LaMarcus Bell, Lake Oswego run past Silverton in 6A vs. 5A showdown: 5 takeaways

Bell, who has offers from Oregon State, Washington State and Nevada, rushes for 147 yards and two TDs in Lakers' 42-13 win

Lake Oswego junior LaMarcus Bell is rated the No. 4 class of 2026 prospect in Oregon by 247Sports. / Photo by Leon Neuschwander

SILVERTON — Holding a one-point lead after 24 uneven minutes of action, Lake Oswego needed a spark in a road matchup with Class 5A power Silverton.

Star tailback LaMarcus Bell provided it. 

On the first play of the third quarter, Bell exploded through the middle of Silverton’s defense for a 72-yard touchdown that energized the Lake Oswego sideline. The Lakers added two more touchdowns in the quarter and won the second half 28-0 en route to a 42-13 nonleague victory Friday night. 

“In the first half, I felt we were kind of flat,” said Bell, a junior running back and safety. “We had to bring the energy back.” 

The Lakers (3-0) scored on their first four possessions of the second half and shut down Silverton (2-1). 

“I have a lot of respect for that team,” Lake Oswego head coach Steve Coury said. “(Head coach Dan Lever) does a great job. They’re well-coached and I knew it would be a fight like this. We made some big plays in the second half, which deflates you when you’re on the other side. It’s hard to come back from that.” 

Here are five takeaways from Friday’s matchup:

Bell is the real deal

Rated the state’s No. 4 class of 2026 prospect by 247Sports, Bell has performed like a Class 6A player of the year candidate through three games. 

Bell notched a combined 22 carries for 284 yards and four touchdowns in easy wins over South Medford and Sunset to open the season. He was even better against a stout Silverton defense, needing just 11 carries to run for 147 yards and two more touchdowns in front of an audience that included Oregon State running backs coach Thomas Ford.

After leading Lake Oswego to victory Friday, LaMarcus Bell — who has an offer from Oregon State — will attend the Civil War on Saturday. / Photo by Leon Neuschwander

“I feel like I’ve been playing good, but I can’t do it without my line,” Bell said. “They’ve been playing amazing so far.” 

Coury said Bell runs with tremendous power for a 5-foot-11, 190-pound junior. 

“When he gets up into the hole and gets through there, he’s hard to arm tackle,” Coury said. 

Bell, who has offers from Oregon State, Washington State and Nevada, is a riser on the recruiting circuit. He said he has a great relationship with Ford and will be attending Saturday’s Civil War football game at Reser Stadium in Corvallis. 

“Go Beavs!” Bell said with a big smile. “I love Coach Ford.” 

Lakers get defensive

Silverton received the opening kickoff and marched right down the field on 10 plays to grab a 7-0 lead. After Lake Oswego answered with a touchdown, the Foxes once again found the end zone with a methodical drive to jump back in front.

Lake Oswego’s defense regrouped after the rocky start, holding Silverton scoreless on its final six drives. The Lakers had two takeaways during the stretch while limiting penalties and mistakes.

“We did a couple different things in the coverage area,” Coury said. “We came out on them a little bit different with some of the stunts we were doing up front. So, we changed a few things, and again, when you get big plays against you and all of a sudden you’re behind, you have to play with a different mentality. That made it tough on them.”

Bell said the Lakers kept things relatively simple after the rough defensive start. 

“The adjustment was to shut down (quarterback Sawyer Teeney),” he said. “He was a good quarterback, so we knew we had to make some plays on him.”

Teeney makes big throws, shows toughness 

Teeney shined in the first half, completing 11 of 14 passes for 122 yards with two touchdowns to Brody Kuenzi. 

The senior quarterback was under duress most of the night and took a big hit on a third-quarter sack, knocking him out of the game. Teeney was dropped for a loss five times but still finished with 32 yards rushing on 13 tough carries. 

Silverton quarterback Sawyer Teeney likely will be in the running for 5A offensive player of the year honors at the end of the season. / Photo by Leon Neuschwander

“In the first half, he was lights-out,” Lever said. “He had a great first half and then had a weird play, and that kind of started the waterfall. He’s proven he can play with anybody in the state.”

Teeney warmed up on the sideline after the big hit but did not return.

“We’re always going to err on the side of caution, especially this early in the (season),” Lever said. 

Added Coury: “I hope he’s all right because he’s one hell of a player.”

Speed demons 

Bell isn’t the only Laker with game-changing speed. 

Backup running back Justin Craigwell had four carries for 71 yards and two touchdowns. Cole Callahan flashed his wheels with a 54-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Hudson Kurland, and fellow receivers Liam Davis, Jalen Bauman and Carson Schwindt also showed the ability to run.

Justin Craigwell turned four carries into 71 yards and two touchdowns for Lake Oswego. / Photo by Leon Neuschwander

“I do feel like we’ve got really good team speed, and it does show up sometimes,” Coury said. “I like our athleticism.” 

Bell believes the Lakers will be flashing their speed deep into November. 

“This is the most amazing team I’ve ever played on,” he said. “I love this team. Our goal is to win state, and I feel like we have the team to do it.”

No layups for the Foxes 

Silverton will be battle-tested by the time conference play begins. 

The Foxes opened the season with a win over 5A power Summit and edged 6A Mountainside, 24-21, last week. It doesn’t get any easier next Friday as Silverton travels to 5A contender West Albany (3-0). 

“We feel like our schedule will help us be the best team we can be in November,” Lever said. “It’s about getting through it healthy and continuing to progress.”

While Friday’s result was a disappointment, Lever reminded his team that one September game doesn’t define a season. 

“This is a great learning opportunity for us,” he said. “We can go accomplish everything we want to still, and so can Lake Oswego. I think we lost a battle, but we can still win the war.”

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