Sprague football coach AJ Robinson wasn't sure how much mental energy his team would have Friday after last week's emotionally draining win at rival West Salem, a game that had three stoppages and didn't end until nearly midnight.
The Olympians responded in a big way, cruising to a 36-12 home win over co-No. 9 North Medford in a 6A nonleague game.
“Going to West Salem was a big mental battle for us,” Robinson said. “Our kids got up for that game. We were curious how we would respond. Our kids came out with great energy and enthusiasm, and looked like they had a great time doing it.”
Sprague, which finished 2-7 in Robinson's first season as coach last year, is 3-0 for the first time since the COVID-shortened season in the spring of 2021. The win over the Black Tornado underscored the team's improvement.
“We're ahead in a lot of ways of a team normally at this point in the season,” Robinson said. “We were able to do a lot because of offseason commitment.”
The Olympians are getting big production from senior running back Kenya Johnson (6-1, 200) and senior quarterback Dukatti Witherspoon (6-4, 210). In Friday's win, Johnson rushed for 210 yards and three touchdowns and had three catches for 41 yards and one score. Witherspoon completed 19 of 27 passes for 144 yards and one touchdown.
Johnson, who had 1,047 rushing yards as a junior, has rushed for 614 yards and eight touchdowns in three games.
“He's a tenacious person,” Robinson said of Johnson. “He plays really hard. He plays with a physicality. He's a tough football player. You could put him at any position and he would excel.”
That includes linebacker, where Johnson is wreaking havoc this season.
“He's playing more defense this year,” Robinson said. “That might be where he projects at the next level. He's a big-time player, and I think he has a college future. I wouldn't be surprised to see him at the highest levels of college football.”
Witherspoon, a starter on the basketball team, has made big strides this season. He has passed for 804 yards and six touchdowns and shown an improved ability to run.
“He's a pocket passer at heart,” Robinson said. “But this year he has come back a much better athlete. He's faster and more mobile. He's making more plays with his feet and his legs. He has a lot of arm talent, and we have a pretty good receiving corps that can do stuff after the catch.”
Bend is back
Following a run to the 5A semifinals in 2022, graduation devastated Bend last season, when the Lava Bears started juniors at 18 positions and finished 4-5, missing the playoffs.
But the pendulum appears to have swung back this season for fifth-ranked Bend, which improved to 3-0 on Thursday with a 27-14 home win over No. 8 Canby. The victory comes a week after the Lava Bears defeated No. 6 West Albany 23-14.
“We went through a lot of grief last year as a young team,” coach Kevin Cooper said. “We're just really happy the boys stuck with it throughout the growing pains. It's paying off now.”
Bend has developed depth, which came in handy against Canby. A handful of injuries forced the Lava Bears to start eight juniors, but they proved up to the task.
“We have really good back-to-back classes,” Cooper said. “It's a mature group that believes in what we're trying to do. It's a lot of fun to coach right now.”
Senior running back Uriel Valdez, the team's leading rusher last season, was lost for the season early against West Albany when he suffered torn tendons in his ankle. Senior running back Gus Karpstein, who excelled rushing and receiving against West Albany, also missed Thursday's game with a sprained knee, but is expected back soon.
So Bend turned to 6-2, 200-pound sophomore running back Lewis Knapp, who ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. Cooper compares Knapp to former Bend star Matt Sieverson, who rushed for 2,726 yards in 2003 and played at Oregon State.
Canby scored late in the first half to tie 14-14, but the Lava Bears got two touchdowns in the second half to win. Cooper said much had to do with the offensive line of seniors Mason Procknow, Noah Calhoun, Logan Hartman and Gabe Hughes and junior Miles Borshell.
“They took their lumps last year and just believed,” Cooper said.
The way the Lava Bears are coming together, Cooper said he sees “a lot of similarities” to the 2022 team.
“They're just heady,” he said. “Might not be the quickest kids in the world, but because of instinct and film study and knowledge of the game, they're usually two steps ahead.”
Falling in Line
Willamette continues to make progress in its first season under Josh Line, the former Sheldon and Marshfield coach.
One week after ending a 12-game losing streak with a 28-0 win over North Eugene, the Wolverines showed their resolve in holding off visiting Corvallis 31-27 on Friday.
Junior Maveryck Akers, a transfer from Roseburg, rushed for 217 yards and three touchdowns to lead Willamette, which improved to 2-0 for the first time since 2011.
