North Marion’s Dennis Zapata (8) runs with the ball as Stayton’s Jose Gomez (17) and Levi Summers (18) chase after him in the Stayton vs. North Marion boy’s soccer game at North Marion High School in Aurora, Ore., on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Stayton won the game 3-2.

AURORA – Ivan Navarro and Freddy Navarro aren’t exactly sure how they’re related, but Stayton High School’s senior forwards think they’re second cousins.

There is no doubt there is some sort of connection between them.

Ivan Navarro scored two goals and Freddy Navarro scored the game winner as Stayton defeated North Marion 3-2 on the road Tuesday afternoon to take control of the Oregon West Conference in the rematch of last year’s Class 4A state championship game.

Just don’t ask how them exactly how they’re related.

“Me and him, we work good together, we pass the ball well to each other,” Ivan Navarro said. “We kind of know how we play with each other. We just get passes together and create good chances and finish the ones that we get.”

Stayton (9-0-2, 6-0-2) has two conference games remaining and moved ahead of last year’s state champion Huskies (10-1-1, 6-1-1) in the conference.

Given that Stayton came into the match No. 2 in the OSAA’s power rankings and North Marion No. 4, Tuesday’s result shows that the Eagles are one of the top teams in the state.

“Our situation is that we do really well with what we have, and I feel like we put ourselves in the position to put our talent on the field wherever it’s going to get the best results,” Stayton coach Chris Shields said.

“Yeah, it is a 2 and 4 matchup, but they’re a good team and 9 out of 10 times they’re probably going to beat you. We’re happy with this one. We’re happy with the opportunity to at least be in control of our own destiny.”

Stayton tied back-to-back games against North Marion and Cascade earlier this season and decided to implement a new scheme: Put the Navarro cousins up top and put the rst of the field players on defense.

It worked Thursday against a North Marion team that was overly aggressive on offense.

The Huskies pushed a lot of players forward in the opening minutes, but Ivan Navarro took a pass from Freddy Navarro near midfield, raced past three North Marion defenders and oncoming goalkeeper Patrick Amezcua for a dribbling goal in the 12th minute for a 1-0 lead.

“Ivan, I think, is the best player in the conference, and I think he’s one of the best players in the state, hands down,” Shields said. “And you saw it again today. When he’s on the field, you have a chance.

“He’ll give you an opportunity because he’ll work hard, he’s smart, and he’ll do the simple things, little things to help you win games, and he brings the level up for everybody else.”

North Marion tied the game in the 25th minute as Edgar Lopez put in a shot off a Stayton defender, and the game was tied 1-1 at halftime.

Ivan Navarro scored on another runner in the 43rd minute to take the lead back and Freddy Navarro scored 12 minutes later off an assist from Ivan Navarro for a 3-1 Stayton lead.

It makes sense that the Navarro cousins have such a tight bond on the field as they’ve been playing soccer together since they started playing the game.

“We just have that chemistry since we were little,” Freddy Navarro said. “We know each other very well.”

North Marion’s Leo-Rey Ramirez scored a goal with six minutes left, but North Marion’s Dennis Zapata, last year’s state player of the year, was injured in the final minutes and had to be helped off the field.

Stayton’s freshman goalkeeper Jose Navarro had 12 saves and displayed the athleticism that earned him the job to start his first season of high school soccer.

“When he came in at first as a freshman I didn’t think he was going to be too good, and then he got into some games, he started as varsity goalkeeper and he turned out really good,” said Ivan Navarro, a cousin of Jose Navarro. “He’s better than we expected.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Stayton 3, North Marion 2

At North Marion

STA- Ivan Navarro 12:00; NM- Lopez 25:00; STA- Ivan Navarro 43:00; STA- Freddy Navarro 55:00; Ramriez 74:00.

West Salem’s Ahmed Muhumed wins the boys varsity race with a time of 15:17 during the Greater Valley Conference District Cross Country meet Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, at Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem.

Ahmed Muhumed may have used more energy after the race than he did during it.

After West Salem High School’s junior crossed the finish line of the 5,000-meter race at Bush’s Pasture Park in 15:17 to win the Greater Valley Conference district cross country title, he immediately ran back up the course to cheer on his teammates as they came to the finish line.

It worked, too.

West Salem’s boys won the GVC district team championship with a score of 39 to beat Forest Grove’s score of 46 and McMinnville’s 58.

The individual championship was Muhumed’s second straight and he was almost 30 seconds faster than he was at the same meet last year, though it was at a different course.

“It means that I won once and I came back to do it again, which actually is a pretty hard thing to do since a lot of people get pulled back down when they get that win once,” said Muhumed, who has the fastest time (14:56) in the state this season. “I’m hungry for more.”

Muhumed let the first mile play out in front of him as he hung around with Forest Grove’s Murimi Nyamu and McMinnville’s Zane Fodge and tried to keep his teammates, including Hunter Mosman, up with him.

By the third mile of the race Muhumed checked out with the lead and easily won with Nyamu and Fodge placing second and third.

South Salem’s Anna Chau and Sprague’s Ginger Murnieks race in the Greater Valley Conference District Cross Country meet Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, at Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem. Chau won the meet with a time of 17:52.

“I kind of pick up about a mile and a half to go and just keep on going,” Muhumed said. “Today, it was kind of getting time at the same time as chilling.”

West Salem, along with Forest Grove and McMinnville, qualify as teams for the Oct. 31 Class 6A state cross country meet at Lane Community College.

West Salem’s boys were a power in the old Central Valley Conference, but the addition of Forest Grove and McMinnville into the league as the GVC raised the competition significantly in the team races.

“That means a lot,” said Mosman, who placed fifth. “We’ve worked so hard since the beginning of the summer and if we won, that’s the best we could have done. If we lost we did our best, too, but ultimately that’s awesome.”

The girls race had new faces out front.

South Salem freshman Anna Chau broke away from Sprague freshman Ginger Murnieks with about a half mile to go and pulled away to win in a personal record time of 17:52 with Murnieks second in 18:03.

Murnieks took out with the initial lead, but Chau was content to let her lead and wait until the end to make her move.

“She went out really fast and I didn’t feel comfortable going out that fast,” Chau said. “I just wanted to pace myself and not go out too hard so I would have enough at the end.”

West Salem senior Brooke Chuhlantseff, who had won three district cross country championships in her first three years of high school, placed third in 18:47. North Salem’s Madison Willhoft placed fourth and McNary’s Kailey Doutt was fifth. All three qualify for the state meet as individuals.

Chau’s winning time was a personal record of 16 seconds and gives her the No. 5 fastest time in Class 6A this season.

“I’m really happy because I wanted to end my season with a PR at district, so I’m really glad,” Chau said. “I also wanted to get under 18, and I’m super glad I got under 18 this year and I’m looking forward to next year.”

Forest Grove won the team portion of the competition with 79 points. South Salem was second with 88 and Sprague was third with 91.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

North Salem’s Madison Willhoft competes in the girls varsity race during the Greater Valley Conference District Cross Country meet Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, at Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem.

Salem Academy quarterback Andrew Baker during their game with Blanchet on Friday, Oct. 16, 2015, in Salem, Ore.

Greater Valley Conference

Game of the week

McNary at No. 6 South Salem, 7:15 p.m.

On the air: Radio on KYKN 1430 AM, video on CCTV2 Channel 22 at 11:59 p.m.

GVC championship implications: South Salem (7-0, 6-0) can clinch at least a share of the conference championship – its second straight – with a win in this game. McNary (4-3, 4-2) is tied for fourth in the league, but is in position to earn a state playoff spot.

A strong argument for player of the year: There’s not much more South Salem senior quarterback Gabe Matthews could do to complete the argument that he is the top player in the conference, and one of the top in the state. He has completed 94 of 151 passes (62 percent) for 1,404 yards and 24 touchdowns against two interceptions for a 126.8 quarterback rating. He’s rushed for 253 yards and eight touchdowns on 39 carries. In addition, he averages 36.5 yards per punt, is 3-for-3 on field goals with a long of 45 yards and completed 39 of 40 PAT kicks.

Tough streak for Celtics: The Celtics’ three-game run of tough games to finish the season didn’t start well as McNary lost 43-40 to West Salem last week and still has the tough finish to go with South Salem this week and Sprague on Oct. 30.

McKay at Forest Grove, 7:15 p.m.

Tough finish: The Royal Scots (1-6, 1-5) showed great promise early in the season, but the team has lost three straight – including last week’s 28-7 defeat to McMinnville. McKay rushed for 138 yards, but turned the ball over twice. Everyone knows Forest Grove quarterback Taylor Jensen is a prolific passer, but McKay has the athletes on defense to keep up with him.

