Defending Class 6A state champion Lake Oswego and the rest of the Three Rivers League will face a familiar defensive scheme under a new title this fall.

Anthony Newman takes over as West Linn's head football coach after serving as the Lions' defensive coordinator under Jon Eagle.

The promotion matters across the league. West Linn returns a league-high 15 all-TRL players, tied with Tualatin, and Newman inherits a program that has won two state championships in the past four years.

Newman was named to the position in late December 2025, succeeding Eagle, who retired after going 45-4 at West Linn and winning those two 6A titles. Eagle's overall head coaching record across 34 seasons was 278-77.

Newman brings a resume few high school coaches can match. A Beaverton High School product, he played safety at the University of Oregon, earned first-team All-American honors and went on to a 12-year NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders. He has spent 19 seasons as a high school assistant between Central Catholic and West Linn, according to the OSAA.

Senior quarterback Sloan Baker, the 2025 TRL Offensive Player of the Year, headlines the returning group alongside senior center Grady Hall, senior wide receiver/cornerback Josiah Molden, senior tackle Xander Mishkin and senior safety Shane Peters.

West Linn finished 11-1 last season, won the TRL title and reached the state semifinals before falling 21-14 to Central Catholic on a fourth-and-goal play at the two-inch line in the final minute.

Newman told the West Linn Tidings that fatigue drove the injuries that plagued the Lions late in 2025. His fix: shorter practices and a trimmed non-league slate.

"We always play a gauntlet with our non-league schedule," Newman said. "Our kids have to understand how to rest and recover and take a break. Over time, [the long season] takes a toll on the kids. We had a lot of injuries last year. So what caused our injuries? Fatigue."

The non-league schedule still tests the Lions. West Linn opens at 7 p.m. Sept. 4 against Central Catholic at Pioneer Memorial Stadium, then travels to Westview on Sept. 11, visits Wilsonville on Sept. 18 and hosts Nelson on Sept. 25. All four kickoffs are set for 7 p.m.

Newman identified Tualatin as the team to beat in TRL play. Lake Oswego and Lakeridge, a 2025 state quarterfinalist, round out a league that posted the highest winning percentage (62%) among Oregon's six 6A conferences last season.

Newman will also continue calling the defense himself, leaning on a coaching staff he said he has worked with for roughly 15 years. He said he is eager to step back and watch his assistants execute on the offensive side while he oversees the full operation.

TRL jamborees are set for Aug. 27. League play begins after the four-game non-league slate in late September.