Sunset's Callum Craig has thrown 19 touchdown passes this season. (Photo by Norm Maves Jr.)

Damien Merrick knows the feeling all too well.

As an assistant football coach at Beaverton and head coach at Sunset, he said, he has gone into games against Jesuit fully aware that his team would be physically overmatched.

This season, though, Merrick’s Sunset team is as stout as ever up front. So when the Apollos (5-2, 3-0) play host to No. 3 Jesuit (6-1, 4-0) on Friday with first place in the Metro League at stake, he doesn’t expect the Crusaders to toy with them in the trenches.

“I don’t think that will be the case,” Merrick said. “I think our kids will be able to hold their own. It’s just a matter of whether we can play sound, assignment football. Against Jesuit, if you get one guy in the wrong gap, they’re going to take advantage of it.”

Sunset was in a similar situation last year when it took a 5-0 league record into a Week 8 game at Jesuit. The Apollos made a strong showing, even taking a 21-20 lead late in the third quarter, but fell 35-21.

“I think it gave our kids a lot of confidence,” Merrick said. “They just made more plays than we did in the last quarter-and-a-half. We have enough kids that played significant time in that game. They just have to be ready to match them play for play.”

To have a chance at ending Jesuit’s 39-game league winning streak, however, Sunset must slow down a Jesuit rushing attack that is averaging 301 yards per game and seems to be getting stronger every game. Last week, the Crusaders rushed for 377 yards in a 62-21 win over Southridge, their fifth consecutive victory since losing to No. 2 Lake Oswego 20-14.

Sunset’s defense also seems to be getting better, though. The Apollos believe their defensive front – led by senior Hunter Newcomb (6-2, 279) and junior Ika Ngauamo (5-11, 282) – has enough beef to slow down the Crusaders.

“It’s one of those things, bend but don’t break,” Merrick said. “By no stretch of the imagination do we feel that we’re going to shut them down entirely. They’re too good at what they do.”

Sunset’s defense has stood out in the team’s three-game winning streak. The Apollos beat Sandy 42-17 and Aloha 35-12 before holding down explosive Beaverton 54-21 last week.

“Our defense is definitely playing with a lot of confidence in the last couple weeks,” Merrick said. “We knew our front kids were going to be a strength going into the season.”

Jesuit coach Ken Potter lauded Sunset’s defense.

“Defensively they really bring it,” Potter said. “Their defensive line is big and active. They are always very well coached and disciplined on defense. I feel this is a strength of theirs. I do not see a weakness.”

The Apollos are counting on their offense to keep up with Jesuit. Junior quarterback Callum Craig has thrown for 1,627 yards and 19 touchdowns, including 297 yards and four scores against Beaverton. Junior Nate Archibald is the leading receiver with 26 catches for 399 yards and six touchdowns.

“I have been impressed with their QB,” Potter said. “He looks in control of the offense and has a very good and accurate arm. He is the main cog on offense, oftentimes extending plays with his legs and making big plays while scrambling.”

Craig has thrown 10 interceptions but only one in the last three games. In losses to No. 6 Tigard and No. 7 Tualatin, his interceptions proved costly.

“Turnovers were definitely our Achilles heel in those two losses,” Merrick said. “We knew it was going to be a work in progress offensively. I think we’re finally starting to figure some things out and play a little cleaner.”

Jesuit senior quarterback Will Spitznagel, a third-year starter, has been efficient. He has passed for 925 yards and 12 touchdowns with two interceptions and run for seven scores.

“He’s kind of that typical Jesuit guy,” Merrick said. “You don’t really think about it just because of what they do on offense, and then you turn on the film, and you realize that he’s pretty scary. He’s not going to do anything to kill them. He’s going to make you beat them.”

Junior Ted Atkinson leads Jesuit in rushing with 622 yards and six touchdowns. He ran for 176 yards last week against Southridge.

