Santiam coach Carl Rupp thought his second-ranked Wolverines could be walking into an ambush Friday when they visited No. 1 Kennedy in the 2A Special District 2 football opener.
As it turned out, his players – a large chunk of them holdovers from last year’s state runner-up team -- had it all under control in a 44-0 win over the Trojans.
“These guys have been there, done that,” Rupp said. “I didn’t really feel like we were very focused all week, and I voiced that concern to them several times. And then they came out and put on a show. We have experience that we didn’t have last year.”
Santiam (3-0) dominated Kennedy (2-1) on both sides of the ball.
“We were just physical from the get-go,” senior middle linebacker Dustin Keys said. “Coach put in a great gameplan, we executed flawlessly, and we came in and nailed it down their throats and they didn’t have an answer.”
The Wolverines threw only one pass as they ran for 341 yards and seven touchdowns, getting two each from senior Trevor Tinney and junior Brody Davidson. The defense contained Trojans junior running back Emorej Lynk and got interceptions from seniors Connor Forste and Trevor Whitmire and junior Kobe Dyer.
“It was the first time we’ve seen everything fit together,” said Rupp, who is in his first season as head coach after assisting for two years. “We didn’t feel like we put together a complete game yet, so we knew staring down the barrel of Kennedy in Week 3, we needed to piece something together for four quarters.”
Said Tinney: “We’ve never played this good as a team in a really long time, even last year. … I think it just opens people’s eyes that we can do this to every team if we put our minds to it.”
Santiam kept things simple on defense and muzzled a Kennedy team that scored 93 points in its first two games. Senior defensive linemen Garrett Wallen and Tinney led the charge along with Keys.
“We went in with about 25 different calls we could’ve made, and I didn’t have to use any of them,” Rupp said. “We knew Kennedy was dangerous, and I don’t think they played their best game. We pretty much expect to see them again at some point.”
Santiam not only has eight starters back on each side of the ball, but it added Wallen (6-3, 250), a transfer from Scio, where he was an all-league player. He was a force Friday, even blocking a punt.
“He wreaked havoc all night,” Rupp said. “He played two gaps all night long, and I don’t know that he ever missed an assignment.”
The Wolverines are the early favorite in 2A.
“The sky is the limit for them,” Rupp said. “But 2A is tough this year. Last year there were a few teams at the top, and a huge middle pack. This year I kind of get the feeling there’s a large group at the top and a smaller middle group.”
'Magic in a bottle'
Senior running back Malcolm Stockdale has provided the spark for Tigard’s 3-0 start.
The 5-8, 173-pound Stockdale has rushed for 457 yards and 10 touchdowns in three games for the fourth-ranked Tigers. He ran for 163 yards and two scores in Friday’s 35-0 win at Canby in a 6A Three Rivers League game.
“He’s one of those backs that’s pretty much magic in a bottle,” Tigard coach Craig Ruecker said. “You give him a little crease to get out of that bottle, and he can really squirt around and make plays.”
Stockdale broke out as a junior by rushing for 852 yards and a team-high 12 touchdowns. But as the team’s only returner among its top four rushers, his workload has increased from 11.2 carries per game last year to 25.0 this season.
Tigard is counting heavily on Stockdale until its other promising running backs – juniors Josh Burns and Hunter Gilbert -- get up to speed. Stockdale doesn’t play defense, so he is suited to carry the workload.
“We don’t shy away from giving him the football,” Ruecker said. “He doesn’t get tired.
“He’s able to get us tough yards when there’s not much room, and if there’s a little bit of room, he’s been able to make some nice plays. He’s extremely quick, and he’s kind of as fast as he needs to be. I don’t know how fast he is, but when he gets out in the open, he doesn’t get caught.”
Tigard is averaging 247 rushing yards per game behind a line that includes tackles Hayden McDonald and Isaia Porter, guards Johnny Nomani and Mahmud Mustafa, center Mitchell Cross and tight ends Noah Jackman and Fletcher Ahl.
Super sub
The outlook wasn’t promising for No. 3 Silverton on Friday when quarterback Levi Nielsen, a fourth-year starter, suffered a knee injury in the third quarter of a 5A Mid-Willamette Conference showdown with No. 5 Lebanon.
But the host Foxes (3-0, 3-0 Mid-Willamette) got the lift they needed from sophomore backup Aaron Rieskamp, who threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to junior Grant Buchheit with 37 seconds left to pull out a 37-36 win.
“It was a great throw by Aaron, a really well-placed ball,” Silverton coach Josh Craig said of Rieskamp, who completed 5 of 8 passes for 44 yards in relief of Nielsen.
