Oregon high school football: Predicted order of finish, player of the year candidates for every 6A league

We go on the record with our best guesses as to how the 2024 Oregon football season will shake out in 6A

Franklin and Grant are two teams hoping to battle Roosevelt and Wells for the Portland Interscholastic League title in 2024. / Photo by Leon Neuschwander

The Oregon high school football season begins this week, and after consulting with coaches from around the state, here are SBLive Oregon’s predicted order of finish and top player of the year candidates for every league in Class 6A. 

200 PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2024

SCHEDULES FOR EVERY SCHOOL

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PIL

1. Roosevelt

2. Wells

3. Grant

4. McDaniel

5. Lincoln

6. Jefferson

7. Franklin

8. Cleveland

Why Roosevelt?

The Roughriders have been the PIL’s most consistent team over the past three seasons, winning 20 games and sharing two league titles. Coach Ryan McCants returns 12 all-league selections, including bruising back Dontrell Betts and the Takaus (Vai at offensive guard and Tau on the defensive line). If junior QB Caelen Riley takes the next step in his development, the program’s first solo league championship since 2013 could be in the cards.

Biggest question 

What does Wells do for an encore? The Guardians enjoyed their most successful season in more than a decade last year, winning the PIL championship and getting to host a state playoff game. They bring back several key pieces from that team, including 1,000-yard rusher Wyatt Andler, QB Spencer Reid and WR/DB Jackson Poole, so another winning record is likely, but the reduction of the championship playoff bracket to 12 teams makes it unlikely they’ll make the cut.

New coaches

None

Offensive player of the year contenders

RB Wyatt Andler, Wells, senior: Andler is the focal point of the Guardians’ power running game, rushing for 1,070 yards and 19 touchdowns last year in earning co-PIL offensive player of the year honors.

WR Tre’Marion Crawford, McDaniel, junior: Naming Crawford a wide receiver doesn’t do justice to his versatility in the Mountain Lions system. He lines up behind center as a Wildcat quarterback, comes in motion for fly sweeps and will attack defenses as a slot after earning first-team all-PIL honors as a utility player last year.

WR Cash Landau, Franklin, senior: Landau might be the PIL’s biggest recruit since Damir Collins at Jefferson four years ago. The University of Idaho commit is ranked No. 15 in the state by 247Sports after catching 51 passes for 829 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.

Defensive player of the year contenders

LB Thomas Browning, Grant, senior: Browning made the all-PIL first team last season after leading the Generals with 54 tackles (seven for loss).

S AJ Reverman, Lincoln, senior: Cardinals coach Cody Schaufner can plug Reverman at safety or outside linebacker (he was a first-team all-PIL selection as a utility player last year), where he wreaks havoc on opposing offenses.

DL Tau Takau, Roosevelt, senior: Takau, a first-team all-PIL selection last fall, finished among the state leaders in tackles for loss (a PIL-leading 18) among his 56 tackles and six sacks.

Game we can’t wait to see

Roosevelt at Grant, Nov. 1: The rivalry moves south to the Marshall campus, and the PIL championship could be at stake in the latest showdown between these longtime foes (first meeting: 1925).

Metro League

1. Jesuit

2. Mountainside

3. Sunset

4. Beaverton

5. Southridge

6. Westview

Why Jesuit?

Even when the Crusaders started last season 0-4, their Metro League rivals knew better than to think they were down for the count. Sure enough, they rolled through league play unscathed to win a 10th consecutive title and extended their Metro win streak to 16. They are 65-3 against Metro opponents since 2012.

Biggest question 

How does Westview rebound from this summer’s craziness? Coach Jamal Jones took his team to Linfield’s camp in June looking for a Year 2 bounce after the Wildcats went 2-7 in his debut season. Things went sideways when one night, allegedly after a drinking binge, he entered his players’ dorm rooms and started waking them by slapping and shaking them. Soon after, he resigned, and a couple of weeks ago, the school hired former University of Oregon center Dan Weaver, who had been active in the Westview youth program. Several top players transferred in the aftermath, so Weaver has his hands full.

