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Varsity 541 NEWS NOW One injured, three houses damaged in east Medford fire ... Crews encircle Cleveland Ridge fire near Shady Cove ... Emergency services, Aug. 25 ... One injured, three houses damaged in east Medford fire ... Crews encircle Cleveland Ridge fire near Shady Cove ... Emergency services, Aug. 25 ... PREP FOOTBALL South, North face road obstacles Panthers aim to overcome Cavs' experience Comment By Kris Henry Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 5, 2015 at 2:00 AM By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 5, 2015 at 2:00 AM --> FRIDAY’S OPENERS CLASS 6A: South Medford at Clackamas, 7 p.m.; North Medford at South Salem, 7 p.m.; Forest Grove at Grants Pass, 7 p.m. CLASS 5A: Silverton ... » Read more X FRIDAY’S OPENERS CLASS 6A : South Medford at Clackamas, 7 p.m.; North Medford at South Salem, 7 p.m.; Forest Grove at Grants Pass, 7 p.m. CLASS 5A : Silverton at Crater, 7 p.m.; Bend at Ashland, 7 p.m., SOU. CLASS 3A : Colton at Cascade Christian, 7 p.m., U.S. Cellular. » Social News It certainly isn’t a new experience for the South Medford football team to find itself on the low end when it comes to age and varsity experience heading into a Friday night matchup. One week ago in the regular season finale against Thurston, the young Panthers started seven sophomores on defense and five on offense — a feat unheard of during the tenure of veteran South Medford head coach Bill Singler. In contrast, South Medford (5-4) will open the Class 6A state playoffs on the road Friday against a Clackamas team that boasts 28 seniors, 18 juniors and four sophomores on its roster. The Cavaliers have used that experience to score a 7-2 overall record and third-place finish in a tough Mt. Hood Conference. “That’s a lot of young kids playing football for us that have a lot of football still ahead of them,” said Singler, whose Panthers finished third in the Southwest Conference. “For us to beat a team like Clackamas on the road, we have to play flawlessly, we can’t turn the ball over and we just can’t allow them to score the ball at will. We definitely know we have our work cut out for us but we have a group of kids that are playing real hard, and that’s what I love about this team.” Clackamas will be seeking to win its third straight playoff opener, while South Medford’s last playoff win came in 2012 with a 28-14 win over Beaverton in the first round. In Friday’s other Class 6A openers, North Medford (4-5) plays at South Salem (9-0) and Grants Pass (7-2) is home against Forest Grove (5-4). At the 5A level Friday, second-seeded Crater (9-0) opens at home against Silverton (5-4) while Ashland (7-2) is home against Bend (6-3). Cascade Christian (6-3) will go in search of its sixth straight win when the Challengers play host to Colton (5-4) at 7 p.m. at U.S. Cellular Community Park in the first round of the Class 3A state playoffs. “The thing about it is it’s playoff time now,” said Singler. “You’re going to have 32 teams that are pretty good, but anything can happen on a given night.” Clackamas has built the bulk of its success by hitching its wagon to senior tailback Richie Mock-Seratt and having the 6-foot-2, 220-pound battering ram set the tone on offense. Mock-Seratt has rushed 148 times for 801 yards and 10 touchdowns, while fellow senior Josh Gay (5-9, 185) has carried 83 times for 289 yards and four TDs. “He’s a good back and he’s not the only guy,” Singler said of Mock-Seratt. “They’ve got a couple backs that run and they’ve thrown the ball successfully so they are a multi-dimensional team on offense.” A consistent ground game has helped open things up for senior quarterback Wyatt Hutchinson (6-0, 180), who has completed 132 of 220 passes for 1,767 yards with 16 TDs and seven interceptions. Hutchinson has also been known to escape on the ground, rushing 78 times for 189 yards and four scores. On the perimeter, senior David Benintendi (6-0, 180) has been a consistent weapon for the Cavaliers with 35 catches for 618 yards and eight TDS, while senior Drew Fisher (5-5, 130) has added 30 catches for 348 yards and Gay is a threat out of the backfield with 15 catches for 136 yards and one score. Defensively, Clackamas uses an aggressive 3-4 front spearheaded by linebackers Bryce Dickey (6-0, 200), Joe Leontyuk (6-1, 210) and Cole Loboy (6-2, 225) and lineman Jack Buechler (6-3, 220). Dickey leads the bunch with 72 tackles, while Leontyuk and Buechler each have 51. Dickey and Buechler have three sacks apiece. South Medford counters with an offense that averages 394 yards and 30 points entering the playoffs and, most importantly, has added the ability to run the football more over the past few weeks with the likes of sophomore Jaylin Parnell and junior Brandon Salamanca chipping in with senior Cristian Ibarra and sophomore Kaleb Franklin. Ibarra leads the ground game with 388 yards on 87 carries with two TDs, but Franklin (40 for 346, three TDs) and Parnell (39 for 334, three