Lake Oswego wraps up TRL title, No. 1 seed by edging rival Lakeridge: 5 takeaways

Star running back LaMarcus Bell comes up big again for Lakers, who hold off Pacers' late comeback attempt

LaMarcus Bell and the Lakers had reason to celebrate Friday — Lake Oswego is the Three Rivers League champion and the top seed in the 6A playoffs. / Photo by Dan Brood

LAKE OSWEGO — The “Battle of the Lake” rivalry game has been a bitter pill for Lake Oswego the past couple seasons.

Losses to crosstown rival Lakeridge two years in a row haven’t sat too well. They were compounded by an uncharacteristic fourth-place finish in the Three Rivers League last season, along with a first-round playoff ouster.

Fast forward to today and oh, how things have changed.

Lake Oswego reclaimed its stake in owning the lake, fighting off a never-say-die Lakeridge team, 28-18, on Friday night at Lake Oswego High School.

The Lakers secured their first outright TRL championship since 2018 and now head to the Class 6A state playoffs as arguably the team to beat in the state with the No. 1 seed and a 9-0 record.

“We wanted our revenge,” Lake Oswego junior running back LaMarcus Bell said. “Two years in a row? We couldn’t have that happen again. We needed this win. This is one of the games that meant most to us, so we needed this, for sure.”

Behind a gritty offensive line, Bell was dynamic and explosive, putting his stamp on the victory with 168 yards on 29 carries with two scores, including a game-sealing six-yard touchdown run with less than two minutes left.

“This league is just crazy,” Lake Oswego coach Steve Coury said, referring to the TRL having four teams in the top eight of the OSAA rankings. “If you would’ve said at the start of the year, there’s a team that might go undefeated — I would’ve said not sure about that. I’m really proud of the way our kids came out and how they played. Tonight was just a great win.”

Here are five takeaways from Friday’s matchup:

LO’s winning drive was championship caliber

Lake Oswego passed a true test in the final moments.

With Lakeridge threatening by cutting an 18-point second-half deficit to 21-18 with 7:42 left, the Lakers had possession and wanted two things: chew the clock and score a touchdown.

They did both.

Of the nine plays as part of a 68-yard drive, eight were designed runs for Bell, who capitalized. He started the drive with an explosive 22-yard run up the middle and kept the momentum with a three-yard plunge on a fourth-and-1 with 4:30 to go.

Bell capped the drive with a six-yard touchdown run aided by his offensive line, who pushed him to the end zone from three yards out. The Lakers pushed the lead to 28-18 with 1:59 to go.

Bell credited his offensive line, consisting of Amin Alshaati, Jackson Graetz, Jagar Shean, Noah Uecker, Jaden Moore and Adam Williams, plus the unit’s coaches of Chris Hubley and Joel Wilks.

“I love my line,” Bell said. “I might have to get them a steak dinner after this. They’re the most amazing thing I could ask for. Without them, I don’t know what I’d do right now, so I appreciate them the most.”

LaMarcus Bell rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns against rival Lakeridge. / Photo by Dan Brood

Coury called it a “special” performance by his running back behind an “unbelievable job” by the line.

“We’re overpowered and not bigger, but they’re so well-coached and got that grit,” Coury said. “When you have seven minutes left, you had to have a drive to keep the ball away, and (Bell) was the guy we were going to feed.

“He was going to get it. We knew it, they knew it, and everybody in the stadium knew it, and the results were the results.”

Lakeridge coach Spencer Phillips said his team’s defense expected the run all the way but couldn’t get the stops it needed.

“We had nine people in the box and (Bell) gets a lot of credit, but their O-line is phenomenal,” he said. “They got a good push there in the end.”

Lake Oswego QB: Bell is the “best in the state”

Bell’s unbelievable season added another chapter Friday.

After being limited to 37 yards on the ground in the first half, Bell exploded after halftime, with 20 carries for 131 yards in the second half.

He entered the game with 1,016 rushing yards on 100 attempts, averaging 10.2 yards per carry.

Lake Oswego junior quarterback Hudson Kurland had high praise for his teammate.

“It’s amazing to have him in the backfield,” Kurland said. “He is the best running back in the state. It’s just amazing to have him late in these moments when you’ve got to run the ball and chew clock — no one does it better.”

Coury agreed.

“Winning in the style we won was great,” Coury said. “Having to control the ball in the end and being able to do it, our running back is special. We let him do his thing, and it’s easy to coach when you just hand him the ball.”

Bell’s other touchdown came on the first drive of the third quarter for a 21-3 lead with 5:57 remaining.

Bell said he relishes the moments of having the ball in his hands with the game on the line.

“It’s a lot of pressure, for sure,” he said. “But I just got to do what I got to do. They’re trusting me, so I got to prove them that I can do it.”

Lakeridge’s early mistakes prove costly

The rain proved problematic for the Pacers in the first half.

Three fumbles, including one on the first play, showed the elements were a factor. Their one lost fumble led to a five-yard touchdown catch by Lake Oswego sophomore tight end Ethan Uecker just before halftime.

“That obviously hurt us,” Phillips said.

