Nelson Hawks: A look at Oregon’s 6A semifinalists

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When it comes to three of the state semifinalists it's the usual names and faces.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The one “outlier”?&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Nelson Hawks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/11/west-linn-lions-a-look-at-oregons-6a-semifinalists/">West Linn Lions preview</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/11/lake-oswego-lakers-a-look-at-oregons-6a-semifinalists/">Lake Oswego preview</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/11/central-catholic-rams-a-look-at-oregons-6a-semifinalists/">Central Catholic preview</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Just don't expect them to be satisfied with a state semifinal appearance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mt. Hood Conference champions are the state's No. 2-seed and are set to take Lake Oswego on Friday night at 7 p.m. at Hillsboro Stadium.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What can folks expect from Nelson?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This season, the Hawks are 10-1 overall and finished 5-0 in league play, outscoring opponents 404 to 205.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That's an average of 36.7 points per game while giving up 18.7, a healthy three-score margin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>However, Nelson has given up 34 points more than any of the other semifinalists - something to monitor.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After losing multi-year starting quarterback and first-team all-league selection Avirey Durdahl to graduation, Nelson was tasked with breaking in a new quarterback.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior Danny Leary proved to be more than up to the task, earning the Mt. Hood Offensive Player of the Year Award.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He threw for 1,862 yards with 26 touchdowns and just three interceptions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leary's emergence has been a massive development for the Hawks, and has proved to be a big part of their success.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At running back, Nelson is led by senior [player_tooltip player_id='1566149' first='Corbin' last='Croslin'], who rushed for 718 yards and 13 touchdowns on the year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='937176' first='Malachi' last='Garlington'] has been one of the state's best weapons this season, and should be a strong contender for all-state honors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 6-foot-3, 180-pound pass-catcher accumulated more than 800 yards and 18 touchdowns, proving to be a dangerous threat to score multiple times a game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tight end Cal Gradwahl, all-purpose threat Brody Austin and wide receiver Cooper Stevenson were also all-league selections capable of making big plays.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nelson's offensive line is led by first-team all-league selections Porter Maciag and [player_tooltip player_id='1345129' first='Jackson' last='Liepold'].&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defensively, Nelson's front is dangerous.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mt. Hood Defensive Player of the Year [player_tooltip player_id='1660150' first='Ian' last='Nix'] has accumulated double-digit sacks and senior [player_tooltip player_id='1660153' first='Abraham' last='Zhyryada'] was a first-team all-league selection.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That duo can wreak havoc.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At linebacker, Nelson boasts a trio of all-league performers in [player_tooltip player_id='937031' first='Drew' last='Newbury'] (4 sacks, 1 interception), [player_tooltip player_id='1245773' first='Asa' last='Kirkland'] and Tui Katanga, while Tanner Brand was an honorable mention selection.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The secondary is led by [player_tooltip player_id='1110921' first='Chaz' last='Katoanga'], an unquestionable all-state performer who has been one of the state's top players this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>During two marquee matchups this season the messages I got after the game were clear.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Chaz is the best player on the field.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He's special.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Garlington was an all-league selection at defensive back as well, showcasing his dynamic athleticism.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Biggest win(s): Lakeridge x 2, Central Catholic</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nelson started the year with a “surprising” 26-21 win over Lakeridge, a state title contender with 35 seniors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Turns out, it was only a foreshadow of what was to come.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nelson ran through the entire Oregon slate unscathed - with a 26-6 statement win over Central Catholic in late October.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last week's 21-7 win over Lakeridge in the rematch was never close.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was 21-0 - and Nelson absolutely dominated the game in the trenches.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Biggest loss: Timberline (Idaho)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nelson's only loss came to a 7-1 Timeline (Idaho) squad in its second game of the season, 43-15.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Close wins over Newberg (17-14) and Mountainside (42-35) are a bit worrying when compared to the resumes of West Linn and Lake Oswego, who have largely blasted opponents this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But nitpicking wins is a good way to underrate an opponent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Status: Dangerous newcomer</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nelson has elite athletes, a great group in the trenches, a conference player of the year at quarterback and an unblemished record in the state of Oregon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They haven't yet played an Oregon team as talented as either West Linn or Lake Oswego, but they believe they can win and should not be taken likely.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lake Oswego is going to be considered the favorite in the semifinal matchup, but the Hawks are a dangerous team when they're clicking.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->