Oregon high school football playoffs — quick stats, what to know for every 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A first-round matchup

The Oregon high school football playoffs kick off Friday; here's a look at every first-round matchup in 6A, 5A, 4A and 3A

The Oregon high school football playoffs kick off Friday. Here's a look at every first-round matchup in Class 6A, 5A, 4A and 3A. (Photo by Leon Neuschwander) 

All games 7 p.m. Friday unless noted 

FOOTBALL BRACKETS

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Class 6A Championship | Bracket

No. 16 West Salem (5-4) at No. 1 West Linn (9-0)

Quick stat: Only one in-state opponent has kept West Linn from reaching a running clock — Jesuit in Week 3. The Lions’ average margin of victory is 35 points per game.

First impression: The Titans stunned Sheldon last week to surge to the final spot in the 6A championship bracket, but they don’t have the firepower to hang with the Lions. West Linn takes care of business early.

No. 9 Lake Oswego (6-3) at No. 8 Jesuit (5-4)

Quick stat: The teams have met seven previous times in the playoffs since 2008. The Lakers are 5-2 in those meetings, but the Crusaders won their most recent game two years ago.

First impression: The marquee matchup of Round 1. Both teams rely on their ground games to control pace, and the Crusaders have found their rhythm over the past five weeks.

No. 12 Sheldon (6-3) at No. 5 Lakeridge (7-2)

Quick stat: These teams met two years ago in Eugene, where the Pacers surprised the Irish 40-7.

First impression: The Pacers are back in the championship bracket with a flourish, with two of the state’s top recruits in senior receiver Joey Olsen and sophomore running back Ansu Sanoe. The Irish need a big night from quarterback Colby Parosa to bounce back from a Week 9 loss to West Salem.

No. 13 North Medford (7-2) at No. 4 Central Catholic (9-0)

Quick stat: Rams quarterback Cru Newman has a 142.4 rating, throwing for 1,712 yards and 24 touchdowns despite sitting in the second half of two-thirds of games.

First impression: The loss of Oregon commit AJ Pugliano to a knee injury didn’t cost the Black Tornado in the 38th Black and Blue Bowl, but his ability to stretch the field will be missed against the Rams.

No. 14 Oregon City (5-4) at No. 3 Sherwood (9-0)

Quick stat: The Bowmen’s recent streak of seven shutouts was the state’s longest since Heppner posted seven consecutive shutouts during the 2007 season.

First impression: The Pioneers are one of the most improved teams in 6A this season, but they’ll have their work cut out to slow the Bowmen, a team SBLive recruiting expert Andrew Nemec called “the state’s best non-TRL/non-private school team by a country mile.”

No. 11 Tigard (4-5) at No. 6 South Salem (9-0)

Quick stat: Saxons quarterback Athan Palmateer returned to campus after a year at Sprague and emerged as a leading candidate for 6A offensive player of the year, throwing for 2,863 yards with 29 touchdowns and three interceptions and running for 567 yards and 11 scores.

First impression: The Tigers went from unbeaten in nonleague play to winless in the Three Rivers League. They won’t be intimidated going against the Saxons’ high-powered passing game.

No. 10 Nelson (7-2) at No. 7 Wells (8-1)

Quick stat: The Guardians allowed 28.4 points per game in winning the PIL title — 16th-best among the 16 championship bracket qualifiers.

First impression: The Hawks’ only losses were to West Linn and Central Catholic. They averaged 39.4 points while allowing just 7.4 in their seven wins, so they’re well-equipped to engage in a shootout with Wells’ old-school power-T attack.

No. 15 Roosevelt (7-2) at No. 2 Tualatin (8-1)

Quick stat: The Timberwolves went 4-1 with senior AJ Noland starting at quarterback in place of injured junior Nolan Keeney, who could return for Friday’s first-round game.

First impression: The Timberwolves survived Keeney’s broken collarbone to secure the No. 2 playoff seed. With Keeney set to return, can they return to the form they showed during a 4-0 start?

Class 6A Columbia Cup | Bracket

No. 16 Grants Pass (2-7) at No. 1 Liberty (6-3)

Quick stat: The Cavemen average just 11.1 points per game, ranking 41st out of the 44 teams playing 6A football this fall.

First impression: As long as the Falcons aren’t too disappointed about being the Cup’s top seed for a second consecutive season, they should be OK.

No. 9 Glencoe (3-6) at No. 8 Barlow (4-5)

Quick stat: The Bruins haven’t won a playoff game since their surprising run to the 2019 semifinals; the Crimson Tide seek their first playoff win since 2013.

First impression: This game is the only one to match two sub-.500 teams in the first round. Glencoe would like another shot at its crosstown rival after losing 28-7 to Liberty in Pacific Conference play.

No. 12 Sandy (4-5) at No. 5 Sunset (5-4)

Quick stat: This is a rematch from Week 1, when the Apollos won 26-21 in Sandy.

First impression: The Pioneers led 21-7 in the third quarter in that opening game before Sunset rallied. Can they slow down quarterback Drew Nees, who threw for 245 yards and three touchdowns in their first matchup?

No. 13 McMinnville (4-5) at No. 4 Mountainside (6-3)

Quick stat: Mavericks sophomore Jordan Hicks became the school’s first 1,000-yard rusher with his 189-yard performance last week, giving him 1,121 for the season.

First impression: The Grizzlies snapped a five-game losing streak with a 35-7 win at Century in their regular-season finale. Mountainside has won five of its past six.

No. 14 Franklin (5-4) at No. 3 Newberg (6-3)

Quick stat: The Lightning lost 74-60 to Wells last week, the sixth-most points by a losing team in the state’s modern era.

First impression: This game promises plenty of offensive fireworks. Franklin averages 37.7 points per game — but also allows 29.9. The Tigers are middle of the pack in both categories.

No. 11 Lincoln (4-5) at No. 6 Clackamas (5-4)

Quick stat: The Cavaliers had the smallest differential between points scored (180) and allowed (187) of any 6A school during the regular season.

First impression: The Cardinals won their final two regular-season games to qualify for the postseason. Now, they’ll seek the program’s first win against Clackamas since 2004 but will need a big game from senior Emmett Togni (827 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns), who has gone over 100 yards five times this season.

No. 10 North Salem (5-4) at No. 7 Grant (5-4)

Quick stat: Vikings senior Jamahl Wilson enters the postseason as 6A’s leading rusher with more than 1,550 yards.

First impression: The Generals gave up 315 rushing yards to Wells’ power-T in Week 3. How will they fare against North Salem’s wing-T?

No. 15 Jefferson (3-6) at No. 2 South Medford (6-3)

Quick stat: The Democrats haven’t won a road game in the postseason since 2009, when they beat Glencoe 41-21 en route to the 5A state final.

First impression: The Democrats started the season 0-6 but won their final three regular-season games to surge to one of the final Columbia Cup spots. Their reward? A six-hour trip south on I-5 to face a healthy South Medford team still smarting from its loss in the Black and Blue Bowl.

Class 5A | Bracket

No. 16 Crater (4-5) at No. 1 Wilsonville (8-1)

Quick stat: The Wildcats have won nine consecutive first-round matchups since 2012.

First impression: The Comets return to the postseason after a one-year absence but get one heck of an assignment — finding a way to slow down 5A’s highest-scoring offense (45.8 points per game).

No. 9 Dallas (6-3) at No. 8 Thurston (7-2)

Quick stat: These teams met in the postseason last year, with the Colts winning 27-14 in the quarterfinals.

First impression: The Colts rebounded from an 0-2 start to roll to their sixth consecutive Midwestern League title. The Dragons have proven to be road warriors in the playoffs — they’ve won as a double-digit seed in each of the past two postseasons.

No. 12 Canby (6-3) at No. 5 Summit (5-4)

Quick stat: Senior running back Tyler Konold recorded his third 1,000-yard season this fall to help the Cougars reach the NWOC championship game.

First impression: The Storm started the season 1-3 but rebounded to finish second in the Intermountain Conference. They haven’t lost a home playoff game since 2016 and will need to slow down Konold to keep that streak intact.

