Small College Football -- Best Of Cfa To Face Off Saturday -- Plu, Linfield Offer A Classic Matchup

Perennial small-college football powers Linfield and Pacific Lutheran, considered the best of the Columbia Football Association teams, will begin their seasons by playing each other Saturday night at the Tacoma Dome.

The matchup of PLU's highly regarded offense against what is expected to be a stout Linfield defense highlights the opening of the CFA's ninth season of NAIA Division II competition.

Linfield is ranked No. 2 and PLU No. 5 in this week's Division II national poll. Both teams won their respective CFA leagues last season. Linfield, located in McMinnville, Ore., won the Mount Hood League. PLU, located in Parkland, ranked No. 5 nationally, won the Mount Rainier League.

Senior quarterback Marc Weekly of Puyallup and running backs Chad Barnett of Fife and Aaron Tang of Salem, Ore., are expected to be Coach Frosty Westering's prime offensive players in his 22nd season at PLU.

Weekly, 6 feet and 180 pounds, has thrown for 5,656 yards in three seasons. He needs just 1,030 yards to become the CFA's career leader in total offense. He already is the career leader in touchdowns passing or rushing with 86.

"Right now, Pacific Lutheran is the class of the league, primarily because of Weekly," Western Washington Coach Rob Smith said. "I haven't seen a contest yet where the opposing team has been able to take him out of the game."

Besides proving to be excellent runners, Barnett and Tang have been among Weekly's favorite targets. Last year, Barnett rushed for 414 yards and six touchdowns and caught 39 passes for 522 yards and six touchdowns. Tang rushed for 398 yards and five touchdowns and caught 43 passes for 665 yards and seven touchdowns.

Linfield minus quarterback Shannon Sells and running back Gary McGarvie from last year, probably will rely on its defense, at least early in the season. Eight defensive starters are back, including NAIA All-American linebacker Julian Tyrell of Honolulu.

Sells rushed for 20 touchdowns and threw for 17 more, and McGarvie rushed for 1,322 yards in leading Linfield to the finals of the NAIA Division II playoffs in Ed Langsdorf's first season as head coach. The Wildcats scored playoff victories over Western Washington, PLU and Minot State (N.D.), before losing to Findlay (Ohio) 26-13 in the championship game.

As usual, The CFA is divided into two leagues - Mount Rainier (PLU, Western Washington, Central Washington, Simon Fraser, Puget Sound and Whitworth) and Mount Hood (Linfield, Lewis & and Clark, Western Oregon, Eastern Oregon, Southern Oregon and Willamette).

Following four weeks of interleague play, conference action games will begin Oct. 16.

MOUNT RAINIER LEAGUE

CENTRAL WASHINGTON -- Where: Ellensburg. -- Coach: Jeff Zenisek, second year (6-3). -- 1992 record: 6-3 overall, 3-2 league (tied for second). -- Returning starters: eight on offense, including all-league slotback Tyson Raley (Prairie), who rushed for 351 yards and five touchdowns and caught 49 passes for 489 yards and a touchdown in 1992; eight on defense.

PACIFIC LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY

-- Where: Parkland. -- Coach: Frosty Westering, 22nd year at PLU (169-45-3). -- 1992 record: 9-2 overall, 5-0 league (first). -- Returning starters: eight on offense, including all-league quarterback Marc Weekly (Puyallup), who completed 149 of 248 passes for 2,169 yards and 24 touchdowns in 1992, all-league running back Chad Barnett (Tacoma), all-league offensive linemen Jeff Douglas (Tigard, Ore.) and Brian Flattum (Renton); five on defense, including all-league linebacker Jon Rubey (Des Moines).

UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND

-- Where: Tacoma. -- Coach: Ross Hjelseth, ninth year (34-37-1). -- 1992 record: 3-6 overall, 1-4 league (fifth). -- Returning starters: Seven on offense; 10 on defense, including all-league linebacker Craig Chamberlain (Spokane) and punter Todd Cooley (Mount Vernon).

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

-- Where: Burnaby, B.C. -- Coach: Chris Beaton, 11th year (44-53). -- 1992 record: 5-4 overall, 3-2 league (tied for second). -- Returning starters: five on offense, including all-league lineman Mike Schneider (Kelowna, B.C.) and all-league placekicker Jaime Parades (Vancouver, B.C.); eight on defense, including all-league linemen Doug Peterson (Fort St. John, B.C.) and Ryan Banks (Abbotsford, B.C.), and all-league linebacker Paul Zuccato (W. Vancouver, B.C.).

WESTERN WASHINGTON

-- Where: Bellingham. -- Coach: Rob Smith, fifth year (22-14-1) -- 1992 record: 7-3 overall, 3-2 league (tied for second). -- Returning starters: eight on offense, including all-league running back Jon Brunaugh (Vancouver, Wash.), 220 carries for 1,064 yards last season; six on defense.

WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY

-- Where: Spokane. -- Coach: Blaine "Shorty" Bennett, seventh year (20-33-1). -- 1992 record: 2-7 overall, 0-5 league (sixth). -- Returning starters: nine on offense, including all-league wide receiver Jason Tobeck (Tumwater), 73 catches for 851 yards and nine touchdowns last season; eight on defense, plus punt-return specialist David Thornhill (Spokane).