Oregon high school football state semifinals: Top stars, game by game recap
The 2023 Oregon high school football playoffs continued with semifinals action around the state.
Here’s a look at some of the top stars and memorable performances.
Jayden Fortier (Tualatin) photo by Dan Brood
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CLASS 6A CHAMPIONSHIP | Bracket
No. 4 Central Catholic 12, No. 1 West Linn 7 | Story
A game featuring two of the highest-scoring offenses in Class 6A turned into a defensive slugfest at Oregon City’s Pioneer Memorial Stadium, with junior Zac Stascausky making the biggest play of the night, stopping Ryan Vandenbrink behind the line of scrimmage on fourth-and-1 at midfield with 1:35 to play.
The Rams (12-0) held the defending champion Lions (11-1) to 236 total yards in avenging a 49-17 loss to West Linn in last year’s semifinals and advancing to their third final in the past four OSAA postseasons.
Central Catholic broke a scoreless deadlock with Zeke Van’t Hof’s 34-yard field goal to cap the opening drive of the third quarter.
Jeremiah Katsuta made it 5-0 by tackling Cade Johnson in the end zone after Sam Schuver’s punt rolled out of bounds inside the Lions 1 with 9:29 left in the game.
Following D’Marieon Gates’ 43-yard return of the ensuing kickoff, the Rams needed eight plays to push the lead to 12-0 on Cade Newman’s 1-yard run with 5:24 remaining. Newman finished with 102 rushing yards on 25 carries and was 13 of 25 for 167 yards.
West Linn answered with its only touchdown of the game as Baird Gilroy hit Hunter Haines on a 68-yard pass with 4:51 to play. The Lions recovered an onside kick, but it was ruled that Gus Donnerberg touched the ball prior to it going 10 yards, giving the Rams the ball at the West Linn 49.
The Lions forced a punt to get the ball back with 3:18 to play and gained one first down before Stascausky’s fourth-down stop.
No. 2 Tualatin 42, No. 3 Sherwood 23
Junior quarterback Nolan Keeney continued his comeback from a midseason broken collarbone, throwing for a school-record 408 yards and six touchdowns as the Timberwolves (11-1) rallied from a 23-14 deficit to defeat the Bowmen (11-1) at Hillsboro Stadium.
Senior Jayden Fortier, an Arizona State commit, caught six passes for 324 yards and four touchdowns, putting him eighth on the state’s all-time single-game receiving yardage list.
Wilson Medina scored on runs of 19 and 1 yard early in the second quarter to give Sherwood a 23-14 lead. Tualatin responded quickly, with Keeney hitting AJ Noland on a 58-yard scoring pass 6:39 before halftime.
With 28 seconds left in the first half, Kenney connected with Noland again on a 4-yard touchdown pass to give the Timberwolves a 28-23 lead.
Keeney and Fortier had scoring connections of 60 and 88 yards in the second half as Tualatin exceeded the 36 points allowed by Sherwood in its previous 11 games combined.
Treyson Eddleman ran for a game-high 99 yards on 14 carries for the Bowmen and made five tackles. Calvin Evans had a game-high 10 tackles for Tualatin, and Noland and Liam Pickering had eight apiece.
CLASS 6A COLUMBIA CUP | Bracket
No. 21 Sunset 50, No. 24 Barlow 21
The Apollos (8-4) reached their first OSAA final since 1976 as Owen Scholes ran for 112 yards and a touchdown, quarterback Drew Nees ran for two scores, and Macklin Petitt returned one of their three interceptions 45 yards for a touchdown in defeating the Bruins (6-6) at Wilsonville High School.
Blake Hurley returned a blocked field goal attempt 85 yards for a touchdown for Sunset, which has won five in a row since a Week 7 loss to Jesuit dropped the Apollos to 3-4.
“I told our kids they were faced with a choice after the Jesuit game,” coach Damien Merrick said. “They could feel sorry for themselves after falling short, or they could make a six-week run and be together on Thanksgiving. They obviously chose the latter. They love each other. They play for each other. And they truly enjoy being together.”
