The 3A football bracket presented 11th-seeded Burns with a daunting task.
If the Hilanders were to make a playoff run, they would have to navigate a treacherous path filled with league champions and undefeated teams. And considering that no team seeded lower than 10th had ever won a title since the OSAA began seeding brackets in 2013, history was not on their side.
“We had the harder side of the bracket to work through,” coach Matt Bruck said. “But we were pretty confident.”
When the smoke cleared Saturday, it was Burns holding the blue trophy after beating Special District 6 rival Vale 42-16 at Summit High School in Bend.
Behind their dominant defense, the Hilanders (11-2) defeated four league champions in the playoffs. Three of their opponents were undefeated and one had one loss. Along the way, the team bus covered more than 1,600 miles.
Bruck said the Hilanders had a hunch that their seed was misleading considering they lost 18-12 in overtime at fourth-seeded Vale in a Special District 6 game. Vale entered the playoffs ranked No. 1 in the OSAAtoday 3A coaches poll.
“We knew we had a good team, but we didn't know how good exactly until we played Vale,” Bruck said. “And then we were like, 'This could be a really special team.'”
Burns' first championship since 2014 completed a stunning about-face from last season, when the team finished 4-5. Saturday night, the Hilanders got a police escort when they returned to Burns, where they celebrated at the high school.
The Hilanders allowed 9.8 points per game for the season, holding their four playoff foes to a combined 41 points. Senior Easton Kemper, who switched from linebacker to defensive end in the playoffs, was a force. And the secondary – senior free safety Canon Winn, junior strong safety Jack Wright and junior cornerbacks Preston Hill and Coltin Miller – made play after play.
Bruck, in his third season as coach, received an encouraging word from Burns' most famous alumnus prior to kickoff. Former Hilanders quarterback Kellen Clemens, who played at Oregon and in the NFL, sent Bruck an email.
“It was basically, 'Go get them,'” Bruck said.
Anderson sparks West Linn
Entering preseason camp, West Linn needed a running back to emerge to complement its high-powered passing game.
Junior Viggo Anderson, the brother of former Lions running back Koffi Kouame and a standout lacrosse player, seized the spot in the season opener and never let go, helping lead the team to the 6A Open title.
The 5-8, 160-pound Anderson rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries in the 44-30 championship win over Lake Oswego, raising his season totals to 1,508 yards and 15 scores.
“Game 1, he broke that one 80-yard run, and we're like, 'This is our guy,'” coach Jon Eagle said. “They couldn't tackle him. He's got great burst. What he's so good at is stopping and starting, re-acceleration.
“We'd pitch it to him or throw it to him, and block the guys nearest to the ball, and then he'd just outrun them, make them miss.”
Anderson's play made opponents have to “pick their poison,” according to Eagle.
“A team's got to make a decision about what they want to stop,” Eagle said. “Lake Oswego's got a great run defense, and we put up some good yards against them. Viggo would just burst through there. He doesn't need a whole lot of room to get free.”
Anderson knows how to keep the linemen happy, bringing them donuts to film sessions.
“He's very bright,” Eagle said of Anderson, a math wiz. “He's a kid who finishes my sentences for me.”
Anderson is part of an excellent crop of junior running backs in the state. The group also includes Lake Oswego's LaMarcus Bell, Central Catholic's Tyson Davis, Lakeridge's Ansu Sanoe, Mountainside's Jordan Hicks, West Salem's Koen Campos, Wilsonville's Roman Kealoha, Mountain View's Angel Valenzuela, Glencoe's Daniel Heninger, Cascade's Bryce Kuenzi, Pendleton's Tugg McQuinn and North Douglas' Hunter Vaughn.
Lions to reload
After winning its second state title in three seasons, West Linn will have many positions to fill in 2025. Offensively, the Lions will lose their starting quarterback (Baird Gilroy), top receiver (Danny Wideman), tight end (Baron Naone) and four starting linemen, including Oregon State-bound Jake Normoyle.
But the cupboard is far from bare. Many key contributors are eligible to return, and the unbeaten JV team and one-loss freshman team were loaded with promising reinforcements.
“There's a lot of talented, athletic dudes,” Eagle said.
The quarterback spot is likely to come down to junior Ryan Hemsley, the varsity backup this season, and sophomores Sloan Baker and Carson Smiley, who shared time on JV.
“Those three are going to battle between now and next fall,” Eagle said.
Josiah Molden, Shane Peters and Kenny Ritchie – sophomores who were integral players in the secondary – are slated for roles at receiver. Freshman Jake Hamper, the brother of former Lions star receiver Mark Hamper (now at Idaho), also will be in the mix, according to Eagle.
Molden, a two-year starter at cornerback, could provide an explosive element at receiver. Eagle said West Linn had plays designed for Molden this season, but never used them.
“The way it was going, we just never felt like we needed to do it,” Eagle said.
Wiepert weighs future
Long committed to Oregon State baseball as a catcher, Wilsonville senior Mark Wiepert may be reconsidering his future after quarterbacking the Wildcats to the 5A title this season.
Wiepert, an all-state receiver on Wilsonville's 2023 team, took over for Kallen Gutridge at quarterback this season and was sensational. He passed for 3,805 and 51 touchdowns – totals that rank No. 7 and No. 5 all-time in the state, respectively – and ran for 700 yards and 12 scores.
After accounting for 477 yards and eight touchdowns in the team's 56-35 win over Mountain View in the 5A final, Wiepert was asked if he would consider playing college football.
“Nothing is decided at this moment in time, so I'm just kind of exploring some options,” he said. “But I cannot say enough good things about the Oregon State baseball staff. It would take a really cool opportunity to get me to do anything else.”
Wilsonville coach Adam Guenther said Wiepert has what it takes to excel at the next level.
“Somebody's going to get really lucky,” Guenther said. “If they can give him an opportunity to play, he'll be incredible. We'll see how things unfold in the next few weeks. He can do what he wants to do.”
Hudson makes his mark
Marist Catholic quarterback Nick Hudson made another mark in the state record book with a stellar senior season.
Hudson passed for 3,605 yards, the No. 17 total in state history, one year after he threw for 3,766 yards, which ranks No. 10. His 87 career touchdown passes (47 in 2023, 40 in 2024) put him just outside the all-time top 10, trailing three players at 88.
The 6-3, 185-pound Hudson passed for 256 yards and three touchdowns as the Spartans won the 4A title by dominating 2023 champion Henley 30-6 in a rematch of last year's championship game.
“He has complete command of our offense,” Marist Catholic coach Zach Loboy said. “If all of us coaches were gone, he could run practice. He's got it all down.
“He's got exceptional talent throwing the ball. If you watch his mechanics, they are superlative. His vision of the field is second to none.”
Loboy said that Hudson's football future remains in question. Hudson is scheduled to meet with Southern Oregon University coaches Thursday.
“I've peddled his name to a lot of schools, and he's not getting a very good look, which is super surprising to me,” Loboy said. “I think he's the best quarterback I've seen in a long time.”
jerryu@osaa.org
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