What we learned in Week 7 of Oregon high school football
By René Ferrán
Photos by Leon Neuschwander and Dave Ball
The Oregon high school football season continued last weekend with Week 7 action around the state.
Complete Week 7 recap
Here's what stood out during the seventh weekend of action.
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Ahead of schedule? Not the timetable Nelson created for itself
To many outsiders, Nelson’s 5-1 record and No. 10 ranking in last week’s SBLive Oregon Class 6A media poll in just its second season as a varsity program would seem surprising.
To Hawks coach Aaron Hazel, it’s not unexpected. Instead, it would have been a disappointment for them not to be 5-1 (and perhaps 6-1 if their Week 2 game at Roseburg hadn’t been canceled at halftime) entering a Mt. Hood matchup Thursday at Sandy for second place in the conference.
“We could tell as a coaching staff last spring that things were moving in the right direction,” Hazel said. “Our energy during spring ball and team camp was completely different from the previous season. Our seniors started to lead and set the expectations for how we practice and compete.”
The Hawks have shown the most improvement in Year 2 in the running game, where last season, they scored just one rushing touchdown. In last week’s 54-28 victory over David Douglas, the Hawks ran for seven touchdowns, with Jaidon Siler scoring a school-record five.
“Jaidon has really improved in the last two weeks,” Hazel said. “He has always had big-play ability, but we challenged him the last two weeks to get three for the team first, then do your thing. It really helped us in the Barlow game (a 37-34 win in Week 6), and he exploded last week.”
Hazel credits the work of an offensive line that struggled last season against more experienced competition. This fall, the unit — seniors C Nolan Alen, RG Logan Shorey and RT Rene Silva-Herejohn, and juniors LG Noah Julison and RT Boone Standley — has become a plus for the Hawks.
“We really made our running game an emphasis in the offseason,” Hazel said. “We knew that we had to improve in that facet if we wanted to be competitive every week. (Our line) put a ton of work in the weight room on developing their strength and technique.”
Nelson’s immediate success mirrors what happened in Mountainside’s second season in 2019, when the Beaverton school qualified for the playoffs and knocked off top-seeded Tigard to reach the quarterfinals.
Like Mountainside, Nelson chose to open without seniors — although in the Happy Valley school’s case, it had juniors in its first year. Hazel believes that decision played a part in the team’s quick rise.
While Hazel acknowledged the Hawks are far from a finished product, “we are happy with where we are at this moment. Our guys had a very challenging season last year (when they finished 2-7), but there have been moments this year where I have been just so darn happy for them.”
Sprague finally wins 2 in a row ahead of rivalry game at South Salem
For the first time this season, Sprague won consecutive games, rallying to defeat North Salem 26-19 on Thursday to improve to 4-3 and position itself to potentially grab a share of second place in Special District 1 by season’s end.
After losing at South Medford in Week 5, the Olympians have defeated city rivals West Salem and North Salem, with the annual battle for south Salem supremacy coming this week at South Salem.
“That’s always a big rivalry game,” coach Jay Minyard said. “We have got after them the last two years, so I’m sure they’ll be hungry.”
Thursday’s victory highlighted the maturation of first-year starter Athan Palmateer at quarterback. The junior transfer from South Salem efficiently managed the offense, completing 8 of 12 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown.
“He has progressed quite a bit from the time he came in,” Minyard said. “He has a great work ethic and is very team-oriented. The kids like him very much, and he has gained more confidence and become a more vocal leader as the season has gone on.”
After missing the playoffs in 2018 and 2019, the Olympians are poised to make a second consecutive appearance. A win in either of their final two games — they finish at home against winless McNary — should be enough to get them to the postseason.
It’s the southside rivalry game that has the Olympians’ complete attention this week. Sprague won each of the past two seasons — including a 55-7 rout last fall — but no team has won three in a row in the rivalry since the Olympians from 2011-13.
“We have a big game this week against a top-15 opponent,” senior Drew Rodriguez said following the North Salem game. “We’re ready to get after them.”
Grants Pass culture helps Cavemen rebound from 1-win season
Grants Pass entered camp coming off a 1-8 season with a new coach at the helm for the first time in the past 15 years and a roster heavy on sophomores and juniors.
It wasn’t the usual recipe for success. But after a 27-26 victory over South Medford on Friday, the Cavemen find themselves 5-2 and in great position to make a 10th postseason appearance in the past 11 years.
