Bob Akamian and myself will go live at 1PM from Hillsboro Stadium on Saturday Dec 6th. You may watch Oregon’s 6A State Title Game here http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/osaa/2474bc58a0
*Have a look at the starters and other individuals that have received significant playing time during the year.
The Rams are one of the top teams in America and potentially the best group ever to play football in Oregon. They finished undefeated (14-0) and ranked #22 in the nation last year, but are equally talented this season, with their only loss coming to the #1 ranked team in the country (at that time) St John Boscoe.
If Central is able to win another state title Saturday, they will match Roseburg (1995 & 96′) and Jesuit (2005 & 06′) as back to back state championship winners. It’s rare for any team at the High School level to feature 10+ D1 kids, but CC does just that. They are playing their best ball of the season and have class kids up and down the board.
#1 CENTRAL CATHOLIC (12-1) HEAD COACH- Steve Pyne
SKILL
Sean Dack 6-0 185 Sr. QB – Dack is a very talented overall athlete who has had an outstanding senior year running the offense. He earned 1st team all conference accolades throwing for over 2000 yards on the season thus far. PSU QB Aidan Wilder left some big shoes to fill and Sean has done a great job.
Cam Scarlett 6-1 205 Sr. RB – (Offers: Notre Dame, Stanford, Arizona, UCLA, Arizona St, CAL, Oregon St, Washington, Boise St, Nevada) One of the most recruited kids in Oregon high school football history. Cam has dealt with unfortunate injuries for most of the year, but has been dominant when on the field. He has recorded over 1000 all purpose yards and 18 TD’s in limited time, after scoring 33 TD’s as a Junior. **Injured
Brady Breeze 6-1 200 Jr. S/ATH (Committed: Oregon) – The leading candidate for Oregon Defensive Player of the Year honors and just a phenomenal teammate and kid. Breeze is ranked one of the top 10 safeties in America, earning Mt Hood Conference POY accolades during the regular season.
Ronnie Rust 6-0 200 Jr. RB/LB- (Offers: Oregon St-Baseball) Probably the top junior RB in the state. The 2013 All American LB has shown what he can do the last few weeks, rushing for 7 TD’s and 402 yards in the last two contests. He could go down as one of the top dual threat athletes in Oregon history.
LaMar Winston 6-3 205 Sr. WR/LB – (Offers: Oregon St) One of top athletes on the west coast for the 2016 class. The Beavers have offered as he should be considered the state’ s top Junior WR and OLB. He has over 600 all purpose yards and 8 TD’s offensively, and will track you down on the defensive side of the ball.
Tyson Cooper 5-11 200 Jr. LB/RB- One of the state’s top ranked LB’s, has also been very tough to stop running the ball. Tyson is one of the hardest hitters at the 6A level accumulating 60+ tackles and double digit tackles for loss on the year.
JJ Wells 5-7 170 Jr. Slot- JJ’s stock is rising as fast anyone in the state. He has gone for over 1000 all purpose yards and 14 TD’s, cutting and bouncing his way to the end zone. Wells and Trevon Bradford are the top two slot receivers in Oregon for the 2016 class.
Saadiq Calhoun 5-9 165 Sr. CB- One of the Northwest’s most talented corners. Saadiq shut down his side of the field as most QB’s aren’t throwing his way. He earned 2nd team all league honors two years in a row.
Xavier Hallinan 5-11 180 Sr. WR- One of the breakout receivers state wide. Hallinan has 500+ yards receiving and 6 TD’s on the year, complimenting the state’s top Jr. WR LaMar Winston nicely.
Deante Strickland 5-9 180 Sr. CB/Slot- The reigning conference player of the year in hoops is also one of the most exciting skill kids in Oregon. Strickland is a lock down corner that can play ball at the next level if he wants to. He has accumulated 4 TD’s, 2 INT’s and 8 pass deflections on the year.
Matt Vanoudenhaegen 5-11 200 Sr. LB – The teams leading tackler over the last two seasons and one of the more underrated backers in the Northwest. Matt comes from a football family and will have over 90 tackles on the year.
Malik Thirdgill 6-3 210 So. LB/RB- One of the top Sophomores in the state. Malik is a phenomenal overall athlete and will be instrumental in the years to come. He has double digit tackles and 2 TD’s on the year.
Eamon McNeil 6-0 200 Sr. LB- Another kid that has had an impressive season, yet an under the radar career. He has 31 total tackles on the season.
Austin Gernhart 5-8 160 Sr. WR- Gernhart is a senior leader and one of the hardest workers you will ever come across. He has double digit receptions on the year for over 200 yards.
JJ Cichoke 5-9 165 Jr. DB- The Junior has had a nice year picking off 3 passes and making close to 40 tackles on the season. JJ will be an even bigger contributor next year.
