Dallas football coach Andy Jackson insists his team still hasn’t ‘arrived’ — a scary thought for Dragons’ rivals
By Bob Lundeberg
SBLive Oregon will break down every 6A, 5A and 4A team in the state leading up to the 2021 fall football season. Here’s our look at the Dallas Dragons of the Class 5A Mid-Willamette Conference.
Ashton Foster photo by Taylor Balkom
HEAD COACH
Andy Jackson, fourth season (13-12)
PAST 3 SEASONS
2021 (spring): 5-1 overall, 4-0 in Mid-Willamette
2019: 6-4 overall, 6-3 in Mid-Willamette (lost in first round)
2018: 2-7 overall, 2-7 in Mid-Willamette
KEY DEPARTURES
RB/LB John Hofenbredl
RB/DB Jace Grillo
WR/DB Chauncey Saunders
TE/LB Conner Nash
WR/LB Luke Hess
RB/LB Aiden Henrickson
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Logan Person, sr., RB/DB/K/P
A tremendous all-around football player, Person is one of the top returning talents in Class 5A. He will play running back and receiver on offense, start at safety on defense, and handle kicking, punting and return duties. “The first thing about Logan is he is all about the team, he is a good leader and he really does a good job of setting the example of how to do things as hard as possible,” Jackson said. “He’s extremely versatile and had just about as good of a junior year as you could.”
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Ashton Foster, sr., QB/LB
Foster completed 75 percent of his passes as a junior and attended the Northwest 9 Showcase in Washington over the summer. The 6-foot-1 senior had just two turnovers in six games last season while accounting for 13 touchdowns. “We use him a lot in the quarterback run game and in rollout concepts,” Jackson said. “He’s just a really good athlete, and maybe his best attribute is that he’s a very good decision-maker.”
Justin Parnell, sr., OL/DL
At 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds, Parnell is one of the top linemen in the state regardless of classification. He also is a college-level thrower in track and field. “He’s just very, very physical,” Jackson said. “He’s a fun guy to work with and he’s a character, honestly. He lightens the mood, and he does a good job of setting an example with his work ethic. When you watch his film from last year, he just physically dominated kids.”
Demitri Harris, sr., OL/DL
Harris is another explosive senior lineman who likely will start at defensive end and offensive tackle. Jackson said Harris has grown to 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. “He used to be a tight end and outside linebacker for us, so he’s very fast,” Jackson said. “Demitri is pretty quiet; he just goes about his business. He’s a great lifter and he plays at an extremely fast speed.”
James Partridge, sr., WR/DB
Partridge is a returning starter who impressed the coaching staff with his offseason improvement. “He has done a really good job of stepping up,” Jackson said. “One thing I really like about James is that he plays really, really fast. He has turned into a really good corner for us and is also a good wide receiver.”
Kolby Johnson-Sallee, sr., WR/LB
Johnson-Sallee was a solid wide receiver during the spring and is set up for a breakthrough senior season. “Kolby has very good hands and is very explosive,” Jackson said.
OUTLOOK
The Dragons have improved every season under Jackson, jumping from two wins to six in 2019 followed by a 5-1 spring record.
The fourth-year head coach is happy with the program’s progress, but there is plenty of work left to be done.
“You’re probably never going to talk to me and I’m going to be like, ‘Oh, we’ve arrived,’” Jackson said. “That’s just not the case. But the last three years I’ve been the head coach, we’ve gotten better each year. And now we’re going into a year where we have high expectations.”