Football

Home teams went 24-2 during the weekend to set up a powerhouse line-up of prep football quarterfinals and semifinals this weekend.

Among the games, Portland power Grant plays at Sheldon, Tigard plays at Jesuit and the top seeds in Class 5A through 1A will play in the semifinals in one of two doubleheaders or one of two tripleheaders set for Friday or Saturday.

Of the 14 teams seeded No. 1 in the six playoff brackets, only one has been upset on its home field.

The state finals for Class 5A through 1A are scheduled for Dec. 3, while the Class 6A final is set for Dec. 10.

Among the semifinalists, Sherwood, Rainier and Scio continued toward defending the championship they won last year.

Jesuit's 22-14 win over Tualatin Friday moved the Crusaders one step closer to winning a title the school needs to keep its 20-year streak of titles in at least one fall sport alive.

The tripleheaders set for Hillsboro Stadium or Cottage Grove Saturday feature one semifinal each from among Class 4A, 3A and 2A, while the Class 5A semifinals will be played at Willamette University Friday and the Class 1A semfinals will be played at Summit High School in Bend on Saturday.

The four Class 6A quarterfinals will be played at home sites: Sheldon, Jesuit, Roseburg and Jeld-Wen Field, where Central Catholic plays its home games.

STATE PLAYOFFS

CLASS 6A SECOND ROUND
CENTRAL CATHOLIC 48, Thurston 27
GRANT 41, Canby 14
JESUIT 22, Tualatin 14
LAKE OSWEGO 49, West Salem 28
OREGON CITY 28, David Douglas 18
SHELDON 45, Lincoln 21
Roseburg 48, SOUTH MEDFORD 7
TIGARD 48, Southridge 17

CLASS 5A QUARTERFINALS
MARIST 49, Wilsonville 14
MOUNTAIN VIEW 42, Lebanon 21
SHERWOOD 14, Ashland 3
WEST ALBANY 28, Bend 21

CLASS 4A QUARTERFINALS
CENTRAL 36, Klamath Union 7
ELMIRA 35, Douglas 7
SIUSLAW 35, Baker 18
LA SALLE PREP 32, North Bend 30

CLASS 3A QUARTERFINALS
DAYTON 55, Pleasant Hill 19
RAINIER 58, Lakeview / Paisley 17
SANTIAM CHRISTIAN 18, Nyssa 14
CASCADE CHRISTIAN 21, Horizon Christian 18

CLASS 2A QUARTERFINALS
OAKLAND 14, Monroe 6
Weston-McEwen 20, KENNEDY 6
SCIO 50, Lost River 0
GOLD BEACH 28, Regis 16

CLASS 1A QUARTERFINALS
PERRYDALE 42, St. Paul 12
CRANE 34, Sherman 28
CAMAS VALLEY 60, Dufur 0
TRIAD 42, Imbler 14

The Grant Generals showed off their love for big plays consistently in a 41-14 win over Canby Friday night at Lincoln High.

Junior Nathan Halverson scored on a 36-yard run, 64-yard reception and 97-yard kickoff return and sophomore defensive back Cordell Harris ran back an interception 100 yards for a score at the close of the first half that boosted the Generals into the quarterfinals of the OSAA/U.S. Bank/Les Schwab Tires state playoffs.

Junior back Bryant Peek sparked the offense with 150 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries and senior quarterback Paris Penn threw for two scores, including a 5-yard connection with senior Jamarr Graves who had been left completely uncovered on the play.

With the win, the Generals advance to the quarterfinals and a trip to Eugene to play top-ranked Sheldon Friday.

Grant improved to 9-2 overall. Sheldon moved to 11-0 after beating Lincoln Friday.

Of all the big plays the Generals had Friday, none were more vital than the interception return.

Trying to fend off a last-second score at the close of the first half, Harris stepped in front of a severly underthrown pass at the goal line and ran for a score that turned what might have been a one-possession game into a 28-6 halftime lead the Cougars were unable to overcome.

The football team at Jesuit has annual expectations for bringing a state championship home to the school, but this year that expectation has special importance - at least for historical purposes.

