For Glencoe and Willamette, the 2024 football season marked a pivot point for their programs.
Glencoe moved down to 5A and won its first league title in 17 years, going unbeaten in Special District 1. Willamette ended a 12-game losing streak and finished 8-2, its most wins since 2007.
But as the teams prepare to move up to 6A this season, they know that maintaining their momentum won't be easy. Of the six 6A-sized schools that played in 5A last year – the others were Aloha, Forest Grove, Roseburg and South Eugene – Glencoe and Willamette are the only ones returning to 6A.
“We obviously know that it's a big step up from 5A to 6A,” Willamette second-year coach Josh Line said. “The speed difference is the biggest thing I'm concerned about. We can't control that. All we can do is prepare.”
Glencoe spent only one season in 5A before being bumped back up to the big-school classification due to its success. The return to 6A came as a surprise to coach Ian Reynoso, who planned to stay one more year in 5A.
“My understanding was that it was going to be a two-year move,” he said. “The move wasn't for last year, it was for this year, because I knew we were going to lose all those athletes.”
Does Reynoso believe 5A would be better for his team this season?
“Most definitely,” he said. “Now, do I mind? No. We're back in the Pacific Conference, playing all these teams, and we have film on them, still. We know the coaches really well. I've always been in the situation, you put us in a cage, we're going to start fighting.”
As for Willamette, it appears the Wolverines have the pieces to contend for the Special District 1 title and make a push in the 6A playoffs. They not only have Oregon-bound senior defensive lineman Tony Cumberland and a returning 1,000-yard rusher in senior Maveryck Akers, but they added sophomore quarterback Zeke Thomas, who passed for 2,503 yards and 28 touchdowns with four interceptions as a freshman at Crescent Valley.
Line said that last season – which ended with a first-round playoff loss, has lit a fire under the Wolverines. They have had about 85 players participating in offseason workouts.
“It's about as good of an offseason as I've ever been a part of,” Line said. “The kids have really bought in. Going from where we started to where we ended up last year was a big change. It had a lot to do with the little things, the cultural things. We tried to build on that this offseason.”
Willamette recently attended a three-day team camp in Coos Bay.
“We had the biggest team camp I've ever had,” Line said. “I feel like the bonding is definitely there. The question is, is the bond strong enough to deal with adversity? We'll have to wait and see on that.”
It will be Willamette's first season in 6A since 2017. The school's enrollment has been on the border between 6A and 5A.
“When I took over the program, the goal was to return it to where it should be,” said Line, who hopes to have 105 players this season, nearly double from when he took over. “We're supposed to be a 6A team. I feel like Willamette can be a top-tier high school football program. We're not shying away from the 6A change. We're leaning into it, and we're excited about it.”
Glencoe got back to basics last season, emphasizing a power-running game. It was wildly successful as Daniel Heninger, now a senior, ran for 1,971 yards and 19 touchdowns and was named the district offensive player of the year.
“We kind of used the year to re-brand our offense,” Reynoso said. “We went back to the old-school, double-tight, fullback, pound-the-rock, power ball that no one really runs anymore. I think that was a great transition for us.”
The Crimson Tide will hang its hat on that running game in re-entering the Pacific, which has been ruled by Sherwood for the past four years. Reynoso believes in the foundation the team established last season.
“We're a year-and-a-half into transitioning back into some verbiage and style of play,” he said. “It fits our community perfectly. We're at a point now where our kids feel really comfortable in what we're doing offensively and defensively.”
Glencoe graduated its best lineman in tackle Brody Sahlfeld (now at Central Washington), but his junior brother, Brock, promises to be a two-way force up front. And three starting linebackers have returned, including senior Isaac Reynoso, the coach's son and last year's runner-up for district defensive player of the year.
The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Heninger added about 20 pounds from last season. He is stronger and faster after skipping his junior wrestling season to concentrate on football training.
“We're going to go out there and throw punches,” Ian Reynoso said. “We're trying to be more physical with people. We're going to come play football. We're not playing 7-on-7. We're trying to come after you and make you realize, this is going to be a game you're going to feel for a couple days after.”
Other classification changes this season:
6A to 5A: David Douglas, Gresham, McNary
4A to 5A: Milwaukie, Parkrose
5A to 4A: Woodburn, Crescent Valley
3A to 4A: Cottage Grove
4A to 3A: Madras
2A to 3A: Gervais
3A to 2A: Rainier, Harrisburg, St. Mary's
1A-6 to 1A-8 – Prairie City, Echo, Pine Eagle
1A-8 to 1A-6 – Sherman, Condon
jerryu@osaa.org
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