The chemistry that Philomath senior quarterback Caleb Russell developed with his receivers during the summer is leading to eye-popping numbers this football season.
Russell turned in his best performance of the season Friday, completing 18 of 27 passes for 375 yards and a school-record seven touchdowns as the No. 8 Warriors (4-0) remained unbeaten with a 56-0 rout of visiting The Dalles in a 4A nonleague game.
For the season, Russell has completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 1,171 yards and 20 touchdowns with three interceptions.
“They've established a rhythm right now,” Philomath coach Alex Firth said of Russell and the receivers. “They've been playing together forever, and he trusts them. He doesn't lean on one receiver. He spreads the ball around, which is really beneficial for us. We give our receivers quite a bit of freedom in our passing game, and he's really connected with them.”
Russell threw touchdown passes to five different receivers Friday – two each to junior CD Nuno (six catches, 127 yards) and senior Hudson Raab and one apiece to seniors Warwick Bushnell (four catches, 143 yards) and Grant Niemann and junior Rocco De La Rosa.
“I think every single one of them had a touchdown, I mean, I could just pick whoever,” Russell told the Philomath News. “Just give them the ball in space and they’re going to run. … They’re all amazing. I can throw it to any one of them.”
The offensive line, led by senior right guard Brady Russell, has given Caleb Russell plenty of time to find targets down field. Nuno is the team's leading receiver this season with 23 catches for 395 yards and six touchdowns. De La Ross and Bushnell have five and four scoring catches, respectively.
“Props to the other guys … it’s not just the receivers and the quarterback but definitely the offensive linemen and the other receivers blocking for me,” Nuno told the Philomath News. “It’s all for each other.
“We have a great offensive line this year and the receivers — we’re taking care of it — but the quarterback, he’s getting it to us all the time.”
Philomath, which went 5-4 last season and missed the playoffs, is 4-0 for the first time since 2013, when the Warriors won their first 11 games and lost to Ridgeview in the 4A semifinals.
Now Philomath heads into the shark-infested waters of the Oregon West Conference. The Warriors' next three games are against Sweet Home (3-1), No. 5 Stayton (4-0) and No. 1 Cascade (4-0).
“It's good for us to get our legs under us early,” Firth said. “It gets exponentially more difficult now. Our conference is probably the toughest conference in the state.”
Breakout freshman
Crescent Valley quarterback Zeke Thomas continued his breakout freshman season Friday with another stellar performance in Friday's 34-0 home win over South Eugene in a nonleague game.
The 6-0, 170-pound Thomas completed 18 of 23 passes for 312 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. For the season, he has completed 77 of 128 passes for 1,087 yards and 14 touchdowns with one interception for the Raiders (2-2).
“He's way ahead of his time,” Crescent Valley coach Andrew McClave said. “The thing I've been most impressed about is his ability to process information. He's so far ahead of where most freshmen would ever be. He has complete command of the offense. He's living up to his hype.”
Thomas has rare athleticism, but what separates him is his football IQ, according to his coach.
“What's between the ears is phenomenal for this kid,” McClave said. “For a 15-year-old, he's got to be one of the best on the West Coast at that age. There's nothing he can't do. There are no limits.”
Thomas, who served as a ballboy for the Raiders in recent seasons, is the son of Crescent Valley assistant coach Jason Thomas. He created a buzz in youth sports in Corvallis, dominating in football and baseball. His fastball has been clocked at 86 mph.
Jason Thomas played football at Utah State and was the director of football operations at Wisconsin (2014) before moving to Oregon to assist under Gary Andersen at Oregon State (2015-17). Zeke's mother, Dana, was a track athlete at Utah State.
In his high school debut, Zeke passed for 316 yards and four touchdowns in a 44-23 win at North Eugene. The following week, he threw for 294 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-28 loss at Ridgeview.
The Raiders have tailored their version of the Air Raid offense to better fit the skills of Thomas, who also is a running threat. With him at the controls, opponents must defend the entire field.
