In recent seasons, Tualatin has been that other team in Three Rivers League football, toiling in the shadows of Lake Oswego and West Linn.
The Timberwolves have consistently been near the top of the OSAAtoday 6A coaches poll, but they have dropped their last six games against Lake Oswego and West Linn since 2024, accounting for both of their defeats this season.
Those losses – 42-14 to West Linn and 42-23 to Lake Oswego – revealed the Timberwolves' deficiencies, however, they also included enough positive signs to encourage them for a potential rematch.
“We found out we're a pretty good football team, and if we can correct a few things here and there … I don't know if the outcome changes, but maybe the score does a little bit,” Tualatin coach Dominic Ferraro said. “Our kids, they're not going to back down from anybody.”
The fourth-seeded Timberwolves (8-2) will try to make the semifinals for the first time in three years Friday when they play host to No. 5 Sheldon (8-2) in a quarterfinal. If Tualatin wins, it would meet either No. 1 Lake Oswego (10-0) or No. 9 Willamette (7-3) in the final four.
Tualatin advanced by beating Grant 40-7 in the first round. Junior quarterback Lincoln Keeney passed for 172 yards and four touchdowns, hiking his season totals to 1,908 yards and 20 touchdowns. Junior Iden Rule rushed for 107 yards on 17 carries, giving him 1,098 yards for the year.
The continued improvement of the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Keeney, a first-year starter, is a key factor in raising Tualatin's ceiling. Ferraro likes how Keeney plays the mental part of the game.
“He very much plays the game in between his ears,” Ferraro said. “His decision-making and accuracy are at the top of the list. He never forces balls into bad situations. He's kind of come into his own.”
Behind Keeney, Tualatin led Lake Oswego 23-21 in the third quarter and was driving for another score before turning the ball over on downs at the 3-yard line. The Lakers drove 97 to take the lead for good.
“He was really keeping us in the game with his throws, getting the ball out to receivers,” Ferraro said. “We kind of hit a roadblock about midway through the third quarter. In that game, we just kind of ran out of gas.”
Keeney's brother, Nolan, was an all-state quarterback for Tualatin's state runner-up team in 2023. He has moved on to a college career at Brigham Young.
“Nolan was just a freak athlete. Lincoln has had to work for it,” Ferraro said.
The 5-11, 205-pound Rule has carried a heavier load since senior running back Cole Hachmeister suffered a torn ACL in the loss to West Linn on Oct. 2. Rule, who also starts at inside linebacker, is built to pack a punch.
“He's a rare combination of size and speed,” Ferraro said. “He's got a low center of gravity. People go to tackle him and there's not a lot to grab on to. He's just a wall of muscle.”
Sheldon, a finalist in 2022 and finalist in 2024, is back in the final eight after finishing 2-7 last season.
Last week, the Irish held on for a 35-34 win over Lakeridge, a team that Tualatin defeated 62-35 in Three Rivers play. Junior quarterback Ryker Rohaley passed for 172 yards and four touchdowns against the Pacers, giving him 2,153 yards and 20 scores for the season. Junior Cody Hall rushed for 125 yards to push his season total to 881.
“They're fast and physical,” Ferraro said. “They run their stuff and they run it well. They play with discipline, so they never get out of position. You're never going to get them in a blown coverage. They're going to make you work for your yards. It'll be a good challenge for us.”
A look at other intriguing quarterfinal match-ups this weekend:
Friday
6A
No. 6 Wells (10-0) at No. 3 Nelson (9-1), 7 p.m.: The Portland Interscholastic League champion Guardians, who beat Grants Pass 46-35 for their first playoff win since 2003, take on the Mt. Hood Conference champion Hawks, whose only loss is to Grants Pass, 49-48 in overtime. The teams haven't met since Nelson won 48-8 in a first-round game in 2023.
No. 10 Lincoln (8-2) at No. 2 West Linn (8-2), 7 p.m.: Lincoln won at Jesuit 30-24 in the first round, joining Wells to give the PIL its first wins in the top 6A bracket since 2017. Now the Cardinals must take on the Lions, who are bidding to make the semifinals for the sixth consecutive postseason.
6A Columbia Cup (semifinal)
No. 24 Century (7-3) vs. No. 21 Glencoe (5-5) at Hare Field, 7 p.m.: The Jaguars and Crimson Tide, who shared the Pacific Conference title with Sherwood, clash for a berth in the Cup final. Century beat Glencoe 24-19 at Hare Field on Oct. 15, scoring two touchdowns and recovering an onside kick to rally from a 19-12 deficit in the final minutes.
5A
No. 9 Dallas (9-1) at No. 1 Silverton (8-2), 7 p.m.: Dallas defeated Silverton at home 17-14 on Oct. 16 in a Mid-Willamette Conference game, the Foxes' only loss to an Oregon team this season. The Dragons sealed the win when senior Aidan Galusha came over the top to block a 19-yard field-goal attempt with 16 seconds left.
No. 5 Wilsonville (8-2) at No. 4 Mountain View (8-1), 7 p.m.: The teams clashed in back-to-back state finals, with Wilsonville prevailing 29-23 in 2023 and 56-35 in 2024. The Wildcats are unbeaten against 5A teams this season, losing only to North Medford and West Linn. Mountain View has won five in a row since falling to Summit 24-7.
4A
No. 5 Henley (9-1) vs. No. 4 Cascade (10-0) at McNary HS, 7 p.m.: The teams meet in the playoffs for the third year in a row. Henley won 21-14 in the 2024 semifinals and Cascade got payback by dominating the Hornets 52-0 in last year's state championship game. The Cougars have won 23 in a row since the playoff loss to Henley.
No. 6 Estacada (8-2) at No. 3 Scappoose (9-1), 7 p.m.: Scappoose, eliminated in the semifinals the last four years, can get another chance to break through with a win. Since losing to Estacada in the 2022 semifinals, the Indians have defeated the Rangers in nonleague game the last three seasons.
3A
No. 6 Burns (8-2) at No. 3 Klamath Union (10-0), 7 p.m.: Klamath Union, 3-6 last year, must get past reigning state champion Burns to make the semifinals for the first time since finishing as state runner-up in 1943. This season, the Pelicans already ton their first outright league title since 1975, completed the first perfect regular season in the history of a program that dates to 1912, posted their first playoff win since 2011 and set a school record for wins.
2A
No. 5 Lowell (9-1) at No. 4 Culver (10-0), 7 p.m.: Two teams that lost in the quarterfinals last year clash for a final four berth. Culver's offense exploded in a 70-12 first-round win over Rainier as senior Kapp Novelli and junior Max Dickson each rushed for three scores. Lowell has lost only to Waldport, which was eliminated by Grant Union in the first round.
Saturday
1A-8
No. 5 Perrydale (9-1) at No. 4 Imbler (9-1), 1 p.m.: Imbler, 1-7 two years ago, can make the semifinals for the first time since winning the 2013 state title. Perrydale's last appearance in the final four came in 2015.
1A-6
No. 6 North Lake (6-2) at No. 3 Jordan Valley (7-1), 1 p.m. (MT): North Lake has one playoff win (2023) since the school opened in 1991 and has never reached the semifinals. Jordan Valley, which won the 1A-8 title in a co-op with Adrian in 2019, has risen as a power in its fourth season in six-man.
jerryu@osaa.org
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