| RECAPS | PREVIEWS |
| Football | Football |
Mountain View 42, Springfield 13 ■ Recap: The Millers opened their season on campus against the Cougars last Friday. The Millers had strong opening performances from several top returners in the loss – particularly from Colby Kasperek and Adam Hernandez. Kasperek rushed for 134 yards, averaging 7.1 yards per carry and Hernandez rushed for 11 yards and one score. Henry Bock also scored a touchdown. Senior QB Noah Solo added 92 rushing yards. The Millers recorded 111 more yards than the Cougars, but struggled to get into the end zone. Thurston 48, Caldera 17 ■ Recap: The Colts opened with a victory on the road last week. Justin Fisher rushed for 159 yards and one touchdown – averaging 9.4 yards per carry. Cruz Gray stood out on both sides of the ball – recording two touchdown runs on offense and three sacks on defense. WR Bodie Bonar and TE Caleb Jones both recorded two touchdown catches. | NORTH MARION AT COTTAGE GROVE Game facts: Friday, Sept. 5, 7 p.m… at Don King Field What2Know: The Lions play host to the Huskies this Friday. North Marion’s football program has struggled in recent years. Last season, they went 1-8 and the Lions blew past the Huskies. Watch for top returners Trevor Cooper, CJ Dugas, and Nick Walley. GERVAIS AT CRESWELL Game facts: Friday, Sept. 5, 7 p.m…at Markley Field What2Know: Chase Beach makes his debut as the Bulldogs head coach in a home game against the Cougars this Friday. Class 2A Gervais will be playing up a classification against the Bulldogs. However, don’t be fooled. The Cougars have gone 9-2 each of the past two seasons, with a semifinal appearance in the ’24 season. This should be a competitive match for both schools. Look for Creswell’s top returners Hunter Mustin, Luke Bailey, and Carson Jolliff. SUTHERLIN AT PLEASANT HILL Game facts: Friday, Sept. 5, 7 p.m…at Pleasant Hill What2Know: The Billies face the visiting Bulldogs on Friday. This will be new coach Kenny Koberstein’s first appearance. This should be a competitive opener for the rebuilding Billies. Sutherlin went 7-3 last season and was a top 10 competitor in Class 3A. Look for Kai Davis, Steven Bounds, and Jacob Neely to stand out for Pleasant Hill. THURSTON AT SILVERTON Game facts: Friday, Sept. 5, 7 p.m…at Silverton What2Know: The Colts play the Foxes on their home turf this Friday. These teams have played several important games against each other. The last time the Colts played the Foxes was in the 2021 state championship game, where the Foxes edged out the Colts 26-20. This will be one of the biggest non-league games of the season for the Colts. Watch for Cruz Gray and Justin Fisher, who both recorded touchdowns last week |
| Boys soccer | Boys soccer |
| No. 5 Thurston boys (0-1) lost to Class 6A North Salem last Saturday 2-0 in Phil Sweeney’s debut as head coach. The Colts are 0-2 against the Vikings in the past two years. Last year, the Vikings went 6-4-5 overall and third in the Central Valley Conference. | COTTAGE GROVE Kicking off: The Lions play the defending Class 4A state champion Hornets at the Bend Timbers soccer field this Friday. This will be a tough non-league matchup; the Lions have lofty expectations this season and plenty of experience. Watch for Elijah Smith, Felix Garza, and Emmanuel Rea. SPRINGFIELD Kicking off: The Millers open their season on campus against the Ravens. The Ravens went 2-12 last season. However, they opened this season with a 1-0 win against Lebanon. The Millers shouldn’t let their guard down. Look for the Sayre brothers. CRESWELL Kicking off: Creswell competed in the Les Schwab Soccer Showcase at Bob Kiefer last week. This week, the team hits the road to Sutherlin at noon on Saturday. The last time Creswell played Sutherlin was in 2023 and won 7-1. Sutherlin has improved. Last year, Sutherlin went 12-2-2 with a league title in Special District 4. Watch for Brady Pratt, Matthew Jenkins, and Braidyn Morse. PLEASANT HILL Kicking off: After the Billies finished the Les Schwab Soccer Showcase last week, they open their season on campus against the Chieftains this Monday. The Chieftains have fallen on hard times in recent years and went 2-12 last season. This is an opportunity for the Billies to get their legs warmed up before tougher non-league opponents later in the season. THURSTON Kicking off: The Colts pack the bus and head to Bend to battle the Wolfpack. Last season, the Colts lost to the Wolfpack 3-0. Watch for top returners Dakota Hansen, Peyton Reed, and Jordan Needham. |
