By LUKE ANDREWS
Coachesaid.com Oregon Content Coordinator
Each Thursday, Coaches Aid will post a Game Tracker that highlights the top matchups for the upcoming week.
Football
Westview (3-1) at Jesuit (3-1) – Friday, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Running back Hayes Garrity and Westview meet Jesuit on Friday. (Photo by Dusty Myers)
The two top-ranked Metro teams meet to open the league schedule. Both teams are coming off bye weeks following victories. Westview defeated Canby 21-14 in overtime and Jesuit pounded Lincoln 46-7. Jesuit won the meeting last year convincingly, 45-7, and has shown steady improvement since a 17-0 loss in the season-opener to Washington power Skyline.
Sprague (4-0) at West Salem (4-1) – Friday, Oct. 9, 7 p.m.
This enticing matchup features two of the powers in the Central Valley Conference. Sprague has climbed up to No. 3 in the Class 6A polls while West Salem, which has played the last two games without quarterback Brett Smith, is at No. 8. Smith missed the Titans 43-0 win over McNary and 35-28 win against North Salem with a cracked bone in his throwing arm, but he expects to play against Sprague. The two teams have three common opponents. Both beat McNary (Sprague 42-24; West Salem 43-0) and Tigard (Sprague 49-14; West Salem 33-24) and West Salem lost to No. 4 South Medford 24-21 while Sprague beat the Panthers 39-34. Sprague won last year’s meeting against West Salem 35-14.
Astoria (4-1) at Banks (4-0) – Friday, Oct. 9, 7 p.m.
Defending Class 4A champion Astoria is coming off a 32-28 loss to No. 2 Central and gets no reprieve entering its Cowapa schedule against No. 3 Banks in a rematch of the state title game last season. Astoria defeated Banks in both meetings a year ago, winning 46-26 in the regular season and again 19-11 for the championship. Banks is 4-0, but this is the Braves’ first ranked opponent.
Kennedy (2-3) at Culver (2-2) – Friday, Oct. 9, 7 p.m.
Kennedy's Jonathan Venegas breaks through the line against Nestucca. (Photo by Blake Thiess)
Kennedy has responded well from a 0-3 preseason start by beating Regis 51-8 and Nestucca 54-6. The Tri-River schedule is frontloaded for the Trojans with Culver this Friday and No. 3 Scio next week. Culver has also won two straight, beating Lakeview 21-7 and Clatskanie 26-6.
OTHERS TO WATCH:
Crescent Valley at Lebanon (Thursday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m.); Willamina at Dayton (Thursday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m.); Grant Union at Vale (Friday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m.)
Boys Soccer
Westview at Jesuit – Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m.
The top two teams in the state – let alone the Metro League – meet for the second time this season. Jesuit won the first meeting 1-0, and the Crusaders’ only loss this season was a 3-0 setback against Jesuit of California. Jesuit’s offense hasn’t been explosive, but the Crusaders have allowed just five goals in eight games this season, including six straight shutouts. Westview allowed only three goals through seven games.
Woodburn at Corvallis – Friday, Oct. 16, at 6:15 p.m.
No. 3 Woodburn receives its first Mid-Willamette Conference test against No. 5 Corvallis. Woodburn has won four straight since a 2-1 setback against Cleveland on Sept. 15. The only losses for Corvallis this season came against Class 6A McMinnville and defending Class 5A champion Bend. The Spartans posted consecutive 8-0 wins – against Thurston and Dallas – this week.
OTHERS TO WATCH:
North Marion at La Salle (Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 6:30 p.m.); Creswell at St. Mary’s (Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 4:30 p.m.); North Marion at Stayton (Thursday, Oct. 15, at 3:30 p.m.); Riverdale at Catlin Gabel (Friday, Oct. 16, at 6:15 p.m.)
Girls Soccer
Bend at Summit – Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m.
No. 1 Bend, the defending Class 5A champion, gets perhaps its sternest test against cross-town foe Summit, ranked No. 3. Bend surrendered just two goals through six games and were outscoring opponents by six goals per game in its five wins (Bend tied Sheldon 1-1). Unbeaten Summit, a semifinalist last season, has had a more difficult preseason schedule with wins coming against No. 4 North Eugene, Class 6A Central Catholic and Roseburg and ties against No. 10 Corvallis and No. 6 Crescent Valley.
Jesuit's Tasha Wilkins (13) battles with a Westview defender on Thursday. (Photo by Blake Thiess)
Jesuit at Westview – Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7:30 p.m.
Jesuit was fresh off a national No. 1 ranking in ESPN’s Fab50 poll when the Crusaders were downed 2-0 at home by Westview – a state-runner up last season. The Crusaders bounced back with a 10-0 win against Aloha and won three straight prior to Thursday’s game against Sunset. Westview is unbeaten this season, though the Wildcats tied Sunset 0-0.
OTHERS TO WATCH:
Valley Catholic at Catlin Gabel (Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 6:15 p.m.); Sprague at South Salem (Thursday, Oct. 15, at 4 p.m.)
Volleyball
Seaside Invitational – Saturday, Oct. 10, 8 a.m.
Six of the Coaches Aid Top 10 Class 4A teams will be in attendance. Those include Sisters, Marist, Hidden Valley, La Salle, Newport and Stayton. Class 3A No. 2 Sheridan and Class 2A No. 3 Corbett will also compete.
Crook County at Mountain View – Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 6:30 p.m.
The Intermountain powers collide for the second time. No. 1 Crook County beat No. 3 Mountain View 25-21, 25-21, 25-18 on Sept. 22, which came during a nine-match winning streak for the Cowgirls. Crook County reached the semifinals of the South Albany tournament last weekend, losing to Jesuit 14-25, 10-25. Mountain View won the consolation championship of the South Albany tournament. The Cougars need to win this match to keep pace in the conference. They’ve already lost twice to No. 2 Summit.
OTHERS TO WATCH:
Weston-McEwen Power Tournament (Saturday, Oct. 10, at 8 a.m.); Columbia Christian at Southwest Christian (Monday, Oct. 12, at 5:30 p.m.); Gresham at Central Catholic (Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 6 p.m.); Jesuit at Canby (Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 6:30 p.m.); Santiam Christian at Creswell (Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 6:30 p.m.); Central Catholic at Barlow (Thursday, Oct. 15, at 6 p.m.); Sunset at Aloha (Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m.); Sisters at Marist (Thursday, Oct. 15, at 6:45 p.m.); Hidden Valley at Henley (Thursday, Oct. 15, at 6:30 p.m.); Sheridan at Valley Catholic (Thursday, Oct. 15, at 6 p.m.)
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