Oregon’s top high school football players: Meet the state’s best running backs

Who are the top running backs in Oregon high school football in 2024?

As a sophomore, Angel Valenzuela helped power Mountain View to the 5A state championship game. / Photo by Leon Neuschwander

You recently read our list of 200 players we can’t wait to see in action during the 2024 Oregon high school football season. 

But that list hardly scratched the surface of players to watch throughout the state. As the season prepares for kickoff, we’re taking a deeper, position-by-position look at Oregon’s top players. 

In this list, we focus on the running backs. Who are the top running backs in Oregon high school football? After you read our list, let us know of any players you think should be added. 

OREGON’S TOP 200 PLAYERS OVERALL

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Angel Valenzuela, Mountain View, junior

Valenzuela’s emergence in the Cougars backfield provided the final brick in their road to last year’s 5A championship game. He was a first-team all-state selection, rushing for 1,827 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Ansu Sanoe, Lakeridge, junior

One of the University of Washington’s early coups under the new coaching regime of Jedd Fisch was getting an April commitment from Sanoe, the state’s No. 2 recruit in the class of 2026 according to 247Sports and On3 who had a breakthrough sophomore season for the Pacers. He made the 6A all-state second team with a team-high 661 rushing yards and eight touchdowns despite missing the last three games because of a high ankle sprain suffered early in Week 8 against West Linn.

Asa Pritchard-Moa, Central, senior 

Pritchard-Moa will play a big role in keeping the Panthers competitive in their new league (5A Special District 2) after receiving all-Mid-Willamette Conference honorable mention last year, rushing for a team-high 418 yards and five touchdowns.

Ashtyn Irwin, Tillamook, senior

Irwin returns to the Oregon Coast after spending the past two seasons at Enterprise in the Wallowa Mountains, where he earned all-league honors twice and rushed for 1,079 yards and 15 touchdowns last year. “We’re really excited about his skill set and what he can bring to the team,” Cheesemakers coach Kye Johnson said. “He’s had a great summer and has acted every bit like a senior leader.”

Ayrel Garcia, Century, junior 

Garcia made the all-Pacific Conference honorable mention list last year after leading the Jaguars in rushing (172 yards, two touchdowns) as a sophomore. 

Blake Barger, Estacada, junior 

Barger will team with fellow all-Tri-Valley Conference selection Lincoln Rathmanner in the Rangers backfield again this season. Barger made the second team after rushing for 288 yards and three touchdowns as a sophomore. 

Bridger Foss, South Medford, senior 

As a junior, Foss made the all-South Central Football Conference second team as one of the leaders of the Panthers’ balanced rushing attack, finishing with 756 yards and eight touchdowns.  

Bryce Kuenzi, Cascade, junior

As a sophomore, Kuenzi turned heads in his first full season with the Cougars, making the 4A all-state first team after rushing for 1,644 yards (third in 4A and the most of any returning player) and 21 touchdowns to help them reach the state quarterfinals.

Caleb Scaglione, Cascade Christian, junior

Scaglione backed up 3A offensive player of the year Ashton Moody at quarterback last season but was too good to keep on the sideline, so he lined up at running back, where he had a team-high 694 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns and caught 12 passes for 128 yards and four scores. He was 7 of 11 for 85 yards passing.

Camari Owens, Grant, senior 

Owens formed half of a 1,000-yard rushing duo for the Generals last season, finishing with 451 yards and six touchdowns on 45 carries in earning first-team all-PIL honors. 

Cayden Baker, Scappoose, senior

Baker was a two-way standout for a 4A semifinalist, making the 2023 all-state honorable mention list at running back (553 yards, 14 touchdowns) and recording 67 tackles (11 for loss) and 5½ sacks at linebacker. 

Ceville Pasi, Churchill, senior

Pasi made the 5A all-state honorable mention list on both sides of the ball last season. He finished fourth in 5A with 1,289 rushing yards (19 touchdowns).  

Chase Sorenson, Caldera, senior 

Sorenson led the Wolfpack last season with 394 rushing yards on 91 carries and made the all-Intermountain Conference second team. 

Clay Smith, St. Paul, senior

Smith was a two-way 1A eight-man all-state selection last year, making the first team on both sides of the ball after rushing for a team-high 901 yards and 20 touchdowns and making 140 tackles (12½ for loss). 

Cole Hachmeister, Tualatin, sophomore

Hachmeister won the Oregon Freshman Championship titles in the 100 and 200 meters last spring, breaking the school freshman record in the 100 (11.22 seconds), and Timberwolves coach Dominic Ferraro thinks that speed will translate in Tualatin’s fast-paced offense and anywhere Hachmeister is needed in the secondary.

