In the early days of high school boys soccer in Oregon, Beaverton was a powerhouse, winning four state championships from 1977 to 1985.
As the Beavers' dominance waned, Metro League rival Jesuit emerged as the preeminent force, collecting its state-leading 17th championship last year.
But Beaverton has returned to state-contending status under third-year coach Jason Carney. Last year, the Beavers tied Jesuit and won their first Metro title since 1990. This season, they defeated Jesuit for the first time in 15 years and repeated as Metro champions for the first time in school history.
Saturday, third-seeded Beaverton (17-1-1) can punctuate its dramatic rise when it meets No. 5 Grant (16-2-1) in the 6A final at Hillsboro Stadium. The Beavers, in the final for the first time since 2010, can win their first state championship in 40 years.
Carney said that an influx of talent, and a carefully fostered team chemistry that includes team dinners on game nights and special outings to promote bonding, has carried them to this point.
“I know I'm very, very fortunate with the timing of it,” Carney said. “I've got a bunch of kids that seem to have the same values that I have. I'm pretty relentless on culture and behavior. You better be a good teammate if you want to play in this program.”
After losing in the first round for a fourth consecutive postseason in 2023, Carney challenged the Beavers to raise their expectations in 2024.
“I set them the target of winning Metro,” Carney said. “I didn't want to reach for the stars yet. Then we won Metro and I was like, 'These boys are just amazing.' This year we set the target of winning state.”
In the last two seasons, Beaverton has a combined record of 31-2-3. The Beavers are doing it with a defense that has allowed a combined 13 goals over those 36 matches.
Junior center back Cal Spear, the Metro player of the year, leads a back line that includes juniors Luke Unruh and Gavin Rice. Spear has played every minute of every match since he was a freshman.
“He's an incredible athlete,” Carney said. “He's just so tenacious. He's just so competitive, and very, very hard to get past.”
Senior Mason Schinderle, the league's goalkeeper of the year, is the vocal leader of the defense. He sealed the team's semifinal win at No. 2 West Linn by stopping a penalty kick in the shootout.
“We can't score against him in practice. He's a pain,” Carney said. “He's up there with the best I've ever seen. It's hard to get past our midfield and our defense, and then you've got him to get past. It's pretty difficult for teams.”
The Beavers, lacking natural strikers, have patched together a front line by borrowing players from other positions. Senior Gio Ruano-Aguilera, a Metro first-team pick, leads the team with 14 goals and six assists.
The only blemish on Beaverton's record this season is a 3-0 nonleague loss at McMinnville, last year's 6A runner-up. That defeat served as an impetus for the Beavers' current 12-game winning streak.
“They were unbelievable that night,” Carney said of the Grizzlies. “I've never seen us get such a mauling like that. After the game, that's when we said, 'We're going to step it up on the team bonding, because we need to pull together.' You've got to feel like more of a family to get through games like that.”
One month later, the Beavers won at Jesuit 1-0 in a game that decided the Metro title. Ruano-Aguilera converted a penalty kick with about 15 minutes left to win the hotly contested game.
“The boys were quite pumped,” Carney said. “I just said to them, 'I don't know why you're all excited, I knew we'd beat them.”
A look at Saturday's state championship match-ups:
Boys
6A – Hillsboro Stadium, 4 p.m.:
No. 5 Grant (16-2-1) vs. No. 3 Beaverton (17-1-1): Defensive-minded Beaverton features junior center back Cal Spear, the Metro League player of the year, and senior Mason Schinderle, the league goalkeeper of the year. In the playoffs, the Beavers shut out McDaniel, South Eugene and Wells before needing a penalty-kick shootout to win at West Linn 2-1. Junior Gio Ruano-Aguilera (14 goals) is leading the team in scoring for the second year in a row. Beaverton ended a six-year playoff drought last year, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to McNary 1-0. Grant, which lost in the semifinals in three of the last four seasons, is in the championship game for the first time in 11 years. The Generals' closest call in the playoffs was a 2-1 penalty-kick shootout win over No. 4 Central Catholic, made possible by senior goalkeeper Travis Lobdell, who stopped two attempts in the shootout. Senior center back Owen Bonnin, the Portland Interscholastic League player of the year, had a hat trick in Grant's 4-2 semifinal win at No. 1 Lakeridge. The Generals are unbeaten since opening the season by losing to West Linn 1-0 and McNary 3-2. Grant's only title came in 2008.
5A – Hillsboro Stadium, 10:30 a.m.