“He's not limited in any way, shape or form on how far or where he can throw the football,” McClave said. “A lot of people can throw it 60 yards, but not everyone can throw it on target. To me, that's what's unique about him.”
The Raiders also are getting a big season from senior receiver Truman Brasfield. He had five catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns Friday, giving him 35 catches for 532 yards and nine scores for the season.
Panthers 'grow up overnight'
Central, which starts six sophomores on offense, passed its biggest test of the season Friday when it rallied for a 28-24 home win over No. 6 South Albany in a 5A nonleague game between unbeaten teams.
The unranked Panthers (4-0) got a 34-yard touchdown run from junior Kao Phatern with 2:23 remaining to take the lead, and turned away a desperation heave at the end to clinch the win.
Central trailed 14-0 early but didn't buckle against the RedHawks (3-1), who had won the last four meetings between the teams. Panthers coach Joel Everett said the game said a lot about his players, who overcame five turnovers to win.
“They had the grit and determination to stay with it, even when we got down,” Everett said. “It just showed that the kids, even with how young they are, they just have that fight. It's almost like they grew up overnight on that ability to win a close one.”
Everett said his players were hungry to play South Albany.
“We hadn't beaten them in a while. They kind of had our number,” he said. “It's not too often you can have five turnovers and win a football game. Our guys figured out how to do that. It was pretty cool to see.”
Central sophomore quarterback JT Girod completed 11 of 18 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore Ryan Perkins had four catches for 101 yards and one score.
Central took a 21-17 lead late in the third quarter when junior defensive lineman Mason Vela stripped the ball from South Albany senior quarterback Sawyer Hallberg and ran 70 yards for a touchdown. Hallberg countered with a 27-yard touchdown run to put the RedHawks ahead 24-21 with 8:14 remaining.
The Panthers put their unbeaten record on the line when they visit No. 1 Wilsonville (3-1) on Friday in the Special District 2 opener for both teams. The next week, Central is home to play No. 2 Silverton.
“South Albany was the first check-box for us,” Everett said. “We'll see where our boys stack up.”
Culver statement
Culver, ranked No. 7 in 2A, validated its strong start Thursday by coming back in the fourth quarter for a 34-28 road win over co-No. 5 Lost River in a Special District 5 game.
Trailing 28-26 and facing fourth-and-goal at the Lost River two-yard line with 10 seconds left, the Bulldogs got the go-ahead score when senior quarterback Houston Wittenberg threw a touchdown pass to senior tight end Jace Silbernagel.
Culver opted to forgo a field-goal attempt – “We just hadn't practiced it,” coach Brian Silbernagel said – to go for the touchdown.
“Kind of the personality that we are, we're going to go for it,” the coach said. “The play is just part of our offense, but we hadn't run it in a goal-line situation. Thankfully he came open.”
Culver (4-0, 2-0), which finished 3-6 last year, has opened with four wins for the first time since 2019. Reigning 1A-8 champion Lost River, coming off a 32-22 loss to No. 2 St. Paul, fell to 2-2 overall, 0-1 in SD5 in its move back to 2A.
Lost River got four touchdown runs from senior Kayden Hartman to lead 28-14 in the second half, but Culver pulled to within 28-20 on a 62-yard touchdown pass from Wittenberg to senior Roger Sotelo late in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs cut the lead to 28-26 on a one-yard run by senior Carlos Fernandez with about four minutes left, but Fernandez's run was stopped on the ensuring two-point conversion attempt. Culver got the ball back on a fumble recovery and drove 60 yards for the winning touchdown.
Wittenberg completed 19 of 36 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns, three to Sotelo (nine catches, 181 yards). Senior linebacker Cole Rahl had 12 tackles and a forced fumble. Hartman ran for 191 yards and four scores on 30 carries for Lost River.
The play of Wittenberg (6-2, 155) has elevated the Bulldogs, according to Brian Silbernagel.
