Black Tornado tackles test in Sheldon

Oct. 14—Predicting how football teams will do, especially at the high school level, is always an inexact science.

Throw in a host of programs bunched together for the first time who haven't really seen one another much over the years, and it becomes that much trickier.

Some coaches vote strictly off the previous year's results for preseason polls, others lean on program histories or maybe what they've heard through the grapevine.

It's not perfect, but it gives folks fodder for discussion and a little foundation for what fans might expect in the coming season.

Two teams voted on by the coaches in the South/Central Football Conference that have held up to the scrutiny of those expectations, however, will meet Friday night in what could determine the inaugural champion — just as predicted.

Top-ranked Sheldon and unranked North Medford, who each received first-place votes in the preseason poll, enter Friday's game with equally perfect 4-0 records in SCFC play.

In complete transparency, the other team receiving first-place votes was West Salem, which is winless on the year, and the last team on the list — Grants Pass — is only two games out of first place entering Friday's home date against South Medford.

Still, Sheldon (6-0) and North Medford (4-2) were seemingly always supposed to be here, so there really is no surprise heading into the 7 p.m. kickoff at Spiegelberg Stadium.

"We always feel like we were in that spot," Black Tornado head coach Nathan Chin said of being a title contender. "We knew we had a group that was going to be competitive. We have some pretty good players in some different spots, it just had to come together and it definitely has in the last month. I'm proud of the kids and excited for them."

"To be at this spot four weeks into conference (play), it's a great opportunity for our team and our program," he added. "Our kids are excited to go and compete."

Seizing that opportunity certainly won't be easy.

Sheldon is coming off a perfect performance against South Medford that was over before most could grab their popcorn. The Irish built a 21-0 lead in the first quarter en route to a 49-0 victory, establishing themselves as the state's top defense at the 6A level with only 37 points allowed all season and pushing their scoring advantage to 208-6 against SCFC opponents.

"When you have turnovers and you give it back to an explosive offense, it can be dangerous, and Sheldon took advantage (against South Medford)," said Chin. "Good teams take advantage of those opportunities, so we've got to do the opposite. We've got to make sure that we eliminate the opportunities they have with the ball and we've got to play our style of game. We can't get into the same world they are in, we've got to play our style and what's helped us be successful in the last month."

The well-oiled machine that Sheldon head coach Josh Line has engineered with his coaching staff has benefited from the presence of a largely returning cast of characters, headlined by leading player of the year candidates on offense (Brock Thomas) and defense (Teitum Tuioti).

Thomas has completed 78 of 111 passes for 1,302 yards with 20 touchdowns and only two interceptions while also running for seven scores and 292 yards.

Tuioti, the state's top recruit at defensive end, has nine sacks among his team-high 46 tackles.

Alongside them is a senior-dominated crew that is determined to secure the program's first state championship since 2012.

"They're athletic, they're explosive and they've got a really, really good football team," said Chin of the Irish. "But that's why we play the game on Fridays."

And for at least the last four Fridays since falling in Bend, North Medford has been more than up to the challenge as the Tornado takes a four-game winning streak into the key clash.

"I think the Bend week was a wakeup call for us," said Chin. "You hate to have to go through that to get a wakeup call but our group obviously needed one. We needed to change some things and we did, and the kids have responded and been playing tough for the last four weeks. You can't ask for more than that."

"The biggest thing for us has really been playing with a high effort, high enthusiasm and high level of execution and being really physical," he added. "That's kind of the nature of our group and our guys."

The Black Tornado has truly dug in defensively in the past month, allowing two touchdowns or less per game, and enters Friday's game at 272 yards allowed per game.

Linebackers Jeremiah Robbins and Cameron Nix have elevated their play especially since SCFC play began, and a steady push at defensive end from Easton Abbott and AJ Pugliano has complemented the work done inside by Connor Trinca and Trey Kennedy-Coleman.

"The joy is that it's always somebody else at every single level each week," said Chin of North's defensive production. "I think that's what makes a defense and really what makes a team super successful. ... It's really neat to watch them at all three levels for what guy really pops that week."

This week, Sheldon offers a skill level that reverts back to what the Black Tornado saw in Week 1 against West Linn during what became a 52-6 loss that sounds worse than what Chin said his defense deserved.

"I think our guys are up for that challenge," he said of facing Sheldon's skill players. "I know weirdly enough it doesn't look like it that we played a very good defensive game (against the Lions), but our offense did not help at all in that West Linn. Minus the points, from a coach's perspective, our defense played pretty well."

As with any week, the focus will be in trying to force Sheldon into a Plan B.

"We've just got to be able to take away their bread-and-butter skillset," said Chin. "Just like you do with any team, if you can take away their bread-and-butter of what they do and kind of get them off-balance, then we give ourselves a chance to be able to get some stops and get some offense going for us."

After being forced into action at quarterback in Week 2 and last week following injuries to starting quarterback Caiden Lacey, senior JT Knobloch-Scott will be making his first start on Friday. Despite a background as a kicker, Knobloch-Scott has performed admirably and has now completed 17 of 28 passes for 275 yards with five TDs and two interceptions.

"He takes a ton of snaps for us in practice and he's played about a game and a half for us," said Chin, "and he has definitely gotten more and more comfortable and confident back there. The challenge still becomes that he's still pretty young as a quarterback per se and we just have to be pretty smart with what we do with him. But he's an athlete and he throws the ball well and we still have to lean on what we do, we have to have a good mix with what we do on Friday."

Lacey had to be removed from the field by stretcher after sustaining a hard hit on North's first possession against Roseburg, but Chin said thankfully the senior QB is sore and healing but certainly better and proved his much to teammates by getting out to practice on Wednesday.

"He still has a few concussion symptoms lingering and he's working through that and his body is sore and he's moving around pretty stiff," said Chin. "The best comparison is he got into a car accident and he's recovering from that. But he's in good spirits and we've seen him and he's been around a lot and that's been good to see."

Senior Ty Pugliano anchors the offense with 621 yards rushing and five TDs to go with seven catches for 127 yards and two scores, while Connor Cesaro has enjoyed a great junior campaign with 26 catches for 275 yards and three TDs and AJ Pugliano has been steady at 21 catches for 268 yards and three TDs.

Reach sports editor Kris Henry at 541-776-4488, khenry@rosebudmedia.com or via Twitter @Kris_Henry