Instant analysis: 10 things to know from Week 5 of Oregon high school football

10 takeaways from the fifth weekend of action

René Ferrán | Sep 30, 2023

Here are 10 takeaways (in no particular order) from the fifth weekend of the Oregon high school football season.

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How the SBLive Oregon media poll 6A Top 10 fared

1. Central Catholic (5-0) def. Reynolds 55-6

2. West Linn (5-0) def. No. 4 Lake Oswego 49-14

3. Tualatin (4-1) def. No. 6 Lakeridge 31-24

4. Lake Oswego (4-1) lost to No. 2 West Linn 49-14

5. Sherwood (5-0) def. Century 52-0

6. Lakeridge (4-1) lost 31-24 to No. 3 Tualatin

7. Jesuit (1-4) def. Aloha 70-0

8. Tigard (4-1) lost to Oregon City 28-24

9. Sheldon (3-2) def. Roseburg 50-12

10. South Salem (5-0) def. West Salem 48-21

Let sleeping Lions lie: Chant rouses West Linn in rout of Lake Oswego

No. 2 West Linn scuffled through the first 18 minutes of its Three Rivers League opener at No. 4 Lake Oswego.

Colin Best intercepted a pass by Baird Gilroy on the Lions’ second play from scrimmage for a 39-yard interception return for a score. Later, the Lakers went on an 11-play, 80-yard drive to grab a 14-11 lead on Zavier Russell’s 3-yard run with 8:14 before halftime.

Then, the West Linn players heard the chant wafting from the Lake Oswego student section at Cobb Field: F— West Linn! F— West Linn!

That woke the Lions from their slumber. On the next play, senior tight end Gus Donnerberg caught his defender sneaking a peek into the backfield and got behind him for a 59-yard touchdown to put them ahead 18-14 with 5:17 left in the second quarter.

Gus Donnerberg (West Linn) photo by Ken Waz

From then on, it was all West Linn, which scored 38 unanswered points en route to a 49-14 victory to remain undefeated.

“You know, we heard the student section talking, and honestly, it’s just motivation,” said Donnerberg, who finished with three catches for 98 yards and made a team-high seven tackles (two for loss). “I think it just gets our motor rolling.”

The Lions pounced in the third quarter, with Hunter Haines returning the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown after initially muffing the catch. Nick Sakys added a 6-yard touchdown run, and Danny Wideman returned a punt 70 yards for a backbreaking score with 1:26 left in the period.

Freshman Josiah Molden capped the scoring by stepping in front of a deep sideline out route and racing 62 yards untouched to the end zone to trigger a running clock with 8:59 to play.

“It’s good to know our offense isn’t the only team that can score,” said Wideman, who also caught a touchdown in the first half. “Two special teams touchdowns, a pick-six at the end of the game. I knew there were some chants going on, and Gus just shut them up. That’s just a great win for us. Everyone contributed.”

Gilroy finished 12 of 19 for 205 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Wideman had four catches for 77 yards. Ryan Vandenbrink added five tackles, a sack and two pass breakups as the Lions held Lake Oswego to 196 yards of total offense.

LaMarcus Bell led the Lakers with 19 carries for 77 yards. Liam Davis was 9 of 18 for 102 yards and two interceptions, with Carson Schwindt catching five passes for 70 yards.

Tualatin rallies in second half to beat Lakeridge in TRL thriller

No. 3 Tualatin survived an early scare from No. 6 Lakeridge to pull out a 31-24 Three Rivers League victory and set up a showdown with No. 2 West Linn next week.

Jayden Fortier’s 1-yard touchdown run with 4:53 left proved the winning score as the Timberwolves rallied from a 17-0 second-quarter deficit.

“We just told them to control what you can control,” Timberwolves coach Dom Ferraro said. “The first half, I thought we didn’t have any juice or enthusiasm. We were too concerned about the officials or Lakeridge. In the second half, we just focused on us and doing our job.”

Sophomore sensation Ansu Sanoe scored on runs of 78 and 6 yards to give the Pacers the early edge, but the Timberwolves answered just before halftime when AJ Noland — starting at quarterback for the injured Nolan Keeney — hit Kenen Elder on a 40-yard touchdown pass.

The Timberwolves recovered a fumble on the second-half kickoff and kicked a field goal to draw within 17-10. Special teams came through again for Tualatin when Matthew Eleweke returned a punt 50 yards to tie the score at 17-17.