“I think he's the best 2A quarterback in the state,” he said. “I think he was last year and this year. He's got the arm talent. He can make all the throws on the field. He's a baseball kid. He could probably play football at the next level, but isn't interested in that. He's more interested in baseball.”
The Bulldogs expected to be much improved this year after returning all but two players from last season.
“We were just young last year,” Brian Silbernagel said. “We weren't getting wins last year, but we were playing pretty competitive football. We believe we are a playoff team. We believe firmly that we're a top-10 team.”
Culver hits the road again next week for an SD5 game against co-No. 5 Lowell, last year's 2A champion.
Cavemen on rise
Grants Pass' retooled offense is dramatically improved from last season, as evidenced by the Cavemen's 55-54 home win over South Salem in a 6A Special District 1 shootout Friday.
It is the most points Grants Pass has scored since the COVID-shortened season in the spring of 2021. The Cavemen (3-1, 3-1 SD1), who averaged 11.7 points per game in finishing 2-8 last year, have nearly quadrupled their output to 44.5 points this season.
Grants Pass coach Brad Page, the offensive coordinator, said he took the team's offensive struggles personally last season. In the offseason, he said the staff “revamped everything,” throwing the ball more often to open up running lanes.
“We wanted to get the running backs involved with the passing game,” Page said. “We hadn't done that in years past. We simplified some things. We don't have the size to beat up on teams, so we have to be creative with what we do. The biggest change is we go high-tempo. Our guys are in really good shape, and it's able to wear out some teams.”
Grants Pass lost to South Salem 48-7 in 2022 and 40-6 last year. Despite falling behind 14-0 on Friday, the Cavemen kept their heads and rallied to take a 21-14 lead by the end of the first quarter.
The Saxons turned an interception into a touchdown run to pull ahead 54-48 with four minutes left, but missed the extra-point attempt. Grants Pass answered with a 13-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Jordan Rossetta to senior Isaac Johnson with 44 seconds to go, and senior Parker Roberts added the extra point for a 55-54 lead.
The Cavemen start sophomores at six of 22 positions, including two standouts on offense in Rossetta and running back Treyton Powers. Against South Salem, Rossetta completed 15 of 28 passes for 197 yards and five touchdowns, three to Johnson. Powers rushed for 143 yards and one score on 26 carries.
The 6-5, 215-pound Rossetta started a few varsity games as a freshman. This season he has passed for 780 yards and 14 touchdowns with three interceptions.
“He's 6-5 and he's got a strong arm,” Page said. “He does a great job of going through his progressions and just being a gamer. We went to University of Oregon for some 7-on-7 competitions, and he was the one that they wanted to look at. They took him aside and did some stuff. I think he has the intangibles.”
Powers (5-11, 170) has rushed for 510 yards and four touchdowns and caught three scoring passes through four games.
“If he gets a corner, he's gone,” Page said. “He's just so elusive and able to break tackles, find lanes. He's our most explosive player by far.”
With several sophomores emerging, the Cavemen are trending up.
“Our freshman class is loaded again,” Page said. “It's really exciting right now. The future is bright for us.”