"We knew it was going to be a dog fight," Akers told the Register-Guard. "So, Coach Line came in there and got us hyped and told us, 'Keep fighting. It's going to be a war out there.'"
The Wolverines took a 7-0 lead when senior quarterback Tre People, a transfer from California, connected with Brody Robinson, a transfer from Roseburg, for a 31-yard touchdown pass on fourth down. People and Robinson are quickly developing chemistry.
"We've had to put in a lot of extra work," Robinson told the Register-Guard. "I had to come here with more confidence than anybody else. So it's us having that confidence together or getting those extra throws in after practice. Getting extra throws in on days we don't have practice. Our connection is there."
Corvallis took a 17-14 lead in the third quarter, but Willamette took the lead for good on a four-yard touchdown run by Akers, who set it up with a 33-yard run. Akers added a 28-yard scoring run to make it 24-14 late in the third quarter.
The Spartans drew within 24-21, but once again the Wolverines countered behind Akers. He ran for 27 yards to the 2-yard line, then scored on the next play for a 31-21 lead. Corvallis scored in the final minute to make it 31-27.
Things are looking up for Willamette, a 6A school that is playing down in 5A. Akers and Robinson were all-league players at Roseburg. People has offers from Michigan State, Louisville and Maryland. And the Wolverines also added one of the nation's top defensive line recruits in junior Tony Cumberland, a transfer from Arizona who has committed to Oregon.
Cascade settles score
No. 4 Cascade got payback for last year's quarterfinal loss with a 36-0 win at No. 2 Scappoose in a 4A showdown Friday.
The Cougars led 29-0 at half and opened the second half with an 18-play, 10-minute touchdown drive to open a 36-0 advantage, signaling the running clock. It helped erase the memory of last year's playoff game, when Cascade led 19-3 but lost 24-19.
Scappoose standout senior quarterback Max Nowlin, who threw for 741 yards and seven touchdowns in the first two games for the Indians (2-1), left the game with an ankle injury in the second quarter with Cascade ahead 22-0.
The Cougars (2-0) were able to slow down Scappoose's passing attack with man-to-man coverage. Senior defensive back Hunter Anundi, sophomore defensive back Josiah Hawkins and senior linebacker Carter Condon were excellent in coverage, according to Cascade coach Shane Hedrick. Anundi and sophomore Jay Erickson had interceptions.
“We kind of caught them off-guard a little bit,” Hedrick said. “We did a little bit more man coverage than we had shown. That was something we learned from the Henley-Scappoose semifinal from last year. That's a little bit harder to read. We have some kids that can play man, so that worked out for us.”
Cascade also got a big game up front from junior defensive end Matt Hinkle (6-2, 205), who plays with a mean streak.
“I wish I could bottle that up and sell it,” Hedrick said of Hinkle, who also ran for a score. “He brings it. He's a terror on both sides of the ball. He's just rock solid.”
The Cougars, who drove 99 yards for their first touchdown, pounded the ball all game with workhorse junior running back Bryce Kuenzi. He rushed for 190 yards and four touchdowns on 31 carries, giving him 330 yards and six scores in two games.
“He's one of the top backs I've had in a long time,” Hedrick said. “He's as physical as any kid we've had. He's not that Division I speed kid, but he's a small-college running back, a Linfield kind of guy.”
Hedrick said he told Scappoose coach Sean McNabb after the game that “there's a greatest chance in the world we're going to see each other again in the playoffs.”
Prairie City dominates Joseph
No. 4 Prairie City/Burnt River also avenged a playoff defeat from last year, rolling to a 53-20 win at No. 7 Joseph in a 1A-6 nonleague game. In last year's semifinals, Joseph won 33-19.
Prairie City (3-0), which outscored its first two foes 122-0, has built a strong squad despite graduating eight seniors, seven of them all-league selections.
“Certainly, on paper we were supposed to be less,” coach Nick Thompson said. “But I wouldn't say I'm surprised. A lot of guys worked out all summer and it's paying off. We're playing fast and they're having fun.”
Junior Maison Teel rushed for 294 yards and four touchdowns – three coming from 60, 65 and 66 yards – against Joseph. On defense, he returned an interception for a touchdown and had two tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
Senior JW Haskins caught two touchdown passes from Sawyer Quinton, a junior who is playing football for the first time.
Prairie City forced five turnovers. Junior Kingdon Mitchell-Kirby returned a fumble 37 yards for a touchdown after a strip-sack by Quinton.
