For all the success Lake Oswego football had in its first three decades under coach Steve Coury, in recent years, the program's vital signs were a bit alarming.
The Lakers still had winning seasons, even making the 6A quarterfinals in 2021 and 2022, but their usual depth was missing, and with the youth numbers severely dwindling, Coury sensed dire times ahead.
“I remember saying, 'We're going to have to go 5A,'” Coury said. “It got to the point where if we kept with those numbers, it wasn't going to be fair to the kids.”
But as top-seeded Lake Oswego (11-0) prepares to play No. 2 West Linn (10-1) in the 6A Open final at 12:30 p.m. Friday at Hillsboro Stadium, the program is looking as healthy as ever.
Turnout, which had dropped to below 80 at one point, has rebounded to near 120 this season. And the youth program, after seeing its numbers sink from more than 300 to around 80, is back to being robust.
Lake Oswego not only has avoided falling off the cliff that Coury warned about, but the Lakers – who have appeared in seven state championship games during the coach's 33-year tenure, winning two (2011, 2018) – once again are title contenders, one year after finishing in fourth place in the Three Rivers League.
“It feels back to that,” Coury said. “Thank goodness we were able to get it squared back away, and kids came out.”
So how did they do it?
“The concussion thing became less of a topic,” Coury said. “And equipment-wise, we got all new helmets. Then the youth group did a great job of promoting the program with the elementary schools. So our numbers started to creep back up.”
Lake Oswego won its first outright league title since 2018 this season. To achieve that, the Lakers won at West Linn 21-17 on Oct. 18, ending a four-year losing streak to the Lions in which they were outscored by 34.0 points per game.
Now, to win its first title in six years, Lake Oswego will have to beat the Lions again. Coury knows that taking down coach Jon Eagle's team will be a monumental chore.
“We caught them at a good time,” Coury said of the win over West Linn. “After the game, I said to Jon and other people in my circles that we probably woke them up. They're really good. I think we were fortunate.”
Eagle, who guided the Lions to the 2022 state title in his first season with the team, said the Lakers “did us a favor” by beating them. West Linn has won four in a row since that defeat.
“They kind of exposed us for some things that maybe we thought we were good at, that we're not good at,” Eagle said. “They really forced us to get better. I think you need to be humbled.”
In that game, Lake Oswego came back from a 17-7 deficit in the fourth quarter. Lakers junior LaMarcus Bell rushed for 197 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries, pounding the Lions into submission in the fourth quarter.
“They try to rest him so he's strong in the fourth quarter,” Eagle said. “That's been their MO, and they worked that to perfection against us.”
Bell has been outstanding in the playoffs, running for 456 yards and seven touchdowns in two games. For the season, he has rushed for 1,637 yards and 26 scores.
“They're going to have plans to stop us running the ball,” Coury said. “That's what teams are going to do against us. I'd do the same thing.”
Lake Oswego has controlled the line of scrimmage all season with senior center Noah Uecker, senior guards Amin Alshaati and Jagar Shean, senior tackle Jaden Moore and junior tackle Jackson Graetz. On Friday, sophomore Dylan Marquez is likely to play for Graetz, who suffered an ankle injury in the semifinals.
“The guys in front of Bell are pretty good,” Eagle said. “They execute what they do. I appears that they say, 'If we're going to win games, we're going to do a few things very, very well.' They don't make many mistakes.”
The Lakers also have shown that they can attack through the air with junior quarterback Hudson Kurland, who has passed for 1,413 yards and 11 touchdowns.
West Linn senior quarterback Baird Gilroy has thrown for 2,457 yards and 33 touchdowns. He struggled in the first meeting against the Lakers, though, completing 14 of 32 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions.
“I remember throwing it to them three times,” Eagle said. “We're going to try not to do that this time.”
West Linn junior Viggo Anderson has rushed for 1,304 yards and 13 touchdowns. Senior Danny Wideman has caught 75 passes for 1,144 yards and 15 touchdowns, including two against Lake Oswego.
