Sam Keen is on the move — from Marist Catholic to Springfield and from Team Columbia to Team Willamette at Les Schwab Bowl
By Dan Brood
Sam Keen knows what it’s like to win at the Les Schwab Bowl.
Last year, the lineman helped Team Columbia run to a 28-9 victory over Team Willamette.
This year, Keen is back at the high school football all-star game, which will be played Saturday at Linfield University in McMinnville.
But there is one difference: This year, the 6-foot-3, 290-pound Keen will be playing for Team Willamette.
No matter what team he plays for, Keen is looking to get the most out of his Les Schwab Bowl experience and, of course, he’s looking to celebrate another victory.
“It’s been a blast so far. I’ve made friends with everyone,” Keen said Wednesday.
“Our goal is to win. We’ve got (Team Willamette head) Coach (Josh) Line, the ‘Hype Man,’ so I think we’re pretty well set up, and practices are going pretty well.”
One of the keys to victory, Keen says to no surprise, will be the play of the linemen. And so far, Keen added, the Team Willamette linemen seem to be a cohesive unit.
“We’ve been doing everything together,” he said. “We’re having lunch together, we’re all in the same room. Everything is in sync.”
Like with the Les Schwab Bowl, Keen helped one team thrive last high school season and, this upcoming season, he’ll be looking to help a new team achieve a lot of success.
When he was a junior, Keen helped Marist Catholic go 8-2 and qualify for the Class 4A state playoffs. He was the Sky Em League offensive lineman of the year, a Class 4A all-state first-team selection on the offensive line and a second-team all-state pick on the defensive line.
As a senior, Keen will be playing at Springfield, and he has very high hopes for the Millers.
“We’re going to kill it,” Keen said with a smile. “State is the goal — it always will be. That’s the bare minimum. That’s what I’m going to ask for. That’s why I transferred. I believe in them. We’re going to get it set up and we’re going to kill it.”
At Springfield, Keen will be playing for head coach Frank Geske, who also was his coach at Marist Catholic.
“I love Frank Geske,” Keen said. “I spend lunch with him every day. He’s like a grandpa I’ve never had. It’s just the connection we’ve had the past three years. He believes in me. I love him as a coach.”
The Les Schwab Bowl and getting ready to play for Springfield have been just part of a busy football summer for Keen.
“I’ve been at camps and colleges and all that,” he said. “I’ve gotten a few offers this summer, so I’m pretty happy. Right now, I have preferred walk-on offers from North Carolina State and Oregon. And I have a scholarship offer from Rhode Island, and I’m pretty happy about that.”
Another thing that would make Keen happy is another Les Schwab Bowl victory — this time with Team Willamette.
“It’s pretty important to me,” he said. “This whole week, getting relationships going is nice, and I’m looking forward to winning. It’s been a really fun week so far.”
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Proceeds from this year’s Les Schwab Bowl, presented by Express Employment Professionals, will benefit the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association general scholarship fund, the Brayden Bafaro Scholarship Fund, and various youth charities.
This is the 75th game in the series, but just the second that won’t be North vs. South. Instead, players were drafted by the Team Columbia coaching staff, with head coach Steve Pyne from Central Catholic, and by the Team Willamette coaching staff, with head coach Josh Line from Sheldon. In last year’s game, the first under this format, Team Columbia posted a 28-9 win over Team Willamette.
Gates will open at 3 p.m. Saturday, with food carts on site. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m.
Tickets for the game can be purchased at lesschwabbowl.com/tickets. The game can also be streamed online, at a cost of $10, at lesschwabbowl.com.
