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Three of four Central Valley Conference teams remain in the hunt for the Oregon 6A football championship. Redmond and Sprague posted close wins last Friday, while a young South Salem squad exited from the playoffs, falling to a deep and talented opponent in Westview. West Salem starts their 2007 title quest this week after a bye, while Sprague and Redmond face two top seeds who also had last week off. Here is a quick analysis of those games for CVC fans: Sprague at Sheldon The third seeded Olympians posted one of the most exciting playoff rallies I’ve witnessed in several years, coming back from 17 points down to Centennial to beat the host Eagles 27-24. Credit Sprague Coach Robin Hill with a savvy move in switching athletic quarterback Adam Kniffin to wide receiver, where he caught three balls from sophomore quarterback Jeff Kidd to revive an all but dead passing attack—also opening the way for the Olympians running game as the team scored the last three touchdowns of the game after trailing 24-7 early in the fourth quarter. Sprague's next opponent is decidedly better than Centennial. Sheldon is ranked in the top five, and dominated the physical Southwest Conference in going undefeated in league play. Their only blemish was a 28-7 loss to Westview the first week in September. Irish running back Zach Todd was fifth among all 6A rushers in Oregon, accumulating nearly 1300 yards during the regular season with an 8.2 yard average, while scoring 15 touchdowns. Sheldon averaged 31.3 points per game during the season, sixth best at the 6A level. Their defense was also among the best in Oregon, giving up an average of 12 points per game. Sprague will need an inspired effort defensively against Sheldon and has to be more consistent on offense if they want to pull the upset. Last week, the Olympians caused five fumbles in the win over Centennial. They will ned something along those lines to advance to the quarterfinals. Redmond at Grant The Panthers jumped out to a big lead against Oregon City in round one, then held on for a 28-25 win over the gutty Pioneers. Redmond quarterback Cody Johnson twisted an ankle and left the game for a time, but returned to engineer key second half scoring drives. He is expected to be fine for the Grant game, and they will need him. The Generals, who used their athleticism to oust West Salem from the playoffs last year, return many of the same scoring weapons from 2006. Their offensive scoring numbers are huge—averaging nearly 41 points a game, the best in the Oregon 6A ranks. However, those point totals are against a long list of less than competitive PIL opponents. Still, nobody can argue about the athleticism of Generals quarterback Andre Broadus, who averaged 6.5 yards a carry, while throwing for 1468 yards and 17 TDs during the season. His favorite target, receiver Paul McCoy, averaged 20 yards a catch while hauling in seven touchdowns. Redmond has been solid against the pass most of the season, but will need to be stellar on run defense to slow Grant’s speedy backs. Coach Craig Ruecker may also elect to run the ball more than normal to keep the ball out of the Generals’ hands. West Linn at West Salem The banged up Titans host the runners-up of the Three Rivers League on Friday. West Linn beat Beaverton 17-3 to advance to the second round, but only led 3-0 at halftime. The Lions only league loss was to top-ranked Lake Oswego 29-12—the same team that beat West Salem in August by a single point. The team’s only other defeat came in their September opener against Wilson of Portland. West Linn is a passing team first under coach Ron Chappell. Quarterback Bryce Baker has aired it out to the tune of 2224 yards (3rd best in the 6A) and 15 touchdowns (6th among 6A QBs). His top three receivers—Justin Monahan, Erik Koczian, and Josh Oltman were first, fourth and fifth among all receivers in the TRL—and Monahan is third best in the state, yardage wise, with 960 yards and eight TDs on 63 catches. West Linn beat McKay of the CVC 34-19 in their regular season finale’, but the score is a bit deceiving as the Lions cashed in on a late touchdown after the Royal Scots turned it over on downs in the closing minutes. West beat McKay 24-0 in conference play. West Salem has the state’s best scoring defense, giving up 8.1 points a game. And against the pass, the Titans gave up less than 100 yards a game. West Linn’s prolific passing attack should better the average. It will be the most severe test West Salem’s secondary has faced since the Lake Oswego opener. But when it comes to overall athletic ability and depth, the home team has a big edge. West Linn has struggled to stop the run all season long--and with CVC player of the year Jordan Jenkins running behind a strong West front line, it could be a long night for the Lions. If the Titans stay focused on the game plan outlined by coach Shawn Stanley and ignore press clippings like this one, they should advance to the quarterfinals. A Purely Personal Note
On to round two.
Mark Gilman can be contacted at mark@fullaccesssports.com
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6A playoffs, Round 2 
My father, Jerry, and I are marking our twentieth season of broadcasting high school sports together—currently on KBZY Radio in Salem. Although I have mentioned this once before, I wanted to take a moment to pay tribute to my broadcast partner .
As you can see from the photos, my dad and I have shared the gridiron experience for more than a few years. He always jokingly credits me for getting him a broadcasting job, but it should be ME thanking him. It is because to him that I have a passion and understanding of the game that extends beyond touchdowns and trophies. He showed me it is also a sport that builds character and forges life long friendships. Thanks, dad.