No. 5 Corvallis (15-1-2) vs. No. 3 La Salle Prep (14-1-3): Reigning state champion La Salle Prep goes for its third title in five seasons and ninth overall. The Falcons lost all but four starters from last year, including four 5A first-team picks, but have kept winning under coach Monty Hawkins (148-26-17 in two stints covering 11 seasons). Senior midfielder River Nichols (13 goals, 11 assists) scored game-winning goals in the first round (76th minute against Springfield) and semifinals (72nd minute against Centennial). Senior defender Declan O'Brien got the game-winner in the quarterfinals (73rd minute against Ashland). Junior forward Henry Foubert leads the team in goals (18) and assists (13). The Falcons are 7-8-1 in championship matches. Corvallis also walked a tightrope into the final, beating Wilsonville 2-1 in overtime, scoring in the final minute to edge Crescent Valley 1-0 and coming from behind twice to defeat Summit 3-2 on penalty kicks in the semifinals. Senior forward Faisal Alsharif (24 goals), the Mid-Willamette Conference co-player of the year, got the goal against Crescent Valley. Junior defender Ulises Arredondo Sanchez also made the MWC first team. The Spartans, who lost to La Salle Prep 5-0 in the 2021 final, won the last of their three titles in 2018.
4A – Liberty HS, 6:30 p.m.
No. 10 North Marion (8-5-3) vs. No. 1 Stayton (16-0-1): North Marion, last year's runner-up, parted ways with coach Carlos Perez in the week before the first practice and turned the team over to Rafael Pelaez, who coached the Huskies from 2011-19, leading them to their only title in 2014. In the playoffs, they went on the road to defeat No. 7 Seaside 2-0, No. 2 The Dalles 2-1 (PKs 3-2) and No. 3 Henley 1-0, the latter avenging last year's finals loss. Junior Damien Vallejo Lopez, the team's only Oregon West Conference first-team selection, scored the goal in the 1-0 win over Henley. Stayton has been runner-up four times since winning its only title in 2010, including 2014, when the Eagles lost to North Marion 2-0 in the final. Stayton is the top playoff seed for the fourth time in five seasons. The Eagles defeated North Marion 2-1 and 2-0 in Oregon West matches this season. Senior forward Isaiah Dixon (14 assists), the Oregon West player of the year, was joined in the first team by senior forward Nick Pelayo (14 goals), senior midfielder Johnny Garcia and junior defender Jose Navarro. Coach Chris Shields is No. 10 on the state's all-time wins list (257-82-26 in 24 seasons).
3A/2A/1A – Liberty HS, 10:30 a.m.
No. 3 Westside Christian (13-2-2) vs. No. 1 Catlin Gabel (14-2): Two Special District 1 teams vie for the title. The Eagles defeated Westside Christian 4-3 at home Sept. 30. Catlin Gabel, appearing in its 22nd final, has won 15 titles. Peter Shulman, who last year coached the Eagles to their fifth title in eight postseasons, stepped down and was replaced by Russ Magoon, a former Catlin Gabel girls assistant who coached the Scappoose boys in 2024. The Eagles have built around four returning starters, including junior center midfielder Giancarlo Rendon Benitez (14 goals, 18 assists), the SD1 player of the year. They also are getting big seasons from seniors Levi Whalen Stewart (11 goals) and August Walrod (center back), juniors Liam Travers (15 goals) and Nolan Swaim (13 goals, 13 assists) and sophomore Mason Campbell (12 goals). Westside Christian, which lost to McLoughlin 3-1 in the 2023 final, has never won a title. Also known as the Eagles, they finished third in SD1 and knocked out district champion Oregon Episcopal 1-0 in the semifinals. Junior forward Maddox Ayala, who has scored in each playoff match, has a team-high 17 goals. Senior midfielder Luke Zeikle (15 assists) and senior forward Alexis Gonzalez (12 goals, 10 assists), a fourth-year starter, also have been productive.
Girls
6A – Hillsboro Stadium, 6:30 p.m.
No. 2 West Linn (15-1-2) vs. No. 1 Jesuit (18-0-1): Ranked fourth in the nation by United Soccer Coaches, reigning champion Jesuit has one of its most dominant teams, outscoring opponents 109-8. The only blemish is a 0-0 tie against Grant. Coach Steve Fennah became the state's all-time leader in wins this season, hiking his record to 334-19-22 with 10 state titles in 21 seasons with the Crusaders. Jesuit is 16-2 in state finals, winning its last eight. Only Catlin Gabel has more titles (17). Junior forward Natalie Webber (30 goals, 14 assists) is leading the team in scoring for the second year in a row. She is getting plenty of help from sophomore Eva Hairston (16 goals), sophomores Aaliyah Johnson (14 goals) and Estelle Lee (14 goals) and senior Josephine Frischknecht (15 assists). Six players from last year's title moved on to college programs. After losing to Jesuit 1-0 in the 2022 final, West Linn fell in the semifinals the last two years, including 1-0 to Jesuit in 2024. The Lions have reached their second final under a first-year coach in Kevin Legg, who replaced Madison Gellos (four seasons). West Linn is on a 16-game unbeaten streak since a 4-1 loss to Lincoln, a defeat they avenged in the semifinals by beating the Cardinals 3-2 on penalty kicks. The Lions won their fourth consecutive Three Rivers League title, with five players receiving first-team all-league honors: seniors Kylee Schreck, Caitlyn Schreck and Emily Pierce, junior Ellis Highland and sophomore Brystol Leslie, who has scored in all four playoff matches.