Nate Schaffer 6-0 170 Sr. DB- Schaffer quietly had a really good season with 35 total tackles, 11 pass deflections and 1 INT.
Carson Spitznagel 5-11 180 Jr. QB- The junior QB has shown that he can play. He has hit on 60% of his passes for 3 TD’s/0 INT’s
Ishmail Shabazz 5-10 170 DB- The senior DB has done well anytime he is called upon. He accumulated 20+ tackles and 5 pass deflections on the year.
Ethan Fulsher 6-0 170 Sr. WR- Fulsher has contributed offensively catching 6 passes for 86 yards and a TD on the season.
Ethan Gallant 6-1 200 So. LB- Ethan comes from a talented football family and will be a kid that we hear a lot about in the years to come. He has close to 20 tackles on the year
Jordan Stevens 6-0 175 So. RB- The sophomore got quite a few carries during the season (39) rushing for 150+ yards.
Michael Abraham 6-1 195 So. RB- *Injured- Abraham has been hurt, but when he returns next season look for him to be one of the top Junior athletes in Oregon
Trey Davis 5-11 165 So. Slot/CB- Trey didn’t necessarily see a bunch of time, but he will be special and a big part of the Rams future
LINE
Blake Brandel 6-7 275 Sr. T/DL- (Committed: Oregon St) The Beaver commit and lineman of the year just continues to get better. He is incredibly athletic and has added legit weight. Brandel could be one of the best lineman in the PAC 12 in the years to come.
Riley Gallant 6-6 285 Sr. OL – (Offers: Montana, UC Davis) Riley has multiple D1 offers and is ranked one of the region’s top lineman. He earned all conference honors for the second season in a row and can be dominant with his 6-6 size.
TJ Salu 6-2 285 Sr. C/DL – (Offers: Navy, Sacramento St) Salu recently grabbed his 2nd D1 offer from Navy. He is the state’s top ranked center earning 1st team all league honors two seasons in a row. TJ may be even better on the defensive side of the ball, consistently requiring a double team.
Sam Gomez 6-0 205 Sr. DE- Gomez earned 1st team all league honors the last two seasons, and is one of the most talented and explosive lineman in the state. He added 70+ total tackles, 23 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks on the year, projecting as a LB at the next level.
James Cory 6-3 300 Sr. OL/DT – One of the more underrated lineman in the state. Cory earned honorable mention all conference honors and brings legit size to the table.
Cam Volker 6-3 250 Sr. DL – Cam did an outstanding job in last years state title game. He has added 23 tackles and 4 tackles for loss on the year, while earning 2nd team all league accolades.
Tobe Okafor 6-4 260 Jr. DL- One of the top Junior D lineman in the state. Okafor was an all conference kid and will be the leader up front next season. He has had an outstanding year thus far.
Joe Wilson 6-1 265 Sr. OL- Not a lot of people know about about Wilson, but he has had a standout year earning all conference honors. It’s easy to get lost in the mix with a bunch of All American’s.
Travis Mackay 6-5 230 So. OL- Mackay has legit size and is a talented overall athlete. Look for him to be a factor in the years to come.
From the youth on up Tigard may be the most well run program in Oregon. The Tigers are (25-1) over the last two seasons and currently ranked #2 in the state at (13-0). Their are few places better then THS on a Friday night, as the community loves it’s football. They will face a stiff challenge against one of the nation’s top teams on Saturday, but don’t count the TRL champs out. It will take a mistake free game and some clutch performances, against a Rams group that is big, fast, physical, and playing their best ball of the season. That said Tigard is one of the top teams in the region and will battle.
#2 TIGARD (13-0) HEAD COACH- Craig Ruecker
SKILL
JT Greenough 6-3 180 Sr. QB- Greenough is one of the most efficient QB’s in the region. He is incredibly smart with his reads throwing for 2,440 yards and 28 TD’s/6 INT’s on the season. He will need to step up and play mistake free football against the Rams.
Sam Inos 5-11 180 Sr. S/ATH- (Offers: Idaho, Montana St, E.Washington, Portland St, N.Colorado) Oregon’s top ranked Senior athlete has been dominant on both sides of the football for most of the year. That said his health is in question after an injury versus West Salem as he most likely won’t play. Inos was the TRL Defensive Player of the Year, accumulating 98 total tackles, 11 pass break ups and 1 INT to date. He has also totaled 16 TD’s and 1,618 all purpose yards. Sam is a threat to go to the house any time he has the ball in his hands and is just an overall great kid. **Injured
Landon Floyd 6-0 195 Sr. RB/DB- Landon and Zach will go down as one of the top brother tandems to ever carry the ball in Oregon. The youngest Floyd has rushed for 1,668 yards and 25 TD’s on the year, earning 1st team all league honors. He will be key if Tigard wants to have a chance on Saturday.
