Cottage Grove, Pleasant Hill and Thurston competed in the Ultimook Race last weekend. For the boys team, Cottage Grove won fourth, Pleasant Hill took 16th and Thurston 10th. For the girls team, Cottage Grove won 4th, Pleasant Hill took 18th and Thurston 9th. Cottage Grove’s Remington Sharkey (17:40) and Jennings Albrecht (17:41) were the top finishers for boys team. Ella Cardwell led the girls at 5th place (19:46). Lastly, Pleasant Hill’s Gage Roper was the top finisher for Pleasant Hill (18:05).
Runners were tested on Saturday as they navigated streams and mud during their 5K. ALL PHOTOS BY CGHS YEARBOOK.
Thurston’s Carson Buergey won first and recorded Thurston’s fastest time in history at 15:10. Lilliana Ramirez led the girls team at 21:38. Also, the top 5 runners on the girls team were only 44 seconds apart from one another, which is currently the smallest gap in the state.
Carson Buergey dominated the race in 15:10. The rest of the boys team and Thurston girls also saw strong performances in their season opener. PHOTOS PROVIDED.
Meanwhile, Creswell and Springfield competed in the Marist Invite last weekend. Springfield girls won first, while the boys took 4th. Adrian Estes led the boys at 5th place overall at 15:32. Bella Wells led the girls at 5th place (20:00). The Creswell boys took first over Marist Catholic in the “Novice” race. Hans Lewis was first at 10:51.
Up next in local cross country, Pleasant Hill travels to the Stayton XC Invitational this Saturday, and Springfield and Thurston compete in The Grizzly Invitational on Wednesday.
Football
The Lions cruised past North Marion 34-14 for the second year in a row. The Lions utilized 10 different rushers for the game. Jake Palluck ran 57 yards and recorded one 1 TD. Andrew Horner passed 79 yards. CJ Dugas rushed 82 yards and 1 TD. He also had 2 receptions. Ethan Valdez recorded 2 catches for 26 yards. Trevor Cooper recorded a 45-yard reception.
The Lions skated past the Huskies for the second year in a row with ease, but the real challenge comes later in the season as they approach Special District 3 in Class 4A. ALL PHOTOS BY CGHS YEARBOOK.
The Foxes and the Colts featured a matchup of top Class 5A teams. The Foxes got away 35-6 against Thurston. The Colts’ new offensive front struggled against the Foxes; the teams could meet again in the playoffs. Silverton’s Chase Dominguez recorded three passing touchdowns. Thurston’s Emmit Distefano scored the only TD for the Colts late in the fourth quarter
Boys and Girls Soccer
Creswell boys started their season perfect last week (2-0). It started with a win 6-4 against Class 4A North Bend on Wednesday. It was a slow start in the first half, with a score of 2-2 at half. The team gained momentum in the second half when senior Matthew Jenkins scored 2 goals along with junior Nils Drumm. Freshman Harrison Derminer recorded 1 goal and senior Brady Pratt recorded 1 goal and 5 assists. The Bulldogs followed up with a dominant win against Sutherlin on Saturday 8-0 with a mercy ruled in the first half. Jenkins scored 4 goals, with 3 of his goals assisted by Pratt. Pratt also scored 2 goals and had 3 assists total for the game. Braidyn Morse and Ryder Barrett had a goal each and Drumm recorded 2 assists.
Pleasant Hill boys began their season with a tie against Rogue River on Monday. Meanwhile, Springfield boys kicked off their season at Silke Field and went 0-1 with the Ridgview Ravens last week. The Ravens scored one goal for a 1-0 score.
Lastly, Thurston boys went 2-1 in their first week. It started with a 3-1 win against Intermountain Conference Mountain View on Tuesday, and then the Colts edged out their rival, Caldera, 1-0 on Thursday.
Cottage Grove girls went 1-1 in their first week of the ‘25 season. It started with a loss of 0-1 against Stayton on Tuesday. However, the Lions went on to beat Tillamook 3-1 on Thursday. Brielle Engle scored the first goal after a corner kick from Ally Kishen. Sadie Cardwell earned the second assist from Kishen. Lastly, Engle scored again after a cross from Aliyah Urenda. Goalkeeper Nora Heegard had 5 saves.
Cottage Grove girls battled for their 3-1 win against Tillamook last Thursday. ALL PHOTOS PROVIDED / CGHS YEARBOOK
Creswell girls went 1-0 in their first week by beating Sutherlin 4-0 on the road. Mila Nguyen scored 3 goals and Elliette Kinney scored one. Kinney, Nguyen, Jordyn Marklin, and Kinslee Roberts all recorded one assist. Goalkeeper Kylie Leonard secured the shutout.
Springfield girls went 0-1 in their first week by losing to the Ridgview Ravens on the road 5-0.
Finally, Thurston girls went 1-1 last week. It began with a 4-3 loss to McMinnville on the road last Thursday. Lauren Kranzush scored 2 goals and Delaney Antone scored 1 goal and 1 assist. Kielyn Ruhl recorded 1 assist. The Colts went on to win 3-1 against West Albany on Monday. Taylor Suiter scored 2 goals and Antone recorded 1 goal and 2 assists. Carmen Diaz recorded 1 assist.
Volleyball
Cottage Grove started its season undefeated. They won 3-2 against Stayton and 3-0 against Class 3A Pleasant Hill. Top performers against Satyton were Emma Primasing with 2 kills, 29 digs, 31 assists; Mariah Bailey with 9 kills, 17 digs, 47 setting attempts; and Taylor Bennett with 4 kills and 21 digs.
In their rematch against the Billies, Bennett recorded 8 kills and 25 digs; Bailey had 13 kills and 23 digs; and Primasing earned 2 kills and 34 assists.
The Lions showed their competitive spirit on the road last week when they won 3-2 against Stayton. ALL PHOTOS PROVIDED / CGHS YEARBOOK
Creswell began its season 2-1 last week. It started with a 3-1 win over the Coquille Red Devils. Piper Hanson recorded 26 kills and 16 digs; Rylee Cline 34 assists; and Marley Query 5 aces, 10 kills, and 9 digs.
The Bulldogs then lost 3-0 to Valley Catholic. Hanson tallied 11 kills and 12 digs; Cline 15 assists and 2 aces; Query 5 kills and 5 digs; and Stella Shaw 11 digs and 2 blocks. The Bulldogs then ended the week with a 3-0 win against Sutherlin. Hanson recorded 18 kills, 7 aces, and 14 digs; Cline 4 kills and 21 assists; and Query with 3 aces, 6 kills and 13 digs.
Pleasant Hill went 1-1 last week. It began with a 3-0 win over Siuslaw on Wednesday. Anna Crawford had 13 kills and 4 aces. Kyla Knights had a great serving day with 7 aces. The Billies then lost 3-0 to Cottage Grove. Crawford had 15 kills, 20 digs and 3 ace. Sari Strinz had 10 digs, 6 kills and 2 aces.
After going 1-1 at the Central Varisty Tournament on the road last week, Springfield began its official season with a rival win against the Willamette Wolverines last Tuesday, 3-0. Lastly, went 0-1 last week, losing to the Ridgeview Ravens 3-0. Payton Tovey recorded 15 digs. Emma Efseaff had 12 digs and 6 kills, Addi Nelson recorded 6 kills. And Sofie Scott and Kylee Skinner recorded 5 kills each.
UPCOMING PREVIEWS
FOOTBALL
COTTAGE GROVE (1-0) AT COQUILLE (0-1)
Game facts: Friday, Sept. 12, 7 p.m. … the Lions are ranked 5th in Class 4A and the Red Devils are No. 21.
What2Know: The Red Devils struggled in the ’24 season and recorded their first losing season since 2013 (4-6). The Lions also blew past the Red Devils 25-14 last year. This may be a repeat of last year for the Lions, who should build momentum from each game until they reach their more hefty Class 4A Special District 3 opponents.
CRESWELL (0-1) AT SUTHERLIN (1-0)
Game facts: Friday, Sept. 12, 7 p.m. … The Creswell Bulldogs are ranked No. 21 and the Sutherlin Bulldogs are No. 4.
What2Know: Creswell and Sutherlin face off in an official game after matching up in an opening-week jamboree. Sutherlin edged out the Pleasant Hill Billies 28-21 last week. This will be a test for the Bulldogs and new coach Chase Beach to see if they can bounce back from their home-opening loss to Gervais.
BROOKINGS-HARBOR (0-1) AT PLEASANT HILL
Game facts: Friday, Sept. 12, 7 p.m. … The Billies are ranked 21st and the Bruins are No. 18.
What2Know: Brookings-Harbor has fallen on hard times since Covid-19, with only five wins from 2020-24. Last year, the Billies narrowly beat the Bruins 22-20. After losing their home opener last week, this might be the game the Billies need to gain momentum with new head coach Kenny Koberstein.
SPRINGFIELD (0-1) AT BEND (0-1)
Game facts: Friday, Sept. 12, 7 p.m. … The Millers are ranked No. 21 and the Lava Bears are No. 24.
What2Know: The Millers jump back on the horse after their bye week and travel over the pass to face the Lava Bears, who were 6-4 last season. Most of their wins came in non-league games. This should be a good challenge for coach Frank Geske as he has experience in the Intermountain Conference from his time at Marist Catholic. Watch for Noah Solo, Adam Hernandez, and Coltrane Nelson.
EAGLE POINT (0-2) AT THURSTON (1-1)
Game facts: Friday, Sept. 12, 7 p.m. … The Colts are ranked 15th and the Eagles are No. 35.
What2Know: Thurston invites the Eagles to “The Barn” for their home opener. The Eagles struggled last season, going 1-8 overall. This might be just what the Colts need after a decisive loss to the Silverton Foxes last week.