Nielsen, who threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns in the game, was injured when he took a hit after making a throw. He was unable to put weight on his leg and is scheduled for an MRI on Monday.
“We’re still not 100 percent sure what it is,” Craig said on Saturday.
The game continued a breakout season for the 5-foot-10, 165-pound Buchheit, who switched from running back to receiver this season. He had seven catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 20 catches for 460 yards and five scores for the year.
“That kid, he’s very impressive,” Craig said. “He just goes about his business quietly. You saw him in the hall, you’d never know he’s that No. 81 kid, making all those catches. He’s fast and he’s very coordinated, and he’s very scrappy.”
Silverton is tied for first place with No. 4 West Albany (3-0, 3-0). Lebanon (2-1, 2-1) falls into a three-way tie for second place.
Keeping it simple
In 2015 and 2016, Newport won exactly one football game.
“A lot of coaches win one game or no games, and shoot, I’m just glad I wasn’t fired,” coach Rod Losier said.
Deciding to stick with Losier seems to have paid off for the 4A Cubs, who are 3-0 for the first time since 2011. They beat 3A Siuslaw 60-16 on Friday, the most points they have scored since a 60-22 win over Siuslaw in 1967.
Newport has simplified its wing-T offense and is averaging 42.0 points per game.
“When we were struggling a few years ago, we were trying to do too much,” said Losier, who is in his fifth season as coach. “It was my fault.”
Losier said the coaches and players started to doubt their approach. They were trying to run the wing-T while incorporating elements of the pistol and pro-set formations, and spinning their wheels.
“At the time, we thought we’d be able to do more and that would make us better,” Losier said. “But really less is better. We had to do some self-reflection. We had to kind of look at what we’re doing and if it’s going to work with what we have.”
The Cubs are winning with a balanced rushing attack that features seniors Tanner Stottlemyre and Addison Galen and junior Austin Perry. Each has taken a turn leading the team in rushing in the first three games, with Stottlemyre shining against Siuslaw by running for 102 yards and three touchdowns and returning a kickoff 85 yards for a score.
Junior quarterback Luke Losier, who played tight end last season, operates behind a sturdy offensive line that is led by seniors Jake Tucker (6-0, 340), Jimmy Acevedo (6-0, 225) and Kaleb Raever (6-1, 200).
Seaside erupts
Coaches drawing up scouting reports for Seaside might need to reevaluate after the No. 3 Seagulls’ offense erupted in a 70-46 nonleague win over No. 5 Gladstone on Friday.
The book on Seaside (3-0) probably was centered on slowing down senior running back Alexander Teubner, who had rushed for 482 yards and 10 touchdowns in the first two games.
But that was before Friday, when senior quarterback Payton Westerholm threw for 313 yards and five touchdowns to four different receivers and ran for two scores as the Seagulls racked up 642 yards.
“It was kind of our coming-out party,” Seaside coach Jeff Roberts said. “People are going to see the film and go, ‘Uh-oh, what are we going to take away?’”
It was the most points the Seagulls have scored since 1942, when they beat Clatskanie 79-0. They are averaging 52.7 points per game, the most in 4A.
“You don’t usually associate a wing-T team with being this explosive,” Roberts said. “I’ve got three tremendous running backs, a quarterback that’s a third-year starter and two of the best wide receivers that I’ve ever had.”
Junior receiver Brayden Johnson had five catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns against Gladstone. (1-2). Teubner had another big game, running for 175 yards and two scores and catching a touchdown pass.
The 6-0, 180-pound Teubner has drawn some college interest from Eastern Washington and Portland State, according to Roberts.
“He’s a special kid. He’s got a motor that doesn’t stop,” Roberts said. “He’s probably the most football-savvy kid I’ve ever had. He’s fearless.
“He’s got incredible vision. He can see a seam and make people miss. He’s got an uncanny gift to feel pressure, but at the same time, if he’s squared up on somebody, he’s not going to take the easy way out. He’s going to let you have it.”
Seaside, which lost in the first round of the playoffs last year, hasn’t won a playoff game since taking the 3A title in 1994. But with five members of the school’s back-to-back state title basketball teams on the roster – seniors Westerholm, Duncan Thompson and Dylan Meyer and juniors Brayden Johnson and Beau Johnson – the Seagulls aren’t lacking confidence.
“There’s a winner’s mentality,” Roberts said. “These kids know how to win, and they know how to win big games. They’re not overwhelmed by the moment.”
