What we learned in Week 4 of Oregon high school football

Here’s what stood out during Week 4 of games on the Oregon high school football schedule

The 2024 Oregon high school football regular season is reaching the midway point. / Photo by Dan Brood

The 2024 Oregon high school football season continued last week with Week 4 games around the state. Here's what stood out during the fourth full weekend of action. 

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Jefferson bravely finding its way among PIL title contenders

Jefferson coach Anthony Stoudamire knew his team’s opener against Lakeridge would be challenging.

Indeed, the Pacers took it to his Democrats in a 42-2 contest that in many ways laid the foundation for where Jefferson sits today — tied with defending PIL champion Wells atop the league standings at 2-0 after a 43-6 victory at McDaniel on Friday night.

“We learned a lot from that game,” Stoudamire said. “It was a great learning experience for my younger players. We walked away understanding that you cannot make mistakes against good football teams because it will cost you — and Lakeridge is a very good team.”

Their next game — a 26-22 loss to Liberty that Stoudamire feels “we let that one get away” — reinforced that lesson. They opened PIL play two weeks ago by escaping Franklin 28-21 in overtime.

“Over the past couple of weeks, the defense has really started to play to its potential and create turnovers and make plays,” Stoudamire said. “Offensively, our receivers are starting to understand what we are doing and making plays.”

With veteran quarterback Brave Johnson running the show, when his young receivers get open, he’s been finding them. The senior was 11 of 20 against the Mountain Lions for 225 yards and three touchdowns, giving him eight touchdown passes in the Democrats’ past three games. 

Johnson is coming off a summer during which he played for the Portland Babe Ruth team that advanced to the quarterfinals of the 16U World Series in Branson, Mo., before losing to Puerto Rico.

While preparing for the World Series, he also had to develop chemistry with a whole new receiving corps after two of his top three receivers from a year ago graduated and the third (London Walker Jr.) transferred across the Columbia River to Evergreen in Vancouver.

Stoudamire likes how Johnson is working with first-year starters Jayden Robinson (sophomore) and EJ Cozart (junior), among others.

“Brave is being much more vocal this year and taking charge of the offense,” Stoudamire said. “The past couple of games, he has really raised his level of play. He is throwing the ball even better than last year, and his decision-making has greatly improved. We are waiting for that one breakout game where he puts it all together.”

Stoudamire would love for that breakthrough to come this week against rival Grant in their annual showdown that will go a long way toward determining who will challenge Wells for league supremacy after the Guardians knocked off Roosevelt 24-15 last week.

The Democrats, who shared the league championship two years ago and won three 5A PIL titles from 2007-10 (their last unified PIL crown came in 2000), opened the season with four consecutive road games and are anxious to finally play on their home turf.

“The kids are really excited about this week’s game,” Stoudamire said. “We always look forward to playing Grant and will remain focused on controlling things that we can control and getting better each week. We are young but growing up in a hurry.”

Sophomore QB fuels Grants Pass’ turnaround from two-win season to 3-1 start

One of the feel-good stories in 6A is unfolding in Grants Pass, where the Cavemen improved to 3-1 with a 55-54 victory over defending South Central Football Conference champion South Salem.

Grants Pass finished 2-8 last season, and third-year coach Brad Page spent the summer overhauling the culture surrounding the program.

“We have a completely different focus on our team goals,” he explained. “We have a much better player-led culture, and that is a ton of credit to these kids. We love and trust each other, we communicate openly between coaches and players, we do constant team building and bonding, and we are very purpose-driven in everything we do.”

What was especially satisfying for Page and his staff was seeing how the team responded after an interception midway through the fourth quarter allowed the Saxons — who defeated Grants Pass by a combined 88-13 the previous two years — to regain the lead at 54-48 with four minutes remaining. 

The Cavemen went on a 13-play drive capped by Jordan Rossetta’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Johnson with 40 seconds left. Parker Roberts’ PAT provided the winning margin.

“What most impressed me was our players’ resiliency through all four quarters,” Page said. “We got down 14-0 really quickly, and by the end of the first quarter, we were up 21-14.”