The Timberwolves took their first lead on Fortier’s 5-yard run late in the third, but the Pacers tied the score again on Luke Womack’s 12-yard catch early in the fourth quarter.

Noland finished with 205 passing yards and a touchdown in his first career start at quarterback, and Fortier added an interception right before halftime to deny Lakeridge in the end zone.

“AJ did great tonight,” Ferraro said. “He is a stud. Very reliable.”

Nelson overcomes slow start to defeat rival Clackamas

Nelson got a much-needed bounce-back win over district rival Clackamas, with senior Eddy Keomany scoring two rushing touchdowns in a 33-13 Mt. Hood Conference victory.

The Hawks were coming off a 42-7 loss to No. 1 Central Catholic the previous week, and coach Aaron Hazel said, “the kids were probably a little overhyped at the start of the game. We made mistakes that slowed us down a little.”

They came out in the second half and took control against the Cavaliers, getting an interception-return touchdown from Andre Miller and an end-zone fumble recovery by Tanner Saxe to expand a 13-7 halftime lead to 33-7 just 3½ minutes into the third quarter.

“Our kids responded really well at halftime,” Hazel said. “We came out much stronger.”

Grant wins Portland rivalry game to keep pace in PIL race

The Grant-Jefferson Portland rivalry exemplifies the adage about throwing out the records when rivals meet.

The Democrats entered 0-4, but they gave the Generals all they could handle for three-plus quarters before Grant came up big with two fourth-down stops in the final quarter to hold on for a 31-16 victory.

The Generals racked up close to 300 yards on the ground, with Camari Owens and Deckard Hale scoring first-half touchdowns. Antoin Hawthorne returned the second-half kickoff for another score, and Marcus Rouse closed the scoring with a 26-yard run with 11:01 to play.

The victory allowed Grant to keep its PIL title hopes alive after Roosevelt and Wells both won to remain undefeated in league play.

Jesuit roars to life by trouncing Aloha after 0-4 start

No. 7 Jesuit finally notched its first win of the season in a big way Thursday night, thrashing Aloha 70-0 in both teams’ Metro League opener.

The Crusaders began the season 0-4 — their worst start since beginning the 1977 season 0-7 — but were never threatened against the Warriors, who have lost 23 consecutive games dating to a 49-13 win over Beaverton in their finale of the COVID-shortened 2021 spring season.

Lonnie Burt ran for 88 yards and a season-high four touchdowns, and Julius Christensen rushed for 91 yards and two scores. Trey Cleeland was 5 of 8 for 101 yards and two touchdowns.

Jesuit held Aloha to minus-34 rushing yards and 54 yards of total offense.

How the SBLive Oregon media poll 5A Top 10 fared

1. Wilsonville (4-1) def. Hood River Valley 35-6

2. Silverton (5-0) def. Corvallis 40-14

3. Mountain View (5-0) def. Caldera 36-3

4. West Albany (5-0) def. Central, forfeit

5. Summit (2-3) def. Ridgeview 63-0

6. Springfield (4-1) lost to No. 8 Thurston 34-13

7. Canby (3-2) def. Southridge 50-6

8. Thurston (3-2) def. No. 6 Springfield 34-13

9. Dallas (3-2) def. Woodburn 47-12

10. Redmond (3-2) lost to Bend 19-3

Big second half pushes Thurston to rivalry win in key MWL matchup

No. 8 Thurston took a big step toward winning a sixth consecutive Midwestern League title by rallying to beat No. 6 Springfield 34-13.

The Colts defeated their crosstown rivals for the eighth consecutive meeting, overcoming a 7-6 halftime deficit with 28 consecutive points, taking advantage of three fourth-quarter turnovers to put the game away.

Junior quarterback Noah Blair had a big night, throwing four touchdown passes and running for a fifth score.

Noah Blair (Thurston) photo by Leon Neuschwander

“Our mindset was good tonight,” Colts coach Justin Starck said. “We were mentally tough and didn’t give in to adversity. Our conditioning was also good, and we were able to plug away in the second half. We knew we were going to come through.”

The Colts started the season 0-2, with losses to both of last year’s 5A finalists, Wilsonville and Summit. Starck said that experience allowed his players to see the level of play they needed to reach.

“We weren’t up to that task then, but now they’re striving toward it,” he said. “I’m happy with our progress. We’re a young team, and we’ve been improving gradually.”

Canby finding its way with third consecutive victory after 0-2 start

It took three weeks for Canby to find its identity, but the No. 7 Cougars notched their third consecutive win after an 0-2 start by romping past Southridge 50-6 to close nonleague play.