Colton Kowalski, Gladstone, senior 

Kowalski, a second-team all-Tri-Valley Conference selection, helped the Gladiators reach the 4A state playoffs last season.

Daniel Heninger, Glencoe, junior

Heninger was stuck behind two seniors last season, getting just 12 carries in five games. Crimson Tide coach Ian Reynoso called him “a great player who has a lot of potential for us. He’s one of the most athletically intelligent athletes I have coached and has top-end acceleration.”

Desmond Armstrong, Parkrose, senior

Armstrong played a vital role in the running (426 yards, four touchdowns) and passing (11 catches for 144 yards) games for the Broncos last season, earning all-Tri-Valley Conference honorable mention. 

Dontrell Betts, Roosevelt, senior 

Betts played a big role in the Roughriders qualifying for last year’s 6A state championship bracket, finishing in the top 10 in 6A with 961 yards and 14 touchdowns on 143 carries. He made the all-PIL first team.  

Gabe Williamson, Oakland, senior

Class 2A coaches voted Williamson to the all-state first team at both of his primary positions last year after he rushed for 1,490 yards and 18 touchdowns on 136 carries and made a team-high 87 tackles for a state semifinalist. 

Gus Karpstein, Bend, senior

Karpstein received 5A all-state honorable mention after making 71 tackles as a junior. He garnered all-Intermountain Conference honorable mention as a running back.  

Heath Thompson, Westview, junior 

Thompson last year stepped into the sizable shoes left behind by all-state running back Jordan Fisher and finished second in the Metro League with 976 rushing yards with five touchdowns on 171 carries, earning second-team all-league recognition.

Hudson Hardy, West Linn, senior

Hardy’s junior season was cut short in Week 2 by a torn ACL, but the flashes he showed in the Lions’ first two games promise a breakthrough campaign in his final year.

Hunter Vaughn, North Douglas/Yoncalla, junior 

Vaughn rushed for 1,376 yards as a sophomore and made the 2A all-state second team. 

Ishon Ortiz, Ridgeview, senior 

Ortiz made the all-Intermountain Conference second team last year after rushing for a team-high 356 yards and seven touchdowns. 

Jacob Hadley, Willamina, senior

Hadley last year became the Bulldogs’ first 2A all-state first-team selection in the past six seasons after he ran for 2,036 yards and 36 touchdowns on 216 carries. 

Jake White, Seaside, senior 

White had his junior season derailed by injury, but he returned for the playoffs and helped the Seagulls reach the 4A state semifinals. He finished the year with 557 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 101 carries.  

JaMar Thurman, Lowell, senior

The Red Devils had never won a state title before last season, with Thurman leading a loaded roster as the 2A offensive player of the year. He ran for 266 yards and five touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass in the final to cap a season in which he rushed for 2,958 yards and 44 touchdowns and caught 23 passes for 411 yards and four scores.   

Jarrett Martin, Banks, junior 

Martin played a big role in Gaston’s first league championship since 2012, making the 2A all-state third team as a sophomore, before transferring up Highway 47 to Banks this year.

Jobany Sotelo, Nyssa, senior 

Sotelo last season was a first-team all-Eastern Oregon League selection on both sides of the ball for the Bulldogs under first-year coach JoJo Sanchez.

Jordan Hicks, Mountainside, junior

As a sophomore, Hicks won the Metro League rushing title with 1,325 yards and 16 touchdowns. He made the all-state honorable mention list.  

Justin Craigwell, Lake Oswego, junior

Craigwell was a key player in Sunset’s run to the 2023 Columbia Cup championship, making the all-Metro League second team at linebacker (98 tackles, nine tackles for loss, four fumble recoveries) and third team at running back (668 yards, 12 touchdowns). He transferred to Lake Oswego in the offseason. 

Kameron Rague, South Medford, senior 

Rague transitioned from Cascade Christian, where he was 3A offensive player of the year as a sophomore, to the 6A Panthers last year. He made the all-South Central Football  Conference second team in the secondary (42 tackles, three interceptions) and gained 614 yards on 89 carries with six touchdowns.  

Kase Schaffeld, Vale, senior 

Not only did Schaffeld make the 3A all-state team at defensive end, but he also was a first-team all-Eastern Oregon League pick in the backfield, where he rushed for 990 yards, caught 10 passes for 228 yards and scored 10 touchdowns.