Jesuit has not won a state title yet this fall, something that hasn't happened since 1990.

Since the Crusaders won the boys soccer title in 1991, which was its fourth in six years, the school has won a state title every year in at least one fall sport: cross country, volleyball, boys and girls soccer and football.

Every year.

Five times in the 20-year streak, Jesuit has won three titles, including last year when it won titles in boys and girls soccer and girls cross country. The volleyball team finished second, the boys cross country team finished third and the football team reached the semifinals, completing one of the most successful athletic seasons for any school in the state, and perhaps across the nation. 

The boys soccer team started the streak by winning four straight titles beginning in '91 (streak years 91-94). The girls team won six straight state titles beginning in '94 (95-99). Boys cross country won in 2000. Boys soccer won 2001, and girls cross country has won the team title every year since 2002.

This fall, the boys cross country team placed fourth and the girls team placed third. The volleyball team reached the state final, but lost the championship match for the third straight year. The boys soccer team, seeded first in its quarter of the 32-team bracket, lost in the quarterfinals. The girls soccer team, also seeded first, lost in the quarterfinals as well.

That leaves the football team, seeded first in its quarter of the 32-team bracket, to carry the weight of the school's fall title streak.

Jesuit, ranked fourth at the end of the season, plays host to fourth seed Tualatin at 7 p.m.

Winning state is certainly within reach of the school's football program. For starters, Jesuit has reached the state playoffs every year since 1992, a 19-year streak that is the longest of any OSAA school at any classification. In that span, the Crusaders have reached the title game four times and won three.

Recently, the program has been ultrasuccessful. Jesuit has reached the semifinals six times in the last seven season, missing out only in 2007, the only time in the 19-year streak that the team hasn't won at least one playoff game.

Here's a listing of Jesuit's success in fall team sports since winning the boys soccer title in 1991. The titles total 39 in 20 years.

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

2000, 2002, 2004, 2008

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

VOLLEYBALL

2004

BOYS SOCCER

1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2010

GIRLS SOCCER

1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010

FOOTBALL

2000, 2005, 2006

The elimination round of the state playoffs began for most of the state last week, but they weren't counted as actual playoff games historically.

Actual playoff games begin this week, with teams seeded No. 1 through 8 at all six classifications.

They're seeded through No. 8 in two brackets for classes 1 through 5 and in four brackets at Class 6A.

Of the four teams seeded No. 1 in the six classifications, five will be looking for their first title: Lake Oswego and West Linn at Class 6A, La Salle at 4A, Santiam Christian at 3A and Crane at 1A.

Two are defending champions: Sherwood at 5A and Scio at 2A, which is a two-time defending champion.

Dayton, making its 26th playoff appearance, will be looking for its seventh state title, the last coming in 2002.

Jesuit and Marist will both be looking for title No. 6. Both have lengthy playoff streaks - Jesuit 19 straight seasons, Marist 15 straight.

Gold Beach is making its eighth-straight playoff appearance, but hasn't won a title since 1963.

Camas Valley has won four titles, but none since 1990. The Hornets lost in the Class 1A title game last season.

This year's playoffs will not include the state's two most successful programs: Vale and North Medford. Vale, with 67 playoff wins, suffered through a 1-8 season in Class 3A, and North Medford, with 66 playoff wins - most before South Medford was created in 1986, lost at David Douglas in the 6A play-in round Friday.

It took a fortuitous bounce on a punt and a couple big catches by senior Ray Burney III, but the Jefferson football team continued to be the class of the Portland Interscholastic League Friday with a 36-19 win over visiting Parkrose in the play-in round of the OSAA Class 5A state playoffs.

Jefferson led 24-19 at the start of the fourth quarter, but momentum had clearly shifted to the Broncos, who had rallied from a 24-7 halftime deficit to within just needing the ball to drive for another score. But the punt bounced off the back of a blocking back and the Demos recovered at the Parkrose 40.

The ensuing possession, though, went backward due to penalties and Jefferson faced third and 18 when quarterback Deven Jackson tossed a screen to Burney, who streaked up the left sideline for a 19-yard gain and a first down. After another first down, Jackson hooked up with Burney on an 18-yard scoring pass for a 30-19 lead with 7:01 left.

