PLEASANT HILL – It’s no secret that the Cottage Grove Lions have been soaring through Class 3A this season, but last Friday, they inched that margin even further by overcoming the Pleasant Hill Billies.
The 10th-ranked Lions handled No. 26 Pleasant Hill 49-27 in the Billies’ home opener. While winning a single game over a rival might not seem like much, it’s quite an accomplishment for the Lions, given the recent history between the teams.
Since 2013 – the furthest back match results on the Oregon School Activities Association website – Pleasant Hill and Cottage Grove have played only twice (2022 and ’23), and the Billies lead the series 2-0.
In addition, Cottage Grove has earned only two victories in the past five years in Class 4A. Now, competing in Class 3A, the Lions average 45.7 points per game.
Head coach Steve Turner emphasized that the Lions are “undefeated, not dominant” in the lower classification. For him, the Lions are still being tested and sufficiently challenged for each game.
“We’re by no means dominant,” Turner said. “By no means. We have some pretty good, skilled kids who make up for many mistakes. Our defense picks them up, and our offense picks the defense up. But we have a ways to go. Never satisfied.”
Senior Clayton Dewitt, who rushed for 274 yards and three touchdowns on Friday, attributed the Lions’ success to the result of Turner’s system and the hard work the coaches have cultivated over the years.
“It feels like the hard work our coaches forced us into with all this lifting, and all this offseason work is starting to pay off. I respect it,” Dewitt said.
The Lions were the first to score Friday night when Dewitt ran 70 yards for a touchdown. With an extra point, the Lions were up 7-0 only two minutes into the game.
The Billies counter-punched when junior quarterback Steven Bounds connected with junior wide receiver Jacob Neely, who caught the 3rd-down pass at the 47-yard line and ran 25 yards. Then Kaeden Howes caught a 6-yard pass for the Billies’ first touchdown. The extra point made it 7-7.
“Our offensive line put in a lot of work,” Billies’ head coach Jeremiah Heacock said. “It was nice to see them fill in the gaps. They really opened up some holes for us and gave us protection.”
The Lions bit back when Dewitt scored a 1-yard touchdown with three seconds left in the first quarter and took a 14-7 lead after the extra point.
The Billies fought back in the second quarter when Bounds connected with Cohen Fenley on a 33-yard reception. Bounds then scored on a 2-yard run, and the extra point made it 14-14 with nine minutes remaining in the first half.
One minute later, the Lions’ Dewitt ran for a 61-yard touchdown. Cottage Grove led 21-14 and never looked back.
“That’s the key to our offense,” Turner said. “It’s getting different guys the ball. Clayton scored, Gavin (Grogan) scored, and Terran (Stewart) scored. John Paulo Delima threw the ball well. When we distribute the football to different people, it becomes difficult to count on one thing, one person.”
As a senior who has been a part of the Lions’ struggles in Class 4A, Dewitt said his fierce drive on the field comes from his inner motivation to make the most of it now that the Lions are back. “I just want to end my senior season in my high school career with no regrets,” Dewitt said. “And I want everyone else to have the same mentality. So I just go out there, fight as hard as possible, give everything, and leave it on the field.”