La Salle Prep goes from 0-10 to conference champions: ‘I’ve just never seen a turnaround like this’

“It’s the kids’ hard work, effort, consistency and determination that’s made us where we are”

MILWAUKIE — Two years ago, La Salle Prep reached the unimaginable lowest of lows for a once-proud program that won a state championship as recently as 2011. 

That summer of 2021 brought challenges that felt insurmountable. Two head coaches departed, along with an entire coaching staff and an athletic trainer, plus several players who jumped ship to better situations. 

What was left was a short-handed roster, a coaching staff in a state of flux and a program with an unknown future.

Fast forward to today, and La Salle Prep has quickly transformed into one of the state’s biggest surprises. With Friday’s 38-0 victory over The Dalles, the Falcons earned the Tri-Valley Conference championship — their first league title in more than a decade (2012).

“I just got goosebumps thinking about it,” La Salle Prep senior Grant Ellison said. “I’ve been here for four years. My sophomore year, we went 0-10. This year, we’re 7-1, and that’s unbelievable. To build a team with these boys and be playing with all the same kids, I’ve just never seen a turnaround like this.” 

Falcons junior quarterback Paul Skoro said “it feels so good emotionally” to be a part of the program’s revival.

“Ever since I joined the team, we've been terrible,” Skoro said. “We’ve been on the other side of these (blowouts) my whole career, and it feels so good to finally just get over the hump, get over the top of the hill. I’m thankful for all the hard work my team has put in and the coaches sticking with us. It’s a blessing.”

Ellison’s two touchdowns in the first half — on a 33-yard reception and a 9-yard run — helped catapult La Salle Prep to a 21-0 halftime lead. Ellison totaled 95 yards (68 receiving, 27 rushing) that showed off his versatility as a tight end or running back.

Skoro made the most of his opportunities, completing 7 of 10 pass attempts for 123 yards and a touchdown. He added nine carries for 59 yards, and he was making just his eighth start at quarterback after converting from receiver.

“He sees the field so well and he makes great decisions,” La Salle Prep coach Dustin Janz said of Skoro, who is a point guard on the basketball team. “He’s not a natural QB, but he’s become our QB — and a really successful and consistent QB that we can count on every single play.”

The most staggering statistic has come from the Falcons' defense, which pitched a fourth consecutive shutout — all coming during league play. La Salle Prep has defeated Parkrose, Estacada, Molalla and The Dalles by a combined 133-0 over the past month.

The Falcons’ 7.9 points allowed per game ranks first in 4A, ahead of title contenders Junction City and Henley (12.1). The defense scored the game’s first touchdown Friday with junior linebacker JJ Kuunifaa’s 11-yard interception return in the opening minute.

La Salle Prep’s defensive unit also turned away The Dalles twice at the goal line, with impressive stands to keep its shutout streak. Led by the linebacking crew of Ellison, Kuunifaa and junior Jacob Thayer, along with a stout defensive line anchored by 6-foot-3, 350-pound senior Lucas el Youseff, the Falcons forced The Dalles to turn it over on downs three times while inside the 20-yard line.

“The thing I love the most, not just the goal-line stands, but the plays that got the other team to the goal line,” Janz said. “We could’ve let them score, but we didn’t. We fought to keep them out.”

Ellison said the defensive success is proof of the players’ “trust” in one another.

“We’ve played on varsity so many years because we were forced to play so many freshmen,” Ellison said. “We all trust each other now. Like, previous years, I felt I had to do everything on the side, and the corner feels like he had to do everything. I trust my brother behind me. If I do my job, we will stop them.”

Junior running back Manu Tanzambi and junior quarterback Trey Williams scored touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Amid the postgame celebration on the field, the La Salle Prep players and coaches were quick to remember the low points and obstacles along the journey.

There was the very first practice when they didn’t have enough players to field an 11-on-11 scrimmage. Of the 18 players who showed up, a majority were freshmen and sophomores who weren’t prepared physically or mentally for varsity football.

“That was the lowest point for me, personally,” Ellison said.

It led to an 0-10 record in Janz’s first season, including five forfeits because of a lack of numbers.

“I’ve coached for 21 years, and I’ve never forfeited a game until that first year here,” said Janz, whose previous stops included Reynolds and Oregon City. “That was really, really difficult.”

