Oregon High School Football Week 8: Who's Up, Who's Down

Week 8 of the Oregon high school football season is in the books, with league championships decided and playoff hopes dashed around the state.

So, who saw their fortunes rise as we reach the final week of the regular season? And who needs their luck to change with one week remaining before the postseason arrives?

Three Up

Jesuit

When the Crusaders got off to a 1-2 start, it looked like they would undergo a transition season under first-year coach Phil Rombach as he took over for the state’s all-time wins leader Ken Potter, who retired last year after 39 years and 368 victories.

Instead, Jesuit has adjusted to a new offense that still features a steady diet of senior RB Luke Ortner but also highlights the right arm of senior QB Jack Wilson, as well as a change in defensive schemes, and the results showed in a 21-14 win over Westview that clinched a share of a 12th Metro League title in 13 seasons.

Ortner ran for 131 yards and two second-half touchdowns on 27 carries, and Wilson was 13-of-18 for 214 yards and a touchdown.

“Last year, I was used to seeing eight guys in the box all the time,” Ortner said. “Jack’s played a really big role in our team this year. I mean, if you look at his stats compared   to last year, they’re way up there. It really spreads out the box. We’re back and forth, running game, passing game. We’re dangerous on both sides of the ball this year, and I hope teams realize that.”

Milwaukie

For the first time in the program’s 112-year history, the Mustangs can call themselves back-to-back league champions, claiming a share of the 5A Special District 2 title with a 56-14 victory over St. Helens. Junior QB Jayden Locke threw for 431 yards and five touchdowns, including two to senior Gabe Aruwah, who also had a 75-yard kickoff and a 47-yard interception returns for scores.

Glide

The Wildcats completed a worst-to-first turnaround in 2A Special District 4, with junior  Collin Groth catching three passes for 130 yards and one of Tommy Viaene’s two touchdowns while also returning a kickoff 72 yards for a score in a 49-14 win over Oakland to clinched a share of the league title — the program’s first championship since 2005.

Three Down

Westview

The flip side of the Crusaders’ victory was the Wildcats seeing their chance at ending a 30-game losing streak in the series fall by the wayside due in part to injuries to two of their stalwarts — all-state LB Cohen Trump, who had a game-high seven tackles but went down late in the second quarter with an ankle injury, and senior QB Hank Whitworth to a left knee injury midway through the third.

Whitworth’s loss was a double blow because he also serves as the punter, and without him being able to flip field position, Jesuit was able to pin Westview in its half of the field until finally breaking through with Ortner’s 17-yard TD run breaking a 14-14 tie with 4:24 to play.

Burns

With the Eastern Oregon League title on the line, the Hilanders once again fell short against their biggest rivals two hours east up U.S. Highway 20, with Vale romping to a 42-0 victory for its sixth straight regular-season win in the series. The Vikings held Burns to 94 total yards and forced three turnovers in posting their first shutout of the Hilanders since 2021.

A silver lining for Burns? The last two years, after it lost to Vale in the regular season, the rivals met again in the 3A playoffs, with the Hilanders winning both times. They’ll hope to get a third chance at redemption in November.

Sherwood

The Bowmen had won 29 consecutive Pacific Conference games and five straight conference titles going into Friday’s home game with Glencoe. 

The first streak ended as the Crimson Tide won 28-18 behind Abraham Castro’s 207 rushing yards and four touchdowns. The second now comes down to beating Century in Week 9 to earn a share of the Pacific title. If Glencoe beats Newberg in its finale, the conference’s automatic berth in the 6A championship bracket comes down to tiebreakers; otherwise, the Bowmen would take the spot.

Who rises and falls next? High School On SI will return each week with Three Up, Three Down from around the Oregon high school football scene.