Lineman Wyatt Hanifin (60) has helped lead a Wells defense that is allowing 10.3 points per game. (Photo by Austin White)

The way the Wells Guardians see it, crunch time has arrived for their football season.

Wells (7-0, 6-0) has cruised through the first seven weeks of its schedule, moving into position to claim the 6A Portland Interscholastic League title. And now comes the hard part, back-to-back league games against Grant (6-1, 5-1) and Lincoln (6-1, 6-0) to finish the regular season.

Coach Robby Scharf said the Generals and Cardinals are the two best teams the Guardians have on their schedule.

“The focus we've had, going back to the end of last season, it's been with these two games in mind,” Scharf said. “When the guys were talking about games in the weight room during the summer and preseason, they were talking about these two. It's all coming to a point.”

First up is a visit to Grant at 7 p.m. Friday. If Wells can get past the Generals, it could set up a league title game at home against Lincoln on Oct. 30.

“Grant has a tremendous amount of talent across the board,” Scharf said. “Lincoln has some guys that are the best players in the league. They are two programs on the rise. We don't have to hype up our kids for these two games.”

Wells has had its share of success in the PIL in recent seasons, running the table to win league titles in 2023 and 2024. But this Guardians team, which is 7-0 for the first time since 2003, appears to be a notch above.

The offense is more explosive than in years past, averaging 384.5 rushing yards and 48.2 points per game, And the defense is limiting opponents to 10.3 points per game, a dramatic improvement from 35.0 last season, when Wells finished 5-4 and missed the postseason.

With large and talented junior and senior classes, expectations were high at Wells entering the season.

“We've kind of known for a couple years that this was going to be when all those guys came together, and it was going to be a different year,” said Scharf, whose team is tied for No. 10 in the OSAAtoday 6A coaches poll. “The seven years I've been at Wells, we haven't had this on both sides of the ball.”

Junior Lucius Coon (378 yards, four touchdowns) and seniors Kannon Walter (375 yards, four touchdowns) and Oliver Hamzaoui (329 yards, five touchdowns) lead a balanced rushing attack in the Guardian-T offense, a composite of the Scio double-wing and Rainier diesel, among other things.

The Guardians have been so dominant on the ground, they haven't had much of a chance to explore a passing game with senior Jude Nolan, who has thrown 22 passes all season.

The runs that went for 15 yards in past seasons now are going the distance. In a 50-20 win at Franklin on Oct. 8, six of the team's 11 first-half plays went for touchdowns.

“This year, if he's gone, he's gone,” Scharf said. “This is the best offense we've had in our time here. That speaks to the talent we have. It's a different level of athleticism.”

That athleticism also has bolstered the defense. Junior nose guard Ivan Kos has been eating up double-teams, senior defensive end Ronan Eikanas has manhandled foes and senior defensive lineman Wyatt Hanifin is racking up tackles. Senior middle linebacker Toby Carrick is the coach on the field, and junior strong safety Yassin Birya patrols the secondary with sprinter speed.

“Ivan and Yassin have changed the way we approach our defense,” Scharf said. “They clean up so many things.”

But the Guardians have yet to play teams at the level of Grant and Lincoln. The Generals have rebounded from a 28-7 season-opening loss to Lincoln to average 50.8 points in six consecutive wins, four by shutout. Junior JaCory Jackson has rushed for 12 touchdowns in Grant's last three games.

No PIL team has won a game in the top 6A playoff bracket since Grant and Lincoln did it in 2017. Scharf believes the Cardinals, Guardians and Generals – eighth, ninth and 10^th, respectively, in the OSAA 6A power rankings – have a shot to change that this year.

“The PIL is in much better position to compete in the playoffs,” Scharf said. “This is the most talent the PIL has had during my tenure. In my time, this Grant team and Lincoln team are two of the top three teams we've gone against.”