Pepe Tanuvasa 6-1 220 Sr. LB/FB -(Offers: Navy, Virginia Union) Oregon’s top ranked LB earned 1st team all league honors, leading the team in tackles (98) and tackles for loss with (13). Tanuvasa has been clutch all year including last week, when he went on lock down mode against the Titans run game. Offensively there isn’t a better fullback in the state.
Ryan Bay 6-4 215 Sr. TE/DE- Bay earned 1st team all league honors on both sides of the football, leading the team in sacks (7) and tackles for loss (11.5). He was equally dominant offensively from his TE spot catching 24 passes with 6 TD’s on the year. Bay could be considered the top Senior TE/DE in the state.
Brady McGetrick 6-2 185 Sr. WR/CB- One of the most impressive kids in the region. Brady earned 1st team all league honors on both sides of the football, in the state’s toughest conference. He has a team leading 37 receptions for 840 yards and 10 TD’s on the season. Defensively he has 10 pass deflections and 2 INT’s.
Tysen Prunty 6-2 180 Sr. DB- Maybe Oregon’s breakout player of the year. The Tigers wouldn’t be in the position they are without him. He has had that type of a season defensively. Tysen has accounted for 95 total tackles and a team leading 5 INT’s and 8 pass break ups.
Gavin Kim 6-0 210 So. LB- One of the top Sophomore LB’s in Oregon. Kim started and played a significant role this season, earning honorable mention all conference honors. His future is incredibly bright, making 41 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks on the year thus far.
Chase Crawford 6-4 175 Jr. QB- If your the Tigers It’s got to be nice knowing that you have one of the state’s top Junior QB’s as your backup. Chase is legit as proven in the off season and against Lake O earlier in the year.
Braden Lenzy 5-10 150 Fr. CB- Oregon’s top ranked freshman athlete has been nothing short of phenomenal this season. For the 3rd week in a row, he will guard one of the state’s top receivers as Jr. Jordan Happle (Jesuit) and Sr. Keegen Hlad (West Salem) rank at the top of the charts. 6-3 LaMar Winston will provide an even bigger challenge with his physicality.
Nikko Thomas 6-4 205 Sr. DE/TE- Thomas has had an outstanding season on both sides of the football and is one of the top dual threat big men in the state. He has averaged 26 yards a catch and 3 TD’s, with 37 total tackles and 5 tackles for loss on the year.
Tyler Walker- Walker is a dual threat kid that earned 2nd team all league honors at LB this past season. He has rushed for 440 yards and 6 TD’s, adding to his defensive accolades.
Alex Gradin 5-9 170 Jr. RB – Gradin will get more of an opportunity next season, but has done a very good job in his backup role. He has carried the ball 27 times for 132 yards and a TD on the year.
Jake Spadafora 6-0 195 Sr. ATH- Jake is a kid that flies under the radar but is legit. He has amassed 21 total tackles on the year and played a significant role on the defensive side of the ball.
Kyle Baldes 5-9 150 Jr. WR- Baldes has stepped up this season and been a very productive underclassmen. He earned 2nd team all TRL honors, catching 27 passes for 500 yards and 6 TD’s on the year.
Ryan Minniti 5-9 160 So. DB- Minniti will be a big part of the future, playing a significant role during the playoffs. With Inos hurt look for Ryan to get more time in the title game.
LINE
Conner Crist 6-4 300 Jr. OL- Oregon’s top ranked Junior lineman is the real deal. He will be a double digit D1 offer kid, showing off his overall athleticism on the defensive side of the ball. I can’t say enough good things about Conner as he earned 1st team all league honors this season.
Derek McMurray 6-7 350 Sr. OL- McMurray has been hurt, but is one of the top lineman in Oregon. It’s rare to see a kid so big, move so well. If he can stay healthy he will be playing D1 football somewhere.
Kevin Henderson 6-1 315 Sr. DT/OL- Whatever Kevin does in life he will be good at. He is a leader in every sense of the word and was the TRL LIneman of the year to boot. He will have his work cut out for him going against a monster offensive and defensive front.
Garrett Huebner – Sr. C- Huebner came up clutch this year earning 1st team all conference accolades. The team did not miss a beat with him stepping into the Center spot this season.
Austin Goodhouse 6-0 220 Sr. OL – Goodhouse isn’t the biggest kid but he has had an outstanding year, earning 2nd team all league honors on one of the most dominant lines in the region.
Chris Kennedy 6-1 285 Jr. OL/DL – Kennedy has been a factor on both sides of the football and is one of the more underrated lineman in the state. Look for him to be one of the better OL/DL in the TRL next season.
Freshman Phenom!!! Great!
Freshman Phenom!!! Great!