A glimpse at Week 3 around the state:
6A
Century’s Shane Neal had 15 catches for 263 yards and four touchdowns in a 69-40 win over Jefferson. … Grants Pass held off Mountain View 49-41 as Chase Coyle passed for 295 yards and five touchdowns, two each to Korbin Lopez and Blaine Hobbs. Mountain View’s Jonas Larson rushed for 263 yards and four touchdowns on 37 carries. …Penn State-bound quarterback Michael Johnson Jr. made his season debut for Sheldon and led a 42-27 win over West Linn by rushing for 161 yards and passing for 166 yards. … Sunset defeated Southridge 27-24, getting the go-ahead touchdown on a 24-yard catch by Nate Archibald midway through the fourth quarter. … Lake Oswego beat Oregon City 63-17 as Collin Bracken rushed for 210 yards and two touchdowns and Casey Filkins had 190 receiving yards and three touchdown catches and ran for two scores. … Roseburg got a 101-yard interception return for a touchdown by Kole Bare to pick up its first win, 49-38 over Reynolds. Doran Gillespie and Colin Warmouth each rushed for more than 100 yards and Peyton Bryant had 120 yards receiving for the Indians. Kehdon Fletcher had three touchdown catches for Reynolds. … Austin Atkeson threw four touchdown passes as Clackamas rolled past Beaverton 49-14. … Kade Wisher ran for 181 yards and three touchdowns to spark Jesuit past Westview 46-13. … Bend beat North Medford 29-28 in overtime as Cooper Simmonds threw a touchdown pass to Tysen Scott and a two-point conversion pass to Kyle Reed for the winner. North Medford’s Eli Spence rushed for 216 yards and two scores. … Jimmie Barton returned a kickoff for a touchdown and scored on a 45-yard run to lift Centennial to a 54-8 win over Madison … Central Catholic got its first win, beating Sprague 45-22 as Cade Knighton completed 14 of 17 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns. The Rams’ Silas Starr had four catches for 144 yards and one score. … Barlow bounced back from two defeats to beat rival Gresham 48-0 as Jobadiah Malary rushed for 175 yards and Jaren Hunter threw four touchdown passes. … Tualatin dispatched McNary 50-6 as reserve quarterback Blake Jackson ran for a touchdown and passed for a score. Jackson replaced Kyle Dernedde, who left with an injury. … Summit beat Newberg 53-39 behind a big night from Campbell Smith, who returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, caught a 63-yard scoring pass and had an interception. … Bradley Norman threw two touchdown passes to Cole Smith and ran for 104 yards and one touchdown as Liberty beat South Medford 38-20. … Simon Thompson threw two touchdown passes and ran for a 76-yard score in West Salem’s 40-22 win over Grant. … Daniel Kovalev returned an interception 81 yards for a touchdown in Lincoln’s 41-3 win over Franklin … Colton Smith caught three touchdown passes from Sam DuPuis as McMinnville edged South Salem 23-21. …Sherwood rushed for 354 yards to overcome a 14-0 deficit and beat Lakeridge 27-22. Jamison Guerra rushed for 138 yards on six carries for Sherwood and Jalen John rushed for 161 yards for Lakeridge.
5A
DaMario Watson rushed for 216 yards and four touchdowns and had two interceptions to lead Ashland past Ridgeview, which got 140 rushing yards from Kadden Brown. … Hood River Valley got a two-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Gray to Beto Rojas with 14 seconds left to beat Parkrose 23-16. … Demontre Thomas II passed for two touchdowns and ran for a score as Churchill beat Willamette 56-14. … Connor McNabb rushed for 219 yards and two touchdowns and caught five passes for 86 yards and one score in Scappoose’s 39-14 win over Hillsboro. The Indians rushed for more than 400 yards and had more than 600 total yards.… Forest Grove rallied late to best Wilson 28-27, getting a three-yard touchdown run by Isaiah Ahmed and a two-point conversion pass from Jared Miller to Cameron Bennett with 1:41 remaining. … Tyler Seiber’s 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown lifted South Albany to a 24-20 win over McKay. … North Eugene’s Tristan Karns ran for two touchdowns to lead a 29-19 win over Redmond. … Eagle Point beat Springfield 48-7 as Cameron Morgan passed for 396 yards and four touchdowns and had a 71-yard run. The Eagles’ Noah Page had four catches for 140 yards and two scores and Devin Bradd rushed for more than 100 yards for the third consecutive game and caught two touchdown passes. … Carson Van Dyke threw three touchdown passes to lead West Albany past Central 41-17. … Dallas beat North Salem 35-20 behind Colby Johnson, who ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns and blocked a punt and returned it for a score. … Thurston had 605 yards of offense as Cade Crist passed for 481 yards and three touchdowns to beat Crater 40-35. … North Bend’s Garrison Mateski caught touchdown passes of 46 and 74 yards as the Bulldogs beat South Eugene 34-19. Coleman Compton had four touchdown passes for the Bulldogs. … Sawyer Cleveland and Omar Speights each ran for two scores in Crescent Valley’s 51-6 win over Corvallis. Speights had 12 carries for 199 yards. … JuJuan Lane rushed for 110 yards and three touchdowns and Justin Evans had two interceptions, returning one for a score, as La Salle Prep defeated Benson 56-20. Benson’s Jaylen Russell caught seven passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns.
