Even though they are on opposite ends of their college careers, Oregon State’s Joe Halahuni and Scott Crichton – both products of Pierce County high schools – continue to hugely impact the Beavers’ fortunes.
Halahuni, a senior tight end from Orting, caught his third touchdown pass of the season Saturday against Washington State – a 25-yarder in the third quarter in the team’s 44-21 victory.
Crichton, a redshirt freshman defensive end from Tacoma, recorded two tackles for loss and forced two fumbles against the Cougars, a performance that earned him Pacific-12 Conference defensive player of the week honors.
Halahuni is still rounding into form after missing the first two games this season because of offseason surgery on his left shoulder.
In fact, it was an injury – a slight tear of the subscapularis muscle in his back – that he played with much of last season. Heading into spring camp, Halahuni figured the shoulder had nearly healed, but he reinjured it so severely during practice that he feared his senior season would be in jeopardy.
“It was 90 percent torn,” Halahuni said. “Doctors were thinking six months (recovery).”
Less invasive arthroscopic surgery saved him six weeks in recovery time and got him back in time for Pac-12 play.
His three scoring receptions leave him No. 9 all-time in career touchdown catches at Oregon State with 13. He is two touchdowns behind Joe Newton (2003-06) for most by a tight end in the modern era (Vern Burke had 19 from 1962-63 as an “end,” although he played tight end in the NFL).
“My shoulder feels pretty good,” Halahuni said. “It is still weak. I have not gotten a lot of time in the weight room with it.”
On the other side of the ball, Crichton, out of Foss High, is making a name for himself as one of the conference’s top backfield disrupters.
His 10 tackles for loss are tied for the conference lead and tied for 17th in all of the Football Bowl Subdivision. His four forced fumbles this season have already tied a single-season OSU mark with five other players – the last being Stephen Paea (2009-2010). He was the only freshman named to Phil Steele’s midseason all-Pac-12 first team.
Has the first-year starter’s impact come quicker than anticipated?
“I don’t know, it is happening so fast,” Crichton said. “The first game, I did pretty good. And the second game, I was all right … and so on. I just listen to my coaches.”
Crichton credits senior Kevin Frahm, a high-energy defensive tackle for the Beavers, as his greatest mentor on the team.
“I wasn’t really recruited that much big-time,” Crichton said. “I am glad I came to OSU. I just wanted to shut down everyone who did not know of me.”
Todd Milles: 253-597-8442 todd.milles@thenewstribune.com
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