Home MWL/SWC Blog 2008 MWL Football Schedule Breakdown
2008 MWL Football Schedule Breakdown PDF Print E-mail
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Written by DRH   
Sunday, 06 July 2008 14:31    Hits: 1086
Here's a complete breakdown of the 2008 MWL football schedules. In parentheses are the opponent's classification/league, how far they advanced in the 2007 state playoffs, and their 2007 overall won-loss record. Also included at the end are my picks for Games of the Week.

Churchill

8/29 Sheldon Irish (6A Southwest; 6A State Champions; 13-1). Not much to say about the opener, other than that these longstanding rivals meet once again (2007: Sheldon 21, Churchill 0). Churchill’s defense played well in last year’s game, but that was about it as far as positives go. Churchill’s last win over Sheldon was a 30-13 victory in 2000. They’ve yet to beat a 6A team in four attempts.

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9/5 @ Summit Storm (5A Intermountain; 3-6). Things get easier after the opener, as the Lancers head over the mountains to battle the Storm. Summit lost their final four games of ’07 in ugly fashion and Churchill didn’t lose to a single 5A school with a sub.500 record a year ago.

9/12 Dallas Dragons (5A Mid-Willamette; 5A 1st Round; 7-4). Dallas started off last year strong, going 7-1 until dropping their final three. One of those losses was to West Albany, so no shame there, but I was surprised that they lost to Lebanon in the league finale and Hillsboro in the playoffs. Dallas has some retooling to do, but should remain in playoff contention in the MWC. Churchill was 2-0 (both road game) against the MWC last year (10-9 over Lebanon; 20-14 over South Albany).

9/19 @ Mazama Vikings (5A Southern Sky; 1-9). The Vikes finished dead last in the SSC last year and, save for a non-league win over 5A Independent Madras, never finished within 20 points of any of their opponents.

9/26 Eagle Point Eagles (5A Southern Sky; 4-6). The Eagles only SSC win last year was against the aforementioned Vikings of Mazama. EP crushed Jefferson in a stunner (Jeff would later advanced to the 5A quarterfinals) 30-9, but was rarely competitive with teams above .500 other than that.

Outlook: I look for Churchill to go 4-1 heading into the league opener. Sheldon will almost assuredly beat them, but Churchill should coast in both road games and against Eagle Point. Dallas is a good team, but playing at home and a tough defense should be enough to spring the win. Is it a strong schedule? Well, no. Sheldon speaks for itself, and Dallas is good, but the Lancers scheduled three extremely winnable games for a reason.

Marshfield

8/29 @ North Bend (4A Far West; 4A Quarterfinals; 8-4). The old rivalry continues, and when I was in school, this game was a league game. But North Bend has done just fine for itself after dropping down a classification, and gave Marshfield a strong performance last year in a losing effort (26-12) despite playing in hostile Pete Susick Stadium. North Bend will be looking to snap Marshfield’s 18 game win streak in the rivalry.

9/5 @ Marist Spartans (4A Sky-Em; 4A State Champions; 12-2). The Spartans beat Marshfield last season on their way to their third state championship in five seasons. It was a thrilling game – Marist scored the game’s final two touchdowns in the last minute and a half – and gets to host Marshfield this time around. Marist has a new head coach and lose some key pieces, but they’re still Marist.

9/12 Ashland Grizzlies (5A Southern Sky; 5A Quarterfinals; 11-1). I’m not so sure Marshfield can’t/won’t spring the “upset” here. Despite a great record, Ashland feasted on some mediocrity in the non-league season last year, and the SSC is not the strongest football league by any stretch of the imagination. Ashland won this meeting 13-12 last year in Ashland, and I’m pretty sure Marshfield would enjoy returning the favor as Ashland makes the long drive to Coos Bay this time around.

9/19 Grants Pass Cavemen (6A Southwest; 6A Second Round; 8-4). The Cavemen started last season 7-0 before finishing 1-4 down the stretch. They did, however, beat Marshfield 34-2 in Week 3, and I’d expect a similar outcome this time. GP should be excellent defensively and has one of the SWC’s top tailbacks to churn out yards on offense.