New coaches

Dan Weaver, Westview

Offensive player of the year contenders

QB Trey Cleeland, Jesuit, senior: Normally, you’d look at whoever is Jesuit’s lead back, but in Cleeland, the Crusaders have someone who could be a special talent at quarterback. He took over the starting job early last season and overcame some growing pains, and the UC Davis commit finished strong (1,427 yards, 15 touchdowns).

RB Jordan Hicks, Mountainside, junior: Hicks won the league rushing title as a sophomore (1,325 yards, 16 touchdowns), and he and classmate Sam Vyhlidal will form a potent 1-2 backfield punch again this season.

RB Owen Scholes, Sunset, senior: Scholes came on during the Apollos’ run to the Columbia Cup championship last November, and with the departure of the Craigwell brothers, WR Blake Hurley and QB Drew Nees, he’ll be the focus of the offense this season.

Defensive player of the year contenders

DE Maximilian Kane, Beaverton, senior: Kane, a second-team all-league selection last year, will play a big role as the Beavers look to climb to the top half of the league standings.

LB Sam Vyhlidal, Mountainside, junior: The Mavericks have several candidates, but their top contender is Vyhlidal, who has been on recruiting radars since his freshman year. He made 72 tackles last season.

Game we can’t wait to see

Mountainside at Jesuit, Oct. 18: Can the Mavericks end the Crusaders’ streak of league titles? They’ll need to win at Cronin Field, where Jesuit has lost once to a Metro League opponent since 2006.

Pacific Conference

1. Sherwood

2. Liberty

3. Newberg

4. McMinnville

5. Century

Why Sherwood?

Graduation hit the Bowmen hard after their run to the state semifinals last year, but they still have players such as senior RB/LB Wilson Medina and senior OL/DL Suliasi Laulaupea’alu to build around. If senior Jackson Bell can adequately fill the shoes of departed all-state QB Kasen Covert (now at Northern Colorado), Sherwood will be in great position to win a fifth consecutive conference title.

Biggest question  

Does McMinnville experience a fourth-year bounce with coach Ty Tomlin? At Tomlin’s last job at Lebanon, the Warriors went from 6-4 to 12-1 and a 5A state championship. We’re not expecting a similar jump for the Grizzlies, but they do have the talent to exceed our predicted finish and challenge Sherwood for the championship. 

New coaches

Dustin McGee, Liberty

Offensive player of the year contenders

RB Wilson Medina, Sherwood, senior: Medina could contend for player of the year honors on both sides of the ball. As a junior, he was a first-team all-conference pick on offense after rushing for 652 yards and 16 touchdowns.

QB Parker Sellner, Newberg, junior: Sellner earned all-conference honorable mention in his first season as a starter, and if the Tigers are to return to the postseason, they’ll need him to make a similar jump this year.

QB Kane Sullivan, McMinnville, senior: Sullivan is the top returning signal-caller in the conference after amassing 1,712 yards of total offense and accounting for 21 touchdowns in 2023.

Defensive player of the year contenders

DL Landon Fay, McMinnville, senior: The defensive end was a big-play threat on the edge for the Grizzlies last year with a team-high 50 tackles (10 for loss) and 3½ sacks. He made the all-conference first team.

LB Xzavier Garcia, Century, senior: The Jaguars are another team looking to make noise in a balanced league, and they’ll need players such as Garcia (31 tackles as a junior) to step into bigger roles.

DL Mario Page, Liberty, senior: Page lines up at tackle and as an edge player for the Falcons, and they’ll need another big season from him (six tackles for loss, five sacks last year) to challenge for a conference title.

Game we can’t wait to see

Sherwood at McMinnville, Oct. 18: It’s been 43 years since the Grizzlies won a league championship, but if they can win this Yamhill Valley showdown, they’d be in the driver’s seat to end that drought.

