Two years removed from going 0-10 – and forfeiting five games for not having enough players – La Salle Prep has been one of the state's surprise teams this football season.
At 5-1, the No. 10 Falcons are off to their best start since 2011, when they went 14-0 and won the 4A title. They punctuated their improvement Thursday with a 42-0 home win over reigning 4A champion Estacada, their second consecutive shutout and third of the season.
Junior quarterback Paul Skoro ran for three scores and passed for another and junior Mason Mueller ran for a 60-yard touchdown and had two interceptions in the win.
Last year, La Salle Prep lost at Estacada 59-13.
“It really was kind of shell-shocking to our kids,” Falcons coach Dustin Janz said of the defeat. “So we've kind of had this one circled on our calendar for a year, just thinking we needed to get that taste out of our mouth, and feel like we belong on the field and not like we're a JV team against the varsity.
“It was a big step for us to play well, especially against such a quality program.”
When Janz took over as coach in 2021, La Salle Prep had only 10 seniors and juniors on the team. The program had 23 freshmen, though, and many of them saw varsity action during the winless season.
“All those kids are juniors now,” said Janz, the former coach at Reynolds and Oregon City. “That freshman class stuck together, and they're really good players. We saw that they were talented and gifted as freshmen. We just knew that they were young and needed time.”
La Salle Prep opted to drop from 5A to 4A last year and finished 2-7, beating Parkrose and Molalla. This season, the Falcons have shut out St. Helens, Parkrose and Estacada and outscored their opponents 173-63.Their only loss was 29-17 at No. 7 Seaside in Week 2.
They are alone in first place in Special District 2 at 2-0. They can strengthen their grip with a win Friday at Molalla (4-1, 1-1).
Janz said the team has come “light years” from when it sometimes had as few as 10 players at practice.
“It was bad. Kids within our own hallways were talking about our football team,” Janz said. “Nobody wanted to come to the games. It was really hard to get kids to want to play football.”
Janz praised the players for their resilience.
“The fun thing about it is it's all the same kids, they just have grown up and stuck with it,” he said. “They've been determined that they weren't going to be defined by the scoreboard two years ago. They were going to make a new statement about who we are as a program.”
Mueller, who plays receiver and wingback, is a catalyst on offense. He has caught 17 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 374 yards and four scores, averaging 18.7 yards per carry.
Junior Manu Tanzambi has rushed for a team-high six touchdowns. Skoro, a converted receiver, has rushed for 390 yards and five scores and passed for 562 yards. The linebackers – juniors J.J. Kuunifaa and Jacob Thayer and senior Grant Ellison (six sacks) – lead the defense.
Considering the Falcons start seniors at only six positions, the future is bright.
Braves avenge loss
No. 3 Banks got some long-awaited payback Friday by beating No. 4 Kennedy 21-14 to take over first place in 3A Special District 1.
Senior quarterback Kade Long rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries and completed 12 of 22 passes for 202 yards to lead the Braves (6-0, 4-0) past the host Trojans (5-1, 2-1).
Last season, Banks fell to Kennedy 15-7 in the semifinals in a battle of undefeated teams.
“Like I said to them, this is for my boys who graduated last year,” Long said. “I saw how they felt after last year's game and that's what motivated me the hardest. A lot of them were here tonight in the stands and I told them, 'This one's for them.'”
Added senior running back Ashton Crossen: “It's one of the best feelings, but they're going to come back in the playoffs and we'll have to face them again.”
Long scored on runs of 25 yards in the first quarter and 16 yards in the third quarter to give Banks a 14-6 lead. Kennedy pulled even at 14-14 when junior Jaydon Estrada ran for a 13-yard touchdown and caught a two-point conversion pass from senior Elijah Traeger.
Banks junior Max Walker halted a Kennedy drive with an interception in the fourth quarter. Long connected with senior Parker Littlejohn for a 40-yard pass to the one-yard line, setting up a touchdown run by Crossen for a 21-14 lead with 3:27 left.