The Pacers also had a missed opportunity after they reached the Lakers’ 6-yard line to begin the second quarter. A 15-yard penalty drove them back, and they settled for a 38-yard field goal by Adam Farrell.

Lakeridge had more success through the air in the second half behind junior quarterback Drew Weiler, who completed 22 of 26 attempts for 294 yards and a touchdown.

Zyon Floyd's eight-yard touchdown reception brought Lakeridge within three points in the fourth quarter. / Photo by Dan Brood

Weiler’s eight-yard touchdown pass to senior Zyon Floyd cut the deficit to 21-18 with 7:42 to play. Junior running back Ansu Sanoe, who finished with 53 yards on 12 carries, scored on a three-yard run in the third that initiated the Pacers’ comeback attempt.

“I was proud of our guys for battling back after some of the mistakes we had,” Phillips said. “I know there’s a lot of aura around this game with the Battle of the Lake. Obviously, you want to win, and you miss out on a share of the league title, but congrats to them. They’re a hell of a football team and we’ll see them again soon.”

Phillips: Pacers are ‘right there’ with the best

Lakeridge enters the playoffs as the No. 4 seed after finishing 7-2 in the regular season.

The Pacers’ defeats have come to the top two teams in the OSAA rankings (Lake Oswego and West Linn), which leaves Phillips optimistic about his team’s chances in the postseason.

Lakeridge fell to West Linn, 13-0, on Oct. 11.

“We’re right there,” Phillips said. “That’s what I just told the team. Yeah, it sucks to lose this game, but it’s not like we’re getting beat by four or five scores. We’re getting beat by a possession and a half, so for me, that’s really encouraging. The players are encouraged.”

The Pacers have a star running back of their own — Ansu Sanoe, who rushed for 53 yards and a touchdown against Lake Oswego. / Photo by Dan Brood

With the updated 12-team 6A Open bracket, the Pacers have a first-round bye before playing host to the winner between Wells and Central Catholic on Nov. 15.

“This year is exciting because this playoff race is really up for grabs in my opinion,” Phillips said. “In years past, it’s been pretty dominant by one or two teams, like West Linn or Central Catholic. So, I hope our guys stay encouraged.”

Lakers savor their status as No. 1

Lake Oswego isn’t shying from or downplaying its role as the No. 1 seed.

Instead, the Lakers are loving the chance to be the hunted entering the postseason. Their coaching staff has the experience, having reached the state championship game seven times under Coury, winning the state title twice (2011 and 2018).

“That’s what you want to be,” Coury said. “Really, that’s where you want to be. This program is built like that, like a West Linn and a Sheldon, like Jesuit and Central (Catholic) — the ones that are really successful year in and year out. We’re one of those teams, fortunately. We want to be on top, we want to be hunted, and we’ll see how we react to it.”

Lake Oswego players celebrate Friday after LaMarcus Bell's fourth-quarter touchdown. / Photo by Dan Brood

Lake Oswego has a bye before facing the winner of the Tualatin/Mountainside matchup Nov. 15. With a stout defense allowing 14.9 points per game, a dynamic running back in Bell and the steady play from Kurland, the Lakers feel more than ready.

“We love it,” said Kurland, who had 86 yards passing, including a 65-yard touchdown pass to Carson Schwindt. “We love that pressure. We feed off that pressure. We’re just ready to get back in the lab, we’re ready to keep working, and we’re going to be ready. We’re going to go all the way. I’ll say it right now: We’re going to go all the way.”

—

Lake Oswego 28, Lakeridge 18

Lakeridge – 0 – 3 – 7 – 8 — 18

Lake Oswego – 7 -7 -7 -7 — 28

First quarter

5:39 LO - Carson Schwindt 65 pass from Hudson Kurland (Hudson Gasperson PAT)

Second quarter

9:47 Lakeridge - Adam Farrell 38 field goal

1:21 LO - Ethan Uecker 5 pass from Kurland (Gasperson PAT)

Ethan Uecker had a five-yard touchdown catch for Lake Oswego late in the second quarter. / Photo by Dan Brood

Third quarter

5:57 LO - LaMarcus Bell 4 run (Gasperson PAT)

2:52 Lakeridge - Ansu Sanoe 3 run (Farrell PAT)

Fourth quarter

7:42 Lakeridge - Zyon Floyd 8 pass from Drew Weiler (Jaden Tragesser catch from Weiler)

1:59 LO - Bell 6 run (Gasperson PAT)

STATISTICS

Passing: Lakeridge - Drew Weiler 22-26, 294, TD; Lake Oswego - Hudson Kurland 3-5, 86, 2 TDs

Rushing: Lakeridge - Ansu Sanoe 12-53, TD, Zyon Floyd 3-28, Weiler 7-27, Korbin Taft 1-3; Lake Oswego - LaMarcus Bell 29-168, 2 TDs, Jalen Bauman 1-1

Receiving: Lakeridge - Floyd 8-81, TD, Jaden Tragesser 7-137, David Moore 3-43, Turner Tropio 3-17, Sanoe 1-10; Lake Oswego - Carson Schwindt 2-81, TD, Ethan Uecker 1-5, TD

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