore Carson Cohn was the next Jack to cross the finish line with a fourth-place finish and a solid time of 26:21.00.
Huddled around the table, high fives were in the air and all smiles on the men’s faces as Tull and some teammates geared up for another run.
Jacks cross country will only have two home meets this year but it isn’t a problem for them.
“We want to travel, we just want to race people,” Tull said. “New faces but all of us are getting along great, chemistry and work ethic are incredible this year.”
Jacks sophomore men’s runner Jeran Sykes finished with a time of 28.06.00 and also had gratitude toward the team’s performance.
“Races early in the season are perfect rust busters,” Sykes said. “So many pleasant surprises, we help each other through the struggles, we really make each other way faster.”
Scott Pesch, longtime cross country head coach, retired last season and the Jacks found their match in new head coach Jamey Harris. Harris, coming from UC Santa Cruz, continued building the legacy of Jacks distance running at today’s event.
“Alumni’s and the local community came out and we got to show them who we are,” Harris said. “They all performed admirably today.”
Women’s and men’s club both finished a second off of the total time. They fell short and placed second in team rankings.
Women’s Team Total
1. Oregon Tech 1:52:29
2. Humboldt State 1:53:43
3. Sonoma State 1:58:10
Men’s Team Total
1. Oregon Tech 2:13:18
2. Humboldt State 2:14:16
The Jacks take a three week break from competing before heading to the Willamette Invitational in Salem, Oregon on Sept. 29.
Humboldt State goes back in the win column with 3-0 victory over non-conference opponent Concordia University from Portland, Oregon.
Concordia out shot the Jacks 9-7 in the first half but couldn’t capitalize. The Jacks were able to go up 1-0 at the 5:35 mark thanks to a pass from junior Gus Baxter to sophomore forward Alejandro Cortes Garcia for a header over the goalkeeper.
Baxter continued to lead the offense for the Jacks in the first half by scoring a goal at the 23:02 mark from an assist from freshman forward Devin Hauenstein.
Behind 2-0 entering the second half, Concordia raised its intensity on offense by putting up another 10 shots with zero scoring. The Jacks responded with seven shots including one goal by junior forward Isaiah Dairo at the 86:23 mark.
A corner kick from sophomore Marco Silveira found Dairo as he put it in the back of the net for his 3rd goal of the season, leading the Jacks in goals.
“It was great to get back on track with a hard-fought win against a difficult Concordia team,” said HSU Head Coach Fred Jungemann. “We started quick and got a couple of early goals, but they put us under some pressure after that.”
Jacks goalkeeper, Bryan Hernandez, finished the day with nine total saves over the full 90 minutes. Dairo, Baxter and senior Francisco Calderon were the key to the offense by putting up three shots a piece for 12 of the Jacks’ 14 shots.
“Our guys defended well, though, and we eventually found the third goal to put the game away,” said Coach Jungemann. “Hopefully, that is something we can carry forward into conference play.”
HSU now sits at 2-1. Men’s soccer will face the Academy of Art from San Fransisco on their home field at 2 p.m. on Sunday Sept. 8.
Alumnus’ future in NFL uncertain after being released from 49ers finalized roster
The San Francisco 49ers announced their signing of Humboldt State University’s star running back Ja’Quan Gardner to a three year deal on August 28. However, Gardner did not make the final 53 man roster.
Gardner was invited to the 49ers rookie minicamp in May earlier this year but did not receive another invitation to offseason training.
Gardner suited in No. 38 on August 30 in the 49ers last preseason game vs the Los Angeles Chargers.
“I’m probably going to be on some special teams then get some carries 4th quarter,” Gardner said. “It’s going to be straight, I’m going to be more scared running out of the tunnel onto the field.”
Which he was, but that was the only chance he got to see the field.
“He did a good job in our rookie tryout camp,” Kyle Shanahan Head Coach of 49ers said in the San Francisco Bee, “he was a guy who picked the stuff up in the weekend he was here. We liked him as a person. We always liked his college tape, and he ran well while he was here. We’re down some guys and we wanted to make sure we got another guy in here and he was a guy that we had on our shortlist since he was here in the tryout camp.”
Gardner was the 2015 Harlon Hill runner up for college football. He finished his Lumberjacks career with 5,495 rushing yards and 72 touchdowns in just 42 career games. He holds all the statistical rushing records at HSU.
Gardner’s girlfriend Emma Gutierrez was one of the first to hear the news.
“I was crying. I was very proud of him,” said Gutierrez. “It was a lot of different emotions at once.”
Gutierrez still attends HSU while Gardner is back at home training but the two still seem to work it out when asked about it.