Crossen, who rushed for 543 yards through five games, was limited to 23 yards on 11 carries by the Trojans. But Long picked up the slack for Banks.
“We knew coming in that Kennedy has a great defense, but we knew we could beat it,” Crossen said. “Kennedy keyed in on me all game. My quarterback and I have been setting this all week knowing they would chase after me, so he kept the ball a lot more this game.”
-- Andre Panse contributed to this report
Lakeridge's Olsen torches Tigard
Ever since Lakeridge senior receiver Joey Olsen burst onto the scene as a freshman, he has been getting plenty of attention from opponents, typically drawing multiple defenders.
So Olsen and the eighth-ranked Pacers were more than a little surprised when No. 10 Tigard played him straight up in a Three Rivers League game Thursday at Lakeridge.
The 6-5, 240-pound Olsen, who has committed to USC, made the Tigers pay. He caught 11 passes for 151 yards -- including touchdowns of 19, 43 and eight yards – as Lakridge (5-1, 1-1) rolled to a 30-9 win.
“It's the first time since Joey's been a freshman that people haven't double-covered him,” Pacers coach Spencer Phillips said. “There hasn't been one time when people haven't cloud-covered him. We were a little bit caught off-guard.”
Through five games, Olsen caught 11 passes for 258 yards and five touchdowns. He nearly matched that production against the Tigers (4-2, 0-2), who suffered their second consecutive loss after a 4-0 start.
Tigard stacked its defense to stop Lakeridge sophomore running back Ansu Sanoe (6-2, 215), who entered the game with 524 rushing yards. The Tigers slowed down Sanoe, holding him to 43 yards on 18 carries, but it came at a price.
“They definitely did a good job defending him,” Phillips said. “But when you take him away, other people are open.”
Lakeridge senior Gabe Motschenbacher completed 15 of 18 passes for 232 yards and four scores. Motschenbacher, the former backup to standout Ryan Oliver, has thrown for 1,333 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.
“Gabe could have started at any other school, and he stuck it out,” Phillips said.
The coach said the Pacers were “ready to play again” after a tough 31-24 loss at No. 3 Tualatin last week. They believe they let the game get away after leading 17-0 at half.
“We dropped two more TDs or it was very close to being 30-0,” Phillips said. “I think it surprised our kids. At halftime, we were like, 'Wait a second, I think we might be pretty good, too.'”
The Pacers played with heavy hearts after learning that former Lakeridge lineman Barrett Bevacqua, a 2021 graduate, died in a plane crash Tuesday. They honored him with a moment of silence before the game.
Dayton tramples Scio
No. 5 Dayton pulled away in the second half to down No. 7 Scio 36-12 on Friday in a showdown between unbeaten teams in 3A Special District 2.
Dayton (6-0, 4-0) rushed for 363 of its 410 yards -- averaging 10.1 yards per carry – against the visiting Loggers (5-1, 3-1). Senior Zach Smith had 20 carries for 184 yards and four touchdowns and senior quarterback Boston Hodges had 10 carries for 157 yards and one score.
“Our line wore their line down,” Smith said. “I think our line is pretty elite. It was a trench battle, wing-T versus wing-T. Our line was the difference in the second half.”
Dayton's defense was up to the challenge against Scio. The Loggers were averaging 48.8 points per game and were coming off a 62-20 win over Taft, their most points since 2017.
Defensive tackle Camilo Medina (5-9, 260) led the Pirates up front, collecting a team-high 13 tackles. Smith had 11 tackles at inside linebacker and senior Morgan Gallagher had nine tackles at defensive end.
“Our defense definitely stepped up from the last few weeks,” Smith said.
Scio had not scored fewer than 38 points all season.
“We made mental mistakes, some blocks here, some blocks there,” Loggers senior lineman Kyle Ennis said. “We just have to clean it up, both sides, on offense and defense. We can beat this team, it was just us. Mental mistakes and all that. We'll be back, though.”
Dayton will play for sole possession of first place Friday when it goes to No. 9 Santiam Christian (5-2, 4-0).