“He's an impact player,” Eagle said of Wideman. “Not many kids can take a game over. Danny's one of those guys that can make a big play when it's needed.”
For West Linn, the season feels much like 2022. Two years ago, the Lions lost to Sheldon at home by four points and beat the Irish in the state final. This year, they lost to Lake Oswego at home by four points and now get to play the Lakers in the final.
“There are some similarities, for sure,” Eagle said.
The game will be the first time that teams from the same league meet in the big-school championship game since 2006, when Jesuit defeated Southridge in an all-Metro League final. It will add another layer to the rivalry between schools that are separated by eight miles.
“There's a lot of intermixing between towns,” Coury said. “Their program is one of the best. We're chasing them, for sure. Everybody is. It's great to play the best. We're definitely a rivalry because of that.”
A look at the other finals matchups:
6A Championship – Saturday, 5 p.m., Spiegelberg Stadium, Medford
No. 14 North Medford (8-4) vs. No. 13 South Medford (8-4): The first postseason meeting between the crosstown rivals, a series that North Medford leads 20-19. In their annual Black & Blue Bowl game Nov. 1, South Medford led 26-7 in the third quarter and won 33-30. The Panthers were runners-up of the secondary bracket last year, when it was called the Columbia Cup. They have a strong running game that features seniors Bridger Foss (116 yards in quarterfinals) and Kameron Rague and junior Kellen Lefebvre (154 yards in semifinals). North Medford's offense is led by junior QB Traeger Healy (2,214 passing yards, 22 touchdowns) and senior RB Cameron Nix, who has rushed for 1,013 yards and 15 touchdowns, including four scores in a semifinal win over Jesuit.
5A – Friday, 4:30 p.m., Hillsboro Stadium
No. 5 Wilsonville (10-2) vs. No. 2 Mountain View (12-0): A rematch of last year's final, won by Wilsonville 29-23. The Wildcats trailed 23-14 early in the fourth quarter but pulled it out on two touchdown catches by Nick Crowley, now a senior. It is the third consecutive final for Wilsonville, which lost to Summit in 2022. Mountain View won its only title in 2011. Wilsonville senior Mark Wiepert, an Oregon State baseball commit, moved from WR to QB this season and has passed for 3,536 yards and 48 touchdowns. His favorite target is Crowley (75 catches, 1,381 yards, 24 touchdowns). Mountain View is back despite replacing starters at 18 positions. Senior QB Mason Chambers has excelled as a first-year starter, throwing for 3,101 yards and 40 touchdowns. Washington State-bound senior WR Jack Foley (6-4) – ejected in the semifinals -- has 55 catches for 1,128 yards and 17 touchdowns. Junior Angel Valenzuela rushed for a season-high 237 yards last week, giving him 1,376 yards and 20 scores for the season.
4A – Saturday, 1 p.m., Spiegelberg Stadium, Medford
No. 3 Henley (11-1) vs. No. 1 Marist Catholic (11-1): Henley defeated the Spartans 42-28 in last year's final, winning its first title in 41 years, and won at Marist Catholic 19-16 on Sept. 13. The Hornets scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:50 left on a 43-yard touchdown pass from junior Joe Janney to junior Conner Shively, and the Spartans missed 32-yard field goal attempt on the final play. Janney has accounted for 44 touchdowns this season, but did not play in the semifinals due to a sore knee. Senior Mark Carpenter filled in for Janney and ran for 100 yards, leading Henley back from a 14-0 deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Cascade 21-14 in overtime. Marist Catholic is 0-4 in the finals since winning titles in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009. Senior QB Nick Hudson has passed for 3,349 yards and 37 touchdowns, 17 to senior WR Aaron Bidwell (71 catches, 1,184 yards). Sophomore RB Conner Harvey has rushed for 1,054 yards and 23 scores. Senior DL Jackson Skinner has 9.5 sacks.
