What we learned in Week 5 of Oregon high school football

Here's what stood out during the fifth weekend of action

The Oregon high school football season continued last week with Week 5 action around the state. Here's what stood out during the fifth weekend of action. 

Photo by Dan Brood 

— 

West Linn, Tualatin take care of business to set up Week 6 showdown

No. 2 West Linn and No. 3 Tualatin got off to slow starts in their Week 5 matchups, but each found its stride after halftime and remained unbeaten entering their showdown Thursday night at West Linn’s Gregory Memorial Stadium.

“It happens. Teams start off cold, and that’s what happened tonight,” said Lions quarterback Baird Gilroy, who shrugged off an early interception-return touchdown to finish 12 of 19 for 205 yards and two touchdowns in their 49-14 victory at No. 4 Lake Oswego.

The Timberwolves were playing their first game with senior AJ Noland behind center after junior Nolan Keeney broke his collarbone in a Week 4 win at Jesuit, and they fell behind 17-0 to Lakeridge midway through the second quarter.

Noland’s touchdown pass to Kenen Elder got the Timberwolves on the scoreboard, and Jayden Fortier ran for two second-half touchdowns — including the go-ahead score with 4:53 left — as they rallied for a 31-24 win.

That sets up the matchup we expected in the preseason when we named Tualatin-West Linn the No. 1 anticipated game statewide on the 2023 schedule. The Lions won last year’s matchup 42-30, avenging two losses from 2021 that included a 35-13 defeat in the 6A semifinals.

They racked up 503 yards of total offense and forced two fourth-quarter turnovers to hold off the Timberwolves, who amassed 529 yards themselves.

Thursday’s game also coincides with Homecoming, which brings its attendant distractions to an already shortened week. Gilroy said that shouldn’t affect the Lions.

“I think a lot of people here see football as like business first, play second,” he said. “Tualatin is a really good team. They’ve got a lot of talent all around the football field. So, I’m excited. It’s going to be a fun time.”

Nelson revs running game into higher gear entering Barlow matchup

As Nelson walked off West Linn’s field following a 37-0 opening week defeat, coach Aaron Hazel knew one area his team needed to improve was its running game.

The Hawks ran for just 58 yards on 26 carries in that game, and with the team hoping to take the next step after reaching the playoffs in only its second season last fall, they knew those numbers wouldn’t cut it.

That required improvement along the front line, and in their 33-13 victory over crosstown rival Clackamas, they showed what Hazel has seen each week — even in a 42-7 loss to No. 1 Central Catholic the previous game.

“Even in that game, we ran the ball and performed up front as well as we have in the last three years,” Hazel said. “Our guys up front have really improved.

“Noah Julison and Boone Standley are returning three-year starters and have been solid all year, but the week-to-week improvement of sophomore center Jackson Liepold, junior guard Hayden Aldinger and senior tackle Austin Reuter has really led to our offensive improvement.”

The Hawks didn’t amass huge rushing numbers — 124 yards on 29 carries — but senior Eddy Keomany scored twice on the ground to complement a defense that scored on an interception return and an end-zone fumble recovery.

Junior quarterback Avirey Durdahl has started to develop chemistry with a new cadre of receivers. Seniors Tyler Creswick (Putnam) and Andre Miller (Gresham) transferred in over the summer, and seniors Sam Lewis and Eli Stevenson and junior Noah Boria have taken on bigger roles.

“We had some quick strikes on offense against Clackamas, and that part of our offense is getting more consistent each week,” Hazel said. “It just takes some time to get in sync between quarterback and receiver, but they’re starting to get much more comfortable with each other.”

The Hawks are 3-2 entering a critical Mt. Hood Conference matchup with Barlow. Both are 2-1 in the crowded MHC standings, with Nelson sitting No. 11 in the OSAA rankings, looking to stay in the top 16 to qualify for the state playoffs.

“Barlow is interesting. As you watch the film, they have changed their identity seemingly week to week,” Hazel said. “At the end of the day, it’s Barlow, and you know they are going to come out very well-coached and ready to play physical football.”

Sunset not worrying about ending 30-year Metro League title drought

Sunset coach Damien Merrick hasn’t spent a second thinking about the 30-year Metro League title drought the Apollos owned entering the season.

Nor has he thought about how this could be their best chance in some time to end that drought.

“The minute we start worrying about all that, things that are completely out of our control, is the minute that we will be disappointed with our efforts,” Merrick said after his team’s 42-0 victory over Beaverton.

Their efforts so far have led to a 3-2 record, led in large part by the connection that seniors Drew Nees and Blake Hurley have formed over the past two seasons.

Nees was 12 of 14 for 162 yards and three touchdowns, including a second-quarter scoring pass to Hurley, who had two catches for 25 yards.

Nees leads the league with 1,177 passing yards and 10 touchdowns, with Hurley (23 catches for 429 yards and two touchdowns) his favorite target.

“Drew and Blake have been as consistent as anyone we have,” Merrick said. “They spent a ton of time in the offseason working, and it is showing up, for sure. The timing they have developed on some of our concepts has been great, and Blake has provided Drew a great outlet to look for when the play breaks down.”

