West Linn Lions end 14 year losing streak to Lake Oswego Lakers

Walker McCrae
September 30, 2013

West Linn (3-2, 1-0 Three Rivers League) battles all night and makes history by beating Lake Oswego (1-4, 0-1 TRL) 7-3.

For the past 14 years, the Lake Oswego Lakers have beaten West Linn in every annual matchup. This year though, things were different. The Lakers struggled against top competition, losing to Jesuit, Central Catholic, and Southridge. Lake Oswego barely squeaked by with a one-point win over Olympia High School in Wash.

In the previous two years, the Lions had been outscored 69-0 and hadn’t put up a single point since the first quarter of the 2010 matchup, which Lake Oswego won 7-6.

There was a certain feeling amongst students of West Linn, a feeling that this was our year.

“We knew going into the game we could win,” Braden Vogt, senior wide receiver/cornerback, said. “We had a great week of practice and were well prepared. We knew we just had to play our game and execute and we would have a good chance.”

“The mindset was to go out and compete and leave it all on the field, and we knew we could beat them,” Hayden Coppedge, senior quarterback, said.

The first score came on a 28 yard Lake Oswego field goal but it could have been a lot worse. The Lakers intercepted the ball and ran it all the way back to the end zone but were called for holding forcing them to work from about the 40 yard line. The Lions defense came through and forced them to kick a field goal.

West Linn finally scored on an epic 50 yard run from Louie Germain, senior, who added his 13^th touchdown of the season.

It was then a defensive battle with both teams not willing to give an inch. Both offenses were not able to produce, and with just under 20 seconds remaining, Lake Oswego had the ball.

The Lakers had to move the ball downfield and quickly if they wanted a chance to win. On 4^th down they launched a Hail Mary and the ball seemed to float in the air for what seemed to be an eternity. It dropped harmlessly out of bounds and West Linn regained possession. With the rain pouring down, the Lions ran the clock to triple zeroes and emerged victorious. They had finally beaten Lake Oswego.

“It felt amazing,” said Vogt. “All the hard work we have been putting in since February finally is paying off. It was a great way to end my last game against LO.”

“It felt great to beat LO especially being a senior and losing to them every year,” Coppedge said.

West Linn will take on number five ranked Clackamas (5-0, 1-0 TRL) this Friday at West Linn for their Homecoming game. In the mean time, the Lions will cherish this victory over Lake Oswego for years to come.

“We have a lot of young talent on our team so I think we can continue beating LO in years to come,” Vogt said.

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About the Contributor

Walker McCrae, Staff Reporter

Before Walker McCrae, senior, realized his dream of becoming a sports manager, he was faced with one task, one court and one orange leather ball. “Walker! Get on the bench!” belched his eighth grade basketball coach, distinguishable by his lopsided scowl and aggravated temper. Now staring back down to the ball, McCrae watched as the grips slipped from his fingers and the ball hit the court with a bounce and a resounding thud. Another game, another bench, another hour and a half watching the ball pass from player to player while he sat on the sidelines. Yet this time, as he took his seat, he reached a sudden epiphany. “I realized that I sucked at sports,” McCrae said, “So, logically, I became interested in sports management.” Today, instead of framing his daily life around school sports, McCrae punches his alarm at 7:15 a.m., parks his red Honda Pilot in spot 86 by 8 a.m. and, after the day ends, pulls into his driveway after fighting 20 minutes of after-school traffic. McCrae still incorporates Intramurals Basketball and tennis into his schedule during winter and spring, yet he is more invested in sports management than any other athletic interest. “Last year, I was the editor for the Athletics section, and I still contribute a large amount of articles to Athletics,” McCrae said. “My love of journalism has fed into my desire to manage a sports team by boosting my knowledge of sports culture. It has also made me respect the media immensely, as I am well aware how difficult it is to be a journalist.” McCrae hopes to pursue financial/economic studies at his school of choice-- Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University. Once accepted to Barrett or another college with a Business program, McCrae plans to take every opportunity available, such as job shadowing and internships, to climb the management ladder. “Sports Management is a rigorous, competitive pursuit,” McCrae said, “but I’m super excited. I really have to bring it, not only in the classroom but also when I’m building connections with people. That’s what’ll make the difference.” For now, McCrae can be seen in the halls with a few friends, laughing at inside jokes while watching play-by-plays on his phone. “All of my friends want to be biologists, statisticians, mathematicians,” McCrae said. “I’m one of the few people I know who wants to go into my field. That doesn’t mean other kids aren’t interested in it nationwide, so like I said, I’ll still have to bring it.”