Two of the state’s top Class 6A football programs collide in what promises to be a revealing season opener Friday when West Linn visits Central Catholic at Hillsboro Stadium.
The Rams and Lions -- voted No. 1 and No. 5, respectively, in the OSAAtoday Class 6A preseason coaches poll -- are coming off seasons that ended with three-point losses in the quarterfinals. And both return their starting quarterbacks: Central Catholic junior Cade Knighton and West Linn senior Ethan Long.
“It’s a great opener. It certainly gets your attention,” West Linn coach Chris Miller said. “You have to be very prepared to play your best right out of the gate.”
Said Central Catholic coach Steve Pyne: “Win or lose, we’re going to find out a lot about ourselves.”
The Rams know that much of West Linn’s offense hinges on the play of Long, who has committed to Arizona State. He passed for 3,102 yards and 32 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in 2017.
“We can’t let the quarterback sit back there on his spot and pick us apart, because he’s really good,” Pyne said. “We’ve got to contain him a little bit, too, and try to make him a little uncomfortable throwing the football.”
Miller said that Long has better command of the offense as he approaches his second season as a starter.
“He’s turned into a great leader,” Miller said. “I take great pride in how I train my guys and get them ready, and he’ll be extremely ready for the challenge. This is his opportunity to show his stuff. My goal for him is to be the best quarterback in the state of Oregon, by far. Friday will be a great test for us.”
West Linn also returns its top rusher in senior Dawson Jolley (698 yards, 10.7 yards per carry), a “legit 4.45 40 guy who can take it to the house anytime he touches it,” according to Miller. The Lions lost electric receiver Qawi Ntsasa (19 touchdown catches), but have a deep stable of receivers – including junior Casey Tawa, 6-foot-3 senior Cade Knutson and junior tight end Damiko Tidmore Jr. (6-4, 252) – that is ready to pick up some of the slack.
“They’ve got some weapons, for sure,” Pyne said.
Central Catholic also has no shortage of threats, starting with Knighton, a third-year starter who passed for 27 touchdowns with four interceptions last season.
“Good decision-maker, gets the ball out on time well,” Miller said of Knighton. “He’s got some great weapons, man. He’s got some dudes out there that can flat play.”
The Rams return their two leading rushers in juniors Miles Jackson and Elijah Elliott and their No. 1 receiver in junior Silas Starr (10 touchdown catches), whose list of scholarship offers includes Oregon, Oregon State, California and Arizona State.
Pyne liked what he saw from his team in last week’s jamboree against Lakeridge and Liberty.
“I was really pleased with our offensive line play,” Pyne said. “And our defensive line got after the quarterback. I was impressed with our defensive line.”
Among the jamboree standouts for the Rams was Jordan King, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound freshman defensive end.
“The kid can hang,” Pyne said.
Both teams face rugged schedules this season. Class 6A cut back on league play to create more nonleague games and improve competitive balance.
Central Catholic’s nonleague schedule includes West Linn, Washington power Eastside Catholic, Sprague, Sherwood and Jesuit. West Linn’s nonleague games are Central Catholic, McNary, Sheldon and Sherwood.
“I don’t mind,” Miller said. “I’d rather go in knowing that it’s going to be a dogfight than it’s going to be 42-0 or 49-0 at halftime.”
Other games to watch in Week 1:
No. 3 Jesuit at Mountainside: The Mavericks started their program last season with highly successful lower-level teams, beating state powers Jesuit and Sheldon in freshman games. Now they jump into a full varsity season, without seniors, and first up is a home game against Jesuit, which is looking to extend its Class 6A Metro League winning streak to 36 games.
No. 8 West Salem at No. 7 Lake Oswego: Lake Oswego, a Class 6A semifinalist last year, is loaded with talent and experience, but is counting on rookie starting quarterback (senior Jackson Laurent) to step in for Jake Dukart, who has moved on to Oregon State. West Salem has one of the state’s fastest players in Oregon State-bound athlete Anthony Gould, who had more than 2,000 all-purpose yards on last year’s quarterfinal team.
Graham-Kapowsin (Wash.) at No. 4 Sheldon: The Irish take on a Graham-Kapowsin team led by senior quarterback Dylan Morris, who Washington commit who is rated as the state's top senior recruit by 247sports.com. Sheldon dual-threat senior quarterback Michael Johnson Jr., a Penn State commit, will not play due to an injury. Graham-Kapowsin reached the big-school quarterfinals in Washington last season; Sheldon lost in the Class 6A second round in its first season under coach Josh Line. The game will be nationally televised by ESPNU.
No. 4 Thurston at No. 1 Churchill: Last year’s game, won by Churchill 40-35, decided the Class 5A Midwestern League title. Churchill, coming off a state runner-up season, has one of the state’s best linemen in senior Richard Estrella, last year’s Midwestern League defensive player of the year in senior linebacker Beau Burnett and is loaded with playmakers, including three potential impact transfers. Thurston is strong up front with senior Patrick Antone and junior Grant Starck.
North Bend at No. 1 Marshfield: The rivals no longer are in the same league, now that North Bend has moved up to Class 5A. But the Civil War, which typically draws a crowd of about 6,000, will continue as a nonleague game. North Bend is looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Marshfield beat North Bend 55-10 last year on its way to finishing as Class 4A runner-up. The Pirates have an Oregon State commit in 6-6 defensive end Cory Stover, who had 19 sacks in 2017.
No. 10 Cascade at No. 2 Cottage Grove: Cottage Grove, which won the Class 4A title last year and was runner-up in 2016, opens against Cascade. The Lions graduated much of the firepower from a team that averaged 47.9 points per game, but they still have first-team all-state quarterback Dylan Graves. Since winning the 2015 title, Cascade has had back-to-back 6-4 seasons.
No. 6 Triad at No. 1 Dufur (Thursday): Class 1A power Dufur begins its quest for a fourth consecutive state title, a feat only three other schools have accomplished. Dufur coach Jack Henderson, who has won a state-record nine state titles, might have his fastest team ever as it boasts all four members of the state-champion 4x100-meter relay team. Triad is coming off a strong season in which it finished 10-2 after falling to district rival Hosanna Christian 36-34 in the semifinals, making the Timber Wolves 0-4 in the final four since 2009.
