In the opening game of the 2026 high‑school football season, defending 6A state champion Lake Oswego displayed why it remains one of Oregon’s top programs, beating Willamette 34‑7 at the Wolverines’ home field.
Lake Oswego struck early, scoring on three of its first four drives to build a 21‑0 lead by midway through the second quarter. Quarterback Ryder Lemm, who threw for 285 yards and four touchdowns, led the charge. After a fourth‑and‑goal conversion from the 22‑yard line, Lemm connected on back‑to‑back completions to wide receiver Presley DeLance, whom Willamette head coach Josh Line praised as “the real deal.” A subsequent 25‑yard rush set up a pass to wideout Jasiah Agnimel for another score, extending the lead to 21 points.
Willamette’s lone bright spot
Willamette quarterback Zeke Thomas managed a 106‑yard passing effort, a touchdown, and two interceptions. Safety Amir Harris also recorded an interception that kept the Lakers from scoring a third time early in the second half. Thomas later engineered a 15‑yard drive that culminated in a touchdown pass to Knox Smith, giving the Wolverines their only points of the night.
Coach Line acknowledged the disparity, saying, “The bottom line is right now they’re just a better program — a better team.” He added that while individual performances were encouraging, the team must learn to play together to compete at this level.
Looking ahead
Willamette will travel to Silverton for its next matchup on September 4, hoping to find the rhythm that eluded them against Lake Oswego. Thomas noted, “We had some moments where we got that groove and just kind of lost it. Moving forward, we need to capitalize when we get into a groove.”
Other high‑school football results from Friday, Aug. 28 include Thurston 20‑17 Sheldon, Canby 49‑22 Churchill, and Siuslaw‑Mapleton 44‑0 Coquille. Upcoming games are scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 29, with North Eugene visiting South Albany at 7 p.m. and Ione‑Arlington playing at McKenzie at 1 p.m.
Original reporting: Homepage – Lookout Eugene-Springfield — read the source article.