North Salem at Sprague, 7:15 p.m.

Reeling Olympians: It wasn’t surprising when Sprague (5-2, 5-1) lost 56-14 to South Salem. However, when Sprague lost 39-34 to a Grant team that is No. 41 in the OSAA’s power rankings, it was a surprise. Sprague is in solid position to make the state playoffs, but with North Salem and McNary in the way, the Olympians have a tough road until the postseason.

GVC finale: This is the final conference game of the season for North Salem (3-4). Even if the Vikings don’t finish in the top four in the GVC, the team still has a shot at reaching the state playoffs as one of the at-large bids. North Salem is on the bubble now as the No. 31 team in the OSAA’s power rankings. Playing Sprague (No. 18 in power rankings) and 5A Summit (No. 5 in power rankings) will help, but a win in one of the final two games would help a lot, too.

West Albany at West Salem, 7:15 p.m.

On the air: Radio on KBZY 1490 AM

A winning streak: West Salem (4-3, 4-2) has been a streaky team this season. After winning its first three games, the Titans lost their next three. West Salem’s 43-40 win against McNary was the team’s second straight win and asserts the team back into third place in the conference. West Albany has struggled all season, but is still a team that has the potential for an upset for any team that overlooks it.

Mid-Willamette Conference

Game of the week

Corvallis at Central, 7 p.m.

A new life: Central (4-3, 3-2) gained new life with a 35-21 win last week against Silverton that snapped a two-game losing streak. The Panthers play Corvallis (3-4, 3-2) then Woodburn (0-7) in next week’s regular season finale. Central is in a four-way tie for second place, but the Panthers have the potential to place second in the conference if they can win the final two games of the regular season.

1,000 yard star: Central junior running back Alvin Berroa has improved as the season has gone along. He’s rushed for 1,014 yards and nine touchdowns on 79 carries. He’s proven that he can get yards against tough defenses.

Silverton at Woodburn, 7 p.m.

Change of direction: The Foxes (3-4, 2-3) went from leading the conference to clinging for their playoff lives in a matter of three weeks after a series of injuries. Silverton was without injured junior quarterback Sam Morrison last week and started freshman Levi Nielson at quarterback, but got back senior Noah Dahl, though in a limited role. Silverton likely needs to win its next two games, including this one against Woodburn (0-7, 0-5), to make the state playoffs.

Dallas at Lebanon, 7 p.m.

Return to form: The Dragons (2-5, 2-3) showed they can do what made them a contender in past seasons: Running the football. Dallas rushed for 307 yards – including 117 and three touchdowns by Tanner Earhart – on 57 carries in last week’s 20-0 win against Crescent Valley. Dallas still has the potential to reach the state playoffs out of the Mid-Willamette Conference, but need to beat Lebanon and Silverton in the next two weeks to get in.

On Oct. 16 Silverton and Central high schools battled in Silverton to a 34-21 victory for the Panthers.

Oregon West Conference

Game of the week

No. 9 Stayton at No. 2 Philomath, 7 p.m.

League championship implications: There’s a couple ways this one could go. If Philomath (6-1, 4-0) wins this game the Warriors win the league championship and get a bye to the Nov. 6 first round of the state playoffs. If Stayton (6-1, 3-1) wins this game, the Eagles create a three-way tie – as long as Cascade defeats North Marion – for the conference championship. Stayton is coming off its first loss of the year, a 31-7 defeat against Stayton.

Return to the ground: Stayton’s running game was put on ice against Cascade, accounting for 84 yards. The Eagles had a lot of success running the ball early in the season – the team is still averaging more than 200 yards on the ground – and need to run the ball and control the clock against a Philomath team that has made opposing defenses look silly.

North Marion at No. 3 Cascade, 7 p.m.

In playoff position: Cascade (6-1, 3-1) needs to hope Stayton beats Philomath in order to get a share of the Oregon West championship. But as long as Cascade beats North Marion(3-4, 2-2), the Cougars likely will be in the state playoffs as they would earn the one at-large berth into the state playoffs and not have to be in a play-in game.

West Valley League

Game of the week

Taft at Dayton, 7 p.m.

Rested: Dayton (5-1, 3-1) caught a needed bye last week before this key game against Taft. The Tigers (4-3, 4-1) and Pirates are playing for second place in the conference. This is the league finale for Taft.

Sheridan at Santiam Christian, 7 p.m.

Tougher road ahead: Santiam Christian (6-1, 4-0) has a tougher opponent next week in Horizon Christian, but the Eagles won’t overlook Sheridan (1-5, 0-4). The Eagles have been running the ball – including 137 yards against Amity, with two touchdowns by Hunter Bain – but this would be a good game to try new things on offense.

Willamina at Amity, 7 p.m.

Chance for Amity to finish strong: The Warriors (2-5, 1-3) have been on a tough stretch by losing three straight, but this is a winnable game. A young and winless Willamina team has surrendered more points than any 3A team except Gervais and are vulnerable.

PacWest Conference

Game of the week

Colton vs. Blanchet, 7:30 p.m.

Where: McCulloch Stadium.

Playoff implications: Blanchet’s 27-21 double-overtime win against Salem Academy set up the Cavaliers (6-1, 3-1) well for a state playoff berth, but a win against a Colton (4-3, 2-2) team that has lost two straight would clinch it for Blanchet.

Star in the making: Blanchet junior running back Nick Orlandini has been a starter since his freshman year and rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a sophomore, but is now becoming a star. He rushed for two touchdowns in overtime in the game last week and has made defenses pay attention.

Scio at Jefferson, 7 p.m.

Rivalry game: Scio’s held a distinct edge in the rivalry in recent years, and this year promises to be no different. Scio (7-0, 4-0) is No. 1 in the OSAA’s power rankings for a reason. The Loggers have the potential to rush for 500 yards against any opponent. Jefferson (2-5, 2-2) had perhaps its best defensive outing of the season in last week’s 34-12 win against Chemawa, but Scio is a challenge no team has been up for this season.

Salem Academy at Chemawa, 7 p.m.

League finale for Crusaders: Yes, Salem Academy’s 27-21 loss to Blanchet last week was a shock, but the Crusaders (5-2, 3-2) finish the conference season a week early by playing Chemawa (0-7, 0-5). A win in this game for Salem Academy clinches a state playoff spot, which would be the team’s second straight. Salem Academy plays at Kings Way Christian in Washington next week in a nonleague game.

Gervais at Horizon Christian, 7 p.m.

A strong return : Horizon Christian (3-4) started the season 0-4, including forfeiting a game to Salem Academy for not having enough healthy players. Now the Hawks have won three straight and will look to make it four straight against Gervais (0-7) in this nonleague game.

West Salem wide receiver Nate Okada is tackled by Sprague linebacker Dane McKinney during a Greater Valley Conference game, Friday, Oct. 2, 2015, in Salem, Ore.

Tri-River Conference

Game of the week

Central Linn at Regis, 7 p.m.

League championship aspirations: Central Linn (7-0, 2-0) took a big step toward winning the Tri-River Conference championship with last week’s 33-0 win against Kennedy. The Cobras can clinch at least a share of the conference championship with a win against Regis (4-3, 1-1).

A defensive challenge: A Regis defense that shut down Oakland in last week’s 54-13 win has a significantly different challenge against Central Linn’s single wing offense. That Central Linn is passing as well as they are – Jesse Wibbens threw two touchdown passes to Braden Nightingale in Friday’s 33-0 win – makes the version of the single wing especially tough to defend.

Kennedy at St. Paul, 7 p.m.

A step in the wrong direction: Kennedy’s offense was held to season-lows in last week’s 33-0 loss to Central Linn with Bishop Mitchell being limited to 72 yards rushing on 10 carries and Brett Traeger being held to 83 yards passing and being intercepted twice. The Trojans (6-1, 2-1) face one of the most porous defenses in a St. Paul (3-3, 0-2), which has allowed 211 points this season, sixth most in Class 2A.

Santiam at Monroe, 7 p.m.

Nonleague tuneup: No team in the state needed a win as much as Santiam (4-3) did last week. This week’s nonleague game against Monroe (2-5) gives the Wolverines a chance to build some confidence heading into the regular-season finale against Regis next week. Santiam running back Joel Hills rushed for three touchdowns in last week’s 38-27 win against St. Paul.

