Chris Forrer – For the Review. As the Linfield football team heads into its final regular season game against Pacific Lutheran University on Nov. 14, one thing is certain: This has been a special season for the ’Cats. Linfield is 8-0 and is set to finish the regular season undefeated for a remarkable sixth time in a decade.
Perhaps the primary reason for the Wildcats’ success is senior quarterback Aaron Boehme. He has put up Herculean numbers this year, amassing 1,979 passing yards, 307 rushing yards and 27 total touchdowns. Additionally, Boehme’s strong leadership has contributed to the cohesive play that has kept the Wildcats in the hunt for a deep run into the playoffs.
“[Boehme] is having a very strong season,” head football coach Joe Smith said. “He has incredible potential.”
With all of this success, it’s easy to forget that Boehme played less than one full game last season. In the 2008 season’s opening game on the road against Hardin-Simmons University, Boehme was hit hard in the second quarter and suffered a broken right collarbone, which ended his season. The injury was staggering to both Boehme and Smith, who said that he was also distressed because of his strong personal connections to his players.
“It was one of the worst feelings I’ve ever had,” Boehme said. “The collection of all the feelings and thoughts of time I’ve put in and the teammates you’re letting down was awful to swallow. I remember sitting on the sidelines and just crying — not because of the excruciating pain but because my season was over, and there was nothing I could do about it.”
With his season finished before it even began, Boehme was left to pick up the pieces and cope with his injury. According to Smith, he and the rest of the coaching staff tried to offer Boehme words of encouragement and keep his mindset positive. Boehme agreed, adding that he had to remember to constantly keep his spirits up. Even though he wasn’t able to contribute on the field, Boehme found ways to stay active on the team.
“I helped out at practices and coached up the other quarterbacks,” Boehme said. “But I tried to focus more on my studies, as well. Toward the end of the season, I started throwing some balls to players.”
Once the season was done, Boehme’s drive to return only intensified. He spent the summer keeping up regular workouts and honing his skill set to broaden his abilities with the football. In addition, he spent a lot of time playing seven-on-seven games with his receivers to improve the timing and chemistry among them.
During spring practices, Smith said he liked what he saw from his returning quarterback.
“We knew he was capable of what he’s doing this year based on spring ball and the postseason,” Smith said. “But all of that was practice. We needed to see how he would perform in a live game.”
The time came Sept. 12 in this season’s opening game against the team that caused Boehme’s injury a year ago: Hardin-Simmons. The game was billed as a blowout; HSU was ranked No. 4 in the country, and Boehme was making his first start in a year. Despite all the stakes and emotional implications, however, Boehme wasn’t fazed.
“I really wasn’t nervous that first game at all,” Boehme said. “I surprised myself by being calm and confident against HSU. I don’t like to think about injuries because I believe thinking about them causes you to play hesitantly, which can cause you to get hurt again.”
Boehme’s collected, focused demeanor led the ’Cats to a 37-22 victory that game, the first of eight in a row, and began to earn the team some national recognition.
After a grueling four-game roadtrip that took the Wildcats all across California, Oregon and Washington, the team remained undefeated and added another ranked opponent to its list of victories: then-No. 21 Occidental College.
Shortly after that, Linfield faced its most daunting test on the road against then-No. 17 Willamette University. Again,the Wildcats came away with a victory. From then on, the nation’s top teams knew the ’Cats were a force to be reckoned with.
“I don’t think it really hit me that we had the possibility of a very special season until after the road stretch,” Boehme said. “That’s when I knew that we are the team that we are supposed to be and want to be.”
With the playoffs set to begin Nov. 21, no one can question the Wildcats’ place among the nation’s elite teams. The ’Cats are No. 5 in the d3football.com’s Top 25 poll and third in the NCAA West region. This regional ranking will determine Linfield’s seed in the 32-team playoff. Should it secure the top ranking in the West region, Linfield would play home games throughout the playoffs.
“We have the talent to go deep into the playoffs,” Smith said. “Our potential is very high. If we play to that potential, we can beat anybody in the country.”
Through his stellar play throughout this season, Boehme has begun to carve his name into the list of Linfield’s upper echelon of football players. His 20 passing touchdowns tie for ninth place in touchdowns in a single season, and he is on track to break into the top 10 in pass efficiency, pass completion percentage and total yards in a single season. However, Smith said Boehme still has some things to accomplish before he can join the best of the best.
“To be up there in the upper echelon, you’ve got to perform like this for more than one season,” Smith said. “And you need to win a title. He has the potential to do all that.”