Football - 2008 ready!

The 19th. Annual Oregon 8-Man All-Star football game will be played this year on June 21st., at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, with kickoff at 2 PM.

Saturday night June 21^st at PGE Park in Portland, the 61^st. annual North vs. South football all-star game, pitting top seniors from the states largest schools, will again take place. Game time is 7:00PM.

The North has won the last three years, including a 42-14 win last year.

After taking Amity to four consecutive state championships, and then taking Blanchet from not having a football program to three consecutive playoff appearances, Jeff Flood is taking over at 103 year old North Salem High.

Flood is already a teacher and the boys’ golf coach at North Salem. “Obviously, this is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, since I work there.” Flood said. “I’ve never been able to teach full time and actually coach in the same building in 16 years. That really excites me a lot; I feel I’m really connected to these students here through my teaching. To have an opportunity to extend that to the playing field is exciting for me.”

Those that follow all the forums are up on the odd on-goings of head coaching moves of the last couple of months, but the events of this off season could be considered too strange to be believed, if they hadn’t actually already happened.

The head coaching job of any of the major sports is one of the high profile positions on campus, because successes and failures happen in front of a crowd of community members, and appear in the area paper and on the web, for those who missed the event.

So it’s not unexpected when coaches who lose a lot are asked to leave town. Everyone is, or was, looking for the long time coach who wins because the program is sound, and he stays around, providing the stability that provides still more wins.

Who wouldn’t want to have the next Dewey Sullivan or Thurman Bell take their program to the playoffs most years, and send legions of student athletes to college, and success in life? Coaches used to leave for usually only one of three reasons. Retirement, poor performance, or an opportunity at a better program.

The changes that have happened of late break that mold.

(Updated with Regis reorganization announcement.)

Oregonprepsports.net will post a list of summer camp and passing league information here that coaches and players send our way. If you have something to add to the list, let us know! Items are listed in general in chronological order.

The early signing day, Feb. 6^th., has come, and a number of Oregon’s finest High School Football players have made their commitments of where they will play College Football.

(As additional commitments are made, Oregonprepsports.net will update the list.)

The 2008 Oregon Shriners’ East-West All-Star football game will be played Aug. 2 in Baker City, and the initial list of players selected for the game has been released.

(Updates for alternates will be posted as they are received.)

The 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, and now 2A and 1A All-State teams have been announced.

(Updated with complete 2A and 1A list.)

The Heavyweight Championship Bout Goes to the Irish!

Sheldon Coach Marty Johnson was a proud father first, after watching his son Jordan QB the championship drive. "This is very special, because of what Jordan went thru, to rehab to even get out on the field again.", referring to a basketball injury that had to be overcome before any thoughts of overcoming the likes of Lake Oswego, Grant, and Tualatin became a thought.

Jordan Johnson agreed, describing it as "Awesome for the family." Johnson, who was the ball boy for the '02 title team, had to overcome cramps that laid him out, as well as the loss to a possible concussion of his best back Zach Todd, but said "There was no doubt I was going back in!"

Todd had a little different version. Despite insisting he was ok, the trainers "Couldn't take the risk." So, when Johnson was flat on his back on the sideline, Todd went to Johnson and said "We can't both go out! I can't go back in, so you have to!" And Johnson did just that, and capped the drive to put the second blue trophy on the Sheldon shelf. Johnson finished with 10 completions on 14 attempts, for 2 touchdowns and 127 yards, and importantly, no interceptions. He was also the Irish's top rushing threat, adding 61 yards.

Coach Johnson appreciated that, noting "I didn't feel like we had it until Curtis (White) caught that last touchdown. Only then were we able to begin to feel like we had anything. A lot of people talked about how we would win by 4 or 5 scores, but Tualatin beat Westview. They deserved to be here too, and we knew they would be in it all the way."

(Updated with photos.)

Speed vs. Power Marks 5A Matchup. Power mattered initially, but Speed wins out in the end.

Glencoe gamely goes after the Bulldogs to the end, but a sack, fittingly, ends it, and the Bulldogs storm the field in victory. 31 unanswered points turned a tight game early into another Bulldog blowout.

With tears in his eyes, and the blue trophy tucked under his arm, Coach Randy Nyquist, a former Bulldog player, said "I couldn't be prouder of these kids. Last year, we didn't finish the job. Our whole goal was to finish that job this year. This is pretty dang special!" (referring to the first ever Bulldog football championship) "I played here (for the Bulldogs), and I'm really going to soak this one in!"

(Updated with photos.)

Third Time Was The Charm For Spartans In SkyEm Rematch at Reser

And it was the other #1 that made #1 the other #1, as Bobby Edwards leads the Spartans to the State title, relegating Cory McCaffrey to another #2 finish. Edwards proclaimed "All year, we worked hard, but people doubted us. We came to get the hardware today!"

Edwards piled up 169 yards and 2 touchdowns, while McCaffrey was held to 99 yards, and only 1 score.

Coach Rory Rosenbach acknowledged "This feel pretty good, especially against those guys! We got after them early, and at half time, we told the kids 'They are going to score, we will have to answer when they do!', and sure enough, Sisters responded. Sisters is never out of it. I'm very proud of these kids, because of the way they responded to every challenge thrown at them. All season and today."

Rosenbach told his team afterwards "No body believed, or said, you could do it. But you proved you are #1."

Specifically, the improved Spartan defense, that shut out Sisters in the first half, for the only time all year, and held them to their lowest point total of the season, proved Marist was #1. Rosenbach had stated before that to win Marist had to get some turnovers. And it was clear that the defense had a lot to do with the 5 Sisters fumbles, 3 of which were lost to Marist. Rosenbach observed "The defense did a good job, creating those turnovers we needed!"

(Updated with photos.)

Third Time Will Be The Charm In SkyEm Rematch at Reser

But which charm will it be? Will it be a third State Championship for Retiring Sisters Coach Bob MaCauley? Will it be the third Title in the last three odd years for Marist? Might it be a Ring for the state’s all-time leading rusher Cory McCaffrey in his third playoff run? Could it be the first win for the Spartans in their third try against the Outlaws in the last two years? Will the Outlaws win by a playoff game by a whisker at the end for the third week in a row?