5A Midwestern recap Sept. 26, 2012
The biggest upset of the week belonged to Willamette, who took down 90th ranked Willamette, 13-6. Chas Bianco ran for 129 yards and caught one passes for four yards in the win.
Tanner Cantwell and Mitch Crownover provided fans with a highlight when they connected against North Eugene. The connection was good for 70 yards, the longest such play in 5A Midwestern this season.
Marist's dynamic duo of Kamerun Smith and Austin Baird proved tough for Marshfield to stop, as they were the top passer and receiver in the league this week. Smith threw for 270 yards and five touchdowns and Baird had 104 yards receiving. Josh Harper helped Marist's passing attack out by catching five balls for 73 yards.
Ryan Gerth made the biggest impact on defense this week as the Highlanders topped the Wolverines. The senior recorded two fumbles and racked up one sack.
The Spartans' Smith and Harper have formed a dynamic duo this season, leading the league in both passing and receiving yards. Smith has thrown for 940 yards this season, while Harper, a 6-foot-3 receiver, has 19 catches for 309 yards. Samuel Aguirre from Willamette leads the league in rushing with 555 yards.
A big matchup in the league this week will be when Springfield takes on Ashland. As it stands, the Millers are in first, while the Grizzlies are in sixth.
North Eugene moved up to 135 from 170 in the state rankings this week, the biggest jump in 5A Midwestern. A 13-6 win over Dan Fritz's team helped Edmund Rivera's team improve its standing.
Story is based on stats entered in MaxPreps by Tuesday 5am PST each week.
