HR football opens new chapter in revamped district

“At the beginning of the season we have a lot of optimism,” Sperry said. “We’ve got a good (team) attitude.

“Football is a game of numbers. We’re going to be a small numbers team … but the ones that are out are good ones.”

There are some important shoes to fill from last year’s state quarterfinal squad. Gone are two-way, first-team all-league players Trenton Hughes, Alex Whitaker and Ryles Buckley. Gone are all-leaguers Mason Spellecy and Rolando Flores, and Joey Frazier, Kyle Smiley and Robert Rowan.

Attention to detail — specifically the team roster — will be a prerequisite for Eagle fans who will be hearing mostly an entirely different set of names over the public address system this fall. Similar attention will be necessary to get to know HRV’s slate of league opponents. (To avoid frustration, fans will be better off if they’re patient for a month or so and avoid trying to decipher the state playoff plan for football — which includes two 6A brackets.)

Awaiting a new group of Eagle footballers is a special district that includes two Class 6A schools, two other schools who have been long-time 6A schools, and — arguably the best of the bunch — 5A powerhouse Wilsonville. The latter team ended HRV’s season a year ago in the state quarterfinals before losing in the 5A semifinals to eventual runner-up Thurston.

Hood River Valley will compete in the Northwest Oregon Conference in most other sports, but the football leagues are readjusted seemingly almost annually nowadays — thusly Special District 1 and other conferences around the state have unique makeups primarily for football.

HRV’s district foes also include full-time 5A newcomer Canby, whose final year in 6A last fall was capped by an appearance in the 5A football semis; Southridge, the suburban Beaverton school which had a rich 6A football history until nearby Mountainside opened in 2018 and district boundaries were rearranged; and longtime 6A schools Forest Grove and Centennial. Rounding out District 1 in football are Putnam and Hillsboro, which perhaps surprisingly to some, has won the most state football championships (three) of any other school in the league. At least there will be some familiar faces in Coach Sperry’s lineup, when the Eagles open the season Friday at Redmond. Sturdy running back Shaw Burns returns for his senior season. Burns, often HRV’s No. 2 running option a season ago behind Hughes, had back-to-back 140-plus yard rushing games in weeks 5 and 6 in 2021. He is also a returning starter at linebacker on defense, as is running back Ethan Rivera, a junior.

“We put some tweaks in (offensively) with the same concept” of establishing the running game. We’ve had some consistency in the program; we know who we are and what we do.”

Sperry said the quarterback duties will be manned by either junior Grady Williams or sophomore Davis Parr.

Protecting the QBs and opening holes for Burns and his backfield mates will be a solid group of linemen headed by junior all-leaguer Malcom I’aulaulo. He will be joined by his senior brother, Mynoah, who transferred from The Dalles, sophomore Logan Lavoie and senior Devon Boydston.