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SOUTHRIDGE (8-3)
QB
| Reza Aleaziz | 6-4 | 220 | Sr |
One of the best QB’s in the NW; Ranked as one of the top 2 in Oregon… Top 3 sport athlete, team leader, D1 baseball scholly to play for Ducks… Could be a D1 QB.
RB
| Devin Martinez | 5-8 | 185 | Jr |
| Jake Pruit | 6-3 | 215 | Jr |
Probably the top Junior tandem in Oregon, both kids rank as two of the top 5 Jr backs in the state… Martinez is a beast and earned first team all league honors as a soph, had some injuries this year… Pruit’s stock has skyrocketed and he looks like a D1 football and lacrosse athlete.
WR
| Jordan Morgan | 6-2 | 195 | Jr |
| Justin Calo | 6-1 | 175 | Sr |
| Kevin Mclean | 6-4 | 195 | Sr |
Three of the top receivers state wide… Morgan is the top ranked Jr. WR in the NW, and has had a remarkable year going for 15 + Tds and earning 1st team WR honors… Both Calo and Mclean are ranked as two of the top 10 WR’s for the 2013 class in Oregon, Calo earned 1st team all league honors at slot.
TE
| Eric Scruggs | 6-4 | 205 | Sr |
Underrated TE that has done a very good job on both sides of the ball… Its a kid like this that could be the difference maker; 2 year starter.
OL
| Tyler Cox | 6-3 | 235 | Jr |
| Jeremiah Everett | 5-11 | 230 | So |
| JT Taulai | 6-3 | 200 | Jr |
| Eric Martin | 5-11 | 230 | Sr |
| Jim Weber | 6-2 | 235 | Jr |
| Danny Tanabe | 6-1 | 235 | Jr |
| Walker Lukens | 6-3 | 235 | Jr |
What coach Brian Cassidy has done with this line is borderline incredible, simply due to the size of some of the teams they have played… Tyler Cox is one of the top Jr lineman in the state, and Eric Martin overachieved all season earning 1st team all league honors; Tanabe’s got a quality mean streak and Taulai’s stock has risen big time… Jeremiah Everett is the type of kid that you want on your side, and is one of the top sophomore lineman in the state.
DL
| Rhyce Pruit | 6-1 | 245 | Sr |
| JT Taulai | 6-3 | 200 | Jr |
| Jake Henning | 6-0 | 220 | Sr |
This group has had a phenomenal year; Rhyce Pruit has had an All State type season and causes havoc all day in the middle; Henning played well all season earning 2nd team honors and Taulai is just getting better.
LB
| Matt Mcrae | 5-11 | 200 | Sr |
| Logan Sackley | 6-1 | 195 | Jr |
| Mike Varadi | 6-0 | 225 | Jr |
| Pepe Tanuvasa | 6-0 | 190 | Jr |
Sackley’s the best player in the state you don’t about. The kid just flies around makes plays and seems to always be in the right spot… Varadi is a rock and ranked as one of our top 10 Jr backers state wide for the 2014 class. He will be a 3 year starter, and Mcrae was a unanimous 1st team all league backer that has been overlooked for the better part of 2 years… This may be the most underrated group of linebackers in Oregon.
DB
| Alec Powell | 6-2 | 185 | Sr |
| Maleke Nathman | 5-10 | 175 | Jr |
| Andrew Ripley-Miles | 5-11 | 175 | So |
| Kevin McLean | 6-4 | 195 | Sr |
Alec Powell is a lock down corner with D1 genes that had a monster year… He earned 1st team all league honors and is on that scholarship bubble.. Mclean has had a phenomenal year from his safety spot as a 3 year all league kid… Nathman is ranked as one of our top DB’s for the 2014 class and Ripley-Miles is considered a Top 5 DB for the 2015 class… Easily one of the most talented groups in Oregon with all four kids being ranked state wide for their individual classes.
SHELDON (11-0)
QB
| Taylor Alie | 6-0 | 165 | Sr |
Has had a player of the year type season and is one of the breakout players for the State of Oregon, sitting behind record breaking QB Dillon Miller the last two seasons… Can run and throw 2,399 yards, 66 % Com Pct, 27 Tds/7 Ints; 5 rushing Tds.
RB
| Connor Strahm | 6-2 | 215 | Sr |
| Yadie Dunmore | 5-11 | 175 | Jr |
| Mitch Lewis | 6-0 | 165 | Sr |
Strahm is the best overall football player in Oregon with everything considered; 61/467/ 7 Tds-Rushing ; 10 rec Tds, can play QB/RB/Slot whatever… Player of the year on both sides of the ball, just a phenomenal athlete that requires more then multiple defenders to bring him down on almost every play… Yadie has really stepped up as of late and is just getting better 51/343/ 5 Tds and Mitch Lewis is a baller on both sides of the football 36/266/4 Tds.
