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Written by DRH   
Sunday, 27 July 2008 14:05    Hits: 704
With two legitimate state championship contenders, the SWC looks downright explosive heading into 2008.

Defending state champion Sheldon returns a brilliant junior class that was instrumental in winning state last year, and chief challenger South Medford is absolutely stocked with playmakers on both sides of the ball. The two meet on Halloween, and expect nothing short of greatness. Since Sheldon’s first MWL championship of their dynasty era, consider their annual showdowns with their league’s predicted #2 challenger:

2001: Sheldon 31, Churchill 28

2002: Sheldon 10, Willamette 7

2003: Sheldon 24, Marshfield 21

2004: Sheldon 34, South Eugene 28

2005: Sheldon 10, South Eugene 7 – OT

2006: Sheldon 27, Grants Pass 25

2007: Sheldon 42, Grants Pass 7

Okay, their 2007 showdown with Grants Pass – who looked like the second best team in the SWC all season prior to the beat-down – was a bust, but GP was in “tank” mode by then. Outside of ’07, every single time Sheldon has won a league title they played in an all-time classic versus a team trying to knock them off their perch. South Medford looks like that team in 2008. Expect greatness. Sheldon will, in all likelihood, have extended their league winning streak to 60 games by Halloween. Can South Medford snap it?

Not that Sheldon can overlook South Eugene, mind you. South’s taken Sheldon to the edge four straight seasons: they’ve lost by less than a touchdown – and in overtime twice – every year since 2004. It’s a great rivalry, and both teams look very talented this season.

1. Sheldon

Last Season: 13-1, 5-0 SWC. 6A State Champions (beat Sprague 35-14 in the second round, beat Lake Oswego 28-27 in OT in the quarterfinals, beat Grant 41-21 in the semifinals, beat Tualatin 28-14 in the final).

Projected 2008: 8-1, 5-0 SWC.

Dual threat junior QB Jordan Johnson already has a state championship ring, and has plenty of WRs to work with in Sheldon’s spread offense. Look for Johnson to have an even better grasp on his father’s offensive schemes, and while he remains a dangerous scrambler, I think he’ll tuck the ball and run less. Zach Todd’s departure is a blow, but the Irish have won league titles without a dominant ground game before if they struggle to find a suitable replacement right away. Junior TE/DE Curtis White has already made a verbal commitment to play for Oregon and is a two-way terror. The defense is frighteningly fast, which is good for plenty of forced turnovers when White & Co. invade opposing backfields. Which they will do. A lot. The returning secondary is superb. Sheldon may or may not win the state championship again – check back next year, though – but they’ve got the talent and coaching to successful defend their title deep into November.

Bottom Line: Two long trips to Medford and one to Grants Pass, coming off the heels of long trips to Portland and Redmond in the non-league season are the only things standing in the way of Sheldon and their eighth straight league championship. Sheldon is the best team in the league, but if they take one too many left hooks from some of 6A’s (and the state of Washington’s) best, getting tripped up in-league somewhere miles from home is a possibility. But… we’ll give Coach Johnson the benefit of the doubt for now. Chalk up league title #8.

2. South Medford

Last Season: 8-2, 4-1 SWC. 6A Second Round (beat Barlow 42-19 in the first round, lost to Tualatin 44-14 in the second round).

Projected 2008: 7-3, 4-1 SWC.

Sheldon’s chief challenger returns plenty of skill position talent – RB Patrick Thibeault, TE EJ Singler, WR Mitch Singler – and perhaps the SWC’s best offensive line, anchored by OT’s Zach Barge and Rodolpho Contreas, and OG Cody Smith. They must find a quarterback to deliver the ball to all of their weapons. Junior Josh Milhollin, a mobile kid with a big arm, looks like the favorite at this point. He’ll have an awful lot of responsibility on his shoulders. South has enough athletes on defense to help the defense; the secondary, with both Singlers back there, can make plays with the best of them. I think highly enough of SM to challenge Sheldon without a proven QB. If this new guy can get it done, SM should be a player not only in the SWC but statewide.

Bottom Line: The above sentence says it all. South Medford can be a major player if the last puzzle piece is found. SM hosts Sheldon in the league finale. You don’t want to be anywhere else if both teams come into the game undefeated.

3. Grants Pass

Last Season: 8-4, 2-3 SWC. 6A Second Round (beat Tigard 36-29 in the first round, lost to Central Catholic 28-19 in the second round).

Projected 2008: 7-2, 3-2 SWC.

The Cavemen have a quality 1-2 punch in the running game behind Criss Bowen and Tim Pinkerton, but Bowen has the potential to put on a special performance. For my money, he’s the best returning RB in the SWC. With a new QB being installed and the WR corps needing to be replenished, I see GP taking a meat and potatoes mindset into the season – run the ball, tough it out, and cowboy up on defense. The front seven should be nasty. As it stands, I think GP is a playoff team. If a new quarterback can be successful inserted and be brought up to speed by league play, GP could certainly become a player in the SWC, but I think the talent differential between the top two teams and GP is too great for the Cavers to seriously challenge for the conference crown.

