Oregon high school football 2A power rankings

A look at the top 2A teams in Oregon high school football entering the 2024 season

Defending champion Lowell sits atop our preseason Top 15 teams in 2A Oregon high school football. /

The Oregon high school football season kicks off in full this week, and after consulting with coaches from around the state, here are SBLive Oregon’s preseason top 15 teams in Class 2A. 

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OTHER RANKINGS: 6A | 5A | 4A | 3A

1. Lowell

The defending champions return 2A offensive player of the year JaMar Thurman (2,958 rushing yards, 44 touchdowns in 2023), a senior running back who would thrive at any 6A program, as well as all-state offensive linemen Paul Clark and David Finch.

2. Weston-McEwen

New coach Morgan Dunlap inherited a fairly full cupboard from Kenzie Hensell, who led the TigerScots to back-to-back appearances in the state final, led by senior QB/DB Easton Berry (1,885 yards, 25 touchdowns; 32 tackles), RB Maddox King (1,085 yards, 12 touchdowns) and DL Ethan Reeder (45 tackles, four for loss).

3. Lost River

The two-time reigning 1A eight-man champions return to 2A having graduated two of their stalwarts in RB/DB Connor Dunlea and QB Chase McAuliffe, but the Raiders still have several key pieces back, such as senior LB Kayden Hartman and DT Beau Sanders.

4. Oakland

The 2022 champions will try to return to the top with sophomore QB Ryan Fullerton (700 yards, 14 touchdowns) having a full season under his belt and senior all-state RB/LB Gabe Williamson (1,490 yards, 18 touchdowns; 87 tackles) and DL Coen Egner (47 tackles, 10 sacks) back for a third varsity season.

5. St. Paul

The Buckaroos mirror Lost River, which beat them in last year’s state semifinals, in that they must replace an all-state signal-caller (George Pohlschneider) but have plenty to build around, starting with all-state RB/LB Clay Smith (901 yards, 20 touchdowns; 140 tackles, 12½ for loss), DB Diego Medina and sophomore DE Wyatt Smith.

6. Heppner

It’s the swan song season for 35-year coach Greg Grant, who is set to retire after one final go-round with the Mustangs, with all-state senior OL/DL Jaime Cavan (61 tackles, eight for loss), DB Nick Wenberg (51 tackles, three interceptions) and WR Mason Orem (who could move to quarterback) back as well as senior RB Hayden McMahon (779 yards, 10 touchdowns).

7. Gold Beach

Graduation hit the Panthers hard, but if they can successfully replace graduated QB Jake Westerman and build around senior OL/DL Kane Lamberton and Chris Salcedo, they’ll be a tough out come playoff time.

8. Regis

Another team hit hard by graduation, the Rams must replace first-team all-state QB Kollin Schumacher, WR Noah Koenig and OL/LB Thomas Bischoff, with junior Rook Smith getting first crack at taking over behind center after backing up Schumacher last year.

9. Myrtle Point

Another team moving up from the 1A eight-man ranks, the Bobcats lost all-state lineman of the year Logan Clayburn and QB Logan Backman to graduation, but they still have all-state WR/DB Evin Warner (1,090 yards, 23 touchdowns) to build around.

10. Gervais

The Cougars last season notched their first state playoff win since 1951 and bring back junior all-state RB/LB Johnny Mariano (2,019 yards, 28 touchdowns), but they must replace most of the rest of their offense, including 2,100-yard passer Eremay Avgi. 

11. Toledo

The Boomers return only one-third of their all-state trio of linemen (senior Kolby Coxen, who had a team-high 83 tackles), but they also bring back senior running backs Nic Kaufman (801 yards) and Robert Wagner as they seek a sixth consecutive playoff berth.

12. Colton

It was just two years ago the Vikings came within nine seconds of making the state championship game. Graduation hit them hard last season, but they should be in the mix for a playoff spot again this fall led by senior quarterback Wyatt Holliday.

13. Stanfield

Tigers QB Pablo Galindo pulled double-duty last fall as a top cross country runner (fifth at the 2A/1A state meet) and leading the football team to its first playoff berth since 2017. He and senior all-state LB Jesus Arellano now will try to lead the program to its first postseason victory since 2016.

14. Illinois Valley

The Cougars last year earned their first playoff win since 2010 and return senior QB Zack Dugas (1,623 yards, 14 touchdowns), junior RB/LB Tanner Brazil (619 yards, four touchdowns; 81 tackles, six tackles for loss, three interceptions) and senior DE Matt Ellis (53 tackles, nine tackles for loss, six sacks) as they bid to make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time.

15. Clatskanie

Senior WR/SS Ryder Gorley, a first-team all-Northwest League selection on both sides of the ball last year, returns to lead the Tigers, who rebounded from an 0-3 start last season to make the playoffs for the second consecutive year as they continue their turnaround from a winless 2021 season.

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