Sheldon suffers loss to West Linn in 6A football state title
HILLSBORO — Sheldon had plenty of reasons to celebrate despite its 23-14 loss to West Linn in the OSAA 6A football state championship game at Hillsboro Stadium Friday night.
The Irish concluded the season with a 12-1 overall record, clinching their first trip to the state final since 2018.
"It's crushing if I'm being really honest with you," Sheldon head football coach Josh Line said. "But the hardest part is the kids. Everybody starts out wanting to get here, but not everyone gets an opportunity to do it. I'm the kind of guy that really falls in love with these kids as I worked with them over the years."
The Irish's opponent — No. 1 West Linn — was going to be their toughest to beat.
Earlier in the season, the Irish narrowly secured a 4-point victory over the Lions.
That was quickly forgotten when the Lions' quarterback, Sam Leavitt, rushed a 16-yard touchdown 8:55 into the first drive of Friday's game.
The Lions wasted no time extending their lead to 20-0 on Koffi Kouame and Ben Winjum who each rushed 2-yard and 3-yard touchdowns.
Entering the second half, Sheldon needed to make adjustments, and fast, in order to stay alive. One of them being the Irish's senior quarterback, Brock Thomas, who counted for four incomplete passes in the first half.
"We ran into a little buzz saw here and couldn't recover," Line said.
The Irish found some rhythm when senior tight-end Teitum Tuioti rushed a 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Sheldon continued to cut into the deficit after Thomas rushed a 50-yard with 8:02 left in the game and putting the Irish within a touchdown reach.
However, a West Linn field goal gave the Lions a 23-14 lead and eventual victory, putting the game out of reach for the Irish with 3:44 left in the game.
"The disappointment of this will fade," Line said. "They already realize it, but they will see how meaningful this experience was. They will learn a lot of valuable lessons that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Ultimately, that's the goal. We all want to win the state championship, but the real goal is to make great young men that are going to go on and be great members of the community."
An interception by West Linn's Hudson Staats sealed the game for the Lions.
"It's the best thing about high school football," Line said on the importance of family after a tough loss. "We talk to the kids about how it's never going to be like this again. Whether they go on and go to school or continue to play football, it's never like this again."
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon preps: West Linn defeats Sheldon for OSAA 6A state title
