VOLLEYBALL
PREVIEWS
Cottage Grove Lions: 8-10, ranked #12
■ Setting up: The Lions are 3-0 on the season against Junction City, and given Cottage Grove’s ranking, a win would likely clinch a play-in match next week for a chance to make the 16-team postseason.
Creswell Bulldogs: 13-6, ranked #6
■ Setting up: Creswell closes out the regular season Thursday at Elmira. With a win, the Bulldogs would clinch a playoff berth, though seeding would still be up in the air. Regardless, senior Lizabelle Osborn and the Bulldogs would clinch yet another playoff appearance for coach Anna Baltrusch.
Pleasant Hill Billies: 20-3, ranked #2
■ Setting up: Pleasant Hill is out of the race for the Mountain Valley Conference title after a loss last week to No. 1 Sisters, but the Billies can still gain momentum heading into the postseason with a win against Siuslaw. Added bonus for coach Jessica Crawford and the Billies: a win would knock Siuslaw out of playoff contention after Siuslaw upset Pleasant Hill in the postseason last year.
Springfield Millers: 9-15, ranked #17
■ Setting up: The Millers have a tough final stretch this week as they face No. 2 Crater, No. 4 Thurston, and No. 12 Eagle Point – the top three teams in the Midwestern League. While the postseason is unlikely, a win over a top team would be the perfect end for the program’s best season since 2002.
Thurston Colts: 16-4, ranked #4
■ Setting up: Thurston has a chance to claim a share of the Midwestern League title Thursday when the Colts host rival Springfield, who they beat 3-0 last time out. Thurston, led in part by outside hitter Julia Cook, then heads to a doubleheader with No. 2 Crater and No. 12 Eagle Point on Saturday in an attempt to outright win the league crown for the first time since 2020.
RECAPS
■ Cottage Grove went 4-0 on the week, sweeping Junction City before winning the consolation bracket at the Marshfield tournament. Mariah Bailey led the way with 11 kills against JC, while Joci Torralba and Bailee Fournier had 13 and 11 assists, respectively. Taylor Bennett finished with 42 kills and 46 digs in the tourney.
■ Pleasant Hill swept Harrisburg, winning 25-9, 25-7, and 25-13. The win was Pleasant Hill’s 20th of the season, most for the program this century.
■ Springfield fell 3-1 to Ashland, 3-0 to No. 6 Churchill, and 3-0 to No. 9 Mountain View. Jacey Smith had 6 kills in the Ashland loss, and Juju Henderson had 6 blocks.
■ Thurston went 2-0 on the week, both sweeps. In a win over Willamette, Kendall Miller had 17 assists, Scout Martin and Julia Cook each had 8 kills, while Bailey Tovey and Savannah Efseaff both had 7 kills. Cook led the way with 10 kills in a sweep over North Eugene, Martin had 9 kills, and Emily Buller had 25 assists.
BOYS SOCCER
PREVIEWS
Cottage Grove Lions: 11-2, ranked #7
■ Kicking off: Cottage Grove has a chance to clinch the Sky-Em League title outright with a win or draw at No. 11 Marist Catholic on Oct. 18. A loss would mean a share of the title with Marist. Regardless, an impressive season under first-year coach Jaime Urenda will continue into the postseason.
Creswell Bulldogs: 10-2, ranked #5
■ Kicking off: Creswell heads to Sisters on Thursday night in what is likely the conference title game. Sophomore Brady Pratt continues to lead the Bulldogs, recording 3 goals and 3 assists last week.
Pleasant Hill Billies: 3-6-3, ranked #42
■ Kicking off: Pleasant Hill finishes off its regular season at Central Linn on Thursday. With a postseason berth unlikely, a Billies squad that has struggled at times to replace the scoring of Adrian Arellano – the state’s all-time goal scoring leader – can end the season on a high note with a win.
Springfield: 1-9, ranked #28
■ Kicking off: Despite a winless non-league record, the Millers aren’t out of playoff contention. A victory Saturday at Crater would keep Springfield in the thick of the Midwestern League race for third place – and an automatic playoff bid.
Thurston Colts: 5-3-2, ranked #13
■ Kicking off: Senior leader Carlos Vega and the Colts rumble into No. 7 Ashland on Saturday in a key league matchup. A win or tie keeps Thurston in the race for a league title.
