By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
SALEM, Ore.– The West Salem Football team may be just hitting their stride when the playoffs are just starting.
They entered the season with just two returning starters on each side of the ball and faced a gauntlet of playoff-caliber opponents to open the year, including Sheldon, Westview, Mountainside, North Medford and Sprague, the latter coming in their October 2 league opener. But through that difficult stretch, the team emerged battle-tested, sharpened and tougher for the challenges ahead. Now, after working through some early-season injuries and beginning to get healthy, they have an opportunity to make some noise as they enter the Columbia Cup Playoffs this week.
“Our schedule at the beginning of the season, for a team with two starters back on offense, two on defense. Such inexperience. It was just inexperience, last year it was experience. We got worn down and got injured a little bit towards the end of the year. This year we’re relatively healthy at the end, which is better as well and we’re getting better, getting more experienced,” starts West Salem Head Coach Shawn Stanley. “That schedule at the beginning of the year. Five playoff games in a row to start the year and that’s what I want. I rather play teams like that and they definitely exposed what we needed to work on rather than play teams that we maybe know we can beat or a pretty good idea that we can beat and not have those things exposed.
“If you can weather the storm sort of speak early in the year and the kids have self-esteem and confidence to go through that and know at the end we’ll get better and we’ll be better because of it, then I think it’s always a good thing.”
After a 1-4 start to the year, the Titans have wheeled off four-straight wins, earning the 18th-seed entering the Columbia Cup Playoffs. And it’s been a team effort for West Salem to make this turn for the better.
Brendan Goodwin has stepped up as the rock of the West Salem defense at Defensive Tackle. Christian Newton has been a major key in the secondary. Ethan Tatum, one of the two returners on offense has been a key Offensive Tackle for the Titans this year. Josiah Senados returning at Running Back has helped the offense big time since his return against McNary on October 9
Jackson Olson at Quarterback has come in and settled into a groove at the position. Anthony Workman has also seen time at QB while Christian Newton at receiver has anchored the passing game and the emergence of Marcus Zambrano at receiver the last two weeks.
“The last two weeks has almost 500 yards receiving and five or six touchdowns in two games. He’s really stepped up. He made a few big plays Friday night (against South Salem), some contested catches,” said Stanley of Zambrano.
The Titans will open the Columbia Cup Playoffs Friday when they host Tigard.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