Class 1A

Game of the week

No. 9 Sherman at No. 6 Perrydale, 7 p.m.

League title: This game will determine the champion of 1A Special District 4. This is the final league game for Sherman (5-2, 5-0) while Perrydale (6-0, 4-0) plays Arlington/Condon in the league finale Oct. 30. If Sherman wins this game, the team wins the league title outright. A Perrydale win gives the team at least a share of the league championship and the tiebreaker against Sherman no matter what happens next week.

Rested: A banged-up Perrydale team desperately needed the bye the Pirates enjoyed last week. Perrydale defeated Ione 62-20 in their final road game of the season and now they play the final two games of the regular season at home.

Alsea at Falls City, 7 p.m.

Final regular season game: This is the final regularly scheduled game for Falls City. The Mountaineers (2-5, 2-1 1A Special District 3) play in a league playoff game Oct. 30. Falls City defeated Triangle Lake 24-21 last week behind 183 yards and two touchdowns passing from Jay Labrado and have found their way on offense in winning two of their past three games.

South Salem’s Francisco Ramirez Perez and the Saxons defeat West Salem 50-43 during a game on Friday, Sept. 25, 2015, in Salem.

It’s been a long time since South Salem High School’s No. 6-ranked football team lost a Greater Valley Conference game.

Heading into the 7 p.m. home game Friday against McNary, the Saxons have won 15 conference games in a row.

The winning streak matches West Salem’s 15-game streak from 2009-11. The longest in recent history was Sprague’s 24-game winning streak from 2003-05.

One more win and South Salem (7-0, 6-0) would have the longest conference winning streak by a Salem-Keizer public school in a decade.

“I think it’s a tribute to my coaching staff who is doing a good job, the kids who put in the work and continue to do the preparation piece each week, and we also have a talented group of kids,” South Salem coach Scott DuFault said. “We got some kids who are going to play college football.”

South Salem High School’s Joseph Carey (6) makes a catch for a touchdown during their game with Sprague on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015.

A win against McNary also would clinch for South Salem at least a share of the Greater Valley Conference championship, which would be the team’s second straight.

South Salem put together a checklist of goals before the season and this is the second one – the team accomplished the first one in clinching a state playoff spot a couple weeks ago – the team wants to check off.

“I think for this group in particular, we’ve got our eyes set down the road a ways, too,” DuFault said. “It’s a big deal for us to win a conference championship, but we’ve got other goals, too.”

McNary is tied for third in the GVC with West Salem at 4-2, but has scored a combined 91 points in its past games behind the prolific play of senior quarterback Trent Van Cleave, who has passed for five touchdowns and rushed for three in that span.

Friday’s high school football preview

“I think for us defensively it starts with knowing where No. 7 is,” DuFault said. “He’s awfully good. He’s starting to play with a lot more confidence. We haven’t seen a quarterback like this yet. That’s a tough thing to handle, a guy who can extend plays.

“Their running back’s great. They’re big up front. They’ve got some guys who can catch the ball. Defensively, their front four is awfully good, and I think they’re pretty good.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

McNary at No. 6 South Salem

When: 7:15 p.m. Friday

On the air: Radio on KYKN 1430 AM, video on CCTV2 Channel 22 at 11:59 p.m., livestreaming on www.clypian.com

Records: McNary (4-3, 4-2 GVC), South Salem (7-0, 6-0).

Diabetes awareness night: This is the third annual event, which raised $3,500 last year. There is a page at http://www.gofundme.com/yp6qfsxk, there will towels on sale for $2 at the game and helmets will be passed in the third quarter to raise cash.

West Salem’s Paige Whipple (No. 12) celebrates a point against McNary in the Greater Valley Conference finale Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015.

The length of the road back to the top was part of what made it so good to finally get back there.

When West Salem High School’s volleyball team last won a conference championship – back in 2007 – most of its current players were in third grade.

And it certainly wasn’t easy to win one this time, either.

West Salem came back from a 2-1 deficit to McNary on Thursday night in the Greater Valley Conference finale to win 25-21, 16-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-9 and clinch the outright conference championship.

The Titans finish the regular season 18-3 overall and more importantly 15-1 in the GVC.

“It means so much,” West Salem junior Paige Whipple said. “Going into the season that was like our biggest goal and to accomplish it just means the world. Going into the playoffs it puts us in a really good spot.”

The Titans are set up well for the postseason.

West Salem finishes the regular season No. 7 in the OSAA’s power rankings with its fourth straight win and next hosts a team to be determined in the Oct. 28 first round of the OSAA Class 6A state playoffs.

There are other hurdles to get over to go before the team can place in state: The last time West Salem won a game in the state playoffs was 2006.

Winning a conference championship was a good start.

“That’s what their first goal was to accomplish,” West Salem coach Katie Herber said. “The second goal to accomplish is to place in state. It gives them some satisfaction moving forward, but they still need to accomplish their goals.”

McNary had the opportunity to make it a co-league championship had the Celtics beat West Salem – which they did 3-1 when the teams played Sept. 8.

But Thursday’s loss snaps the Celtics’ seven-game winning streak to finish the regular season 19-6 overall and 13-3 and in third place in the GVC.

West Salem started the match well and scored the final four points to win the first set, including an ace by Ashley Moisan on set point.

McNary did a better job keeping rallying to keep points going in the second set and leading 13-12 went on a 7-0 run for a lead the Celtics would never relinquish.

In the third set McNary put up an imposing block to combat Whipple’s offense and slow the West Salem attack. Trailing 22-20, McNary scored five straight points to win and go up 2-1.

“Honestly I think they were just setting up on me and I just had to find a way to get around them,” said Whipple, who finished with 34 kills. “They definitely were out to block me. They did. They got me a few times, but I think I did good to push through.”

With the fourth set tied at 23, West Salem scored the final two points to keep the match going.

The Celtics tied the fifth set at 4 with a Shaylee Williams block, but West Salem went on a 5-0 run – including two blocks and a kill by Whipple – to take a big lead and Kasey Campbell scored a kill on match point to win 15-9.

“They had a lot of fight in them and they have quite a bit of composure in them and they’ve proven that throughout the year,” Herber said. “They’ve been down sets and they’ve been able to pull them out by coming back and just digging in and doing what we need to do.

“Tonight we lost a little bit of that composure, we got into our heads a little bit and we were able to pull it together.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

West Salem d. McNary 3-2

At West Salem

Set scores: 25-21, 16-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-9

Kills- Hayes (M) 10, Whipple (WS) 34. Digs- Campbell (WS) 16. Blocks- Hayes (M) 3, Strand (M) 3, Smith (WS) 4. Assists- Kelly (WS) 53.

PERRYDALE – The Pirates proved that their running game can overcome a lot of things, even their own mistakes.

Perrydale High School’s No. 6-ranked football team rushed for 507 yards on 38 carries in Friday’s 52-20 win against No. 9-ranked Sherman to clinch at least a share of the 1A Special District 4 championship.

The league championship is the first the program has won since 2008.

“It’s so important,” said senior running back Keenan Bailey, who rushed for 253 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries.

“We haven’t won a championship in anything in six years so that would be huge to really put Perrydale back on the map as a football power and get our name back to the way it was and really restore the glory of Perrydale.”

Perrydale improves to 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the league in its first year since dropping back down to Class 1A and drops Sherman to 5-3 overall and 5-1 in the league.

The Pirates, who played an eight-man nonleague schedule last year despite being in Class 2A, finish their league season and can wrap up an outright league championship when they host Arlington/Condon at 5 p.m. Oct. 30.

“It’s a big deal,” said Perrydale coach Chris Gubrud. “We’ve had some great runs here at Perrydale, and it hasn’t been that way for the past few years. And to be back on that track where we’re contenders and to come into a new league and have won at the very least a co-championship is a special deal.”

But the Pirates committed a lot of mistakes in the win.

Perrydale’s Brant Barnes (22) chases down Sherman junior Maverick Winslow (34) during their football game on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015, in Perrydale, Ore.

Perrydale committed 11 penalties for 95 yards and had two turnovers go for touchdowns.

Sherman sophomore Jacob Justesen intercepted a pass from Daniel Domes and returned it 98 yards for a touchdown for an early 6-0 lead.

“We stuck together and played smart and didn’t hang our heads,” said junior fullback CJ Marsters, who rushed for 168 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. “We just kept playing as hard we did and kept bringing it to them and pounding it in every single play.”

Perrydale scored 24 consecutive points on two rushing touchdowns by Bailey and a 10-yard touchdown run by Haylen Janesofsky for a 24-6 lead, and would lead 30-12 at halftime.

