What we learned in Week 6 of Oregon high school football
By René Ferrán
Photos by Leon Neuschwander, Soobum Im and Dan Brood
The Oregon high school football season continued last weekend with Week 6 action around the state.
Complete Week 6 recap
Here's what stood out during the sixth weekend of action.
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Kouame brings balance to the force of West Linn’s offensive attack
When Koffi Kouame arrived at West Linn from Beaverton just before the start of camp last year, he was expected to add a punch to the Lions' running game following the graduation of all-state back Gavin Haines.
Unfortunately, it didn't work out for him. He had one big game against Lakeridge in Week 6, but by season's end, he was hurt and didn't feature after the Lions' first-round win over Bend.
This fall, under first-year coach Jon Eagle, Kouame has found new life in West Linn's high-powered attack. Kouame has emerged as the No. 1 back in a three-back rotation, and his performance in Friday's 42-30 victory over Tualatin showed the evolution of his role this season.
He was featured on the team’s opening drive that led to a touchdown, and on the first play of the second half, he popped a 52-yard touchdown through a gaping hole in the line that showed off his improved speed.
“I got to keep my legs fresh,” Kouame said. “There was no way they were going to stop it.”
With the Lions nursing a lead in the fourth quarter, they turned to him again, and he showed off his power on several long runs that allowed them to burn four minutes off the clock.
He finished with a game-high 150 yards on 16 carries — his most rushing yards in a game in a West Linn uniform — and through six games is averaging 5.8 yards per carry, with his 405 yards on 69 carries already exceeding his 2021 totals.
Eagle said the difference between what he saw of Kouame on film from last fall to what he’s seeing this season comes down to “seeing and understanding our blocking schemes, being patient and being efficient with his steps.”
“He is explosive once he gets to the secondary, plus he’s strong and hard to bring down with one tackler,” Eagle added. “And you might not notice, but he is a terrific pass blocker.”
With Kouame adding the threat of the running game to Washington State commit Sam Leavitt's play at quarterback spreading the ball around to his bevy of receivers, the Lions offense is that much more difficult to stop.
“It’s a challenge, because they do a really good job running the football,” Tualatin coach Dominic Ferraro said. “They got their RPO game, their play-action game, they spread it around, and I thought our defense did a really good job of trying to just contain them.
“They got loose a few times, but that’s kind of the deal when you get a good team like that. They’re going to get loose every once in a while.”
One year later, Roth back on path to being Crusaders’ featured back
A year ago, when Jesuit played Westview in a Metro League thriller, then-junior Payton Roth sustained a season-ending ankle injury just as he was beginning to emerge as the lead back in the Crusaders’ power running game.
Roth returned this year feeling 100%, back to putting the hurt on opposing defenses. On Friday, the Crusaders traveled up Sunset Highway to Westview’s Northwest Portland campus, and Roth ran for a career-high 290 yards and five touchdowns in a 52-18 victory.
It marked the fifth time in six weeks he’s gone over the century mark (in the other, he ran for 98 yards), and he has rushed for 1,143 yards (averaging 11.3 per carry) and 14 touchdowns this season.
“Payton has great vision and is seeing and setting up blocks very well,” coach Ken Potter said. “He is strong and able to see an opening, put his foot down and show tremendous acceleration. But he would be the first to tell you that the offensive line and his fullback (Noah Staley) are great to run behind.”
Meanwhile, Jesuit’s defense has shown marked improvement since West Linn put up 24 first-half points in their Week 3 matchup at Cronin Field. The Crusaders gave up just seven points in the second half of the Lions' 31-20 victory, and they shut out their next two opponents — Sherwood and Aloha.
The Wildcats scored first Friday, with star running back Jordan Fisher scoring on a 3-yard run 90 seconds into the game, but Jesuit then kept them off the scoreboard until late in the third quarter — by which time the running clock had been triggered.
Senior linebacker Garrett Speer has emerged as the leader on defense, while the front line — with several members of Jesuit's vaunted Franchise offensive line drawing double duty — has been strong.
Still, Potter called his defense “still a work in progress,” with a young secondary still adjusting to the loss of senior safety Nick Ferrero to a broken ankle.