With the roster turnover, Prairie City has a different type of team, according to Thompson, who is in his fourth season as coach.
“The previous three years, we relied a lot on size,” he said. “This team is not built that way. We're more athletic. We have a higher amount of skill players than we've had in the past. Just trying to use the whole field.”
The team also has a new weapon in sophomore kicker Filip Bieganski, an exchange student from Poland. Bieganski, a soccer player who can kick with either foot, can kick extra points, which are worth two points in the six-man game.
One for the books
Junior Hunter Vaughn of 1A-8 North Douglas had a first quarter for the ages Friday in an 88-38 home win over Country Christian.
The 6-1, 175-pound Vaughn scored seven touchdowns – four kickoff returns, three runs – and ran for two two-point conversions in the first quarter. His 46 points is an eight-man state record for points in a quarter, surpassing the previous record of 30, held by Imbler's Joe Griffin (2013) and Lowell's Taysian Williamson (2019).
North Douglas led 66-18 after the first quarter, tying the state record for points in a quarter, set by Camas Valley against Cove in 2012.
Vaughn's kickoff return touchdowns came from 80, 80, 80 and 70 yards. He also rushed for 140 yards and three touchdowns (18, 52 and 27 yards) in the quarter, giving him 450 all-purpose yards. He left the game after the first quarter.
North Douglas finished with 426 total yards, 391 rushing.
Other highlights from Week 2:
6A
Jesuit coach Ken Potter picked up win No. 352 – tying him with Dewey Sullivan on top of the state's career wins list – as the Crusaders dispatched Tigard 42-21. Trey Cleeland completed 11 of 20 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions. Dominic Locati rushed for 104 yards on 16 carries and Joe Stimpson had a 78-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. … No. 1 West Linn brushed aside No. 7 Sherwood 35-0 as Viggo Anderson rushed for 149 yards on 19 carries and Baird Gilroy completed 11 of 16 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score. The Lions held the Bowmen to 164 yards. … Kameron Rague had 14 carries for 132 yards and one touchdown and Bridger Foss ran for two scores for South Medford, which defeated North Salem 28-6. … Zan Galton ran for a touchdown and had 22 tackles to help push Lincoln past Reynolds 28-21. Elwood Gorton returned a fumble 70 yards for a score. …
Tualatin dominated South Salem 66-22 as Nolan Keeney passed for 323 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 85 yards. Caden Knipps caught nine passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns and had an interception. Zhaiel Smith returned a fumble 46 yards for a score and Calvin Evans had two sacks and a fumble recovery. … Lakeridge held Barlow to minus-21 total yards in a 55-3 win. Drew Weiler completed 10 of 13 passes for 169 yards and three touchdowns – two to Jayden Tregesser – and ran for a score. Ansu Sanoe rushed for 109 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries for the Pacers, who led 55-0 at half. … Nelson turned back Newberg 39-16 as Corbin Crosslin ran for two touchdowns and Noah Boria caught two scoring passes. … Grants Pass cruised past McNary 49-6. Jordan Rossetta completed 10 of 15 passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns and Treyton Powers ran for two scores. ... LaMarcus Bell rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries for Lake Oswego, which topped 5A power Silverton 42-13.
5A
Crater's Valentin Rodriguez set school records for carries (56) and rushing yards (402) to lift the Comets over Springfield 45-37. The 6-0, 210-pound Rodriguez ran for four touchdowns, including a 10-yarder with 2 ½ minutes left to break a 37-37 tie. … No. 1 Wilsonville drilled Summit 34-7, getting a big game from Mark Wiepert, who completed 16 of 24 passes for 370 yards and four touchdowns. He connected with Nick Crowley for scores of 40 and 75 yards. … Six different rushers scored touchdowns for Dallas, which racked up 315 rushing yards in beating Wells 41-22. Eli Hess had a team-high 67 yards on nine carries. Sean Ward had an interception. … La Salle Prep beat a 6A team for the second week in a row, downing Westview 34-13. Paul Skoro completed 15 of 22 passes for 276 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 81 yards and one score. Mason Mueller had five catches for 133 yards and three touchdowns for the Falcons, who led 27-0 in the third quarter. …Hillsboro scored a touchdown with 14 seconds left to beat Sandy 27-21. ...