Domes’ screen pass to Janesofsky early in the third quarter went for a 39-yard touchdown and a 38-12 lead.

But Domes was called for intentional grounding in Perrydale’s end zone for a safety and Justesen returned a fumble early in the fourth quarter to cut Perrydale’s lead to 38-20.

Justesen’s play at quarterback also gave Perrydale fits with his ability to extend plays by scrambling, but Brant Barnes and Janesofsky intercepted him in the second half.

“At the end of the game we started keeping him in front of us, and then he threw it up for grabs,” Gubrud said. “And then we picked it off. The way we dealt with the quarterback was exactly the game plan, we just needed to do a little better job early. Late in the game we did very well.”

When Perrydale has had success in the past, it was behind a power running game.

This version of the team has that component.

Between the workhorse that is Bailey, the physical running up the middle of Marsters and the speed component off the edge that Janesofsky brings – behind an experienced offensive line – Perrydale has been hard to stop on the ground this year.

“We love being a physical team,” Bailey said. “We love just pounding the ball. That’s all we do. That’s really what we’re known for is just running the ball and pounding it down and wearing people out and overpowering people and be tougher and be stronger.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Perrydale’s Keenan Bailey (42) tackles Sherman’s Wyatt Stutzman (33) during the first quarter of their football game on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015, in Perrydale, Ore.

Perrydale 52, Sherman 20

-First quarter

SHE- Justesen 98 interception return (run fail) 9:17.

PER- Bailey 11 run (Janesofsky pass from Domes) 1:03.

-Second quarter

PER- Bailey 13 run (Bailey run) 9:39.

PER- Janesofsky 10 run (Janesofsky run) 3:15.

SHE- Winslow 39 pass from Justesen (pass fail) 1:16.

PER- Janesofsky 3 run (pass fail) :22.

-Third quarter

PER- Janesofsky 39 pass from Domes (Janesofsky run) 11:01.

SHE- Safety, intentional grounding in end zone 6:56.

-Fourth quarter

SHE- Justesen 70 fumble recovery (pass fail) 10:28.

PER- Bailey 54 run (Marsters run) 9:38.

PER- Masters 9 run (run fail) 8:20.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing: Sherman: Justesen 10-27, Winslow 14-27, Stutzman 4-3, Blake 1- -2; Perrydale: Bailey 24-253-3, Marsters 14-168-1, Janesofsky 4-52-2, Barnes 4-41, Domes 2- -7.

Passing: Sherman: Justesen 7-13-2-84-1; Perrydale: Domes 1-3-1-39-1.

Receiving: Sherman: Winslow 3-41-1, Stutzman 2-33, Fields 1-20, Blake 1- -1; Perrydale: Janesofsky 1-39-1.

South Salem junior Sebasiten Ruelas

South Salem graduate Seth Erickson (23) has signed to play basketball at OIT.

West Salem senior Paula Labate

South Salem High graduate Seth Erickson signed a letter of intent to play basketball at OIT.

Erickson, a 6-foot-3 guard, previously had signed to play basketball at Montana Tech.

He was a three-time first-team all-Greater Valley Conference player and was honorable mention all-state as a junior.

A 2015 graduate of South Salem, he averaged 14.1 points, four rebounds and 1.4 assists per game as a senior, 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals per game this season as a junior and 17 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals per game as a sophomore at West Salem.

Atheltes of the week

Paula Labate and Sebastien Ruelas were honored as athletes of the week by the Salem Sports & Breakfast Club Oct. 23.

Labate, a senior midfielder and forward for West Salem’s girls soccer team, scored two goals in a win against McNary, had two assists in a win against Forest Grove, scored two goals in a win against South Salem and had a hat-trick against Sprague.

Ruelas, a junior forward for South Salem’s boys soccer team, scored two goals and had one assist against North Salem and has 14 goals and two assists this season.

Wrestling

The Salem Elite Mat Club will host camps the first week of November at Sprague High.

The camp for beginners and intermediate wrestlers in kindergarten through Grade 5 will take place from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Nov. 2-5.

The advanced camp for those in Grades 4-12 will take place Nov. 7.

The cost for each camp is $25.

The camps will be run by Salem Elite Wrestling coach Santos Cantu Jr. and Sprague coach Nolan Harris.

The registration form will be available at the door or participants can fill it out through Salem Elite’s Facebook page.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Central’s David Avila (36) runs for a touchdown against Silverton.

After two close losses a couple weeks ago it looked like the Central High School football team was in a fight to make the state playoffs.

A win against a 0-8 Woodburn team Friday night at home will clinch the share of the Mid-Willamette Conference championship.

Friday’s comeback 36-30 win against Corvallis improves Central to 5-3 and 4-2 in the Mid-Willamette and ties with South Albany and Crescent Valley for the league lead.

“I mean it’s pretty doggone exciting,” Central coach Shane Hedrick said. “We still feel like we’re small kid on the block. We’re playing four sophomores right now that have a major impact on our football team.

“We’ve got some young kids and we’re excited about that. Those kids mature each week. I thought Corvallis might have been the best team we played this year. I think we played really well Friday night.”

Much of Central’s improvement can be traced to the play of its four starting sophomores.

Braden Fuszek established himself as the starting center, safety Isiah Abraham has 37 tackles and one interception and safety Marcos Cedillo has 33 tackles, including eight for loss with two sacks and an interception.

Maybe the biggest impact has come from quarterback Peter Mendazona, who is 117 of 198 for 1,328 yards and 16 touchdowns against eight interceptions.

Mendazona matured since going 8-for-21 passing with two interceptions in Central’s 10-0 loss to Bend in the season opener.

“I think it’s safe to say, outside of Grant (Hedrick), he’s one of the best sophomore quarterbacks we’ve had,” Shane Hedrick said.

Of course it helps to have one of the best players in the state in highly-recruited junior Marlon Tuipulotu. He has 60 tackles, including 22 for loss with 10 sacks and two interceptions.

Perrydale running back Haylen Janesofsky (5) runs for a touchdown during their game on Friday, Oct. 23, 2015, in Perrydale, Ore.

The addition of Haylen Janesofsky to the Perrydale High School football team has made the No. 6-ranked Pirates into a state championship contender.

The 6-3, 165-pound junior joined the team for its 62-20 win against Ione and rushed for six touchdowns filling in for then-injured running back Keenan Bailey.

Perrydale is 7-0 and 5-0 in 1A Special District 4.

Janesofsky was a star as a starting running back as a freshman, but was injured in the first game last season and didn’t play again.

In Friday’s 52-20 win against Sherman he carried the ball four times, but rushed for 52 yards and two touchdowns and caught one pass for a 39-yard touchdown from the running back spot.

He also played a lot at offensive end and intercepted a pass from his safety spot.

“It’s a game-changer,” Perrydale coach Chris Gubrud said. “It’s a game changer just to have the threat. People see what he does on film, and they know they got to account for him, and that opens things up in the middle.

“And then when we did go to him, he made big plays and big runs and one pass reception for a touchdown. He’s an exceptional athlete and a great guy to have on the field for sure, both sides of the ball. He allows us to cover spread teams as well on defense because he can tackle in space and stuff like that. He brings a lot.”

Silverton’s Kylie Lulich (0) makes a save in the Silverton vs. Corvallis girl’s soccer Mid-Willamette Conference championship game at Corvallis High School on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015. Corvallis won the championship 2-1.

CORVALLIS – The Foxes were in the position they wanted to be coming into the match, but they didn’t close out the opportunity.

Silverton High School’s girls soccer team came into Tuesday’s showdown against Corvallis with the Mid-Willamette Conference championship at stake, but the Spartans won 2-1 and clinched the conference title.

Silverton falls to 10-2-2 overall and finishes second in the Mid-Willamette at 6-1 for the second-straight year, while Corvallis improves to 13-2-1 overall and wins the conference at 7-0.

“We talked about this was what we wanted,” Silverton coach Gary Cameron said. “They got their wish. It just didn’t happen.

“Really proud of the team. We’ve got the best senior leadership we’ve ever had. We’ve got a couple things to clean up. They’re a good team over here. They’ve got a club presence in Corvallis on their team and so do we now.”

Both teams next play in the Nov. 4 first round of the OSAA Class 5A state playoffs.

Corvallis came out aggressive on offense and capitalized in the 33rd minute as Sofia Garner put in Mylene Gorzynski’s crossing pass in front of Silverton’s goal for a 1-0 lead.