“The secondary is improving and working hard,” Potter said. “Improvement just comes with practice and understanding roles, then executing. We still make mistakes on both sides of the ball, but hopefully less every week.”
Black Tornado turn to transfer QB Knobloch-Scott for Sheldon showdown
North Medford will be without starting quarterback Caiden Lacey for this week’s showdown against Sheldon, meaning the Black Tornado will move from one transfer to another for the matchup of Special District 1 unbeatens at Spiegelberg Stadium.
Lacey, who came to North Medford after earning first-team all-Midwestern honors at Eagle Point last fall, suffered a concussion on the first play from scrimmage Friday against Roseburg. He remains in concussion protocol this week, with coach Nathan Chin saying Monday that they will make sure not to rush Lacey’s return.
With Lacey out, the Black Tornado turned to backup JT Knobloch-Scott, who before Friday was best known as an all-state kicker and punter for 3A Cascade Christian the previous two seasons.
Knobloch-Scott threw for four touchdowns and finished 7 of 11 for 137 yards in his first meaningful action behind center this season.
“JT's athleticism and knowledge of the game allow him to step into a situation like we had this past week and perform,” Chin said. “Even though JT’s experience is limited at quarterback, we all believe in his abilities.”
Going up against the Irish, who handed South Medford its first loss of the season, 49-0, last week, is not an ideal time to break in a first-time starter, but at least this week, Chin and his staff will have a week to create a game plan specific to Knobloch-Scott.
“They are two different quarterbacks, but our team has faith in each other and will rally behind JT in our current situation.” Chin said. “It hurts not having Caiden on the field with his experience and leadership, but our program has a next-man-up mentality. When the phone rings, it’s time to answer the call.”
Chin didn’t sugarcoat the team’s predicament going up against the Irish, who have outscored opponents 299-37 in their six games — 31 of those points coming in their Week 2 win at West Linn.
“Sheldon is an extremely talented team,” Chin said. “In all phases, they play with high effort and execution, and their offense and defense complement each other well by being explosive on offense and creating takeaways on defense.
“Our team is excited for the challenge we have this week, just as we have been this whole season.”
Storm vanquish another 5A rival to maintain status as title favorite
This season has seen a procession of 5A powers make the trip to Summit’s campus on the west side of Bend, hoping to knock off the presumed favorite to win the state championship.
First, it was Thurston, then Wilsonville, and Friday night, crosstown rival and fellow unbeaten Bend arrived to take its shot at the Storm.
Once again, Summit emerged unscathed, rallying for a 35-21 Intermountain Conference victory that maintained its status as the clear-cut No. 1 team in 5A.
“Our coaches and players were pretty calm,” Storm coach Corben Hyatt said of the team’s comeback from a 14-7 halftime deficit. “The message was we have been in big games the last 14 months, and more importantly, this preseason against really good teams. We knew what it would take to win the game.”
One area they needed to improve was cutting down on the penalties that had put them behind the chains offensively, limiting their play-calling. Then, there was a lack of discipline on defense against Bend’s wing-T.
“We had too many players with their eyes in the backfield watching the ball and not focused on their job,” Hyatt said. “Bend is very good at finding a defender or defenders who are not using proper technique and being overly aggressive.”
In the second half, Summit beat the Lava Bears at their game, turning to their running attack behind junior Sam Stephens. The 5-foot-8, 155-pounder ran for 107 yards on 25 carries and a career-high three touchdowns in the second half.
“Sam isn’t the biggest back but plays much bigger than he is,” Hyatt said. “His teammates love his toughness and willingness to fight for every yard he can get.
“But he couldn’t have done what he did without a tremendous job up front by our offensive line. They took the challenge we gave them at halftime and played up to the magnitude of this game. Between Sam and the offensive line, they set the tone to help the confidence of the whole team and change the momentum in the second half.”
With Mountain View’s 45-6 victory over Redmond and Caldera earning its first conference win in the school’s first season, 13-12 over Ridgeview, the four Bend schools have a combined 16-8 record through six weeks.
The Cougars (4-2, 2-0 IMC) take on Ridgeview this week before they get their shot at Summit in Week 8.
And for once, the Storm will be on the road.
