Renaissance season for Hillsboro football gets major boost from “The Two Prestons”
By Bob Lundeberg | Photos by Leon Neuschwander
Hillsboro’s football resurgence has been spearheaded by a couple of two-way standouts with the same first name.
Juniors Preston Doran and Preston Echeverria are contributing in a variety of ways for the Spartans (3-3), who will be trying for their fourth win of the season Friday against Forest Grove. The two Prestons have helped elevate a Hillsboro program that finished 1-9 with a forfeit victory last fall.
“They are both spark plugs that bring a ton of energy,” head coach Dan Shuff said. “Nobody works harder than them, and it shows.”
Echeverria, who started on varsity as a freshman, stars at running back and middle linebacker. Doran spent his freshman season at Southridge and has been a mainstay at tight end and weak-side linebacker since joining the program.
The two Prestons are key pieces for a Spartans team that was putting up 38.4 points per game through five weeks, second to Bend’s 44 at the Class 5A level. The defense is still a work in progress, but things are trending in the right direction.
“Overall since last season we have really picked it up and are more of a family on and off the field,” Echeverria said. “Our defense has been coming along and we’re getting a lot more stops. And our offense, for the most part, has just been doing great.”
An honorable mention all-league pick as a sophomore, Echeverria is a three-sport athlete who also competes in wrestling and track. He was one of several freshmen to receive playing time for Hillsboro during the COVID-19 spring season, a list that includes quarterback/defensive back Calvin Perkins and wide receiver/defensive back Dylan Ott.
“He’s just a beast,” Doran said of the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Echeverria. “He brings the energy constantly and is always getting everybody hyped up. He’s just a really big impact guy and one of our core leaders.”
In the Spartans’ NWOC opener against Centennial, Echeverria rushed for two touchdowns and had two sacks. He scored two more touchdowns in a 34-28 loss to Putnam the following week.
“The kid has grown up in a family of hard workers,” Shuff said. Echeverria’s older brother, Sebastian, is a senior lineman for Hillsboro. His cousin, Jaden, is a senior who plays tight end and linebacker.
“Preston is just a workhorse. We can ride him all game offensively when we need to, and at the same time he is a centerpiece for our defense. He’s not really a vocal leader, but he’s a quiet leader for us. And nobody wants to mess with Preston E.”
Doran, who has attended Southwest Christian School in Beaverton since kindergarten, grew up playing football with most of his current teammates. After spending one season with the Southridge program, he received a warm welcome at Hillsboro.
“It wasn’t a tough transition at all because I’ve known a lot of these guys for years,” Doran said. “I really enjoy being back with my teammates, and it’s been nothing but the best.”
Doran received all-league honorable mention a season ago and made touchdown catches in Hillsboro’s first two NWOC games this year.
At 6-foot and 190 pounds, Doran is one of the team’s most versatile athletes. He can play tight end, slot receiver and running back on offense, and he uses his speed to chase down ball-carriers on defense. He also is a standout in basketball and track.
“That kid has a motor like you’ve never seen before,” Shuff said. “It almost gets to the point where he’s going so much that you’ve got to slow it down. We find ways to get him the ball on offense, and he has a way of finding the ball on defense. He just has a nose for the ball.”
Added Echeverria: “(Doran) is really fast and aggressive out there. He’s just an all-around good football player.”
With nearly 20 juniors in the program, Hillsboro is set up for success moving forward. The team also will have a third star Preston next season in Preston Palmer, who is now a sophomore.
But the Spartans believe they are a playoff-caliber team this year, even with a difficult upcoming schedule that includes a road game with No. 9 Southridge. If the Spartans are able to get over the hump and reach the postseason, it likely will be on the backs of the two Prestons.
“The kids are starting to believe in themselves, and we’re getting some leadership from the older guys,” Shuff said. “They want it. They know what we’ve got to do … and we’re looking to compete at a high level. Wherever the chips fall, they fall.”
Added Doran: “I really think it’s on the players now. The coaches are coming up with some great game plans, and it’s up to the players to execute them.”