Brad Page, the new coach who stepped in after John Musser stepped down over the winter, attributed the turnaround to one word.
“Culture,” he said. “We’ve had great buy-in from our players, and coaches have been united. I think our players’ families and the community are really rallying behind us now and seeing that our team goes beyond just football. We genuinely love and care for each other, and we’re a part of something special.”
The past two weeks have showcased just how much the Cavemen have grown as a unit over the past 12 months.
The previous week, they rallied in the final two minutes to defeat North Salem 18-14. On Friday, they jumped out to a 27-0 lead on the Panthers and withstood a furious comeback, stopping a two-point conversion try after South Medford’s final touchdown, then recovering a fumble on the Panthers’ next possession and running out the final three minutes.
“We’ve been banged up, sick, and had serious injuries, but our guys have found a way to dig deep and play their hearts out,” Page said. “I think we’ve proven that we can play with most teams in the state and have shown resilience through adversity.”
That ability will be severely tested this week when the Cavemen travel up I-5 to play No. 1 Sheldon in Eugene. The Irish dispatched North Medford 42-6 last week in what was the second-closest game they’ve played this season.
Page sees Friday’s game as a fantastic opportunity to show how far his team has come since his arrival in February.
“They are well-coached, have incredible athletes and are a great all-around team,” Page said of Sheldon. “We have to go in being 100% prepared on our game plan. We have to control the momentum and never let the game get away from us.”
Mountain View secures playoff spot, now bids for city bragging rights, IMC title
Another team enjoying a renaissance this fall is Mountain View, the “other” Bend school that has enjoyed success since dropping to 5A after a four-year stint in 6A.
The Cougars had one winning record during those four seasons — going undefeated during the COVID spring season during which only one of their six games was against a team outside of Central Oregon.
They finished 3-7 last fall, including a first-round loss to 6A runner-up Tualatin, but Friday’s 44-13 win over Ridgeview improved their record to 5-2 entering a two-week closing stretch against Summit and Bend.
“We have a lot of juniors playing who weren’t ready for 6A football last year as sophomores but now are,” coach Brian Crum said. “They still don’t always practice or play with the consistency we would like, but they are committed in every way. They don’t mind hard work, and they embrace the process of improvement. That’s been huge for us.”
It’s a process that included close losses to Canby in Week 1 and Southridge in Week 4, then bloomed when Intermountain Conference play began with blowout wins over Caldera, Redmond and Ridgeview.
“It’s always amazing to see lightbulbs turning on each week with certain players,” Crum said. “We have seen that over and over again this season.”
The Cougars have metamorphosed on both sides of the ball this season. They traditionally were a run-heavy offense, but this season they have played to the strengths of their team — junior quarterback Connor Crum, the coach’s son, and a bevy of receiving talent that averages nearly 200 yards per game through the air with 16 touchdowns.
On defense, they’ve gone from allowing 35 points per game a year ago to 11.8 this fall by simplifying their schemes so that their young talent can play faster and freer.
“Let the kids settle into the system and go make plays,” Brian Crum said. “Coach (Tanner) Cook has done an excellent job of staying true to that. That allows us to play fast to the ball, not overthink, and instead react. Each week, I know our defense will keep us in games and make a play when we need.”
The Cougars clinched a playoff spot with Friday’s win, but they have their eyes on an even bigger prize — a first conference championship since 2017, their last year in 5A, when they reached the state semifinals.
First up in their intracity round-robin is Summit, which followed its come-from-behind win over Bend in Week 6 with a 35-0 victory over Redmond. Then, it’s the Lava Bears in the oldest of the Central Oregon rivalry games.
“Playing in town is always a special thing,” Crum said. “Both are incredibly good and senior-dominated. They are big and physical, and they are confident and battle-tested. So, now the challenge is getting better against teams that will push us and try to kick our butts. That is a great challenge.
“Our mindset is, ‘Bring it on,’ because it is about us. This team doesn’t have to worry about who we are playing. We have to focus on improving and seeing that consistency. To win, we have to be on. We have to protect the quarterback and have time to throw it. That isn’t easy against that defense and that front four.”
Last team standing: Silverton only unbeaten left in Mid-Willamette
As teams in the Mid-Willamette Conference beat up one another, one team has emerged unscathed through seven weeks.
Defending 5A state champion Silverton remained undefeated in conference play Friday with a 45-28 victory over McKay, clinching at least a share of the MWC title with two weeks left.
