Sports Zone

High School Sports Zone: Fall Sports Season Wrap-ups

FOOTBALL

  • Cottage Grove (0-9, 0-6): Since winning the 4A state championship in 2017, the Lions program has gone 7-30. The losing continued this season as Cottage Grove was one of only three winless 4A teams. The brightside for the Lions is that after not scoring the first four weeks of the year, the offense averaged over 16 points a game. Head coach Joe Polamalu loses 14 seniors, and will need a big revamp for next year.
  • Creswell (5-4, 3-3): The Bulldogs nearly made the playoffs for the first time since 2011, but just barely missed out. Creswell will be one of the more talented teams to not make the 3A playoffs, and end the season ranked #18. Head coach Scott Worsham will lose 10 seniors, including star quarterback Connor Hanson and star running back Jack Nguyen. Hanson on the season threw for 786 yards and 6 touchdowns, while also rushing for 606 yards and 9 touchdowns. Nguyen finished the year with 710 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns. 
  • Pleasant Hill (3-6, 1-5): A winless season last year led to a new regime this season as head coach Jeremiah Heacock came over after 20 years as a Thurston assistant. While the Billies still had a losing record and missed the playoffs, the future looks brighter with Heacock at the helm. Pleasant Hill was 12-28 in the last five seasons before this one, so a 3-6 season means improvement. Heacock will lose 13 seniors, including starting quarterback Matthew Dutton and Blake Richardson, however top offensive players Colton Kaiser and Braedon Hazel will be back.

VOLLEYBALL

■ Cottage Grove (4-18, 1-7): After going 15-7 and making the quarterfinals last season, the Lions lost seven seniors and struggled this season, going 4-18 and 1-7 in league, while finishing ranked No. 23. Cottage Grove did make the play-in game, but got swept by Philomath. Head coach Abby Ladd now loses only three seniors, all of them captains who led the squad this year: Adrianna Glenn, Trinity Holder and Blakely Herbert.
■ Springfield (4-17, 3-9): Head coach Keri Green’s squad, who haven’t had a winning record since 2002, continued that streak this year. The Millers ended the season 4-17 overall, 3-9 in league and ranked #27. Springfield’s highlight win on the season was a 3-0 sweep of No. 14 North Eugene thanks to Juju Henderson’s 4 kills and 4 blocks, Kylie Rankins’ 24 digs and Sydney Christensen’s 5 kills and 13 digs.

BOYS SOCCER

■ Cottage Grove (6-6-3, 4-3-1): The Lions had a solid year, even making the play-in game for Class 4A. Cottage Grove fell to Phoenix 4-1, thus ending the Lions season ranked #18 and barely missing the playoffs. The Lions were led all year by Aldo Rea, who had a two-game stretch where he scored five goals and had five assists.
■ Creswell (5-5-3, 3-4-2): The Bulldog’s finished 6th in the Mountain Valley Conference and ranked #34, just barely missing the playoffs. In head coach Brandi Wittenborn’s six years of coaching at Creswell, the team has only had a losing record once. Creswell was led this season by freshmen Brady Pratt and Matthew Jenkins. Pratt had 7 assists on the year, while Jenkins had 5 goals and 5 assists. Luckily for the Bulldogs they are a young team, as they only lose two seniors.
■ Thurston (4-8-2, 2-4): In head coach Jake Bonnett’s first year, the Colts showed lots of promise. Thurston hasn’t had a winning record since 2007, but this year’s team was sitting close to .500 for much of the year. Bonnett will only lose two seniors, Finn Dumars and Connor Nevin. While both were paramount to the team’s success this year, lots of returning starters could mean big things for Thurston next season.

GIRLS SOCCER

■ Cottage Grove (2-11, 1-7): Head coach Kalli Schwehr took over a team that went 1-15-3 in the last two seasons. While the team showed improvement this year, the Lions finished the season 2-11 and ranked No. 29. Cottage Grove does lose six seniors, but will have seven returning upper-classmen next year.
■ Creswell (5-9-1): The Bulldogs had their best season since 2018, going 5-9-1 and making the league playoffs, where they lost to Santiam Christian for the final postseason spot. Head coach Dan Smathers’ team finished fifth in the MVC and ranked #25. The Bulldogs were led by junior forward Dakota Carson, who had 13 goals and 6 assists on the year.

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