Quarterback Will Kessi leads Scappoose into a pivotal Cowapa League game against Banks on Friday. (Photo by Josi Welter)

For years, the Banks-Scappoose game was a highlight on the Cowapa League football calendar.

The teams met every season from 1997 to 2017, with some memorable outcomes. There was 2003, when Banks beat three-time reigning state champion Scappoose 8-6 to end the Indians' 28-game league winning streak. And there was 2017, when Scappoose kicked a last-second field goal to win a 51-49 thriller.

Since the latter, though, the teams' paths have diverged. In 2018, Scappoose moved from the 4A Cowapa to 5A. When the Indians returned to 4A in 2022, Banks dropped to 3A.

This year, the Braves are back in 4A. And Friday, the teams meet for the first time in nine years when No. 3 Banks (6-0, 3-0) visits No. 4 Scappoose (6-1, 4-0) with first place in the Cowapa on the line.

“Bringing that rivalry back, it's what it's all about,” Scappoose coach Sean McNabb said. “It's about time we're back playing them again. We're excited and they're excited. It's going to be a good vibe here in the 'Poose on Friday, for sure.”

Banks coach Cole Linehan was a senior on that 2003 team that beat Scappoose to win the Braves' first league title in two decades.

“It's something that was a great rivalry for so long,” Linehan said. “There was so much back and forth for years between the schools. It's a lot of fun to start it back up again. We've both been really good teams over the last 10 years, we just haven't had a chance to play each other.”

McNabb recalled that in 2003, Banks supporters wore t-shirts that read, “Beat Scappoose.” Even though the Indians had the upper hand in the series, winning 14 of the last 21 match-ups, the Braves won five in a row from 2007 to 2011.

“They had our number for a few years,” McNabb said. “When I look back, there were so many barn-burners and physical games. It's always been a good match-up.”

The Indians would like nothing more than to halt a Banks league winning streak that dates to 2017. The Braves have won 46 consecutive league games, the first 19 coming in the Cowapa before their move to 3A.

Scappoose, which lost in the semifinals to the eventual champion in each of the last four seasons, is on a four-game winning streak since a 35-7 loss to No. 2 Cascade Christian.

The Indians are averaging 381.3 yards per game behind senior quarterback Will Kessi, a second-year starter who has passed for 1,271 yards and 14 touchdowns. Senior running back Elijah Greenan-Biggs, who left the Cascade Christian game early with a shoulder injury and missed the following game, has rushed for a team-high 377 yards and six touchdowns.

“It's a typical Scappoose team,” Linehan said. “They're full of team speed, they have really good athletes on the edge, and they do a good job of getting the ball to their athletes in space. And they have a quarterback that can sling it a little bit.

“It's like the many Scappoose teams we've seen before. Whatever it is, they grow them fast in Scappoose. It's going to be a fun test for our defense, for sure.”

Scappoose must deal with a Banks defense that has four shutouts and has allowed 19 points, fewest in the state for all 11-man teams. The Braves have a dominant nose guard in 6-foot-5, 300-pound senior Cade Wilson, who has three sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss.

“We believe he's the best lineman in the state,” Linehan said. “Having Cade in the middle is a big advantage for us. They have to put a lot of bodies on him. You watch film, and he's getting touched by two or three guys at a time, and that frees up our linebackers to make plays in space.”

The Indians are counting on senior center Matthew Neilson (6-0, 216), and others, to slow down Wilson.

“He's going to have his hands full,” McNabb said of Neilson. “Our center is a tough kid.”

Banks' closest game is a 17-13 win at No. 8 Central. The Braves average 300.3 yards per game, led by 6-4 senior quarterback Nate Lyda, who has passed for six touchdowns and run for five scores. Senior Jaic Lamb has rushed for 680 yards and eight touchdowns.

Other top match-ups in Week 7:

Friday

Westview (4-2, 2-0 6A Metro League) at Sunset (3-3, 2-0), 7 p.m.: The Wildcats and Apollos are tied for first place in the Metro with No. 8 Jesuit. Westview plays host to Jesuit next week and Sunset visits Jesuit in the regular-season finale.

