Beaver fever

With 26 seniors returning, next year looks promising

By Kerry Eggers

The Portland Tribune, Jan 2, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (8 Reader comments)

©2007 BRIAN KANOF

The Beavers, including safety Sabby Piscitelli (left) and offensive lineman Andy Levitre, celebrate their Sun Bowl win Friday. Piscitelli is one of seven starters who won’t return next season.

EL PASO, Texas – Oregon State was among the best teams in the country at the end of the season, rolling up eight wins in its last nine games, with victories over Southern Cal, Hawaii and Missouri.

Next year? With a little luck, the Beavers will be better.

Coach Mike Riley loses 11 seniors who made the trip to El Paso, Texas, for Oregon State’s thrilling 39-38 Sun Bowl victory over the Tigers.

Included are seven starters – quarterback Matt Moore, tight end Joe Newton, offensive tackle Adam Koets, receiver Ruben Jackson, safety Sabby Piscitelli, defensive end Joe Lemma and defensive tackle Ben Siegert.

Those players leave big shoes to fill. Except for Moore, though, the Beavers have the depth and experience to survive – if not improve upon – the personnel losses.

“We will have an older team, an experienced team,” Riley says. “We should be pretty good.”

That may be an understatement. Oregon State returns 18 starters, including Anthony Wheat-Brown, who started the first 10 games at flanker before losing his position due to suspension. And the list of returning starters doesn’t include Bryan Payton, who shared time with Al Afalava and started five games at free safety.

OSU will have 26 seniors next season, including 12 starters. It will be the most veteran team in recent school history.

“It would be silly of me to even think about leaving” for the NFL, junior tailback Yvenson Bernard says. “Our goal should be the Rose Bowl, definitely. I want to come back and get another 10-win, 11-win, whatever season.

1 | 2 Next Page >>

Facebook	Digg	Del.icio.us
Newsvine	Stumbleupon	Reddit