While no one for a minute believes Jesuit — which picked up its first win Thursday at Aloha — isn’t still the favorite to win a 10th consecutive league title, the Apollos must first contend with Mountainside this week. The Mavericks have won the last two meetings by one point apiece — although again, Merrick insists he hasn’t brought up that point with the players.

“Kids don’t need reminders about things like that,” he said. “Our kids are excited for another opportunity to play a high-quality Metro League opponent. Mountainside looks really talented across the board. We will need to execute our plan, have all 11 in the right positions at all times, and tackle well.” 

Summit hopes new pieces are falling into place after 1-3 start

Summit coach Corben Hyatt knew his team would be breaking in plenty of fresh faces this season, but that didn’t stop him from scheduling a taxing nonleague slate that included 6A semifinalist Tualatin, 6A quarterfinalist Sherwood and the team the Storm defeated in last year’s 5A state final, Wilsonville.

Predictably, the Storm struggled to a 1-3 start, but Hyatt made sure his team knew he wasn’t as focused on victories as on progress.

“We want to be one of the top programs in the state each year, so we want to play the best,” he said after his team’s 63-0 win over Ridgeview improved its mark to 2-3. “We have a lot of new starters this season, and we spoke to them about getting better each week and not focusing on the outcome but the process. I think we have done that. It showed our players what they need to be like at the end.”

One of those new starters Hyatt integrated into the program is senior Jimmy Hughes, who last year earned MVP honors in California’s Division 4-A championship game for San Marin in his first career start.

He took over for Hogan Carmichael, the 5A offensive player of the year last season, and through four games led the Intermountain Conference with 771 passing yards. His one touchdown pass against the Ravens evened his touchdowns-interceptions count at four apiece — but more important to Hyatt, he led nine touchdown drives, nearly matching the team’s total (12) from the first four games.

“Jimmy is a tremendous player but is still developing chemistry with our receivers,” Hyatt said. “He came from a great program in California, but they ran a much different system than we do. We think he’s doing an amazing job, and we are seeing him getting better and much more confident each week.”

That newly found offensive efficiency will be tested this week in the annual rivalry game against Bend, which has posted two shutouts and held Redmond out of the end zone last week in a 19-3 victory.

“Offensively, we have to get our running game going, which leads to our quick passing game,” Hyatt said. “We need to control both sides of the line of scrimmage. Both lines have been challenged by this nonleague schedule, and they know what they need to do to be successful.”

Will week off help or hurt West Albany ahead of crosstown rivalry game?

Most Oregon high school teams settle into the rhythm of a game every week for nine weeks — hopefully more.

West Albany had that rhythm broken last week when Central forfeited their Mid-Willamette Conference game after an illness swept through the program.

Will the week off invigorate the Bulldogs or erode their momentum as they enter their rivalry game against South Albany this week? That’s the challenge as they look to post an 18th consecutive win in the crosstown series, which West Albany leads 31-17 since the schools split in 1971.

“We were disappointed that we couldn’t play but understand that all of this was out of our control,” Bulldogs coach Brian Mehl said. “We’ve moved on. We are excited for a new challenge.”

West Albany made three consecutive 5A semifinal appearances from 2018-21, and two-year starting quarterback Lukas Hews has seamlessly stepped into the shoes of Carson Van Dyke and Michael Cale, who also had two-year runs behind center for the Bulldogs.

Hews completed 69% of his passes through four games, throwing for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns without an interception.

“Every year is a little different,” Mehl said. “The goal is to score points. We believe this version of our offense gives us the best chance to win football games. Our offense has played well through the first four games of the season. Lukas certainly is pivotal to those successes.”

Déjà vu for Eagle Point in bid to win first league title since 1967

Eagle Point finds itself in a similar position as it was a year ago entering a Midwestern League showdown with Thurston.

The Eagles entered last year’s game 4-1 and riding a three-game win streak, only to fall 24-14 at home as the Colts went on to win a fifth consecutive league title.

Eagle Point settled for a tie for second in the league standings and its first state playoff berth since 2016.

This time, the Eagles are 3-2, but again riding a three-game win streak after defeating Willamette 46-6 to improve to 3-0 in MWL play as they head to Springfield looking for their first win over Thurston since the 1995 playoffs (0-5 since).

“Thurston is always solid and well-coached,” Eagle Point coach Erik Johnson said. “We have to capitalize on more opportunities than they do.”

One key to the Eagles’ turnaround has been the improved play of senior quarterback Bryton Livingston, who threw for 1,226 yards and 14 touchdowns last year. Through five games this season, he has 981 yards and 12 touchdowns — including a tidy 132 yards and two scores against the Wolverines.

“We wouldn’t be where we are as a team if it wasn’t for Bryton,” Johnson said. “His level of leadership and understanding of the game is very rare to find in a high school player. Bryton is literally another coach on the field.”

It hasn’t just been Livingston, though. Easton Raber caught both of Livingston’s touchdown passes against Willamette to give him eight for the season among his 22 catches for 413 yards.