Other top match-ups in Week 8:

Friday

6A No. 8 Jesuit (5-0, 3-0 Metro League) at Westview (5-2, 3-0), 7 p.m.: The Crusaders and Wildcats meet for first place in the Metro. Jesuit has won 11 of the last 12 league titles, a run interrupted only by Mountainside in 2024. The Crusaders are 31-1 all-time against Westview, winning 30 in a row since a loss in 1996. The Wildcats have never won a league title.

6A No. 4 Tualatin (6-1, 2-1 Three Rivers League) at 6A No. 1 Lake Oswego (7-0, 3-0), 7 p.m.: Reigning 6A champion Lake Oswego can clinch at least a share of the Three Rivers title by beating the Timberwolves, whose have lost only to No. 3 West Linn, 42-14. The Lakers have won the last two meetings since Tualatin defeated them 14-0 in 2023.

6A No. 6 Willamette (5-2) at 5A No. 1 Summit (4-2), 7 p.m.: The Wolverines get a nonleague game against 5A power Summit to tune up for next week's Special District 2 first-place showdown with No. 5 Sheldon. Willamette has allowed 10 points in its last three games. The Storm has been idle since an Oct. 9 game against Bend.

Sprague (4-3) at 6A No. 2 Nelson (6-1), 7 p.m.: Two 6A conference leaders clash in a nonleague game. Both teams are coming off huge league wins, Sprague over South Salem and Nelson over co-No. 10 Central Catholic.

5A No. 8 Mountain View (5-1, 2-1 Intermountain Conference) at 5A No. 4 Ridgeview (5-1, 2-1), 7 p.m.: Both teams have lost only to No. 1 Summit in conference play. A key game for 5A seeding considering Ridgeview is No. 2 in the OSAA power rankings and Mountain View is No. 7.

5A No. 6 Wilsonville (5-2, 3-0 SD3) at 5A No. 10 Canby (5-2, 2-1), 7 p.m.: Wilsonville needs to clear a final hurdle to set up a potential district title game next week with No. 9 Aloha, the district co-leader. Canby, which lost at Aloha 31-28 last week, can jam up the standings with a win.

3A No. 10 Douglas (5-1, 1-1SD4) at 3A No. 6 Sutherlin (7-1, 3-0), 7 p.m.: Sutherlin can finish off the Special District 4 title with a win over the Trojans in its regular-season finale. Douglas outlasted Sutherlin 41-40 last season.

3A No. 2 Burns (6-1, 2-0 SD5) at 3A No. 1 Vale (7-0, 2-0), 7 p.m. (MT): One of the most highly anticipated games in 3A this season. The last five seasons, Vale has topped Burns on its way to the district title. Burns got payback in the postseason the last two years, though, winning 42-16 in the 2024 state final and 32-20 in the 2025 quarterfinals. Vale has a 22-game district winning streak.

2A No. 3 Lowell (7-0, 3-0 SD3) at 2A No. 10 Waldport (5-2, 3-0), 7 p.m.: The winner takes first place and clinches at least a share of the Special District 3 title. Lowell thumped Waldport 54-12 last year on its way to the district title.

2A No. 8 Oakland (5-3, 3-0 SD4) at 2A No. 5 Glide (8-0, 3-0), 7 p.m.: Glide, winless in Special District 4 last year, can go worst-to-first by dropping the Oakers. Oakland has won the last five meetings with Glide, including 28-6 last year.

1A-8 No. 9 Crane (4-3, 4-1 SD4) at 1A-8 No. 1 Adrian (7-0, 5-0), 7 p.m. (MT): Two-time reigning state champion Adrian looks to extend its winning streak to 32. Crane had its four-game winning streak snapped last week with a 34-32 loss to No. 8 Cove.

Saturday

1A-6 No. 1 Elkton (7-0, 4-0 SD3) at 1A-6 No. 5 North Lake (5-1, 3-1), 3 p.m.: The Elks can assure themselves of a share of the district title by turning back North Lake, which has lost only to No. 6 Days Creek. Elkton won the district title last year, dominating North Lake 45-6 along the way.