TDs) aren’t far off the pace to create even more ways for the Panthers to attack a defense. Sophomore quarterback Robbie Patterson has endured his growing pains in his first season at the helm but also authored up some prime performances, including a school record-tying six touchdown passes against Roseburg. Patterson has completed 134 of 233 passes for 1,783 yards with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. On the perimeter, sophomore standout Chase Cota has managed 37 catches for 705 yards and eight TDs despite being a main focus of each defensive package. Franklin has 51 catches for 601 yards and six TDs, with Parnell (14 for 200, three TDs) and senior Christian Mahoney (nine for 119, three TDs) helping offset the loss to injury of junior standout Bobby Chaney (20 for 171, one TD). “I know we can be dangerous if we’re close, just with our ability to make big plays and the kind of athletes that we have,” said Singler. “I think we’ve waited a little bit for people to make plays, though. I think it’s time for someone to step up and say, ‘Hey, I’m going to make the play tonight. I’m not going to wait for something to happen, let me make it happen.’ I’d like to see that kind of attitude, where guys step up and take the game into their own hands and see how it goes.” Defensively, senior linebacker Dillon Alfinito and Parnell have had a major influence on helping limit teams to 320 yards and 26 points per game. Senior P.J. Amotai has also come on strong in recent weeks to solidify a defensive line that’s missing three-year starter Makai Manuwai, who suffered a broken elbow in Week 5. NORTH MEDFORD AT SOUTH SALEM : South Salem hasn’t earned a playoff victory since reaching the quarterfinal round in 2010 so it’s a safe bet that drought weighs heavily on the minds of the Saxons entering Friday’s first round. South Salem (9-0) clinched its second straight Greater Valley Conference crown with a perfect mark and boasts dynamic senior quarterback Gabe Matthews (6-2, 200). Matthews has completed 120 of 191 passes for 1,893 yards, 30 touchdowns and only two interceptions. He’s also run 57 times for 364 yards and 10 scores to pose all sorts of problems for opposing defenses. “He’s a big part of their offense,” North Medford head coach Mike Mitchell said of Matthews. “They have some good receivers and have some speed, but they’re a team that if we contain the quarterback and play well around that we should be OK.” “We just have to get the pressure up front,” he added. “If you let a guy stand flat-footed then that’s a different story.” Complementing Matthews in the backfield is junior Francisco Ramirez Perez (5-9, 175), who has run 96 times for 745 yards and six TDs and senior Jerry Rivera (5-9, 165), who has 39 rushes for 258 yards and two TDs. On the perimeter, senior Joseph Carey (6-2, 170) has been a mismatch problem and hauled in 30 passes for 707 yards and 15 TDs. Carter Dorn (5-7, 160) has 21 receptions for 342 yards and four TDs, while fellow senior Tony Phong (5-10, 170) has 20 catches for 215 yards and two TDs and senior Gibson Hohberg (6-0, 170) is at 18 catches for 281 yards and four TDs. “I feel good about this game, even though they’re 9-0,” said Mitchell. “The draw is fine. You’ve got to beat good teams to go further.” North Medford will look to counteract South Salem with a sturdy front line in the trenches led by juniors Tre Holmes, Daniel Ibarra and A.J. Raye and senior Michael Polataivao. That group has helped open the door for linebackers Will Spence, Derek Kinsey and Praise Viliamu to wreak havoc in the backfield. The Black Tornado is allowing 326 yards and 26 points per game. On offense, Spence finished the regular season as the SWC’s leading rusher with 185 carries for 1,085 yards and 14 TDs. Senior quarterback Greyson Wolff has completed 107 of 207 passes for 1,418 yards with eight TDs and 10 interceptions. Senior Tucker Barry has 44 receptions for 584 yards and two scores and junior Mason Barone has caught 21 passes for 302 yards and four TDs to boost an inconsistent aerial attack. “We’ve been a little bit of a Jekyll and Hyde football team this year, one time we show up and we’re really aggressive and physical and another time we show up and we’re not,” said Mitchell. “If the right team shows up, we’ve got a chance. I’ve said all along that this team could be a playoff team because we have a good defense and a running game, and those are two things you have to have.” Reach reporter Kris Henry at 541-776-4488, [email protected], www.facebook.com/krishenryMT or www.twitter.com/Kris_Henry By Kris Henry Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 5, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction Schedules & Events --> Recent Scores --> Prep Notebook Kris Henry Challengers make it back on top in softball Winning the Southern Cascade League title seemed like a pretty bold goal this spring considering the recent history of the Cascade Christian... 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