9/26 Jefferson Democrats (5A PIL; 5A Quarterfinals; 9-2). Jefferson is the only new team on Marshfield’s schedule from a year ago, but they have an excellent tailback in Marlon Miles and good speed all around. Not unlike many PIL teams, Jefferson lacks superior depth, but if they get up quickly it might be hard for Marshfield to make up the difference regardless.

Outlook: Brutal. If you’re keeping score at home, the teams on Marshfield’s non-league slate combined to go 48-13 in 2007. I look for Marshfield to squeak by North Bend in the opener if only for tradition’s sake; it just wouldn’t be a football season if Marshfield didn’t start of the season by beating the Bulldogs. I also think they’ll surprise Ashland, who has some retooling of their own to do. But unless they get lucky and catch Marist in a down year, I think they begin the league season 2-3. GP is probably untouchable, and Jefferson should win. Marist is the swing game.

North Eugene

8/29 @ Crescent Valley Raiders (5A Mid-Willamette; 3-7). NE beat CV 42-6 in Week 1 last week, and I’d look for a similar outcome this season, even though the game will be played at CV this time. The Raiders don’t have much in the way of a roadblock for North’s Michael Bibbee.

9/5 Crook County Cowboys (5A Intermountain; 2-7). CCC won their first two games of 2007 – albeit against Parkrose and Mazama – and then lost their final seven. North should win this with ease.

9/12 @ North Bend Bulldogs (4A Far West; 4A Quarterfinals; 8-4). It’s an old-school MWL game straight out of 1997. These old league foes get together for the first time since 2001(NE 21, North Bend 18, if you were wondering) but North should extend that win streak to two games (North Bend last beat NE in 2000 – 45-7, just in case you were wondering about that, too).

9/26 Madison Senators (5A PIL; 5A Second Round; 5-5). Pardon me if I scoff at OregonLive’s preseason Top 10 poll, which ranks Madison #2 in 5A. This, the team that lost to The Dalles-Wahtonka last season, got shut-out by Springfield in Week 3, and wasn’t even close to competitive in their playoff game. I’m just not seeing it. Playing at home, I think North Eugene wins this by at least two scores.

10/3 Parkrose Broncos (5A Independent; 0-10). And then there’s Parkrose, the worst team in 5A last season. They only scored more than two touchdowns in a game once, and never gave up less than 46 points in a game. There’s not much that needs to be said.

Outlook: Pathetic. I’m sorry, but that’s all there is to say. NE is a traditionally poor program looking to build its niche in the new MWL, and I get that. They might not pick up a ton of league wins, so they need to pick up W’s in the early going. But this is schedule-padding at it’s finest, Madison’s comically high ranking in OregonLive’s preseason poll notwithstanding. They play Springfield in Week 3, but outside of that, we won’t know just how good (or bad) NE is until deep into October. NE has put together similar schedules (although not quite this poor) the last two seasons, and started 3-1 both years before falling flat in league play (1-9 combined league record in 2006 and 2007). Don’t get too excited, people, when North starts out 6-1 (I expect them to lose to Springfield). Don’t be clamoring for a Top 10 ranking. They won’t have earned it by then.

Springfield

8/29 @ Dallas Dragons (5A Mid-Willamette; 5A First Round; 7-4). The Millers will begin their quest for their first playoff berth since 1996 (I know, non-league games won’t count towards that, but that’s the goal) against Dallas, who finished third in the MWC last season. Springfield is loaded everywhere, but will need to wait to see how their quarterback position plays out before they can dream of a MWL title. They start finding out here.

9/5 Silverton Foxes (5A Mid-Willamette; 5A First Round; 5-6). After starting 1-5, the Foxes rallied to win their final four games of the regular season to make the playoffs as the MWC four seed. They lost to Klamath Union in the first round, but it was a remarkable turnaround. Still, Springfield should be able to win this.