Rossetta’s emergence as a sophomore has helped fuel the Cavemen’s turnaround, which also involved a change in philosophy to a more high-tempo passing attack. 

The 6-foot-5, 215-pounder was 15 of 28 for 197 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions Friday, giving him 13 touchdowns in four games after undergoing a baptism by fire in three games (including two starts) as a freshman.

“Jordan has been impressive with his calm, steady nature,” Page said. “He doesn’t get too high or too low during the game, which is exactly what you need in your quarterback. We’ve been most impressed with his ability to make the correct reads while going very fast up-tempo and making some really difficult throws at times.

“He is continually growing, and there are things we will keep working on, but he has been a true leader of our team and converted big plays when we needed them.”

They’ll need those big plays again this week as the Cavemen travel to Spiegelberg Stadium to renew another classic Southern Oregon rivalry against South Medford. They already visited the historic venue once this year when they suffered their only loss (33-28 to North Medford), and Page knows for his team to have any chance of winning a first league championship since 2014, they can’t afford another loss with matchups with Sheldon and Sprague to come. 

“Their I-formation, run-heavy attack is polar opposite to what we just played against South Salem, so our defense has its work cut out for them,” he said. “We need to make a few stops and force some turnovers. Our offense needs to be dialed in and take advantage of every snap we get. We have confidence in our ability to be explosive and put long drives together.”

Defense helps Forest Grove get off to best start since 2003

Forest Grove coach Cam McFarland didn’t have to think long to explain the biggest reason the Vikings started a season 4-0 for the first time since 2003.

“Credit to our defense,” McFarland said.

Defensive coordinator Andrew Garrett and his staff knew changes were necessary after the Vikings gave up almost 39 points per game during last year’s 4-5 season.

“We revamped some things with our scheme and coaching, and the players are buying in,” McFarland said.

The results have been pronounced. They rank third in 5A in points allowed per game (8.8), and they’ve allowed 44 rushing yards and 380 total yards in four games.

They have a veteran defense led by players such as all-state defensive tackle Carter Bennett, all-league strong safety Kyle Fabela and linebackers Brayden Delaney and Evan Anderson among seven returnees.

Another factor has been improved play by the offensive line bolstering the running game, allowing the Vikings to break in senior Nolan Hudgins at quarterback after the graduation of three-year starter Kaden Hale.

“Going into my third year, we were able to get more out of our offense to evolve, so we are just able to do more, and I believe that is helping,” McFarland said. “Nolan has made some very impressive throws under duress, which he worked hard this offseason to get better at. 

“This is only his fifth varsity start, so he still makes mistakes that he just doesn’t know of, but credit to him — he’s a quick learner and doesn’t make the same mistake twice.”

The Vikings will put their perfect start on the line this week at Hood River Valley, which has been their nemesis the past two years — beating them three times, including a 41-40 win in the Northwest Oregon Conference division playoffs in 2022.

“We’ve matched up very well with them, and we are prepared to play a slugfest like the previous meetings,” McFarland said. “Big plays have killed us the last couple years. We definitely need to play better defense and not give up big plays. Our offense could move the ball and score, but our defense would get them third and long or fourth down, and we would give up a big run or pass for a touchdown.”

Deep receiving corps, stout defense a winning formula for Philomath

The previous time Philomath opened a season 4-0 was in 2013, which seems like a lifetime ago in the program’s history in more ways than one.

The Warriors had a season canceled after a hazing incident, followed by dropping to 3A for two years to get the program back on track.

They returned to 4A after making the playoffs in 2021 in Alex Firth’s first year running the program. Now, in Year 4, he has the Warriors humming, with 4A’s leading scoring defense (7.5 points per game) after posting their second shutout, a 56-0 win over The Dalles.

“The wins are validation of the work the players put in during the offseason,” he said. “We are a mature team, and it’s the most concentrated effort that we have had over the last four years to improve. We had solid attendance through the summer, even with baseball and basketball going at the same time.”

Firth said a change in schemes has made a difference, with Philomath focusing on stopping the run with an eye on Oregon West Conference rivals such as Cascade and Stayton and their potent ground games.

