Sheldon routs Tualatin, punches ticket to 6A state high school football final

The Sheldon football team fired on all cylinders in its 28-14 semifinal victory over Tualatin at McNary High School on Friday night.

With the win, the Irish punched their ticket to the OSAA 6A state championship final for the first time in four years.

"My aunt brought up my dad, so that makes me emotional," Sheldon coach Josh Line said. "My dad was all about family, and that's what football is for me. Moments like these you don't get them very often, and I appreciate them because they're hard to come by."

Senior quarterback Brock Thomas completed 13-of-21 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns for the Irish.

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Within the first two minutes of game, Sheldon took a 7-0 lead when senior tight end Teitum Tuioti rushed for a 30-yard touchdown.

Tualatin's offense responded with a touchdown of their own, but the Irish regained the lead on a pass from senior wide receiver Cade Welch to senior tight end Luke Leighton for a 47-yard touchdown.

Meanwhile, Sheldon's defense prevented potential points with an interception from junior Nikko Klemm at its own 10-yard line.

Tualatin quarterback Jack Wagner connected on a 29-yard touchdown pass to Naasei Lynn, and Kenen Elder completed the 2-point conversion to even the score 14-14 with 2:19 left in the second quarter.

Sheldon did not let that slide, and with 29 seconds remaining in the half, Thomas connected with Leighton for an 8-yard touchdown.

Leading 21-14 at halftime, the Irish came up with several huge stops in the second half to keep the Timberwolves silent.

"Tyler Martell, our defensive coordinator, did a great job of managing Tualatin and keeping them from having those big plays," Line said. "Our kids did a great job of executing. Our down guys got pressure on the quarterback."

Thomas completed the victory for the Irish with a 3-yard touchdown run.

No. 2 Sheldon (12-0) will face No. 1 West Linn (11-1) in the 6A state championship game on Friday at 3 p.m. at Hillsboro Stadium. The Irish defeated the Lions 35-31 in September during a nonleague game at West Linn.

Thurston football season ends

The Thurston football team closed out its season in a 41-14 loss to Summit in a 5A state semifinal game at Willamette University on Friday night.

The Storm led 41-0 at halftime as the Colts were unable to slow down the No. 1 team in the state.

The loss was the first for Thurston in 10 games as it had won nine straight after opening the season 0-2. The loss also prevented the Colts from playing in a fourth straight championship game.

Running back Darien Witham rushed for 83 yards and a 1-yard touchdown for Thurston, and quarterback Noah Blair also scored for a 1-yard score.

"Overall, just really proud of our kids making it that far," Thurston coach Justin Starck said. "Responding after those first two games, winning the league and upholding a strong tradition within our program."

Triangle Lake falls in 6-player title game

Triangle Lake lost 32-13 in the OSAA Class 1A six-player state championship game Saturday to Spray/Mitchell/Wheeler.

Triangle Lake finishes the season 10-1.

Before the title game, Triangle Lake had playoff wins against Prairie City/Burnt River and South Wasco County.

This was the first season of six-player football in the OSAA. Prior to this season, all 1A teams played eight-player football.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Sheldon high school football defeats Tualatin in 6A semifinal