Hall of Fame 2009 - Pacific Lutheran University Athletics

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Hall of Fame 2009

2009 INDUCTEES
(Inducted Oct. 2, 2009)



1980 Football Team (NAIA Div. II National Champions): After falling short in a sub-freezing national semifinal the year before, the Lutes entered the 1980 season at the top of the NAIA Division II national rankings. Led by the "Great Scott" duo of senior All-Americans, safety Scott Kessler and tight end Scott Westering, the Lutes fell two points short of a perfect season and "settled" for an 11-1 record and the first national championship in PLU athletic history. The Lutes left little doubt about their claim to the top spot in NAIA Division II, outscoring their three postseason opponents by a 105-30 margin. In the championship game against Wilmington (Ohio) at Tacoma's Lincoln Bowl, PLU scored 21 unanswered points in six minutes and led 31-3 at halftime. With the 38-10 victory in hand, head coach Frosty Westering was able to give every member of his team a chance to play in the championship game. The "Great Scotts" became the first pair of Lutes to earn first team All-America honors. Fellow seniors and co-captains Guy Ellison, a running back, and John Bley, an offensive lineman, earned second team honors, as did Scott McKay, a junior linebacker. The Lutes outscored their opponents 397-132 during the season and shut out four teams on their way to the championship.


1987 Football Team (NAIA Div. II National Champions): After years of preaching the "Double Win," head coach Frosty Westering experienced his philosophy in a whole new way when the 1987 PLU football team tied Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 16-16, for the NAIA Division II national championship. Frosty's "Double Win" teaches that playing to one's potential is equally important to victory on the scoreboard, and that there are no losers when everyone plays to his potential. "What a tremendous game," Westering said at the time. "We knew there was no overtime. A tie was a win." Although the final score revealed a co-championship and the NAIA record books show a shared title, Wisconsin-Stevens Point vacated its share on May 7, 1988, after it was discovered that the team had played two ineligible players throughout the season. With the final tie changed to a win, the 1987 championship capped an 11-1-1 season forthe Lutes. Senior linebacker Keith Krassin led the Lutes with 116 tackles and earned the Columbia Football League Northern Division's Defensive MVP as well as NAIA first team All-America honors. Defensive end Jon Kral and defensive back Craig Mathiasen earned second team All-America selection, while offensive lineman Sam Kurle and place kicker Eric Cultum were named to the honorable mention offensive squad.


1993 Football Team (NAIA Div. II National Champions): The 1993 PLU football team finished with a 12-0-1 record and won the school's third NAIA Division II national championship. The Lutes opened the season ranked No. 5 in the NAIA Division II Top 25 National Poll and squared off against No. 2-ranked Linfield College in the Tacoma Dome. The only blemish on what was an otherwise perfect season came that night, when the Lutes rallied with two fourth quarter touchdowns to tie the Wildcats, 20-20. PLU rolled to an 8-0-1 regular season record and a Mt. Rainier League crown. Once in the playoffs, the Lutes were virtually unstoppable. A title-game showdown with Westminster (Penn.) at Portland's Civic Stadium was never in doubt as record-setting All-America quarterback Marc Weekly passed for 441 yards and four touchdowns to carry PLU to an easy 50-20 victory. The Lutes' "Big Play" offense was led by Weekly, talented all-purpose back Chad Barnett and sure-handed tight end Gavin Stanley. An experienced offensive line was anchored by center Brian Flattum and guard Jeff Douglass. The 1993 team still holds school records for total points (573), average points per game (44.1), total offensive yards (6,105), yards per game (469.6), total passing yards (3,829) and passing yards per game (294.5). Head coach Frosty Westering earned NAIA and league Coach of the Year honors and Weekly was picked as the league's Offensive Player of the Year.


1999 Football Team (NCAA Div. III National Champions): The 1999 Pacific Lutheran football team accomplished a first in NCAA football, winning five playoff games on the road to garner the Division III national championship. The Lutes finished the season with 13 wins – a school record for victories in a season – against just one defeat. After finishing the regular season with an 8-1 record, the Lutes earned an at-large berth in the national playoffs where they faced Willamette in a playoff-opening rematch. The Lutes scored three touchdowns late in the final quarter for a 28-24 victory, and they were on their way to playoff airplane and bus trips that totaled about 16,000 miles during the five weeks of the postseason. PLU proved victorious against unbeaten Wartburg (Iowa), once-beaten Saint John's (Minn.) and 12-0 Trinity (Texas). In the national title game against Rowan (N.J.) the Lutes raced out to a 27-7 halftime lead on the way to a 42-13 victory. Fullback Anthony Hicks established school records with 1,633 rushing yards, 27 touchdowns and 164 total points, and he also set a NCAA playoff mark with 11 touchdowns. Quarterback Chad Johnson averaged more than 200 passing yards per game and finished the season with 22 touchdown passes. Head coach Frosty Westering earned Division III Coach of the Year honors from the American Football Coaches Association.