Scott Crichton isn’t someone who uses a lot of unnecessary words. He doesn’t have funny anecdotes, or overanalyze a situation. Ask him what he thinks, he answers directly.
So with the Washington Huskies visiting Reser Stadium on Saturday, the former Foss standout and current Oregon State defensive linemen was asked about not being offered a scholarship by the team he grew up watching.
“I hope they regret it,” he said quickly.
Yep, Scott, they do.
A redshirt freshman, Crichton has blossomed into one of the best young defensive linemen in the Pacific-12 Conference. He ranks third in the Pac-12 with 10.5 tackles for a loss and leads the Beavers with four sacks, while also tying a school record with four fumbles forced this season.
Could Crichton be doing that for the Huskies? Perhaps, if they would have offered him a scholarship.
“I was going to consider Washington one of my top schools,” he said. “They didn’t offer me.”
Why not? Crichton was the Narrows League defensive MVP as a senior and a member of The News Tribune All-Area team.
“We evaluated him,” Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian said. “It’s just one of the tough decisions you have to make. We decided not to go on him, and he’s gone to Oregon State, and he’s played really good football for them. We missed.”
The Huskies’ miss was a major coup for Beavers coach Mike Riley, who first saw Crichton as a sophomore tight end when Foss was participating in a passing camp in Corvallis.
“Scott is a good player now and destined to be a great player,” Riley said. “I watched him for a couple of years. He was a nice-sized athletic guy that piqued my interest. We followed him and recruited him hard for a year.”
Looking back, Crichton has no regrets. He’s found a home in Corvallis.
And while he tried to maintain it is just another game and just another team he wants to beat, Crichton admitted there is some added motivation.
“OK, maybe just a little bit,” he said.
While Crichton’s career is just beginning at Oregon State, another South Sounder’s tenure is coming to an end. Tight end/H-Back Joe Halahuni will be playing his final game at Reser Stadium. The versatile pass-catching threat has had dominant performances, heartbreaking drops and shoulder surgery.
But the standout from Orting has been a key part of the program’s recent success. He has 13 career touchdown catches to rank ninth in school history.
“I just want to win,” he said. “I don’t care how I do. I just want to win. I want to perform well, but I just wan to win the game. If I go out with zero catches and zero yards, and we win, then I’m happy.”
A year ago against the Huskies, a pass he thought he should have caught was knocked out of his hands in the end zone for a failed two-point conversion, ending the game in a 35-34 double-overtime loss. The then-24th-ranked Beavers never recovered, finishing 5-7.
“I try not to think about it,” he said. “I wish I would have made the catch. I think I should have. … The past is the past. I need to worry about this week.”
TA’AMU IN CAST
Washington’s top defensive lineman, Alameda Ta’amu, was in street clothes Thursday in the Dempsey Indoor Center with a walking boot on his right foot.
Ta’amu suffered a sprained ankle in the loss to USC last weekend and then tweaked the injury this week. Despite the appearance, Sarkisian seemed confident that Ta’amu would be ready for Saturday.
“We just wanted to rest it, quite honestly,” Sarkisian said. “We just wanted to get the swelling out of it. He’ll play.”
Ryan Divish: 253-597-8483 ryan.divish@thenewstribune.com
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