Colts complete gauntlet to position themselves for another MWL title
Thurston’s loss to Summit dropped the Colts to 0-2 entering Midwestern League play.
They have won four consecutive games since, including three in a row against the teams considered their biggest rivals for the league title.
Their most recent conquest came Thursday at Eagle Point, which also entered the game 3-0 in the MWL. The Eagles tied the score at 7-7 early in the third quarter, but Thurston scored 17 consecutive points to seize control in a 24-14 victory.
“We definitely learned a lot in the two losses we experienced early in the year,” coach Justin Starck said. “Wilsonville showed that we had the will to fight back after being behind early. The Summit game taught us we need to get more physical. We struggled on the offensive line in that game and have placed a lot of emphasis on improving up front and protecting the passer.”
The passer — sophomore Noah Blair — has shown marked improvement over the past few weeks. He was 12 of 19 for 120 yards and two touchdowns in Thursday’s win. More important, he has not thrown an interception since Thurston’s Week 1 overtime loss to Wilsonville.
“The game has certainly slowed down for him,” Starck said. “On his very first play as the starting quarterback, he was sacked and fumbled the ball, resulting in a defensive touchdown. Since then, his ball security has been outstanding. He has done an incredible job leading our offense, and his future is very bright.”
The Colts are now in the driver’s seat to winning a fourth consecutive league championship. Wins in their final three games would wrap up the title outright.
In the meantime, they’ll also focus on cleaning up some issues with penalties and offensive inconsistency during their closing stretch.
“Obviously, we’re happy with our place in the league standings,” Starck said. “Winning a league championship is always a tremendous accomplishment, so we are certainly focused on finishing the regular season strong.”
Vikings find winning formula to hand Southridge first defeat
Two weeks ago, Forest Grove’s season looked dead in the water. The Vikings were 0-4 and had been outscored 145-35.
They’ve turned their season around the past two weeks — first by defeating Centennial 45-14, then by knocking Southridge from the ranks of the undefeated Friday with a thorough 42-13 home win.
“Our players and coaches are excited about playing our style of football against a top-ranked opponent and coming away with a big win,” said first-year coach Cam McFarland.
Junior quarterback Kaden Hale has accounted for 11 touchdowns (eight passing, three rushing) during the win streak, which hasn’t surprised McFarland.
“It’s always been there for Kaden,” McFarland said. “He’s a tremendous young talent with a lot of potential.
“We just adjusted some things in how we practiced, focused on fundamentals, and it is paying off for him in the games. It’s a joy to coach him because he comes in after each game and wants to find the weakness in his play and improve upon it. I know his mindset to be great is a big part of his success moving forward each week.”
The defense, meanwhile, has tightened in the past three weeks. After giving up 124 points in three games, the Vikings allowed 48 over the past three. Against the Skyhawks, they recorded four interceptions, including Hunter Frohnert’s pick-six, and on special teams recovered two onside kicks.
McFarland said it took the team time to learn the new system he and his defensive staff installed during camp.
“The players are starting to understand it better, and our fundamentals are improving,” McFarland said. “It’s also helped that we are starting to capitalize on turnovers. We got our first with an interception from Kaiden Lane in the Hood River Valley game. That’s helped spark our play.”
The Vikings now can dream about returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2018, although it won’t be an easy path. They travel this week to Hillsboro, which itself is experiencing a resurgence (its 3-3 record matches its win total from the previous two seasons combined), and then play host to Wilsonville in Week 8. The final week is a crossover matchup against the NWOC’s East division.
“We haven’t talked much about where we fit in making the playoffs,” McFarland said. “Our focus is on cleaning up our mistakes and improving our play to win the next game. We know if we do that, the playoff picture will take care of itself.”
Rangers clicking in all phases in putting opening loss to Mazama in past
Estacada opened the season with a 26-14 loss to Mazama in a much-anticipated clash of 4A title contenders.
Since that defeat, the Rangers have piled up the wins — including a 32-28 victory in a rematch with La Grande from last year’s playoffs — and are 5-1 entering a key Tri-Valley Conference matchup at Gladstone this week.
“The biggest things that plagued us early in the season were penalties and turnovers,” coach Andy Mott said. “We have done a much better job the past few weeks in taking care of the football and limiting penalties.”
