Prep football roundup: Churchill rolls over Marist in opener

This story has been updated with results from the Springfield-Mountain View game.

The fourth time, it turns out, was the charm.

After losing their season-opener to cross-town rival Marist Catholic three straight years, the senior-laden Churchill Lancers football team made sure it didn’t happen again, routing the state’s top-ranked 4A team, 34-7, at Floyd Halverson Field Friday night, Aug. 29.

It was the first loss for the Spartans — who were 12-0-1 last year after winning the 4A state title over Henley — since losing the 2023 state title game to that same Henley program, 42-28.

“Really bad,” Churchill’s Lukas Babbitt, the 6-foot, 226-pound all-league senior said, when asked how badly he and his teammates wanted this one after losing to the Spartans 33-30, in last year’s opener at Marist.

The Lancers, who won the 5A Midwestern League last season before losing in the state playoffs and came into this contest ranked No. 9 preseason, also lost the 2023 season-opener to Marist, 36-35, and were blown out by the Spartans, 38-7, when Babbitt and his fellow Churchill seniors were freshmen in 2022.

But not this time.

“We lost to two teams last year, the team (Wilsonville) that won state, and this team, that also won state,” Babbitt said. “So it was important for us to get the win. Everybody out here making amazing plays — it’s great to see,” Babbitt said.

The Spartans, with a new starting quarterback, North Eugene transfer Brody Gilliam, came out throwing and scored first for a 7-0 lead when junior running back Conner Harvey scored on a 7-yard run less than three minutes into the game.

But Marist would never see the end zone again as Churchill’s defense sacked Gilliam several times and was far more physical.

“Lukas, TJ (Wright), the O line played great,” Lancers third-year head coach Layne Coffin said. “I thought the defense had a good night. I’m just proud all around, of all of our kids.”

Sophomore Ryder Nagel scored first for Churchill, on 4-yard counter run that made the score 7-6 Marist after the Lancers’ 2-point conversion attempt failed.

The Spartans threatened to score again before the quarter ended, but Gilliam’s pass from the 25-yard line was intercepted by Churchill senior defensive back Mikey Johnson, one of two picks he had on the night, at the 2-yard line.

Babbitt’s running got the Lancers back into Marist territory, a 15-yard run late in the second quarter giving Churchill the ball at the Marist 24. A couple of plays later, Babbitt ran wide left and scored a 7-yard touchdown to make it 12-7 Lancers.

Senior quarterback Lucas Gansen’s pass to senior Raymond Zhou was good for the 2-point conversion and the Lancers took a 14-7 Lancers lead into halftime.

Churchill dominated the second half from the start of the third quarter, marching down the field on the running of Babbitt, whose 17-yard run gave the Lancers the ball at the Marist 5, where the senior then scored on another run up the middle.

Gansen’s pass to senior tight end Charlie Dexter for the 2-point conversion made it 22-7 Churchill with 8:50 left in the third quarter.

Babbitt scored again on a 4-yard run with 4:22 left in the fourth quarter for a 28-7 lead, and Wright, the senior receiver, finished the scoring on a spectacular 88-yard touchdown run with 1:23 to go when he appeared to be down and then broke free of all would-be tacklers and used his speed to break away and streak down the Marist sideline for the score.

“They’re a good team,” Coffin said of the Spartans. “And you’ve got to respect what they’ve done and what they’ve accomplished and the things that they do. They set the bar high, and we want to try and meet what they do.”

Churchill plays at Dallas at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, in a nonleague matchup, while Marist travels to Tillamook the same day for another nonleague game.

Other games

In other Friday night football games involving Lane County teams:

Thurston 48, Caldera 17: The Colts opened their 2025 campaign with a dominating nonleague win against Caldera in Bend. Thurston led 20-0 at halftime and added 21 points in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. Next up for the Colts (1-0): a test at Silverton (1-0) on Friday, Sept. 5. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. 

North Eugene 23, Crescent Valley 6: The Highlanders opened their season with a road nonleague win over Crescent Valley. North Eugene plays host next Friday to Corvallis in the season opener for the Spartans. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Sheridan 22, Oakridge 20: The Spartans ruined the home opener for the Warriors in a tight 2A nonleague battle Friday. Oakridge (0-1) will try to rebound next Friday at 7 p.m. with another nonleague date, this one against Veronia. Veronia (0-1) lost Friday, 42-8, to Illinois Valley.

Mountain View 42, Springfield 13: The Mountain View Cougars spoiled the Millers’ home opener with a lopsided 42-13 nonleague victory. The Millers (0-1) now have a week off before resuming nonleague play with a Friday, Sept. 12 road trip to Bend. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 7 p.m.