SOU football – Dylan Young

@SOU_Football @SOURaiders @DY_Lee11

This weekend the Southern Oregon University football team will be on the road again, taking on the College of Idaho Yotes. Carroll is the only team in the Frontier Conference getting much respect from the coaches doing the NAIA national rankings. The coaches seem to look more at records and the teams’ performances in prior years than strength of schedule in the current year, who a team beat, or where games take place.

College of Idaho doesn’t garner any votes from the coaches, but more accurate and objective rankings like Hensley Ratings say otherwise. There, the Yotes are ranked #15. In addition, College of Idaho is undefeated at home. Still, Hensley Ratings predicts the Raiders will be victorious by a touchdown.

Posted on October 23rd, 2014 under people. Tags: dylan young, football, Nikon 300mm f/4.0D ED-IF AF-S Nikkor Lens, Nikon D600, Raider Athletics, Southern Oregon University, sports photography. Comments Off on Raiders head to Idaho

Ashland High School volleyball – Olivia Rooney and Myla Norvell

The Grizzlies headed up I-5 to Central Point to take on the first place Crater Comets last night. The place was packed, hot, and loud. Ashland won the first set, but ultimately didn’t come out victorious. Crater had won all 18 of their previous home sets this year so Ashland did do something unprecedented even if they didn’t end up with a W.

Ashland did not fall in the rankings. Assuming they remain at #7 after Friday’s match and Saturday’s tournament, they will have a home play-in game on Tuesday, October 28 against South Albany, currently ranked #25. Assuming Ashland wins that one, they will then have a home game against #10 Marist on November 1. If the rankings change, they could end up playing #9 Crescent Valley or #11 Pendleton.

Posted on October 22nd, 2014 under only in ashland. Tags: ashland high school, myla norvell, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II, Nikon D750, sports photography, volleyball. Comments Off on AHS volleyball heads into final, regular-season weekend

SOU football – Dustin Fretwell

@SOU_Football @SOURaiders

With the Raiders loss to Carroll College the NAIA Football Coaches Poll rather unfairly dropped SOU three spots in the rankings. Both Carroll and SOU are undefeated against a similar schedule. (In fact, SOU has one more win than Carroll and no more losses.) SOU beat Carroll by 3 points at home. Carroll beat SOU by 2 points at home. Anyone who has watched both of those games would say that the teams are evenly matched. They would probably win about 50 games each if they played each other 100 times. Yet Carroll is ranked #3 while SOU is ranked #7. Why?

If SOU wins the rest of their games they will get at least one home game in the playoffs. However, if Carroll wins the rest of their games they will get at least two home games in the playoffs. Why?

Hopefully, SOU wins the rest of their games and a few teams ahead of SOU in the current rankings are upset between now and November 15.

Posted on October 20th, 2014 under people. Tags: football, Raider Athletics, Southern Oregon University, sports photography. Comments Off on Down to #7

2014 AHS volleyball team celebrates the block

Last night, the Grizzlies played two league games in Eagle Point. However, Eagle Point was not their opponent. They lost to Marist and beat North Eugene. This adds additional intrigue to Tuesday’s match against Crater as an Ashland victory will leave the conference with a three-way tie for first place. Crater has beaten Marist twice, Marist has beaten Ashland twice, and Ashland has beaten Crater. Unfortunately for Ashland, the Crater game is on the road, and Ashland didn’t get a home game all season against Marist.

The following week begins the state tournament. The good news for Ashland is even if they lose to Crater, they will still have at least one home playoff game.

Posted on October 19th, 2014 under people. Tags: ashland high school, ellie, Nikon 85mm f/1.8 g lens, Nikon D750, sports photography, volleyball. Comments Off on Ashland High School volleyball

SOU volleyball – Lauren McGowne

@SOURaiders @RaiderVB

The Southern Oregon University volleyball team swept Corban and Northwest Christian these past two days on the road. They are now 11-1 in the conference and will be big favorites in Ashland for next weekend’s contests.

Posted on October 18th, 2014 under only in ashland. Tags: Lauren McGowne, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II, Nikon D750, Raider Athletics, Southern Oregon University, sports photography, volleyball. Comments Off on Raiders go 6-0 in sets this weekend

SOU football – Nathaniel Timoteo (78) and Keegan Lawrence (36)

@SOU_Football @SOURaiders @k_law21

Huge game today for the Raiders as they take on the #3 Saints of Carroll College in Montana. The only reason Carroll isn’t ranked #2 is because SOU beat them at home earlier this year. Supposedly you can watch the game here this afternoon.

P.S. Keegan broke the tackle in today’s photo and rambled for another 10 yards on the play. He is averaging 7.7 yards per carry in his freshman season.

Posted on October 18th, 2014 under people. Tags: football, keegan lawrence, Nikon 300mm f/4.0D ED-IF AF-S Nikkor Lens, Nikon D750, Raider Athletics, Southern Oregon University, sports photography. Comments Off on Game day

@kendra_mk13 @SOUWomensSoccer @SOURaiders

We all learned from the Arizona-Oregon football game that an excessive celebration penalty can be very costly. On that occasion the Ducks may have lost the game (and the national championship) because of the penalty.

Today’s series of photos show another kind of penalty for excessive celebration. 😉

SOU soccer – Kendra Madaras-Kelly and Kelsey Randall hit the turf

Posted on October 15th, 2014 under people. Tags: Kelsey Randall, Kendra Madaras-Kelly, megan mcarthur, Nikon 300mm f/4.0D ED-IF AF-S Nikkor Lens, Nikon D750, Raider Athletics, soccer, Southern Oregon University, sports photography. Comments Off on Excessive celebration penalty

AHS volleyball – Soleil Lena

In a non-league game tonight at Ashland High School, Cascade Christian will pay the Grizzlies a visit. CCHS is one of the top 3A volleyball programs in the state. They have a perfect record against 3A teams and have beat several 4A and 5A teams. Ashland is coming off a weekend in which they were victorious against a couple of higher ranked 5A teams (Bend #2 and Summit #4 who were both defeated by Ashland on their home turf). So on paper this perhaps looks like another easy Ashland victory. However, Ashland will be without senior starters Jordan Tilley and Grace Lenthe so the underclassmen will need to step up their game. This should be a good one. Things will get started at about 7 p.m.

Posted on October 15th, 2014 under only in ashland, people. Tags: ashland high school, Nikon 85mm f/1.8 g lens, Nikon D750, sports photography, volleyball. Comments Off on Volleyball battle in Ashland tonight

SOU men’s basketball – Eric Thompson

@SOURaiders

Fellow senior, Tim Weber, is also forecasted to be an all-conference player this year. The first game in Ashland is scheduled for Halloween. More details here.

Posted on October 15th, 2014 under only in ashland. Tags: basketball, Raider Athletics, Southern Oregon University, sports photography. Comments Off on Eric Thompson predicted to be the “Men’s Basketball Player of the Year”