Mt. Hood Conference

1. Central Catholic

2. Nelson

3. Clackamas

4. Barlow

5. Sandy

6. Reynolds

7. Gresham

8. David Douglas

Why Central Catholic?

Life after Steve Pyne and Cru Newman begins, with the former Rams coach now plying his trade across the river at Union in Vancouver and the 6A offensive player of the year now walking the South Park Blocks of Portland State. They hardly left the cupboard bare for new coach Charlie Landgraf, who has plenty of talent at his disposal. Once he sorts through a three-way competition to replace Newman behind center, the Rams will get to work defending their state title.

Biggest question  

Who will win the quarterback job at Central Catholic? Senior Beau Rolak (9 of 18 for 178 yards, two touchdowns and an interception as Newman’s backup) and juniors Robbie Long and Sam Ribner bring different strengths to the position, and while Rolak started camp getting first-team reps, Landgraf emphasized this is a true competition. “I’m also making sure the new guys get first-team reps as well,” he said. “It’ll be a matter of how it plays out over the month of August.”

New coaches

Steven Andreen, Barlow

Charlie Landgraf, Central Catholic

Jay Williams, David Douglas

Offensive player of the year contenders

WR Luke Baker, Clackamas, senior: Baker can do a little of everything in the Cavaliers offense, but with 39 catches for 331 yards as a junior, his biggest value is on the perimeter.

QB Avirey Durdahl, Nelson, senior: Since becoming the Hawks’ starter midway through his freshman season, Durdahl has steadily improved his game as the program has progressed from newcomer to state quarterfinalist.

WR Landon Kelsey, Central Catholic, senior: The Rams probably have four or five legitimate contenders for this award. The Eastern Washington commit is their big-play threat on the outside — he averaged 23 yards per catch with 10 touchdowns last season. 

Defensive player of the year contenders

DE Phoenix-Orion DiCosmo, Central Catholic, senior: Expect a breakthrough season from this breakthrough star on the recruiting circuit after he made 30 tackles for the state champions last year.

DL Dominic Macon, Nelson, senior: Here’s another little-known player a year ago who blew up on the recruiting trail. He committed to the University of Washington after making the all-MHC honorable mention list as a junior.

LB Max Maehara, Clackamas, senior: Maehara is one of the few known commodities among MHC defenders as the only returning first-team all-conference selection with 88 tackles and two interceptions last year.

Game we can’t wait to see

Clackamas at Barlow, Oct. 10: Other matchups might be “bigger,” but Andreen believes the Bruins can make some noise in his first year at the helm. This will be their first test to see if they can hang with the big boys.

Three Rivers League

1. Tualatin

2. West Linn

3. Lakeridge

4. Lake Oswego

5. Oregon City

6. Tigard

Why Tualatin?

Because we have faith that senior QB Nolan Keeney will make it through the schedule injury-free this year. When he was healthy last season, the Timberwolves were nearly unstoppable on offense. Even when he missed the TRL season because of a shoulder injury, they still went 4-1, losing only to West Linn. He’ll lead a loaded squad that feels like the first among equals in the state’s best league.

Biggest question 

Can all six TRL teams make the inaugural 12-team championship bracket? We know the six league champions make the cut, leaving six at-large teams based on the OSAA rankings. If this format had been in place last year, only Oregon City (No. 14) would have missed the party. 

New coaches

Todd Crist, Tigard

Offensive player of the year contenders

RB LaMarcus Bell, Lake Oswego, junior: How does one choose between Bell and Lakeridge’s Ansu Sanoe for a spot on this list? Both are top-five talents at the position in the state, but we’ve seen what Lakers coach Steve Coury can do with an outstanding running back (see Casey Filkins in 2018-19), so we’ll make Bell 1 and Sanoe 1a. 

