The Cavaliers appear headed to their first winning season since 2007 following fourth straight win to start the 2013 campaign.
Clackamas football is this week's winner of the Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.
Photo courtesy of Just-n-Time Sports Photography
It has been five long seasons since the
Clackamas (Ore.) Cavaliers have had a winning football season. That includes an 0-10 campaign in 2010.
But following 56-25 win at Reynolds on Friday, Joe Bushman's squad is off to a 4-0 start and features the state's leading rusher,
Dan Sherrell, to boot.
The 5-foot-9, 170-pound senior has rushed 88 times for 822 yards and 12 touchdowns, including 201 yards and four touchdowns on Friday. That's coming a week after racking up 309 yards and three scores in a 35-7 win over Aloha.
The victory avenged a 28-19 home loss to Reynolds last season.
For it all, the Cavaliers have been selected the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.
Clackamas were right on the verge of breaking the losing-season streak last year, going 5-5 during the regular season before losing in the first round of the 6A playoffs to Tualatin 32-20.
Dan Sherrell, Clackamas
Photo courtesy of Just-n-Time Sports Photography
But the Cavs opened the season with a resounding 42-23 win over Grants Pass before eeking out a 29-28 win over Newberg on an 18-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter by Sherrell. The defense held from there.
"Dan Sherrell is a great kid. Very humble," said Bushman. "He is shifty and hard to
tackle. He has a great group of offensive linemen and tight ends who do a
nice job opening holes for him."
On Friday, not only did Sherrell go off, but the quarterback duo of
Doonie Johnson and
Cade Wilkins combined to go 12 of 19 for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson was particularly effective, going 7-for-8 with two scores.
A pair of underclassmen, sophomore
Bryce Dickey and junior
Brett Peterson, also contributed touchdown runs and seniors
Taylor Stinson and
Keegan Daley caught touchdown passes.
It was a true team effort.
On defense,
Zach Farnes and Dickey had huge games, with 15 and 12 tackles, respectively, and juniors
Hayden Kirsch and
Nathan Kemp had nine apiece.
"We have continued to stay the course and believe in what we are doing," said Bushman.
"We have a good run of kids coming through right now — kids who are driven,
hard workers with a nice mix of senior leadership."
Clackamas, No. 11 in the state according to the MaxPreps computer rankings, hosts No. 27
Lakeridge (Lake Oswego) Friday night at 7 p.m.
Do you know a team that deserves
consideration for Oregon Team of the Week? Email us with your
nominations at ORteamoftheweek@maxpreps.com.