-- Jeremy McDonald contributed to this report
T-Wolves blanked
The injury to junior quarterback Nolan Keeney has thrown a wrench into the offense of 6A No. 3 Tualatin, which managed only 37 total yards in a 37-0 loss at No. 1 West Linn on Thursday. It was the first time the Timberwolves have been shut out since 2012, when they fell to Sprague 10-0 in the 6A playoffs.
Not only do the Timberwolves miss the dual-threat playmaking of Keeney, who suffered a broken collarbone in Week 4 at Jesuit, but replacing him with senior receiver AJ Noland has robbed them of another weapon.
“The thing I keep telling people is that you take an electric athlete like AJ from receiver – and he can stretch the field – you kind of lose a little bit,” Tualatin coach Dominic Ferraro said of Noland, who has committed to Colorado State as a safety. “That's the biggest thing is I'm losing a dude out there.”
Under heavy pressure against West Linn, Noland completed 4 of 16 passes for 50 yards and was sacked five times. He is adjusting to playing quarterback for the first time since junior high.
“Part of it is you're going up against a monster, a machine,” Ferraro said of West Linn. “They're legit. He'll be all right. AJ is one of the leaders of this team, and I know he's the kind of kid that's going to say, 'I'm going to get better.' We'll be all right with him.”
The 6-5, 215-pound Keeney, a transfer from Westview, was coming into his own. Before getting injured against Jesuit, he passed for 138 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 126 yards and two scores in the first half.
“We sort of put it all together in that first half at Jesuit,” Ferraro said. “It was kind of a pick-your-poison.”
Keeney could be back for the playoffs.
“We don't know yet, but we're hoping for it,” Ferraro said.
Ferraro said his team had bigger issues against West Linn, mainly blocking and tackling.
“When you don't do that, you could have the best playbook in the world, it doesn't matter,” Ferraro said. “And West Linn's got some dudes. Are we a 37-0 team against them? I don't think so. I think we're better than we played tonight.”
Timberwolves senior receiver Jayden Fortier said his team was overwhelmed up front by the Lions.
“And their DBs are just as good as their D-line, so they're ready to make plays when it counts,” Fortier said.
The 6-5 Fortier was matched up outside against highly touted West Linn freshman cornerback Josiah Molden. Fortier beat the 6-0 Molden for a 39-yard catch in the first quarter, but Molden locked him up for most of the game.
“He's really the truth. Shout out to him,” Fortier said. “That's my little bro. I love him to death. But he got the best of me today. I hope we meet back in November and I hope the game is a little bit different.”
West Linn got another solid game from junior quarterback Baird Gilroy, who completed 15 of 25 passes for 212 yards and four touchdowns.
Other highlights from Week 6:
6A
Sheldon held South Medford to 190 yards in a 27-0 win. Colby Parosa ran for two touchdowns and Rocco Graziano kicked field goals from 34 and 46 yards. … North Medford beat Roseburg 30-9, pulling away from a 14-9 lead after three quarters. Traeger Healy completed 23 of 34 passes for 255 yards and one touchdown to Jeremiah Robbins, who ran for two scores. Black Tornado star tight end AJ Pugliano left in the second quarter with an apparent leg injury. … Grants Pass freshman Jordan Rossetta threw two touchdown passes to Cole Carnes in a 29-22 win over North Salem. Pete Amotai had two touchdown runs and an interception for the Cavemen, who ended a four-game losing streak. …
South Salem dominated McNary 62-0 as Athan Palmateer completed 14 of 17 passes for 392 yards and five touchdowns. Esteban Mendez (four catches, 167 yards) and Griffin Haider each caught two scoring passes. ... Sherwood posted its fifth consecutive shutout, drilling McMinnville 50-0. ... Grant overcame Franklin 30-29, taking the lead with 18 seconds left on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Braden Baker to Aiden Wood and a two-point conversion run by Camari Owens (152 rushing yards, two touchdowns). Franklin had pulled ahead 29-22 with 47 seconds left on a 23-yard touchdown catch by Ethan Amon. Franklin led 22-7 in the third quarter. … Mountainside edged Sunset 21-6, getting a touchdown run from Jordan Hicks and a touchdown pass from Alex Ingalls to Andrew Ramtel. … Sandy shook off Clackamas 29-7. Cole Rotzien scored two touchdowns and Aaron Menchaca Olivas recorded a safety. …
