Lake Oswego’s Josh Christensen rising, talks 5 breakout teammates

A year after losing to West Linn 44-30 in the 6A state championship game, the Lake Oswego Lakers will enter this season with a goal of “championship or bust.”   The roster is loaded with talent, headlined by senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='402409' first='Hudson' last='Kurland'] and senior running back LaMarcus Bell, both of whom are multi-offer Division I athletes.   But the group also has plenty of depth.   And possible breakout candidates.   One of the young athletes at Lake Oswego that has generated the most buzz this offseason is class of 2027 defensive lineman/edge-rusher [player_tooltip player_id='1246545' first='Josh' last='Christensen'].   The 6-foot-6, 245-pound athlete is still relatively new to the game of football, but has the makings of a Three Rivers League star this fall.   In fact, he's already delivering on that promise.   But he made it a long way into his athletic career before he ever put on the football pads.   Growing up, Christensen played just about everything except football - soccer, basketball and baseball.   That changed in middle school, where he decided to use the skills generated in those sports to give football a go.   “I wasn't really big into football as a kid,” he said. “I played with my friends, but I didn't play until eighth grade. I wanted to play throughout middle school, but never actually did.”   Almost immediately, Christensen found success - even if he admits he wasn't the most technically-sound young defender.   “I was just more athletic than the O-linemen,” Christensen said.   But he still didn't really know what he was doing.   Just bigger, faster, stronger.   “It started to come together my freshman year and I swung up at Beaverton and got in a decent amount,” Christensen said.   Between freshman and sophomore season, the rising athlete transferred to Lake Oswego and began taking football more seriously.    As a sophomore, Christensen split his time between junior varsity and varsity - with the majority of his snaps coming at the top level.    Rotating in behind Three Rivers League first-team defensive linemen Oliver Macy and Lusiano Lopez, Christensen flashed serious potential, registering three sacks.   Perhaps equally important, his high school coaches and his trainer seemed to believe in his future, and several college coaches began reaching out.   With that kind of positive attention, it was difficult not to get more run on the field as a sophomore, but it helped Christensen develop and stay focused.   “I always want to play, so it's in your head that you want to play, but they were really talented seniors,” he said. “I never felt like I should be starting over them. I understood that I didn't deserve anything and had to earn it. But I knew I could get to that level (as I developed).”   He began working year-round on his craft, training with local defensive line expert Caleb Wells, and the technique and strength began to come together.   “My defensive line trainer, Caleb Wells, and all of the coaches at Lake Oswego… I love being able to train with them,” he said. “I started working with Coach Wells and did the B12 5-of-5 season with them. That was two times a week with the team and once or twice a week for private training.”   All of that work seemed to culminate in this offseason's Northwest Showcase camp at Western Oregon University in early June.   The 900-plus-athlete camp featured some of the top prospects in the West region and was broken into four sessions - with nearly 200 college coaches on hand during the day.   Session 2 was arguably the most talented, but the budding defensive lineman was confident in his growth.   “Going in, I always have the mentality that I'm the best player there,” he said. “I wasn't scared about any of the competition. I was going in wanting to show all these college coaches what I could do. I'd been in contact with someone of the coaches and they said they wanted to see what I could do.”   Christiansen's dad, who played 1A high school football in Washington before becoming a walk-on at BYU, filmed all of his son's reps at the showcase event and knew he was doing well that day.   But it wasn't until Josh was named Session 2's overall MVP that the Christensen family could truly celebrate.   It was a game-changing event.   Since that showing, Christensen's recruitment has hit a different gear.   He's hearing from Boise State, California, Oregon State, Washington State and several others, and also holds an early offer from Portland State.   “It's definitely made a difference,” Christensen said. “I'll reach out to coaches and they'll say, ‘I hear you did great at the Northwest.' It's definitely helped.”    Following that performance, the budding Lake Oswego star was invited to Washington State for a camp and also competed at events at California and Oregon State.   “Both of those went really well and I really like their coaching staffs,” he said.   Not yet a starter, already a recruit, Christensen is adjusting to the reality of modern college football recruiting.   Athletes need to be on the radar before they are seniors to truly have a shot to pop, and Christensen has been able to do that with a stellar spring and summer.   As Christensen enters his junior campaign, it will be time to prove it in pads against the Three Rivers League, Oregon's toughest conference.   It certainly looks like he'll be up to the challenge.     Editor's note: While highlighting a player is certainly important, I also want to showcase some of the other young stars coming up in the Lakers' football program.   Here are Christensen's thoughts on a few of his teammates who could also experience big seasons this fall:    LB [player_tooltip player_id='937338' first='Cash' last='Wilks'], 2027 - “He's a really athletic kid and I really like him. He's going to be amazing this year and, I think, pick up some offers.”   Wilks is a 6-foot-2, 220-pound 'backer with significant upside. The young-for-his-class 'backer could "pop" this fall.   OL [player_tooltip player_id='1359160' first='Dylan' last='Marquez'], 2027 - “He started the last two games for us - versus Central Catholic and in the state championship game. We had some injuries. He's a great player.”    The 6-foot-3, 270-pound interior line prospect was forced into high-pressure action during the 6A playoffs last year and help his own. That's got folks curious about what he will be this fall. While the size profile likely limits him to an interior line prospect at the collegiate level, he'll get plenty of exposure on LaMarcus Bell's highlight reel. A big performance is likely to be seen by lots of college coaches, and that's obviously good news for any linemen trying to make a name for himself.   WR [player_tooltip player_id='937103' first='Cole' last='Callahan'], 2027: “He started a few games for us. He did really well. He's one of us best receivers coming this year.”   An intriguing pass-catcher, Callahan will have Kurland throwing the ball to him this fall and big numbers could follow.   WR/DB Jasiah Agnimal, 2027 - “Jasiah already has a couple of offers from Portland State and Sacramento State. He's going to be really good.”   A transfer from Mountainside, Agnimal showed significant flashes last year as a sophomore, hauling in 23 receptions for 425 yards and five touchdowns. Those numbers could skyrocket if he takes a step forward catching passes from Oregon's best quarterback prospect.   ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1613644' first='Presley' last='DeLance'], 2028 - “He did really well on the freshman team last year. He'll be coming up, playing varsity, playing whatever — and he'll do really well.”    A lot has been made of 6-foot-4, 220-pound wide receiver/tight end linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1613644' first='Presley' last='DeLance'] - and for a good reason.   At his size, he broke the 9th-grade Lake Oswego school records in the 100m and 200m.   The sky is the limit if DeLance can refine his skills over the next few years.   No one questions the athletic profile.

A year after losing to West Linn 44-30 in the 6A state championship game, the Lake Oswego Lakers will enter this season with a goal of “championship or bust.”