Cruz Gray had an interception return for a touchdown for Thurston in its 42-0 win over Eagle Point. … Mountain View handled Mazama 41-14 as Mason Chambers completed 12 of 20 passes for 163 yards and four touchdowns, three to Jordan Best (four catches, 82 yards). Ryder Carpenter (eight carries, 115 yards) and Angel Valenzuela (16 carries, 113 yards) both eclipsed the century mark. … Centennial amassed 525 rushing yards, led by quarterback Aiden Teyema (13 carries, 126 yards), Kenny Schroeder (nine carries, 161 yards) and Jared Schneider (18 carries, 141 yards), to beat Parkrose 59-26. … Nolan Hudgins completed 9 of 11 passes for 139 yards and four touchdowns, two to Jacob Burke, as Forest Grove routed Southridge 37-8. The Vikings led 33-0 at half. … South Albany scored touchdowns on its first six possessions on its way to beating Ridgeview 48-28. Rahim Mohammed ran for two touchdowns. Ridgeview's Adam Millington passed for four scores.
4A
Reigning champion Henley went on the road to beat Marist Catholic 19-16 in a rematch of last year's state championship game. Marist Catholic pulled ahead 16-13 midway through the fourth quarter on a 12-yard run by Connor Harvey, set up by Jackson Chastain's 23-yard interception return. Henley got the winning score with 1:50 remaining when Connor Shively hauled in a 43-yard pass from Joseph Janney. The Spartans' bid to force overtime failed when they missed a 32-yard field goal attempt on the last play of the game. … In his first varsity start, Tillamook sophomore Kevin Hurliman completed all 12 of his passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns as the Cheesemakers dropped La Grande 27-14. Griffyn Boomer had seven catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns. …
Stayton scored three touchdowns off turnovers in its 35-21 win over Estacada. Hudson Hughes passed for 174 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score. Ethan Whieldon caught 11 passes for 102 yards and one touchdown. Hunter Mollerstrom ran for a touchdown and returned an interception for a score. … Gabe Love kicked a 29-yard field goal with six seconds left to give Crook County a 30-27 win over Ashland. The Cowboys led 21-0 with 10 minutes left and survived a furious Ashland rally. In the fourth quarter, Ashland's Jacob Ortega ran for two touchdowns, caught a scoring pass and ran for a two-point conversion that tied the game at 27-27. … Philomath blanked Milwaukie 49-0, opening a 43-0 lead at half. Caleb Russell completed 12 of 14 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns, two to Warwick Bushnell (three catches, 90 yards).
3A
Kaleb Filipi rushed for more than 100 yards and had two touchdowns to lead Sutherlin past Creswell 41-13. … Alex Adams threw two touchdown passes to Kye Fixter for Valley Catholic, which defeated Umatilla 13-6. Reid Randolph rushed for 112 yards on 22 carries for the Valiants, who led 13-0 at half. … Vale held Ontario to 119 yards in a 62-10 victory. Kase Schaffeld rushed for 116 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries, Landon Haberman ran for 106 yards and one score on eight carries and Brooks Allred passed for two touchdowns and ran for another. … Klamath Union got a 25-yard touchdown pass from Reese Johnson to Octavio Ortega and a two-point conversion run by Tildon Coffman with 2:40 left to edge La Pine 27-26. Levi Hicks ran for two touchdowns and caught a scoring pass from Johnson, who completed 20 of 29 passes for 213 yards and two scores. La Pine led 20-0 behind Landyn Philpott, who scored three touchdowns, including an 86-yard kickoff return. …
Willamina thumped Rainier 42-6 behind Jacob Hadley, who rushed for 163 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries. Kai Mueller (fumble return) and Orrin Reid (interception return) scored defensive touchdowns and Hondo Arenas blocked a punt. … Banks won at Seaside 32-14 in a renewal of their old Cowapa League rivalry. Deisel Schoegje rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns and Jarrett Martin caught a scoring pass and returned a punt for a touchdown. Cristian Medina returned an interception for a score. … Cascade Christian's Deryk Farmer completed 18 of 26 passes for 178 yards, ran for three touchdowns and returned a fumble 78 yards for a score as the Challengers defeated Hidden Valley 68-28. Bryson Walker rushed for 115 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries. Hidden Valley's Narin Stone had eight catches for 170 yards and two touchdowns. … Phoenix won its second game in a row after a 33-game losing streak, downing Harrisburg 41-13. Parker Devey ran for two touchdowns and Cody Martin scored rushing and receiving. … Ryder Sawyer passed for four touchdowns and ran for another as Douglas smothered St. Mary's 48-7.