The Demos slid another score between a pair of stalled Parkrose drives and reached the 16-team playoff round for the sixth straight year. Jefferson is the lone Portland Interscholastic League team in the final 16 and is the lone PIL team to have won a playoff game since the state moved to six classifications in 2006.

"We've been thinking we have to represent the league," Burney said afterward. "Everyone thinks our league is weak, so we have to prove them wrong. And you do that by winning."

Jefferson, which entered the playoffs ranked No. 21 among the 37 Class 5A teams, are expected to play at Mountain View of Bend next week. The Demos have reached at least the quarterfinals the past five years and played in the championship game in 2009. Twice in the past five seasons, they've played Mountain View, splitting the two games.

The remaining three PIL teams in the play-in round lost Frdiay, including Benson's 61-0 defeat at top-ranked Sherwood. The PIL finished the season with the five lowest-ranked teams. Franklin lost at Liberty 35-14 and Wilson lost at Wilsonville.

Parkrose's playoff misery continues. The Broncos won a play-in round game last year and reached the playoffs for the first time in 28 years last season, but lost in the round of 16. Parkrose has still not won a playoff game in its history, although the school is hopeful about next season after a class of 25 freshmen played through the fall.

Roseburg and South Medford renew their rivalry, while Sunset takes aim at a long losing streak and the top 3A and 2A teams meet as the prep football community springs into action again tonight.

Both Roseburg and South Medford have dominated their opponents at Class 6A this season. The Indians are 4-0 and ranked No. 1 in the OSAA power poll having outscored opponents 145-20. South Medford is 4-0 and No. 10 having outscored its opponents 184-42, including a 56-0 win over crosstown rival North Medford. The teams are set to meet in Roseburg.

Sunset has also dominated its opposition this season and is looking to beat neighboring Jesuit for the first time since 1993. The Apollos have racked up 183 points while allowing just 14 - all in the first quarter of their season-opening 21-14 win over Gresham. Since that quarter, Sunset hasn't allowed a point.

Jesuit is 2-2 and has given up 35 or more points in three of its games, including a 49-21 loss to Lake Oswego last week.

At Class 3A, Rainier travels to Scio for a duel among two of the top small schools. Both have wins over Washington schools this season.

Sherwood, the top-ranked school at Class 5A, plays host to Liberty in a Northwest Oregon Conference game, while No. 2 Marist, which has won its three Midwestern League games by a combined 157-14, plays host to Eagle Point, 2-2.

Siuslaw, the top 4A team at 3-0, is averaging 42 points per game as it heads to Sutherlin, 2-2.

At Class 1A, top-ranked Perrydale plays at Falls City, which is coming off a 68-16 loss to St. Paul.

For a league needing a big win, the Grant Generals pulled off a huge surprise in front of a large home crowd Friday.

Trailing 20-10, the Generals outscored defending state champion Aloha 41-7 thereafter and won 51-27 in a non-league prep football game.

Grant forced four fumbles and returned an interception for a touchdown to improve to 2-1 overall, while handing Aloha its first defeat.

"This is a huge win for us not only because we won, but because we bounced back from losing last week," Grant coach Diallo Lewis said. "We think of ourselves as a team that can win the state title and this is a great win to boost our confidence that can happen."

Grant, which finished 5-5 last year, plays host to Beaverton of the Metro League Friday. The Generals beat Westview 34-31 in Week 1, but lost 49-24 at Tigard last week.

Aloha, which lost just once last season, beat Lincoln and Tualatin in the opening two weeks of the season and plays host to Lakeridge on Friday.

Defending Class 6A state champion Aloha picked up right where it left off last season with a methodical 35-12 win over visiting Lincoln in a non-league football game Friday night.

Junior Thomas Tyner, the returning state Player of the Year, ran for 183 yards and two touchdowns and the Apollos were scored on their five of their first six possessions, being held down only by the clock for halftime, on their way to a 35-0 lead.

Senior Cory Sinner, making his first start at quarterback, threw for a pair of touchdowns and ran for one in leading Aloha to its five scores, including two drives that began insider its 15-yard line.