Silverton’s Hannah Munson (4) races with the ball past Corvallis’ Jordan Taylor (13) and Mylene Gorzynski (3) in the Silverton vs. Corvallis girl’s soccer Mid-Willamette Conference championship game at Corvallis High School on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015. Corvallis won the championship 2-1.

The Spartans pushed the lead to 2-0 at15 minutes into the second half when Jordan Taylor scored off an assist from Nicole Regan.

But Silverton played hard to the end. With seconds left Baylie Cameron scored from 20 yards out to cut Corvallis’ lead to 2-1.

“We scored in the 80th minute of three games now,” Gary Cameron said. “We’re not hurting in that respect. We have to grow into the team we are.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Corvallis 2, Silverton 1

At Corvallis

COR- Garner (Gorzynski) 33:00; COR- Taylor (Stewart) 55:00; SIL- Cameron 80:00.

McNary’s Sydney Hunter and the Celtics defeat Cleveland in the first round of the OSAA Class 6A state playoffs Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015, in Keizer.

KEIZER – The difference was that the Celtics were happy.

After McNary High School’s volleyball team raced out to a 2-0 lead against Cleveland in Wednesday night’s first round of the OSAA Class 6A state playoffs, the Celtics had a letdown in the third set and trailed as late as 15-14 in the fourth set.

But something changed at the end.

All of a sudden the Celtics were playing with the confidence with which they started the match and their play was completely different.

“We need to play happy,” said senior Vanessa Hayes, who had 14 kills and nine digs. “When we’re happy we get excited and everything goes well.”

No. 11 seed McNary closed out well for a 25-8, 25-20, 20-25, 25-21 win against No. 22 seed Cleveland at home.

McNary (20-6) advances to Saturday’s second round of the playoffs and plays at No. 6 seed Lakeridge. McNary split its two games against Lakeridge this season.

“We’re definitely feeling confident,” said McNary senior Madi Hingston, who had nine digs. “Lakeridge is an awesome team. We’ve seen them a couple times this year, we’ve split with them in tournaments. I think it’s going to be a great matchup. I’m confident in our team and what we can do.”

This is a McNary team that wants more.

The Celtics reached the 6A state tournament last year and at times this season played as well as any team in the state.

McNary started Tuesday’s match strong, racing out to a 13-2 lead and was never challenged in the first.

McNary’s Madi Hingston and the Celtics defeat Cleveland in the first round of the OSAA Class 6A state playoffs Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015, in Keizer.

“They were playing error free,” McNary coach Kellie Scholl said. “That was it. They weren’t playing scared and they weren’t making a lot of unforced errors. When we play like that we do good.”

Cleveland’s size – in the form of 6-foot-5 senior Lilly Marella and 6-1 sophomore Kylie Ristvedt, who each had 11 kills – started affecting McNary as the match went on.

The Warriors didn’t take a lot of big swings on offense, taking McNary’s imposing block out of the picture for stretches.

Cleveland rallied late in the second set, then came back to win the third set 25-20.

“I think that we played pretty well against them,” Hayes said. “Despite their size we’re pretty quick so we’re able to play against a team their size with quickness.”

Down 15-14 in the fourth, Hingston tied the match with a kill and Sydney Hunter had two straight to spark a 5-0 run, and the Celtics closed out with a cross-court kill from the right side by Kalie Flores on match point.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

McNary d. Cleveland 3-1

Set scores: 25-8, 25-20, 20-25, 25-21

At McNary

Kills: Ristvedt (C) 11, Marella (C) 11; Hayes (M) 14. Digs: Gilmour (M) 14. Blocks: Marella (C) 2; Flores (M) 7. Aces: Gilmour (M) 2.

Scio’s Dillion Robinson runs the ball during their game with Blanchet on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015, in Scio, Ore.

This is the final week of the regular season – well sort of in the case of Class 4A – so which teams have already clinched spots in the state playoffs and which ones still have a shot.

Greater Valley Conference

Clinched playoff spots: South Salem (7-0), Sprague (6-1), West Salem (5-2) and McNary (4-3) have clinched. Even if McNary loses to Sprague and Forest Grove (3-4) beats McMinnville, McNary won the head-to-head matchup.

On the verge: There are eight at-large berths for the 6A playoffs statewide, based on the OSAA’s power rankings, available to teams that did not automatically qualify for the playoffs based on conference play. Forest Grove is a virtual lock as the team is No. 24; North Salem is on the verge at 31, but plays 5A No. 5 Summit and that should help North Salem’s power ranking.

Mid-Willamette Conference

Tough one to call: About the only thing that’s likely is Central (4-2) should beat Woodburn (0-6) and clinch at least a share of the conference title and a playoff berth. The other two teams tied with Central for first place, South Albany and Crescent Valley, play teams tied for fourth in Corvallis and Lebanon respectively. Dallas plays at Silverton and both are 3-3 and in the four-way tie for fourth so which team loses is out of the playoffs. If there is a tie for a playoff spot the first criteria is head-to-head results, the second is the result against the highest ranked team in the league and if all else fails it goes to OSAA rankings to break the tie. In other words, it’s really complicated.

Class 4A

Play-in: Three teams from the Oregon West Conference – Cascade, Stayton and North Marion – play in Friday’s play-in round.

Friday’s high school football preview

West Valley League

Clear cut: This is pretty easy as Santiam Christian (5-0), Dayton (4-1) and Taft (4-2) have wrapped up the playoff spots.

PacWest Conference

Sort of clear cut: Scio (5-0), Blanchet Catholic (4-1) and Salem Academy (4-2) have clinched state playoff seeds. But one 3A team in the state gets an at-large berth into the playoffs and Colton (2-3) is No. 14 in the OSAA’s power rankings.

Tri-River

Not so clear cut: Two teams get automatic playoff berths. Kennedy (3-1) has clinched a share of the conference title, but if Regis (2-1) and Central Linn (2-1) win there is a three-way tie for the championship. Four 2A teams in the state based on the OSAA’s power rankings get state playoff berths so all three of those teams – No. 4 Kennedy, No. 1 Central Linn and No. 3 Regis – are pretty much guaranteed playoff berths. At No. 15 in the power rankings, Santiam still has a shot.

Class 1A Special District 3

A shot: Falls City is in a league so big it had to be broken in half. The Mountaineers (3-1) finished the league season tied with Triangle Lake and Siletz Valley for first place in the West half of the league and now Falls City play a league playoff game against North Douglas.

Class 1A Special District 4

League title: Perrydale (5-0) has clinched the league title and Sherman (5-1) and Dufur (3-2) have clinched playoff spots.

Sprague’s Noah Mellen runs the ball as the Olympians take on McKay during a Greater Valley Conference game on Friday, Sept. 11, 2015.

Greater Valley Conference

Game of the week

No. 6 South Salem at West Albany, 7:15 p.m.

Conference championship implications: South Salem (8-0, 7-0) clinched at least a share of the conference championship with last week’s 56-12 win against McNary and extended its conference winning streak to 16 games in the process. A win in this game not only extends that streak, but also clinches a second consecutive outright championship.

A big target: South Salem senior receiver Joseph Carey has become a target that defenses have had to account for. He has caught 28 passes for 661 yards and 14 touchdowns this season and demands attention whenever he is on the field.

Sprague at McNary, 7:15 p.m.

On the air: Radio on KBZY 1490 AM.

Can McNary stop the run? The postseason is loaded with teams that can run the football and defending run-heavy Sprague (6-2, 6-1) will be a good challenge for the Celtics. The Celtics (4-4, 4-3) allowed South Salem 179 yards rushing in last week’s 56-12 loss. Sprague is averaging over 180 yards rushing per game behind senior running back Anthony Nunn.

West Salem at McKay, 7:15 p.m.

Chance for an upset: West Salem (5-3, 5-2) has its season going in the right direction with three straight wins, but McKay (1-7, 1-6) made a reputation of upsetting state playoff-bound conference teams the past two seasons. McKay has struggled to score points in the past couple weeks, but if they can play good pass defense and control the clock on the ground behind junior fullback Matthew Jarding (515 yards, eight touchdowns) they would have a shot.

No. 6 Summit at North Salem, 7 p.m.

A passing challenge: North Salem (3-5) has been challenged by teams that have been heavy on the passing game this season. Summit (7-1) clinched the Intermountain Conference championship and relies heavily on the passing game. Summit quarterback John Bledsoe is 120 for 194 passing for 1,763 yards with 21 touchdowns against two interceptions this season.