No. 13 Lebanon (5-4) at No. 4 Springfield (8-1)

7:30 p.m. Friday

Quick stat: The Millers are the fourth team that coach Frank Geske has guided to the playoffs as he seeks a third state title (Tigard in 2003; Marist Catholic in 2009).

First impression: Springfield kept its season together after losing starting quarterback Caeleb Kasperek, with senior running back Connor Dye capping a 1,782-yard season by rushing for 350 yards in a Week 9 win against Eagle Point.

No. 14 Eagle Point (5-4) at No. 3 Mountain View (9-0)

Quick stat: The Cougars have posted four shutouts this season and allowed just 46 points (5.1) in their first undefeated regular season since 2017.

First impression: The Eagles averaged 32.4 points per game during the regular season but didn’t face a defense close to what they’ll see Friday.

No. 11 McKay (6-3) at No. 6 Hillsboro (6-2)

Quick stat: The Spartans haven’t played a home playoff game in the past nine years and last won in the postseason in 2010.

First impression: Hillsboro’s hopes hinge on finding a way to slow down the Royal Scots’ passing duo of quarterback Kyrin Fuiamono and receiver Justice Anthony.

No. 10 Caldera (6-3) at No. 7 West Albany (7-2)

Quick stat: The Wolfpack made the postseason in their second varsity season by keeping games low-scoring — they scored fewer than 20 points per game but allowed just 14.3.

First impression: The Bulldogs have gone 2-2 since a 5-0 start and could need a big game from quarterback Lukas Hews (1,874 yards, 23 touchdowns).

No. 15 Hood River Valley (4-5) at No. 2 Silverton (9-0)

Quick stat: The Foxes completed their first undefeated regular season since 2014, when they reached the 5A final before losing to Hermiston.

First impression: The Eagles sneaked in the playoffs by finishing one ranking spot higher than Forest Grove and will need to find a way to slow down a Silverton offense that averages 45.7 points per game.

Class 4A | Bracket

No. 16 Gladstone (3-6) at No. 1 Henley (9-0)

Quick stat: The Hornets hadn’t finished a regular season undefeated since doing so back-to-back in 1999-2000.

First impression: The Gladiators aren’t strangers to pulling “upsets” as a low seed — they won at Marist Catholic last year as the No. 14 — but this one seems like a bridge too far.

No. 9 Junction City (7-2) at No. 8 Baker (5-4)

1 p.m. Saturday 

Quick stat: The Tigers haven’t won a road playoff game in the past 20 years and last won in the postseason in 2004.

First impression: Both teams played in de facto league championship games last week. Junction City lost at home to Marist Catholic, and Baker won at Pendleton — its fifth consecutive win after an 0-4 start.

No. 12 Cascade (6-3) at No. 5 Tillamook (7-2)

Quick stat: The teams last met two years ago, when the Cougars put a 62-20 beatdown on the Cheesemakers.

First impression: The bracketing gods did the Cheesemakers no favors in their bid to return to the state final. The Cougars are probably underseeded at No. 12.

No. 13 Ashland (6-3) at No. 4 Scappoose (8-1)

6 p.m. Friday

Quick stat: These two playoff perennials have never played in their long histories.

First impression: Two of 4A’s best junior quarterbacks will square off as the Grizzlies’ JoJo Harrower and Scappoose’s Max Nowlin lead their respective offenses.

No. 14 Estacada (4-5) at No. 3 Seaside (6-3)

Quick stat: The Rangers averaged 40.2 points per game last year in winning the state title but just 19 per game this season.

First impression: The Rangers must find a way to slow down Seagulls sophomore Ryder Jackson, who has rushed for 839 yards in the five-plus games since junior Jake White went down with an injury.

No. 11 Marshfield (5-4) at No. 6 La Salle Prep (8-1)

Quick stat: The Falcons allowed a 4A-low 63 points (7.0 per game) in the regular season and did not allow a point in five Tri-Valley Conference games.

First impression: The Pirates finished the regular season on a high, knocking off Mazama 26-20 to clinch second place in the Big Sky Conference. Their offense ranks 13th out of 16 playoff qualifiers — not a good combination with the Falcons’ lights-out defense.