6A No. 2 Nelson (5-1, 2-0 Mt. Hood Conference) vs. Central Catholic (2-4, 2-0) at Hillsboro Stadium, 7 p.m.: Nelson unseated Central Catholic as Mt. Hood champion last year, winning 26-6 to end the Rams' 39-game conference winning streak. This time, Central Catholic is the hunter against the Hawks.

6A No. 3 West Linn (4-2, 1-1 Three Rivers League) at 6A No. 9 Lakeridge (4-2, 1-1), 7 p.m.: West Linn has dropped two of its last three games, falling to No. 2 Nelson 36-35 and No. 1 Lake Oswego 21-7. The Lions can't afford to overlook the Pacers, who are coming off a 62-35 loss to No. 4 Tualatin.

Sprague (3-3, 2-0 6A Central Valley Conference) at South Salem (6-0, 1-0), 7 p.m.: South Salem, which has rebounded from going 0-9 last season to start 6-0, takes on a Sprague team that beat West Salem and North Salem in the last two weeks. The winner takes the inside track to the conference title.

6A No. 7 Grants Pass (4-2, 1-1 SD2) at 6A No. 6 Willamette (4-2, 2-0), 7 p.m.: Willamette has won four in a row since losing to Lake Oswego 34-7 and Silverton 33-12, the top-ranked teams in 6A and 5A, respectively. Grants Pass lost at home to No. 5 Sheldon 27-20 in a league game last week.

5A No. 9 Canby (5-1, 2-0 SD3) at Aloha (5-1, 2-0), 7 p.m.: Canby, Aloha and co-No. 5 Wilsonville are tied for first place in the district. Next week, Canby is home against Wilsonville. Aloha visits the Wildcats in the regular-season finale.

5A No. 1 Silverton (5-1, 3-0 Mid-Willamette Conference) at 5A No. 8 Dallas (5-1, 2-1), 7 p.m.: Silverton made a statement last week against No. 3 West Albany by blowing out to a 31-0 lead and winning 38-14. Dallas lost at West Albany 41-21 the previous week.

3A No. 7 Kennedy (4-2, 2-1 SD2) at 3A No. 4 Harrisburg (6-0, 3-0), 7 p.m.: Two years removed from going 0-9, Harrisburg is thriving under first-year coach Josh Wilcox. Kennedy, which lost at No. 5 Scio 34-29 last week, can muddy the district title picture by beating the Eagles.

3A No. 6 Sutherlin (6-1, 2-0 SD4) at 3A No. 8 Siuslaw/Mapleton (5-1, 1-0), 7 p.m.: Sutherlin has designs on its first district title since 2018, but first must get past two-time reigning district champion Siuslaw. The Vikings thumped Sutherlin 45-8 last season.

2A No. 8 Myrtle Point (4-2, 2-0 SD4) at 2A No. 5 Glide (6-0, 2-0), 7 p.m.: The Bobcats and Wildcats share first place in the district with Oakland. Glide already has clinched its first winning season since 2018.

2A No. 2 Culver (6-0, 2-0 SD5) at St. Mary's (4-2, 2-0), 7 p.m.: Culver's state-leading defense, which has yielded 14 points this season, takes on a Crusaders team that has scored 151 points in the last three games. The winner claims sole possession of first place.

1A-8 No. 6 North Douglas (6-1, 3-0 SD2) at 1A-8 No. 8 Camas Valley (5-1, 1-1), 7 p.m.: Camas Valley picked up a forfeit victory over Reedsport last week after suffering its first loss of the season, 44-0 to the district co-leader, No. 5 Perrydale. Now the Hornets meet the other first-place team in North Douglas.

Saturday

1A-6 No. 3 Griswold (4-1, 3-1 SD1) at 1A-6 No. 1 Jordan Valley (6-0, 6-0), 2 p.m. (MT): Jordan Valley needs a win over the Grizzlies to complete a perfect run through Special District 1. Griswold has won three in a row since a 41-21 loss to No. 4 Ione/Arlington.