Every Thursday, Coaches Aid will spotlight the top match ups for the coming week. Care to predict? Visit our forums!
Will Storey and Lake Oswego will battle with West Linn for first place in the Three Rivers League. (Photo by Dusty Myers)
Football
WEST LINN (4-1) at LAKE OSWEGO (3-3) – Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m.
The only two unbeaten teams in the Three Rivers League meet in this battle of Top 10 teams. Lake Oswego has won three straight in impressive fashion after starting 0-3. West Linn is 4-0 since a 35-26 season-opening loss to Southridge. The Lions have outscored their last three opponents 146-17.
HILLSBORO (5-1) at SHERWOOD (6-0) – Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m.
The elusive Steven Long (11) leads the Bowmen with 842 yards rushing this season. (Photo by Blake Thiess)
The game of the year in the Northwest Oregon Conference pits No. 1 Sherwood and No. 3 Hillsboro. Sherwood found the sledding easy in its first two conference games, beating Liberty 56-13 and Century 46-0. The Bowmen have been led by dynamic sophomore Steven Long. He’s rushed for 842 yards on 68 carries and scored nine touchdowns. Michael Balfour has added 446 yards and 11 touchdowns on 64 carries. Sherwood’s defense, stingy so far this season, will meet its biggest challenge in trying to slow Hillsboro’s magnificent playmaker, Colt Lyerla.
SCIO (6-0) at KENNEDY (3-3) – Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m.
No. 3 Scio has yet to allow more than 12 points in any game this season, including a 44-7 win over then-No. 5 Lost River. The Loggers have been equally effective offensively by averaging better than 45 points per game behind running back Coulter Mastenbroek. He is coming off his best performance of the season, rushing for 285 yards and four touchdowns on just 15 touches against Blanchet. That put him over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. No. 4 Kennedy is battled tested, opening the season with No. 2 Heppner (a 30-23 loss), No. 1 Knappa (a 56-18 loss) and Class 3A No. 6 Willamina (a 15-11 loss). The Trojans have responded with three resounding victories, including a 33-6 win over then-No. 4 Culver last week.
PERRYDALE (6-0) at ST. PAUL (6-0) – Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m.
The stakes are usually high when these two Casco League rivals meet. The last 10 years, one of these teams has won the league title. This year is no exception with both posting six dominant victories and carrying top 5 rankings. No. 2 Perrydale, which beat St. Paul 26-22 last season, is led on the ground by Thomas Gallagher and Blake Barnes. Gallagher scored three touchdowns last week in the Pirates’ 66-16 win over Alsea. No. 3 St. Paul has scored 70 or more in its last two games. The Buckaroos are led by running back Ryan Pierson.
OTHERS TO WATCH:
West Salem at South Salem (Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m.); Crescent Valley at Glencoe (Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m.); Scappoose at Astoria (Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m.).
Volleyball
BEND CLEARWATER CLASSIC – Saturday, Oct. 17, 8 a.m.
Some of the state’s best Class 6A and Class 5A teams will be on hand for this 23-team tournament. Six of the Top 10 Class 6A teams (Central Catholic, Jesuit, West Linn, Gresham, Roseburg and Canby) and six of the Top 10 Class 5A teams (Crook County, Summit, Mountain View, Ashland, West Albany and Thurston) will compete.
Sheldon's Gabbi Parker (background) can take a step toward clinching the SWC title with a win against Roseburg. (Photo by Blake Thiess)
ROSEBURG at SHELDON – Thursday, Oct. 22, 7 p.m.
The top two squads in the Southwest Conference do battle for a third time this season. Roseburg took the first meeting, 2-1 at the Rogue Valley Classic. But Sheldon won the first league game on Roseburg’s home floor behind a monster game from standout Gabbi Parker (30 kills). Roseburg, led by Devan Belshe, will look to return the favor.
OTHERS TO WATCH:
Willamina at Sheridan (Tuesday, Oct. 20, 6 p.m.); Griswold at Union (Tuesday, Oct. 20, 5 p.m.).
Boys Soccer
WOODBURN at CORVALLIS – Friday, Oct. 16, 4 p.m.
CRESCENT VALLEY at WOODBURN – Tuesday, Oct. 20, 4 p.m.
No. 4 Woodburn enters a difficult stretch of games in the Mid-Willamette Conference, taking on No. 6 Corvallis and then No. 2 and unbeaten Crescent Valley. Corvallis has won four straight and has outscored its last three opponents 26-1. Crescent Valley has posted shutouts in its last three games prior to Friday’s meeting with Lebanon. Woodburn, the defending league champion, has won five in a row. The Bulldogs posted a pair of one-goal victories against Corvallis and Crescent Valley last season – their closest conference games.
RIVERDALE at CATLIN GABEL – Friday, Oct. 16, 6:15 p.m.
Top-ranked Catlin Gabel has recorded four straight shutouts – one of those a 2-0 win against No. 2 Oregon Episcopal – and receives another league test against No. 3 Riverdale, the only other unbeaten team in District 1.
OTHERS TO WATCH:
Hillsboro at Glencoe (Tuesday, Oct. 20, 4 p.m.); Umatilla at Riverside (Tuesday, Oct. 20, 4 p.m.); Central at Philomath (Thursday, Oct. 22, 4:30 p.m.); Westview at Sunset (Thursday, Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m.).
Girls Soccer
LIBERTY at SHERWOOD – Tuesday, Oct. 20, 6:30 p.m.
Sherwood has cemented its status as a top 5 team with a 10-0 start to the season. The No. 4 Bowmen have allowed just one goal, and that came during a 3-1 win against Liberty. The two teams shared the league title last season and Liberty can make that a possibility again with a win in this game. The Falcons are 4-0-1 since its loss to Sherwood, including a 13-0 win over Parkrose.
SUNSET at WESTVIEW – Thursday, Oct. 22, 6:15 p.m.
Top-ranked Westview was cruising with wins over Washington powers Skyline and Eastlake and a 2-0 win against Metro foe Jesuit, which was ranked No. 1 nationally by ESPN at the time of the game, when the Wildcats took on No. 7 Sunset for the first time on Oct. 2. The two teams played to a 0-0 draw and face each other for a second time. Sunset will be looking to bounce back from its first Metro League setback, a 5-0 loss to Jesuit.
OTHERS TO WATCH:
Cottage Grove at Marist (Monday, Oct. 19, 4:30 p.m.); Grant at Lincoln (Tuesday, Oct. 20, 7 p.m.); Catlin Gabel at Oregon Episcopal (Thursday, Oct. 22, 6:15 p.m.)
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