No. 10 Pendleton (7-2) at No. 7 Mazama (6-3)

6 p.m. Friday

Quick stat: The Vikings average around three pass attempts per game, easily the fewest of any 4A team.

First impression: Both teams limp into the postseason. The Buckaroos were without starting quarterback Jace Otteson in their Week 9 loss to Baker, and the Vikings dropped their last two games — the first time in the past 10 years they lost consecutive games.

No. 15 Crook County (4-5) at No. 2 Marist Catholic (8-1)

Quick stat: Junior Nick Hudson threw for a 4A-leading 2,514 yards and 33 touchdowns to lead the Spartans to a second consecutive district title.

First impression: The Cowboys offense never recovered from a season-ending injury to Oregon State commit Eddie Freauff in Week 1. They’ll be challenged to keep up with the Spartans’ aerial attack.

Class 3A | Bracket

No. 16 Burns (4-4) at No. 1 Banks (9-0)

6 p.m. Friday

Quick stat: Perhaps it’s no surprise considering the distance between the schools, but this is their first meeting.

First impression: The Hilanders won their final three regular-season games to return to the playoffs, and their defense (16.3 points per game) could trouble Banks and keep the game closer than a typical 1-16 matchup.

No. 9 Elmira (7-2) at No. 8 North Valley (7-2)

Quick stat: The Falcons’ seven wins are their most in a season since 2013.

First impression: This could be an interesting first-round matchup. The Falcons rely heavily on quarterback Quinton Buckland (2,465 total yards, 27 touchdowns), and the Knights allow just 15.8 points per game.

No. 12 Scio (7-2) at No. 5 Lakeview (8-1)

1 p.m. Saturday

Quick stat: It’s been six years since these teams last met in the postseason, when the Loggers won 68-31 in the first round of the 2017 playoffs.

First impression: How well the Honkers handle Scio’s Diesel offense will go a long way in determining the winner. If Lakeview wins, it could meet Kennedy for the third consecutive postseason.

No. 13 South Umpqua (6-3) at No. 4 Kennedy (8-1)

Quick stat: The Trojans have reached an OSAA state final in each of the past four full seasons.

First impression: Kennedy’s bid to become the first five-in-a-row finalist since Amity (1998-2003) continues against the 2021 runner-up Lancers, who claimed the final playoff berth out of the Far West League.

No. 14 Siuslaw (5-4) at No. 3 Dayton (9-0)

Quick stat: The Pirates averaged 382.2 rushing yards per game and scored 43 touchdowns on the ground in winning the PacWest Conference title.

First impression: The 2021 champion Vikings lost three in a row before a 51-7 regular-season-ending win over Pleasant Hill. It’s hard to imagine them slowing the Pirates’ wing-T.

No. 11 Yamhill-Carlton (6-3) at No. 6 Sisters (8-1)

Quick stat: The Outlaws’ eight wins are their most in a season since they went 13-1 and reached the 2007 Class 4A state final.

First impression: The Tigers enter the postseason red-hot, winners of five in a row after a 1-3 start. Only one of those wins was against a playoff team, however, and certainly no one of the caliber of the Mountain Valley Conference champions.

No. 10 Santiam Christian (7-3) at No. 7 Vale (8-0)

6 p.m. MDT Friday

Quick stat: These teams played in Week 1, with the Vikings romping to a 46-6 victory at a neutral-site game in Umatilla.

First impression: The Vikings boast 3A’s second-stingiest defense, allowing just 5.4 points per game and posting shutouts in their final three regular-season games. The Eagles have improved since Week 1 but would still be a heavy underdog after their seven-hour bus ride.

No. 15 Warrenton (5-4) at No. 2 Cascade Christian (9-0) 

11 a.m. Saturday 

Quick stat: The Challengers have scored the most points (47.8 per game) and allowed the fewest (5.0 per game) of any 3A team. 

First impression: Cascade Christian has won 22 consecutive games and continues its title defense against 3A’s only at-large qualifier. It’s not hard to envision a 23rd consecutive victory.

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