The Class 5A Springfield Millers football team has won three of its past four games after losing its first three when they defeated Eagle Point 20-14 last Friday. The Millers allowed only one TD – a 62-yard pass where there was seemingly a miscommunication in the secondary. The other TD for the Eagles came on a kickoff return. Noah Solo was the workhorse, running for 200 yards and a TD. This allowed Springfield to have a dramatic 80-41 plays advantage.
The Class 4A Cottage Grove Lions lost to Marist Catholic 35-0 last Friday. The Lions kept this game close in the first half, going into the break with only a 7-0 deficit. The Spartans added 14 points in both the third and fourth quarters to secure the victory. The Lions have lost six in a row, and each of the past three by 20+ points. Cottage Grove has thrown for more than 100 yards only once in its past four games.
The Class 3A Creswell Bulldogs lost to Madras 56-26 last week. Two kickoffs returned for touchdowns, and a 90-yard fumble return for an additional score played a large part in Creswell allowing its most points under first-year head coach Chase Beach. According to Beach, poor tackling from his team was its downfall. “It was like we left the ability to tackle on the bus,” he said. The run defense was particularly porous, allowing over 200 yards.
PREVIEWS
COTTAGE GROVE (1-6) AT SWEET HOME (5-2)
Game facts: Friday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m. … The Lions are ranked No. 26 in Class 4A and the Huskies are No. 10.
What2Know: Both teams have struggled recently. Sweet Home has lost two in a row after starting 5-0, and the Lions look to stop a six-game skid. It’s the first time the Huskies have won five games since 2018. This matchup could be won at the line of scrimmage, with both teams relying on strong rushing games. The Huskies haven’t passed for more than 40 yards in either of its past two games, with QB Kyle Zajic averaging only 2.3 yards per attempt. The Lions have a similar issue, regularly using two different quarterbacks.
PLEASANT HILL (6-1) AT CRESWELL (3-4)
Game facts: Friday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m. … The Billies are ranked No. 14 in Class 3A and the Bulldogs are No. 26.
What2Know: Head coaches Kenny Koberstein and Chase Beach, each in their first seasons coaching in this rivalry, face off for the first time. Both call offensive plays, with Koberstein doing it the whole season, and Beach taking on the role over two weeks ago. Though each coach is new, these programs are familiar foes. The teams have played each of the past three years, with the Billies winning the past two and the Bulldogs winning in 2022. Creswell will need to shore up a run defense that allowed over 200 yards to Madras last week. Billies RB Kai Davis looks to start a new 100+ yard-game streak. Creswell’s Hunter Mustin will look to match Davis in a battle of talented running backs.
THURSTON (8-1) AT NORTH EUGENE (4-4)
Game facts: Friday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m. … The Colts are ranked No. 7 in Class 5A and the Highlanders are No. 26.
What2Know: The Highlanders and the Colts meet in each team’s regular-season finale. The Colts have won this matchup the past three years by an average of 37 points. Head coach Justin Starck is looking for the Colts first nine-win regular season since 2019, when his team won the state title. Colts RB Justin Fisher went over 1,000 total yards last week, and needs 146 more rushing to surpass 1,000 in that category alone. The Highlanders offense needs to get going, with only 23 points over its past two games. The Colts defense will make that difficult, as they go into Friday’s game with a streak of four straight games allowing 20 points or fewer.
SPRINGFIELD (3-4) AT CRATER (5-2)
Game facts: Friday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m. … The Millers are No. 23 in Class 5A and the Comets are No. 11.
What2Know: The Millers will travel 160 miles south to face the Comets on Senior Night. Crater won a thriller in this matchup last year, defeating the Millers 45-37. Springfield has won three of its past four, although none against an opponent as formidable as the Comets. All three of those victories have come against teams that are outside the top 25 in Class 5A rankings. Keeping the run game rolling will be important for Springfield, which has averaged more than 200 rushing yards in its three wins this year. The passing game was also more impactful in last week’s victory against Eagle Point, with a season-high 143 yards.