Karter Wilcox was 20 of 28 for 266 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions for Barlow, which had won four in a row.
No. 18 South Medford 51, No. 22 Clackamas 33
Ryder Scheid ran for 250 yards and five touchdowns, including a 90-yarder to open the third quarter that gave the Panthers (9-3) a 37-7 lead at Willamette High School in Eugene.
The Cavaliers (7-5) closed to within 37-21 on back-to-back scoring passes of 35 and 13 yards from Dylan Browerr to Aiden Pressel.
South Medford answered with an 11-play drive capped by Scheid’s fifth touchdown — a 14-yard run. After forcing a punt, the Panthers needed four plays to restore their 30-point advantage on Kameron Rague’s 12-yard run.
“It’s a nice award for a job well done this season,” Panthers coach Bill Singler said of reaching next weekend’s Columbia Cup final against Sunset. “To have an opportunity for a 10-win season is very special, so we are going to embrace the moment and enjoy Thanksgiving week with all our football families.”
Rague finished with 69 yards on nine carries as South Medford amassed 341 rushing yards and 397 total.
Brower finished 28 of 46 for 318 yards and four touchdowns. Pressel had five catches for 119 yards and three scores.
CLASS 5A | Bracket
No. 1 Wilsonville 34, No. 5 Summit 2
Everyone knew about Wilsonville quarterback Kallen Gutridge entering its rematch of last year’s state final against Summit at Willamette University’s McCulloch Stadium in Salem.
It’s the Wildcats defense that earned the game ball after they avenged that defeat in emphatic fashion, holding the Storm (7-5) to 201 total yards and keeping them out of the end zone to end their title defense.
“People focus on what we can do offensively, but our defense has been lights out this season,” said coach Adam Guenther, whose team improved to 11-1 and reached its fourth final since 2016, still searching for its first title since 2004.
“It’s fun to watch them play. They fly around, and they have short-term memories. When bad things happen, they come back and deal with it.”
There were few bad things happening on this night for the Wildcats, who forced four turnovers and sacked Summit quarterback Jimmy Hughes three times.
Mark Wiepert led the Wildcats with 10 tackles, and Will Engle and Noah Lubisich had seven each. Wiepert also caught 14 passes for 180 yards and three touchdowns, and Gutridge finished 29 of 41 for 309 yards, five touchdowns and an interception.
“To get to this point of the season again where we get to practice on Thanksgiving is special,” Guenther said. “I’m excited for one more week together.”
Hughes finished 8 of 17 for 59 yards. All-state running back Sam Stephens ran for 68 yards on 16 carries.
No. 3 Mountain View 42, No. 2 Silverton 19
The Cougars (12-0) advanced to their first championship game since winning their only title in 2011 by knocking off the 2021 champion Foxes (11-1) at McNary High School in Keizer.
Mountain View and Silverton entered the game 1-2 in scoring defense among 5A schools, but it was the Cougars who made the big plays when needed, forcing two turnovers that they converted into touchdowns.
“This is a special group of players, and they proved that again tonight,” coach Brian Crum said. “The defense was lights out again. Holding that team under 20 points is special.”
The Cougars scored on each of their first three possessions to build a 21-0 lead, with senior quarterback Connor Crum throwing touchdown passes of 4 and 30 yards to Jack Foley and a 25-yarder to Gage Wray.
The Foxes closed to within 21-7 before halftime on a 60-yard pass from Sawyer Teeney to Tyler Pooleon, but Mountain View put the game away in the third quarter.
Angel Valenzuela scored on a couple of short runs, the second a 2-yarder after Easton Herberger recovered a fumble at the Silverton 24.
“That fast start was big for our confidence and the momentum it created,” Coach Crum said. “Offensively, we were sharp. Connor played outstanding.”
Connor Crum finished 8 of 10 for 154 yards and rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown. Valenzuela ran for 145 yards and two scores.
Teeney was 13 of 28 for 149 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, and he ran for 78 yards on 13 carries. Pooleon caught four passes for 97 yards and a touchdown.