BOYS SOCCER
COTTAGE GROVE (0-0)
Kicking off: The Lions will finally their first game of the season this upcoming Tuesday after a series of non-league cancellations. They’ll face the #18 Molalla Indians (1-1). This may be a disadvantageous situation for the Lions, who have officially started the season later than their Sky-Em League counterparts. Hopefully, this first home game will help them roll right into league the week after.
#8 CRESWELL (2-0)
Kicking off: The Bulldogs play host to the #23 Rogue River Chieftains (1-1) this Thursday. The Bulldogs have begun their season dominantly thus far and the Chieftains went 2-12 last season. Watch for Brady Pratt, and Matthew Jenkins. Following that, the Bulldogs travel over the pass to battle St. Mary’s Medford on Saturday.
PLEASANT HILL (0-1-0)
Kicking off: The Billies play host to the #41 Yamhill-Carlton Tigers (0-2) at their home turf this Thursday. Last season, the Tigers went 1-9-3. Look for Billies Juan Conteras, Jay Griffith, and Peyton White. Then, on Tuesday, the Billies open the field to Class 2A Western Christian / Amity.
#14 SPRINGFIELD (0-1)
Kicking off: The Millers invite the #2 Corvallis Spartans (1-0) to Silke Field this Thursday. The Mid-Willamette Conference opponent has begun its season in a dominant fashion. This may be a competitive game for the Millers. Last season, the Millers lost to the Spartans 4-0. The following Tuesday, the Millers play the competitive 6A Sunset Apollos on the road.
#29 THURSTON (1-2)
Kicking off: The Colts invite the Class 4A #19 North Bend Bulldogs (0-2) to their turf field this upcoming Wednesday. Though a Class 4A school, this may be the competition the Colts need in their rebuilding year with new head coach Phil Sweeney. Look for Dakota Hansen, Peyton Reed, and Jordan Needham.
GIRLS SOCCER
#11 COTTAGE GROVE (1-1)
Kicking off: The Lions head to Sweet Home on Thursday. Sweet Home had a winless season in ‘24. This should be a breeze for Brielle Engle, Zoey Knutson, and Emmerson Bickford. The Lions follow up with Mollala / Colton on the road on Tuesday.
#3 CRESWELL (1-0)
Kicking off: The Bulldogs invite the Elmira Falcons to their home opener this Thursday. Following, the Bulldogs see the Class 2A Central Linn Cobras on Tuesday. Look for standouts Mila Nguyen, Elliette Kinney, and Kylie Leonard.
PLEASANT HILL (0-0)
Kicking off: The Billies hit the road to play the Class 2A Central Linn Cobras this Thursday. The Cobras are a lofty non-league opponent; they went 12-1-1 last year, with their only loss at the state championship. Following, the Billies play Siusalw on Tuesday for their second home game.
#28 SPRINGFIELD (0-1)
Kicking off: The Millers travel to Eagle Point to play the Eagles in a “non-league friendly” this Thursday. This should be a good game for the Millers to gain some dominance before the Midwestern League. The Eagles were 1-10 last year. The Millers follow up with Churchill on Tuesday.
#9 THURSTON (1-1)
Kicking off: The Colts hit the road to play the Class 4A North Bend Bulldogs this upcoming Wednesday. Look for Lauren Kranzush and Delaney Antone, who have been making some noise with goals in the past two games.
VOLLEYBALL
#1 COTTAGE GROVE (2-0)
Setting up: The Lions have started their ‘25 season strong with an undefeated season opener at North Star Jamboree and are now 2-0 in their first week. They play Molalla this Thursday and Newport on Tuesday. Look for Mariah Bailey, Taylor Bennett, and Makya Alsup.
#10 CRESWELL (2-2)
Setting up: The Bulldogs have a busy schedule ahead with Glide on Thursday, the Sisters tournament on the road this weekend, and back-to-back matches against Class 4A North Bend and Marshfield on Tuesday. Look for Piper Hanson and Rylee Cline.
#3 PLEASANT HILL (3-1)
Setting up: The Billies head to Monroe on Tuesday to battle the Class 2A Dragons. The Dragons have lost every game thus far in the ‘25 season. This could be an opportunity for new upcoming players to gain some game experience in Pleasant Hill’s building year.
#30 SPRINGFIELD (1-2)
Setting up: The Millers kick off the Midwestern League this Thursday against the Churchill Lancers on Fryback Court. Churchill is the defending Midwestern League champion for the ‘25 season. This will be a difficult game, but the Millers can replay the Lancers later. Look for Sailor Hall, Leilani Vann, and Iyahna Woodard.
#12 THURSTON (2-2)
Setting up: The Colts travel to Ashland to play the Grizzlies on Thursday. On Tuesday, they’ll invite Eagle Point to their home court. Look for Jennifer Newell, Emma Efseaff, and Kylee Skinner.