5A – Hillsboro Stadium, 1 p.m.
No. 2 Bend (16-0-1) vs. No. 1 North Eugene/Triangle Lake (17-0): North Eugene, led by longtime coach Brandy Wormdahl, goes for its first state title. Wormdahl (294-129-43 in 30 seasons), who climbed to No. 3 on the state's all-time wins list this season, led the Highlanders to runner-up finishes in 2017 and 2023. Three players have mothers that were on Wormdahl's first team at North Eugene in 1996, including junior midfielder Payton Buschelman (17 goals, nine assists), the Midwestern League player of the year in 2024 and 2025. Sophomore midfielder Camden Dewitt (15 goals), junior center back Zari Thomas and senior center back Jayla Leata also made first-team all-league. Senior forward Lauren Efraimson is committed to the University of Portland. North Eugene completed its first perfect regular season in school history. Bend, last year's runner-up, has lost in the final twice since winning titles in 2006, 2008 and 2009. The Lava Bears defeated four-time reigning champion Wilsonville 3-1 in the semifinals, avenging last year's finals loss. Bend beat North Eugene in last year's quarterfinals in a penalty-kick shootout. Junior forward Shea Manfredi (26 goals, 16 assists) is the Intermountain Conference player of the year. Sophomore Brooklyn Mettler is the IMC goalkeeper of the year. The Lava Bears have a team GPA of 3.96.
4A – Liberty HS, 4 p.m.
No. 2 The Dalles/Dufur (17-0) vs. No. 1 Marist Catholic (16-1-1): Marist Catholic is playing for a repeat title and third championship in four seasons. In their last 15 matches, the Spartans have outshot their opponents 300-24 and outscored them 87-1. In three playoff games, they racked up 17 first-half goals. Marist Catholic's attack features junior forward Libby McLaughlin (26 goals), who this year set state records for single-season assists (40) and career assists (97). The Spartans put seven players on the Sky-Em League first team, including the player of the year in McLaughlin. The senior nucleus of defender Piper Paslay, defender/midfielder Sadey Woodrum, defender Gina Schroffner and goalkeeper Emily Meigs – all four-year starters and Sky-Em first-team picks – is 68-4-3 in four seasons. Junior forward Cruz Donawa (15 goals, 10 assists) and junior midfielder Tori Sherman (15 goals, 14 assists) complement McLaughlin. The Dalles, which has outscored its opponents 96-4, is appearing in its first final. The Riverhawks, quarterfinalists in 2023 and 2024, are 29-2-2 in the last two seasons. Junior forward Ariana Gonzalez (35 goals, 21 assists), junior midfielder Lilyana Gonzalez (14 goals, 15 assists) and sophomore midfielder Willow Ziegenhagen (16 goals, 11 assists) lead the team in scoring. Senior midfielder Natalia Elias was the Tri-Valley Conference player of the year in 2024.
3A/2A/1A – Liberty HS, 1 p.m.
No. 2 Amity (16-1-1) vs. No. 1 Valley Catholic (15-2-1): The teams played in a nonleague game Sept. 23, with Amity winning at Valley Catholic 2-0. After falling one win short of the final in 2022 and 2023, Amity earned its first finals berth by topping Creswell 1-0 in the semifinals. The Warriors have the Special District 2 player of the year in senior forward/midfielder Eliza Nisly (32 goals, 11 assists) and four other senior first-team selections in forward Haley Miersma (18 goals, 12 assists), midfielder Adie Nisly (13 goals),, defender Alyssa McMullen and goalkeeper Kylie Wilson. Amity is unbeaten in its last 17 matches after opening the season with a 2-1 loss to Banks. Valley Catholic, runner-up in 2023, won the last of its four titles in 2022. Senior midfielder Calista Everson (34 goals), committed to Eastern Kentucky, is the Special District 1 player of the year. Senior defender Madi Groshong (14 goals) and junior defender Skylar Fasana (14 assists) provide offense from the back line. Third-year coach Chris Thurley has six boys state titles on his resume, three each at La Salle Prep (1998, 1999, 2004) and Jesuit (2010, 2012, 2013). The Valiants' other loss this season was a 5-2 defeat to reigning 4A champion Marist Catholic in the opener.
jerryu@osaa.org
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