9/12 @ Marist Spartans (4A Sky-Em; 4A State Champions; 12-2). I think this is a fantastic match-up, pitting an up-and-coming 5A program against the defending 4A champions. Unlike Marshfield/Marist, I think Springfield has the horses to win this battle of future league foes (just wait).

9/26 Ashland Grizzlies (5A Southern Sky; 5A Quarterfinals; 11-1). The Grizz hit the road to play another MWL school, this time stopping in Springfield. As I said in the Marshfield write-up, I think Ashland’s 11-1 record in 2007 is slightly padded, so don’t be fooled; Springfield can (and likely will) win this. Springfield’s speed should be the difference.

10/3 @ Sherwood Bowmen (5A Northwest Oregon; 5A Second Round; 8-3). This should be Springfield’s toughest non-league game, a showdown with an elite program out of a tough conference (NWOC). The Bowmen are quick and know the game, and have a nice home field advantage. Their three losses came against the top three teams in 5A last year – state champion West Albany, state runner-up Glencoe, and third place Mountain View. Not too shabby.

Outlook: A great schedule – the anti-North Eugene philosophy, if you will. Unlike NE, every single one of Springfield’s opponents made the postseason last year. When you add their league schedule to it, 8 of Springfield’s 10 opponents in 2008 were playoff teams in 2007. That’s phenomenal. The gutsy scheduling should pay off, too – they’ll be well tested by the time the meat of the MWL schedule rolls around. Kudos, Springfield. As for predictions, I think Springfield can go 4-1 – they’re that talented. Sherwood is going to be tough to handle, but everything else is winnable. That said, everything else is quite losable, too. But I have faith in the Millers.

Thurston

8/29 Corvallis Spartans (5A Mid-Willamette; 5A First Round; 6-5). The Spartans won the 2006 5A State Championship, and finished second in the MWC last year. They’re a tough, hard-working team with a quality defensive line that should challenge Thurston’s rushing attack. They won five of their final seven regular season games before losing to SSC Champion Ashland in the second round of the playoffs.

9/5 @ South Albany Rebels (5A Mid-Willamette; 5-5). The Rebels look to improve on their .500 record last season, and should challenge for a playoff berth in the MWC. They’ve got a 1,000 yard rusher returning and try to control the clock.

9/12 North Salem Vikings (6A Central Valley; 2-7). The Vikings a poor 6A program going through a coaching change, but they are a 6A program. They didn’t win a league game last season, but their undefeated against 5A schools (3-0; 2-0 vs. Summit, 1-0 vs. Ashland). Thurston is 0-5 in their last five games against current 6A schools, dating back to 2005, before re-classification; they lost to state-runner up Lincoln in the second round of the ’05 playoffs, and went 0-2 against both Sheldon and Grants Pass the last two seasons. It should be noted that the Colts did beat two current 6A programs in 2005; South Eugene and Centennial.

9/19 @ South Eugene Axemen (6A Southwest; 4-5). South Eugene should be a much improved team in 2008, a program on the rise that I have going to the 6A playoffs. QB Dustin Haines can air it out, OL Charles Siddoway is probably the best lineman in the state regardless of classification, and LB Boseko Lokombo is the best defensive player in the state (again, regardless of classification). Thurston won the last meeting 10-7 in 2005 in a game that decided second place in the MWL that season. I don’t know if it will make a difference at all, but Thurston is familiar with SE’s field/stadium; they “hosted” Crater there in last season’s playoffs.

Outlook: A quality schedule, and a smarter one than last year. Last year, all four non-league opponents made the playoffs, one of them won the 6A State Championship (Sheldon), one spent most of the season in the 6A Top 10 (Grants Pass), and one made the 5A semifinals (Bend). It was brutal, and the Colts went 1-3. This year, the Colts still face stiff challenges in South Eugene and Corvallis, but North Salem and South Albany should both be extremely winnable. I say Thurston goes 3-1; I think they’ll take Corvallis in the opener, but South Eugene will be a bear.

