3A Games to Watch in Week Nine

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Banks @ Warrenton (Friday 10/27 @ 7pm)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Warrenton is on the brink in terms of making the playoffs. A loss at home against Banks could knock them out, while a win + YC loss to North Mation would clinch them an automatic spot. Banks is in the number one spot currently but is in a tightly contested race with Dayton and Kennedy, a loss to Warrenton would undoubtedly knock them to at least #3 in the rankings if not lower.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players to watch: Warrenton: Kaleb Earl (Sr, TE/DE), Talon McGorty (Jr, QB/LB); Banks: [player_tooltip player_id='1224416' first='Max' last='Walker'] (Jr, TE/DE), Ashton Crossen (Sr, RB/LB), Luke McAuley Bigsby (Jr, OL/DL)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cascade Christian @ South Umpqua (Friday 10/27 @ 7pm)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Challengers are too far out to grab the #1 seed for themselves, but they could climb up to #3 or with a win + teams ahead of them falling unexpectedly. South Umpqua has already clinched a playoff spot, but with a win against thee #4 ranked Challengers could end up in position to host in the first round rather than traveling.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players to watch: Cascade Christian: Caleb Scaglione (So, RB/LB), Ashton Moody (SR, QB/LB), Peyton Maurer (Sr, WR/DB); South Umpqua: Elijah Earls (Sr, QB/LB), Jacob Logan (Sr, RB/LB)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Taft @ Santiam Christian (Friday 10/27 @ 7pm)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Taft is too far out of things to make the playoffs, but this game might be highly entertaining regardless. Taft can throw the ball around with the best of them, putting up points in bunches off the back of athletic underclassmen receivers. Santiam Christian should be thankful this game won't be on the coast given the weather, but still have to bow up and stop the Taft air attack or they might end up at Cascade Christian in the first round.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players to watch: Santiam Christian: Daniel Fosdick (Jr, QB), [player_tooltip player_id='699661' first='Tyler' last='Ragan'] (Sr, OL/DL); Taft: Armando Fajardo (Sr, QB/DL), Zack Hankins (So, WR/DB)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Coquille @ St Mary's (Friday 10/27 @ 7pm)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Straight up: Winner gets an automatic bid to the playoffs, loser goes home and is done. If this were in Coquille one could be forgiven for writing this off as a Red Devil win before the ball is kicked off when considering Coquille's home record over the last decade plus, but the game is in Medford. This one could be tight and highly entertaining into the final stages.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players to watch: Coquille: Riley Jones (Sr, OL/DL), Bo Messerle (Sr, RB/LB); St Mary's: TJ Flowers (Sr, WR/DB), Rex Smith (Sr, OL/DL)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->