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Class 6A Football Power Rankings: Final Regular Season Roster

Umito October 31, 2024

We have arrived at week nine, the final week of the regular football season.

And with the regular season over, we have the final power rankings for Class 6A football.

On Friday evening, when the final games are completed, the OSAA computer rankings will be frozen and the football rankings will be displayed. Games will be win or go home, and the best teams in the state will have to do their best.

Here’s a look at the state’s best teams:

Oregon high school football: Lake Oswego Lakers vs. West Linn Lions — Lake Oswego players celebrate in the end zone during the Three Rivers League football game between Lake Oswego and West Linn on Friday, October 18, 2024 at West Linn High School.Howard Lao for The Oregonian/OregonLive

1. Lake Oswego Lakers (8-0, 4-0 Trois-Rivières League)

The Lakers didn’t let the 21-17 win over West Linn affect last Friday’s game against Oregon City. Lake Oswego stayed the course with a 42-13 win over the Pioneers last week. LaMarcus Bell continues to stand out as one of the best running backs in the state, with 12 carries for 208 yards and three touchdowns against Oregon City. He’s averaging over 10 yards per carry on the season and the Lakers run one of the best offenses in the state.

Friday’s game against Lakeridge could clinch the Three Rivers League for Lake Oswego, in what could be one of the biggest editions of the “Battle for the Lake” rivalry game.

Oregon high school football: Central Catholic Rams vs. Nelson Hawks — The Central Catholic Rams and Nelson Hawks participate in a Mt. Hood Conference football game on Friday, October 11, 2024 at Hillsboro Stadium.Grant Pauli for The Oregonian/OregonLive

2. Central Catholic Rams (8-0, 6-0 Mount Hood Conference)

The Rams are one win away from Reynolds this Friday after a 22-0 streak that spanned all of last season. The last time the defending Class 6A state champions lost a game was in the 2022 state semifinals against West Linn.

So far, the Charlie Landgraf era of Central Catholic football appears to look a lot like status quo.

Oregon high school football: West Linn Lions vs. Tualatin Timberwolves — West Linn’s Hudson Hardy (1) celebrates a touchdown during the Three Rivers League football game between West Linn and Tualatin on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at Tualatin High School.Tim Healy for The Oregonian/OregonLive

3. West Linn Lions (7-1, 3-1 Trois-Rivières League)

A 56-26 win over Tualatin last Friday is a great way to respond to a four-point loss to Lake Oswego on October 18. West Linn’s offense really picked things up, scoring over 50 points for the first time since a 55-0 win over Tigard on October 4.

If the Lions can continue this offense against Oregon City this week, West Linn will be one of the most dangerous teams in the playoffs.

Football Tualatin Timberwolves vs. Lakeridge Pacers — Lakeridge’s Marcus Post stretches to cross the end zone line during the Three Rivers League football game between Lakeridge and Tualatin on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024 at Lakeridge High School.Ali Gradischer for The Oregonian/OregonLive

4. Lakeridge Pacers (7-1, 3-1 Trois-Rivières League)

Lakeridge is on a roll heading into another huge matchup. The Pacers defeated Tigard 35-0 last Friday, showcasing the team’s offensive and defensive prowess ahead of a rivalry game against Lake Oswego on Friday.

In a district with excellent defenses, the Pacers’ defensive team really stands out at times. Lakeridge’s defense allows 8.6 points per game, which is the lowest in the TRL and second-lowest in all of Class 6A.

5. Sheldon Irish (8-0, 7-0 Special District 1)

The Irish remain the most explosive team in the state and continue to look like contenders in coach Tyler Martell’s first year at the helm. Sheldon leads Class 6A in points scored (54.2 per game) and points allowed (7.8) and has scored 60-plus points in four of its last five games.

This Friday’s game against Sprague will essentially decide Special District 1.

Oregon high school football: Mountainside Mavericks vs. Jesuit Crusaders — Jesuit’s Grant Valley (5) finishes off a ball carrier on Mountainside during the Metro League football game between Jesuit and Mountainside on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, at Jesuit High School.Tim Healy for The Oregonian/OregonLive

6. Mountainside Mavericks (6-2, 4-0 Metro League)

The Mavericks, with running back Jordan Hicks back and healthy, are one win over Beaverton away from winning the Metro League for the first time in school history. A great feat for a school that has only existed for a few years. Mountainside is averaging 52.8 points per game in its last four contests and has one of the best scores in Class 6A.

Additional note: The Mavericks’ close 27-20 loss to Lakeridge on September 20 looks more and more impressive as the weeks go by.

Oregon high school football: Sherwood Bowmen vs. Tigard Tigers — Sherwood players prepare to run onto the field during the game between Sherwood and Tigard on Friday, September 27, 2024 at Tigard High School.Tim Healy for The Oregonian/OregonLive

7. Sherwood Bowmen (6-2, 3-0 Pacific Conference)

The Bowmen have really looked strong since opening the season 1-2 with losses to West Linn and Tualatin. Sherwood was towed by running back Wilson Medina, who had one of the best performances of the 2024 season. In Sherwood’s 35-6 win over Liberty on Friday, Medina had 17 carries for 206 yards and four touchdowns .

8. Tualatin Timberwolves (5-3, 1-3 Trois-Rivières League)

It’s been a tough run in the TRL for the Timberwolves, who lost by double digits to Lake Oswego (45-31), Lakeridge (33-22) and West Linn (56-26). Star receiver Zhaiel Smith is injured, which has slowed a Tualatin offense that relies on fast-paced play. According to coach Dom Ferraro, Smith will be back in time for the playoffs, so Tualatin’s offense will be playing with a little more speed in a few weeks.

9. Olympians Sprague (8-0, 7-0 Special District 1)

It remains difficult to gauge how good Sprague really is. Entering week nine, the Olympians have played just two games against opponents with a winning record. But being undefeated at this point in the season isn’t easy, so Sprague’s success this year shows that they should be taken seriously.

Of course, Friday’s game against Sheldon will truly be the biggest test of the year.

10. Nelson Hawks (6-2, 5-1 Mt. Hood Conference)

After back-to-back wins over Gresham and Barlow, the Hawks are on a roll heading into a big game. The Hawks are No. 11 in the OSAA computer rankings heading into Week 9, facing No. 8 Clackamas. A win would likely guarantee the Hawks a spot in the Class 6A Open Championship bracket, while a loss could knock Nelson out of the top 12 (especially since the bracket will have to be restructured to accommodate the League winner Portland Interscholastic).

Oregon high school football: Wells Guardians vs. McDaniel Mountain Lions — The Wells Guardians and McDaniel Mountain Lions participate in a Portland Interscholastic League football game on Friday, September 20, 2024 at McDaniel High School.Howard Lao for The Oregonian/OregonLive

Honorable mention

After falling to Central Catholic 54-28 on September 26, the Clackamas Cavaliers (6-2, 5-1 Mt. Hood Conference) I just got on a roll. A close victory against Barlow was followed by two resounding victories against David Douglas and Gresham. A game in Nelson on Friday became very important for the state standings.

After opening the season with two defeats, the Wells Guardians (6-2, 5-0 Portland Interscholastic League) have been on a good run in the championship. Wells has already earned the PIL and will play in the open championship bracket this fall.

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— Nik Streng covers high school sports in Oregon. Contact him at [email protected] or @NikStreng