CLASS 4A | Bracket
No. 1 Henley 42, No. 4 Scappoose 13
The Hornets (12-0) return to the state championship game for the first time since winning the 1982 title and remained 4A’s only undefeated team, scoring 35 consecutive points to put away Scappoose (10-2) at Willamette High School in Eugene.
Henley held Scappoose to 157 total yards and had five interceptions to deny Scappoose a first championship game appearance since 2015.
“There was lots of joy afterward on the sideline, but we know that we aren’t finished,” Hornets coach Alex Stork said. “The postgame talk was the same as usual, with our favorite motto: ‘See you on Monday.’”
Henley will take on Marist Catholic at 5 p.m. next Saturday at Caldera High School in Bend.
“We’re excited to meet them to compete for a state title,” Stark said. “Thankful we get another week together.”
Sophomore quarterback Joe Janney had perhaps his best game for the Hornets, running for 134 yards and two touchdowns and completing 9 of 19 passes for 111 yards and two scores.
His 11-yard run with 26 seconds left in the first quarter broke a 7-7 tie, and Henley scored three touchdowns in the second quarter — capped by Janney’s 6-yard run with eight seconds remaining to give the Hornets a 35-7 halftime lead.
Older brother Chris, a senior, caught both of Joe’s touchdown passes among his four catches for 57 yards and had an interception. Senior Logan Whitlock added 97 yards on 21 carries and scored twice, and he led the Hornets with five tackles and a sack.
No. 2 Marist Catholic 25, No. 3 Seaside 14
All season, Marist Catholic had defeated teams on the strength of its 4A-leading passing attack that averaged 294 yards per game.
But Saturday evening at Hillsboro Stadium, the Spartans (11-1) proved they could grind their way to victory, defeating the Seagulls (8-4) to get to the state final for the second time in the past three years.
“Everything is not always going to be pretty, especially with the rain,” said junior quarterback Nick Hudson, who finished 19 of 32 for 208 yards and a touchdown. “But we’re bringing everything to just find a way to get through it.”
The Spartans entered the season with a new coaching staff led by former Central Catholic assistant Charlie Landgraf after parting ways with Frank Geske following a first-round loss to Gladstone last November.
“New coaching staff, new opportunities,” Hudson said. “I’m excited for next Monday and especially for Thanksgiving practice.”
They also welcomed several new faces as fall camp opened, including the Bidwell brothers transferring from nearby Churchill — Aaron, a junior, and Brady, a senior who made six tackles, forced a fumble and had one of the Spartans’ three interceptions Saturday.
“It was very uncertain at the start of the year, going to a brand-new school with kids you don’t really know,” Brady said. “But we’ve bonded really close, and they’re brothers to me now. I love it so much. I wouldn’t want anything else.”
Still, the Spartans led just 16-7 at halftime and were struggling to sustain drives against a gritty Seaside defense.
But they opened the second half with a 10-play, 67-yard drive capped by a 26-yard scoring pass from Hudson to Kaden Erlenbush, who finished with a game-high seven catches for 87 yards.
After freshman Connor Harvey recovered an onside kick at midfield, they drove to the red zone again before Christian Guerrero kicked a 28-yard field goal (his first field goal of the season) to push the lead to 25-7 with 3:30 left in the third quarter.
“At halftime, we had the realization that this is a dogfight,” Bidwell said. “You’ve got to be physical. You have to really want it. In the second half, something clicked for the whole team.”
The Spartans held Seaside to 106 rushing yards, with Jake White and Ryder Jackson running for touchdowns. Izzy Jantes led the Seagulls with 12 tackles, and White added 11.
CLASS 3A | Bracket
No. 1 Banks 42, No. 13 South Umpqua 7
Banks (12-0) brought an end to South Umpqua’s Cinderella run in dominant fashion at Cottage Grove High School, building a 42-0 lead by halftime en route to reaching an OSAA state championship game for the first time since 2019.
“It feels great to be back,” said Banks coach Cole Linehan, whose team will return to Herald White Stadium next weekend to face defending champion Cascade Christian at 5 p.m. Saturday. “Going into the year, we thought this might be the matchup. With both of us being 12-0 going in just makes it that much more fun.”
