exactly the allure of high
school football is intangible. It\u2019s the
sights, sounds and smells. It\u2019s 11
youth striving toward a common
goal, summoning courage and over-
coming obstacles. Maybe
it\u2019s just being drawn to sta-
dium lights like a gnat to a
light bulb.

I first remember the
allure as a grade schooler,
enamored by the mammoth
players who dressed in
pads looked like knights in

As a high schooler
myself I learned the joy of road trips,
pep bands, homecoming floats and
cheerleaders in addition to watching
my peers on the gridiron.

Now as a journalist I make my liv-
ing on prep athletics in a county with
a rich football tradition. It\u2019s a task I
take seriously and something I enjoy.
But I also hope that our coverage of
high school football is taken into per-

while trying to capture the moments
felt at the football field tends to blow
things like high school athletics out
of proportion. We inevitably create
hyperbole by trumping up these Fri-
day night heroes.

One of the first books I read that
didn\u2019t contain pictures
or popups and wasn\u2019t
forced to read for Eng-
lish class was H.G.
Bissinger\u2019s \u201cFriday
Night Lights\u201d which
was later adapted into
a screenplay and even-
tually a TV series.

I gravitated toward the book the
same way Bissinger was drawn to
Texas \u2014 thinking the book would be
a light slice-of-life book about a
sport, much like \u201cHoosiers\u201d was for

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Close losses doomed the Indians to just their fourth
losing season in 38 years under Thurman Bell and
the Tribe is out to redeem itself

News-Review Sports Editor: Tom Eggers
Sports Reporters: Dan Jones, Rob McCallum, Taylor Kanen
Photographers: Robin Loznak, Jeff Wick, Jon Austria
Designer: Rob McCallum

Sun pounded Lucas Corder and Josh
Weaver as they walked along Harvard
Avenue last week, their legs tired and bod-
ies sore from days spent training under the
summer sky at Finlay Field.

Instead of retreating to an air-condi-
tioned house and the nearest Xbox, the
Roseburg football players decided to stay
outside and visit local businesses.

\u201cWe want people to
know that this team
could be great,\u201d Corder
said.

It\u2019s been one year
since the program
experienced its first
losing season since
1979. The mental por-
traits of the Indians\u2019 3-8
season are splattered
with close calls and
stained with disap-
pointment.

But this new season,
with a fresh canvas
overlooking the South-
west Conference and
plenty of paint and
brushes, looks promis-
ing. At each stop on
Corder and Weaver\u2019s

\u201cThis season means so much to us,\u201d
Weaver said. \u201cWe want our community to
be a part of it.\u201d

The Indians have depth on their offen-
sive and defensive lines that head coach
Thurman Bell said he hasn\u2019t seen in years

\u2014 and he\u2019s been at Roseburg for 38 and
counting. The Indians bring back an expe-
rienced senior quarterback in Thaddeus
Davis and powerful, elusive senior backs
in Weaver and Corder. The roster includes
six starters returning on both offense and
defense, a batch of experienced wide
receivers and an intriguing mix of young
talent.

The Indians got off to a rocky start last
season, going 0-4 before beating Forest
Grove 51-19 at home. But the Tribe would
clean up, clobbering North Medford 42-14
to seal up the SWC\u2019s fourth and final
playoff berth, but ultimately falling 27-20
to McNary in the opening round of the
Class 6A state playoffs. Five of their loss-
es came by eight points or less, including
a strong home showing against SWC rival
Grants Pass.

\u201cThe goal is to pick up where we left
off,\u201d said Bell, who\u2019s 13 victories away
from the 300-win career mark. He ranks
No. 3 all-time in wins among Oregon high
school football coaches.

season SWC coaches poll. Sheldon is first,
Grants Pass second, South Medford third,
North Medford fifth and South Eugene
sixth.

The Indians open their season against
Gresham tonight at Finlay Field. Roseburg
lost 23-21 to the Gophers on the road in
last year\u2019s season opener. The Indians also
host Beaverton, Aloha, Sheldon and South
Medford this season.

Roseburg\u2019s depth on the line begins
with juniors Mike Hart (6-foot, 219
pounds), Brandon Wyscaver (6-4, 330),
Anthony Steingrobe (5-10, 255) and John
Queant (6-7, 330). Lacrosse players Mike
Highley (senior) and Sean Burris (senior),
wrestler Marq Randall (sophomore) and
senior veteran Jesse Archambault (6-2,
227) offer strength and athleticism.

Archambault, a defensive end and offen-
sive tackle, has started since his sophomore
year, while Wyscaver and Hart started last
season. Andrew Reed is a 297-pound senior.

\u201cI just see this year, for the first time in
several years, now we have an abundance
of big kids,\u201d Bell said. \u201cSo there is a lot
more competition for spots. The last two or
three years, numbers-wise, we have been
pretty thin up front. Right now we have
some big kids who are out there working
very hard and there\u2019s a lot of competition.\u201d

Davis returns as the team\u2019s starting
quarterback. He went 73-of-139 for 1,117
yards and 10 touchdowns with 10 inter-
ceptions in 2008.

Close losses doomed the Indians to just their fourth losing season under head coach Thurman Bell

Roseburg
coach
Thurman
Bell