Mid-Willamette Conference

Game of the week

Woodburn at No. 9 Central, 7 p.m.

Telling statistics: Central (5-3, 4-2) is No. 12 in the OSAA power rankings; Woodburn (0-8, 0-6) is No. 32 of 32 teams in Class 5A. Central junior running back Alvin Berroa rushed for 1,092 yards and 10 touchdowns on 197 carries and quarterback Peter Mendazona has passed for 1,328 yards and 16 touchdowns; Woodburn has allowed 426 yards, most among Class 5A teams.

Dallas at Silverton, 7 p.m.

On the air: Radio on KYKN 1430 AM.

Changes in direction: A month ago this game looked a lot less important than it does now. Dallas (3-5, 3-3) has won two straight, including a dominating 35-7 win last week against Lebanon. Silverton (4-4, 3-3) defeated Woodburn 56-14 last week to end a three-game losing streak. Now these teams are fighting for their playoff lives, and a win in this game between two of the four teams tied for fourth place in the conference likely will be enough for a state playoff berth.

State playoff indications for final week of football

Class 4A play-in

Game of the week

Klamath Union at No. 3 Cascade, 7 p.m.

Playing in the hard way: The Cougars (7-1) narrowly missed out on an automatic state playoff berth as they were beat out in the power rankings by Banks. So now Cascade has to play its way into the state playoffs. Klamath Union (3-5) has scored 76 points, fourth least Class 4A. Cascade’s Cameron Molan caught two touchdown passes from John Schirmer and ran for another in last week’s 50-7 win against North Marion.

North Marion at No. 8 Phoenix, 7 p.m.

A postseason challenge: The Huskies (3-5) made their way into the play-in round based on their power ranking and now have to make a long trek to play a tough Phoenix (6-2) team led by senior running back Justin Knight (1,092 yards, 16 touchdowns).

Gladstone at Stayton, 7 p.m.

Time for a rebound: The Eagles (6-2) lost two straight to two of the top teams in the state in Cascade and Philomath and now are playing for their playoff lives. Stayton plays one of the most porous defenses in Gladstone (3-5) and its high-flying offense behind senior quarterback (82 of 163 passing for 1,521 yards and 13 touchdowns) has the potential to light up the scoreboard.

Regis’s Adair Pelayo and the Rams fall to Kennedy 14-6 in a Tri-River Conference game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015, in Mount Angel.

West Valley League

Game of the week

Dayton at Amity, 7 p.m.

Rivalry: This game doesn’t have big stakes, but there’s nothing better that Amity (3-5, 2-3) would like more than to derail the late-season trajectory of Dayton (6-1, 4-1). Amity running back Nike Mudong has rushed for 478 yards and five touchdowns and quarterback Lane Nelson has passed for 617 yards and seven touchdowns. If Amity does well on defense, the Warriors could upset their rival.

Santiam Christian at Horizon Christian, 7 p.m.

League title implications: Santiam Christian (7-1, 5-0) has wrapped up at least a share of the league championship, but a surprisingly dangerous Horizon Christian (4-4, 3-2) team is the only thing that stands between the Eagles and the outright league title. Santiam Christian’s ground game has been solid behind running back Jeremy Neufeldt, who rushed for three touchdowns against Sheridan last week.

Sheridan at Willamina, 7 p.m.

Another rivalry: The only thing this rivalry game will determine is will Sheridan (1-6, 0-5) or Willamina (0-8, 0-5) place last in the league.

PacWest Conference

Game of the week

Chemawa at Scio, 7 p.m.

No doubts: Since the second week of the conference season the only thing that has been in question in most of the games of Scio (8-0, 5-0) is how quickly can they put 45 points up against their opponent and get to a rolling clock.

Colton at Jefferson, 7 p.m.

Still has a shot: The winner of this game places fourth in the conference. Colton (4-4, 2-3) still has a shot of reaching the state playoffs if the Vikings defeat Jefferson (2-6, 2-3) and finish the season high enough in the OSAA’s power rankings, and Colton is currently No. 14.

Gervais vs. Blanchet Catholic, 7:30 p.m.

Where: McCulloch Stadium.

On a roll: Blanchet (7-1, 4-1) has won five straight and risen to No. 2 in the OSAA’s power rankings, which puts the team in an enviable position going into the 3A state playoffs.

Salem Academy at King’s Way Christian, 7 p.m.

Late nonleague game: Salem Academy (6-2) has completed its PacWest Conference season with a 4-2 record and clinched its second consecutive state playoff berth, but in the interim travels to Vancouver, Washington, to play Kings Way (5-2).

Tri-River Conference

Game of the week

Regis at Santiam, 7 p.m.

Back in the hunt: A couple weeks ago it looked like Regis (5-3, 2-1) was out of the confernece title picture, but a 35-18 upset of Central Linn last week puts the team back in contention for the title. A win up the road in Mill City against Santiam (4-4, 1-2) and the Rams win a share of the title for the second straight year.

St. Paul at Central Linn, 7 p.m.

Different roads: Central Linn (7-1, 2-1) is heading to the state playoffs after this game; St. Paul (3-4, 0-3) is not.

Class 1A

Game of the week

Arlington/Condon at No. 5 Perrydale, 5 p.m.

Outright league title: Perrydale (7-0, 5-0 1A Special District 4) clinched at least a share of its first league championship since 2008 with a 52-20 win last week against Sherman, but a win against Arlington/Condon (4-2, 3-2 1A Special District 4) the outright league title.

Falls City at North Douglas, 7 p.m.

League playoff: 1A Special District 3 has a one-game league playoff system. Falls City (3-5) plays North Douglas (6-2) in a matchup of teams that were second in their respective halves of the conference. This is a rematch of the fourth week of the season when North Douglas defeated Falls City 52-14.

Jefferson’s Hassan Ibrahim runs to a second place finish in the 3A/2/1A state cross country championships at Lane Community College on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015. (Timothy J. Gonzalez/For the Statesman Journal)

EUGENE – Hassan Ibrahim found that the competition at the 3A/2A/1A state cross country meet was good, too.

The sophomore from Jefferson High School started strong, but Umatilla’s Fabian Cardenas pulled away in the second half of the race to win his second straight state championship in 15:50 on the course at Lane Community College.

Ibrahim placed second in 16:15.

“It feels great,” Ibrahim said. “I was trying to make the championship level. It didn’t happen, but I’m looking forward to it the next few years.”

Ibrahim placed 11th in the 6A state cross country meet as a freshman while running for David Douglas.

He and his family moved to Jefferson in the summer.

Ibrahim’s family moved to the United States from Kenya three years ago, and settled in a section of Portland where there is a large population of immigrants from Africa.

Kennedy’s Alejandra Lopez, front right, and Kaylin Cantu, left, competes in the 3A/2/1A state cross country championships at Lane Community College on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015. (Timothy J. Gonzalez/For the Statesman Journal)

Ibrahim received encouragement from West Salem’s Ahmed Muhumed to try cross country when they went to middle school together in Portland.

“He used to tell me what I was going to do,” Ibrahim said. “He gives me all kinds of advice. I listen to him a lot. He’s a good runner and a good guy.”

Kennedy’s Adrian Parra chose to let the leaders go early and finished strong to place sixth in 16:40.

It was the senior’s second straight year of placing in the top 10 at the state meet and lead Kennedy to a tenth place finish.

“I’m happy with it,” Parra said.

Blanchet Catholic’s Patrick Tuttle placed 23rd in 17:44.

In the girls race Kennedy sophomore Kaylin Cantu placed seventh in 19:49 and Kennedy freshman Alejandra Lopez was eighth in 19:59. The Trojans placed sixth in the team standings with 159 points.

Salem Academy senior Jessie Brownell placed 30th in 21:54.

In the 4A girls race, Cascade freshman Savanna Waters placed 37th in 21:36 to lead the Cougars to a 10th place team finish.

In the boys Cascade’s Nate Luck placed 34th in 27:27.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

West Salem’s Ahmed Muhumed, center, runs in the lead pack in the 6A state cross country championships at Lane Community College on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015. Muhumed won the state championship. (Timothy J. Gonzalez/For the Statesman Journal)

EUGENE – Ahmed Muhumed stopped being the nice guy long enough to win a state championship.

And then, of course, he went back to being the nice guy.

West Salem High School’s star junior turned in a brilliant performance Saturday, patiently letting a big group of other runners stay with him until the final 1,000 meters when he broke away from the pack to win the OSAA Class 6A state cross country championship.

