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Westview offers North stiff challenge Wildcats are 8-1 and own No. 8 ranking By DON HUNT North Medford High football coach Rod Rumrey could blindfold himself, point to the Class 4A state playoff bracket and probably not land on a more troublesome opponent than Westview High. The Wildcats of Beaverton will carry an 8-1 record and the state's No. 8 ranking into battle on Friday night when they play host to the Black Tornado. The game will be played at Hare Field in Hillsboro as the second part of a doubleheader. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Jesuit and Roosevelt meet in the first game at 5 p.m. In other playoff games involving Southern Oregon Conference teams, Ashland meets McKay of Salem at Walter A. Phillips Field in Ashland and Roseburg journeys to Gresham. Those games begin at 7:30 p.m. "They (Westview) are definitely one of the best teams in the state," says Rumrey, whose team finished 6-3 and tied for second place in the Southern Oregon Conference. "It's an awfully tough draw, but I think our kids are ready for the challenge." North Medford has endured one of the tougher schedules in the state. The Tornado defeated then No. 3-ranked Roseburg in its season-opener while losing to No. 4-ranked Ashland and No. 1-ranked Marshfield. All three of those games were on the road, so a mere 300-mile bus trip for a playoff game isn't going to faze the Tornado, Rumrey says. "We talked about how tough our schedule was going to be before the season ever started," Rumrey says. "The kids have been calling themselves the road warriors, and for the most part I think they've done an outstanding job of getting ready to play away from home. "We've got a mature group of kids." In Westview, the Tornado will meet a team that looks eerily similar to Ashland. The Wildcats feature a quick, aggressive defense along with a single-back offense that spreads the field and takes advantage of well-schooled, sure-handed skill position players. Westview quarterback Casey Kelly is regarded as one of the state's better signal-callers. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound senior has completed 101 of 207 passes for 1,666 yards and 16 touchdowns. Heykel Aouriri is the Wildcats' top receiver with 44 catches for 690 yards an 10 TDs, while junior Steve Clayton and sophomore Chris Fruge have split time at running back. Clayton has rushed for 970 yards and 15 TDs while the speedy Fruge has chipped in 604 yards and seven scores. "They're a very dangerous, very explosive football team," Rumrey says. "The best way to keep them from scoring is to keep the ball away from them. "We don't want to get into a shootout with this team." North Medford hasn't shown an ability to control the ball and the clock the way Rumrey would like. But with his entire offensive line finally intact, Rumrey feels confident the Tornado can play some smashmouth football. Center Matt Haight, guard Frank Silva and tackle Brian Backstrom have all missed games this season but all were back for last week's 42-0 victory over Eagle Point, a game in which North ran for 383 yards and piled up 480 yards in total offense. The other starters are guard Jesse Gelsinger and tackle Ryan Stegall. The quintet are all seniors and Rumrey considers them to be one of the top offensive lines he's had in 28 years of coaching. "Having all those kids back makes a big difference in us being able to run the ball effectively," Rumrey says. So does having a 1-2 running punch like Steve DeClerck and Ken Halpin, who have chalked up 874 and 566 yards, respectively. Halpin, a junior fullback, is also the SOC's No. 3 receiver with 24 catches for 360 yards. North Medford will also depend on sophomore tailback Phil Ouellette, who has amassed 198 yards and averaged 6.8 yards per carry since moving up from the JVs three games ago. Westview's only loss was a 20-18 squeaker to No. 2-ranked Jesuit. "They're three points from an undefeated (regular) season and the people I've talked to say Westview very easily could have won that game," Rumrey says. MCKAY AT ASHLAND -- The Grizzlies (9-0) haven't looked particularly sharp in wins over Klamath Union, South Medford and Crater the past three weeks but should have no problem getting emotionally charged for their playoff opener. "This group of kids has played to the level of the competition," Ashland coach Jim Nagel says. "They stepped it up a notch against Roseburg and North Medford and I would certainly hope they'll step it up a couple of notches for the playoffs." McKay (5-4), the No. 3 representative from the Valley League, will bring a lot to the table offensively. The Royal Scots have been known to run the wishbone attack on one series of downs and a spread-the-field shotgun look on the following series. "I can't really get a handle on what they're trying to do," Nagel says. "They come at you with different formations until they find something that works." Bryson Wilson, a 5-foot-9, 195-pounder, is McKay's top running back, while 6-foot, 205-pound Eric Parks handles the QB duties. "He (Parks) throws the ball pretty well," Nagel says. Ashland quarterback Jimmy Werbin leads the SOC in passing yards (1,573) and touchdown passes (16). ROSEBURG AT GRESHAM -- Like North Medford, Roseburg (6-2) drew a tough playoff opener in the Mt. Hood League champion Gophers. Gresham features Nathaniel Guard, the No. 1 rusher in the state with more than 1,500 yards. However, Roseburg has come on strong in recent weeks and appears capable of clouting any team in the state. Sparked by defensive tackle Byron Rinaker, linebacker Jamie Norton and safety Ryan Poe, the Indians have given up a total of six points in their last four games. Roseburg leads the SOC in total defense (185.1 yards per game) and scoring defense (10.9). "We've been playing our best ball of the season these last few weeks," Bell says. "Rinaker and Poe were both hurt early on but they're healthy now and that makes a big difference." Roseburg quarterback Kevin Linderman has completed nearly 60 percent of his passes (70 of 117) for 1,203 yards, 14 touchdowns and only five interceptions. Linderman leads the SOC in passing efficiency. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford,