It’s only Week 2, but there’s a sense that Friday’s 5A nonleague football game between No. 1 Churchill and No. 2 Wilsonville has a deeper meaning.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun to see how we stack up,” Wilsonville coach Adam Guenther said. “They are by far the best team in 5A, and we want to give them a run. It’s going to be a playoff-caliber game in the second week.”
Churchill coach A.J. Robinson isn’t downplaying the game’s significance, either.
“It’s a big game, and it’s OK to acknowledge it’s a big game because in big games, you can’t beat yourself,” Robinson said. “You can’t make mental mistakes in big games and expect to beat good teams.”
Churchill, last year’s state runner-up, and Wilsonville, a semifinalist, have state-championships aspirations. And they showed why last week when Churchill handled then-No. 4 Thurston 42-23 and Wilsonville had little trouble putting away then-No. 9 Crater 53-20.
Both teams were led by outstanding quarterback play. Churchill’s Demontre Thomas II, a senior transfer from Texas, completed 20 of 24 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 55 yards and two scores. Wildcats senior Nathan Overholt went 23 of 30 for 436 yards and five touchdowns.
The 6-foot, 210-pound Thomas is starting over senior Jack Blackburn, who threw 40 touchdown passes for the Lancers last season. Thomas was the backup for an unbeaten state championship team in Allen, Texas, last season.
“He wants to throw first and foremost, but he has the ability to run,” Robinson said. “He does a nice job of moving around in the pocket and keeping his eyes downfield. He can do a lot of things, and that puts a lot of pressure on defenses.”
Guenther said of Thomas: “We’ve got to keep guys on him. We can’t let him breathe. The kid is good.”
Thomas has a powerful arm, which makes him especially dangerous with Churchill’s fast receivers, in particular senior Marshaun Tucker Jr., who had 13 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns last week.
The Lancers’ passing attack is balanced by a solid running game that features senior Jaiden Pasillas, who rushed for 133 yards on nine carries last week. Pasillas is back in a key role after a concussion forced him out of the latter half of last season.
Wilsonville’s Overholt (6-3, 190), who threw for 1,996 yards and 19 touchdowns with three interceptions as a junior, showed that he could be ready to break out in a big way this season.
“He’s a year older, a year stronger, a year wiser,” Guenther said. “His football knowledge is off the charts. He doesn’t make bad decisions. He can run the ball, too, so you’ve got to be careful with him. He’s kind of a field general, and we’re lucky to have him.”
The Wildcats’ deep receiving corps includes seniors Isaiah Haqq and Sam Westing, who each caught two touchdown passes last week, and senior Jonah Gomez, who had 11 catches for 157 yards and one score.
“They’e a talented group,” Robinson said of the Wildcats. “They have a good quarterback who does a lot of things with his arm and his feet. Probably his best attribute, based on the one game, is extending the play and making something happen when the play breaks down.
“They’ll be a challenge for us, for sure.”
Other games to watch in Week 2:
No. 3 Lake Oswego (1-0) at No. 4 Jesuit (1-0): The Crusaders have a score to settle after losing to Lake Oswego 48-17 in the Class 6A quarterfinals last year. Lake Oswego senior quarterback Jackson Laurent (298 passing yards, five touchdown passes) and Jesuit junior Andy Alfieri (183 rushing yards, three touchdowns) are coming off big games in Week 1 victories.
No. 8 Tualatin (1-0) at No. 9 Oregon City (1-0): Tualatin produced one of the biggest surprises of the opening week in the way it handled Southridge 47-7. The Timberwolves rushed for 286 yards, getting 104 from senior Dominique Loggins, and the defense had six sacks and forced four turnovers. This week, Tualatin draws the task of trying to corral Oregon City senior running back Zakhayas Dennis-Lee, who ran for 323 yards and four touchdowns and returned a kickoff 91 yards for a score in a 64-41 win over Grants Pass.
Beaverton (1-0) at No. 10 Liberty (1-0): Liberty started in impressive fashion by going on the road for a 35-28 win over Sprague. The Falcons now face former Metro League foe Beaverton, a team they defeated 41-12 last year. The Beavers opened with a 37-7 win at Summit as Carson Budke passed for 307 yards and four touchdowns, two to Ethan Wilborn.
Bend (1-0) at West Salem (0-1): The Lava Bears and Titans meet in a game that could have big implications on the 6A Mountain Valley Conference title. Bend looks like a threat after brushing aside Barlow 55-21 in its 6A opener as Kyle Reed and Payton Davis each ran for two touchdowns and Cooper Simmonds passed for two scores. West Salem stumbled to a 48-21 loss at Lake Oswego as turnovers buried the Titans in a 41-7 hole at halftime. Bend can’t lose sight of speedy Oregon State-bound Anthony Gould, who had seven catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns last week.
Mountain View (1-0) at Sandy (1-0): Two teams that are making the jump from 5A try to build on the momentum of season-opening wins. Sandy stunned Sherwood 24-7, holding the Bowmen’s wing-T offense to 223 yards, and now will try to slow down a Mountain View offense that has senior running back Jonas Larson, who rushed for 210 yards and five touchdowns as the Cougars defeated Roseburg 46-6.
No. 5 Crescent Valley (1-0) at No. 7 West Albany (1-0): Both teams are coming off shutout wins in Week 1. West Albany, playing its first game in the 5A Mid-Willamette Conference since it won the state title in 2013, blanked McKay 24-0 as Kyle Hutson had 2.5 tackles for loss. Crescent Valley won 34-0 over visiting North Salem as Omar Speights rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns.
No. 4 Marshfield (0-1) at No. 6 Gladstone (1-0): Marshfield, which fell from No. 1 in the 4A coaches poll to No. 4 after losing at home to rival North Bend 23-21, looks to get on track against the Gladiators. The Pirates committed 16 penalties for 124 yards in the loss, including two that kept alive North Bend’s game-winning drive. Gladstone defeated Banks 35-28 after Mason Scheehean broke loose for a 50-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-four with 1:11 remaining.
No. 5 Seaside (1-0) at No. 3 Marist Catholic (1-0): Two of the top teams in 4A meet in a nonleague game. Seaside avenged last year’s playoff loss to Henley by dominating the Hornets 55-13 in its opener as Alexander Teubner rushed for 221 yards and six touchdowns and had an interception on defense. Marist Catholic, playing in 4A for the first time since winning the 2009 state title, beat Sweet Home 28-12 behind Hayden Loboy’s two rushing touchdowns.
No. 6 Neah-Kah-Nie (1-0) at No. 6 Amity (1-0): Class 2A Neah-Kah-Nie – which went 7-2 last year, its first winning season since 2009 – built on its high hopes last week by rolling over Reedsport 56-12. The Pirates have a more difficult task against 3A Amity, which overwhelmed St. Mary’s 51-7 in its opener as Jonathan Mather rushed for 109 yards and three touchdowns.
