QuickTake:

A key league football battle between Thurston and Churchill highlights a busy sports weekend for Lane County prep teams.

Football game of the week

Thurston at Churchill, 7 p.m. Friday

Two top 5A teams clash in a key Special District 3 match with potential postseason implications. 

Thurston (7-1 overall, 5-0 in league) has a better record than Churchill (4-2 overall, 3-1 in league), but the Lancers are rated just a notch higher than the Colts in the Oregon School Activities Association rankings: Churchill is No. 8, while Thurston is No. 9. The Colts would claim the inside track for a league title with a win, but a Lancer victory could set the table for an intriguing final few weeks before postseason play begins. 

Here’s the rest of the weekend schedule for Lane County prep sports:

Football

Thursday, Oct. 16

  • Triangle Lake at C.S. Lewis Academy, 7:15 p.m., George Fox University

Friday, Oct. 17

  • McKenzie at Days Creek, 3:30 p.m. 
  • South Medford at Sheldon, 7 p.m.
  • Willamette at Dallas, 7 p.m. 
  • Thurston at Churchill, 7 p.m.
  • Eagle Point at Springfield, 7 p.m.
  • North Eugene at Crater, 7 p.m.
  • South Eugene at Roseburg, 7 p.m.
  • Junction City at Philomath, 7 p.m.
  • Marist Catholic at Cottage Grove, 7 p.m.
  • Elmira at La Pine, 7 p.m.
  • Sisters at Pleasant Hill, 7 p.m.
  • Creswell at Madras, 7 p.m.
  • Siuslaw at Sutherlin, 7 p.m.
  • Monroe at Lowell, 7 p.m.
  • North Douglas at Mohawk, 7 p.m.
  • Gilchrist at Crow, 7 p.m.

Volleyball

Thursday, Oct. 16

  • Crow-Northwest Christian at Eddyville Charter, 6 p.m.
  • Elmira at LaPine, 6 p.m.
  • Sisters at Pleasant Hill, 6 p.m.
  • Siuslaw at South Umpqua, 6 p.m.
  • Trinity Lutheran at Lowell, 6 p.m.
  • Oakridge at Lost River, 6 p.m.
  • Triangle Lake at Mohawk, 6 p.m.
  • Eugene Christian at Siletz Valley, 6 p.m.
  • Harrisburg at Creswell, 6:30 p.m.
  • Marist Catholic at Marshfield, 6:30 p.m.
  • Junction City at Cottage Grove, 6:30 p.m.
  • Roseburg at Willamette, 6:45 p.m.
  • South Eugene at Grants Pass, 6:45 p.m. 
  • Thurston at Churchill, 6:45 p.m.
  • Eagle Point at Springfield, 6:45 p.m.
  • Ashland at North Eugene, 6:45 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 18

  • South Eugene, Sheldon, Thurston at Bend Clearwater Tournament, times TBA
  • Churchill, North Eugene, Cottage Grove, Siuslaw at Marshfield Invitational, Marshfield High School, times TBA

Tuesday, Oct. 21

  • Pleasant Hill at La Pine, 6 p.m.
  • Creswell at Elmira, 6 p.m.
  • Siuslaw at Glide, 6 p.m.
  • Oakridge at Lowell, 6 p.m. 
  • Mohawk at Mapleton, 6 p.m.
  • Eddyville Charter at Triangle Lake, 6 p.m.
  • Crow-Northwest Christian at Eugene Christian, 6 p.m.
  • McKenzie at Siletz Valley, 6 p.m.
  • Churchill at Ashland, 6:30 p.m.
  • North Eugene at Crater, 6:30 p.m.
  • North Bend at Cottage Grove, 6:30 p.m.
  • Marist Catholic at Junction City, 6:30 p.m.
  • Sheldon at Roseburg, 6:45 p.m.
  • South Medford at South Eugene, 6:45 p.m.
  • Springfield at Thurston, 6:45 p.m.

Girls soccer

Thursday, Oct. 16

  • La Pine at Central Linn, 4:30 p.m.
  • Creswell at Pleasant Hill, 4:30 p.m.
  • Sisters at Siuslaw, 4:30 p.m.
  • Santiam Christian at Elmira, 4:30 p.m.
  • North Eugene-Triangle Lake at South Eugene, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 18

  • Crater at Thurston, 11:30 a.m.
  • Eagle Point at Springfield-Mohawk, 1 p.m.
  • Ashland at Churchill, 3 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 20

  • Marist Catholic at Marshfield, 4:30 p.m.
  • Cottage Grove at Junction City, 4:30 p.m.
  • Willamette at North Medford, 5:30 p.m.
  • Sheldon at Roseburg, 6:30 p.m.
  • South Medford at South Eugene, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 21

  • Siuslaw at La Pine, 4:30 p.m.
  • Central Linn at Elmira, 4:30 p.m.
  • Pleasant Hill at Sisters, 5 p.m.
  • Churchill at North Eugene-Triangle Lake, 6 p.m.
  • Thurston at Springfield-Mohawk, 7 p.m.
  • Creswell at Santiam Christian, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 22

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

Boys soccer

Thursday, Oct. 16

  • Siuslaw-Mapleton at Sisters, 4 p.m.
  • Elmira at East Linn Christian, 4 p.m.
  • Pleasant Hill at La Pine, 4:30 p.m.
  • Sherwood at South Eugene, 5 p.m.
  • Thurston at Churchill, 6 p.m.
  • Springfield at North Eugene, 6 p.m.
  • Central Linn at Creswell, 7 p.m. 

Saturday, Oct. 18

  • Ashland at Churchill, 1 p.m.
  • Crater at Thurston, 2 p.m.
  • Eagle Point at Springfield, 3 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 20

  • Junction City-Harrisburg at Cottage Grove, 6 p.m.
  • Roseburg at Sheldon, 6:30 p.m.
  • North Medford at Willamette, 6:30 p.m.
  • Marist Catholic at Marshfield, 6:30 p.m.
  • South Eugene at South Medford, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 21

  • Sisters at Pleasant Hill, 4:30 p.m.
  • Creswell at Crosshill Christian-Jefferson, 4:30 p.m. (Jefferson High School)
  • North Eugene at Churchill, 6 p.m.
  • La Pine at Elmira, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 22

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

Cross-country

Saturday, Oct. 18

  • Cottage Grove, Creswell, Crow, Elmira, Lowell, Mapleton, Marist, Mohawk, Oakridge, Siuslaw, Triangle Lake at Cottage Grove Bramble Scramble, Cottage Grove High School. Races begin at 10:15 a.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 22

  • Lowell at Happy Hustle, Crystal Lake Sports Park, Corvallis. Races begin at 3:40 p.m. 

Mike McInally is a Pacific Northwest journalist with four decades of experience in Oregon and Montana, including stints as editor of the Corvallis Gazette-Times and the Albany Democrat-Herald.