4A
Sweet Home’s Zach Dungey threw three touchdown passes in a 32-19 win over Phoenix. … Banks dominated Marist Catholic 56-13, scoring on a kickoff return by Blake Markham and an interception return by Jacob Slifka. … Estacada’s Gabriel Martinez rushed for 235 yards and three touchdowns in a 24-22 win over Astoria … Taylor Fendall passed for 267 yards and three touchdowns but Sisters fell to Crook County 35-32. … Elmira held off Philomath 18-7 as Cobyn Herbert passed for three touchdowns and Rowdy Ramirez had seven catches for 129 yards and one score. … Oregon State-bound Cory Stover caught two touchdown passes as Marshfield dominated Klamath Union 49-0.
3A
Amity rolled up 560 yards of offense in beating Salem Academy 47-7. Brian Hatch and Cody Dyche each had two interceptions for Amity. … Warrenton took advantage of six turnovers to defeat Portland Christian 41-18, despite Sakari Haynes’ three touchdown catches and an interception for the Royals. … Rainier amassed 389 rushing yards in a 28-6 win over Madras. … Cascade Christian’s Kiegan Schaan threw four touchdown passes, and had two interceptions on defense, returning one for a score, in a 52-20 win over Harrisburg. Eagles running back Gabe Knox rushed for 117 yards before leaving with a leg injury in the third quarter. … St. Mary’s got four touchdown passes from Aliiloa Kaeo-Wailehua and three scoring runs from Gavin Rajagopal to beat Regis 55-6. … Umatilla got its first win, beating Stanfield 22-18 behind 150 rushing yards from Trent Durfey. … Joey McGehey had a touchdown catch and an interception in Yamhill-Carlton’s 33-20 loss to Willamina.... Vale couldn't hold a 16-14 lead and fell to Weiser (Idaho) 31-16. ... Burns held La Pine to 122 yards in a 43-0 win. Josh Reagle rushed for 165 yards and three touchdowns and Dawson Williams scored touchdowns on an interception return and 13-yard catch for Burns.
2A
Monroe got 113 rushing yards and four touchdowns from Brody Ballard to cruise past Toledo 54-26. … Nestucca held Vernonia to 87 yards in an 18-8 win. Quarterback Ben Hurliman rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns and threw for a score for Nestucca. … Knappa turned back Taft 52-32 behind Eli Takalo, who ran for three touchdowns and passed for two scores. Taft’s David Jin also threw three touchdown passes ran for two scores. … Mason Lehman ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns on six carries and had four catches for 70 yards and one score as Heppner defeated Lost River 20-6. ... Sheridan came from behind to beat Colton 50-30 as Jacob DeBoff threw four touchdown passes, two to Josh Rogers. and the defense had six fumble recoveries, two by Hunter Hass.
1A
Christian Coleman scored three touchdowns and Jacob Moore threw two touchdown passes as Hosanna Christian outlasted North Douglas 48-46. … Tanner Thomson ran for three touchdowns and had a team-high 15 tackles and Kaleb Tiry caught two touchdown passes and returned an interception for a score to lead Butte Falls past North Lake 40-16. … Myrtle Point defeated Prospect 22-14 as Brodie Parrish rushed for 146 yards and three touchdowns. … Michael Powell ran for 249 yards and three touchdowns for Oakridge in a 28-14 win over Bonanza. … Riddle beat Chiloquin 54-32 as Nate Hopkins rushed for 235 yards, caught four passes for 66 yards and scored four touchdowns, including a kickoff return. … Mapleton defeated Glendale 66-14 behind Evan Moso, who rushed for 145 yards and three touchdowns. … McKenzie beat Jewell 79-13 in a six-man game as Daniel Quirk scored seven touchdowns, including a 99-yard interception return.
Jeremy McDonald contributed to this report
