Vale sophomore Cal Johnson has passed for 16 touchdowns and run for seven scores this season. (Photo by Kat Seals)

Two of 3A's top dual-threat quarterbacks will go head-to-head Friday in a rematch of last year's state football final.

Senior Jack Wright will lead reigning state champion Burns (7-0, 2-0) against visiting Vale (6-1, 2-0) and sophomore Cal Johnson as the co-leaders in Special District 6 collide.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Wright, who accounted for six touchdowns when the Hilanders defeated the Vikings 42-16 in last year's championship game, is having a banner season. He has passed for 1,481 yards and 26 touchdowns with two interceptions and rushed for 318 yards and eight scores for No. 3 Burns.

“He's playing extremely well,” Burns coach Matt Bruck said. “He extends plays with his legs and his arm, with his pocket presence. He's a big kid, so when he runs the ball, he can smack people. He has improved from where he ended last year. He's making a lot wiser decisions with the ball.”

The 6-1, 170-pound Johnson has flourished in his first season as Vale's starter. He has thrown for 898 yards and 16 touchdowns with three interceptions and rushed for 368 yards and seven scores for the fourth-ranked Vikings.

“We've always known that Cal was going to be a special player,” Vale coach Jeff Aldred said. “His overall accuracy is pretty impressive for a sophomore. He's become really smart with the ball. When things break down, he can make things happen with his feet.”

The explosive offenses will test the elite defenses. Burns is holding opponents to 6.3 points per game. Vale, which has blanked its last three foes, is yielding 9.0 points per game.

“Both teams have some dynamic athletes and big-play capability,” Aldred said.

Wright's primary targets are seniors Coltin Miller (45 catches, 885 yards, 13 touchdowns) and Preston Hill (18 catches, 302 yards, six touchdowns). Miller has surpassed 100 receiving yards in each of the last six games.

“He does a great job moving around, attacking the ball, getting receptions where he wasn't last year,” Bruck said. “That's a big improvement for him.”

Wright must be precise against a Vale secondary that has 19 interceptions, led by senior Troy Dayton (seven) and Johnson (five). The Vikings' defensive front – featuring senior Wyatt Cox and juniors Calvin Longoni and Collin Mulvany – has been wreaking havoc in recent weeks.

“They're fast, athletic and strong,” Aldred said. “They're quite a handful for most offensive linemen.”

Johnson likes to throw to Dayton and junior Kellen Hartley, who have six and five touchdown catches, respectively. The improvement in the Vikings' passing game this season has made their offense more unpredictable.

“They're a lot more balanced this year than they were last year, offensively,” Bruck said. “Last year, they were very run-heavy.”

The Burns defense includes senior lineman Joe Weil (five sacks, 16.5 tackles for loss) and junior linebacker Jasper SkunkCap (11 tackles for loss).

Vale has won six in a row after opening with a 29-13 loss to No. 1 Cascade Christian. Aldred said the Vikings have improved “leaps and bounds” since that game, when they were breaking in many first-year starters.

In the meantime, Cascade Christian's dominance has shed new light on the result.

“People started realizing, 'Hey, Vale must be all right,'” Aldred said. “We're totally OK flying under the radar. With that senior-heavy class we had last year, there were a lot of people hoping we wouldn't be back in the mix, but the whole time we knew we had a group.”

In last year's SD6 game at Vale, the Vikings defeated Burns 18-12 in overtime on their way to the district title. The Hilanders avenged that loss in the state final, forcing five turnovers.

“We got behind the eight-ball pretty quickly,” said Aldred, whose team trailed 22-0. “It was one of those games that was a quicksand game.”

Other top match-ups in Week 8:

Thursday

5A No. 8 Ridgeview (6-1, 3-1 Intermountain) at 5A No. 4 Mountain View (6-1, 3-1), 7:15 p.m.: The Ravens and Cougars are tied for second place in the IMC behind No. 1 Summit. Ridgeview, which went 1-8 two seasons ago, has lost its last three meetings with Mountain View by at least 31 points.

2A No. 5 Knappa (6-0, 4-0 SD1) at 2A No. 10 Clatskanie (7-0, 4-0), 7 p.m.: The Tigers and Loggers – two of the four remaining unbeaten teams in 2A – meet with first place on the line. Last week, Knappa beat Nestucca 48-6, handing the Bobcats their first district loss. Knappa defeated Clatskanie 43-22 at home last year.

Friday

6A No. 4 Central Catholic (6-1, 3-0 Mt. Hood) at 6A No. 5 Nelson (6-1, 3-0), 7 p.m.: Central Catholic has won 39 consecutive games in the Mt. Hood, going back to a 24-22 loss to Clackamas in 2018. Nelson, 0-4 against the Rams since the school opened, has a chance for a major breakthrough.

6A No. 7 Tualatin (5-1, 1-2 Three Rivers) at 6A No. 1 West Linn (7-0, 3-0), 7 p.m.: West Linn became the clear frontrunner in 6A by rolling at then-No. 1 Lake Oswego 38-16 last week behind junior quarterback Sloan Baker, who accounted for five touchdowns. Tualatin looks to rebound from a humbling 45-10 loss to No. 6 Lakeridge.

5A No. 5 Silverton (6-1, 3-1 Mid-Willamette) at 5A No. 2 Dallas (6-1, 4-0), 7 p.m.: Both teams are coming off their first losses of the season, Silverton falling to No. 6 Lebanon 34-28 in a conference game and Dallas bowing to 6A No. 3 Willamette 42-27. If Dallas wins, it could set up a winner-take-all game at Lebanon next week.

4A No. 7 Stayton (6-1, 2-1 Oregon West) at 4A No. 1 Cascade (7-0, 2-0), 7 p.m.: Cascade has been a cut above the competition this season, winning by an average of 35.7 points, but the game against the rival Eagles is a potential trap. Last year, Cascade led Stayton 24-0 in the fourth quarter and held on to win 24-16.

4A No. 2 Marshfield (7-0, 3-0 SD4) at 4A No. 5 Henley (4-2, 3-0), 7 p.m.: Marshfield, 2-7 a year ago, can punctuate its turnaround by taking sole possession of first place with a win over the reigning district champion Hornets. Henley thumped the Pirates 49-21 last season.

3A No. 7 North Valley (5-2, 2-0 SD5) at 3A No. 1 Cascade Christian (7-0, 2-0), 7 p.m.: Cascade Christian has been a runaway train in the second half of the season, outscoring its last two opponents 138-0. Last year, the Challengers dominated North Valley 41-6 in a game that decided the district title.

2A No. 7 Lowell (6-1) at 2A No. 2 St. Paul (5-1), 7 p.m.: A nonleague game between two state contenders. Lowell has won six in a row since opening with a 32-26 loss to No. 6 Oakland. St. Paul's only setback is a 30-26 loss to No. 1 Heppner on Sept. 5.