A look at other top games in Week 8:

No. 9 Central Catholic (4-3, 2-0 6A Mt. Hood Conference Division B) vs. Barlow (5-2, 2-0) at Gresham High School: The winner is the top seed in Division B and faces Clackamas next week for the Mt. Hood title. Barlow, which has won five in a row since opening with losses to Bend and Tigard, will find out just how much it has improved against the Rams, who beat the Bruins 41-21 last year.

Sherwood (3-4, 2-0 6A Pacific Conference) at Liberty (5-2, 2-0): Sherwood figured to be the favorite when it left the powerful Three Rivers League to join the reborn Pacific, but the Bowmen have been down so far and Liberty has been a mild surprise. The winner will be in the driver’s seat for the conference title. Sherwood’s Ian Stormont has rushed for 308 yards in the last two games.

No. 2 Lake Oswego (6-1, 3-0 6A Three Rivers League) at No. 7 Tualatin (6-1, 1-1): Tualatin suffered its first loss of the season last week, 45-20 to No. 5 West Linn, committing five turnovers and giving up 588 yards in that loss. The Timberwolves get a chance to bound back against the Lakers, who beat them 34-27 last year on a touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter.

No. 6 Tigard (6-1, 2-1 6A Three Rivers) at No. 5 West Linn (5-2, 2-1): West Linn is looking to use last week’s win over previously unbeaten Tualatin as a springboard for the stretch drive, and the Lions will need that momentum against a Tigard team coming off its first loss of the season, 48-38 to Lakeridge. In the OSAA power rankings, West Linn is No. 5 and Tigard No. 7, so a win is critical for home-field advantage beyond the first round of the playoffs for both teams.

No. 7 Crater (5-2, 4-0 5A Special District 2 Division B) at No. 3 Churchill (6-1, 4-0): The top seed in Division B, and a spot in next week’s district title game, is on the line. Churchill survived 28-22 against South Eugene last week thanks to a big game from Marshaun Tucker Jr., who caught two touchdown passes and stopped a South Eugene drive with an interception at the goal line. Crater scored a season high in beating Eagle Point 65-20 last week.

Ridgeview (4-3, 4-0 5A Special District 2 Division A) at No. 6 Thurston (5-2, 4-0): The winner gets the No. 1 seed in Division A and gets to play either Crater or Churchill in the district championship game next week. Ridgeview has bounced back from an 0-3 start with four consecutive wins, showing resiliency last week by rallying from a 21-7 halftime deficit to defeat North Bend 39-34. Thurston’s Wes Kommer has rushed for 598 yards and eight touchdowns in the last three games.

No. 3 Marshfield (6-1, 3-0 4A Special District 4) at No. 6 Marist Catholic (4-3, 3-0): The Pirates and Spartans have clinched the district’s two automatic berths to the state playoffs, but the district title hangs in the balance in the regular-season finale. Marshfield has won six in a row since losing to 5A North Bend 23-21 in its opener. Marist Catholic sophomore running back Lucas Patterson has rushed for more than 150 yards in two of the last three games.

No. 8 Sweet Home (5-2, 4-0 4A Special District 3) at No. 10 Newport (6-1, 3-1): Newport’s perfect season ended with a 24-7 loss to Cascade last week after the Cubs had won their previous three games by a total of eight points. Sweet Home can clinch the district title outright with a win, but a loss could put the Huskies in a three-way tie for first place with Newport and Cascade.

No. 1 Santiam (6-0, 4-0 Special District 2) at No. 4 Sheridan (5-1, 4-0): The Wolverines and Spartans face off for the district title. Sheridan junior running back Josh Rogers has been cutting through defenses during the team’s five-game winning streak – rushing for 156 yards on three carries last week – but hasn’t faced a defense like Santiam, which has yielded 36 points this season, the fewest of any 11-man team in the state. Last year, Santiam was the 2A runner-up and Sheridan was in 3A.