Oregon High School Football Week 1: 3 Up, 3 Down

Week 1 of the Oregon high school football season is in the books, with notable results around the state — led by No. 2 West Linn's impressive 45-20 victory over No. 3 Central Catholic on its brand-new turf field.

The Lions weren't the only team to take a step forward. Who else saw their fortunes rise, and who will be looking to rebound after the first full week of the season?

Three Up

West Linn

The Lions avenged last year's OSAA Class 6A playoff loss to Central Catholic behind a punishing running game that produced 363 yards. Junior Cohen Bissell led the way with a career-high 220 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries.

“He is unreal,” West Linn coach Anthony Newman said of the 5-foot-10, 180-pounder. “He runs low to the ground. He has great vision. He runs compact, so he’s not out here — he’s nice and tight, and people just bounce off him left and right. So, it’s unbelievable, and he’s only going to get better.”

Klamath Union

The Pelicans hadn't beaten crosstown rival Mazama in the Canal Bowl in 12 tries, nor had they started a season 2-0 since 2012.

Both streaks ended emphatically with a 35-24 victory over the Vikings. Reese Johnson threw for 284 yards and four touchdowns, while Nolan Baker's 91-yard interception return for a touchdown with 11 seconds remaining in the third quarter swung the momentum in Klamath Union's favor.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this senior class,” KU coach Josh Overstreet said. “When I first took over this program (three years ago), they were all sophomores, so to see them be the class to end the streak makes it even more special for me.”

Heppner

The Mustangs improved to 2-0 with a 60-6 rout of St. Paul and have won their first two games by a combined 104-6, serving notice to their fellow Class 2A contenders that they intend to be part of the championship conversation.

“I was really impressed with how our O-line played,” Heppner coach Robert Wilson said. “I felt our line really improved from last week.”

Three Down

Jesuit

New coach Phil Rombach's debut didn't go as planned, with the Crusaders falling 38-0 at Nelson. The Crusaders were held to 105 total yards and eight first downs as they were shut out for the first time since Week 1 of the 2023 season.

“I think this is really just a wake-up call to us,” Jesuit’s all-state running back Luke Ortner told The Oregonian newspaper. “I think the sky’s the limit for this team. I don’t think we played at all to our potential.”

Forest Grove

Any time you score 50 points in your season debut at home, you’d figure you’d come away with the victory. Unfortunately for the Vikings, that wasn't the case as South Salem's “Air Saxon” passing attack shredded the Forest Grove defense in a 76-50 defeat.

Senior QB Kellen Bowman, who threw for 3,214 yards a year ago, kicked off his year by throwing for 575 yards and six touchdowns, with Ben Greer catching 14 balls for 209 yards and Sam Johnson hauling in nine for 164 yards.

Philomath

A year ago, the Warriors appeared to qualify for the Class 4A playoffs, only to lose their spot after it was determined they had inadvertently used a player for too many quarters in their playoff-clinching Week 9 victory. The difficult stretch has carried into this season, with Philomath falling to 0-2 after a 36-7 loss to Marshfield. The Warriors started three freshmen on the offensive line, leaving coach Alex Firth with a young group facing a steep learning curve before league play begins.

What Week 1 Means Going Forward

One week won't define any team's season. For West Linn, Klamath Union and Heppner, Week 1 provided early momentum. For Jesuit, Forest Grove and Philomath, Week 2 offers the first opportunity to change direction.

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