Four different underclass athletes stamp fast times including a first-place finish by Humboldt State’s Cessair McKinney

Humboldt State University men’s and women’s cross country competed early in the morning on Oct. 20 at the fog-filled Baywood Country Club in Arcata.

Women

Women 6k sophomores Cessair McKinney and Kaylee Thompson placed one and two helping the Lumberjacks secure a team title.

McKinney and Thompson switched in placing from September’s Humboldt Invitational. This weekend schools, including Cal State Monterey Bay, Sonoma State and Lane Community College, couldn’t keep up with the HSU sophomores. Both Jacks ran together at a close pace and ahead of the pack throughout.

“We race about the same, if you see her up in the front that means I should be up there too,” McKinney said. “I felt good about this race, it’s great for our conference meet in a few weeks, I believe we are ready to go.”

McKinney finished with a winning time of 22:30 and an outstanding average mile time of 6:02. Competition for the Ladyjacks was from Monterey Baby runner Hadley Clark  who placed third just 30 seconds behind McKinney’s time.

With about a kilometer left in the race, Kaylee Thompson tapped McKinney on the side for encouragement. Their teamwork has shown results in many of the Jack’s meets.

Off the course, you can find McKinney and Thompson photobombing their coaches video interviews or doing energetic tandem forward rolls in the direction of the parking lot.

“I was just so happy that she won,” Thompson said.

Men

Men beat Monterey Bay but narrowly took second place and fell to Lane Community College by a team total of 10 minutes and a time of 2:13:36.

Sophomore Elliot Portillo also captured second place individually, 23 seconds from first with a time of 26:03. Carson Cohn was the next Jack to cross the finish line with a 26:29 time that led to a fifth-place ranking.

Both runners acknowledge the difficulty of the course and were excited about their placings and final times. They weren’t the fastest and had problematic areas in the hills but they enjoyed this run.

Portillo credits his teams’ strong performance at the meet to vision and being able to see the competition most of the race.

“We were able to keep the guy from laying in my sights, he made a move on the third lap to gap me,” Portillo said. “I held heavy and had enough space between me and the next guy to secure second.”

Cohn said he has started to see the progress he’s made throughout the season. Just being ten seconds slower than his personal record was a huge accomplishment this weekend. He also was just four seconds slower than his Bronco Invitational time last week at a much faster course.

“It’s much more open here, you don’t get stuck in the single track behind guys,” Cohn said. “Gutsy race, great time, I just kind of went for it.”

Head coach Jamey Harris will prepare both men’s and women’s squad for CCAA championships after this weekend’s final season invitational.

“Big strides at a challenging course,” Harris said. “There’s real progress and we’ll carry that momentum going into the championships.”

Catch the Jacks Nov. 3 in San Bernardino for the CCAA Championships.

Women place and time top 10, 6K

McKinney 22:30 1st

Thompson 22:51 2nd

Gillick 23:34 8th

Melville 23:46 10th

Men place and time top 10, 8K

Portillo 26:03 2nd

Cohn 26:29 5th

Halter 26:57 9th

Ruehrwein 26:58 10th

Women’s soccer kicked off the weekend with a 3-0 shutout against visitor University of California at Santa Cruz and the men followed with a 4-2 win over Sonoma State on Oct. 20 at College Creek Field.

“Going in we knew we only had 3 games left,” said senior midfielder MaKenna Dunn. “We played like we had nothing to lose.”

The Lady Jacks didn’t take long to get on the board as they scored only three minutes into the game. Senior forward Jacquelyn Dompier was able to knock in a rebound off of Santa Cruz’s goalkeeper, Allie Mandel, into a wide open net to give the Jacks a 1-0 lead.

The Jacks then added another goal in the 27th minute as Dompier sent a cross in from the left side to senior midfielder Alex Jenkins for a one touch into the net.

“MVP goes to Jackie, she knew she wanted to score today” said Dunn.

Dompier, who was involved in all Lumberjack goals during the game, added her 2nd of the day at the 30:22 mark off a cross from sophomore midfielder Rose Harman.

The Green and Gold coasted for the rest of the game as they finished with a 3-0 victory, snapping from their two-game losing streak.

“Our focus was having fun,” Dompier said. “When we relax everything feels more natural and it allows you to find creative ways to score.”

While the Jacks offense was on display during the game, the defense also rose to the occasion as the Banana Slugs failed to record a single shot on goal during the second half.

