Peter Mason
Marlon Tuipulotu (51)
Garrett Coffey
Gabe Matthews
Anthony Johnson
South Salem football players break through the banner before playing Forest Grove on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015.
When the first thought in the mind of an opponent is one player, it’s a good sign that player is pretty good.
In the case of Cascade High senior running back Garrett Coffey, every opponent knew the powerhouse 6-foot-1, 195-pound dynamo would get the football a lot.
The Oregon West Conference Offensive Player of the Year finished the season with 2,548 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns on 367 carries.
When it came to Central junior defensive linemen Marlon Tuipulotu, it didn’t matter how much opponents tried to scheme away from him.
The 6-3, 275-pound Mid-Willamette Conference Defensive Player of the Year still had 78 tackles, including 28 for loss with 13 sacks, and intercepted two passes.
When South Salem senior quarterback Gabe Matthews had the ball – which was a lot – he was going to do something good with it.
The 6-2, 200-pound Greater Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year completed 59 percent of his passes for 2,257 yards and 35 touchdowns and rushed for 460 yards and 11 touchdowns on 86 carries.
Tuipulotu, Matthews and Coffey are the finalists for the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Mid-Valley Football Player of the Year, which will be presented at the June 7 Mid-Valley Sports Awards at the Salem Convention Center.
Here’s a look at the full all-Mid-Valley team.
bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler
Offense
Andrew Baker
Andrew Baker
School: Salem Academy
Year: Senior
Position: Quarterback
Statistics: Baker was 162 of 251 (64 percent) passing for 2,539 yards with 32 touchdowns against eight interceptions and rushed for five touchdowns
Honors: First-team all-PacWest Conference
Joseph Carey attends practice on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, at South Salem High School.
Joseph Carey
School: South Salem
Year: Senior
Position: Receiver
Statistics: Caught 38 passes for 912 yards and 18 touchdowns
Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at receiver and cornerback
Garrett Coffey
Garrett Coffey
School: Cascade
Year: Senior
Position: Running back
Statistics: Had 367 carries for 2,548 yards and 30 touchdowns
Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference; Oregon West Conference Offensive Player of the Year
Anthony Johnson
Anthony Johnson
School: Scio
Year: Senior
Position: Running back
Statistics: Rushed for a state-record 3,487 yards and 48 touchdowns on 206 carries
Honors: First-team all-PacWest Conference; PacWest Conference Player of the Year; PacWest Conference Offensive Back/Wide Receiver of the Year
Aiden Littau
Aiden Littau
School: Cascade
Year: Senior
Position: Offensive guard
Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference at offensive guard and defensive line.
Gabe Matthews
Gabe Matthews
School: South Salem
Year: Senior
Position: Quarterback
Statistics: Matthews was 146 of 244 (59 percent) passing for 2,257 yards and 35 touchdowns with three interceptions and ran the ball 86 times for 460 yards and 11 touchdowns
Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at quarterback, kicker and punter; Greater Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year
Alex McArthur
Alex McArthur
School: Blanchet Catholic
Year: Senior
Position: Offensive line
Honors: First-team all-PacWest Conference at offensive line and defensive line.
Brett Miller
Brett Miller
School: Silverton
Year: Senior
Position: Offensive guard
Honors: First-team all-Mid-Willamette Conference at offensive guard, honorable mention at defensive line
Cameron Molan
Cameron Molan
School: Cascade
Year: Senior
Position: Receiver
Statistics: Molan caught 45 passes for 859 yards and 14 touchdowns
Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference
Ryan Morgan
Ryan Morgan
School: Sprague
Year: Senior
Position: Offensive tackle
Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at tackle
Jake Nelson
Jake Nelson
School: Sprague
Year: Senior
Position: Center
Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at center and defensive line
Defense
Hunter Bain
Hunter Bain
School: Santiam Christian
Year: Senior
Position: Linebacker
Honors: First-team all-West Valley League at linebacker; West Valley League Defensive Player of the Year
Nate Cantonwine
Nate Cantonwine
School: Blanchet Catholic
Year: Senior
Position: Cornerback
Statistics: Cantonwine had 56 tackles and five interceptions.
Honors: First-team all-PacWest Conference at receiver and defensive back
Malachi Gonzalez
Davis Carter
School: South Salem
Year: Senior
Position: Linebacker
Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference
Davis Carter
Malachi Gonzalez
School: Cascade
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive lineman
Statistics: Made 58 tackles with one forced fumble and recovered two fumbles
Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference at defensive line, honorable mention at offensive guard
Gibson Hohberg
Gibson Hohberg
School: South Salem
Year: Senior
Position: Safety
Statistics: Returned two fumbles for touchdowns
Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at safety, honorable mention at receiver
Matthew Jarding
Matthew Jarding
School: McKay
Year: Junior
Position: Linebacker
Statistics: Made 89 tackles, including 15 for loss and 4.5 sacks
Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at linebacker, honorable mention at running back
Peter Mason
School: Central
Year: Junior
Position: Cornerback
Statistics: Mason made 31 tackles, intercepted two passes, defensed seven passes and recovered two fumbles
Honors: First-team all-Mid-Willamette Conference at defensive back and receiver
Bishop Mitchell
Bishop Mitchell
School: Kennedy
Year: Senior
Position: Cornerback
Honors: First-team all-Tri-River Conference at cornerback and running back
Luke Raynak
Luke Raynak
School: South Salem
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive line
Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at defensive line
Marlon Tuipulotu
Marlon Tuipulotu
School: Central
Year: Junior
Position: Defensive line
Statistics: Tuipulotu had 78 tackles with 28 for loss including 13 sacks and two interceptions
Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference at defensive line and offensive guard; Oregon West Conference Defensive Player of the Year
Vincent Villarreal
Vincent Villarreal
School: South Salem
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive line
Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at defensive line and offensive line
Special Teams
Lucas Bjorklund
Lucas Bjorklund
School: Cascade
Year: Senior
Position: Kicker
Statistics: Bjorklund was 51 for 59 on extra points and was 2-for-2 on field goals
Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference at defensive back, second-team at kicker
Chase Lakin
Chase Lakin
School: West Salem
Year: Senior
Position: Returner
Statistics: Returned 14 kickoffs for 404 yards and a touchdown
Honors: First-team all-Greater Valley Conference at returner and receiver
Tanner Scanlan (22)
Tanner Scanlan
School: North Marion
Year: Junior
Position: Punter
Honors: First-team all-Oregon West Conference at punter and defensive back
Steve Turner
COACH
Steve Turner
School: Cascade
Year: Fourth
Team accomplishments: Cascade went 12-1, placed second in the Oregon West Conference and won the OSAA Class 4A state championship, the second in the school’s history.