Kayden Hartman, Lost River, senior

Hartman was a first-team all-state selection on defense for the 1A eight-man champion Raiders last year, and he might get more touches on offense after the graduation of state player of the year Connor Dunlea. Hartman ran for 244 yards and two touchdowns in the playoffs.  

Kenny Schroeder, Centennial, senior 

The second-team all-Northwest Oregon Conference selection led the Eagles last season with 493 yards and seven touchdowns on 87 carries.

Kenya Johnson, Sprague, senior

Johnson finished second in the South Central Football Conference last year with 1,047 yards on 189 carries with 15 touchdowns. He made the all-SCFC second team.

Killian Sombe, Central Catholic, junior 

Sombe moved from Roswell, Ga., the summer before his freshman year, and after a season spent at Westview, he transferred to Central Catholic, where he ran for 703 yards (9.5 per carry) and 11 touchdowns for the 6A state champions and earned second-team all-Mt. Hood Conference honors.  

Kristopher Baldwin, Mazama, senior

Baldwin became the lead back in the Vikings’ power running game last season and made the 4A all-state honorable mention list after finishing with 953 yards and 13 touchdowns. 

LaMarcus Bell, Lake Oswego, junior

Bell was half of the Lakers’ “thunder and lightning” backfield while teaming with Zavier Russell last season, serving as the big-play threat who ran for 1,116 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore and made the 6A all-state second team. He ranks No. 3 among class of 2026 recruits according to 247Sports and On3 and has offers from Nevada, Oregon State and Washington State.

Landyn Meeker, North Medford, senior 

Meeker figures to take on a bigger role this season after top rusher Jeremiah Robbins graduated. The all-South Central Football Conference honorable mention selection finished with 479 yards and four touchdowns as a junior. 

Lincoln Rathmanner, Estacada, senior 

The Rangers will count on their two-way standout — Rathmanner last year was a first-team all-Tri-Valley Conference back (258 rushing  yards, two touchdowns) and second-team linebacker (six tackles for loss) — as they look to reclaim the TVC title. 

Linkin Zamudio, Umatilla, sophomore

Zamudio led the Vikings in rushing last season (192 yards, two touchdowns) and was third on the team with 39 tackles at linebacker. Umatilla coach Steven Williams sees Zamuio as someone “who will play a larger role in our success this year. He got a lot bigger and stronger in the offseason and put in the work to continue to get better.” 

Logan Johnson, South Albany, senior 

Johnson made the 2023 all-Mid-Willamette Conference team at defensive end and running back, where his biggest highlight of the season came when he scored the go-ahead touchdown in the final 90 seconds against crosstown rival West Albany to snap a 17-game losing streak in the series.

Maddox King, Weston McEwen/Griswold, senior 

As a junior, King made the 2A all-state third team in helping the TigerScots reach the state final for the second consecutive season, rushing for 1,085 yards and 12 touchdowns on 190 carries and catching 11 passes for 167 yards and four scores.

Maison Teel, Prairie City/Burnt River, junior 

Teel made the 1A six-man all-state second team as a sophomore, rushing for 1,445 yards and 18 touchdowns on 184 carries to help lead the Panthers to the state semifinals.

Mana Tuioti, Sheldon, senior

Tuioti’s older brother, Teitum, has fit right in at the college level, and Mana is set to join him at the next level next year. Last season, he was a 6A all-state second-team selection at linebacker, making a team-high 70 tackles, forcing two fumbles and breaking up two passes. He was a first-team all-South Central Football Conference pick on offense (296 rushing yards, six touchdowns).

Manu Tanzambi, La Salle Prep, senior

The first-team all-Tri-Valley Conference selection helped the Falcons win their first league title in more than a decade, rushing for a team-high 609 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior. 

Marcus Rouse Jr., Grant, senior 

Rouse last season earned second-team all-PIL honors while forming a formidable backfield with first-teamer Camari Owens, leading the Generals with 673 yards and seven touchdowns on 75 carries.

Max Reynolds, Siuslaw, senior 

Reynolds, a 3A all-state third-team selection, ran for 1,070 yards and 11 touchdowns without losing a fumble on 143 carries for the Vikings in 2023. 

Mitchell Johnson, Oregon City, senior

Johnson made the 6A all-state honorable mention list as a junior after finishing third in the Three Rivers League with 529 yards rushing with four touchdowns on 104 carries. 

Noah Scharer, South Salem, senior 

Scharer last year finished second in the South Central Football Conference with 87 tackles (10 for loss) and had four sacks in earning first-team all-SCFC honors. He was an honorable mention running back who scored five touchdowns.

