The first OSAA fall football season since 2019 will come to a close on Saturday, and the Class 6A championship game it will feature the two hottest football programs in the state.
The game will take place on Saturday at Hillsboro Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.
Here’s a look at both teams:
No. 3 Central Catholic (14-0)
Coming into the state tournament as the No. 3 seed, Central Catholic has been nothing but dominant this season, outscoring opponents 629-167 on the season.
The Rams are coming off their closest game of the season, a 35-28 semifinal win over Holy War rival Jesuit. While the final score suggests a close contest, Central Catholic held a 35-14 lead until mid-way through the final quarter.
As they have been most of the season, the Rams were led by sophomore quarterback Cru Newman, who completed 14 of 26 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns. He also carried the ball 17 times for 94 yards.
Newman’s strong cast of receivers performed at a high level against Jesuit. Four-star tight end Riley Williams had five catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Jordan King had five catches for 48 yards, and also pulled in three interceptions while playing defense.
The highlight of the night came from Stryder Todd-Fields, who caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from Newman around the head of Jesuit’s Matthew Rincon for a touchdown.
Ellis Bynum, the Rams’ bruising running back, carried the ball 19 times for 99 yards and a touchdown.
The Rams’ defense struggled to contain the Jesuit attack in their semifinal game, especially as it came to limiting the big plays. The Crusaders’ scoring plays all came on big plays of 35 yards or more and Jesuit picked up 374 total yards of offense.
Central Catholic has big players on defense, like Oregon Ducks pledge Emar’rion Winston, but will need to play with more discipline if the Rams want to slow down Tualatin’s attack.
The win would mark the sixth football state championship in Central Catholic’s history and it would be the third time the Rams have won back-to-back championships (’52 and ‘53, ‘13 and ‘14).
No. 4 Tualatin (12-1)
While Central Catholic has been unstoppable all season, Tualatin may have the hottest hand in the state. Malik Ross has made sure everyone knows his name over the past five weeks.
Through four playoff games, Ross has 60 carries for 463 yards and 10 touchdowns. This includes a school-record six touchdowns in the Timberwolves’ 58-25 drubbing of Westview in the second round which had people looking at the single-game touchdown record held by Thomas Tyner.
Tualatin’s Malik Ross (8) carries the ball as the Timberwolves face the Lake Oswego Lakers in an Oregon high school football game on Friday, Oct. 8, 2021, at Tualatin High School.Soobum Im for The Oregonian/OregonLive
In the state semifinals, West Linn’s stiff defense was only able to hold Ross to so much, as he gained 113 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. But the win over the Lions also showed that the Timberwolves have another threat on the field. Jack Wagner saw time at quarterback against West Linn, carrying the ball eight times for 89 yards and two touchdowns while also completing two of three passes for 28 yards.
With all of the attention the Tualatin rushing attack has gotten this postseason, defenses have to stay aware that Tualatin still has reigning Gatorade Player of the Year, and three-star recruit, Cole Prusia.
The Tualatin defense is coming off a strong performance against West Linn, holding the Lions to 167 total yards and just 34 rushing yards.
The Timberwolves’ lone hiccup on the season came in a nine-point loss to Lake Oswego (the No. 1 seed going into the state tournament) on Oct. 8. Since that game, Tualatin has outscored opponents 303-110.
Tualatin is back in the championship game for the first time since 2010. The Timberwolves are seeking the first football state title in school history.
-- Nik Streng, [email protected], @NikStreng