5A Playoffs 2nd Round Preview Part 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first round of Oregon high school football playoffs has concluded, with eight teams being eliminated and another eight teams moving forward to the next round. In this article, I will be discussing the top half of the bracket and providing a preview of the bottom half in a separate piece later this week. Who will advance to the 5A semifinals?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#8 Thurston (8-2) @ #1 Wilsonville (9-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Wilsonville def. Thurston 37-21.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wilsonville is currently the top team in 5A and they have proven themselves with a 42-7 win against #16 Crater last week. They are expected to do well against Thurston if they play with the same determination. These two teams have already met each other in week one, where Wilsonville won 44-15. However, I believe that Thurston has improved a lot since then, having won eight games in a row. This means that they will put up a much tougher fight this time around. If Thurston wants to stand a chance, they will have to rely on their playmakers and get them into open space quickly to see if they can make something happen. Although Wilsonville has the advantage in the trenches, it's a close match when comparing the skilled positions. In conclusion, I believe that Wilsonville will come out on top and reach the semifinals, but Thurston will definitely put up a better fight than they did earlier this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to watch:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block 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/--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#13 Lebanon (6-4) @ #5 Summit (6-4)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Summit def. Lebanon 23-14.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both of these teams had very close games last week. Summit defeated a Canby team that was better than their #12 ranking suggested, winning 16-14, while Lebanon upset #4 Springfield on the road 14-13. Let's start with Summit, who are the defending champions and were almost upset in round one this year. Canby had a great team this year, and Summit struggled to get going offensively. However, their defense played a crucial role in their victory, keeping Canby's high-powered offense in check and only allowing 14 points. Lebanon, on the other hand, surprised everyone with their victory over a talented senior-heavy Springfield team. Lebanon will face another tough test this week, and I believe Summit's experience will give them an edge and enable them to defeat Lebanon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to watch:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block 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