NEI Gets In The Mix With Oregon Live’s Rankings and Predictions: By Jordan Johnson

For those of you that don’t already know Oregon Live is one of the leaders nationwide with regards to high school sports coverage and beyond. If you go on a state by state basis the chances you will get consistent scoring updates and coverage the likes of which they provide is slim.

The last couple seasons we have been one of the voters on their 6A/5A Top 10 Weekly Poll, where you will see a host of relevant people from within the northwest making their picks. Taylor Barton and myself have joined in on the fun, and are now making selections with four of the Oregon Live members separately on the top games each week.

Tim Brown and the rest of this group spend countless hours making sure things get done the right way. We wanted to extend our appreciation to all of O Live, as they have set a high standard for news organizations all over the country. Have a look at the Oregon Live Weekly Poll and the voters that participate, along with the selections that we release each week. The Poll is as credible as they come and the picks are fun for everyone involved.

Jordan Johnson-NEI

OREGON LIVE 6A/5A RANKINGS

 

Click Here To View OregonLive.com.

6A

RK SCHOOL (1ST PL) PTS. COMMENTS
1 Sheldon (14) 192 Sheldon had little trouble with Roseburg in a 49-14 win last week.
2 Lake Oswego (5) 172 The Lakers won their 46th straight Three Rivers League game last week, running away from Clackamas 55-21 .
3 Aloha 158 Aloha took Grant’s best punch, but Thomas Tyner’s 350+ yards and three touchdowns proved too much. The Warriors remained undefeated, beating the Generals 24-16 .
4 Tigard 139 The Tigers took care of business against Hillsboro in a big way, exploding on offense for an 86-37 win.
5 Central Catholic (1) 125 The Rams extended their win streak to four games with a 21-0 shutout win at David Douglas last week.
6 Century 78 The Jaguars started slow, but warmed up and showed how dangerous they can be on offense in a win over Glencoe last week, 50-28 .
7 Jesuit 63 The Crusaders lost to Southridge for the second year in a row, 26-21 , but still have enough cred to stay firmly in the Top 10.
8 Southridge 59 The Skyhawks are surging after two big wins in two weeks, most recently an upset win over Jesuit, 26-21 .
9 West Salem 51 The Titans continue to dominate in Central Valley Conference play with a 52-6 win over North Salem last week.
10 Tualatin 37 The Timberwolves had to battle for a hard-fought win over McMinnville last week, 17-7 .
Others receiving votes: Sprague 18.

OregonLive.com Poll Voters: Bill Poehler ( Salem Statesman Journal ), Tim Brown (OregonLive.com Producer), Mike Richman ( OregonLive.com Producer ), Gary Haliski ( MWL News ), Sean Meagher (OregonLive.com Producer), Matt Prehm ( DuckTerritory.com ), Pete Christopher (OregonLive.com Producer), Scott Hermo ( 1360 KUIK ), Jesse Sowa ( The Albany Democrat Herald ) , Cory Mandina (OregonLive.com Producer), Billy Gates ( The Madras Pioneer ), Jordan Johnson ( Northwest Elite Index ), Kris Henry ( Medford Mail Tribune ), Jesse Aszman ( NWPreps.net ), Kyle Boggs ( St. Helens Chronicle ), Wally Ordeman ( KSHO 920 AM ), Josh Cordell ( COAthlete ), Jeff Smith ( Hillsboro Argus ), Ben Schorzman ( The News Register ), Joshua Cordell ( COAthlete )

 

5A

RK SCHOOL(1ST PL) PTS. COMMENTS
1 Sherwood (19) 199 The Bowmen held Wilsonville scoreless in three of four quarters to put away the Wildcats 35-14 .
2 Silverton (1) 176 Silverton stayed undefeated on the season with a blowout win over Woodburn, 56-0 .
3 Marist 161 The Spartans crushed an injury-plagued Churchill team, 40-7 . The Spartans are at Springfield next week.
4 West Albany 134 The Bulldogs got a 42-0 win over Dallas behind three first-half touchdowns from running back Jake LaCoste .
5 Wilsonville 110 The Wildcats fell to top-ranked Sherwood, 35-14 . They will try to get back on track at Liberty this week.
6 Springfield 98 The Millers rolled North Eugene last week, 62-0 , and are now tied with Marist atop the Midwestern League standings.
7 Redmond 89 Redmond remained undefeated, beating Bend in their first meeting as Class 5A foes last week, 47-41
8 Crescent Valley 40 The Raiders continue to rack up wins. Last week they got it done against South Albany, 37-12 .
9 Wilson 31 Congrats to Wilson for cracking the Top 10. It has been a while since we’ve seen a Class 5A PIL team in the Top 10.
10 Mountain View 26 The Cougars cruised to a 50-12 victory over Summit last week. Undefeated Redmond comes to town this week.
Others receiving votes: Hermiston 19, Churchill 10, Milwaukie 5, Roosevelt 2.

