The Puget Sound campus has been echoing with the sound of whistles as of late, heralding the start of the fall sports season.
Morning and night, the sports fields have been a hive of activity as our Puget Sound athletes practice and compete in a medley of sports.
As the season begins, athletes and fans alike cannot help but turn their attention to the one team on campus that is in need of the most support from the campus community. That team is the Logger football team.
The Loggers finished last season with an overall record of 0-9, finishing seventh in the Northwest Conference. It is a record that does not provide an overall sense of positive morale or Logger pride and, unfortunately, it is a losing streak that will never be forgotten.
Logger supporters have little faith in the football team. Although it is a new season, the campus community does not see them as beginning with a clean slate. Rather, their efforts are compared to their previous failures on the field.
It is true: It is hard to forget the 2011 season record. It will forever be cemented in the mind of every Logger and will always come to mind if they are ever presented with the question, “How’s the football team?”
However, let us not forget that there are also positives concerning Logger football.
Senior Adam Kniffin (Salem, Ore.) has been named, for the second season in a row, to a preseason All-American team. Kniffin ended his 2011 season ranked second in Division III for receptions per game. He also led the NWC with the most yards at 110.6 yards per game and 12 receiving touchdowns.
Kniffin also holds eight of the nine receiving records for the school with the final record in reach. He has 2,264 receiving yards under his belt and is now only 58 yards shy of Mike Bos’ school record of 2,312 yards which was set between 1979-82.
However, personal records aside, the team has potential to set their sights high this season. With 15 returning starters and many new players, the team is hoping to take to the field with a more experienced team.
Yes, a win evaded the team throughout the 2011 season but that does not mean that the Loggers will inevitably lose every game in 2012.
Yes, the team has not started the season off on the right foot, falling to both Sawnee and Chapman in the first games of the season. But that can change.
This Saturday, Sept. 22 marks the first home game for the Loggers as they face off against Whittier. Perhaps this should be the game where the campus community shows a little more confidence in their football team.
It is amazing what a little encouragement can do for a team. A little more maroon and white in the stadium and some raucous cheering might just be a move in the right direction.
Also, let’s not forget that the team has been working extremely hard over the past few weeks. Campus has not been ringing with whistle calls for nothing.
The team is hard at work perfecting their offensive and defensive play. The Loggers have nowhere to go but up. What happened last season is now in the past and does not foretell the future.
Loggers, support your team. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Let’s overwhelm the stadium with Logger pride and show our athletes that we are confident that this season will be their season.
