Staff report
Columbia Gorge News
THE GORGE — It’s year No. 2 of an independent schedule at Columbia High School, where the Bruins continue to rebuild numbers in their football program.
“It’s a good thing for us at this point,” Coach John Hallead said. “If you look back two years ago, we were battling turnout, injuries, and we had to forfeit a varsity game. Last year we got hit with the injury bug again … we kind of limped into the last couple of games.
“The independent [schedule] for us gives us match-ups that allow us to be more competitive.”
The school has been intentional with its schedule this fall, with a mix of WIAA Class 1A and 2B teams. “[We’re trying] to get our turnout back up and our confidence back up and getting kids to enjoy football again,” Hallead added.
This year’s roster, a week away from the season opener Sept. 5 at Forks, listed 38 players. “My job is to get us back to a league and get us competitive again and get our turnout numbers up and I think that will start to rebrand and rebuild our culture,” Hallead explained. “That’s what we’re focused on this year.”
A competitive effort at a summer team camp and at a jamboree last week have the Bruins ahead of schedule, according to Hallead. He said a core group of seniors is the nucleus of this year’s team.
The coach said seniors Brody Landgren, Caleb Reynolds, Razo Salazar, and Trenton Boydston are keys to the Bruin season. Landgren missed half of last season because of a broken collarbone. He moves from receiver to running back on offense, will return kicks, and play linebacker on defense. “He’s our best athlete,” Hallead said. “We’re going to try to put him in position where we’re using him [the best we can].”
Salazar is a 2026 WIAA state wrestling tournament qualifier (220 pounds) who will play on the offensive and defensive line. “Where he excels the most is on the defensive line; he’s hard to stop, he’s explosive; he’s a problem for a lot of offensive lines,” Hallead said. “He was thrown in as a freshman and has withstood the test of time.”
Boydston is another lineman, a coach on the field, Hallead said. “He probably our most vocal leader; he’s one of our captains,” the coach added about his 370-pound senior. “He’s very good with the young kids, helping them out, and he’s very good at holding his teammates accountable.”
Reynolds was last year’s defensive MVP at free safety, in his first year of high school football. “He really anchors down our defensive backfield; he’s also a kid on offense that is one of those kids that makes the clutch catch,” Hallead said.
“This group of seniors and some of the juniors were thrown into varsity games as freshmen and that’s not easy to do when you’re 14 years old,” Hallead said. “I think those kids have developed leather skin and the toughness that comes with being thrown into the fire and now they’re seniors and juniors and they’re playing pivotal roles for us.”
In other games this weekend: Hood River Valley plays at Canby High at 7 p.m. Sept. 4. The big-play Cougars opened their season Aug. 28 with a convincing 49-22 win over visiting Churchill of Eugene.
Canby was led by junior quarterback Brody Joyce, who was 6-for-7 passing for 289 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 87 rushing yards and a score on the ground. Cooper Cousin caught two TD passes and five total for 231 yards. Sam Doman added two kickoff return scores.
Canby and Hood River Valley last played in 2023 when both were in Special District 1, with the Cougars winning, 40-6. Canby also won the match-up in 2022, 14-13.
The Dalles (3-6 in 2025) steps up two enrollment levels of competition for its 2026 opener — vs. 2025 when it played 3A Umatilla in its opening game (a 27-6 win). This year the Riverhawks host 5A Centennial (4-5 in 2025) at 7 p.m. Sept. 4 at Sid White Field on the Wahtonka campus.
The Eagles play in Special District 1 and are in their fourth year under head Coach Tim Price. He inherited a program that had gone 0-9 in 2022. Centennial was 1-8 in Price’s first season and followed up with 3-6 and 4-5 records.
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