Janz recalls taking his team to a 6A football game following a forfeit to show his players “this is what football should look like and this is what we can do.” While inspiring, it served as a gut punch to be watching a game from the stands instead of competing and playing on a Friday night.

“We were good enough to do this, but it just takes time,” Janz said. “It takes consistent effort towards a goal, and they did it. They’ve worked hard at it and really put the time and effort in. I’m so proud of them.”

The thought of quitting was never an option during those tough times, said Ellison. And now they share an unbreakable bond on and off the field with traditions such as post-game meals at nearby Shari’s with the entire team.

“Honestly, we just did it for each other,” Ellison said. “We’re not just teammates on the field, we’re teammates in the halls. I think that camaraderie helped us stay close. It never even crossed my mind (to quit) because I could never fail for any of these guys.”

Skoro described it as a “brotherhood.”

“We just stuck together, and it feels really good,” Skoro said. “We fight for each other on the field. It’s a lot of, ‘I can’t let the guy down next to me.’ It feels like all the reps we put in, all offseason showing up to every summer workout, all the summer conditioning — it feels like it all paid off right now. It’s a great feeling.”

All the steps to get to this point are part of the program’s pound-the-rock mentality. After every game, practice and weight session, each player and coach pounds on the boulder that lies by the entrance to the football field.

“We understand that when it breaks, it’s not the one hit that made it break,” Janz said. “It’s all the hits that it took when you put those consistent efforts in daily. Breaking the rock for us will be winning a state title down the road. I don’t know how long it’s going to take for us to get there, but we’re going to keep swinging, keep fighting. We’re going to try to get there eventually, and that’s the goal.”

The 4A field is potentially wide open with just one undefeated team left in Henley (8-0). Five teams sit at 7-1 entering the final week of the regular season, including La Salle Prep. The Falcons’ lone defeat came to Seaside in the second week, 29-17, on Sept. 8.

“Shutting out teams like we are and winning against Estacada, I mean, I think we can compete for a state title,” Skoro said. “This is a special season and I think it can continue as long as we stick to our keys.”

Janz, who won his first league title in a 21-year coaching career as he's set to celebrate his 44th birthday Sunday, said he feels good with where his team is and that anything can happen.

“If you have a really good defense, you can be in any game,” Janz said. “If you’re in a game, you never know, so that’s what we believe. We’ll see when we get there. The whole goal this year was to make the playoffs. 

“We as coaches knew we’d be competitive; we didn’t know we could win a league championship. We didn’t know we’d have five shutouts in a season. That’s uncalled for — like, crazy for us. We’re super proud. It’s the kids’ hard work, effort, consistency and determination that’s made us where we are.” 

—

La Salle Prep 38, The Dalles 0

The Dalles – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 — 0

La Salle Prep – 14 – 7 – 3 – 14 — 38

First quarter

11:03 L - JJ Kuunifaa 11 interception return (Vance Sheffield PAT)

2:01 L - Grant Ellison 33 pass from Paul Skoro (Sheffield PAT)

Second quarter

6:10 L - Ellison 9 run (Sheffield PAT)

Third quarter

7:58 L - Sheffield 25 field goal

Fourth quarter

9:00 L - Manu Tanzambi 1 run (Sheffield PAT)

2:45 L - Trey Williams 3 run (Sheffield PAT) 

STATISTICS

Passing: The Dalles - Emerson Traub 7-18, 108, INT, Leighton Voodre 1-3, 9; La Salle Prep - Paul Skoro 7-10, 123, TD, Trey Williams 0-2, 0

Rushing: The Dalles - Jacob Berkovich 20-58, Anthony Jara 5-13, Austen Manciu 2-1; La Salle Prep - Manu Tanzambi 15-80, TD, Grant Ellison 4-27, TD, Williams 4-12, TD, Skoro 9-59, Sean Fennell 2-26, Mason Mueller 1-4, Pierce Brunkhorst 1-5, Jacob Thayer 1-0

Receiving: The Dalles - Elijah Cardona 2-63, Jara 5-45, Berkovich 1-9; La Salle Prep - Ellison 3-68, TD, Mueller 3-42, Pablo Escamilla Garcia 1-8, Ben Seleen 1-5 

— 

STATEWIDE SCOREBOARD

Week 8 predictions: How did we do?

State leaders: Class 6A | Class 5A | Class 4A

Media polls: Class 6A | Class 5A | Class 4A

Photos by Dan Brood 

Dan Brood, SBLive Sports