Les Schwab Bowl becomes Tigard Bowl this season as Tigers teammates square off for bragging rights

By Dan Brood

In Saturday’s Les Schwab Bowl, a high school football all-star game featuring many of the top players from around the state, it will be Team Columbia facing off against Team Willamette.

That matchup will provide plenty of intensity and excitement.

But the game within the game is very intriguing as well.

That game within the game is Tigard vs. Tigard — and both sides want the victory and the bragging rights that go with it.

Team Columbia will feature Tigard linebacker Vaughn Croxton (6-foot-1, 230 pounds) and defensive lineman Reese Hare (6-5, 230). Team Willamette will counter with Tigard running back Konner Grant (5-10, 175) and linebacker Henry Masters (6-4, 215).

While all four Tigers — each a 2023 Tigard graduate — want to come away victorious in Saturday’s game, which will be held at Linfield University in McMinnville, they’re all happy that Tigard is well-represented in this year’s all-star contest.

“I think it’s a huge deal for a lot of us,” Grant said after Team Willamette’s practice Tuesday. “I don’t think we had anybody in the game last year, so for us seniors, this was something we were looking forward to. We felt like we kind of earned our chance to be in this game, so we’re all excited to play against each other. It’s going to be fun.”

“It’s great. I’ve worked my butt off for this. Growing up, as a kid, you watch these games and dream about being here one day, and now that I’m here, it’s awesome,” Hare said before Team Columbia’s Tuesday practice. “We grew up together, played together. Half of us are on one team and half on the other. It’s great to get to play against each other.”

“It means a lot,” Croxton said. “It’s the last time we’ll play as high schoolers. And it means a lot to get to play against our teammates on the other team.”

While things seem friendly now, the intensity could be turned up Saturday night. That could be the case when Team Willamette has the ball, and Grant could be running right at Croxton.

“It’s a fun opportunity to go up against our own guys. Konner’s going to go up against Vaughn — he’ll be lining up against him. Vaughn will be fired up to hit him. It’s going to be good to go up against some good competition,” Masters said. “We’ve been talking about it. Vaughn has been running his mouth early. We’ll see what happens on Saturday.”

“Vaughn and I have been sending texts back and forth, because he’s a linebacker and I’m a running back,” Grant said. “But it’s all friendly.”

“It’s going to be great to face off against him (Grant),” Croxton said. “I’ve never had to compete with him before, only during practice, but this time, it’s on. It’s pretty cool. We’re going to go out there and compete.”

Compete for some long-lasting bragging rights, that is.

“That’s pretty important for me,” Hare said. “Every time that I’ll see them, in college or during the summer or whenever, I can be like, ‘Remember that time I beat you in the Les Schwab Bowl?’ And if they beat us, then we won’t talk about it.”

No matter the outcome, the four Tigard graduates, who helped the Tigers reach the Class 6A state playoff last fall, will treasure one more time together on the gridiron.

“That’s pretty important to me and everyone around us,” Masters said.

“This will probably be the last time for all of us that we’re playing on the field together,” Grant said. “We’re all looking forward to that and to meeting new people. It’s all part of the experience.”

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Proceeds from this year’s Les Schwab Bowl, presented by Express Employment Professionals, will benefit the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association general scholarship fund, the Brayden Bafaro Scholarship Fund, and various youth charities.

This is the 75th game in the series, but just the second that won’t be North vs. South. Instead, players were drafted by the Team Columbia coaching staff, with head coach Steve Pyne from Central Catholic, and by the Team Willamette coaching staff, with head coach Josh Line from Sheldon. In last year’s game, the first under this format, Team Columbia posted a 28-9 win over Team Willamette.

Gates will open at 3 p.m. Saturday, with food carts on site. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m.

Tickets for the game can be purchased at lesschwabbowl.com/tickets. The game can also be streamed online, at a cost of $10, at lesschwabbowl.com.