West Linn shuts out Sherwood as quest for 6A title off to roaring start: 5 takeaways

Will Ingle has two touchdowns, and new running back Viggo Anderson runs for 148 yards for Lions

Will Ingle (left) and Wyatt Smiley celebrate after a West Linn touchdown Friday. The Lions beat Sherwood, 35-0. / Photo by Dan Brood

WEST LINN — West Linn is locked in, loaded with talent and looking like one of the state’s best teams — if not the best — through two games.

The Lions have a lethal offensive attack. Their defense has playmakers everywhere.

It was all on display in Friday’s 35-0 shutout victory over Sherwood in a nonleague matchup at West Linn High School.

“We’re playing great,” West Linn junior Viggo Anderson said. “It feels good to shut out a really good team — a top-10 team with a real tricky offense to guard.

“Our offense is clicking. We’ve got to work some kinks out, but we’ll be good the rest of the season.”

Four Lions reached the end zone Friday, led by senior Will Ingle’s two touchdowns. Senior quarterback Baird Gilroy was highly efficient, completing 11 of 16 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns before the starters were rested the entire fourth quarter.

Senior receiver Danny Wideman had five catches for a game-high 81 yards, including an explosive 46-yard score. Senior Wyatt Smiley added three catches for 40 yards, with a 10-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter.

West Linn improves to 2-0, including last week’s 51-14 win over Eagle (Idaho). Sherwood drops to 1-1 and will face Tualatin next week.

Here are five takeaways from Friday’s matchup:

West Linn’s new running back ‘impressive’

A year ago, Anderson was waiting for his shot.

He wasn’t even on the Lions’ varsity team.

“I was more of a JV/scout-team player, just making the varsity starters better every day,” Anderson recalls.

Now, the 5-foot-8, 170-pound running back has become one of West Linn’s most dangerous offensive weapons. After last week’s 151-yard, three-touchdown performance, Anderson zigged and zagged his way to 18 carries for 148 yards and added one catch for 26 yards Friday.

West Linn junior Viggo Anderson wasn't even a varsity player a year ago. Now, he's one of the Lions' top stars. / Photo by Dan Brood

He averaged 8.2 yards per carry and had eight rushes go for more than 10 yards behind a big and athletic offensive line consisting of senior Jake Normoyle, junior Kalani Ioapo, senior Tristan Brester, senior Ryan Holmes and senior Connor Stuart.

Despite his small stature, Anderson’s quickness, agility and slithery moves have been hard to contain for opposing defenses.

“He’s an impressive back,” Gilroy said. “He’s someone who honestly caught me off guard. Last year, I didn’t think he was big enough. He’s a special kid, great guy, great teammate. … He’s been more than impressive with just the way he cuts, the way he moves and gets behind defenders.”

Anderson said he trained all summer for this moment, including competing in camps out of state at different colleges. He acknowledged his performance last week was a bit of a “surprise,” but he is ready to seize the opportunity.

“It’s just what I expect — to get a lot of yards and make a bunch of guys miss,” Anderson said.

Out-of-state prep for West Linn

Sherwood is the only in-state opponent for West Linn in the nonleague portion of the season.

After traveling to Idaho last week, the Lions will play host to Sumner (Wash.) next Friday and then travel to Skyview (Wash.) on Sept. 27.

Three out-of-state games will test West Linn against unfamiliar competition.

“Just playing teams from outside the state helps us give different looks that we’re not used to,” Gilroy said. “It’s just fun playing teams outside the state, too, seeing teams you haven’t played before and playing against kids you don’t know, so it’s all enjoyable.”

Baird Gilroy threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns in West Linn's win over Sherwood. / Photo by Dan Brood

Anderson added the Lions are looking forward to proving themselves and to everyone else that they can play against the best in the region.

“We’ve got to obviously win, but we’ve got to set the tone to the rest of the state and say, ‘We’re not going to be taken lightly,” Anderson said. “Even though a bunch of seniors from last year are gone, we’ve still got to show everyone that we can win a state championship.”

Bowmen show ‘heart’ in defeat

Sherwood third-year coach Mark Gribble was more optimistic than defeated after the game.

All first half, the Bowmen’s game plan was working — drain the clock with their throwback wing-T attack and limit West Linn’s possessions.

But untimely penalties that forced third-and-long situations were too much to overcome over their first three drives.

