Four games into the football season, Centennial and McMinnville find themselves in similar positions as they prepare to meet in their final 6A nonleague games Friday.
Both are 3-1. Both have lost only to South Medford. Both are seeking better balance on offense. And both are looking to tune up for challenging conference openers next week.
“I feel like it’s a good matchup,” Centennial coach Butch Self said. “I see McMinnville and us as a lot alike, a hard-nosed, tough football team. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Centennial, which went 2-7 in 2017, is playing its first season under Self after 32 years with Chris Knudsen. The Eagles have won three in a row since a 28-7 loss to South Medford, and their veer offense is gaining steam, rushing for 430 yards in a 55-28 win over Century last week.
“It’s evolved really well,” Self said of his spin on the team’s traditional veer. “The kids have adapted to the slight difference of being underneath the center. Really the transition to what Chris has done to what we’re doing has been pretty seamless.”
Junior running back Jimmie Barton, who clocked 10.63 seconds in the 100 meters last spring, is becoming a dangerous weapon for Centennial. Against Century, he accounted for 200 yards and four touchdowns, including a 64-yard score on a screen pass. He also had a 98-yard kickoff return nullified by penalty.
“When we get him out in space, he is explosive,” Self said.
The Eagles are averaging 306.5 yards per game, with 234 coming on the ground as its line – led by senior tackle Robesan Abraham – has been opening gaps.
“The biggest thing is our offensive line is starting to gel in the last few weeks,” Self said.
At quarterback, junior Kyle Fitzgerald and senior Cyrus Boatman have been effective running the option for the Eagles. They have struggled through the air, though, completing 28.6 percent of their passes for three touchdown passes and six interceptions.
McMinnville is the polar opposite. The Grizzlies are averaging 287.5 yards per game, with 203.8 via the air.
Senior quarterback Sam DuPuis, a second-year starter, has completed 59.2 percent of his passes for 815 yards and eight touchdowns with four interceptions. His favorite target is senior Colton Smith, who has 33 catches for 434 yards and six touchdowns.
“He’s a big part of our offense,” McMinnville coach Ryan McIrvin said of Smith, a first-team all-conference selection as a junior.
Senior Noah Kepler leads McMinnville in rushing with 174 yards. He is running behind a rebuilt line that includes two sophomores in Jacob Barnes (6-5, 275) and Aaron Resendez (6-0, 225).
“When our young guys are right, they look pretty good,” McIrvin said. “When they’re wrong, they look like sophomores. We’re still trying to gel there. … Our running game hasn’t been clicking like we’d like it to, and maybe like it has the last couple years. We’re still working on that.”
The Grizzlies won their first three games for the third year in a row before falling at South Medford 21-12 last week. McIrvin liked how his team competed in the loss to last year’s 6A runner-up.
“We probably had a chance to fold our tent a couple times and our kids battled to the end,” he said. “If we make our two PATs and kick our field goal, which would’ve given us the lead in the third quarter, it could’ve been a different outcome.”
Is this McMinnville team is similar to the past two years, when it finished 6-4 and lost in the first round of the playoffs?
“I don’t know yet. I don’t know if we’re clicking yet offensively,” McIrvin said. “We’ve been playing really, really good defense. That’s probably our strength right now.”
The Grizzlies have an outstanding safety is senior Kevin Sullivan and Kepler has been solid at linebacker. They are stout up front with junior Ras Felix and senior Jett Hawkins.
“They’re a tough opponent. They’re a physical opponent,” Self said. “It’s a good gauge to see how far we’ve come since Week 1. We’re not the same team that went down to South Medford. We’ve eliminated mistakes that we made.”
McIrvin agrees that the Eagles have made strides.
“To see them Week 1 and after Week 4, they’ve improved a ton,” McIrvin said. “The tailback Barton, he’s a burner. Defensively, their kids fly around. We’ve had three really good games in a row, and this is going to be a fourth one.”
Both teams face difficult league openers next week. McMinnville plays host to Sherwood in a Pacific Conference game. Centennial opens Mt. Hood Conference play against No. 8 Central Catholic at Hillsboro Stadium.
A glimpse at other Week 5 games across the state:
No. 8 Central Catholic (2-2) at No. 7 Jesuit (3-1): Two traditional powers that have yet to hit stride this season meet in a classic 6A nonleague rivalry. Last year, Central Catholic came from behind in the fourth quarter to beat the Crusaders 28-24 on a 17-yard touchdown run by Elijah Elliott. Jesuit plays at No. 3 Sheldon (3-1) next week.
No. 10 Liberty (3-1) at No. 2 Lake Oswego (3-1): Both teams are looking to rebound from their first losses in the 6A nonleague game. Lake Oswego led No. 1 Clackamas 39-28 in the fourth quarter but fell 49-39 on a controversial touchdown pass with 22 seconds left. Liberty surrendered 620 yards in a 44-34 loss at Oregon City.
No. 5 Lebanon (3-1, 3-1 5A Mid-Willamette Conference) at No. 4 West Albany (4-0, 4-0): A key conference game between West Albany, tied for first place with Silverton, and Lebanon, which is one game behind. The host Bulldogs have allowed a 5A-low 27 points. Lebanon bounced back from a 37-36 loss to Silverton to beat McKay 42-14 last week. The teams haven’t played since West Albany handled Lebanon 49-0 in 2013.
No. 6 Woodburn (4-0, 1-0 4A Special District 2) at No. 8 Estacada (3-1, 0-1): Woodburn can clinch its first winning record since 1991, the last time it was 4-0. The Bulldogs beat North Marion 21-0 last week, holding the Huskies to 91 total yards. Estacada is coming off its first loss, 42-22 to Gladstone.
No. 4 Cascade Christian (3-1) at Hidden Valley (3-1): Two of the hottest quarterbacks in 3A go head-to-head in the 3A Special District 2 South opener for both teams. Cascade Christian junior Kiegan Schaan passed for four touchdowns and ran for two scores in last week’s 52-13 win at Pleasant Hill. Hidden Valley sophomore Sam Vidlak threw for 395 yards and five touchdowns as the Mustangs beat Salem Academy 43-17 last week.
No. 6 Clatskanie (3-1) at No. 1 Rainier (4-0): Points should be at a premium in the 3A Special District 1 opener between the host Columbians and Tigers, who have allowed 12 and 20 points, respectively, the lowest of any 11-man teams in the state. Clatskanie beat Rainier 41-31 last year, avenging a 46-0 loss from 2016. The Tigers shut out their first three opponents before falling to No. 5 Vale 20-14 last week.
No. 3 Monroe (3-1) at No. 6 Jefferson (4-0): It’s been a special year for Jefferson, which was 0-9 in 3A last season but moved to 2A and has started 4-0 for the first time since 2004. The Lions get their toughest test in the Special District 3 opener against Monroe, the reigning 2A champion. The Dragons won their first three games before falling to 3A Willamina 21-7 last week.
