2025 Program Preview: Sandy Pioneers

With the 2025 Oregon high school football season rapidly approaching, it's time to dive into the programs across the state, highlighting their leadership, development, and the standout athletes who will shape this fall's action. In this preview, we spotlight the Sandy Pioneers, a program with high aspirations under the leadership of Head Coach Josh Dill.   Sandy will compete in the newly restructured Mt. Hood Conference this season, following the departures of David Douglas and Gresham to 5A. In 2024, the Pioneers finished 4th in the Mt. Hood standings and made a solid run to the quarterfinals of the Columbia Cup. Coach Dill believes his group is ready to take the next step.   “We've had an excellent offseason,” Dill said. “Our commitment to the weight room and workouts has been very good. We started our offseason workout program in January, and a lot of players have made significant progress throughout the year.”   The expectations in Sandy are sky-high this fall. “We are talented and coming off of a season where we won a Columbia Cup playoff game. We have great team speed and physicality. We're not putting limits on the success we can have instead, we're focused on a relentless pursuit of improvement.”   Here are 10 key Pioneers to watch in 2025 from Coach Dill:    Sandy's senior leader this year is McMahon, who returns after a dominant junior campaign on both sides of the ball. Coach Dill called him “one of the top players in the state of Oregon,” and it's hard to argue with that. A physical, downhill runner with excellent vision and burst, McMahon rushed for 676 yards and 10 touchdowns on just 77 carries, averaging nearly nine yards per attempt. He added 279 yards and a score as a receiver, and defensively led the team with 82 tackles, including seven for loss, four sacks, three interceptions, and four forced fumbles. Dill emphasized, “Caden is our leader. He works his butt off and is a very physical football player.”     Another two-way force is Fitch, a junior linebacker and receiver with explosive athleticism. He led the team in receiving last year with 349 yards and seven touchdowns, and also tied for the conference lead in sacks (nine), while racking up 78 total tackles and 10 tackles for loss. He's a threat in the return game too, taking a punt to the house in 2023. “He's a big playmaker who's added 20 pounds this offseason and has improved his speed and strength tremendously,” Dill said. Fitch is poised to break out even further this fall.     Richards, another returning junior, played in the 2025 Les Schwab Bowl and was named “Back of the Game” for Team Willamette. While he played linebacker last year, Richards will transition to safety this season. Coach Dill praised him as “an absolute grinder” with great hands and physicality, someone who can make plays in the slot or at running back as well.     Senior lineman Bridges is a key figure in the trenches. At 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds, he's already a two-time Les Schwab Bowl participant and returns as a first-team All-Mount Hood Conference tackle. “Zac is athletic and physical,” Dill said. “He's got great hips and feet and will control the line of scrimmage for us on both sides of the ball.”     Junior Frederickson was a menace in the secondary as a sophomore, tallying 80 tackles, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles. He also amassed over 400 kick return yards. “Mason is explosive and physical with a nonstop motor,” Dill said. “He'll see significant time on offense this year, and we'll lean on his game-breaking speed.”     At quarterback, Turin returns for his junior season after throwing for 1,073 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2024. “Micaiah has a rocket arm and full control of our offense,” said Dill. “He's improved greatly this offseason with his accuracy and will be one of the top QBs in the conference.”     Sedgwick is back as a senior leader on both sides of the ball. He tied for the conference lead in sacks last season (nine) and is a returning starter at offensive guard. “Tanner is an elite puller in our scheme,” Dill noted. “He's worked hard to get stronger and will be key for us on the lines.”     Junior Pearson might be the biggest wildcard on the roster. “He's the fastest football player I've ever coached,” Dill said. At 6-foot-1 with leaping ability to match his speed, Pearson will be a deep threat offensively and a lockdown corner on defense.     Junior Lucas returns up front and will move from guard to tackle this year. Dill said he “provides steady physical play” and has made great strides in strength and athleticism.     Finally, senior Turin is a returning starter in the secondary who brings leadership and versatility. “He plays both safety spots and corner for us,” Dill explained. “Teagan is a sure tackler, good in coverage, and one of our most vocal leaders on defense.”

With the 2025 Oregon high school football season rapidly approaching, it's time to dive into the programs across the state, highlighting their leadership, development, and the standout athletes who will shape this fall's action. In this preview, we spotlight the Sandy Pioneers, a program with high aspirations under the leadership of Head Coach Josh Dill.