Lake Oswego went on the road and handed Oregon City its first loss, coming back from a 12-6 deficit in the third quarter to win 20-12. The Lakers took a 13-12 lead on a one-yard run by Zavier Russell. LaMarcus Bell (156 yards, 23 carries) made it 20-12 with a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter. Oregon City's last drive stalled at the Lakers' eight-yard line with 1:35 left. … Forest Grove collected five interceptions -- three by Kyle Fabela -- in defeating Southridge 27-13. Luke Dahl returned an interception for a touchdown and Matthew Nichols passed for two scores to Steve Fowler. Coleton Noah rushed for 122 yards and one score on 20 carries. ... McDaniel beat Cleveland 20-14 in overtime. Tre'Marion Crawford's interception stopped Cleveland in overtime and Brandon Kyle ended the game with a 13-yard touchdown run. Daccarion Martin had an 85-yard interception return for a score for McDaniel. Cleveland's Sean McCormick caught five passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns. …
Trey Cleeland completed 9 of 16 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns, two to Matt Eilers, as Jesuit defeated Westview 38-7. Lonnie Burt rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. … Sonny Burts passed for four touchdowns for Beaverton, which blanked Aloha 37-0. Burts tossed two scoring passes each to Oliver Luebkert and Max Spear, who kicked a 30-yard field goal. … Liberty roughed up Newberg 51-14, getting big defensive efforts from Mitch Mahlum (two forced fumbles, three tackles for loss, one sack), Tanner Steinbach (two interceptions) and Mario Page (two tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, fumble return for touchdown). … Central Catholic defeated Gresham 49-7, holding the Gophers to 156 yards. Quarterback Cru Newman and Killian Sombe each rushed for two touchdowns.
5A
Kallen Gutridge completed 20 of 31 passes for 240 yards and six touchdowns and ran for 97 yards on five carries to propel Wilsonville past Hillsboro 58-20. Lucas Larson and Nick Colyer each had two touchdown catches. … Dallas got big rushing games from Isaiah Mosley (eight carries, 126 yards, two touchdowns) and Zayvian Webster (12 carries, 137 yards, one touchdown) in routing Covallis 40-14. Mosley also had a touchdown pass. … McKay dropped Central 42-15 as Kyrin Fuimaono completed 15 of 19 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns, two to Lukes Dominguez, who had seven catches for 151 yards and also passed for a score. Joel Sanchez rushed for 134 yards on 15 carries and Justice Anthony and Jadyn Garibay had interceptions for McKay. … Canby blitzed Centennial 61-6 as Kellen Oliver threw three touchdown passes and ran for two scores. Tyler Konold rushed for 111 and two touchdowns on seven carries and Taeler Phenning ran for 104 yards and one score on 12 carries. …
Mountain View held off Redmond 21-10, outgaining the Panthers 235-201. Angel Valenzuela had 22 carries for 62 yards and one touchdown and Connor Crum passed for two scores. … Ben Higginson rushed for 170 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries and passed for 155 yards and one score for Crater, which thumped Willamette 42-14. David Rodriguez had three catches for 106 yards and one touchdown. … South Albany pulled out a 20-14 win over West Albany, ending a 17-game losing streak to the Bulldogs. Trailing 14-12, South Albany took the lead on a 16-yard touchdown run by Logan Johnson and a two-point conversion with 1:27 left. Quarterback Gaje Nicholson rushed for 134 yards on 14 carries, including a 75-yard touchdown. West Albany's Lukas Hews completed 14 of 32 passes for 144 yards and one touchdown and ran for a score. … Thurston dominated Eagle Point 47-6 as Noah Blair passed for three touchdowns and ran for another. Ethan Burkhead ran for a touchdown and returned a kickoff for a score. … Springfield downed Churchill 21-8 as Connor Dye rushed for 294 yards and two touchdowns.