“The front seven has done well so far stopping the running game and creating pressure in the passing game,” Firth said. “We believe we can match up with anyone in the shell, so forcing teams that are perhaps not as comfortable passing to throw plays to our strength, and the maturity of our secondary allows us to play multiple coverages and disguises.”

Much of the offseason work on offense was in the passing game, where senior Caleb Russell (who had a school-record seven touchdown passes against The Dalles) is 100% after suffering a midseason injury last year and throwing to a deep receiving corps led by CD Nuno (23 catches for 395 yards and six touchdowns), Rocco De La Rosa (12-231-5) and Warwick Bushnell (12-246-5).

“We allow our receivers a lot of freedom in the passing game, so the extra work for them understanding the structures of coverage and the adjustments they need to make to those coverages is paying off,” Firth said. “And Caleb has continued to grow from last season. He is more mature in his approach to the game.

“In the past, things happened fast during a game, and he would lock on to a receiver or leave the pocket prematurely. This year, he works his progressions, understands the structure of the defense he is playing against and is more comfortable staying in the pocket. The kids can sense his confidence.”

Firth knows his team still has work to do as it prepares for its OWC opener Friday at much-improved Sweet Home. The Warriors need to improve in the run game — leading rusher Grant Niemann has 146 yards in four games — and Firth expects to see more of the drop coverage The Dalles used if they can’t achieve some offensive balance.

“To date, we have relied heavily on our receivers and quarterbacks,” he said. “I think we will see either more pressure, which is fine, or drop-eight coverages to take away our passing game. And we live in Oregon, and the weather isn’t always sunny, so we need to find that ‘mudder’ identity as fall turns rainy.”

Yamhill-Carlton posts signature win as program’s resurgence continues

For more than a decade, Yamhill-Carlton football struggled to gain a foothold, going 15-76 from 2007 until posting its next winning record in 2018, when only a clerical error kept the Tigers from making the playoffs.

The next year, they went 9-0 in the regular season, and they advanced to the postseason each of the past two years under fourth-year coach Brad McKechnie, including their first playoff win since 2007.

Still, Friday’s 12-7 victory at Kennedy might be the signature win of McKechnie’s reign. The Trojans, who reached four consecutive state finals from 2018-22 (there were no playoffs in the COVID spring 2021 season), entered 4-0 this year and 29-4 on their home field the past six-plus seasons.

Kennedy was without one of its top players in senior running back Jaydon Estrada (right leg injury) but took the opening kickoff and marched 58 yards in 13 plays for a touchdown, then recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff to set the Trojans up at the Yamhill-Carlton 21-yard line.

From there, it was all Tigers. They forced a field goal attempt that missed on that drive and held Kennedy to 176 yards for the game.

“A really big win for our squad,” McKechnie said. “One of our standards for this year is to believe. No matter what is happening in the game, to continue to believe in themselves, each other, and continuing to progress as players.

“And after that opening drive by Kennedy, our defense really stepped up and shut them down. We had some really solid tackling.”

The Tigers welcomed back junior quarterback Jack Mitchell from a shoulder injury that sidelined him in the previous week’s victory over Rainier.

McKechnie worried before the season whether the first-time starter was ready to step into the role, but Mitchell continued to impress Friday, throwing for 234 yards and two touchdowns — including a go-ahead 60-yard pass to Josh Webber with 6:42 left in the third quarter.

“Jack is continuing to gain confidence in his game each week, and this game certainly added to that growing confidence,” McKechnie said. “Jack threw some pretty great passes, including a few deep balls that were right on the money as well as some good  throws on the move.”

The Tigers will step out of Coastal Range League play this week to make the 430-mile bus ride to Nyssa along the Oregon-Idaho border — the second of four consecutive road  games that culminates with a visit to defending league champion and 3A runner-up Banks.

“Going to be a long day, no question, but an opportunity for our team to continue to build our belief in each other,” McKechnie said. “I think we have  a good travel plan, so hopefully it will be a good trip, a good game and a W.”

Back on its own, North Douglas putting up points, wins in bunches

The previous two years, North Douglas played in a co-op with Yoncalla, forcing the Warriors to play in a highly competitive 2A league, where they went 4-5 each season.