Other highlights from Week 4:
6A
Cameron Nix scored three touchdowns in the second quarter – a 66-yard fumble return and catches of 35 and 26 yards – and recovered two fumbles in the second half to propel North Medford past West Salem 35-0. Traeger Healy had three touchdown passes. … Lakeridge built a 34-0 halftime lead and knocked off 5A No. 1 Wilsonville 34-9. Drew Weiler completed 10 of 17 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns and Ansu Sanoe rushed for 97 yards and two scores on 17 carries. … Lincoln rushed for 371 yards in turning back Franklin 38-27. Liam Eldridge ran for three scores and passed for another. Franklin's Cash Landau caught three touchdown passes. … Newberg rumbled past Sunset 31-14 as Parker Sellner ran for three touchdowns. Chance Macken rushed for 82 yards and returned a fumble 70 yards for a score. … Nolan Keeney passed for 197 yards and three touchdowns, two to Zhaiel Smith, in Tualatin's 64-21 win over Union (Wash.). Cole Hachmeister rushed for 113 yards and one touchdown and Ry'Von Reese ran for two scores. …
Westview fell to Evergreen (Wash.) 47-14 despite another strong game from Heath Thompson, who rushed for 82 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries. … Sprague dominated North Salem 56-7 as Kenya Johnson scored touchdowns rushing and receiving and threw for a score. Dukatti Witherspoon ran for two touchdowns and passed for a score. Brody Alderin had two interceptions. … Jesuit handled Grant 42-6, rushing for 328 of its 386 yards. Dominic Locati had 22 carries for 164 yards and three touchdowns. … Central Catholic's Robbie Long completed 25 of 29 passes for 354 yards and four touchdowns and ran for two scores to lead his team past Clackamas 54-28. Landon Kelsey caught nine passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns and D'Marieon Gates had 10 catches for 129 yards and one score. Tyson Davis had 16 carries for 140 yards and one touchdown. Clackamas' Dylan Brower completed 26 of 50 passes for 303 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions. … Braden Klein ran for a 10-yard touchdown -- his third of the game -- with 10 seconds left, and Rowan Miner added the extra point as Southridge nipped Cleveland 21-20. Zared Carranza set up the winning score with a blocked punt. Caden Larson sealed the win with an interception. ...
Wells turned back Roosevelt 24-15 as Wyatt Andler rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries and Sauvi Coon returned a fumble 56 yards for a score. … Jayden Robinson ran for three touchdowns and Brave Johnson threw for two scores to help Jefferson defeat McDaniel 43-6. … Maliq Smith rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns on four carries and caught two scoring passes as Liberty dominated Beaverton 53-23. … Sandy's Mataio Olomua rushed for 185 yards and four touchdowns on 26 carries in a 28-13 win over Barlow. … Sheldon led 37-0 after one quarter and 65-0 at half in beating McNary 65-7. Kelsen Sperry completed all five of his passes for 151 yards and three touchdowns. Jyce Jones had an 80-yard touchdown catch and returned a kickoff 69 yards for a score. McNary was limited to minus-31 yards in the first half. ... West Linn blasted Skyview of Vancouver 45-0. Baird Gilroy completed 15 of 23 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns, one to Danny Wideman (seven catches, 138 yards).
5A
Thurston had to dig deep to win its 42nd consecutive conference game, downing Roseburg 31-24. The Colts, who trailed 21-17 at half, broke a 24-24 tie with a touchdown run by Cruz Gray. Roseburg's Corby Kimball ran for three touchdowns before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with an injury. … Glencoe handed La Salle Prep its first loss, getting a 43-yard touchdown run from Daniel Heninger with 45 seconds left to win 27-20. Heninger rushed for 255 yards on 41 carries. … Churchill brushed back Crater 34-0 as Ceville Pasi rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, Lucas Gansen threw for two scores and Aidan Pangelinan returned an interception for a touchdown. Crater's Valentin Rodriguez had 46 carries for 216 yards. …Sean Ward rushed for 226 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries for Dallas, which thumped Prairie (Wash.) 64-0. Eli Hess completed 10 of 13 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 62 yards as the Dragons compiled 582 yards. …
Willamette, winless last year, improved to 4-0 by edging Eagle Point 14-7. Maveryck Akers ran for a touchdown and Tre People threw a scoring pass to Tyson Rather for the Wolverines, who led 14-7 at half and held on. Peyton Smith rushed for 150 yards on 25 carries for the Eagles. … North Eugene downed Springfield 27-20. Brody Gilliam threw for two touchdowns, including the game-winner to TaeSean Tarusun. … Redmond drilled St. Helens 53-6, getting two touchdown runs and a scoring catch from Eli Pupo. JJ Browning, Ethan Powell and Jayden Thynes had interceptions. ... Lebanon defeated McMinnville 40-14 behind Brison Edwards, who completed 14 of 24 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 90 yards and one score on 10 carries. Zech Halsey had seven catches for 167 yards and two touchdowns and Ashton Daily had four tackles for loss.