4A
Henley thumped Klamath Union 55-8 as Logan Whitlock rushed for three touchdowns and caught a scoring pass. Mark Carpenter notched his sixth interception, returning it for a touchdown, and Luke Bennett had two interceptions for the Hornets. … Thaiden Cannin caught four passes for 93 yards and one score from Jace Otteson in Pendleton's 28-14 win over Crook County. Otteson ran for a touchdown. … Max Nowlin passed for 174 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score for Scappoose, which defeated Seaside 41-0. Eli Harrah had five catches for 99 yards and one touchdown and returned a fumble for a score. …Tillamook beat St. Helens 49-14 as Tanner Hoskins completed 19 of 22 passes for 267 yards and one touchdown, rushed for 81 yards and three scores on 10 carries and went 7 for 7 on extra points. ...
Kristopher Baldwin rushed for 109 yards and three touchdowns in Mazama's 36-19 win over Hidden Valley. … Junction City ran away from Sweet Home 41-7, getting two touchdown runs from Tylen Franks. Cooper Rothenberger passed for a touchdown and ran for a score for the Tigers, who led 34-0 at half. … Cascade ran over Philomath 49-29 with Bryce Kuenzi (22 carries, 171 yards, three touchdowns) and Nolan Abrams (14 carries, 127 yards, two touchdowns). Karsten Sande caught six passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns from Abrams. Philomath's Caleb Russell completed 24 of 38 passes for 219 yards and three touchdowns, two to Rocco De La Rosa. ... Parkrose stopped Gladstone 14-7 as Jelani Scott rushed for 127 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries.
3A
Cascade Christian built a 36-0 halftime lead and defeated Phoenix 49-0. Caleb Scaglione rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns on six carries and Ashton Moody passed for two scores for the Challengers, who held Phoenix to nine total yards and three first downs. … St. Mary's freshman Joel Kiene completed 12 of 24 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns and returned an interception 14 yards for a score to lead his team past Douglas 28-21. Indiana Olson scored touchdowns rushing and receiving. …Sisters outgained Creswell 389-104 in a 41-6 victory. The Outlaws had 326 rushing yards as Justin DeSmet (11 carries, 115 yards) and Ethan Eby (seven carries, 99 yards) each ran for two touchdowns. ... South Umpqua led 47-7 at half and beat Brookings-Harbor 47-19. David Logan rushed for two touchdowns, Elijah Earls passed for two scores and Kacey Benefiel and Tim Ferch returned interceptions for touchdowns. ...
Hayden Taylor staked North Valley to a 21-0 lead with three touchdown runs in a 41-7 victory over Sutherlin. … Dylan Robbins passed for four touchdowns, two to Jose Neri, in Nyssa's 44-18 win over Umatilla. … Quinton Buckland led Elmira past Siuslaw 67-46, running for five touchdowns and passing for a score. Elmira scored 30 points in the fourth quarter after trailing 38-37. ... John Coiner had 25 carries for 219 yards and three touchdowns in Santiam Christian's 41-6 win over Newport. Brendan Fitzpatrick completed 7 of 8 passes for 86 yards and three touchdowns, two to Kellen O'Malley. ... Kaden Sutton showed the way for Yamhill-Carlton as it breezed past Valley Catholic 35-0. Sutton had nine carries for 84 yards and two touchdowns and scored on a catch, a 65-yard fumble return and a fumble recovery in the end zone after a blocked punt. He also forced a fumble. ... Lakeview defeated Coquille 19-0 as Benny Alves threw two touchdown passes to Denver Johnson and Adrian Stubbs ran for a 77-yard score.
