Markeith Brown played on the team last season. This year he is currently red-shirting in order to get his eligibility back up and we hope to see him next season.
The road he's traveled has been a difficult one. The Columbian did a piece on him to highlight what his journey was like, please take a look.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Tie Breaker
Because Clark is tied with Gray's Harbor for 4th place, they will have to play them one more time to see which team will earn the last spot in the playoffs, GO PENGUINS!
Friday, February 22, 2008
Clark Unhinges LCC
Wednesday night, Feb 20, 2008 undefeated Lower Columbia College Red Devils played host to the Clark College Penguins. From the moment the game began, Clark owned it.
Sophomore Orlando Westbrooks and Bryan Martin led the team with 17 and 15 points respectively but this win was a team effort. From the moment the game began, Clark kept the pressure on with their defense. JC Alexander had the first two points, 4 minutes in Clark was up 8-4. With 10:44 to go in the first half, the game was tied 16-16, but that was the last time LCC would come anywhere near to gaining a lead. Clark hustled for every lose ball, forced turnovers, and pounded the boards.
Freshman Brandon Jones hit a 3 right at the buzzer to make the score at half time 40-24 Clark.
Going into the second half, LCC came out using a full court press. Clark kept their composure and 11 minutes into the second half the score was 64-38 Clark. Clark capitalized off of every missed opportunity by LCC. In the end it was clear, Clark wanted the win and they took it.
Final score 82-61 Clark.
Currently Clark is tied for 3 place with So. Puget Sound. Saturday is their last game of the season before the playoffs begin. They play Green River at Home.
Sophomore Orlando Westbrooks and Bryan Martin led the team with 17 and 15 points respectively but this win was a team effort. From the moment the game began, Clark kept the pressure on with their defense. JC Alexander had the first two points, 4 minutes in Clark was up 8-4. With 10:44 to go in the first half, the game was tied 16-16, but that was the last time LCC would come anywhere near to gaining a lead. Clark hustled for every lose ball, forced turnovers, and pounded the boards.
Freshman Brandon Jones hit a 3 right at the buzzer to make the score at half time 40-24 Clark.
Going into the second half, LCC came out using a full court press. Clark kept their composure and 11 minutes into the second half the score was 64-38 Clark. Clark capitalized off of every missed opportunity by LCC. In the end it was clear, Clark wanted the win and they took it.
Final score 82-61 Clark.
Currently Clark is tied for 3 place with So. Puget Sound. Saturday is their last game of the season before the playoffs begin. They play Green River at Home.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Coverage
Greg Jayne is the sports editor at The Columbian. Last week, I had a chance to speak with him about the basketball team and the lack of coverage seen in the Columbian. Usually the results of the games are just called in to the paper so there is no one person who does the write up. Whoever takes the call, writes the report. Jayne states, “As with everything we put in the paper, we do our best to assess the level of interest throughout the community. We consider the phone calls and e-mails we receive, the amount of discussion on our web site, and the level of attendance at the games. In my time here, I haven’t noticed a huge demand for coverage of
Monday, February 11, 2008
The NWAACC
Lisa Quednow-Bickler is the Athletic Director at Clark College. She also serves as a commissioner on the board for the Northwest Athletic Associate of Community Colleges, also known as the NWAACC. As an athletic director, she oversees all coaches and athletics at Clark. As a member of the board for the NWAACC, she helps makes decisions about the association. For example, she along with the rest of the board met at the end of January to finalize the brackets for the men’s and women’s basketball tournament.
According to Lisa, the NWAACC is made up of thirty-five community colleges in Washington and Oregon. The NWAACC can be compared to NCAA, the responsibilities are the same. These responsibilities include conference tournament management, eligibility, publications, rule enforcement, and sports information. “Community Colleges have grown in the last ten years” says Lisa. With this growth comes the growth of the NWAACC. Like Coach Arnold, Lisa is aware of the role that the community college can play in the student athlete’s life. The NWAACC teamed with the community college has helped many student athletes succeed as they walk out the door and into the real world.
The NWAACC is based in Vancouver, WA at Clark College. Vancouver is a central ground for schools all over Oregon and Washington to meet. There are other associations located throughout the United States including the California Community Colleges Commission on Athletics, the Scenic West Athletic Conference, Arizona Community College Athletic Conference, and the British Columbia Colleges’ Athletic Association.
