Pleasant Hill football cruised to a 42-16 victory over the Falcons in the opening game of Special District 3 league play. The 26-point victory is tied for the second largest in the program in the past five seasons. The Billies dominated the trenches, rushing for 255 yards and four touchdowns, while holding the Falcons to only 33 yards on the ground. Kai Davis was the workhorse for the Billies again, carrying 26 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns. He has 600 rushing yards and six touchdowns in five games. Jacob Neely had 107 total yards and two touchdowns, to bring his total to a team-leading seven.
The Billies offensive was the star of the show againist the Falcons on Friday. JOSIE HEACOCK / THE CHRONICLE
On Homecoming Night, Junction City earned its fourth straight win against the Lions 28-8. Lions quarterback John Delima struggled, going 7-for-16 for 49 yards. The fourth consecutive loss moves Cottage Grove to 3-38 in its past six seasons playing as a Class 4A team. Tigers junior Zaidensen Dodson ran for 145 yards and a touchdown. His 701 rushing yards are #1 in Class 4A, according to MaxPreps. Wide receiver Jackson Roderick and quarterback Kaden Schafer showed off an effective connection, with multiple chunk plays and a first-quarter touchdown.
The Lions saw their fourth consecutive loss this season after losing to the Tigers 28-8. TRAVIS VAUGH AND JAYDEN TUCKER / THE CHRONICLE.
Creswell lost to Sisters last week 35-21. Creswell intially took an early 7-0 lead on a 30-yard screenpass that Hunter Mustin took to the endzone. The Bulldogs were very much in the game before three third-quarter touchdowns by the Outlaws made it 29-7. Creswell scored twice late to make the final score respectable. Logan Rich caught a pass down the seam for a 24-yard touchdown, and then Ace Bader took a screen pass 53 yards for a touchdown, breaking tackles and cutting all the way across the field. Ethan Eby scored two second-half touchdowns for the Outlaws to put the game out of reach.
PREVIEWS
PLEASANT HILL (4-1) AT LA PINE (0-5)
Game facts: Friday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m. … The Billies are ranked No. 15 in Class 3A and the Hawks are No. 36.
What2Know: The Hawks won 26-25 the last time Pleasant Hill traveled to La Pine. However, the Billies won last season, 26-6. La Pine’s football program has fallen on hard times. Since making the state quarterfinal in 2022, the Hawks have won three games in the past three seasons combined. This year, the Hawks’ five losses have come by an average margin of 36.4 points. Meanwhile, the Billies are on a four-game win streak for the first time since at least 2013. The Billies have relied on a balanced offense, averaging 206 passing yards and 156.4 rushing yards per game.
PHILOMATH (3-2) AT COTTAGE GROVE (1-4)
Game facts: Thursday, Oct. 9, 7 p.m. … The Warriors are ranked No. 8 in Class 4A and the Lions are No. 25.
What2Know: Both teams lost in their Special District 3 league openers: Cottage Grove fell to Junction City and Philomath lost a close one to Crescent Valley. The Lions have been much stronger at home than on the road this season, with a win over North Marion and a close loss to Pleasant Hill in two games in the Grove. Injuries and inexperience have been hurting the Lions, who are struggling in the move back up to Class 4A. Philomath has a young team as well, with only 18 upperclassmen to the Lions’ 15, and only seven seniors to the Lions’ nine.
CRATER (4-1) AT THURSTON (6-1)
Game facts: Friday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m. … The Comets are ranked No. 10 in Class 5A and the Colts are No. 14.
What2Know: Since Thurston’s move to Class 5A in 2016, these teams have met eight times, and the Colts have won them all. Since a 9-0 slugfest in 2021, the last three matchups have been shootouts, with 77 combined points on average. Despite having the better record, the Colts are rated 18th in RPI – a system that bases teams’ rankings on their win-loss records and strength of schedule – and that is keeping Thurston’s ranking down. This game will be on Senior Night for the Colts, who have 21 seniors to honor. Those 21 include leading rusher Justin Fisher, leading tackler Caleb Jones, and sack leader Cruz Gray. Crater is 4-1 for the first time since 2021, and coming off a thrilling 37-36 win over Churchill last Friday.
SPRINGFIELD (1-4) AT SOUTH EUGENE (0-5)
Game facts: Friday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m. … The Millers are No. 20 in Class 5A and the Axe are No. 35.
What2Know: These teams have been in the same league for three years, and Springfield has won all three matchups by an average margin of 35.3 points. The Millers have allowed only 6.3 points per game in those matchups, including two shutouts. Brayden Wickersheim played the majority of the QB snaps for Springfield last week for the first time this season. He was 9-for-22, with 100 yards, a TD, and an INT in a 38-7 loss to Thurston. South Eugene is searching for its first win since September 14, 2023.
CRESWELL (2-3) AT ELMIRA (1-3)
Game facts: Friday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m. … The Bulldogs are No. 21 in Class 3A and the Falcons are No. 24.
What2Know: Both teams lost their league openers last week: Creswell 35-21 to a top-five team in Class 3A in Sisters, and Elmira 42-16 to a surging Pleasant Hill squad. Creswell won in 2022 and ’24 and Elmira won in ’23. Elmira head coach Conrad Davis played for the Oregon Ducks in 2008-09 on both the offensive and defensive lines. He will use that background to attempt to straighten out his team’s trenches, as last week the Falcons were outrushed 255-33.
