Chris Schmerbach faces a dilemma that only a small handful of sports parents can even begin to relate to.
It isn’t just that two of his daughters, Tatum and Emma, will face off as opponents for the first time this season. It’s that they’ll be on opposite sides of one of Oregon’s biggest college rivalries—and one of the schools involved is Chris’ alma mater.
Talk about a house divided.
“We have a lot of fun with it,” Chris said. “But for me…I’ve got to stay neutral when those two are playing against each other.”
Tatum, a freshman guard at Oregon Tech, and Emma, a junior guard at Southern Oregon, grew up attending their father’s games and practices at SOU, where he was an assistant coach for six years before being named head coach at Crater High School in 2015. So, it made sense that Emma eventually found her way to the Raiders after playing one season at Linfield.
But Tatum suiting up for her father’s old rival never crossed any of their minds–until she found her way onto Lady Owls coach Joy Lease’s radar.
“Oregon Tech wasn’t one of the schools she was really looking at,” Chris said. “We hadn’t really thought about it until they reached out.”
“She watched one of our practices, and then they started to reach out,” Tatum said.
Soon, the family went on a visit to OIT, and any reservations Chris may have had faded once he realized the school was a great fit for Tatum.
“Tatum’s a sharp person and really knows what she wants and knows what’s best for her,” Chris said. “When she looked at OIT, it just seemed to check all the boxes.”
One thing that factored into Tatum’s decision was that going to college in Klamath Falls would bring her closer to a large group of extended family members. Chris’ parents and siblings all live in the area, as do many longtime family friends.
“I think Tatum is going to have a loyal following at all the games,” Chris said. “They’re really super excited to be able to support her.”
“It feels like…almost a home away from home,” Tatum said.
It’s also an opportunity for Chris and his wife Kristi, who both grew up in Klamath Falls, to come back more often.
“It’s been a blessing so far,” Chris said. “It’s awesome.”
Tatum and Emma will formally compete against each other for the first time ever when Oregon Tech travels to Southern Oregon Dec. 20. Ultimately, Chris doesn’t think it will be too jarring for either sister to see the other on the opposing team.
“They’ve competed against each other their whole life…[in] practices and in the backyard and in the driveway,” Chris said. “They love each other and they’re really tight sisters, but I know when the ball’s tipped up in those games, they’re going to do their best to win.”
“We’re really excited to play each other,” Tatum said.
Chris said he’s very happy that his daughters get to experience the OIT-SOU rivalry as players, just like he did.
“This, in my opinion, is one of the best small college rivalries in all of the country,” Chris said. “Both the SOU community and the Oregon Tech community support their athletes tremendously.
“They show up, they cheer, they root for their teams. It’s just a really cool experience.”
Chris’ feelings on having a daughter on each side of the rivalry are well known to Tatum.
“He loves it,” Tatum said. “Every time it gets brought up, he just gets so excited. He thinks it’s the coolest thing.”
As for Chris’ neutrality pledge, Tatum doesn’t doubt that her father is equally proud of her and Emma, but she understands that old loyalties die hard.
“He wants us both to do well, so I don’t know if he has a favorite,” Tatum said.
“But my guess is he probably leans toward Southern winning.”
Oregon Tech opens the regular season at home against George Fox in the Lithia Classic at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The game will be broadcast live on 104.3 & 960 Sports.