RECAPS
■ Cottage Grove continued its quest for an undefeated Sky-Em League record, beating North Bend 5-0 and Junction City 6-0. Goalkeeper Jace Meyer has recorded three straight shutouts, and six on the season.
■ Creswell had two big MVC wins. The Bulldogs beat La Pine 4-0 behind Brady Pratt’s 2 goals and 1 assist. Creswell then hosted Crosshill Christian and won 8-0, Alex Lopez leading the way with a hat trick. Pratt had a goal and 2 assists in the win, Matthew Jenkins had 2 goals and an assist, and Lyosha Mitchell had a goal and 2 assists.
■ Pleasant Hill had back-to-back 1-1 draws last week against Crosshill Christian and Elmira, meaning any hopes of making the postseason rest on big upsets this week.
■ Thurston earned two wins last week to open Midwestern League play. The Colts beat rival Springfield 2-1 before beating Eagle Point 1-0. Carlos Vega scored on a penalty kick against EP, while goalie Carter Brooks saved a penalty to earn his second shutout of the season.
GIRLS SOCCER
PREVIEWS
Cottage Grove: 2-8-2, ranked #25
■ Kicking off: Cottage Grove ends its season Oct. 18 at No. 1 Marist Catholic. Barring a massive upset, the Lions season will come to a close, meaning seniors Carmen Echevarria, Jaylee Lima, Shiarah Sunkler, Summer Lebow, and Payton Bickford will play their final game.
Creswell: 10-3, ranked #10
■ Kicking off: Creswell hosts Santiam Christian on Thursday to close out the regular season. Senior captain Tailey Carson and the Bulldogs have clinched a playoff berth, and a win over Santiam Christian would give the team momentum heading into the postseason.
Pleasant Hill: 7-5-1, ranked #23
■ Kicking off: Pleasant Hill sits alone in fourth in the conference, meaning the Billies will be making a postseason appearance. Senior Tressa Geyer has been the motor offensively and will be key as the Billies close out the regular season at Elmira on Thursday.
Springfield: 1-8-1, ranked #24
■ Kicking off: Springfield sits near the bottom of a competitive Midwestern League. Junior Elidia Cervantes-Carlos and the Millers head to No. 13 Crater on Saturday in an attempt to pull off an upset and get some momentum toward the season’s end.
Thurston: 5-3-3, ranked #8
■ Kicking off: A matchup on Tuesday – after our newspaper deadline – against No. 3 North Eugene and Saturday at No. 10 Ashland will give coach Benton Canaga and the Colts a great indicator of where they stand in league play.
RECAPS
■ Cottage Grove fell twice last week, losing 1-0 at No. 8 North Bend and 4-0 against Junction City. The losses dropped the Lions to 2-8-2 on the season, likely eliminating them from playoff contention.
■ Pleasant Hill went 1-1 last week. After losing 2-0 to rival No. 10 Creswell, the Billies bounced back with an 8-0 win over Siuslaw. Senior Tressa Geyer continued her stellar season with a hat trick and 2 assists in the win, Lydia Whitney had 2 goals, Dakota Hyland scored once and had an assist, and Tessa Hammond had 1 goal and 2 assists.
■ Thurston opened league play with two dominant wins. Thurston beat rival Springfield 3-0 behind goals from Alexandria Delpino, Gabriella Montes, and Richelle Ruhl. The Colts then traveled to Eagle Point and won 5-1 thanks to a Macy Taylor hat trick.