2A
Oakland, which defeated reigning state champion Lowell last week, built on its momentum with a 36-0 win at Weston-McEwen, last year's runner-up. Gabe Williamson rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries and Ryan Fullerton tossed two scoring passes to Andrew McCurdy (three catches, 56 yards). Ezra Chouinard had an interception for the Oakers. … Cole Rahl rushed for 168 yards on 29 carries and caught three passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns for Culver in its 34-14 win over Colton. Houston Wittenberg completed 12 of 19 passes for 195 yards and four touchdowns, also connecting with Jace Silbernagel and Cole Roff for scores. … Glide blitzed Reedsport 58-16, rolling up 519 yards. Jayden Williams ran for three touchdowns and Ty Hellenthal passed for three scores, two to Collin Groth. …
Kade Kinder (102 yards, 10 carries), Hayden McMahon and Alakae Rodriguez each rushed for two touchdowns in Heppner's 42-14 win over Knappa. The Mustangs had 266 rushing yards. … St. Paul opened a 60-6 halftime lead and throttled Regis 74-6. Bryson Britten (12 carries, 105 yards), JJ Hempfling and Diego Medina each rushed for two touchdowns for the Buckaroos, who had 339 rushing yards. Clay Smith returned an interception 30 yards for a score. … Lost River ran past Gold Beach 38-6, owning a 364-94 edge in yards. Kyle Diaz had nine carries for 69 yards and two touchdowns, Kayden Hartman had seven carries for 85 yards and one score and Doug Jenkins had an interception. ... David Logan rushed for 181 yards and three touchdowns and caught four passes for 65 yards and one score to help South Umpqua beat Elmira 42-7.
1A-8
Powder Valley improved to 3-0 with an 8-6 win over 2A Riverside. The host Pirates took a 6-0 lead on a touchdown run in the third quarter, but Powder Valley answered with a 65-yard scoring run by Tucker Martin and a two-point conversion to take the lead. … Riddle beat Prospect/Butte Falls as Tucker Halstead passed and ran for touchdowns. Quentin Brown had 99 receiving yards and one touchdown catch. Stephen Nordyke had two sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. ... Mohawk outscored Yoncalla 68-40 as Brody Robinson rushed for 232 yards and three touchdowns and made 14 tackles. Ewan O'Dea had seven carries for 135 yards and three touchdowns and Aaron Wallace completed 4 of 6 passes for 84 yards and three scores, two to Landon Fields. ...
Gavin Anderson ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries and passed for two scores in Dufur's 58-14 win over Imbler. Scott Graham had eight carries for 125 yards and one touchdown, and Chase Peterson and Nolan Cates returned a punt and kickoff for scores, respectively. Peterson also had a scoring catch. ... Kody Sparks passed for two touchdowns and returned an interception for a score in Crosspoint Christian's 28-18 win over Camas Valley. Chris Kelly rushed for 114 yards on 17 carries. ... Adrian won at Grace (Idaho) 56-26, getting three touchdown runs from Colten Bayes and two scoring runs from Rance Jordan.
1A-6
Preston Fretwell rushed for 85 yards and three touchdowns and returned a kick 73 yards for a score to propel Dayville/Monument/Long Creek past Huntington 52-0. Tyler Thompson had a 39-yards interception return for a touchdown for Dayville, which had three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. ... Spray/Mitchell/Wheeler rushed for 359 yards -- led by Arram Ford (140) and Logan Pine (115) to beat Wallowa 54-19. ... Eddyville Charter quarterback Darian Schultz threw for 260 yards and seven touchdowns, three to Garrett Reed and two apiece to Parker Crowe and Jaiden Russell -- in a 66-22 win over Falls City. Crowe rushed for 140 yards. ... Echo turned back Pine Eagle 41-19. Mack Murdock and Kayden Smith each caught two touchdown passes, Kohlvin Wyse threw for three scores and ran for another and Tyler Campbell rushed for more than 100 yards and threw for a touchdown. ... McKenzie defeated Days Creek 40-34 behind four touchdown runs by Allen Acevedo. Days Creek committed six turnovers. .. Matt Stoddart scored three touchdowns and two two-point conversions as Jordan Valley handled Ione/Arlington 53-6.
jerryu@osaa.org
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