 

O regonLive.com Poll Voters: B ill Poehler ( Salem Statesman Journal ), Tim Brown (OregonLive.com Producer), Mike Richman ( OregonLive.com Producer ), Gary Haliski ( MWL News ), Sean Meagher (OregonLive.com Producer), Matt Prehm ( DuckTerritory.com ), Pete Christopher (OregonLive.com Producer), Scott Hermo ( 1360 KUIK ), Jesse Sowa ( The Albany Democrat Herald ) , Cory Mandina (OregonLive.com Producer) , Billy Gates ( The Madras Pioneer ), Jordan Johnson ( Northwest Elite Index ) , Kris Henry ( Medford Mail Tribune ), Jesse Aszman ( NWPreps.net ), Kyle Boggs ( St. Helens Chronicle ), Wally Ordeman ( KSHO 920 AM ), Josh Cordell ( COAthlete ), Jeff Smith ( Hillsboro Argus ), Ben Schorzman ( The News Register ), Joshua Cordell ( COAthlete )

 

WEEKLY PICK EM CHALLENGE AT OREGON LIVE – Week 7

* Check this out weekly as we will continue to make our predictions…

By Sean Meagher, OregonLive.com

on October 10, 2012 at 3:50 PM, updated October 11, 2012 at 1:37 PM

Each week, OregonLive.com’s high school sports crew will meaninglessly pick the winners of 10 meaningful high school football games. Picking with us once again is Jordan Johnson and Taylor Barton of Northwest Elite Index . On to our Week 7 predictions:

 

Thursday

 

McMinnville (4-2, 3-1) at Tualatin (5-1, 3-1), 7 p.m.: McMinnville and Tualatin are locked in a four-way tie for second place in the Pacific Conference. Both teams come into Thursday night’s game with 3-1 league records with their lone losses to first place Tigard.
Prep football: McMinnville at Tualatin

 

A win means the inside track for second place in the conference while a loss likely means a fight for third at best. McMinnville is averaging almost 48 points per game in wins, but just 23 in its two losses. If the Grizzlies are going to get a road win this week, they’ll need to put up points against a stingy Tualatin defense that hadn’t allowed more than 14 points in any game before last week’s 41-0 thrashing at the hands of Tigard. — Mike Richman

 

Sean Meagher: Tualatin
Tim Brown: Tualatin
Mike Richman: Tualatin
Pete Christopher: McMinnville
Jordan Johnson: Tualatin
Taylor Barton: Tualatin

 

Oregon City (3-3, 1-1) at West Linn (2-4, 0-2), 7 p.m.: For the first time this season, Oregon City is coming off a two-game losing streak, dropping consecutive contests against Three Rivers League foe Canby and an out-of-conference meeting with Grant last week. In the two losses, both by double digits, the Pioneers allowed 40+ points. West Linn nearly snapped a three-game slide last week in a back-and-forth affair with Clackamas but a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions by the Lions sealed the win for the Cavaliers. But, as they say, throw out the records for this rivalry game — the oldest high school football rivalry west of the Mississippi. A win by West Linn would even the league records for both teams at 1-2, while an Oregon City ‘W’ would further the distance and keep the Pioneers in the hunt for second place. West Linn edged Oregon City 28-27 in the final minute in last year’s “Battle of the Bridge.”

 

Meagher: Oregon City
Brown: Oregon City
Richman: Oregon City
Christopher: Oregon City
Johnson: West Linn
Barton: West Linn

 

Lakeridge (2-4, 0-2) at Canby (2-4, 1-1), 7 p.m.: Lakeridge snapped a four-game losing streak with an offensive outburst last week in a 56-30 win over Lincoln. Pacers running back Nick Yun and quarterback Eric Dungey combined for 449 yards of total offense and 6 total touchdowns to lead Lakeridge to the non-conference win. It was the first time since an opening week win over Eastlake (WA) the Pacers didn’t allow the opposition a 200+ yard rusher. Canby hung with defending Class 6A champions Lake Oswego, for a quarter, in a 41-20 loss to the Lakers last week that snapped a two-game win streak. After mustering just 23 points in their first three games (all losses), the Cougars have scored 104 points in their last three.

 

Meagher: Lakeridge
Brown: Canby
Richman: Canby
Christopher: Canby
Johnson: Canby
Barton: Lakeridge

 

Churchill (5-1, 3-1) at Marist (5-1, 4-0), 7 p.m.: Churchill survived a potential shocker by Midwestern rival Willamette last week in a 29-26 nail-biter. Senior Ian Boozer kicked a 24-yard field goal with 2.3 seconds left to save the Lancers from a 2-2 league record. Churchill led 24-0 heading into the fourth before allowing a 24-point final quarter by the Wolverines in the near upset. Marist pitched its second 47-0 shutout in four games in a win over Eagle Point. Senior Austin Baird racked up over 260 yards rushing and receiving in the win.