“Last year, we felt we peaked early after three games,” coach Jimmy Joyce said. “We have a lot of returners, but a lot of those guys missed a lot of time last year, so learning how to play together has been key. Our goal this year is to hit our stride in late October and November.”

One of those returners who missed time because of injury last season is senior running back Tyler Konold, who ran for 87 yards and two touchdowns and caught one of Kellen Oliver’s three first-half touchdown passes as the Cougars built a 38-6 halftime lead.

How the SBLive Oregon media poll 4A Top 10 fared

1. Scappoose (5-0) def. Milwaukie 42-14

2. Marist Catholic (4-1) def. Sweet Home 56-6

3. Tillamook (3-2) lost to Seaside 41-35

4. Mazama (4-1) def. No. 10 Ashland 57-26

5. Henley (5-0) def. Hidden Valley 35-0

6. Pendleton (4-1) def. Madras 48-0

7. Estacada (1-4) lost to Molalla 36-14

8. Cascade (4-1) def. Cottage Grove 46-0

9. Junction City (4-1) lost to Marshfield 14-8

T10. Ashland (3-2) lost to No. 4 Mazama 57-26

T10. North Bend (5-1) def. Santiam Christian 31-28

Seaside notches signature win by knocking off No. 3 Tillamook

Since reaching the 4A state final in 2018, Seaside has been searching for a signature win.

The Seagulls might have gotten such a victory Friday by knocking off No. 3 Tillamook 41-35, stopping last year’s 4A runner-up on fourth-and-4 with 1:40 left to seal the victory.

Ryder Jackson rushed for four touchdowns as Seaside won its Cowapa League opener and ended a two-game losing streak to its North Coast rival.

“A big win for our guys,” coach Aaron Tanabe said. “It gives us confidence. We hope this can be a springboard for us.”

Mazama dispatches another Big Sky upstart; Henley keeps pace

For the second consecutive week, No. 4 Mazama disposed of another Big Sky Conference challenger, this time knocking off No. 10 Ashland 57-26.

Kristopher Baldwin followed a career night in last week’s 67-21 win over North Bend by rushing for 163 yards and two touchdowns, and Tyson Van Gastel (108 yards, two touchdowns) and Bodie Norlock (101 yards, two touchdowns) also went over the century mark.

With crosstown rival No. 5 Henley shutting out Hidden Valley 35-0, the Southside Series matchup in Week 8 is setting up once again to be the de facto BSC championship game.

North Bend finishes crazy week by beating Santiam Christian

No. 10 North Bend closed an interesting week by adding two wins to its record, defeating 3A power Santiam Christian 31-28 in a hastily arranged nonleague game.

Shaun Wilder had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and added two touchdowns as the Bulldogs rallied from a 28-12 halftime deficit.

North Bend’s availability resulted from Klamath Union forfeiting the game in light of an incident that took place during the Pelicans’ visit to Coos Bay when they played Marshfield in Week 4, according to the Herald and News.

The incident involved a violation of the school’s Code of Conduct & Substance Policy, according to a statement released by athletic director Tyler Baker.

“This news was incredibly disappointing as our focus this year has been on changing the KULTURE of the football program,” the statement read. “We now find ourselves faced with a considerable roadblock.”

Santiam Christian also earned a forfeit win when Jefferson bowed out because of low numbers.

Other forfeits this week involved Putnam, which has forfeited its next two games to Hillsboro and Hood River Valley, and Central, which forfeited its Mid-Willamette Conference game to 5A No. 4 West Albany because of an illness ravaging its roster.

Molalla scores 29 unanswered to rally past defending 4A champion

For the second week in a row, Molalla avenged a big defeat from a year ago.

Molalla defeated an injury-depleted La Grande team last week and took down an even bigger prize Thursday, knocking off defending 4A state champion and No. 7-ranked Estacada 36-14 to open Tri-Valley Conference play.

Molalla had not defeated the Rangers since 2015 and trailed 14-7 before scoring the game’s final 29 points, with quarterback Mason King’s second touchdown of the night with just over four minutes remaining capping the comeback.

“A great win. The players, coaches and fans all can feel the difference this season,” said Molalla coach Sean McElhaney, whose team lost 61-13 to Estacada last year. “I’m really proud of all of them. We’ll enjoy it this weekend and then get back to work.”

The Rangers, who fell to 1-4, are also sporting several injuries, with starting quarterback Andrew Riedel missing several series before returning late in the game.

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