“I was impressed with our heart, (but) against a team like that, you can’t make mistakes,” Gribble said. “We had some things going, and then we hurt ourselves with penalties. It was probably the pivotal point on two scoring drives, but we go in down 21-0 at the half and that makes a big difference.”

Midway through the second quarter, Sherwood had an 8-yard touchdown run by Andrew Waletich nullified by a holding penalty.

“The kids were executing the game plan, and we were dictating what we wanted to do in a controlled atmosphere,” Gribble said. “Then we just made a couple mistakes. Part of that is football, and trying to sustain a 10-play drive at the high school level is tough, so we’ll get better. It’s only Week 2.”

Wilson Medina is part of a strong rushing attack for Sherwood. / Photo by Dan Brood

The bright spot for Sherwood was its running attack led by senior Layton Walter’s 62 yards on seven carries, senior Wilson Medina’s 60 yards on 15 carries and senior Andrew Waletich’s 46 yards on six carries.

The Bowmen’s passing game struggled, totaling eight yards and completing 3 of 8 attempts.

Sherwood ready to learn

Despite big losses to graduation, the Bowmen aren’t looking to take a rebuild season.

They know they’re good enough to play against the best, but it’ll be a process in trying to duplicate last season’s success. Sherwood was 11-1 last year, reached the state semifinals and recorded eight shutouts defensively, including seven in a row from Sept. 8 to Oct. 20, 2023.

“We’re still young,” Gribble said. “Last week, we started eight kids that didn’t play varsity football last year, so our kids are still green. They’re learning, and that’s part of it in Week 2. Week 3 doesn’t get any easier going against Tualatin, but hopefully it’ll help us in the long run when we get to the playoffs.”

Gribble called Friday a “measuring stick” for his program.

“We want to be considered one of the best teams, and we have to be able to compete with them,” said Gribble, a Sherwood alum. “I just told the kids, ‘We’ve got to absorb it, get better from it and get ready to compete again.”

West Linn ‘confident’ with tough TRL slate waiting

The big question every season is how the Three Rivers League shakes out.

West Linn, which lost in the state semifinals last year, isn’t hiding from its goal of winning a state championship with the TRL gauntlet beginning Oct. 4 against Tigard.

“The big three we have our eyes on — Tualatin, Lake Oswego and Lakeridge — they’re three great teams,” Gilroy said. “All of the teams in the TRL are great; there are no easy weeks — I want to make that clear. But I’m not going to say we’re not the best. I’m confident in our team, confident in our offense, and our defense to score and hold people.”

The Lions finish with road games against Lakeridge, Tualatin and Oregon City, plus a home game against Lake Oswego on Oct. 18.

“I feel like we’re the best, but we’ve got good competition,” Anderson said. “They’re all top-five teams, especially Lake Oswego. Lakeridge and Tualatin are blowing teams out, too. We’ve just got to prepare for them and play our best.”

West Linn 35, Sherwood 0

Sherwood — 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 — 0

West Linn — 7 – 14 – 14 – 0 — 35

First quarter

1:50 WL - Will Ingle 5 run (Wyatt Smiley PAT)

Second quarter

10:26 WL - Danny Wideman 46 pass from Baird Gilroy (Smiley PAT)

1:07 WL - Ingle 3 run (Smiley PAT)

Third quarter

9:18 WL - Smiley 10 pass from Gilroy (Smiley PAT)

5:18 WL - Gilroy 2 run (Smiley PAT)

Danny Wideman had a 46-yard touchdown catch in West Linn's 35-0 win over Sherwood. / Photo by Dan Brood

STATISTICS

Passing: Sherwood - Jackson Bell 3-6, 8, Wyatt Ferguson 0-2, INT; West Linn - Baird Gilroy 11-16, 166, 2 TDs, Ryan Hemsley 0-2

Rushing: Sherwood - Layton Walter 7-62, Wilson Medina 15-60, Andrew Waletich 6-46,  Ferguson 1-6, Mace Tingey 1-2, Jack Wilson 1-1; West Linn - Will Ingle 2-8, 2 TDs, Gilroy 2-17, TD, Viggo Anderson 18-148, Hemsley 2-6, Cal Royer 2-5

Receiving: Sherwood - Ferguson 2-6, Waletich 1-2; West Linn - Danny Wideman 5-81, TD, Wyatt Smiley 3-40, TD, Anderson 1-26, Drew Baltz 1-10, Kevin Benson 1-9

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