Lane Gilbert ran for two touchdowns and caught one of Kade Long’s three scoring passes, and Ashton Crossen added a rushing and a receiving touchdown for Banks, which held South Umpqua to 84 yards of total offense and took advantage of short fields resulting from two interceptions and a shanked punt.
The Lancers (8-4), who are the lowest seed ever to reach the 3A semifinals, averted a shutout with Jacob Logan’s 17-yard run with 1:42 left in the third quarter.
Long finished 6 of 8 for 127 yards. Max Walker caught Long’s other touchdown pass and had two of Banks’ three interceptions, and Luke Bigsby had five tackles (three for loss) and two sacks.
“This is a fun group of kids to coach,” Linehan said. “They work really hard and love the game of football. I’m glad we have another week together to try to go win another state title.”
No. 2 Cascade Christian 42, No. 3 Dayton 30
Quarterback Ashton Moody’s fourth touchdown run of the game with 59 seconds left in the third quarter gave the Challengers (12-0) the lead for good, and Luke Wilson’s 62-yard touchdown with 5:28 left secured their chance to return to Cottage Grove High School next week to defend their title against Banks.
“I couldn’t be more proud,” said coach Jon Gettman, whose team won for the 25th consecutive game. “We have 10 seniors back from last year, and from Day 1, they have really been focused, determined, hard-working — everything you’d want in young men.”
One of those seniors is Moody, who shrugged off an inconsistent first half during which he ran for a touchdown and threw for another but also had a red-zone interception and had another drive stall deep in Pirates territory.
His 24-yard scoring pass to Peyton Maurer 24 seconds before halftime not only sent the teams to the locker room tied at 14-14, but Gettman said it fueled his second-half resurgence.
“Getting that touchdown right before halftime was huge for him,” Gettman said. “He was in attack mode after that, making play after play for us.”
Moody ran for 136 yards on 18 carries and completed 15 of 23 passes for 148 yards. Wilson ran for 115 yards and a touchdown, caught a game-high eight passes for 66 yards and shared team-high honors with seven tackles.
Boston Hodges ran for a game-high 162 yards and two touchdowns for the Pirates (11-1), who lost to Cascade Christian in the semifinals for the second consecutive season. The senior was 5 of 14 for 72 yards and finished with five tackles and an interceptions.
The Challengers held 2,000-yard rusher Zach Smith to a season-low 75 yards and a touchdown in his final game for the Pirates.
CLASS 2A | Bracket
No. 1 Weston-McEwen/Griswold 55, No. 4 Regis 39
The TigerScots (11-0) booked a trip to Hillsboro Stadium to seek the program’s first state title by holding off the Rams (11-1) at Hermiston High School.
Junior quarterback Easton Berry, who returned from an injury that kept him out of Weston-McEwen/Griswold’s quarterfinal win over Illinois Valley, had a monster game, throwing for 231 yards and a touchdown and running for 115 yards and four scores on 16 carries.
TigerScots coach Kenzie Hansell praised senior Bryson Choin for stepping in on short notice in Berry’s absence but noted that “what Easton does for us is phenomenal. Not just what he can do running and passing the ball, but he’s a coach out there on the field for us. We were excited to have him back under center.”
The TigerScots jumped out to an early 21-0 lead and maintained that 21-point lead into the fourth quarter, when Regis drew within one score at 41-33 on Kollin Schumacher’s 35-yard pass to Charlie Miller with 7:24 remaining. The touchdown followed a strip sack by Thomas Bischoff that Noah Koenig recovered at the Weston-McEwen/Griswold 35.
The TigerScots answered as Berry scored from 7 yards with 4:30 to play. The Rams quickly responded as Schumacher hit Koenig for a 27-yard touchdown, but Berry put the game away with a 29-yard touchdown run with 1:54 remaining.
Maddox King’s interception on the ensuing drive secured Weston-McEwen/Griswold’s spot in the title game, where it’ll meet Lowell at 2 p.m. next Saturday in Hillsboro.