The Foxes did so with a new coach, Dan Lever, who arrived this year to take over from Josh Craig after leading Tualatin to the 6A final last season.
Lever wasn’t the only newcomer in the program — the Foxes graduated 25 seniors from last year’s state champion, and he acknowledged there was a learning curve for all involved entering preseason camp.
“The roots of the program are really strong,” Lever said. “I love the tradition here. This generation is smart. They learn fast.”
They faced an early test in Week 1 against Dallas, coming away with a 40-29 victory. After a loss to Oak Ridge of El Dorado Hills, Calif., in the Honor Bowl, they escaped a couple of close calls against Central and South Albany. Last week, against the 1-6 Royal Scots, they led only 28-20 midway through the second half before finally taking control.
“We have had some kids make some plays when we needed them,” Lever said.
The Foxes assured their playoff berth with Friday’s win, and a win against West Albany this week or Lebanon in the season finale secures the outright MWC title. Lever, however, said there’s still more for them to learn if they are to make a deep playoff run.
“We still have not developed that killer instinct that you have to have in order to put teams away — something we are going to need to learn soon,” he said. “For us to be the team we want to be, we must learn to keep our foot on the gas and keep it there in all three phases of the game for four quarters. West Albany is a great program and extremely well-coached, so this will be a great test for us.”
What a debut for Tillamook’s new field: a Cowapa title showdown with Scappoose
Tillamook entered this season with lofty expectations thanks to a core group of seven seniors who have started since the COVID spring 2021 season.
Only one of those seven played along the line, however. So, after the Cheesemakers started the season 0-2 with close losses to Marshfield and Banks, coach Kye Johnson and his staff decided to tweak the offensive and defensive fronts to better suit the personnel surrounding four-year starting guard Sam Diaz.
The result? A five-game win streak, the most recent victory coming Friday when the Cheesemakers downed Astoria 40-7.
“We lost a ton of experience and leadership from the 2021 team, especially up front,” Johnson said. “It took us a little while to figure out our rotations and which guys were leading the way, but we also played two good teams in those first two games. You have to figure out life faster when you have challenging games early on.”
Another change saw senior Gilbert Whitlatch, the team’s leading rusher as a junior, get the bulk of the carries the past two weeks after Judah Werner — with whom he’d split time in the backfield — suffered an injury in Week 6 against St. Helens.
Werner rushed for more than 100 yards in three consecutive games before his injury, and Whitlatch picked up where he left off with his first 100-yard game of the season against the Lions and 96 yards in Friday’s win.
“Gilbert was our workhorse last year, but his importance in the middle of our defense and having Judah has allowed us to split his carries up,” Johnson said. “Judah was available last week, but we didn’t wind up needing to force him into action. So, Gilbert has gotten the load of the carries and has looked great doing so.”
Instead, Johnson could save Werner for the Cheesemakers’ showdown with Scappoose this week that will decide the Cowapa title. The teams hadn’t been in the same league since 2018, before Scappoose moved up to 5A for four years, and Tillamook has lost nine in a row in the series since its last win in 2008.
“We haven’t played in a few years, but most of our guys played against them in junior high at some point,” Johnson said. “They are always tough. I’ve been a player and coach in the Cowapa long enough to know how many league titles have run through Scappoose over the last 20-plus years.”
The game also will mark the debut of Tillamook’s newly refurbished stadium, complete with new turf and new lights, after the team played the first seven weeks on the road. With the Cheesemakers also looking to nail down their first league title since 1999 (when they shared the Val-Co crown), the mood around the program is sky-high.
“Our guys are going to be absolutely pumped to get out there,” Johnson said. “We’re all expecting an awesome atmosphere for this game. We have to defend space well, play physically, tackle well, fight off blocks — all the things that have helped us be successful this year. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Rothenberger brothers help Junction City make successful return to 4A
Junction City notched its biggest win in the past seven years last week when it knocked off No. 9 Cascade 35-12 to move closer to its first 4A playoff berth since 2015.
After that season, the Tigers won just seven games over the next four years, prompting them to drop to 3A under the OSAA’s rule allowing teams to opt down for competitive reasons.
They went 5-1 during the COVID spring season, then finished 5-3 last fall and qualified for the 3A playoffs. They might have been able to stay down again this season, but third-year coach Max Wall said the team was ready to jump back into the 4A ranks.