Mott also has seen marked improvement in the other two phases of the game. The defense has scored more points on interception returns (two apiece by Cory James and James Durand) than it’s allowed over the past three weeks, and the addition of senior Ben Haefs from the soccer team has solidified the kicking game — he’s gone 10 for 10 on PATs the past three weeks and averaged 50 yards on kickoffs with three touchbacks.
“Our kicking and return game have improved a ton, and our offense has been clicking in all phases,” Mott said.
That offense has been directed by James, who has built off a junior season in which he won TVC offensive player of the year honors. He threw two interceptions in the Mazama loss and one since, accounting for 792 yards of total offense and 13 touchdowns.
“His decision-making in the option game has made things difficult for defenses, as we have been successful in all three phases,” Mott said. “He has also improved a ton as a passer, which has given us a great boost to the offense.”
Sophomore leads Scappoose on four-game win streak entering 7-Mile War
Another team that has rebounded nicely from an early defeat is Scappoose, which lost to Estacada in Week 2 but has won four consecutive games since — including a 45-14 triumph at Seaside on Friday that improved the team to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in Cowapa League play.
“That loss to Estacada definitely humbled us,” coach Sean McNabb said. “You learn a lot about yourselves when you go through tough times. We learned that we need to get better and believe in the process of being a little bit better every day.”
McNabb planned to have sophomore Max Nowlin and junior Leland Boswell split time behind center — at least to start the season — as he looked to replace his son, Luke McNabb, who won NWOC West offensive player of the year honors last season.
Boswell broke his collarbone in Week 1 against Gladstone, and while he tried to gut it out the next two weeks against Estacada and The Dalles, he’s since given way to Nowlin, who has thrown for 517 yards and nine touchdowns over the past three games.
“Max takes all the reps now and is getting better every week,” McNabb said.
The next two weeks should prove decisive to Scappoose’s hopes of claiming the Cowapa title in its first season back after dropping to 4A. Scappoose won the crown in 2017, its final season before moving to 5A for the previous four-year cycle.
First up is the 100th edition of the 7-Mile War rivalry game against St. Helens, followed by a trip to the North Oregon Coast to face Tillamook.
“The St. Helens game is always a huge event,” McNabb said. “You can always count on a big crowd and an exciting game. And being a league game makes it very important. Our No. 1 goal is to win the Cowapa, so we need to have a great week of practice and be 1-0 at the end of the week.”
Buckaroos QB puts injuries in rear-view mirror, leads team to 5-1 start
Pendleton also dropped to 4A this year after spending the past 15 years as a 5A school, and besides a Week 3 hiccup against Idaho 5A school Lewiston, the Buckaroos have done nothing to dispel their status as a state title contender.
Since their 49-14 loss to the Bengals, Pendleton has won three consecutive games by a combined 130-12, posting their third shutout of the season Friday with a 39-0 Greater Oregon League victory at Crook County.
“We were outmatched size-wise up front, but while I feel we played well enough to make the score closer, they were the better team,” Pendleton coach Erik Davis said about the Lewiston game.
“But I feel that we grew tremendously during that game. We were able to move the football and neutralize their run game. I think our players realized there may not be another team like that we will play this year, so it’s a good barometer going forward.”
The Buckaroos have gotten their running game going over the past three weeks, with senior Payton Lambert posting back-to-back 100-yard games and rushing for a season-high 141 yards and a touchdown against the Cowboys.
The improved running attack complements the solid play the team has received from senior quarterback Jack Davis, who missed most of the past two seasons because of injuries.
Davis was 11 of 14 for 126 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a season-high 71 yards and two scores against Crook County.
The coaching side of Erik Davis enjoys seeing his quarterback healthy and becoming a leader in the huddle. The father in him “couldn’t be prouder of his grit and success.”
“Jackson is playing very well right now,” Erik added. “I’ve asked him to manage games and not try to do too much but put the ball in the hands of our playmakers. He’s throwing at a 70% completion rate and distributing the ball to multiple players.”
The Buckaroos travel this week to The Dalles before closing the regular season with back-to-back games against La Grande and Baker that should decide the Greater Oregon title.
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