“Going back to the state championship two years in a row is an accomplishment, but it’s one you earn all year long,” said Hansell, whose team lost 46-32 to Oakland in last year’s final. “We knew this game would be a battle, so we’re going to enjoy this one.”
No. 3 Lowell 32, No. 2 Oakland 18
The Devils (11-1) shook off a scary injury to starting quarterback Carter Harris late in the second quarter to defeat the defending champion Oakers (10-2) at Willamette High School in Eugene and reach their first final since 2013.
Coach Ray Yarbrough said he spoke after the game with Harris, who was taken to a local hospital after hitting his head on the turf and sustaining a neck injury, and he received a positive report from his sophomore signal-caller.
“He said the neck’s a little sore, but he’s OK,” Yarbrough said. “His younger brother (Tyler) is a starting lineman for us, so there was definitely a lot of emotion there. But this is a small community, and we love each other and rally around each other. And that’s just what we did.”
Senior Justus Thurman, who played quarterback in middle school, stepped in and had a touchdown pass to younger brother JaMar, a junior who also ran for 150 yards and four scores and had a goal-line interception with 2:57 to play that sealed the win.
“Their ability to work together in the backfield, that helped,” Yarbrough said.
Gabe Williamson ran for 164 yards and two touchdowns for Oakland, including a 45-yard scoring run with 8:40 remaining that closed the deficit to 24-18. JaMar Thurman answered five plays later with a 44-yard touchdown to make it a two-score game again.
Rowan Files had a game-high 16 tackles for the Devils, who have never won a state title and have lost their past two meetings with the TigerScots (in last year’s quarterfinals and Week 3 this season) by a combined eight points.
“They’re two up on us now,” Yarbrough said. “But they’re the defending champs. They’re the favorite, and we’re happy to come in and be the underdog. Let everybody think we don’t have a chance.”
CLASS 1A 8-Man | Bracket
No. 1 Lost River 54, No. 5 St. Paul 28
Senior quarterback Chase McAuliffe’s 15-yard run midway through the third quarter gave the defending champion Raiders (10-0) the lead for good at Bend’s Caldera High School as they scored the game’s final 32 points to put away the Buckaroos (10-2) in a rematch of last year’s final.
McAuliffe finished with 189 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries, completed 3 of 4 passes for 52 yards, made a team-high six tackles and recorded one of Lost River’s four interceptions.
The Raiders will make the 156-mile trip from Merrill to Bend again next Saturday when they take on Crane at 1 p.m. in search of the program’s fourth title.
“I enjoy seeing us get back to this point,” coach Dennis Dunlea said. “It’s a great opportunity for us.”
George Pohlschneider finished 19 of 37 for 324 yards and three touchdowns, including a 34-yarder to Sulivan Grott with 7:22 left in the third to give St. Paul its last lead at 28-22.
After McAuliffe’s go-ahead score, Kayden Hartman closed out the third quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run. McAuliffe added another score with 7:36 to play, and Connor Dunlea returned an interception (his third of the game) 73 yards to cap the scoring.
Ralph Pohlschneider caught seven passes for 157 yards and a touchdown for the Buckaroos, and Grott had six catches for 84 yards and a score.
No. 2 Crane 28, No. 3 Myrtle Point 22
The Mustangs (10-0) will seek the first championship in school history next weekend after building a 28-8 third-quarter lead and holding on to defeat the Bobcats (8-2) at Caldera High School in Bend.
Carter Nichols ran 39 times for 230 yards, and Josh Zander was 10 of 18 for 129 yards and two touchdowns for Crane, which is 0-3 all-time in title games, with the last coming in 2016.
“Of course, we were excited, but it was a contained excited because we know we have one more to try to complete the journey,” said first-year coach Matt Hawley, who won a state title with Vale in 2014.
Trenton Potter’s 67-yard fumble return for a touchdown with 4:18 left in the third quarter pushed the lead to 28-8.
Myrtle Point rallied behind quarterback Logan Backman, who had a 20-yard touchdown pass to Evin Warner on its ensuing drive. The Bobcats closed the gap further in the opening minute of the final quarter on Billy Reynolds’ 4-yard touchdown run.