Bottom Line: Grants Pass started 7-0 last season before the wheels came off and they went 1-4 down the stretch. The schedule is there for another quick start, but South Medford and Sheldon are there to start off the first two weeks of SWC play. If things get rough, will they sink or swim? We may not know the make-up of this team until it happens.

4. South Eugene

Last Season: 4-5, 0-5 SWC.

Projected 2008: 6-3, 2-3 SWC.

The Axemen are my big jumpers, going from 0-5 in SWC play a year ago to a projected playoff team. As poor as their record was a year ago, let’s not forget SE is only a year removed from the 6A quarterfinals and were more than competitive in all but one game last year (@ Grants Pass). QB Dustin Haines returns after getting his feet wet last season in his first year of SWC action. He’s a big play passer who’s mobile enough to make something happen with his feet. LB Boseko Lokombo is the SWC – nay, the state’s – best defensive player, and a quality short yardage option at RB, too. Look for the Axemen to perform much better in the redzone. Marist transfer OL/DL Charles Siddoway is massive and already has five Pac-10 scholarship offers. He’ll do it all in the trenches for SE. Overall, South’s senior class is stocked with big bodies to build around Siddoway, and there are plenty of tall WR targets for Haines. RB Nate Sullivan’s graduation is a blow, but a running back-by-committee approach may be able to keep things running.

Bottom Line: South Eugene has three seniors ranked in Scout.com’s Northwest 100, more than any team in the state. That’s quality front-end talent, but three great players does not a great team make. While it helps that they all man key positions, South is going to need big contributions by unheralded players within the program to rise out of the cellar and return to the playoffs. Heck, Boston didn’t just win the NBA Finals on the backs of their “Big 3” – everybody did there job in order to make it work.

5. Roseburg

Last Season: 5-4, 3-2 SWC. 6A First Round (lost to Lincoln 55-28).

Projected 2008: 4-6, 1-5 SWC.

Thurman Bell installed a successful pitch and catch system last season with QB Jake Johnson under center, but it’s of my opinion that no quarterback meant more to his team than Johnson did to Roseburg. He leaves a crater of a hole at the game’s most important position. Junior slotback David Priestly is a rising star and the WRs look good with Josh Davis and Nolan McGinnis, but Roseburg needs to establish an identity early if they want to head back to the playoffs. Smashmouth or spread? Senior OG Jordan Guthrie is a star and will be able to maul the opposition no matter the offensive system he’s blocking for. Linebacker Joe Hennricks highlights the defense, but the unit as a whole lacks playmakers.

Bottom Line: My word isn’t law, Roseburg faithful. Just because I say something, doesn’t make it so. But I fear Jake Johnson’s departure leaves Roseburg at a crossroads, and this isn’t the year to have more questions than answers. I’m sure Thurman Bell will do his best to prove me wrong. There’s certainly talent available.

6. North Medford

Last Season: 3-6, 1-4 SWC.

Projected 2008: 4-5, 0-5 SWC.

Dual threat Jordan Ellis is back at quarterback after debuting last season vs. Grants Pass. A star on the hardwood, Ellis is going to need some help to get the Black Tornado football team as far as he got the hoops team last season. He has a big-play threat at WR in Isaac Silafau and Colin Sowers is back at running back, but NM might need some help getting out of the basement. It doesn’t help that it’s NM’s turn to take to the road three times in SWC play, traveling the distance to South Eugene, Roseburg, and Grants Pass. Junior Matt Maurer looks like a standout at safety.

Bottom Line: Like I said, the schedule is brutal: the two teams North Medford would be huge underdogs against anywhere are the home games, and all the games where NM might be prime to spring an upset are on the road and a long bus ride away from home. I expect a fast start in September against some sub-par 6A opponents and two 5A schools, but SWC play will be an adventure.

SWC MVP: TE/DB EJ Singler. This award typically goes to a senior, and EJ will be a two-way terror. He’s tough to stop, he’s tough to block, he makes big plays on both sides of the ball… and he’s the best player on a state championship contender.

Offensive Player of the Year: RB Chris Bowen, Grants Pass. GP looks like they’re going to run, run, run, so expect a huge output in yardage and touchdowns from Bowen.

Defensive Player of the Year: DE Curtis White, Sheldon. He’s probably the best player in the SWC, but postseason MVP awards usually go to a departing senior. White will have to settle for defensive player of the year honors instead.

Coach of the Year: Marty Johnson, Sheldon. South Medford's Bill Singler will win/deserve it if SM can knock off Sheldon on Halloween, but I think Sheldon takes the SWC again, and you just can't give it to anyone else if Sheldon's league win streak hits #61 by season's end. Absolutely incredible. Darkhorse: South Eugene's Travis Johnson. If SE does even better than I predict them to do, it might be hard to overlook Johnson given the fact that SE didn't even win a league game last year.