Unbeaten West Linn faces its toughest test of the season Friday, Sept. 25, when No. 4 Nelson visits for a 7 p.m. kickoff at West Linn High School.
The No. 2 Lions (3-0) have won all three games by double digits, averaging 47.3 points per game.
Nelson (2-1) enters at 43.3 points per game after outscoring Jesuit and Oregon City 87-7 in back-to-back wins following a 49-43 opening-night loss to Grants Pass, according to Central Oregon Daily.
The Hawks had a bye in Week 3, giving them extra preparation time for the Lions.
Eleven of 12 statewide pickers at OregonLive selected West Linn to win. Only Corey Sheldon picked Nelson.
The game is the final nonleague contest for both teams before Three Rivers League play begins.
Lions rolling behind Baker, Bissell
Senior quarterback Sloan Baker, the 2025 TRL Offensive Player of the Year, has picked up where he left off.
Baker completed 10 of 13 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns in West Linn's 49-20 win over Wilsonville on Sept. 18. The Lions led 28-0 after one quarter.
Junior running back Cohen Bissell has been just as dangerous on the ground. Bissell rushed for 230 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries in the Sept. 4 season opener against Central Catholic, then added 95 yards and two scores on nine carries against Wilsonville.
Senior receivers Shane Peters (three catches, 116 yards, one touchdown against Wilsonville) and Tyson Donnerberg (three catches, 83 yards, two touchdowns) round out a deep skill group.
Championship pedigree
West Linn won Class 6A state titles in 2022 and 2024 and reached the semifinals in 2025 before losing to Central Catholic. The Lions finished 11-1 overall and 5-0 in the TRL last season.
First-year head coach Anthony Newman, who served as the Lions' defensive coordinator since 2019, said in an August preseason interview that he expects every opponent to bring its best against West Linn.
"Every Friday night someone's trying to knock West Linn off the top of the mountain so we have our hands full, but we look forward to that challenge," Newman said in August.
Baker echoed that mindset before the season, saying the Lions know they carry a target and that the team's goal is another state championship.
What to watch
Nelson's defense will try to slow a West Linn offense that has scored at least 45 points in every game this season.
The Hawks showed they can put up points, but their 49-43 loss to Grants Pass revealed a defense that can be tested.
In August, Newman called junior linebacker Tyler Holmes one of the state's best linebackers and senior cornerback Josiah Molden the state's best cornerback. Both will be key if Nelson's offense finds a rhythm.
West Linn opens Three Rivers League play the following week.
