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Showdown South Medford running back Jaylin Parnell (24) is one of the talented offensive weapons the Sheldon defense must contend with in their showdown for Southwest Conference supremacy. [ANDY ATKINSON/MAIL TRIBUNE] Thursday Oct 19, 2017 at 7:21 PM Oct 19, 2017 at 7:22 PM Kris Henry Mail Tribune @Kris_Henry   Whether the game can live up to several months’ worth of hype remains to be seen, but there’s no doubting fifth-ranked South Medford and No. 1 Sheldon are excited about the prospects before them Friday in Eugene. A likely Southwest Conference championship hinges on the outcome, as has been the case a handful of times over the years, and each team is eager to see how it stacks up as the Class 6A state playoffs approach in two weeks. “For us, winning a conference championship and competing for a conference championship is a big deal,” said South Medford head coach Bill Singler, “and I think it’s a big deal for them, too. We have that opportunity and we just want to go make the most of it.” The reigning SWC champion Panthers (6-1, 4-0 SWC) imposed their will in winning this matchup 41-20 one year ago to highlight an undefeated league run, but Sheldon (7-0, 4-0) is a much different team this time around and aims to prove it. Rainy conditions are expected for the 7 p.m. game at Sheldon High. “They beat us last year and they beat us pretty handily,” said first-year Irish head coach Josh Line, who formerly coached Marshfield and played for the University of Oregon. “The thing about that is it gives them confidence but it also puts a little chip on our shoulder, which I like. It’s exciting to see how we respond to what happened to us last year.” Making this year’s matchup exciting is the high level of talent on each sideline, with South Medford senior receiver Chase Cota a well-documented four-star Class of 2018 recruit to go with elite 2019 recruits Michael Johnson Jr., Raymond Woodie III and Patrick Herbert of Sheldon. Cota has hauled in 26 passes for 491 yards and eight touchdowns, while Johnson has lived up to his status as one of the nation’s top dual-threat quarterbacks with 548 yards and seven TDs on 73 carries to go with 50-for-82 passing for 822 yards, 17 TDs and two interceptions. Herbert, who missed most of last season due to injury, has 20 catches for 278 yards and seven TDs and Woodie, who sat out the first two weeks of 2017 due to illness, is a dominant safety who also started the season at receiver and slowly move into the backfield to create more touches. Woodie, who may just be hitting his stride, has run for 37 yards to go with 95 yards receiving. “All three of those kids are legitimate Division I recruits that didn’t play against us last year, so that’s a huge advantage for them,” said Singler. “They’re still Sheldon — I call them the best team in the state and the numbers over the years reflect that — but when you put those three kids back on that roster that didn’t play against us last year, it makes them very formidable.” “But we have some weapons to deal with, too, and our kids feel good about themselves,” added the coach. You don’t have to convince Line of that last point. South Medford has received his full attention in recent weeks and several impressive factors have jumped out to him from film, from the discipline instilled by Singler and his staff to the game-breaking abilities of Cota and seniors Robbie Patterson and Jaylin Parnell. Patterson has completed 91 of 132 passes for 1,338 yards, 17 TDs and three interceptions while Parnell, along with his role as a standout linebacker, has run 100 times for 606 yards and 13 scores to go with 18 receptions for 204 yards and three TDs. Unfortunately for the Panthers, one of last year’s prime performers in senior receiver/cornerback Kaleb Franklin, was lost in Week 3 when he suffered a torn anterior-cruciate ligament. His playmaking role has been capably filled by seniors Jaalen Owens (17 catches, 336 yards, five TDs) and Josiah Johnson since the injury. “The thing that jumps out at you No. 1 is their athletes,” said Line. “They’ve got big-play potential every time they snap the ball. Parnell is probably the best running back I’ve seen on film and I’ve watched film on most of the top teams in the state. He’s just a real problem for anybody. And Cota is super talented and can make a play even when you have everything dialed in defensively.” Sheldon got a boost in its ability to game plan for South Medford when it learned early last week that Willamette was forfeiting its Oct. 13 matchup due to a lack of players available. Line said his team has used these past two weeks to polish its play in all three phases of the game and, despite being disappointed by the forfeit, the players have remained focused through the unexpected distraction. “The message to the kids this week is, ‘These are the games you want to be in,’” said Line. “Our kids are especially excited having had our game forfeited last week. We’re a little antsy and ready to go get out there and just play a Friday night football game, but obviously the levity is lower because the team we are playing is such a good team.” “I’m excited to see what happens on Friday because I feel like it potentially could be a culmination of what we’re working towards,” he added, “but we’re also going up against the best team we’ve played this year and often times good teams disrupt that.” Singler said there’s nothing his team can do about Sheldon’s advantage in game preparation and time off to heal bumps and bruises that affect all teams at this point of the season. “They have a lot more advantages going for them but we’re not going to dwell on it, we’ve just got to deal with it,” said Singler. “We’re just going to go line up and play our brand of football and let the chips fall where they may.” “We’re still climbing the mountain,” he added. “This is a huge step for us in that climb. I think our team understands the moment and we just want to go out and play well. If we can put our best team in front of Sheldon, we have an opportunity to compete to win; if we don’t put our best team in front of Sheldon, you have an opportunity to lose and lose big.” — Reach reporter Kris Henry at 541-776-4488, [email protected], www.facebook.com/krishenryMT or www.twitter.com/Kris_Henry