If Mountain View's football team finally gets over the top this season – after finishing as the 5A runner-up the last two years – the Cougars are likely to do it on the back of a dominant defense.
Heading into Friday's semifinal against No. 2 Silverton (10-1) at Willamette High School, No. 3 Mountain View (10-1) is holding opponents to a 5A-low 6.0 points per game, recording five shutouts. That includes 41-0 and 14-0 playoff wins over Hillsboro and Dallas, respectively.
The Cougars are holding teams to 168.1 yards per game. The starting defense has limited foes to 34 points all season. In the last six games, Mountain View has given up 13 points.
“Two years ago our defense was really good, but this defense might be better,” coach Brian Crum said. “We'd probably be on eight shutouts at this point if we played the whole game with our starters. They've suffocated teams. It's good, physical football.”
The foundation of the defense is up front with senior tackle Cody Calvert (6-2, 290), junior tackle Brady Nichols (6-5, 255), senior end Angel Valenzuela (6-0, 200) and junior end Jettson Gillam (6-4, 235). The ability of Valenzuela (9.5 sacks, four forced fumbles) and Gillam (3.5 sacks) to consistently apply pressure from the outside is integral to the unit's success.
“We're able to play a lot of base defense without having to blitz because those front four can be really solid in the run, which is kind of their strength,” Crum said. “Then when teams are going to throw, they can really get after it.”
Junior middle linebacker Landon Wimmer (46 solo tackles) and junior outside linebackers Carson Bottemiller (50 solo tackles) and Tanner Loch (44 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss) are active and opportunistic.
In the secondary, seniors Gabe Pinkerton and Jackson Urbach (four interceptions) are locking down at cornerback and junior Ryder Carpenter (four interceptions) and senior Carter Van Horn have made big strides as first-year starters at safety.
The Cougars have had a physical edge on opponents all season.
“We've felt like that's kind of been our calling card, physicality, on both sides of the ball,” Crum said. “We want teams to feel that they've played us on Saturday morning. We want them walking back to the bus going, 'Those kids are physical.'”
Mountain View's defense will be tested by a Silverton offense that is averaging 35.2 points per game. The Foxes have a balanced attack that features senior quarterback Chase Dominguez (1,497 passing yards, 19 touchdowns), senior receiver Logan Uitto (41 catches, 619 yards, 12 touchdowns) and junior running back Levi Schurter, who ran for four touchdowns in a 35-32 win over two-time reigning state champion Wilsonville in the quarterfinals.
“They're just athletic. They've got kids all over the place,” Crum said. “And the quarterback's got a cannon. … They run some deeper routes than what we've probably seen from other teams. They're more confident in their quarterback. Other than (Summit's Andrew) Guthrie, he's probably the best quarterback we'll have faced this year.”
It is Silverton's third consecutive semifinal appearance. The Foxes fell to Mountain View 42-19 in 2023 and to Wilsonville 32-29 last year.
Mountain View, which had a prolific passing attack last season, is gaining 55 percent of its yards on the ground this season. The Cougars have a potent backfield combination with Carpenter (887 rushing yards, 17 touchdowns) and Valenzuela.
Mountain View has won seven in a row since a 21-14 loss at No. 1 Summit. Silverton has bounced back from a 34-28 home loss to Lebanon with four consecutive wins.
A look at this week's other playoff match-ups:
Friday
6A semifinals
No. 5 Central Catholic (9-2) vs. No. 1 West Linn (11-0) at Sherwood HS, 7 p.m.: The perennial state powers collide in the semifinals for the third time in four seasons. West Linn handled the Rams 49-17 in 2022 and Central Catholic got payback by winning 12-7 in 2023. The Lions held off Jesuit 42-28 in the quarterfinals despite being outgained 480-409. The Rams earned their sixth consecutive semifinal berth by topping previously unbeaten Willamette 27-20.
No. 3 Lake Oswego (10-1) vs. No. 2 Nelson (10-1) at Hillsboro Stadium, 7 p.m.: Nelson, in its fifth varsity season, reached the semifinals for the first time by subduing Lakeridge 21-7. The Hawks are unbeaten in Oregon, losing only to Timberline (Idaho) 43-15. Lake Oswego, runner-up last year, cruised past Grants Pass 51-10 in the quarterfinals behind senior running back LaMarcus Bell (161 rushing yards, five touchdowns).
6A Columbia Cup final
No. 18 South Medford (7-4) vs. No. 17 Sandy (7-4) at Cottage Grove HS, 7 p.m.: The teams met in the quarterfinals of the 6A secondary bracket last year, with South Medford prevailing 41-21 on its way to finishing as runner-up. The Panthers must deal with a Sandy running game that piled up 377 yards in a 36-20 semifinal win over Beaverton.
