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| W&J's upperclassmen make
sure to keep alive the memory of former running back Tim McNerney,
who was killed in October 2012, for those who never knew
him. Washington and Jefferson athletics photo |
By Adam Turer
D3sports.com
No team should have to know how the Linfield football program feels this month. No group of young men should experience the gamut of emotions from grief to anger to sorrow to resiliency to the pressure and joy of playoff football.
Unfortunately, another program among the final 16 teams still playing this season has been in Linfield’s shoes. More than 2,600 miles from McMinnville, Ore., Washington and Jefferson still feels the pain that program experienced in 2012.
Like the 2014 Wildcats, the 2012 Presidents had to endure the loss of one of their own prior to the opening round of the postseason. Playoff football did not heal their wounds, but it certainly helped.
After running back Tim McNerney was murdered on Oct. 4, 2012, the Presidents won their final four contests to earn a share of the PAC championship and a playoff berth. On Nov. 15, Linfield linebacker Parker Moore suffered a similarly tragic and senseless death. Both teams opened their next game by running their first offensive play with just ten men on the field to honor their fallen teammate.
Washington and Jefferson found that playing extra football was a blessing, and hopes that Linfield finds similar comfort in the normalcy of daily preparation. “It probably helped us to keep playing football, to stay together with our football family,” said W&J head coach Mike Sirianni. “I’m sure they’re using a lot of the same motivation we used. The strength of their football family will get them through.”
Linfield coach Joe Smith agreed. His team is still processing the loss of Moore, but at least they are doing so together. They get to practice and watch film together as they prepare to take on Mary Hardin-Baylor on Saturday.
“I think that one of the worst things you can do in trying to handle grief is to be by yourself,” said Smith. “It is tremendously important that our team is still together this week.”
The Wildcats took the field for their opening playoff game less than one week after Moore’s death. They did all they could to honor him before, during, and after the game. They used their pain to fuel their performance, jumping out to a 28-0 first quarter lead en route to a 55-24 win over Chapman.
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| Linfield honored fallen
teammate Parker Moore before taking the field against Chapman, less
than one week after he was killed. Photo by B. Scott Presley, d3photography.com |
“We really had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know how we would come out emotionally,” said Smith. “I knew that we’d be really emotional. Sometimes that can help you, and sometimes it can hurt you. That was a nice surprise.”
The only players who may be able to relate to the Wildcats’ roster are the Washington and Jefferson upperclassmen preparing to take on Mount Union this week. In training camp each of the past two years, they have made sure to share stories of McNerney with their incoming teammates so that they better understand what he means to them and the tragedy that the team endured two seasons ago.
“That was such an emotional ride,” said senior cornerback Alec Schram. “We try to get the younger kids to realize what kind of kid Tim was and how devastating that was for all of us.”
Football helped the players heal and helped McNerney’s teammates appreciate their opportunities more than ever. They still listen to his music in the locker room to inspire them before they take the field. Then, they line up and play--for each other.
“When we get into the game, the focus is on football,” said Schram. “Especially for us seniors. We’ve only lost four games [over the past two seasons]. Why not just keep winning?”
Each team will face its toughest test of the season on Saturday. The Presidents travel to familiar territory to face third-ranked Mount Union, while the Wildcats head to Belton, Texas for the first time to play the second-ranked Crusaders. While Washington and Jefferson has been the road team in its past five playoff games, the Wildcats are accustomed to playing more than one home playoff game before heading east. A disappointing regular season loss to Willamette on Nov. 1 meant that the Wildcats needed to win out just to qualify for the postseason.
Smith called the Willamette loss “the most humiliating, disgracing game I’ve been a part of in my 20 years here,” and took blame for not having his team ready to play. That defeat shook up the Wildcats, who had not lost a conference game since 2008.
“After that game, it was a wonderful wake-up call for us,” said Smith. “We were able to refocus.”
