Sheldon vs. Willamette football rivalry has an extra edge this year

High school football games are often emotional, especially crosstown rivalries.

But the Southwest Conference matchup between the fourth-ranked Willamette Wolverines (3-0) and the Sheldon Irish (1-2) at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26, at Wolverine Stadium is one tinged with a bit of bitterness among the Irish faithful.

“I just think there should be a lot of pride in playing with your buddies and where you grew up, and if people are getting enticed to go other places, that’s just not what high school football should be about,” Sheldon head coach Tyler Martell told Lookout Eugene-Springfield earlier this month.

Martell was talking about the loss of players from his program, including seven who transferred to Willamette in the middle of the last school year.

Juniors Kawai Chamberlin, Tripp Johansen, Brady Barry, Raiden Avery, Christian Carrasco and Braeden Reyes, along with senior Aiden Lewey, now play for the Wolverines, who are coached by former Sheldon coach Josh Line. 

Asked how badly he wants to beat Willamette, Sheldon’s junior wideout Barry Myles said: “Real bad.”

Asked why he thinks a bunch of guys in his own class, who still live in the Sheldon area, wanted to switch allegiances, Myles said: “I think it’s more personal things for them, but it’s no hate to them. It’s their thing.”

This will be the first time two 6A Eugene teams have met since the Irish pummeled South Eugene 63-6 on the Axe’s own field in 2017.

“It’s good for our community to have a big in-town game for high school football,” Martell said.

Sheldon defeated North Medford 33-10 on Sept. 19 in Eugene, for its first win of the season, after taking two tough losses on the road: 51-7 at third-ranked Lake Oswego and 29-14 at 12^th-ranked West Salem.

Willamette, meanwhile, has outscored its first three opponents this season by a score of 132-54. The Wolverines won their opener 34-7 at South Medford, routed Grants Pass 56-21 at home, then beat Sprague 42-26 on the road last week.

The Willamette offense is led by one of its transfers, sophomore quarterback Zeke Thomas, who threw for more than 2,500 yards and 28 touchdowns as a freshman last season at Crescent Valley in Corvallis.

Besides Chamberlin and Barry, Thomas’s other favorite targets, University of Oregon commit Tony Cumberland and Hunter Vaughn, are also transfers.

Sheldon’s offense is led by senior quarterback Micah Ritchie-Tuisue and wideouts Myles and senior Cameron Gilhuber, who both caught two touchdown passes in the North Medford game.

Here’s the rest of the weekend schedule for Lane County high school athletes:

Football 

Friday, Sept. 26

• Mohawk at Crosspoint Christian, 6 p.m.
• Sheldon at Willamette, 7 p.m.
• Roseburg at Thurston, 7 p.m.
• Springfield at North Eugene, 7 p.m.
• Crescent Valley at South Eugene, 7 p.m.
• Pleasant Hill at Cottage Grove, 7 p.m.
• Hidden Valley at Junction City, 7 p.m.
• La Pine at Siuslaw, 7 p.m.
• Elmira at Umatilla, 7 p.m.
• Willamina at Creswell, 7 p.m.
• Oakridge at Harrisburg, 7 p.m.
• Toledo at Lowell, 7 p.m.
• Crow at McKenzie, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 27

• Reedsport at Triangle Lake, 2 p.m.

Volleyball

Saturday, Sept. 27

• Springfield at Lincoln Tournament, Lincoln High School, Portland, times TBA
• Thurston, South Eugene and North Eugene at State Preview Tournament, South Albany High School, times TBA
• Creswell and Cottage Grove at Creswell Tournament, times TBA
• Junction City and Siuslaw at Junction City Invite, times TBA

Monday, Sept. 29

• Pleasant Hill at Sisters, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 30

• La Pine at Elmira, 6 p.m.
• Creswell at Harrisburg, 6 p.m.
• South Umpqua at Siuslaw, 6 p.m.
• Lowell at Trinity Lutheran, 6 p.m.
• Lost River at Oakridge, 6 p.m.
• Mohawk at Crow-Northwest Christian, 6 p.m.
• McKenzie at Triangle Lake, 6 p.m.
• Eugene Christian at Eddyville Charter, 6 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 2

• La Pine at Pleasant Hill, 6 p.m.
• Lowell at Oakridge, 6 p.m.
• Mohawk at Eddyville Charter, 6 p.m.
• Mapleton at Siletz Valley, 6 p.m.
• Eugene Christian at McKenzie, 6 p.m.
• Crow-Northwest Christian at Alsea, 6 p.m.

Girls soccer

Saturday, Sept. 27

• Lebanon at Thurston, 1 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 29

• North Bend at Junction City, 4:30 p.m.
• Sheldon at North Medford, 5:30 p.m.
• Creswell at Sisters, 6 p.m.
• Grants Pass at Willamette, 6:30 p.m.
• South Eugene at Roseburg, 6:30 p.m.
• Marshfield at Cottage Grove, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 30

• Sandy at North Eugene-Triangle Lake, 4:30 p.m.
• Oregon City at Churchill, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 1

• Willamette at Roseburg, 6 p.m.
• South Medford at Sheldon, 6:30 p.m.
• South Eugene at Grants Pass, 7 p.m.
• Marshfield at Marist Catholic, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 2

• Siuslaw at Central Linn, 2:30 p.m.
• Pleasant Hill at Elmira, 4:30 p.m.
• Junction City at Cottage Grove, 6 p.m.
• La Pine at Creswell, 6 p.m.

Boys soccer

Saturday, Sept. 27

• Thurston at Lebanon, 1 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 29

• Junction City-Harrisburg at North Bend, 4:30 p.m.
• Marshfield at Cottage Grove, 5 p.m.
• North Medford at Sheldon, 6:30 p.m.
• Roseburg at South Eugene, 6:30 p.m. 
• Willamette at Grants Pass, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 30

• Pleasant Hill at East Linn Christian, 4 p.m.
• Sisters at Creswell, 6 p.m.
• Siuslaw-Mapleton at Elmira, 6:30 p.m.
• Springfield at Lakeridge, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 1

• Marshfield at Marist Catholic, 5 p.m.
• Roseburg at Willamette, 6:30 p.m.
• Grants Pass at South Eugene, 6:30 p.m.
• Sheldon at South Medford, 7 p.m.
• Churchill at Clackamas, 7:15 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 2

• Cottage Grove at Junction City-Harrisburg, 4:30 p.m.
• Elmira at Pleasant Hall, 4:30 p.m.
• Central Linn at Siuslaw-Mapleton, 6:30 p.m.
• North Eugene at Springfield, 7 p.m.

Cross-country

Friday, Sept. 26

• Churchill, Marist, North Eugene, Sheldon, South Eugene, Thurston at 2025 Nike Portland Cross-Country, Blue Lake Regional Park, 21224 NE Blue Lake Road, Fairview. Races begin at 10:30 a.m.
• Creswell, McKenzie, Oakridge, Triangle Lake at Champs Invite, Cheadle Lake Park, 37941 Weirich Drive, Races begin at 3 p.m.