“It’s hard but it is not as hard as I thought it would be,” said Gutierrez. “Distance is the hardest but we have really good communication.”
In his first practice Gardner did not get to participate in many team drills. He participated in a couple of individual drills with the running backs and observed for most of practice.
Gardner was really close with his teammates and got along with everybody and was as humble as they come. You wouldn’t even know he had all these accomplishments, someone would have to tell you. Former teammate Jamere Austin played on the team last season he was just as excited for Gardner as anybody else.
“I was really proud of him, I thought about a lot of the talks me and my boy had and dreams came true, couldn’t be nothing but happy,” said Austin.
The men’s soccer team started off the season in high gear with a 2-0 win against the Holy Names University Hawks on Aug. 31.
The following day, they fell 2-1 against the Dominican University of California Penguins, leaving their record to sit at 1-1.
Thursday’s game belonged to one player in particular. Jacks junior forward Isaiah Dario was the heart of the offense, as he netted both of the Jacks’ goals. He was buzzing around the field before receiving a cross from sophomore forward Marco Silveira that found the back of the net at 53:48. Less than two minutes later he knocked in a header from a pass by senior midfielder Matt Steinmetz that brought the Jacks up by two.
“I can say all of our hard work paid off, especially for our first home game,” Dario said. “I had a team that was definitely behind me and definitely believed in me, and I scored two goals because of it.”
The Jacks were in the driver’s seat for the remainder of the game as they outshot the Hawks 18-13, with 10 of those on goal.
Saturday’s game wasn’t as stellar for the Jacks as they fell to Dominican’s Penguins 2-1. Dario was held scoreless following his two goal game but was constantly attacking with five of the Jacks’ 21 shots. Senior forward Francisco Calderon scored the Jacks’ one goal and added six shots total.
“We created some good chances and had opportunities to tie up the game, but their keeper made some big saves towards the end to finish off the game,” Jacks head coach Fred Jungemann said.
Calderon put the Jacks up by one at the 15:26 mark on a broken play from Penguins goalie Ruben Raygoza. As he attempted a takeaway, Calderon snuck a short pass to get the one goal for the Jacks.
Dominican tied up the game on a cross from the left to junior forward Luke Raley that beat Jacks senior goalie Bryan Hernandez at 25:51. Dominican took the lead at 47:24 to start the second half as Penguins junior defender Matt Albert hustled to get his own crossbar deflection, making his second shot.
“This game is a wake-up call,” said Hernandez. “In terms of refining the way, we just simply have to train and play like the good team that we are.”
Humboldt State will host Concordia University (Ore.) on Friday, Sept. 7 at College Creek Field at 1 p.m.
Whether you like it or not, sports have a major effect on American society and over the years there have been many athletes that have accomplished feats that no others could.
Whether on the field or off, these select teams and individuals have made an impact in their communities and around the world.
Aug. 21 1986 – Jamaican sprinter, Usain Bolt is born in Sherwood Content, Jamaica. Bolt is widely known as the fastest man on the planet and has won the gold medal in the 100 meter and 200 meter dash in three straight Olympics since 2008. He holds the world record of 9.58 seconds in the 100 meter and 19.19 in the 200 meter. Both were set at the 2009 world championships in Berlin.
Aug. 25 1920 – Swimmer Ethelda Bleibtrey, became the first U.S woman to win a gold medal in the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. In 1919, she was arrested for “nude swimming” when she removed her stockings at a pool where it was forbidden to bare “the lower female extremities for public bathing.” The ensuing public support for Bleibtrey led to the removal of stockings as a conventional element in women’s swimwear.
Aug. 25 1968 – American tennis player, Arthur Ashe became the first African American male to win the U.S Mens Amateur championship and only two weeks later became the first and still today, the only African American male to win the U.S Open. In 1993, ESPN’s annual sports awards, the ESPY Awards, began the Arthur Ashe Courage award. Each year, a member of the sports world who best exhibits courage in the face of adversity receives the award.
Aug. 26 2016 – Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneels in protest during the US national anthem at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium while playing against the San Diego Chargers. The protest objected to racial injustice and police brutality in the United States. Since then, many athletes have joined Kaepernick but the protest’s true motives have been hijacked by naysayers who believe the protest is in opposition of the U.S military and the U.S flag.
Football is a violent sport. This aspect of the game is sometimes attracts people to it and it’s all about to change thanks to the NFL’s new helmet rule being implemented.
The new rule states “it is a foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent.”
The problem with this new rule is that it’s anatomically and physically impossible to lower your shoulder without lowering your head and making incidental contact.
The penalty is primarily called on defensive players and their heads are spinning. Four-time All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman took to Twitter and called the rule “idiotic.”
He’s right.
