Doba laments losing QB Pritchard
Washington State coach Bill Doba wishes that Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard wore crimson and gray instead of cardinal and white.
Pritchard was interested in attending Washington State, where his father, David, played center on the 1981 Holiday Bowl team and where the No. 14 jersey of his famous quarterback uncle, Jack Thompson, is retired.
Pritchard, who graduated from Clover Park High School outside Tacoma in 2005, inspired all kinds of Cougars angst on message boards a month ago when he led the Cardinal to the epic upset over USC.
Doba said Pritchard didn’t become a Cougar because “it was one of those deals where we made an early offer (to Arkelon Hall) and the kid committed early, and so were full at quarterback way before we should have been. That’s why one of the reasons I’m dead set against those early offers … Until you get in the home and know what the heck is going on.”
Doba said, “He [Pritchard] is a good player and I sure wish we had him. I think he’s doing a nice job for them.”
Hall flunked out of WSU last year and is believed to be playing junior-college football in California.
Pritchard started Saturday’s 27-9 loss to Washington, then left the game with an injury to his nonthrowing shoulder. It is unknown whether he or T.C. Ostrander will start against the Cougars on Saturday in the 3:30 p.m. televised game at Martin Stadium.
The Cougars (3-6, 1-5) are 10-½-point favorites against the Cardinal (3-6, 2-5). The Cougars beat Stanford 36-10 last year but Stanford has won three consecutive visits to Pullman.
Notes
• The starting time for the Nov. 17 visit of Oregon State to Martin Stadium is 3:30 p.m. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Northwest.
• Doba indicated that even if Chris Ivory (concussion) is cleared to play this week, Kevin McCall is likely to start. Ivory, who was the backup to Dwight Tardy (out for season with knee injury) has been out a month and hasn’t been permitted to run or lift weights during that time.
• Other injured players with unknown status for Saturday: defensive ends Mike Graise (ankle), Kevin Kooyman (ankle) and safety Alfonso Jackson (concussion suffered in September).
• Doba said McCall “played well for his ability” against Cal (16 carries for 53 yards). He said McCall “doesn’t have great lateral movement in open field.”
• Doba didn’t rule out the possibility of sophomore linebacker Andy Mattingly (seven sacks in past four games) playing defensive end in future seasons.
“It depends where his body takes him,” Doba said, of the 6-foot-4, 241-pounder. “I tell our kids I don’t want you to diet to try to stay at linebacker.”
Craig Smith: csmith@seattletimes.com