3A – Saturday, 1 p.m., Summit HS, Bend
No. 11 Burns (10-2) vs. No. 4 Vale (12-0): The teams met in a Special District 6 game Oct. 4 at Vale, with the Vikings prevailing 18-12 in overtime on a 25-yard touchdown run by senior RB Kase Schaffeld. The 6-0, 195-pound Schaffeld has rushed for 2,073 yards and 30 touchdowns, including 176 yards and two scores in a semifinal win over North Valley. Vale, which lost in the quarterfinals to Cascade Christian last year, has won a state-record 12 championships, the last one in 2015. Burns has reached the final for the first time since 2014, when it won its only title. The Hilanders have a dominant defense, allowing 9.3 points per game. The group is led by senior LB Easton Kemper and junior DL Joe Weil, who have 27.5 and 17.5 tackles for loss, respectively. Junior QB Jack Wright has thrown 26 touchdown passes.
2A – Saturday, 1 p.m., Cottage Grove HS
No. 5 St. Paul (12-0) vs. No. 2 Oakland (12-0): St. Paul, which moved up from 1A-8 this season, takes on the Oakers, semifinalists last year. St. Paul advanced with an 18-12 semifinal win over No. 1 Heppner, rallying from a 12-6 deficit in the fourth quarter. The Buckaroos' running game features seniors Clay Smith (1,362 yards, 21 touchdowns) and Diego Medina (898 yards, 15 touchdowns). Smith also excels at LB (8.5 tackles for loss). Oakland senior Gabe Williamson rushed for 287 yards and three touchdowns in a semifinal win over Gervais, giving him 1,739 yards and 29 touchdowns this season. He also has 19 tackles for loss at LB. Senior TE/LB Corbin Hoover has eight touchdown catches and 21 tackles for loss. St. Paul is 6-10 in state championship games, losing its last four since winning back-to-back 1A-8 titles in 2009 and 2010. Oakland is 3-0 in the finals, with wins in 1964, 2012 and 2022.
1A-8 – Saturday, 4:30 p.m., Summit HS, Bend
No. 3 North Douglas (11-0) vs. No. 1 Adrian (11-0): North Douglas has a dynamic weapon in junior RB Hunter Vaughn, who has set 1A-8 records in all-purpose yards (3,893) and rushing touchdowns (45). He is No. 3 on single-season lists for rushing yards (2,654) and total touchdowns (60), nearing the records of 2,943 yards (Ryan Pierson, St. Paul, 2009) and 64 touchdowns (Tyler Harshfield, Wallowa, 2009). North Douglas appeared in its only final in 1952, when the school was known as Drain and finished as the B runner-up. Adrian is 3-0 in the finals, finishing unbeaten seasons in 2014, 2019 and 2021. Antelopes senior Colten Bayes has rushed for 1,068 yards and 13 touchdowns, caught four scoring passes and collected 10 interceptions, returning five for touchdowns. Adrian beat Crane 34-26 in the semifinals, getting the winning touchdown with eight seconds left on a 16-yard pass from sophomore Trey Bayes to junior Brooks Martin.
1A-6 – Saturday, 2 p.m., Caldera HS, Bend
No. 2 Harper Charter (10-0) vs. No. 1 Powers (11-0): In setting a school record for wins, Harper Charter has made the final for the first time in the history of the program, which started in 1965. The Hornets have won all of their games by at least 33 points, holding foes to 7.5 points per game. Junior Cope Christensen has scored 42 touchdowns, rushing for 181 yards and five scores in the semifinals, and sophomore Maddox Martinez has scored 24 touchdowns. Sophomore Richard Joyce has passed for 24 scores on only 54 attempts all season. Powers, which had a three-peat from 1996 to 1998, will make its first finals appearance since taking second in 2003. Senior Braden Bushnell has passed for 33 touchdowns, 22 going to senior Patrick Mahmoud, who also has seven interceptions. Senior Rene Sears has rushed for 1,081 yards and 20 touchdowns.
jerryu@osaa.org
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