Sherman, who also called for the rule to be “dismissed immediately,” isn’t the only one pissed off about it. Halfway through the preseason, we’ve seen over 50 flags in 32 games for “helmet-rule” penalties, and several calls have left people shaking their heads in disbelief.
Indianapolis Colts’ veteran safety Shamarko Thomas, who got ejected from the preseason opener for an illegal helmet hit, was fined $26,739, the minimum for a first offense, and then cut by the Colts two days later. That’s a hefty price to pay just for tackling a guy.
Supporters of the rule will say there used to be no helmets and it was changed. There used to be no facemasks and it was changed. Next they will be saying there used to be defense played and it was changed.
Rules like these have noble reasons for being made. Player safety is the NFL’s top priority nowadays due to impending lawsuits from former players and ownership is reacting to the segment of the public that believes the game is not safe enough and too barbaric.
The NFL is forcing players to think instead of react the way they’ve played football all their lives. When the regular season begins with much more to play for, we could see the NFL creating a more dangerous environment in the name of safety.
The league needs to trash this rule immediately. Go back to letting football players play football. It’s insane that the NFL thinks it can make football safer. The foundation of the game is blocking and tackling. Collisions are the essence of the game. A routine tackle cannot be a penalty.
I am not advocating that players should get hurt. Rather, I am advocating that the NFL does their due diligence and thinks before they act. Don’t let your billion dollar company’s fate be decided by lame rules made up by lame people who don’t know anything about football, just to cover your own butts.
Women’s soccer hosted a scrimmage against College of the Redwoods last Friday, August 17 at 4 p.m.
Upcoming:
Aug. 21 – Jacks exhibition vs. Corban 4 p.m.
Aug. 30 – Jacks vs. Concordia (Rohnert Park, Ca) 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 1 – Jacks vs.Dominican (Rohnert Park, Ca) 2 p.m.
Men’s Soccer hosted a scrimmage against Southern Oregon last Saturday, August 18 at 1 p.m.
Upcoming:
Aug. 23 – Jacks scrimmage vs. Oregon Tech 5:30 p.m.
Aug. 25 – Jacks scrimmage vs. College of the Redwoods 4 p.m.
Aug. 30 – Jacks vs. Holy Names 3 p.m.
FOOTBALL
Football held their last fall scrimmage in the Redwood Bowl on Saturday, August 18, at 3 p.m.
Upcoming:
Sept. 1 – Jacks @ MSU Texas 5 p.m.
Sept. 15 – Jacks @ Central Washington 4 p.m.
Sept. 22 – Jacks vs. Western Oregon 6 p.m.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Women’s volleyball held their annual alumni game in the Lumberjack Arena last Friday, August 17, at 4 p.m.
Upcoming:
Aug. 23 – Jacks vs. Pacific Union (Rohnert Park, Ca) 2 p.m.
Aug. 24 – Jacks @ Notre Dame De Namur 9 a.m.
Aug. 25 – Jacks vs. Georgia College (Turlock, Ca) 10:30 a.m.
Cross Country
Cross country just wrapped up their four day training camp at Walnut Creek Education Center. Come September, they will host the Humboldt Invitational at Patrick’s Point State Park in Trinidad.
Upcoming:
Sept. 8 – Humboldt Invitational Trinidad, Ca
Sept. 29 – Willamette Invitational Salem, Or
Oct. 13 – Bronco Invitational Sunnyvale, Ca
Further game schedules for all HSU sports can be found on hsujacks.com
Early this afternoon, Humboldt State University announced that after this 2018 season the football program will be cut.
“This [decision] is due to ongoing financial challenges within athletics and at the university as a whole,” Humboldt State University President Lisa Rossbacher said. “We cannot allow the budget deficit in athletics to continue or to deepen further.”
This April, Rossbacher announced the two-year budget plan in reducing costs by at least $9 million and many hoped that the football program would not be a part of this cut. However, according to the HSU Athletic Department, the net cost of about $1 million annually became too expensive for the University to support and subsidize indefinitely.
“It is the only realistic path for us to take,” Rossbacher said.
Redshirt Sophomore Kyle Martorella called home as soon as he received the news. He said he was very surprised and upset after hearing the program would be cut.
“I can really only see myself playing at Humboldt so it sucks,” Martorella said. “I thought we were guaranteed another five years and that was what the money was raised for.”
Since December 2017, HSU boosters, alumni and community members put forth their utmost effort in reaching a goal of $500,000 that would have ensured another solid year of football at the Redwood Bowl. During that time Rossbacher announced if $500,000 was collected by January of each year, for the next five years, the University would match it with another $500,000 to keep the program.
Although SaveHSUAthletics confirmed nearly $511,000 in pledges last fall, only $329,000 in cash donations were collected in June, according to Rossbacher.