“We always talk about how we are going to respond to adversity, and the kids responded well,” Hawley said. “Setting a level of expectation with these kids has been a season-long process, and they have bought in and believe.”
Nichols also had an interception and a fumble recovery for the Mustangs, who forced four turnovers to overcome a big game from Backman. The Bobcats senior was 16 of 32 for 293 yards, a touchdown and an interception and rushed for 50 yards and a score.
CLASS 1A 6-Man | Bracket
No. 4 Joseph 33, No. 1 Prairie City/Burnt River 19
Kane Johnson threw for 179 yards and three touchdowns at Hermiston High School, and the Eagles (9-1) avenged a Week 2 defeat to the Panthers (7-2) to earn the second trip to a state championship game in program history.
Joseph, which lost in the 2008 final to Imbler, will take on Eastern Oregon rival Echo at 2 p.m. Saturday at Hermiston High School.
“There were a lot of emotions after the game,” said coach Damian Huff, whose team lost each of the previous three seasons to the Panthers. “It was a big moment for a lot of these boys. They really wanted this game. But I think they understand we still have one game to go and are already starting to focus on that.”
Prairie City, which was bidding for its first final appearance since 1990, closed to within 14-12 on Tucker Wright’s 1-yard touchdown run 20 seconds before halftime.
After a short kickoff, Johnson hit Jaxon Grover on the final play of the half for a 58-yard touchdown to push the lead back to 20-12.
The Eagles scored on their first possession of the second half when Zander Walker found Grover for a 13-yard touchdown.
Kellen Crenshaw had four catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns for Joseph and made a game-high 13 tackles (two for loss).
Maison Teel ran for a game-high 119 yards on 27 carries for the Panthers, and Wright had a team-high eight tackles.
No. 10 Echo 34, No. 3 Elkton 19
The Cougars (8-3) became the first double-digit seed to reach a state final since 2018 and the third ever by pulling away from a 14-13 third-quarter lead against the Elks (8-2) at Hillsboro Stadium.
Senior Sam Wyse ran for a game-high 141 yards and two first-half touchdowns, and younger brother Kohlvin Wyse was 8 of 13 for 189 yards and a touchdown as Echo advanced to its first championship game.
“We’re in new territory this year,” coach Thomas VanNice said. “It’s huge for this community.”
The Cougars started the season 1-3, including a 52-28 opening-week loss to Joseph, the team they’ll face in next week’s title game in Hermiston.
Sam Wyse said the key to their seven-game win streak came down to the fact “we found our style, really, and we just got to feel more comfortable. And once we get going, it’s really hard to stop us.”
And what is their style of play?
“Improvisation,” Wyse said, smiling. “They can’t guess what we’re doing if we don’t know what’s next. So, just finding open people. We’ve got fast guys, so fill the space, spread it out and make plays.”
Getting to play on the turf at Hillsboro Stadium was a welcome change for the Wyse brothers and the Cougars. Sam recalled that “the last two games, we were playing in absolute mud. Just mud piles. Back home, the field are not the best, but getting out here, we just flourished. We had a great student section, and that just helped get us excited.”
Now, the Cougars get the chance to avenge that Week 1 defeat and end a five-game losing streak to the Eagles that dates to Echo’s last win in the series in 2017.
“I don’t know if you guys know, but we don’t like Joseph,” Wyse said. “I wouldn’t say it’s heated. It’s mutual respect. But we want to beat Joseph, I can tell you that. It will be a sweet matchup.”
The Elks cut the deficit to 14-13 on Anthony Alimenti’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Rausch 92 seconds into the second half.
Echo answered when Kohlvin Wyse hit Dom Curiel for a 42-yard score. The Cougars got the ball back when Kobe Harwood forced and then recovered a fumble as the Elks got to the red zone, and Echo pushed the lead to 27-13 on Curiel’s 3-yard touchdown run.
Alimenti, who finished 10 of 22 for 74 yards and three touchdowns, found Jamal Lawrton from 7 yards to make it 27-19 after three quarters.
Curiel hit Islic Wade on a 6-yard pass midway through the fourth to cap the scoring.
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