Noah Tishendorf, Lakeridge, junior

Tishendorf announced himself as a player to watch in the class of 2026 last year, when he made 20 tackles for loss and nine sacks among his 56 total tackles and received 6A all-state honorable mention. Pacers coach Spencer Phillips moved him to running back late in the season, and Tishendorf finished with 135 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries. He boasts offers from Oregon State, Washington State and UNLV.

Owen Scholes, Sunset, senior 

Scholes fueled an improved Apollos run game during their charge to the 2023 Columbia Cup title, rushing for 328 yards and two touchdowns in the postseason (906 yards and eight touchdowns total) as a second-team all-Metro League pick.

Rowan Gandert, Nelson, senior

Gandert played tight end and slot receiver for the first 2½ seasons of his high school career until midway through last season, when the Hawks found themselves without a running back for a JV game against Central Catholic. “We knew we couldn’t play them in empty all game,” Nelson coach Aaron Hazel recalled, so the staff threw Gandert into the breach — and he responded with a 250-yard game. Now, he’ll be the RB1 on Friday nights, and “he has committed to the weight room to handle the increased workload,” Hazel said. 

Roman Kealoha, Wilsonville, junior

Kealoha finished with more than 900 yards of total offense as a sophomore for the 5A state champion Wildcats, rushing for a team-high 728 yards and seven touchdowns and catching 15 passes for 213 yards and four scores.

Ryder Jackson, Seaside, junior

After all-state running back Jake White went down with an injury last year, Jackson was a more-than-capable replacement for a 4A state semifinalist. He made the all-state second team on offense (1,146 yards, 16 touchdowns). 

Sam Vyhlidal, Mountainside, junior 

Vyhlidal joined the varsity squad early in his freshman season and took off last year for the Mavericks, making the all-Metro League first team on both sides of the ball. He rushed for 415 yards on 57 carries. 

Spencer Davis, Sisters, sophomore

Davis received some spot duty on the varsity as a freshman. Outlaws coach Gary Thorson projected him as a two-way starter in the backfield and the secondary this season. 

Taleni Liua, Hidden Valley, junior 

Liua arrived in Grants Pass last summer after playing freshman ball at Liberty in Henderson, Nev., and he had an immediate impact for the Mustangs, earning second-team all-Big Sky Conference honors.

Tallen Kraushaar, Seaside, senior 

Kraushaar made the all-Cowapa League first team at running back last year.  

Travis Hull, Reynolds, senior 

Hull accounted for nearly half of the Raiders’ offensive production last season as an all-Mt. Hood Conference honorable mention selection, rushing for 840 yards and nine touchdowns and hauling in 10 passes for 112 yards and two scores. 

Treyson Eddleman, Lakeridge, senior

Eddleman scored 11 touchdowns last season as a wing-T fullback for Sherwood.  

Tugg McQuinn, Pendleton, junior 

The first-team all-Greater Oregon League selection helped the Buckaroos reach the 4A playoffs last year, rushing for 496 yards and 10 touchdowns on 76 carries.

Tyson Davis, Central Catholic, junior

Davis helped provide balance to the 6A state champion’s offense last year, receiving 6A all-state honorable mention after he averaged 10.9 yards per carry (53 for 576 yards and 10 touchdowns) and caught 17 passes for 415 yards and four scores. 

Uriel Valdez, Bend, senior 

Valdez last season finished second in the Intermountain Conference in rushing yards (590) and touchdowns (nine) in making the all-conference first team. 

Valentin Rodriguez, Crater, senior

Rodriguez finished last season second in 5A with 1,427 rushing yards (15 touchdowns) on 265 carries. He made the all-state second team. 

Viggo Anderson, West Linn, junior

Anderson figures to tag-team with Hudson Hardy, who’s returning from an injury, in the Lions backfield this season. Anderson received action in six games as a sophomore, rushing for 176 yards and four touchdowns.

Wilson Medina, Sherwood, senior 

Medina last season was a two-way standout for one of the state’s surprise teams, helping the Bowmen reach the 6A state semifinals as he made the all-Pacific Conference first team on offense (652 rushing yards, 16 touchdowns) and second team on defense. 

Wyatt Andler, Wells, senior

The Guardians offense is as subtle as a freight train, and the conductor of this locomotive is Andler, a bullish runner who rushed for 1,070 yards and 19 touchdowns last season, earning 6A all-state honorable mention and leading the program to its first unified PIL championship in the past two decades. 

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