Lincoln scored twice in the fourth quarter.

Next up, Aloha faces Tualatin in a rematch of the state title game in December, which the Apollos won 34-13 to avenge their only loss from the season.

Tualatin beat Grants Pass 13-3 in its season opener.

Lincoln               0      0        0       12  - 12

Aloha                 14    14      7         0  - 35

Aloha - Raymond Ayo 8 pass from Cory Sinner (Lenana Meekisho kick)

Aloha - Ryan Russo 21 pass frm Sinner (Meekisho kick)

Aloha - Thomas Tyner 4 run (Meekisho kick)

Aloha - Sinner 19 run (Meekisho kick)

Aloha - Tyner 1 run (Meekisho kick)

Lincoln - Spencer Rotenberg 23 pass from Vance Koleman (run failed)

Lincoln - Andrew Ellsworth 4 run (kick failed)

VIEW PHOTO GALLERY

When the athletic year began at North Portland’s Jefferson High School last Monday, the athletic budget began with its seasonal influx from the district athletic budget.

$5,000.00.

Every season, each of the nine high school in the Portland Public School system receives $5,000 for things such as equipment, training supplies and travel. It leaves each team: varsity, junior varsity and freshman; at a school essentially on its own to raise money to operate.

At Jefferson, the football program, which has won the PIL’s Class 5A district title in three of the last four years and played in the 5A title game in 2009, the program has regularly struggled to raise funds from neighboring supporters. Last season, a poster with the team’s schedule raised $350, about 10 percent of what suburban schools might raise from a similar poster.

The budget challenge has regularly been handled through the wallet of coach Anthony Stoudamire.

On Monday, though, the program hoped to establish an annual form of fundraising by holding a bowling event at Southeast Portland’s Grand Central Bowl.

The event ran 7 p.m. and run through 9:30 p.m. with each game priced at $10 with all proceeds benefiting the football program.

The night raised $820, which fell short of the total the group of organizers were aiming for, but the event was a big success in turnout, with numerous alumni showing up.

The turnout supported the goal Stoudamire hoped to accomplish of raising awareness of the team's needs.

“We’re very excited about what this event might become for our program,” Stoudamire said Friday. “It’s an event that has the potential to raise a lot of money, but also gives us a chance to build the support for the program and for the school throughout our community.”

Promoting the event has helped the team’s coaches and volunteers focus on who their core supporters are: neighboring businesses, alumni, teachers at the school or feeder schools and parents.

In finding economic supporters, the program is hoping to also build a community fanbase, which has largely been non-existent in the past years. Jefferson attracts crowds of hundreds of fans for many of its basketball home games, but only dozens for football games.

“It’s a shame the team doesn’t have more of a community following because it’s done a great job of representing the school,” says Murray Todd, a Jefferson graduate and team supporter. “But the community around the school has been a troubling issue for quite a while.

“This is the kind of event that can bring the school and community together, and it would be especially helpful this year because of the redesign.”

Jefferson, as part of a district-wide redesign, is the home of a Middle College, which allows students to take college classes during their junior and senior year and earn credits toward a degree.

The high school football season begins Friday across the state. Jefferson has a home game scheduled with Crescent Valley of Corvallis.

Just a year after reaching the state playoffs for the first time in 13 years, Aloha won its first state title with a 34-13 win over Tualatin at Reser Stadium.

Thomas Tyner ran for 163 yards and a touchdown, Jesse Brenner caught a scoring pass and returned an interception for a touchdown and the Warriors’ defense recorded five turnovers in the win.

Aloha finished 13-1, two years after a 2-7 season in which they were outscored 197-54 in five Metro League games.

Tualatin, which played in the 2007 final, finished 13-1.

Aloha led 24-0 when Tualatin scored twice and got the ball back on the Aloha 39 with 39 seconds left in the third quarter. They were only able to gain eight yards before turning the ball over on downs. Aloha drove 51 yards in 10 plays for a 35-yard field goal by Brock Hemphill and a 27-13 lead.

Tualatin again drove into Aloha territory behind quarterback Matt Yarbrough, but stalled at the Warrior 27.