Isaiah Sexton was the defensive coordinator for Estacada's 4A championship team in 2022.

Molalla football, which hasn't won a state playoff game since 2003, is looking to start a new chapter.

First, the Indians have hired Isaiah Sexton as coach. It is the first head-coaching job for Sexton, who spent the last four seasons as the defensive coordinator at 4A Special District 2 rival Estacada.

Second, Molalla has made great progress in raising money to install artificial turf on its football field this year. The school is hopeful that the $3 million project, which also would include a resurfaced track and other improvements to the Burghardt Sports Complex, would energize the football program.

Sexton, a Glencoe graduate, said he sees Molalla as “a sleeping giant.”

“Molalla's community is just craving a great football program. So do the kids,” Sexton said. “I've coached against them the last four years, and I've seen some of their talent and some of the things they could be. I think with a strong culture, and high standards and expectations, we can turn it around and make it into one of those premier programs.”

In the recorded history of Molalla football, dating to 1925, the Indians have won four playoff games, never making it past the state quarterfinals. From 1985 to 2000, they had nine winless seasons.

Molalla has had occasional success in the last decade, but hasn't been able to sustain it. The Indians last won a conference title in 2015, going 4-0 in the 4A Tri-Valley Conference. They went 18-40 in the last seven seasons under coach Sean McElhaney, including 3-6 in 2025.

“They've been good in the past,” Sexton said. “They have all the bones and foundation that you'd want out of a program that could be good. Compared to other places where it might be tough to win, I don't think Molalla's that way.”

Sexton, who played strong safety and outside linebacker at Glencoe, got into coaching out of high school. While attending Oregon, he joined the staff at South Eugene under Chris Miller in 2013.

He served as an Oregon undergraduate assistant in 2016 before assisting in college programs at Minot State (2017-18) and Puget Sound (2019). He was the defensive coordinator at Woodburn (2020-21) for two seasons, then became interim head coach in the summer of 2022.

Sexton was a candidate for the Woodburn job, and when he didn't land it, he ended up at Estacada, coaching under Andy Mott. In his first season with the Rangers in 2022, they won the 4A title.

“That was a magical season,” Sexton said. “The people in Estacada have been amazing. Coach Mott is a great leader and a great coach to work for. It's been great to be there. I've wanted to be a head coach for a while. I've had opportunities to leave Estacada earlier, but I just wanted to give back to that program. It wasn't something I wanted to leave early.”

At Molalla, Sexton will continue to serve as a defensive coordinator. Andy Avants, the quarterback for Estacada's 2016 state quarterfinal team, has left the Estacada staff to join Sexton at Molalla as the offensive coordinator.

“We're going to be physical. We're going to run the ball downhill,” Sexton said. 'But we'll mix in some quick passing game, a lot of screen game, some option game.”

Sexton, who will teach PE and health at Molalla, has met with the players and is encouraged by what he has seen.

“Their incoming junior class is fairly talented,” he said. “I know they've got a big stable of linebackers and running backs that is very talented.”

Sexton sees an artificial turf field as integral in the program's development. He saw first-hand how Estacada benefited from installing artificial turf in 2022.

“It would be everything,” Sexton said of a turf field. “To have that in place would be huge. It makes practice run more efficiently and smoother.”

So far, $2.7 million has been committed to the project, thanks largely to the philanthropic leadership and gifts from the Burghardt, Holden and Shuholm families. The school is seeking the final $300,000 from individuals or businesses by May so construction can begin on time to have the project completed by fall.