RESULTS, SCHEDULES, KEY DATES
RESULTS
FOOTBALL
Friday, Oct. 13
■ Stayton 44, Cottage Grove 14
■ Creswell 16, Harrisburg 9 (OT)
■ Sisters 48, Pleasant Hill 8
■ Springfield 54, Willamette 0
■ Thurston 42, South Eugene 0
VOLLEYBALL
Tuesday, Oct. 10
■ Ashland 3, Springfield 1 (25-14, 23-25, 15-21, 25-9)
■ Thurston 3, Willamette 0 (25-10, 25-8, 25-15)
Wednesday, Oct. 11
■ Cottage Grove 3, Junction City 0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-18)
■ Sisters 3, Creswell 0 (25-21, 26-24, 25-15)
Thursday, Oct. 12
■ Pleasant Hill 3, Harrisburg 0 (25-9, 25-7, 25-13)
■ Churchill 3, Springfield 0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-13)
■ Thurston 3, North Eugene 0 (25-16, 25-6, 25-19)
Saturday, Oct. 14
■ Cottage Grove 2, Junction City 0 (25-17, 27-25)
■ CGHS 2, Douglas 0 (25-18, 25-14)
■ Cottage Grove 2, Hidden Valley 0 (25-23, 25-22)
Monday, Oct. 16
■ Mountain View 3, Springfield 0 (25-23, 25-14, 25-19)
BOYS SOCCER
Tuesday, Oct. 10
■ Creswell 4, La Pine 0
■ Pleasant Hill 1, Crosshill Christian 1
■ Thurston 2, Springfield 1
Thursday, Oct. 12
■ Cottage Grove 5, North Bend 0
■ Creswell 8, Crosshill Christian 0
■ Pleasant Hill 1, Elmira 1
Saturday, Oct. 14
■ Thurston 1, Eagle Point 0
Monday, Oct. 16
■ Cottage Grove 6, Junction City 0
GIRLS SOCCER
Tuesday, Oct. 10
■ Creswell 2, Pleasant Hill 0
■ Thurston 3, Springfield 0
Thursday, Oct. 12
■ North Bend 1, Cottage Grove 0
■ Creswell 6, La Pine 0
■ Pleasant Hill 8, Siuslaw 0
Saturday, Oct. 14
■ Sisters 2, Creswell 0
■ Thurston 5, Eagle Point 1
Monday, Oct. 16
■ Junction City 4, Cottage Grove 0
SCHEDULES
FOOTBALL
Friday, Oct. 20
■ Cottage Grove at Junction City, 7 p.m.
■ Pleasant Hill at Creswell, 7 p.m.
■ Springfield at North Eugene, 7 p.m.
■ Thurston at Willamette, 7 p.m.
VOLLEYBALL
Thursday, Oct. 19
■ Creswell at Elmira, 6:30 p.m.
■ Siuslaw at Pleasant Hill, 6:30 p.m.
■ Springfield at Thurston, 6:45 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 21
■ Springfield at Eagle Point, 2:15 p.m.
■ Thurston at Crater, 2:15 p.m.
■ Springfield at Crater, 5 p.m.
■ Thurston at Eagle Point, 5 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
Thursday, Oct. 19
■ Pleasant Hill at C. Linn, 4:30 p.m.
■ Creswell at Sisters, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 21
■ Springfield at Crater, 3 p.m.
■ Thurston at Ashland, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 24
■ Churchill at Thurston, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 25
■ North Eugene at Springfield, 6 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Thursday, Oct. 19
■ Santiam Christian at Creswell, 6 p.m.
■ Pleasant Hill at Elmira, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 21
■ Springfield at Crater, 1 p.m.
■ Thurston at Ashland, 3 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 24
■ North Eugene at Springfield, 4 p.m.
■ Churchill at Thurston, 6:30 p.m.
CROSS COUNTRY
Thursday, Oct. 19
■ Cottage Grove at The Run for the Brownies, Florence, 4:30 p.m.
■ Creswell at Harrisburg Gatorade Challenge, Harrisburg HS, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 25
■ SHS, THS at Midwestern League Championships, Jackson County Expo, Central Point, 2 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 26
■ Cottage Grove at Sky-Em Championships, LCC, noon
■ CHS, PHHS at SD-4 Championships, Valley of the Rogue State Park, Grants Pass, 2:15 p.m.
UPCOMING KEY DATES
VOLLEYBALL
Oct. 19: 4A rankings freeze
Oct. 21: 3A rankings freeze + cutoff
Oct. 24: 5A rankings freeze + 5A, 4A cutoff
Oct. 25: 3A 1st round
Oct.28: 5A, 4A 1st round; 3A 2nd round
BOYS SOCCER
Oct. 24: 4A, 3A rankings freeze + 3A cutoff
Oct. 28: 5A rankings freeze + 5A, 4A cutoff
Oct. 28: 3A 1st round
GIRLS SOCCER
Oct. 24: 4A, 3A rankings freeze + 3A cutoff
Oct. 28: 5A rankings freeze + 5A, 4A cutoff
Oct. 28: 3A 1st round
Oct. 31: 3A 2nd round; 5A, 4A 1st round
Note: Updated playoff schedules available on OSAA.org/
