Lutes Host St. Olaf to Open 2009 Season

THIS WEEK: Pacific Lutheran hosts St. Olaf in a non-conference game on Saturday at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

THE SERIES: This will be the fourth meeting between the two teams, all serving as season openers for Pacific Lutheran. After playing in back-to-back years from 1947-48, the two teams did not meet again for 60 years until last season's meeting in Minnesota. The Pacific Lutheran College Gladiators defeated St. Olaf, 14-0 and 14-6, during the two earliest contests. Last year, the Oles spoiled the Lutes' opener, winning at home, 17-0.

LAST YEAR: St. Olaf earned its first shutout since 2005 with a 17-0 win over visiting Pacific Lutheran at Manitou Field. Coty Watkins rushed for 113 yards and a score for the Oles, who also had a touchdown run from quarterback John Haberman. The St. Olaf defense collected two safeties, one in the first quarter and another in the third, and it held the Lutes to minus-12 yards rushing and just 10 first downs. PLU starting quarterback Michael Byrne was effective until being knocked out of the game by an injury late in the second quarter. Byrne was 8-for-14 for 143 yards with one interception. That interception, however, came at the St. Olaf one-yard line and ended the Lutes' only real scoring threat on this day. PLU had moved the ball into scoring territory when Byrne hooked up with Isaac Moog on a 66-yard catch-and-run play. Kyle Whitford had four receptions for 35 yards, Moog had three catches for 87 yards and Greg Ford added three catches for 52 yards. The Lutes attempted to run the ball just 14 times and Aaron Murphy was the only player with positive yardage, finishing with 16 yards on seven carries. Evan Endsley had eight receptions for 113 yards to lead the St. Olaf offense, which outgained PLU 365-173. In addition, the Oles possessed the ball for 39:19 compared to just 20:41 for Pacific Lutheran. Haberman threw for 203 yards, completing 17-of-24 attempts. For PLU, Haden Gienger had nine solo tackles and Neal Chalmers collected seven tackles and the Lutes' one interception.

ABOUT ST. OLAF: St. Olaf College, with an enrollment of 3,000, was founded in 1874. Jerry Olszewski, in his first year as Oles' head coach, led the 2008 team to a fifth-place finish in the MIAC with a 4-4 conference record; the Oles were 6-4 overall.

THE OLES LAST WEEK: St. Olaf opened its 2009 season last Saturday with a dominant 33-13 home win over Luther College. Leon Clark rushed for 197 yards and a touchdown, while Carson Jones added six receptions for 148 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback John Haberman completed 10-of-15 passes for 178 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions before leaving the game with an injury.

ABOUT THE COACHES: Scott Westering begins his sixth years as head coach at Pacific Lutheran, where he has compiled a 23-22 overall record. Scott joined the PLU coaching staff in 1981 after playing tight end for the Lutes under his father, Frosty Westering. Since 1983, Scott has served as the Lutes' offensive coordinator, helping PLU to two NAIA Division II and one NCAA Division III national championships, as well as four runner-up finishes. He has coached 11 first-team All-Americans, including the 1999 NCAA Division III Player of the Year, Chad Johnson. Scott was a captain and All-American tight end on the 1980 PLU team that won the Lutes' first NAIA national championship. He was inducted into the PLU Hall of Fame in 1998. For the Oles, Jerry Olszewski has served as head coach for one season, leading St. Olaf to a 6-4 record. This is his first head coaching job after serving as an assistant at Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Minnesota State University-Mankato and California Lutheran. He also spent one season with the Arena Football League's Green Bay Bombers.

WESTERING ON THE OLES: "They are returning a pretty good group of kids from a tough, competitive team out of the MIAC. Coach Olszewski does a great job with them. We're very excited to play them here at home after traveling back to Minnesota for last year's game."

2008 IN REVIEW: Pacific Lutheran compiled a 3-6 overall record, including a 3-3 mark and fourth-place finish in the Northwest Conference.

2009 SCHEDULE NOTES: PLU will play four of its nine regular season games at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup. Game times have been moved up an hour (12:30 p.m.) from recent years for all the home games, with the kickoff against Menlo set at noon to accommodate travel arrangements.

NO ORDINARY FORD: Junior receiver Greg Ford returns as a 2008 first-team all-conference selection. Ford led the Lutes last season with 52 receptions for 951 yards and 11 touchdowns, including a PLU record-breaking 272 yards and five touchdowns against Lewis & Clark.

NWC POLL: Pacific Lutheran has been selected to finish fourth in the annual Northwest Conference preseason coaches poll. Willamette was picked to repeat as champions, with Linfield trailing by a mere two points (one first-place vote). Whitworth was chosen third as the coaches picked the teams to finish in the exact order of last season's standings.

A LIFE WORTH LIVING: Pacific Lutheran will wear patches on its helmets this season to celebrate the life of John "Nellie" Nelson, a PLU football fixture the last two decades who passed away Aug. 30 at the age of 44. Nelson was born on Dec. 20, 1964, in Singapore with the disease Arthrogryposis, which locked all of his joints from the neck down. He also suffered spinal cord problems and had depended on a wheelchair for mobility all of his life. He first became aware of the PLU football program in 1989 while a student at the school, and his involvement in the program helped him see a purpose for his life. He could be found motoring up and down the sideline at Pacific Lutheran football practices and games, offering words of encouragement to the players that became his friends. "He never saw himself as disabled," PLU football head coach Scott Westering said. "His influence has been on the young men of our progam since 1989. He loved people and poured his life and hope in Jesus Christ into them. His life was a classroom, and his students loved him. John Nelson is living his dream that he went to bed with every night," Westering continued. "His dream was to play football. He played through these young men for years, and now I know he's one heck of a halfback up in heaven." Nellie's life story became the focus of an award-winning documentary, "Nellie: A Life Worth Living." The film documents Nellie's life, daily challenges, and life purpose. Though his disease made him unable to feed, bathe or use the bathroom by himself, he chose to inspire and encourage countless hundreds of PLU athletes and students by embracing his life and sharing his story. The documentary won the Heartland Film Festival Crystal Heart Award, the International Family Film Festival award for Best Short Documentary, and the NY International Independent Film & Video Festival Grand Jury Award.

LUTES ON THE AIR: All Pacific Lutheran football games may be heard in the Puget Sound area on KLAY 1180 AM with Steve Thomas calling the action and Karl Hoseth handling the color commentary. The games may also be heard online at www.klay1180.com.

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