By Alan K. Fox/The Torch
Alan K. Fox
alankfox@lcctorch.com
One thing that makes college athletics interesting is the high turnover rate. In most cases the student-athletes are only around four seasons, and then they move onto their careers, whether it is professional sports or whatever their major might be.
At the junior college level we usually see our athletes for two years, and then they move on.
Since I have been here at Lane, I have been on campus with a lot of the Titans soccer team and it has been a joy to watch the progress that Head Coach Dave Ellis has made with his sophomores.
After last week’s win over Southern Region Champion Clackamas Cougars, it was a bitter sweet feeling knowing it was the last regular season game for the team, and that for me, the run of covering the base of the team was almost over.
You could get the impression that the ladies may have been feeling the same way. It was the first win for the team over the Southern Region rival Cougars for this group and there was no denying it meant a lot to the team.
The excitement shown by the sophomores lit up the area around them and their embraces between them and the coaches, was unlike anything I had seen over the last two years.
It was then that I realized how fast and crazy the cycle of junior college sports is.
It seems like it was just a months ago that I walked onto the old field down in the bowl to cover the Titans first home game of last season, and noticed the talent level the team had.
Much to my surprise, after the game I found out most of the team was freshmen, and I was excited to know I would be around for most of the team’s career here at Lane.
While the team has lost a few players from last year’s team, it is evident that the sophomores are the leaders and the progress they have made from last season to this one has been exciting to see.
It’s been one helluva run and thanks for the excitement!
Sports Editor Alan K. Fox can be reached at alankfox@lcctorch.com, on Twitter @alankfox or at (541) 463-5657.