According to Lisa, the NWAACC is made up of thirty-five community colleges in Washington and Oregon. The NWAACC can be compared to NCAA, the responsibilities are the same. These responsibilities include conference tournament management, eligibility, publications, rule enforcement, and sports information. “Community Colleges have grown in the last ten years” says Lisa. With this growth comes the growth of the NWAACC. Like Coach Arnold, Lisa is aware of the role that the community college can play in the student athlete’s life. The NWAACC teamed with the community college has helped many student athletes succeed as they walk out the door and into the real world.
The NWAACC is based in Vancouver, WA at Clark College. Vancouver is a central ground for schools all over Oregon and Washington to meet. There are other associations located throughout the United States including the California Community Colleges Commission on Athletics, the Scenic West Athletic Conference, Arizona Community College Athletic Conference, and the British Columbia Colleges’ Athletic Association.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
The Coach and His Men
It is 8:00 on a Wednesday night and Clark is playing at home. There is small number of fans in the crowd, mostly friends and families of the players. Clark wins in OT, the next day you can find a short bit about the game in The Columbian, but nothing really detailing the exciting game that took place the night before. There is a great article about the game in the Clark College newspaper The Independent, but only people at the school will get a chance to read it.
Two-year athletic programs are perhaps the most unloved side of college sports. Here there is no spotlight; no ESPN coverage, no glitz, no glamour, no love. The bond between players, coaches, fans has two years to build before it’s taken down and rebuilt. After their two year stay at the community college level is over, it is very common for the student athlete to go onto a university to finish their degree and this may or may not involve also playing sports. Coaches have to work twice as hard to turn their players into student athletes and prepare them for future success. The student athletes who develop over time on the men’s basketball team at Clark College are a prime example of this, and head Coach Mike Arnold knows he has a heavy burden to bear.
After speaking with Mike, I realized that he puts a heavy emphasis on education. He is a health and physical education instructor at the college as well as a head basketball coach, mentor, and friend. In The Independent, Mike states, “I really want my players to focus on their education, because I want them to see what is most important.” I asked him about this and he said that he likes to look out for his guys and wants to make sure they have opportunities when they graduate from Clark. Last year two players, Alex Mitchell and Drew Bergerson received full scholarships to four year universities. These scholarships represent a blending of academic and athletic talent and hard work. For some, the road may end after their two years at Clark. Others may continue their education at another place of higher learning. Whatever the outcome, Coach Arnold wants to see his players realize their potential.
At the next Clark men’s basketball game, you won’t see flashing lights, large cameras and or big names like Bill Walton giving opinions on the outcome of the game. However, what you will see is the determination of the players to give their all on and off the court, with a little inspiration from Coach Arnold.
Two-year athletic programs are perhaps the most unloved side of college sports. Here there is no spotlight; no ESPN coverage, no glitz, no glamour, no love. The bond between players, coaches, fans has two years to build before it’s taken down and rebuilt. After their two year stay at the community college level is over, it is very common for the student athlete to go onto a university to finish their degree and this may or may not involve also playing sports. Coaches have to work twice as hard to turn their players into student athletes and prepare them for future success. The student athletes who develop over time on the men’s basketball team at Clark College are a prime example of this, and head Coach Mike Arnold knows he has a heavy burden to bear.
After speaking with Mike, I realized that he puts a heavy emphasis on education. He is a health and physical education instructor at the college as well as a head basketball coach, mentor, and friend. In The Independent, Mike states, “I really want my players to focus on their education, because I want them to see what is most important.” I asked him about this and he said that he likes to look out for his guys and wants to make sure they have opportunities when they graduate from Clark. Last year two players, Alex Mitchell and Drew Bergerson received full scholarships to four year universities. These scholarships represent a blending of academic and athletic talent and hard work. For some, the road may end after their two years at Clark. Others may continue their education at another place of higher learning. Whatever the outcome, Coach Arnold wants to see his players realize their potential.
At the next Clark men’s basketball game, you won’t see flashing lights, large cameras and or big names like Bill Walton giving opinions on the outcome of the game. However, what you will see is the determination of the players to give their all on and off the court, with a little inspiration from Coach Arnold.
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