Although it is late in the season, the Lady Jacks as a whole are beginning to click and sophomore midfielder Haley Miller credits their communication.

“We’re a family first off and we talk it out in a positive way,” said Miller. “It’s tough having only one week left with each other but we want to communicate what’s going right or wrong to finish the season strong.”

Both HSU soccer teams have eyes set on ending their 2018 season strong as the men followed up with a 4-2 win over visitors Sonoma State.

“All week we worked on run ins from behind and quick passes,” said junior defender Gus Baxter. “We want to play quickly and train how we play.”

The practice worked well as the Jacks buzzed early throughout the first half of the game. Gus Baxter was able to find the ball at the 21:28 mark to send a header in the goal, off of a pass from senior midfielder Daniel Allred.

Sonoma State’s Sebastian Santos tied the game eight minutes later as he was able to breakaway from Jack defenders.

“We have to be sharper in transition. We get caught up with what the ref is doing when we need to just stay sharp.” said sophomore forward Marco Silveira.

HSU responded seven minutes later as Marco Silveira was able to find the net from a rebound off a Sonoma defender to give the Jacks a 2-1 lead.

The Jacks weren’t finished yet as Dalton Rice capitalized off a corner kick with a header in the 40th minute to give HSU a 3-1 lead before entering the half.

“We stayed dangerous,” said Silveira.

Deep into the second half the Green and Gold finished with another goal at the 70:10 mark. Silveira kept the Jacks offense dangerous with a pass to freshman forward/midfielder Devin Hauenstein giving them a 4-1 lead.

Sonoma’s Sebastian Santos was left alone at the end of the game and knocked in his second goal of the match to set the final score at 4-2.

Women’s soccer will face Cal State Monterey Bay Thursday, Oct. 25 at 12:30 p.m. in another home game.

HSU Men’s Soccer will follow as they too face Cal State Monterey Bay at 3 p.m. at the College Creek Field.

Lady Jacks still on the hunt for first conference win of the season

The Humboldt State Lady Jacks put up a good fight in their 3-0 loss against the Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros on Oct. 11 in Lumberjack Arena.

The first set was the most competitive set with nonstop action after Dominguez Hills started off hot on a 8-4 run. The Jacks rallied back to tie the set at 22-22 with kills by Lauren Reid and Savannah Horton before calling a timeout. The Toros rallied and were able to score three straight points to take the first set 25-22.

“We keep fighting until the very end of every set,” junior middle blocker Emma Flewell said.

Dominguez Hills then scored three unanswered points to take set one, 25-22.

The Jacks marked the first kill in the second set, but it was hard to get Dominguez Hills out of a groove as they came out hot again and took a 6-1 lead. The Toros led most of the second set comfortably, but a run by the Jacks held a 18-15 lead. The run came a little too late as the Toros regained control and took the second set with a score of 25-22.

“We all hustled, but I liked Natalie on the outside. She brought it,” Flewell said. “MVP honestly goes to [her], she hit the highest percentage on the team and we need that.”

Jacks outside hitter Natalie Picone was an issue for Dominguez Hills on both offense and defense but the Toros responded with confidence as they rushed to set their lead at 12-6 in the third set.

“I was fired up and ready to go,” Picone said. “I’m ready to fight for it and I want to bring all the energy I can.”

The Jacks bent but did not break as they got within three points at a 13-10 score. However, the Toros completed their sturdy set with a 25-19 win and posed their best offensive set of the night by hitting .378.

“It’s hard to see us lose, we’re just proud as a team,” said freshman opposite Madeline Woods. “Our outside Natalie Picone does it all and serves as a great role model.”

Picone had nine kills, most coming very timely in the third set for the Jacks, and Lauren Reid led the way with 14 kills. Juliana Bertolucci led the team in assists with a whopping 34 total.

“There were too many unforced errors and we need to stay focused at the end of those close games,” said Picone. “We’re still learning and it’s late in season but we need to start games strong. Once we come out with fire, we’re unstoppable.”

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.

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.

Jacks came back on Sunday to split weekend games

Day 1 Humboldt State vs. San Bernardino

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jacks’ Lauren Reid’s 18 kills not enough

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

Final Results

HSU WOU

Total yards: 266 453

Passing: 156 334

Rushing: 110 119

TOP 26:55 33:05

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.

HSU’s Ladyjacks’ early season struggle continues

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.