The schools went their separate ways this year, and with North Douglas back in the 1A eight-man ranks, it is off to its first 4-0 start in the past 15 years after defeating Riddle 90-6.

Longtime coach JJ Mast has had strong starts during his 11 seasons (over three stints) at the small school in Drain just off Highway 38 in Southern Oregon. 

Eight years ago, the Warriors won 11 in a row after dropping their season opener to reach the semifinals for the second time in school history — part of a run of seven consecutive playoff appearances.

“We have high expectations but know we still have a lot of areas that we need to get better,” Mast said. “The co-op was a great experience, but our staff has been together since 2012 and added a couple of pieces along the way. It’s a really tight-knit group that puts in a lot of time outside of the practice field to make sure we are ready every week.”

The expectations stem from returning a veteran core led by two-way all-state junior Hunter Vaughn, who ran for almost 1,400 yards last season. 

He’s already set records for points in a quarter (46 vs. Country Christian) and kickoff returns for a touchdown (four in that game) this year, and he’s rushed for 916 yards and 17 touchdowns on 30 carries. In four games, he has 1,420 all-purpose yards and 23 touchdowns despite not playing in the second half of any game.

Mast said Vaughn spent the offseason bulking up for his junior year, adding 15 pounds to his 6-foot-1, 175-pound frame while getting significantly faster. 

“His vision, speed and athletic ability would be elite at any level,” Mast said. “He is a threat every time he touches the ball.”

Mast is quick to point to other players who have played critical roles in North Douglas’ fast start. Junior Jaycen Marois, who Mast calls “one of the faster kids in the state at our level,” has rushed for 412 yards and nine touchdowns, and senior quarterback Jayden Montgomery has shown flashes of his potential in the few times he’s been asked to throw the ball.

Then, there’s a solid group of linemen — senior Corbyn Schoonover at center, senior Kye Bilyeu and sophomore Brody Clark at guard, and senior tight end Wyatt Reed — who have given Vaughn and Marois time and space to do their damage. The Warriors average 79 points per game, most in the eight-man division.

“They have controlled the line of scrimmage in each of our games and are a major part of our success,” Mast said.

The Warriors still have games with Mohawk (3-2, 3-1 in league play) this week and Crosspoint Christian — which, like North Douglas, is 4-0 overall and 3-0 in league — in Week 8, but after five years of missing the postseason, they’re ready to play some November football again.

“Not being there the last two years at 2A has left this group extremely motivated,” Mast said. “That was the expectation the last two years as well, and we fell short. That’s driven this group to work hard in the offseason to make sure we take care of business this year.”

This and that …

• With UC Davis-bound quarterback Trey Cleeland out with an MCL sprain, Jesuit returned to its ground-and-pound roots in a 42-6 romp over Grant to improve to 3-1 in Ken Potter’s first game as the state’s all-time winningest coach. Senior Dominic Locati went over 100 yards for the third consecutive week, running for 164 yards and three touchdowns, and the Crusaders rolled up 328 rushing yards.
• Oregon doesn’t have a Freshman of the Year award, but if it did, Crescent Valley quarterback Zeke Thomas would be the favorite at the midway point of the season. Thomas threw for 312 yards and four touchdowns on 18-of-23 passing Friday against South Eugene to improve his season totals to 77 of 128 for 1,087 yards, 14 touchdowns and one interception.
• Willamette continued its rise under new coach Josh Line and his band of newcomers who have transformed the long-downtrodden program. The Wolverines, who went winless last year and haven’t posted a winning record in a full season since 2011, improved to 4-0 with a 14-7 win over Eagle Point.
• The matchup between the reigning 4A (Henley) and 3A (Cascade Christian) state champions went to the Hornets 37-36, with Joe Janney finding Trapper Cundall for a 5-yard touchdown with 4:47 to play to lift them to victory. The Challengers, who entered the season on a 26-game win streak, fell to 1-3 entering Southern Oregon Conference play.
• Culver, coming off a 3-6 season, improved to 4-0 for the first time since 2019 by defeating reigning 1A eight-man champion Lost River 34-28 in a 2A Special District 5 matchup. Houston Wittenberg had a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jace Silbernagel on fourth-and-goal with 10 seconds left.

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