La Salle awaits Hood River in Friday football opener; Dufur, South Wasco and Sherman also open belated 2020 seasons this weekend

“It’s been great. Selfishly for me, I love being out there; just seeing the kids,” Hood River Coach Caleb Sperry said. “The kids are excited to have something to be a part of. A lot of those kids, they wanted to have a senior season, and now they will get that chance.”

There will be no easing into things for HRV, whose scheduled opener is 7 p.m. Friday at La Salle in Milwaukie. The Falcons are a talented bunch, returning most of the skill players from their 4-5 playoff team from 2019. The last time these teams played, Oct. 4, 2019, the Falcons won an offensive slugfest, 54-46. La Salle is led by first-team all-league quarterback, senior Ryan Rosumny; first-team all-league running back and kick returner, senior James Menor; first-team all-league wide receiver, junior Riley Peterson; first-team all-league kicker, junior Nolan Ahman; and first-team all-league linebacker, junior Brody Crowley.

“They spread you out and do a good job of the same things (we like to do),” Sperry said. “Trying to get a running game going.”

Hood River will counter La Salle with highly touted senior linemen Henry Buckles and Emilio Castaneda, who each have signed to play college football and will anchor the Eagles’ offensive and defensive fronts. The Eagles were one win shy of reaching the state playoffs in 2019, when they lost at Hillsboro in a play-in game to conclude their season. HRV and La Salle tied for third place with 3-2 league records in the District 1 East Division.

“We’ve got a great offensive line and a good running game,” Sperry said. “We’ve got some really talented guys coming back.”

The list continues with senior all-leaguer Tanner Fletcher, who led the district in rushing in 2019 and also is a starter at defensive linebacker for the Eagles. Trenton Hughes was an all-league receiver in 2019 and Sperry will use the junior’s athletic ability at quarterback this spring. “He’s fast and explosive,” Sperry said.

“We’ve got some kids who have moved up through the ranks and are ready for varsity football,” he added. “(It’s nice) every year to have that new group that comes in and gets to make a name for themselves.”

HRV will run a spread offensive with multiple looks. “We liked to be balanced. We begin by trying to establish a running game. I would love to see perfect balance; that’s the hardest on a defense. (But) we’ll take what we can get.”

And that’s a great philosophy, especially during an ongoing pandemic.

Two other Gorge schools are scheduled to play their openers this weekend. Dufur, the perennial Class 1A eight-man title contender, plays Friday at home against 2A Pilot Rock. The Rangers have won more state football championships than any other team – at any level in Oregon. Dufur’s streak of four straight titles was broken in 2019, when the Rangers lost in the state semifinals. Dufur and Pilot Rock played last season, when the Rockets won, 50-30.

Dufur returns all-league quarterback/safety Cooper Bales and all-league linemen Trey Darden. The interior line has three other four-year varsity players in Caleb Olson, Hunter Wagonblast and Josiah Dave. Added to the skill position mix is senior Ben Schanno, an athletic receiver/defensive back, who transferred to Dufur from The Dalles.

In Class 1A six-man games, South Wasco is at Prairie City for a 1 p.m. Friday contest, and Sherman plays 1 p.m. Saturday at Echo.

The Dalles has its 5A season opener March 12 at Putnam of Milwaukie.