So far this football season, No. 4 Tualatin has quietly gone about its business while the 6A spotlight shines brightly on its Three Rivers League rivals, No. 1 Lake Oswego and No. 2 West Linn.
The Timberwolves (4-0) don't have the same hype as last season, when their explosive offense was led by quarterback Nolan Keeney, now at Brigham Young. But they keep winning, nonetheless.
“Have we had more talented groups? Yes,” Tualatin coach Dom Ferraro said. “But I like this group a lot. They are dialed in and focused when it comes to preparation. They have this relentless mentality.”
Friday night, the Timberwolves get a chance to prove themselves when they play host to Lake Oswego (4-0) in the Three Rivers opener for both teams. As underdogs, they know their margin for error is slim.
“We've got to take care of the football, avoid penalties, make sure we're right on our assignments,” Ferraro said.
Last year, Tualatin paid for its mistakes in a 45-31 loss at Lake Oswego. Penalties and missed assignments were factors as the Timberwolves fell behind 14-0 and could not recover.
“Watching it, I feel like maybe we change a few plays here and there, and maybe we're in that game,” Ferraro said.
Tualatin has a monumental task in trying to slow down Lakers senior running back LaMarcus Bell (381 rushing yards), a Utah commit. Last season, Bell gashed the Timberwolves for 247 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries, including a 76-yard score on third-and-24 that opened the 14-0 lead.
“LaMarcus, in my opinion, is the best back in the state,” Ferraro said. “He's got all the tools you want as a running back. The thing last year I was impressed with is he's also very emotional in terms of his excitement. When a big play happens, he's letting you know. Momentum can be a big thing.”
Tualatin's defense has been outstanding so far, holding opponents to 10.8 points per game. The Timberwolves have slowed down the pass-happy offenses of Clackamas and South Salem and the running games of Jesuit and Sherwood.
Connor LaGrow, a 6-foot-7, 270-pound senior, anchors a defensive line that has athletic ends in junior Zane Carley and senior Cole Newton. Seniors Cody Hartley and Trenton Hertzog and sophomore Iden Rule have excelled at linebacker.
“We might not be as athletic as we were last year on our defensive line, but two things are different – our guys are always in the right spots and they're playing with relentless effort,” Ferraro said. “I like the tenacity of this group.”
Tualatin is averaging 40.5 points per game. Senior Owen Hagerman and junior Carter Powers are sharing time at quarterback, rotating every couple of series. Rule (380 rushing yards) became the primary running back due to injuries to junior Cole Hachmeister (hip flexor) and senior Ty Flowers (ACL).
Flowers is out for the season, but Hachmeister has returned to practice after missing the last three games. Ferraro said Hachmeister will be a game-time decision Friday.
“He's important to us because he's our big-play guy,” Ferraro said. “Cole just has that extra gear that nobody has on our team.”
Senior guard Gabe Allee (6-3, 275), who hasn't played this season after injuring his knee during daily doubles, also has returned to practice and is expected to play soon.
“We've had three or four guys out every single game,” Ferraro said. “I'm hopeful in the next week that we can get back to full strength.”
A look at other top match-ups in Week 5:
Friday
Sherwood (2-2) vs. Glencoe (4-0) at Hillsboro Stadium, 7 p.m.: Four-time reigning Pacific Conference champion Sherwood puts its 22-game conference winning streak on the line against the Crimson Tide. Glencoe senior running back Daniel Heninger has rushed for a 6A-leading 1,027 yards this season, averaging 11.8 yards per carry.
6A No. 5 Willamette (4-0, 4-0 SD1) at 6A No. 8 West Salem (4-0, 3-0), 7 p.m.: Willamette, coming off its first win over Sheldon since 2000, meets the Titans with first place in Special District 1 at stake. The Titans are 4-0 for the first time since 2020.
5A No. 8 Ridgeview (4-0, 1-0 Intermountain Conference) at 5A No. 1 Summit (5-0, 2-0), 7 p.m.: Ridgeview shut out its first three opponents before beating Caldera 38-12 last week. The Ravens haven't defeated the Storm since 2013, losing the last seven games in the series, including 24-17 last year.
5A No. 2 Silverton (4-0, 2-0 Mid-Willamette Conference) at 5A No. 6 West Albany (3-1, 0-1), 7 p.m.: The teams clashed for Mid-Willamette supremacy several times before Silverton left for another district last year. The Foxes, who won at West Albany 44-34 in a nonleague game last year, are back in the Mid-Willamette this season.
4A No. 7 Estacada (3-2) at 4A co-No. 4 Stayton (4-0), 7 p.m.: A year ago, Estacada lost twice at home to the Eagles, 35-21 in a nonleague game and 14-12 in the first round of the playoffs. The Rangers get a chance to spoil Stayton's perfect start.
3A No. 2 Banks (4-0, 1-0 SD1) at 3A No. 6 Gervais (4-0, 2-0), 7 p.m.: Banks has won 37 consecutive regular-season games and 38 in a row inside its league. The Braves must lock in against Gervais, which moved up to 3A after making the 2A semifinals last season.
2A No. 4 Bandon (4-0) at 2A No. 10 Glide (4-0), 7 p.m.: Bandon and Glide – which have the top two scoring defenses in 2A at 4.8 and 8.3 points per game, respectively – meet in what promises to be the first of many key games in a tough Special District 4 this season. Glide has won its first four games for the first time in 13 years.
2A No. 2 Lost River (3-1) at 2A No. 6 Culver (4-0), 7 p.m.: Last year, Culver won at Lost River 34-28 in a game that ultimately decided the Special District 5 title. The Raiders have won their last two games after a 43-8 loss to No. 1 Heppner.
1A-8 No. 7 Powder Valley (4-1, 1-0 SD4) at 1A-8 No. 1 Adrian (4-0, 0-0), 7 p.m. (MT): Reigning state champion Adrian continued its season-long domination last week by handling previously unbeaten Grace (Idaho) 54-24. Powder Valley has won three in a row since falling to No. 5 North Douglas 44-12.
1A-6 No. 8 Sherman (4-1, 4-1 SD1) at 1A-6 No. 4 Dayville/Monument/Long Creek (4-1, 4-1), 7 p.m.: The teams are tied for second place in Special District 1 behind No. 1 Harper Charter. Dayville/Monument/Long Creek is coming off a 52-48 win over seventh-ranked and previously unbeaten Spray/Mitchell/Wheeler.
jerryu@osaa.org
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