Oregon 6A football: Ranking the state title contenders

Believe it or not we are almost half way through the Oregon high school regular season.   So far, much of what we thought in the preseason has proven to be true.   However, there have been a few interesting surprises.   Here's a look at the top contenders to win the state title - from championship tier to successful teams with questions still to be answered.   Championship tier (no order)    West Linn Lions (4-0) — West Linn has played just one in-state game so far, choosing to play one opponent from Hawaii and two from Washington.   Over the past two weeks, the Lions have beaten Sumner 31-24 and Camas 41-0.   That may not be impressive to folks who are Oregon-only fans.   But in the Northwest those are two impressive victories.   Throw in a 49-7 win at Sherwood and it's clear West Linn is a serious juggernaut,   Junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='937233' first='Sloan' last='Baker'] has been a revelation in his first year as a starter, while All-American candidate [player_tooltip player_id='632957' first='Josiah' last='Molden'] has continued his domination at cornerback while blossoming in an offensive role.   The line play is top-notch, the playmakers are deep and even the early-season questions have been answered with flying colors.   West Linn is one of two state titles favorites.    Lake Oswego Lakers (4-0) — While West Linn dices up the state of Washington, Lake Oswego has been eating a little closer to home.   Lake 0 won its first two games by a combined score of 91-10, then beat both Central Catholic and Newberg by 21.   Both of those opponents are legit top-10 teams with significant upside, so those victories are meaningful.   Lake Oswego is loaded ay nearly every single position - with quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='402409' first='Hudson' last='Kurland'], running back LaMarcus Bell and tight end [player_tooltip player_id='457009' first='Sam' last='Vyhlidal'] making strong cases to be considered the best player in the state at their respective positions.    Challengers   Central Catholic Rams (3-1) — Central Catholic has faced a brutal start to the season and come out looking very solid.   A 36-22 over Central Catholic (California) made for a nice start.   Then the Rams faced juggernaut Lake Oswego and were held scoreless, 21-0.   Still, Central Catholic has bounced back with wins over quality opponents Jesuit (35-6) and Lakeridge (14-13).   Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='914302' first='Robbie' last='Long'] and running back [player_tooltip player_id='402415' first='Killian' last='Sombe'] lead the way for the offense, while the defense is littered with star power, including Donnie Vercher.    The Rams will have to improve along the way if they want to re-enter the “championship tier,” but there's nothing to be ashamed of in losing to Lake O.   They are one of two monsters in the state.     Tualatin Timberwolves (4-0) — Tualatin has outscored its four opponents by a score of 162-33, but that does include a narrow 13-7 win over a Jesuit squad that is slightly below its typical talent.   The true test will take place this week when the Timberwolves take on Lake Oswego, who has breezed through every opponent it has faced this season.    Willamette Wolverines (4-0) — Willamette hasn't been tested on its way to a 4-0 start.   That will change this week when the Wolverines travel to take on West Salem.   West Salem is far from a true state title contender, so a win there doesn't necessary mark Willamette as “for real.”    But with a front-seven that boasts senior edge [player_tooltip player_id='739439' first='Tony' last='Cumberland'] (Oregon) an junior linebacker Kawai Chaberlin and an offense powered by sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='904208' first='Zeke' last='Thomas'] and senior athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1654724' first='Hunter' last='Vaughn'], Josh Line's program packs some punch.    Nelson Hawks (3-1) — Nelson has a trio of really quality wins over Lakeridge, Newberg and Mountainside - three teams that you will find on this list.   A disappointing 43-15 loss to Timberline (Idaho) is the program's lone blemish.   [player_tooltip player_id='937176' first='Malachi' last='Garlington'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1110921' first='Chaz' last='Katoanga'] are two of the most underrated athletes in the Northwest region and Nelson is a dangerous squad any given Friday.   