5A semifinals
No. 13 Churchill (8-3) vs. No. 1 Summit (11-0) at Willamette University, 7 p.m.: Churchill is the lowest seed remaining in the semifinals, getting there by knocking off Mid-Willamette Conference champion Lebanon 21-8 and Midwestern League champion Thurston 33-23, the latter avenging a 27-16 defeat from a month earlier. Since winning the 2022 title, Summit lost in the 2023 semifinals and 2024 quarterfinals. It's Churchill's first semifinal since 2017.
Saturday
4A semifinals
No. 4 Scappoose (10-1) vs. No. 1 Cascade (11-0) at McMinnville HS, 2 p.m.: Cascade handled Scappoose 59-37 in a nonleague home game Sept. 12, shaking off a 14-0 deficit as senior Cade Coreson passed for 263 yards and five touchdowns. Both teams lost in the semifinals last year, Scappoose falling to eventual champion Marist Catholic 41-7 and Cascade coming up short 21-14 in overtime against Henley.
No. 3 Henley (8-2) vs. No. 2 Marshfield (10-1) at Grants Pass HS, 4:30 p.m.: Henley won at home over Marshfield 21-6 on Oct. 24 in a game that ultimately decided the Special District 4 title. Henley, the 2023 champion, lost to Marist Catholic in the semifinals last year. Marshfield, the 2021 champion, has rebounded after finishing 2-7 last season.
3A semifinals
No. 12 Gervais (8-3) at No. 1 Cascade Christian (11-0) at Cottage Grove HS, 4:30 p.m.: Cascade Christian, which had its two-year reign cut short by Banks in the quarterfinals last year, has been one of the state's most dominant teams this season, outscoring opponents 611-47. Upstart Gervais is back in the final four after moving up from 2A, where last year the Cougars made the semifinals for the first time since 1951, losing to Oakland 28-14.
No. 3 Burns (10-1) vs. No. 2 Banks (11-0) at Summit HS, 2:30 p.m.: The teams met in the postseason the last two years, Banks winning 38-13 in the first round in 2023 and Burns prevailing 22-15 in the semifinals last year on its way to the title. Banks, chasing its first title since winning 4A in 2018, has won all of its games by at least 21 points.
2A semifinals
No. 4 St. Paul (8-2) vs. No. 1 Heppner (11-0) at Summit HS, 6 p.m.: St. Paul edged Heppner 18-12 in the semifinals last year on its way to the championship. The Mustangs got payback by beating St. Paul 30-26 on Sept. 5 at Dufur, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 2:17 remaining. Heppner is playing for a first-year coach in Rob Wilson, who replaced longtime coach Greg Grant (state titles in 1992, 2015, 2019).
No. 3 Bandon (10-0) vs. No. 2 Lost River (10-1) at Grants Pass HS, 1 p.m.: Bandon has bounced back from going 3-6 last year to make the semifinals for the first time since 2004. The Tigers are pursuing their first title since a co-championship in 1968. Lost River, the champion in 2022 and 2023, lost to Heppner 16-12 in the quarterfinals last year.
1A-8 semifinals
No. 4 Crosspoint Christian (8-2) vs. No. 1 Dufur (10-0) at Summit HS, 11 a.m.: Dufur defeated Crosspoint Christian 20-12 in a nonleague game at Summit on Sept. 12, turning the tables from last season, when Crosspoint Christian beat the Rangers 42-20 in the season opener. Crosspoint Christian,a semifinalist last year, needed a late touchdown to overtake Elgin 22-20 in the quarterfinals.
No. 3 Union (8-2) vs. No. 2 Adrian (10-0) at Baker HS, 4:30 p.m.: Reigning champion Adrian has won 22 in a row. The Antelopes have six shutouts, including their last three games. They won at Union 38-0 for the Special District 4 title Oct. 31, pulling away from a 14-0 halftime lead with 24 consecutive points in the third quarter. Union is in the semifinals for the first time since 1986.
1A-6 semifinals
No. 9 Crow (8-2) vs. No. 4 Elkton (8-1) at Cottage Grove HS, 1 p.m.: Crow is surging with momentum after going on the road to beat top-seeded Triangle Lake 32-20 in the quarterfinals, earning its first semifinal berth in 31 years. Now Crow must face the Elks, who blanked them 34-0 in a Special District 3 game at Elkton on Oct. 10. Both teams have made big turnarounds from last season, when Crow went 2-6 and Elkton finished 2-7.
No. 6 Sherman (9-2) vs. No. 2 Harper Charter (10-0) at Baker HS, 1 p.m.: Harper Charter blitzed Sherman 59-26 in a Special District 1 game Oct. 17 as Madoxx Martinez rushed for 274 yards and five touchdowns and passed for 258 yards and two scores. The Hornets were state runners-up last year. Sherman, an eight-man quarterfinalist last year, is making its first semifinal appearance since 2014.
jerryu@osaa.org
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