WR
| Connor Strahm | 6-2 | 215 | Sr |
| Dylan Lewis | 6-0 | 165 | Sr |
| Mitch Herbert | 6-4 | 190 | Sr |
They will get Strahm the ball in the air and let him do his thing; 66/839/10 Tds receiving… Herbert is ranked our #2 Jr WR state wide 17/304/ Rec 7 Tds and could be a huge factor in the playoffs, as people will double Strahm leaving one of the best WR’s in Oregon in Herbert one on one; Dylan Lewis could be the other X factor as an he’s an outstanding overall athlete 25/388/2 Tds.
TE
| Ivan Faulhaber | 6-3 | 210 | Sr |
Faulhaber has had one of the best years of any athlete state wide; The kids been an outstanding receiver for Alie.. 41/502/6 Tds extremely underrated.
OL
| Tanner Davies | 6-3 | 276 | Jr |
| Henry Asay | 6-2 | 290 | Sr |
| Brett Nielsen | 6-4 | 220 | Sr |
| Marcus McGovern | 6-1 | 205 | Jr |
| Tanner Tokalty | 6-1 | 200 | Sr |
This line has just dominated opponents although the competition hasn’t been great; Fundamentally as sound as they come as Davies is a top ranked Jr and Nielsen a top ranked Sr… Asay has had a breakout year and McGovern and Tokatly have stepped up big.
DL
| Mike Ralston | 6-6 | 240 | Sr |
| Liam Talty | 6-4 | 210 | Jr |
| Chet Spears | 6-2 | 300 | Sr |
| Brett Nielsen | 6-4 | 210 | Sr |
| Taylor Lamb | 5-11 | 195 | Sr |
Maybe the state’s most productive D line; Just dominating opponents all season long… Ralston has a D1 offer and has had a state player of the year type season; 54 tackles, 8 sacks and just extremely tough to stop due to his overall athleticism… Spears has had an incredible year just killin inside, accounting for 75 total tackles and 4.5 sacks..He is one of the regions best wrestlers and it shows.. Talty is one of the top juniors in Oregon and has gone off with 77 total tackles and 3 sacks.
LB
| James Banks | 6-1 | 225 | Sr |
| Ivan Faulhaber | 6-3 | 210 | Sr |
| Marcus McGovern | 6-1 | 205 | Jr |
| Ben Planck | 5-10 | 180 | Jr |
| Taylor Tharp | 5-9 | 175 | Jr |
| Austin Tharp | 6-0 | 175 | So |
Banks has had a player of the year type season and is a kid that I would take to battle any day of the week… State 6a leader in tackles (132) 12.0 per game and just a very talented and smart overall football player… He will need to play lights out if the Irish want to win a state title; Faulhaber has had a monster year defensively (46 total tackles) with 1.5 sacks.
DB
| Connor Strahm | 6-2 | 215 | Sr |
| Mitch Lewis | 6-0 | 160 | Sr |
| Mitch Herbert | 6-4 | 190 | Jr |
| Kellen Strahm | 6-0 | 165 | So |
| Dylan Lewis | 6-0 | 165 | Sr |
| Levi Rotherham | 5-11 | 165 | Sr |
| Ben Olsson | 5-9 | 150 | Sr |
Strahm is a game changer in that people have to game plan around him; Player of the year on the defensive side of the ball, but hasn’t been needed as much do to blowouts… He will play a lot of D in the playoffs; 2nd in state in Int’s last season (7) with (2) this year… Both Lewis kids have 2 Ints on the year and Herbert covers a lot of ground at Safety with his length; 25 tackles and 1 Int.
ANALYSIS
As most people know I am a huge fan of both programs, so it pains me to a pick a winner here. In the last 3 years this may be the most excited I have been to watch a HS football game. We have a rematch from week 1 where Sheldon squeaked out a 35-28 victory at home. Reza Aleaziz is back taking over the QB duties, although AJ Woodin did an outstanding job down in Eugene. I feel like the Skyhawks are playing as well as anyone in the state, and are legit state title contenders right now. If they win this game I could see them winning the title.
That said, Sheldon has beaten teams by an average score of 53-8 and most of that has been in the first half. Connor Strahm is the “real deal Holyfield”, and has been part of an Irish program that is 49-2 in the last 4 years. They don’t like to lose, and I see this very talented group of seniors figuring out a way to win. The additions of Mike Ralson, James Banks, and Yadie Dunmore in the off season were huge… I can’t say enough good things about both coaching staffs.. I will take the Irish in a thriller.
Sheldon 31 Southridge 27
ADVANTAGES
QB – Even
RB – Southridge
WR – Even
OL – Sheldon Slight
DL – Sheldon
LB – Even
DB – Even