QB Baird Gilroy, West Linn, senior: Gilroy had plenty of pressure on him last year, when he took over for Sam Leavitt (about to become the starter at Arizona State) behind center for the Lions, and he delivered a fabulous season. We expect another one from him this year.

QB Nolan Keeney, Tualatin, senior: Watching the BYU commit have to miss the second half of last year’s 6A state final after reinjuring his shoulder was one of the great regrets of the season. He could have a season for the ages.

Defensive player of the year contenders

LB Treyson Eddleman, Lakeridge, senior: Eddleman last year was the man in the middle of Sherwood’s dominant defense. The Bowmen posted eight shutouts — nine, if you include the Liberty game in which the Falcons’ only score came on defense. Now, he’ll be part of a Pacers defense that showcases its linebackers.

DL Lusiano Lopez, Lake Oswego, senior: Lopez is a two-time all-TRL first-team selection who doesn’t put up big numbers (56 tackles as a junior) but is always good for one or two big plays every game for the Lakers.

CB Josiah Molden, West Linn, sophomore: Teams tested Molden early in his freshman season, and as he passed every test, he established himself as one of the state’s best cornerbacks as a ninth-grader — no surprise for the son of ex-NFLer Alex Molden and younger brother of Tennessee Titans CB Elijah Molden.

Game we can’t wait to see

West Linn at Tualatin, Oct. 25: This is just the best of the 25 league games that should all be must-see. Both rosters are stacked with Division I talent, and it wouldn’t surprise many to see the teams get together 36 days later in the state final.

South Central Football Conference

1. Sheldon

2. South Salem

3. North Medford

4. South Medford

5. North Salem

6. Sprague

7. West Salem

8. Grants Pass

9. McNary

Why Sheldon?

Coach Josh Line departed, but the Irish have earned the benefit of the doubt for their consistency (one losing record in a full season since 1996). They elevated defensive coordinator Tyler Martell to the top spot, and he has one of the state’s top linebackers in senior Mana Tuioti.

Biggest question 

Who will be the quarterback at South Salem? The Saxons won the league title last season with one of the state’s most potent passing attacks, but the maestro (QB Athan Palmateer) has graduated. The architect (first-year coach Josh Vanlue, who was the offensive coordinator under Scott Dufault the past seven years) has two candidates to take his place — senior Ben Hennan, the JV starter the past two seasons, and sophomore Kellen Bowman, who threw 610 passes for the freshman team. 

New coaches

Caleb Singleton, North Salem

Tyler Martell, Sheldon

Josh Vanlue, South Salem

Offensive player of the year contenders

WR Braxton Singleton, North Salem, junior: Singleton tapped into his potential last season in the Vikings’ wing-T, averaging nearly 29 yards per catch and scoring five touchdowns in making the all-SCFC second team.

QB Traeger Healy, North Medford, junior: Healy is the top returning quarterback in the conference, throwing for 1,796 yards and 17 touchdowns last year and completing almost 71% of his passes.

RB Kenya Johnson, Sprague, senior: Johnson established himself as one of the SCFC’s top running backs last year, when he rushed for 1,047 yards and 15 touchdowns. 

Defensive player of the year contenders

LB Noah Scharer, South Salem, senior: The first-team all-SCFC selection made 87 tackles (second in the conference) with 10 for loss and four sacks to lead the Saxons defense last season.

LB Mana Tuioti, Sheldon, senior: Tuioti also will contend for top offensive honors, but his future is on defense, where he was an all-state second-team pick with 70 tackles as a junior.

DB Evan Wusstig, West Salem, junior: Wusstig is another two-way standout who could receive player of the year honors on either side of the ball. He was a first-team all-SCFC safety with 55 tackles last year.

Game we can’t wait to see

South Medford at North Medford, Nov. 1: The Black and Blue Bowl is always a must-see game. This season, the teams are about as evenly matched as they’ve ever been, which should make it a highly competitive affair. 

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