‘Our lake!’ Lakeridge makes it a win streak vs. Lake Oswego, but both teams feel good entering playoffs: 5 takeaways

“Every game matters ... but for this one, there’s a little extra, for sure”

LAKE OSWEGO — In a crosstown rivalry that had recently been dominated by one side of the lake, it’s now the other side that’s risen and becoming the program to take notice. 

No. 5 Lakeridge bounced back from a 42-point loss a week earlier to turn away No. 6 Lake Oswego, 27-7, in the Battle of the Lake rivalry game, featuring two schools separated by less than five miles, on Friday night at Lakeridge High School.

“It feels great,” said Lakeridge senior wide receiver Joey Olsen, a USC commit. “Beating LO always feels great. It’s one that really matters, although every game matters, for sure; but for this one, there’s a little extra, for sure.” 

The Pacers’ hard-hitting defense limited Lake Oswego to its second-lowest point total of the season. With an offense that saw a host of players admirably fill in to replace one of the state’s top running backs for at least one game, Lakeridge looks poised to make some noise as the No. 5 seed in the Class 6A state playoffs beginning next week.

Here are five takeaways from Friday night’s matchup:

Phillips: “Defense really won us this game”

Lakeridge coach Spencer Phillips pinpointed one series that became a “total game-changer.”

With Lake Oswego threatening and needing just three yards to cut Lakeridge’s 20-7 lead to one score early in the fourth quarter, the Pacers’ defense stood up to the challenge.

Lakers sophomore running back LaMarcus Bell and junior quarterback Liam Davis were stopped short on their carries to the 5-yard line. Following Davis’ incompletion on the next play, the Lakers went for it on fourth down.

Davis scrambled in the backfield and in a foot race to the pylon, he was ruled just short of the end zone after a huge tackle by Lakeridge senior cornerback Jake Moleiro.

“Amazing,” Phillips said. “That was the momentum shift, the goal-line stand. … That was a total game-changer. It was 20-7, and if they score, they’re at 14. They’re within one score with the possibility of scoring again to go ahead. For us to stop them there, that’s what changed the game.”

Lakeridge also stopped Lake Oswego from scoring just before halftime on two shots to the end zone from Davis to junior Carson Schwindt from 14 yards, which was broken up by junior cornerback Tenam Neddhu.

“Our coach always tells us, the last few minutes of the second quarter and first few minutes of the third quarter is what really changes the game,” Lakeridge senior linebacker Charlie McPhee said. “Getting that stop really helped us secure that win and kept our morale high.”

The Pacers iced the game in the fourth on McPhee’s 20-yard interception return for a touchdown with 2:30 left. Senior Tashi Crofut added an interception late for Lakeridge.

“We just wanted it more than them, honestly,” McPhee said. “We played physical, and we played every single one of those snaps like it was going to be our last. We came out on top and we outplayed them.”

Added Phillips: “The defense is playing lights-out, so the defense really won us this game.”

The Pacers have held three of their past four opponents under 10 points.

Making calls from upstairs

With head coaches normally gracing the sidelines on game night, Phillips has taken a different approach.

For the past four games, the fourth-year Lakeridge coach could be found up in the press box area to get a full field view where he can make the calls offensively.

It’s a vantage point he’s used to after serving as the assistant quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles for four seasons before coming to Lakeridge, and he will continue doing it for the foreseeable future.

“It’s really comfortable for me,” Phillips said. “With my prior experience, that’s where I was for a long time, so it allows me to see the game a lot faster. I don’t have to ask for information. I can see it, and I’m able to make decisions faster. The only reason I’m able to do that is because I have great coaches down (on the field) that I know can control the sidelines, so I’m lucky in that aspect.”

Rivalry win is “what I live for”

From 2014 to 2021, Lakeridge was on the losing end nine consecutive times to Lake Oswego and long-time coach Steve Coury, which included a state quarterfinal defeat four years ago.

But Friday’s win saw the Pacers beat their rivals for the second consecutive year — following last season’s 14-9 triumph at Lake Oswego High School.

“It feels really good because of what Steve has done over at Lake Oswego over the last 35 years,” Phillips said. “Hopefully, I can build something that I can look back and say, ‘Oh, I did it like Steve.’ To be able to go against a program like this and have our guys come out on top, it’s cool for me. I’m excited for them to experience something like this.”

It’s a game circled on the calendars for both sides, and the Lakeridge student section let it be known with “Our lake!” chants in the game’s closing moments.

“This is what I live for,” McPhee said. “This game, I wanted to win last year. It was my first-ever varsity game against LO. This year, we came back and beat them again on our own home turf. As my last regular-season game as a senior, that just feels really good to go into the playoffs with this win.”