4A
Reigning 4A champion Henley pulled out a 37-36 win over Cascade Christian last year's 3A champion. The Hornets took the lead with 4:47 left when Joe Janney threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Trapper Cundall and Max Tobiasson kicked the extra point. Janney completed 20 of 35 passes for 312 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 106 yards and one score on 17 carries. Mark Carpenter had eight catches for 139 yards and one touchdown. Henley overcame a big effort from Cascade Christian's Deryk Farmer, who ran for 176 yards and four touchdowns on 14 carries and completed 16 of 23 passes for 164 yards and one score. … Bryce Kuenzi showed the way in Cascade's 48-6 win over Baker, rushing for 366 yards and six touchdowns on 14 carries. …
Pendleton routed Estacada 59-28 as Tugg McQuinn rushed for 261 yards and four touchdowns and caught a scoring pass. Colson Primus completed 16 of 20 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns, two to Mason Strong (seven catches, 109 yards). …Molalla picked up its first win after an 0-4 start, going on the road to defeat Astoria 28-25. Astoria rallied from a 21-7 deficit to lead 25-21, but Mason King scored on a one-yard run with 2:59 left to put the Indians ahead. King also had a 12-yard touchdown run and tossed a 37-yard scoring pass to Mason Mead.
3A
Taft won at Dayton 36-22 as Trenton Battle rushed for 86 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries and returned a kickoff 75 yards for a score. Kol Tolan had touchdowns rushing and receiving. … Yamhill-Carlton handed Kennedy its first loss, going on the road to win 12-7. Jack Mitchell threw touchdown passes of 10 yards to Gus Brenner in the first quarter and 60 yards to Josh Webber in the third quarter. The Trojans, playing without standout running back Jaydon Estrada (knee), were shut down after scoring on their opening drive. … Vale blanked Lakeview 34-0 as Kase Schaffeld ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries and caught a scoring pass. … Rainier rallied from a 42-22 deficit to defeat Valley Catholic 45-42 for its first win of the season. Jayden Quivedo had 12 carries for 204 yards and four touchdowns, including the go-ahead 49-yard run in the fourth quarter. Adrian Nguyen rushed for 149 yards and two scores on nine carries. ...
Sutherlin improved to 4-0 by outlasting Klamath Union 49-35. Tucker Mack rushed for 197 yards and three touchdowns and Tauj Flora ran for 112 yards and two scores for Sutherlin, which trailed 28-21 late in the third quarter. Klamath Union's Reese Johnson completed 21 of 31 passes for 385 yards and five touchdowns, two to Tildon Coffman (eight catches, 141 yards). … Coquille dropped Phoenix 42-21 behind Waylon Messerle, who ran for 267 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries. Phoenix's Payton Turner tossed two scoring passes, one to Wyatt Dean (seven catches, 130 yards). … Brookings-Harbor rushed for 362 of its 474 yards in dispatching St. Mary's 34-14. Grady Maylin ran for two touchdowns and passed for another. … Clayton Dewitt rushed for 274 yards and three touchdowns for Cottage Grove, which turned back Pleasant Hill 49-27. ... Hunter Mustin rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns as Creswell topped Elmira 25-22.