“Unbelievable,” Muhumed said. “After all the work I’ve done, I think it pays off. And it did today so that’s why I’m very proud of myself to do all that I’ve done to get here.”

Muhumed completed the 5,000-meter course at Lane Community College in 15:38, two seconds in front of West Linn senior Roman Ollar and six seconds in front of Forest Grove senior Murimi Nyamu.

Considering the top six runners at the meet were seniors, Muhumed’s finish sets a high standard.

“Him winning today pretty much ends it for a lot of people for the next two years,” West Salem coach Tom Jimenez said. “He’s going to be really tough to beat now.”

The last person from a Salem-Keizer school to win a big school cross country state championship was Darin Rabb of Sprague in 1989.

Muhumed becomes the third boy from Salem to win a big school state championship in cross country and the fourth athlete from Salem to win it.

“That was one of my motivations, actually, coming into this race,” Muhumed said. “I knew if I actually won I would be that guy, and that’s just a wonderful thing because not a lot of guys come from Salem win state championships.”

For a large portion of Saturday’s race, though, the only way Muhumed stood out was his neon green clothing.

At the 2-mile mark there were 25 runners within two seconds of each other in the lead pack, and Muhumed patiently hung in the middle of it.

“I was expecting that to be only the first mile,” Muhumed said. “Things changed. I wasn’t expecting that. I was expecting six or seven of us after the mile.”

When the lead pack came up the hill for the last time he waited until he got his breath back and started working toward the front of the pack.

Then he left no doubt.

Muhumed took off from the pack with 1,000 meters to go and led the field by 30 meters by the time he got to the track with 300 meters to go.

Ollar closed on him down the front stretch, but Muhumed could not be caught.

“I think we’ve always seen him as being so good and so talented and should have run before, and I think in his head he didn’t see what the rest of us saw,” Jimenez said.

Muhumed’s finish, combined with a strong 32nd place finish from Hunter Mosman, helped West Salem to a 13th place team finish.

In the girls race, South Salem freshman Anna Chau was impressive.

The freshman picked up two spots in the final 1,000 meters to place fourth in a time of 18:35.

“I’m just so happy that I finished off my season well and I’m looking forward to next year,” Chau said.

Chau had a goal of placing in the top five, but the lead pack, including eventual state champion Ella Donaghu of Grant, took off too quickly.

“I really wanted to stay in the front pack,” Chau said. “But the first mile I just wasn’t feeling it. I gradually kept making up distance to get in the front pack again.”

Sprague freshman Ginger Murnieks placed 14^th in 19:03, West Salem’s Brooke Chuhlantseff placed 15^th in 19:05 and North Salem’s Madison Willhoft placed 17^th in 19:09.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Corban head coach Kim McLain watches practice, Monday, October 26, 2015, at the C.E. Jefferson Sports Center in Salem, Ore.

High school coaches don’t often get the chance to move up to the college level, and on the few occasions they do, the expectations aren’t high.

When Kim McLain was hired at Corban’s volleyball coach starting with this season, her expectations were higher than anyone outside the program could place on her and the team

McLain is known best from her 16-year tenure at Santiam Christian High, where her teams went 397-74, including winning six state championships.

Going into Friday’s match at Multnomah, Corban is 11-11 overall, 9-7 in the Cascade Collegiate Conference and on the verge of its first winning season since 2010.

“Now coming in here, I like the pressure, it makes me really think about what I’m doing,” McLain said. “I think it’s important that I do turn the program around. It’s a challenge, but it’s exciting.”

Corban was 7-19 last year and last had double digit wins in 2011.

Corban setter Madison McLain during practice, Monday, October 26, 2015, at the C.E. Jefferson Sports Center in Salem, Ore.

When the team beat College of Idaho 3-1 in September, it was the first time Corban had beat that team in 11 years.

Between a makeover of the roster – including eight new players this season – and coaching staff, the Warriors are quickly becoming a threat every night.

“They’ve told us it’s such a change from the Corban that was last year or the years before,” said sophomore outside hitter Amber Parker, a West Albany graduate who played for McLain in the BOSS Volleyball Club. “Now they don’t know what to expect from us. I definitely think next year it’s going to be huge for us.”

There is always a transition when a new coaching staff is brought into a school.

Among the eight new players to the team this season, many had connections with McLain from her days at Santiam Christian or with the BOSS Volleyball club.

The lure of playing for McLain and her husband/assistant coach Dick McLain at the college level was enough to get some players, including Haley Wells, to transfer from other schools.

“I think they’re really personable people, and I think everyone gets along with Kim and Dick, so I think it’s just been nice and easy for everyone to transition, and the transition has been good,” said Wells, a West Albany graduate who played at Montana State last season.

In McLain’s time as coach at Santiam Christian, a staggering nine players from the school went on to play Division I volleyball.

The challenge for McLain now is recruiting that caliber of athlete to play at an NAIA school such as Corban.

“They’re on the other side now because they were helping girls in club and in high school getting recruited,” said freshman setter Madi McLain, Kim daughter who played for her at Santiam Christian. “Now they’re going out and they’re recruiting, and they’ve seen both sides. They know what’s best for girls.”

McLain owned and coached the BOSS Volleyball Club for a number of years, but she and husband, Dick, decided to focus on coaching at Corban this year.

“We’d be in Las Vegas or Reno coaching, and as soon as one of our matches would finish, she’d go to one court, I’d go to another court and then we’d meet back at our court and play a game,” Dick McLain said. “And then after that game we’d do it again, she’d go to one court and I’d go to another court.”

Much of what the McLains do differently than other college coaches is that they focus on small details in their work with players.

“We do spend a lot of time in technique and we do a lot of work without a ball even, just to get out footwork and eye work down,” said sophomore Sloane Morrison, one of the team’s returning players from last year.

Corban outside hitter Amber Parker dives for a ball during practice, Monday, October 26, 2015, at the C.E. Jefferson Sports Center in Salem, Ore.

“There’s a lot of technicality we get into that I haven’t really focused on before. I’ve had several new experiences, and I’ve been playing volleyball since I was 5. There’s just new things that they’ll point out that I’ll focus on and have an entirely new experience in volleyball because I’ve never focused on that small of a detail.”

The Cascade Collegiate Conference annually is one of the toughest in the nation.

The conference sent four teams – Eastern Oregon, Southern Oregon, Concordia and College of Idaho – to the NAIA national tournament last season.

Corban’s progression within the conference should mirror its progression on the national level.

“It’s one of the toughest in the nation and so you’re realizing what you have to have in order to progress,” Kim McLain said.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

North Salem’s Gio Gonzalez works the ball toward the goal with less than 20 seconds left in the half.

After losing its final five games of the regular season, North Salem’s football team had to rely on math to get into the OSAA Class 6A state playoffs.

The numbers added up to the Vikings (3-6) getting the eighth and final at-large 6A berth for the state playoffs.

No. 31 seed North Salem plays at No. 2 seed and No. 2 ranked Sherwood (9-0) at 7 p.m. Friday in the first round of the state playoffs.

This is North Salem’s first state playoff berth since 2010 and second since 2004.

“Obviously every program has that as one of their team goals,” North Salem coach Jeff Flood said. “I think it’s huge whenever you attain one of your goals. There are a lot of things the kids accomplished this year. Not everything is intangible and this is a tangible thing.”

North Salem won three games in a row – beating West Albany, McKay and McMinnville – early in the season, but lost their final five games of the season, including Friday’s 50-7 defeat to 5A No. 5-ranked Summit.

Flood said the Vikings learned some lessons from that loss that they will take into the state playoffs.

“I just think physicality is a big part of teams that are in the playoffs,” Flood said. “If you’re physical you’re going to be able to control teams. We faced a really good Summit team Friday. It was a tough thing to watch at the time, but at the same time we learned some things. They’ve got a lot of talent. I really like how they play the game.”

As the season has gone on, senior John Stott has filled in at seemingly every one of the three running back positions in North Salem’s wing-T offense, Eli Valenzuela has played a steady role since an early-season injury to Gio Gonzalez and Cristian Maciel has been good when he has been healthy.

Flood said Santana Reyes has been big at receiver the past few games and quarterback Hunter Sullivan has been steady all season.

“Defensively, Junior Sandoval has been one of the best defensive players we’ve had in our program in the past few years,” Flood said.

Everyone knows what Sherwood does.

The Bowmen are in their 22nd year under coach Greg Lawrence, who guided the program to Class 5A state championships in 2010 and 2012.

Sherwood’s signature wing-T offense is run heavy and prolific.