Willamette

8/29 Cottage Grove Lions (4A Sky-Em; 4A First Round; 7-4). Another one of those “future league games” – Cottage Grove will join Marist in the MWL soon enough. But for now, it’s this is merely Will-Hi’s non-league opener, a rematch of last season’s 28-6 win @ CG.

9/5 @ Klamath Union Pelicans (5A Southern Sky; 5A Second Round; 7-5). KU went 0-2 against the MWL in 2007, including a 41-28 loss to Willamette in Week 1. They were also tripped up by Marshfield a week later, 33-15. But they rebounded to win a playoff game and reach the second round, and return a quality core this year. KU will be looking to avenge last year’s loss, and it’s a long drive for Willamette.

9/12 North Medford Black Tornado (6A Southwest; 3-6). A traditionally elite football school that’s fallen on hard times, North Medford won’t be down for long. They’re bigger than Will-Hi up front, and QB Jordan Ellis is a talent. It’s an interesting match-up, to say the least. Their 2007 records don’t match up – 10-2 for Willamette, 3-6 for NM – but they should be on even par in 2008.

9/19 @ Ashland Grizzlies (5A Southern Sky; 5A Quarterfinals; 11-1). Ashland continues their push for MWL membership (just a joke, but seriously – this is their third MWL opponent). Willamette has the edge in some important position battles (QB Spencer Phillips; RB Craig Loper) but they lost a lot off their MWL championship team a year ago. Playing @ Ashland, this one’s up for grabs.

9/26 South Eugene Axemen (6A Southwest; 4-5). South Eugene has won the last two meetings in this series (2004-2005), though Willamette won the previous three prior to that (2001-2003). SE is 6-0 against current 5A schools since their last loss (Thurston, 2005). Top individual match-up: RB Craig Loper vs. LB Boseko Lokombo.

Outlook: Big improvement over last year’s schedule, where they were rarely challenged and coasted to a 5-0 record. The Wolverines should be good and tested in their effort to defend their first MWL title since 1993, playing two quality 6A programs, two playoff-caliber teams out of the SSC, and a decent 4A school.

Where to be on Friday Nights?

8/29 I’d check out Corvallis at Thurston. The 2006 5A State Champion vs. a strong 2008 contender. If this game is anything like the two hoops games they played last season, watch out. Added bonus: this won’t be the first game played at Thurston’s field, but it’ll be the first one with bleachers and the whole shebang.

9/5 Can’t go wrong with Marshfield at Marist, Round Two. Last year’s game was an instant classic. This is also Marist’s home opener, so expect a championship presentation. And hey, why not treat this as a MWL game? It will be in two year’s time, when Marist makes the jump up to 5A.

9/12 There’s a couple really good games tonight, but in the interest of diversity (you want to see as many schools as possible, right?) let’s go with North Medford at Willamette. No MWL school has ever beaten a 6A program post-reclassification, and Willamette will be aiming to be the first (although Thurston hosts North Salem on the same night, and will be going for the distinction as well). North Medford isn’t the power they once were, and although they’ll be the favorites, the Bethel faithful know how to put on a good show and support their Wolverines.

9/19 Looks like we’ll have to repeat a team – Thurston at South Eugene easily looks like the area’s best game. As stated above, Thurston won the last meeting in 2005, and the series took a two year break afterwards. Can the Colts overcome South Eugene’s “big three”? This one will feature a superb quarterback dual: THS’s Tym Pearson vs. SE’s Dustin Haines.

9/26 Haven’t gotten a chance to see if Springfield is for real or not? Ashland @ Springfield should wet your whistle. Ashland provides a formidable opponent for Springfield to attempt to “wow” you, and this gives Springfield a month to develop a passing game.

Honorable Mentions: If you’re limited to one game a week, the above selections would be my picks. But they might not be yours. Here’s some other games that look more than a little intriguing: Dallas @ Churchill (9/12), Jefferson (PDX) @ Marshfield (9/26), Madison @ North Eugene (9/26), Springfield @ Marist (9/12), Springfield @ Sherwood (10/3), Thurston @ South Albany (9/5), South Eugene @ Willamette (9/26).

Zero Week is 54 days away.