RECRUITING
Taggart gets his QB
The Tyler Shough visit and subsequent commitment seemed to come out of nowhere, but it is one of those things that happens behind the scenes. Sometimes we can mention things, others not so much.
The misadventures of the North Carolina Tar Heels are not the reason for Shough’s change of heart. The reality is that Oregon offers a lot more for the family and when the staff reached out to gauge interest, it was something that went beyond a cursory ‘maybe’ response.
As has been detailed, Shough has family from Oregon. Those ties are deeper than many know, however. Shough’s mom Dana went to West Albany High School and still has plenty of family in Oregon; including a sister who lives in Springfield.
The family has been through tremendous adversity for most of Shough’s life after his mother was diagnosed with stage-4 breast cancer when Shough was just five years old. The ensuing battle with cancer has strengthened the entire family. Shough, who carries a 4.5 grade point average has progressed tremendously over the course of the last two seasons, but has really been most impressive with his dedication and leadership both on and off the field.
As for other good news, the visit by Devon Williams and Talanoa Hufanga have really put Oregon in the early drivers seat. Expect the Beavers interim coach to put a heavy push to get Hufanga to stay in town, but the uncertainty there will only help Oregon with Hufanga.
As for Williams, his relationship with several current players is going to be a major factor down the stretch in Oregon’s favor.
Devon Williams
Williams is one of the absolute best players int he entire nation; he earned his fifth star with a dominating performance during the Opening Finals; and he is more than just a long shot for Oregon. If Oregon wants to keep their lofty status in the team recruiting rankings, they are going to have to augment their class with at least one five-star player – and Williams is the best bet.
Williams has been to Oregon multiple times and will get up to Eugene again. I know that there is some pressure to stay close to home, but I think Oregon is still in very good shape here. I don’t make ‘predictions’ and don’t give too much credence to them unless I talk to someone directly; so don’t get too concerned, Oregon has played the recruitment of Williams very well.
Postseason baseball-The most wonderful time of the year!
This is my favorite time of the year as the two worlds of youthful dreams for a now aged former athlete collide. I love two sports; college football and baseball. So October to me is about the best time of the year.
I am an Oakland A’s fan, so I tend to have to adopt a post-season favorite. Last year, for obvious reasons I tended to feel the pain of Cubs fans and decided they were my ‘team of the season.’ It did not hurt that way back when I was a young guy, working at a bar in LaGrande, we had a customer named Gene; he must have been about 80 at the time and he was a long-suffering Cub fan. He used to come in every Saturday in the summer and watch the Cubs on WGN.
Though I have not adopted a team yet, I watched last night as the Yankees beat the Indians to advance to the ALCS. I don’t hate the Yankees like some; but I also really don’t like them. I do like good baseball, though, and I saw some of the best clutch hitting in quite some time when Brett Gardiner fought off pitch-after-pitch before finally getting a line drive single to plate the go-ahead (and eventual game winning) run for the Yankees. It was the purest of pure baseball and I loved watching every pitch; every swing; every foul ball. It was like poetry.
As for my post season adoption, I am thinking I really want to cheer for the Dodgers as a very big Clayton Kersha fan. Now let’s hope I didn’t just curse them!