It has been fun to watch the program grow, as they are talented and a well-coached bunch.    Lakeridge Pacers (2-2) — Lakeridge entered the season as a potential state-title favorite - with multiple Division I prospects and 35 seniors.   It hasn't turned out as expected.   Lakeridge began the season with an absolutely stunning 26-21 loss to Nelson, gave up 36 points to Sandy in a shootout win and then lost 14-13 to Central Catholic.   The Pacers have a giant offensive line, an elite running back in [player_tooltip player_id='284119' first='Ansu' last='Sanoe'], the state's best edge-rusher in [player_tooltip player_id='769915' first='Noah' last='Tishendorf'] and one of the state's best defensive backs in [player_tooltip player_id='402418' first='Marcus' last='Post'].   I simply don't know what to make of things.   They are good, but there's no way around it: They are currently underachieving.    Frisky sleepers   Mountainside Mavericks (2-2) — Senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1232699' first='Cade' last='Mitchell'] is such a special talent that, at times, it looks like he's playing a video game on easy mode.   Mountainside lost a ton of transfer talent from a team that could've been top-5 in the state.   Instead, they have been a pesky squad that has score in bunches.   So far, the Mavericks have wins over Oregon City and Mountain View (Washington) - with a big loss to Lakeridge and a narrow loss to Nelson (42-35).    Jesuit Crusaders (2-2) — Let's face it, this is not the Jesuit teams of old when the Crusaders were a perennially state-title contender.   They haven't been that in awhile.   Jesuit is 2-2 with expected wins over Tigard and Grant, but a tough 13-7 loss to Tualatin and an eye-opening 35-6 defeat at the hands of Central Catholic.   It will be fascinating to see how the Crusaders fare the rest of the way, as a 5-0 finish would have been all-but-certain a few years ago.   Newberg Tigers (2-2) — Newberg smacked Canby 50-12 in its first game, then suffered a narrow loss to Nelson 17-14.   A 28-7 loss to Lake Oswego is much more respectable than the score may indicate, and last week's 56-40 win over high-scoring Sunset was encouraging.   It will be fascinating to see how Newberg fares the rest of the way, as Glencoe, Sherwood and others may pose interesting challenges.    Solid seasons, still questions    Sandy Pioneers (2-2) — Sandy is having a really solid season - with wins over Sunset and McMinnville, a narrow loss to Wilsonville and a shootout loss to Lakeridge.   The Pioneers aren't a true threat to win a start title, but that's not always the end game for every program.   This is shaping up to be a good season, and the community should be proud.    Sunset Apollos (2-2) — Sunset began the year with a tough loss to Sandy, bounced back with a pair of wins over Tigard and Roosevelt, then lost to a very solid Newberg squad (56-40).   The offense has scored at least 32 points in every game, so they bring plenty of firepower.   The big question is getting stops, and so far it's been a mixed bag.   West Salem Titans (4-0) - West Salem is off to a solid 4-0 start, but has yet to play a team on this list.   That changes this week, as they take on a suddenly very potent Willamette team .   That matchup will tell us a lot about both clubs    Sherwood Bowmen (2-2) — Sherwood started the season with a nice 31-18 victory over Roosevelt, then faced a back-to-back onslaught from West Linn and Tualatin, losing by a combined score of 92-7.   A 35-31 bounce-back performance against Tigard was much-needed.   This is a quality team.   But the top teams in 6A Oregon football remain in a higher tier.    Oregon City Pioneers (3-1) — After a 35-0 loss to Mountainside pushed Oregon City to 1-1, the Pioneers have bounced back nicely with big wins over Barlow (49-3) and Skyview (Washington), 33-7   Unlikely to make a deep playoff run, there's still plenty of reason to be encouraged by what we're seeing in Oregon City.    Glencoe Crimson Tide (4-0) — Glucose is off to a really nice 4-0 start — with wins over Jefferson (46-12), Clackamas (42-26), Southridge (49-18) and Westview (37-19).   Glencoe probably isn't a top-10 team by season's end, but coach Ian Reynoso should be proud of what his squad has accomplished early in the year.    Bigger tests await, but 4-0 is worthy of praise.

Believe it or not we are almost half way through the Oregon high school regular season.