2A
Clay Smith rushed for 200 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries to propel St. Paul past Salem Academy 48-12. Diego Medina had two interceptions for the Buckaroos, who rushed for 359 of their 427 yards. … Oakland got four touchdown passes from Ryan Fullerton in routing Toledo 48-12. Corbin Hoover made two scoring catches and Gabe Williamson scored rushing and receiving for the Oakers, who led 40-0 at half. … JaMar Thurman rushed for three touchdowns in Lowell's 42-0 win over Oakridge. Carter Harris ran for a touchdown and had two interceptions on defense. Wyatt McNamee returned a punt 64 yards for a score. … Weston-McEwen subdued Stanfield 33-6 as Easton Berry ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 162 yards and two scores. ... Tyler Senn ran for two touchdowns and caught two scoring passes -- all in the first half -- to lead Bandon past Monroe 61-8. Reggie Turner rushed for 144 yards and passed for two touchdowns for Bandon, which racked up 530 yards. ... Tyler Knapp led Enterprise past Riverside 26-20. He passed for 242 yards and four touchdowns, ran for 134 yards on 22 carries and had two interceptions on defense.
1A-8
North Douglas' Hunter Vaughn added to his massive season in a 90-6 victory at Riddle. He rushed for 186 yards and three touchdowns on five carries and scored twice on defense – a 54-yard fumble return and 40-yard interception return. Jaycen Marois had three carries for 155 yards and three touchdowns and Jayden Montgomery tossed two scoring passes to Wyatt Reed, and had five tackles for loss and a sack on defense. North Douglas scored nine touchdowns on 18 offensive plays. …. Yoncalla stopped Prospect Charter/Butte Falls 22-0 as Jayden Churchwell ran for 118 yards on 12 carries and threw a touchdown pass and Ian Holmes had 16 carries for 100 yards and one score. Prospect Charter had 48 total yards. … Jordan Little caught two touchdown passes from Breyton Golar in Powder Valley's 54-8 win over Elgin. Silas Talbot ran for a touchdown and returned an interception for a score. …
Kelton Shoemaker and Morgan Johnson each ran for two touchdowns for Union, which opened a 50-0 halftime lead and defeated Pilot Rock 66-14. Jackson Davenport scored on an interception return. ... Adrian broke open a close game in the second half with 40 consecutive points to beat Cove 54-12. Colten Bayes returned two interceptions for touchdowns. ... Unbeaten Crosspoint Christian opened a 24-0 lead on Mohawk, fell behind 26-24, then pulled away to win 46-26 after getting a momentum-changing interception return for a touchdown by Clayton Tournage in the third quarter. Kody Sparks passed for three touchdowns, two to Treyton Johnston (six catches, 136 yards), and Chris Kelly rushed for 90 yards and one score on 14 carries. Kelly and Brock Throne each had three tackles for loss.
1A-6
Darian Schultz threw for 190 yards and four touchdowns, two to Parker Crowe, as Eddyville Charter dominated CS Lewis Academy 50-6. Jaiden Russell scored touchdowns rushing, receiving and on a blocked punt. Ashton Fawver rushed for 97 yards and one score. ... Prairie City/Burnt River beat Echo 45-43 as the unbeaten teams clashed in a Special District 1 game. Maison Teel had 18 carries for 150 yards and four touchdowns, including the go-ahead score in the final minute, and had three catches for 84 yards. Teel also excelled on defense with two tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Sawyer Quinton completed 10 of 17 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns and Kingdon Mitchell-Kirby returned a kickoff for a score. Echo's Kohlvyn Wyse passed for 226 yards and four touchdowns, three to Mack Murdock, and Tyler Campbell ran for two scores. …
Powers stayed undefeated by topping McKenzie 68-7. Rene Sears scored touchdowns rushing, receiving and on a fumble return, passed for a score and had an interception on defense. Jayce Shorb rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns on six carries, Braden Bushnell passed for two scores and Patrick Mahmoud returned a punt for a touchdown.. The Cruisers held McKenzie to 55 yards. … Keegan Stufflebeam scored on a two-yard run and ran for the extra point in the final minute to lift Days Creek over Elkton 27-26. Stufflebeam passed for two touchdowns and ran for two scores. Elkton got big games from Devlin Harper (16 carries, 219 yards, one touchdown) and Jordyn Nederwood (13 carries, 143 yards, three touchdowns).
jerryu@osaa.org
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