Willamette High School’s football team opened league play on Friday, Oct. 2 with a dominant 28-0 win over North Medford at home. Coach Josh Line praised the depth of his backfield, calling it a “three‑headed dragon,” even though senior running back Zuzi Alwineyan was out with an injury.
Backfield steps up
With Alwineyan unavailable, Line turned to sophomore Jonny Jenkins and senior Conner Harvey. Harvey rushed for 139 yards, while Jenkins added 66 yards, combining for a ground game that controlled the clock and kept the Wolverines ahead.
“Those guys worked their tails off this offseason, and they’ve both got a lot of confidence,” Line said. “We’re down one, but we’re really excited about the possibility of Zuzi coming back next week, and they all bring something to the table.”
Key plays and scoring
The Wolverines led 8-0 after the first quarter. Quarterback Zeke Thomas handed off to Harvey on third‑and‑9 outside the red zone, resulting in a 28‑yard rush and a subsequent 6‑yard touchdown run.
Harvey described the effort: “Me and Jonny have just been splitting reps and putting in the hard work. Our O‑line has really been working on the run game, so I knew we were going to take care of business as soon as the game started.”
Jenkins, who missed the start of the season due to injury, broke free for a 30‑yard rush in the first half, adding momentum to the offense.
“Jonny is young and he’s explosive,” Harvey added. “He’s one of the most explosive players on our team, and if you get the ball in his hand, it’s going to be an explosive play.”
Passing game and defense
Thomas contributed 146 passing yards on 14 of 24 attempts, connecting with Knox Smith for a 14‑yard touchdown on the opening drive. He also threw two fade passes to Sterling Holland in the second half.
Defensively, the Wolverines forced a shutout. Defensive back Derek Earl made a crucial interception in the end zone, preserving the zero‑point tally for North Medford. The defense limited the Black Tornado to 57 rushing yards on nine attempts.
“I thought we executed really well defensively,” Line said. “Our young secondary improved a ton — Derek Earl made an unbelievable play in the end zone, and I’m proud of our guys in the box who battled all night.”
Team outlook
After the win, Willamette improves to 3‑2 overall and 1‑0 in league play. The team will travel to South Medford next Friday, Oct. 9, for its second league matchup.
Thomas, who recently switched his college commitment from Boise State to Oregon State, reflected on the season’s early challenges: “Since transferring to Willamette, Coach Line’s biggest thing for me has been my leadership and not being afraid of conflict. This bye week, I think I really worked on that… it showed today how the soul‑searching worked.”
Original reporting: Homepage – Lookout Eugene-Springfield — read the source article.