“The kids play other sports at 4A, and they all wanted to compete at this level,” Wall said.
The Tigers received a boost from the return of the Rothenberger brothers from Toledo. Gunner, a senior who made the 2A all-state team at quarterback and defensive back, and Cooper, a junior tight end, grew up in Junction City but moved when Gunner was an eighth-grader.
Wall said Gunner “was made to run our single-wing offense,” and last week, he had 138 yards of total offense and threw for a touchdown while also leading the defensive effort with 11 tackles and a forced fumble.
Cooper “is a natural tight end for us,” Wall said, and he’s second on the team with 12 catches for 200 yards. He had nine tackles last week and recovered the fumble his older brother caused.
With senior fullback Brett McKee (119 rushing yards, two touchdowns) anchoring the attack, the Tigers improved to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in Sky Em play. While a win Friday over Cottage Grove won’t clinch a playoff berth, it would provide needed momentum for the season finale against Marist Catholic.
“We have to take care of Cottage Grove,” Wall said. “Then, the Marist game is a great opportunity for the kids. It’s a big game. The kids can’t wait.”
Defense drives Banks to continued success after drop to 3A
While Junction City moved up from 3A to 4A, Banks went the opposite direction, finally succumbing to the drop in enrollment that would have left it the smallest 4A school by about 100 students. At the 3A level, Banks still is smaller than 11 other schools (four of which are 4A schools playing down for competitive balance).
“We were bummed to leave 4A and our league there,” coach Cole Linehan said. “We have had a lot of success over the years.”
Linehan and his players still are enjoying success this fall in their new home. Banks shut out Yamhill-Carlton 31-0 on Friday to take over sole possession of the Coastal Range League lead with two weeks left.
With wins over Valley Catholic (another Cowapa League expatriate that moved down this year) and North Marion, Banks would win the outright title and likely enter the 3A playoffs as the No. 1 or No. 2 seed.
“The kids played hard Friday,” Linehan said “It took a little while to get our offense going, but they picked it up in the second half.”
In the meantime, Banks relied upon a defense that has dominated all season. It has allowed double-digit scoring just once — a 20-12 win over former Cowapa rival Tillamook in Week 2 — and posted three shutouts.
Senior lineman Daevon Vereen has continued to menace opposing backfields (31 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, nine hurries), and he’s been joined up front by sophomore Luke Bigsby, who has a team-high 12 tackles for loss. “With their size and speed, they’re hard to block,” Linehan said.
Their play has allowed linebackers Logan Kind (team-high 50 tackles, nine for loss) and Ashton Crossen (37 tackles, 11 for loss) to roam free and make plays.
“The defense as a whole takes a lot of pride in shutouts,” Linehan said. “They’ve been doing a good job all year at taking away a team’s strength. They fly to the football well. And they are a fun group to coach because of how hard they play.”
Cascade Christian boasts 3A’s top offense, defense entering difficult closing stretch
How dominant has Cascade Christian been in amassing a 7-0 record in Far West League play?
The Challengers not only lead Class 3A in scoring at 53.9 points per game, but they also have the stingiest defense in the classification, allowing just 3.2 points per game with four shutouts — including their latest in a 35-0 victory that spoiled Lakeview’s homecoming.
“The offensive and defensive stats are a byproduct of the work that these young men and assistant coaches have put into the season,” coach Jon Gettman said. “Having a strong defense allows you to be competitive in any game, so I am most pleased with how they’re playing.”
The Challengers have been fairly balanced on offense, with sophomore Kameron Rague leading the team with 620 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns through six games and junior Ashton Moody throwing for 795 yards and 10 touchdowns, spreading the ball between four receivers, led by senior Brody Sample (16 catches for 307 yards).
Senior linebacker Cole Shields has a team-high 38 tackles (6½ for loss), and senior Jaxson Turituri up front has a team-high nine tackles for loss.
The schedule now becomes more challenging for the Challengers in their bid for their first league title since 2018. First up this week is the Holy Bowl against the crosstown rival St. Mary’s Crusaders of Medford, whose only loss came in Week 6 to unbeaten South Umpqua — last year’s 3A runner-up with whom Cascade Christian must finish the season.
“We’re excited to be in contention for the league title and looking forward to playing a good St. Mary’s team,” Gettman said. “The keys for us will be winning the turnover battle and the line of scrimmage.”
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