| Girls soccer | Girl soccer |
| No. 1 Thurston (1-0) completed the Les Schwab Soccer Showcase. It went on to win against Redmond on the road 3-2 in Browning Stupp’s debut as the new head coach. | COTTAGE GROVE Kicking off: The Lions play host to the Cheesemakers this Thursday at Don King Field. Tillamook struggled last year with a 2-11 record. This should be a breeze for top returners Brielle Engle, Zoey Knutson, and Emmerson Bickford. CRESWELL Kicking off: After Creswell finished the 2025 Les Schwab Soccer Showcase last week, Creswell travels to Sutherlin this week. Last season, Creswell cruised past Sutherlin 4-0. Don’t miss Mila Nguyen, Kylie Leonard, and Elliette Kinney back in action. SPRINGFIELD Kicking off: The Millers finished the North Eugene Jamboree last week and now open their season at Ridgeview this Thursday. The Millers lost 4-0 to the Ravens last season, which was also the Ravens’ only win of the season (1-11-3). THURSTON Kicking off: The Colts hit the road to McMinnville to battle the Class 6A Grizzlies this weekend. Though the Colts play a classification up, the Grizzlies went 5-7-2 last season. This should be a competitive game for both schools. |
| Volleyball | Volleyball |
| CRESWELL Recap: After the Bulldogs went undefeated at the North Star Jamboree on Thursday, they went on to play at the Cascade Christian tournament in Medford during Labor Day weekend. They were 0-1-2 at the tournament. PLEASANT HILL Recap: After the Billies went 1-3 at the North Star Jamboree on Thursday, they went on to blow past Caitlin Gabel and Blanchet Catholic 3-0. Jessica Crawford said she hopes to “surprise” people with the younger team she has assembled this year. SPRINGFIELD Recap: The Millers went 0-4 at the North Star Jamboree last Thursday, then went on to the Central Varsity Tournament, finishing 0-1. New coach Andrea Barrera said she hopes to foster her team’s mental resilience this season. THURSTON Recap: The Colts went 2-2 at the North Star Jamboree last Thursday. The Colts then traveled to the Mountain View tournament in Bend, in which they went 2-1. New coach. Kayla Devereaux is focused on improving the Colts’ 6-13 record from last season. | PLEASANT HILL Setting up: The Lions play host to the Billies this Thursday. The Lions faced the Billies at the North Star Jamboree and won their set 25-18. This should be an interesting non-league rematch. CRESWELL Setting up: The Bulldogs head to Sutherlin this Thursday. Last season, Sutherlin lost to Creswell 3-1. UO commit Piper Hanson leads Creswell’s strong veteran returners. SPRINGFIELD Setting up: The Millers host their first home game against the Class 4A Tigers this Thursday. Last year, the Tigers went 9-14 and were last in the Sky-Em League. |
| Cross Country | Cross Country |
Cottage Grove and Springfield participated in The Opener last Friday. For Cottage Grove, Remington Sharkey led the boys team and improved his time by over 90 seconds from last season at 9.22. The boys team earned sixth overall. On the girls side, Ella Cardwell placed in the top 10 and improved her time by 45 seconds from last year at 10.50. Carly Knuston improved by 1 minute and 52 seconds at 11.20. Rowyn Earl put everyone on notice with her high school debut. Her time of 11.41.80 ranks her as the No. 2 freshman in Class 4A. The girls team also finished sixth. For Springfield, Adrian Estes led the boys team at 9.02 and they took 19th. For the girls, Bella Wells led at 11.43. | Saturday, Sept. 6 The Ultimook Race (CGHS, PHHS & THS) Marist Invite (CHS & SHS) Wednesday, Sept. 10 Country Fair Classic (CGHS & PHHS) Umpqua Opener (CHS) |
Fall sports recaps & previews; local soccer teams kick off the season with Showcase