“They run things differently than we do,” Flood said. “It’s fun to watch them.”

Cascade

Cascadeis highly regarded, but poorly seeded in the 4A state playoffs.

The Cougars are the No. 9 seed in the 16-team bracket and travel to play at No. 8 seed La Grande in Friday’s first round of the state playoffs.

Cascade improved to 8-1 after Friday’s 61-7 win against Klamath Union in the play-in round.

The Cougars were ranked No. 3 in the final oregonlive.com media poll and was No. 5 in the final OSAA power rankings.

Central High School’s Peter Mendazona (10) is brought down by Woodburn’s Enrique Garcia (21) during their game on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015, in Independence, Ore.

Central

Central vastly improved its postseason prospects with Friday’s 65-0 win against Woodburn.

The No. 9-ranked Panthers fell to No. 12 in the OSAA’s power rankings with the win, while finishing the regular season 6-3.

But by winning a share of the Mid-Willamette Conference championship – Central had the tiebreaker with South Albany for the No. 1 seed from the conference – the Panthers were guaranteed a home game in the playoffs and picked up to the No. 7 seed for the playoffs.

Central hosts Hillsboro at 7 p.m. Friday in the first round of the 5A state playoffs.

Tri-River

The playoff seeding for the teams from the Tri-River Conference is different than the state playoff seeding.

The Tri-River finished with a three-way tie at 3-1 between Regis (6-3), Kennedy (7-1) and Central Linn (8-1).

Based on the conference’s tiebreakers, Regis was the No. 1 seed, Central Linn is No. 2 and Kennedy is No. 3.

But based on the OSAA’s power rankings Central Linn is the No. 1 seed, Regis is 3 seed and Kennedy is the No. 4 seed.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

The Vikings are in the playoffs for the first time since 2010

North Salem senior Dylan Thompson

Regis head baseball coach Don Heuberger at the baseball diamond, on Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Stayton. Heuberger has the second most wins in Oregon baseball history

Regis High baseball coach Don Heuberger will be inducted into the Oregon Baseball Hall of Fame at a ceremony Saturday at the Holiday Inn in Wilsonville.

Heuberger is the No. 2 winningest high school baseball coach in Oregon history with a record of 687-252 in 37 years as a head coach, including the past 33 at Regis.

A no-host hour starts at 6:15 p.m. and the dinner starts at 7 p.m. The cost is $50 per person.

Other inductees are Steve Smith of Pleasant Hill and Mike Clopton of Wilson and merit awards will be given to Alpenrose Dairy and Ron Dyer of Tualatin.

Regis head baseball coach Don Heuberger at the baseball diamond, on Saturday, March 28, 2015, in Stayton. Heuberger has the second most wins in Oregon baseball history

Athletes of the week

Dylan Thompson, Kambria Smooot and Madison Willhoft were honored as athletes of the week by the Salem Sports & Breakfast Club at its meeting Oct. 30.

Thompson, a senior nose guard and offensive tackle for North Salem’s football team, has made 32 solo tackles, 75 total tackles, seven tackles for loss and four sacks this season.

Smoot, a senior setter and rightside hitter for McKay’s volleyball team, was a second-team all-league player and carries a 4.0 grade-point average.

Willhoft, a sophomore cross country runner at North Salem, placed fourth at the Greater Valley Conference district meet and set a school record of 18:41.

The group meets Friday mornings at Willamette’s Goudy Commons.

McKay senior Kambria Smoot

Camp

Sprague High School’s boys and girls basketball programs will host their annual shooting clinic from 9 a.m. to noon on Nov. 11 at Sprague.

The clinic – which includes instruction in shooting technique, footwork, position play, situation shooting and pressure shooting – is open to boys and girls grades 2 through 8.

The cost is $20.

North Salem sophomore Madison Willhoft

The registration form is available at https://sites.google.com/site/spraguehoops/

For more information contact Sprague boys basketball coach B.J. Dobrkovsky at (503) 399-3261.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

South Salem’s Isaac Morris collides with Jesuit’s Cesar Cruz in the second round of the OSAA Class 6A state playoffs on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Salem, Ore.

It had been a long time since the Saxons had played from behind.

When Jesuit High School’s boys soccer team picked up a 1-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of Tuesday’s second round of the OSAA Class 6A state playoffs, it was the first time in almost a month South Salem had trailed a match.

South Salem had shut out its past five opponents, but couldn’t answer Jesuit in a 1-0 loss.

“They’ve got really good coaching and they’ve got good players,” South Salem coach Eric Johansen said. “They were young, but they had a game plan and they stuck to their game plan. We made an early mistake. They were good enough to punish us for it.

“Built their confidence, put a dent in our confidence. Unfortunately for us that can make a big difference. Kids fought hard. They were shut out for one of the few times this year.”

No. 6 seed South Salem finishes the season with an 11-3-2 record.

No. 11 seed Jesuit (9-5-2) advances to Saturday’s quarterfinal round with its fifth straight win and will host No. 16 seed West Salem (9-4-3).

South Salem was in the state playoffs for the 11th consecutive year, the longest active streak among Salem-Keizer soccer teams.

“We have really high expectations,” Johansen said. “One of our goals this year was to compete for the state championship by winning playoff games, and we won playoff game, but not quite playoff games.”

Just more than nine minutes into the match Jesuit had a corner kick.

South Salem failed to clear it, and Jesuit’s Samir Johnson knocked it in for a 1-0 advantage.

The Saxons didn’t have a lot of shots on goal after that as Jesuit did a better job of connecting passes, but South Salem’s Sebastian Ruelas had a shot go just over the crossbar with 10 minutes left.

“Whenever we get behind, whenever anybody gets behind, they lose confidence, they tighten up,” Johansen said. “That was just not the way that we had planned on starting the game. A little unfortunate for us and fortunate for them.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Cascade midfielder Sydney Downey celebrates a goal against Brookings-Harbor during the first round of the OSAA Class 4A state playoffs, Wednesday, November 4, 2015, at Cascade High School in Turner, Ore. Brookings-Harbor won the game 3-1.

Cascade’s goalkeeper has the ball go over hear hand and into the goal on a Brookings-Harbor free kick during the OSAA Class 4A state playoffs.

TURNER – Sometimes you learn after you get burned.

Sometimes you get burned again.

The defense of Cascade High School’s girls soccer team let Brookings-Harbor junior forward Tyrah Baron get behind them twice – once early and once late – and Baron scored two goals in a 3-1 win during Wednesday’s first round of the OSAA Class 4A state playoffs.

“It’s something that we talked about at halftime, too,” Cascade coach Skip Collins said. “Again, I just think it’s youth.

“But overall, what a great season. We won the conference. No one was expecting us to win the conference. And that just gives us a foundation to build on and grow. Anything else was a bonus. This was a bonus for us, especially with the youth and the age of the girls.”

Cascade, last year’s 4A state runner-up, started five sophomores and four freshmen, and the Cougars overachieved all year.

No. 5 seed Cascade concludes the season at 10-2-2, the team’s first loss since its season opener.

“I like to see them a little bit beat up about it because it shows that they care about their team and the game,” Collins said.

Cascade midfielder Nyah Collins (7) brings the ball up field against Brookings-Harbor during the first round of the OSAA Class 4A state playoffs, Wednesday, November 4, 2015, at Cascade High School in Turner, Ore. Brookings-Harbor won the game 3-1.

No. 12 seed Brookings-Harbor (12-2-2) advances to play the winner of Hidden Valley and North Bend in Saturday’s quarterfinal round.

Brookings-Harbor had scored 101 goals entering the playoffs, and knew how to score.

In the 26th minute Brookings-Harbor’s Baron got behind the Cascade defense and put it in for a 1-0 lead.

Five minutes until halftime Cascade midfielder Nyah Collins sent a crossing pass from the left side by Sydney Downey in front of Brookings-Harbor’s goal, and Downey scored it to tie the game at 1-1.

“My daughter had a great cross and put it in there to our senior,” Collins said. “Hey, a freshman putting a ball in like that, the age is a factor, but not an excuse.”

Four minutes into the second half Brookings-Harbor’s Bailey Nielson’s scored on a direct free kick from 25 yards out and 15 minutes later Baron got behind the Cascade defense again and put in her second goal of the game.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

Brookings-Harbor forward Tyrah Baron, center, celebrates her second goal of the game against Cascade during the first round of the OSAA Class 4A state playoffs, Wednesday, November 4, 2015, at Cascade High School in Turner, Ore. Brookings-Harbor won the game 3-1.