The defense had its strongest showing of the season, giving up just 144 yards and shutting out the Wolverines until late in the fourth quarter. They’ll need a similar performance Friday against the Colts as the Eagles look to end a 56-year title drought.

‘Small, strong group’ of seniors helps Molalla start 4-1

It hasn’t been quite as long since Molalla won a league title — 17 years, in fact, since the program won the Tri-Valley Conference championship.

The team took a big step toward ending that streak Thursday night when it knocked off defending 4A state champion Estacada 36-14 for the program’s first win over the Rangers since 2015. The victory pushed Molalla to 4-1, its best start since 2016.

“My senior group has taken their leadership role seriously,” Molalla coach Sean McElhaney said. “They are a small, strong group that started as freshmen during the COVID season. They have weathered a lot of storms and give the team a strong sense of ‘we can.’”

Among that small but strong group of seniors is linebacker Ben Olsen, a two-time all-TVC selection, and defensive back Brady Beck, who have led a defense that has allowed a 4A-low 11 points per game.

“The players are aggressive, good tacklers,” McElhaney said. “Ben is our leading tackler and defensive captain. He can range sideline to sideline.”

McElhaney took over the offense toward the end of last season, and he emphasized a return to the basics. He also turned over the offense to junior quarterback Mason King, who has run for a team-high 528 yards and eight touchdowns — including 183 yards and four touchdowns against the Rangers.

“The kids know their roles and work hard on every play,” McElhaney said.

Molalla takes on The Dalles this week before facing the other two teams that won their TVC openers — La Salle Prep and Gladstone — in back-to-back weeks.

“We will just be focused each week on that opponent,” McElhaney said. “We have no interest in the season as a whole. We want to be good each week, and the season will take care of itself.”

Seaside finds success through the air to get confidence-building win

Since Seaside reached the 4A state final in 2018, the Seagulls had struggled to beat playoff-caliber opponents.

Over the past three full seasons, they’d gone a combined 1-14 against playoff qualifiers, including first-round defeats in 2019 and 2022.

That’s why Friday’s 41-35 victory over North Coast rival Tillamook, a 4A state finalist last fall, in their Cowapa League opener took on added significance.

“We hadn’t beaten a really good team in a few years,” Seaside coach Aaron Tanabe said. “So, our biggest takeaway from this game is confidence.”

The Seagulls leaned on their two-headed running attack through four weeks, with junior Jake White and sophomore Ryder Jackson combining for 706 yards and 10 touchdowns.

With White sidelined last week, Jackson took over lead back duties and rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns. A passing attack that had been virtually nonexistent for four games came to life as junior Zayden Anderson threw for 94 yards and a career-high three touchdowns — two to Jordan Westerholm and one to Jackson.

“Going into the season, we felt we’d have the ability to stretch defenses vertically with our passing game,” Tanabe said. “We hadn’t been able to put it all together until Friday night. We know we’ll need our passing game to continue to develop if we want to play deep into November.”

Before that, the Seagulls must worry about Friday’s game against No. 1 Scappoose, which rolled to a 42-14 win at Milwaukie in its Cowapa opener. Scappoose is led by junior quarterback Max Nowlin, who has completed 73% of his passes (127 of 174) for 1,370 yards and 16 touchdowns through five games.

“We hope this win gives our kids confidence going into Scappoose,” Tanabe said.

Banks takes Long way to rematch with Kennedy in 3A showcase game

A year ago, Banks went virtually unchallenged in its run to the 3A semifinals, with only 4A finalist Tillamook (20-12) staying within one score of the team until it reached the quarterfinals, where Banks edged Santiam Christian.

In the semifinals, Banks went up against Kennedy, and the Trojans reached their fourth consecutive state final with a hard-fought 15-7 victory.

The teams were in different districts last season, but the OSAA moved Kennedy to 3A SD-1 this year, and the two powerhouses are set to meet Friday night in Mt. Angel in one of the most highly anticipated small-school games of the season, with both teams entering 5-0.

“We were all excited when Kennedy moved into our league,” Banks coach Cole Linehan said after his team’s 35-0 win over North Marion. “They are a great football team with a great history of winning. We want to play the best teams possible, and we know we will get a great game from them. It should be a fun matchup for both sides.”

As Linehan was quick to point out, this isn’t quite a rematch, with both teams having undergone significant changes since last year’s semifinals. For starters, Banks has a new quarterback in senior Kade Long, who finally earned the starting job after injuries wrecked nearly two full seasons.

“It has been a lot of fun to see Kade on the football field,” Linehan said of Long, who has thrown for 952 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. “We have always known he was a good athlete that would help us anywhere on the field. It’s just great to see him out there now, making plays, being a great leader and helping his team win.”

The true star of the team is senior Ashton Crossen, a two-way terror who ranks among 3A state leaders in rushing (543 yards, seven touchdowns) and tackles (31, including 13 for loss), with five sacks and nine hurries as a linebacker.

“Ashton has been a beast for us,” Linehan said. “He has played quarterback in the past for team needs, but running back is his true position, and he is now where he belongs, running the ball. He plays the game the right way. He never takes plays off, flies to the football, and makes play after play for us.” 

—

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

Our Week 5 predictions: How did we do?