 

Meagher: Marist
Brown: Marist
Richman: Marist
Christopher: Marist
Johnson: Marist
Barton: Marist

 

Friday

 

Grant (3-3, 0-0) at Aloha (6-0, 3-0), 7 p.m.: Grant continues its non-league tour of Class 6A with two games remaining until its Special District 2 showdown with Lincoln. The Generals have had an up-and-down season thus far, trading wins with losses each week. Last week Grant exploded on offense with a 28-point second quarter and closed with 14 in the fourth to outlast Oregon City, 49-34 . Sophomore quarterback Sam Davis threw for 356 yards and three touchdowns and senior running back Bryant Peek added 159 yards and two touchdowns. Aloha remained perfect and Thomas Tyner continued his torrid pace with 300+ yards and five touchdowns … on just 15 carries … in just one half … as the Warriors improved to 6-0 with a 42-22 win over Beaverton. Tyner has 1,971 yards and 26 rushing touchdowns on the season.

 

Meagher: Aloha
Brown: Aloha
Richman: Aloha
Christopher: Aloha
Johnson: Aloha
Barton: Aloha

 

Jesuit (5-1, 2-0) at Southridge (3-3, 2-0), 7 p.m.: Last year’s meeting between these two Metro League opponents came down to Jesuit missing a game-tying extra-point to give Southridge a share of the league title. This year, both teams are again locked at the top of the Metro League standings heading into the game. Jesuit lost top running back A.J. Glass to a broken collarbone two weeks ago, but showed its ground game will still be a factor in a win over Westview . Chase Morrison and Joey Alfieri combined for 336 yards and five touchdowns on the ground as the Crusaders improved to 5-1 overall with a blowout win. Southridge ground out a 10-3 win last week against Sunset, forcing six turnovers and getting a late touchdown from senior running back Devin Martinez . — Mike Richman

 

Meagher: Jesuit
Brown: Jesuit
Richman: Jesuit
Christopher: Jesuit
Johnson: Jesuit
Barton: Jesuit

 

Crater (3-3, 3-1) at Thurston (3-3, 3-1), 7 p.m.: Second place in the Southwest Conference is on the line when Crater travels north to Thurston. The Comets of Crater had their three-game win streak snapped by No. 1 Sheldon last week, 48-0, as starting quarterback Chase Mackey was limited to 5-of-9 passing for 40 yards by the Irish defense. Thurston has won two of three after holding off North Medford last week, 26-20. Quarterback Corey Weick has 1,400 yards of total offense and 10 touchdowns for the Colts, who host Sheldon next week.

 

Meagher: Thurston
Brown: Crater
Richman: Crater
Christopher: Thurston
Johnson: Thurston
Barton: Crater

 

Sherwood vs. Milwaukie

 

Sherwood (6-0, 4-0) at Wilsonville (5-1, 4-0), 7 p.m.: The Sherwood Bowmen travel to rival Wilsonville for a huge Northwest Oregon Conference showdown on Friday between two of the state’s best ground attacks. The winner will not only be alone in first place in the league, but will have a legit claim to the title of best team in Class 5A. Wilsonville’s duo of Tanner Shipley and Ryan Walsh are as potent a 1-2 punch as there is in Oregon. Throw in quarterback Nick Highberger and fullback Johny Ragin and the Wildcats have one of the deepest rushing attacks in the state. When discussing depth of ball carriers, however, the Bowmen have to be at the top of the list. Sherwood is coming off a game in which it racked up 517 yards rushing and 10 different Bowmen rushed for 11 touchdowns against Parkrose. — Mike Richman

 

Meagher: Sherwood
Brown: Sherwood
Richman: Sherwood
Christopher: Sherwood
Johnson: Sherwood
Barton: Sherwood

 

Bend (2-4, 1-0) at Redmond (6-0, 1-0), 7 p.m.: Bend and Redmond meet for the first time as Class 5A foes. Bend, which has won each of the last three meetings, will look to hand Redmond its first loss of the season. The Lava Bears have had a rough start to the season under new head coach Matt Craven, but have grabbed wins in two of their last three games. Redmond is off to a perfect 6-0 start, averaging 44.5 points per game with an average margin of victory of 34.2 points. But, four of Redmond’s six wins have come against Class 4A opponents.

 

Meagher: Redmond
Brown: Redmond
Richman: Bend
Christopher: Redmond
Johnson: Redmond
Barton: Redmond

 

Crook County (4-2, 0-0) at Ridgeview (4-2, 0-0), 7 p.m.: In its inaugural football season, Ridgeview has a chance to win a league title at home on Friday night. The Ravens host Crook County as Class 4A Special District 1 supremacy comes down to this winner-take-all game. Ridgeview has won consecutive games for the first time this season after blanking Class 5A The Dalles Wahtonka 20-0 last week. Crook County will look for big games from leading rushers Marcus Greaves and Brandon Zemp to hold off the newcomers in Ridgeview. The Cowboys are old guards in Class 4A Special District 1 as they are the lone remaining school since its creation in 2010. — Mike Richman

 

Meagher: Crook County
Brown: Crook County
Richman: Ridgeview
Christopher: Ridgeview
Johnson: Crook County
Barton: Crook County