Now, his team gets to go on the road as an underdog in the second round of the postseason. It is unfamiliar territory to a team that normally enters the playoffs ranked in the top five. After the pressure of defending the conference championship and needing wins in the final two regular season games just to guarantee a playoff berth, the Wildcats are welcoming their new role this week.
“I think it’s great having nothing to lose,” said Smith. “It’s real refreshing for us. It’s something we’re not used to.”
The Presidents are far more familiar with playing on the road in late November against a heavily favored opponent, usually their coach’s alma mater in Alliance. Washington and Jefferson scrimmages Mount Union each preseason and the junior varsity teams have met twice this year. Based on geography, the Presidents have been sent to the same four-team pod as the Purple Raiders in each of the past three tournaments. They realize that their path to Salem goes directly through Alliance.
“Our players know them well. They don’t care that their coach went there,” said Sirianni. “We know that if we ever want to get to our ultimate goal, we’re going to have to get over that hump.”
The Presidents got over one barrier by winning their first playoff game since 2008. Thanks to an offense that jumped out to a 17-0 lead behind quarterback Pete Coughlin and a defense that set a school record with eight interceptions, the Presidents looked like the better team from start to finish in a 41-25 win at Wittenberg.
“It’s a big confidence booster to get a playoff win and get back into that conversation of being a top 10-15 team,” said Sirianni.
This week will require some adjustments. Ryan Ruffing is dealing with a “lower-body injury” and only carried the ball eight times in Saturday’s win. Thanks to the aggressive defense led by Schram and classmate Jared Pratt, the Presidents did not need to win a shootout and could rest their all-conference running back. That game plan will surely need tweaking this week against Kevin Burke, the Purple Raiders quarterback who has thrown just 12 interceptions over the past two seasons.
“We were able to get on [Wittenberg] quickly and get them out of their comfort zone,” said Sirianni. “We can’t be one-dimensional [on offense] this weekend.”
Mount Union boasts both the top offense and defense statistically in the nation. Washington and Jefferson’s defense played a game for the ages against Wittenberg, forcing nine turnovers. They will need to play out of their minds for a second straight week to slow down the Purple Raiders.
“We know our offense will score,” said Schram, one of two Presidents who nabbed three interceptions against Wittenberg. “We have a bend but don’t break philosophy.”
That philosophy includes blitzing aggressively and buckling down on third down and in the red zone. The attacking defense allowed the secondary to intercept eight passes in a variety of ways—some balls were underthrown, others were deflected, and sometimes the quarterback was so rattled that he made a bad read and threw one right to a defender. As long as the defensive backs don’t get beat deep, they are confident that they won’t get beat, period.
“The pressure up front causes bad throws and forced throws,” said Schram. “As DBs, we just have to keep everything in front of us.”
The Wildcats defense has not bent and rarely broken, which should give them more of a chance against the nation’s number two scoring offense. Linfield’s defense has been consistent, ranking second in total defense behind Mount Union. The team has struggled in three contests this season, including the loss to Willamette and the season opener against Chapman. Each time, the Wildcats started slow on offense. Since losing to the Bearcats, Linfield has outscored its last three opponents 121-3 in the first half.
“You try for a fast start every game. We’ve tried to emphasize that,” said Smith. “Sometimes, it just happens.”
Preparing to face one of the top teams in the nation helps keep these coaches and their players focused on football. Any loss they may suffer on the field will pale in comparison to the losses they have suffered off of it.
Over time, the Presidents have found that their memories of McNerney go far beyond football. The program named its weight room after him, but his legacy means more to his coaches and teammates than football.
“Tim is still a big part of our football program, but we have found that just winning games for him is not the best way to honor him,” said Sirianni. “We try to act better as people every day to honor his legacy.”
The Wildcats entered their game against Chapman with far more on their minds than football. The victory was not as meaningful as the emotion and camaraderie that Moore’s teammates put into their performance. In honoring Moore, the Wildcats learned something about themselves.
“Whether we won or lost didn’t seem real important. We decided to go out and play our best and play for one another,” said Smith. “I think there’s a valuable life lesson in that.”