2A
Easton Berry led Weston-McEwen past Stanfield 47-16 by passing for 259 yards and three touchdowns, two to Caleb Sprenger. Wyatt Parson returned a fumble for a touchdown for the TigerScots, who led 40-0 at half. … Heppner dominated Riverside 48-8 as Caden George rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries and threw for a score. Hayden McMahon had two rushing touchdowns. Riley Lantis had nine carries for 114 yards for Riverside. … Lowell's JaMar Thurman had 23 carries for 351 yards and four touchdowns to lead his team past Monroe 49-14. Thurman also had an interception. Monroe's Nate Young rushed for 172 yards and two scores on 10 carries. …Willamina's Jacob Hadley had 19 carries for 254 yards and six touchdowns to spark a 48-6 win over Santiam, giving him a state-leading 1,475 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns this season. Landon Risseeuw had a sack, two tackles for loss and a blocked punt. ...
Oakland racked up 520 yards behind Brayden Webb (13 carries, 189 yards, two touchdowns) and James Baimbridge (10 carries, 170 yards, two touchdowns) in beating Glide 46-14. Jacob Chenoweth had an interception-return touchdown. Glide's Paul Kercher rushed for 162 yards and two scores on 17 carries. … North Douglas/Yoncalla turned back Rogue River 62-30 as Jayce Marois rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns on five carries. Hunter Vaughn had seven catches for 104 yards and one touchdown, rushed for 92 yards and returned a punt 60 yards for a score. … Irrigon dispatched Grant Union 44-20 behind Mason Harrison (279 rushing yards, three touchdowns) and Lee Harrison (160 rushing yards). … Ayden Boursaw passed for two touchdowns and had an interception on defense as Clatskanie topped Knappa 41-28. Price Martinez rushed for more than 100 yards and Russell Carver returned an interception for a touchdown.
1A-8
St. Paul smacked Dufur 57-0 as George Pohlschneider threw three touchdown passes, two to Diego Medina, who had three catches for 106 yards and grabbed two interceptions on defense. Clay Smith rushed for 134 yards and one touchdown on seven carries. … James Standley caught three touchdown passes, ran for a score and returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown in Camas Valley's 64-14 win over Crosspoint Christian. Joziah Swift tossed four touchdown passes and Kaden Thompson rushed for two scores and caught a touchdown pass. ...
Myrtle Point took care of Bonanza 50-14 as Logan Backman passed for 237 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 120 yards and three scores. Billy Reynolds rushed for 236 yards and one touchdown and had 121 receiving yards and one scoring catch. Logan Clayburn returned an interception for a touchdown. ... Perrydale stayed unbeaten by bouncing Chiloquin 68-18. Brody Burr completed 5 of 7 passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns, two to Eric Danka, who had 129 receiving yards. Brandon Lux rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns on six carries and Connor Graber had three sacks and an interception.
1A-6
Joseph handed Harper Charter its first defeat, winning 22-19 as Zander Walker threw touchdown passes to Jaxon Grover and Kane Johnson. Grover also ran for a score and had three tackles for loss. ... Alsea held off Mohawk 21-6 as Gavan Hinchberger rushed for 244 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. … Anthony Alimenti passed for five touchdowns – three to Andrew Houx – and had two interceptions on defense for Elkton, which dropped Prospect/Butte Falls 46-14. Tyler Pritchard ran for 106 yards and one touchdown on nine carries and had a receiving score. …
Wyatt Geiger completed 12 of 18 passes for 237 yards and one touchdown, ran for a score, returned a kickoff for a touchdown and had an interception and forced fumble on defense to lead Days Creek past Gilchrist 38-20. Aiden Denson had two rushing touchdowns for Days Creek, which finished with 437 yards. … Kohlvin Wyse threw three touchdown passes to Dom Curiel as Echo handled Dayville/Monument 48-12. ... Prairie City/Burnt River stayed unbeaten by cruising past Spray/Mitchell/Wheeler 55-8. Maison Teel (23 carries, 161 yards) and Tucker Wright each rushed for two touchdowns and caught one scoring pass. Wes Voigt passed for three scores and ran for another. Prairie City allowed only 91 total yards.
jerryu@osaa.org
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