Pacers with ‘good momentum’ entering playoffs

Lakeridge finishes the regular season 7-2 overall and with a 3-2 record in the Three Rivers League, taking third behind West Linn (9-0, 5-0) and Tualatin (8-1, 4-1).

The seven regular-season victories are the program’s most since 2013, when the Pacers also went 7-2 and reached the state quarterfinals.

“There’s good momentum, which is huge,” Phillips said. “That’s all you can ask for because we’re in the top bracket. Every team we play, doesn’t matter the seed, they’re all good.”

Senior quarterback Gabe Motschenbacher threw for 159 yards on 10-of-12 passing with two touchdowns — both coming in the first half on a couple of 27-yard completions, to Olsen and junior Jaden Tragesser.

Tragesser’s touchdown with 36.6 seconds left in the second quarter helped Lakeridge regain the lead at 13-7 heading to the break.

Olsen, a USC commit, had two catches for 35 yards.

The Pacers hope for a deep enough run in the playoffs to get starting running back Ansu Sanoe back in the lineup. Sanoe, the second-leading rusher in the TRL with 660 yards, injured an ankle on the first play of last week’s game against West Linn.

“Hopefully he’s able to come back and hopefully he’s only a couple weeks out,” Phillips said.

Lakeridge filled his void with the two-headed attack of junior Shanko Kornachuk (15 carries, 68 yards) and sophomore Noah Tishendorf (six carries, 33 yards and a touchdown).

Lakeridge plays host to No. 12 seed Sheldon in the first round, with the winner facing Central Catholic or North Medford in the quarterfinals.

Lakers ‘still feel really good’ heading to postseason

Lake Oswego finishes the regular season 6-3 overall and 2-3 in the TRL, taking fourth ahead of Oregon City (5-4, 1-4) and Tigard (4-5, 0-5). All six TRL teams advanced to the 16-team championship playoff bracket. 

The Lakers’ first-round date comes against Metro League champion Jesuit (5-4, 5-0), with the winner facing West Linn or West Salem.

“I still feel really good about our team,” Coury said. “It’s not like we don’t have a very good team going into the playoffs. Now it becomes about matchups and how you match up with teams.”

The Lakers’ lone touchdown came on junior quarterback Liam Davis’ three-yard keeper that gave them a 7-6 lead with 11:07 left in the second quarter.

Davis completed 7 of 16 passes for 40 yards, and he had 16 carries for 66 yards. Sophomore running back LaMarcus Bell finished with 12 carries for a game-high 94 yards, and senior Zavier Russell added 31 yards rushing.

Schwindt led the Lakers with five catches for 55 yards.

Coury said his team had chances with the two shots at the end zone before halftime, plus the goal-line opportunity, but simply just didn’t capitalize.

“The score didn’t indicate what I think the game was,” he said. “I was proud of our kids and they’re a good football team, so there’s no embarrassment losing to them. But we had some chances.”

Coury said the biggest key for his team in the playoffs will be finding ways to score more points. After averaging 36.3 points per game in nonleague play, that total dipped to 12.8 points in five TRL games.

“We’re playing well defensively, but we’re just not putting points on the board,” Coury said. “You can’t win games unless you’re scoring points, especially in this era of football when people are spreading you out. We’ve got to score some points and got to get the offense rolling somehow.”

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Lakeridge 27, Lake Oswego 7

Lake Oswego - 0 -7 - 0 - 0 — 7

Lakeridge - 6 - 7 -7 -7 — 27 

First quarter

9:21 L - Joey Olsen 27 pass from Gabe Motschenbacher (PAT missed)

Second quarter

11:07 LO - Liam Davis 3 run (Charlie King PAT)

:36.6 L - Jaden Tragesser 27 pass from Motschenbacher (Keaton Emmett PAT)

Third quarter

2:07 L - Noah Tishendorf 22 run (Emmett PAT)

Fourth quarter

2:39 L - Charlie McPhee 20 interception return (Emmett PAT)

STATISTICS 

Passing: Lake Oswego - Liam Davis 7-16, 40, INT, Max Brauner 8-12, 75, INT; Lakeridge - Gabe Motschenbacher 10-12, 159, 2 TDs 

Rushing: Lake Oswego - Davis 16-66, TD, LaMarcus Bell 12-94, Zavier Russell 6-31; Lakeridge - Noah Tishendorf 6-33, TD, Shanko Kornachuk 15-68, Jaden Swan 1-2 

Receiving: Lake Oswego - Carson Schwindt 5-55, Nolan Rabb 2-22, Matt Layne 4-19, Conor Croteau 3-15, Bell 1-2; Lakeridge - Joey Olsen 2-35, TD, Jaden Tragesser 1-27, TD, Luke Womack 3-53, Kornachuk 2-33, Zyon Floyd 1-7 

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