However, SaveHSUAthletics Co-Founder and HSU alum Jim Redd shared that in fact, a total of $410,000 was collected.
“I know that a payment of $80,000 was scheduled to come in, and received on July 15th,” said Redd.
The total amount of donations that were collected will be used for this last football season at HSU and all of the scholarships awarded will be honored to eligible players through the 2018-2019 academic year.
“We are going to be very supportive of the current players and coaches this year,” Redd said. “The support is going to drop way off for HSU athletics as a whole.”
Although several boosters donate to other HSU athletic programs as well, Redd and his fellow boosters believe cutting the program was all a part of Athletic Director Duncan Robins’ plan and because of that, many supporters no longer want to give money to HSU athletics at all.
“There are a lot of donors upset and wanting their money back,” said Redd. “I just feel like Robins was hired to get rid of the program. It took him seven months longer than he would have liked but he succeeded.”
HSU’s athletic department said it plans on providing as much support as needed for current players, whether they choose to complete their academic years at HSU or to transfer to another school and continue playing football.
HSU junior and 2018 captain Isaiah Hall said he plans on “riding out” with a strong team for this last HSU football season and hopes to ensure his team that this decision should not interrupt what they have accomplished for the success of this season so far.
“I always had a feeling that this was bound to happen,” Hall said. “When [Rossbacher] was on the podium talking about keeping the program, her words felt untruthful.”
After this season, Hall is eligible to play two more collegiate years of football and after speaking with his family he plans to have a successful season and transfer to play at another university come spring.
As for new recruits, Chris Quirarte from Buhach Colony High School and Braden Gordon from Independence High School, new beginnings have already come to an end. Both of the newly announced Jacks from Southern California said they were not sure what to think about the news and immediately contacted family for support.
“I am stuck on whether I want to redshirt or play this year,” Quirarte said. “The decision changes my outlook on the season a little but I am not trying to pull the trigger on my decision too early.”
Last year, HSU athletics held a deficit of about $750,000 in which the university covered; and three years ago that deficit was at $250,000. The rate of cost increases in the athletics department at HSU has been roughly double of the university costs in whole.
Rossbacher said she still plans on maintaining a Division II athletics program at HSU and in order to remain eligible for NCAA Division II competition, the University is required to have 10 sports. According to the HSU Athletic Department To remain in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, HSU’s primary conference, the 10 sports are required to be chosen from a specified list, and football is not included on that list.
After this 2018 football season, HSU will sponsor 11 sports: men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s track & field, crew, softball and volleyball.
“At this point we just have to come together as a team,” Martorella said. “We still have 10 games like any other season and we can still win a ring like any other season.”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose our very own Alex Cappa as the 94th overall pick in the 3rd round of the 2018 NFL draft.
Cappa is a four-time Great Northwest Athletic Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year and a three-time All-American. Cappa was recognized as a top lineman in NCAA Division II and played in the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama back in January.
“I would just like to thank everyone [at Humboldt],” Cappa said, “there was a huge support system there. The community, my team, the coaches; they all definitely prepared me for this.”
Five minutes before hearing his name called on national television, Cappa received a call from the Buccaneers. He was in Arizona with teammates Mick Johnson, John Hanson, his father and girlfriend, Emily when the Buccs let him know that they would be announcing him as their 5th pick of the 2018 draft.
“It was pretty cool,” Cappa said, “my family was super excited as well, probably more excited than I was to be honest.”
Cappa is from Dublin, California and has only been playing football since his freshman year of high school. He claims that he was not that great of a player during his high school years but progressively increased his skill level and had a successful college career.
“He is very strong and has mastered his techniques, even the strongest guys cant do anything to him,” Robert Mathews said, a football graduate and former offensive lineman for the Jacks.
Cappa’s teammates talk about his encouraging work ethic and positive mindset that always helped the camaraderie of the team and success on the field.
“I appreciate the energy [Cappa] brought to the game,” Mathews said, “he was like another coach. He was always ready to play football.”
Cappa’s teammate, All-American running back Ja’Quan Gardner, has also received an NFL opportunity. Gardner was invited to join the San Fransisco 49ers in their rookie minicamp this weekend. Gardner has worked very hard for this opportunity and is excited to show the 49ers what he can do.
Cappa will be flying to Florida on May 10, where he will soon begin the Buccaneers rookie minicamp. After the camp, the rookies will get to gather with the rest of the team and then receive some time off before training starts for the 2018 NFL season.
“I think this is phenomenal for [Cappa],” strength and conditioning coach Drew Peterson said, “I cant say enough about his accomplishments, and its a testament to his hard work.”
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
