The football team earned a first-round bye in the State Playoffs after placing second in the Three Rivers League. West Linn will now set its sights on David Douglas in its first playoff game tonight at home.
“Having last week off was very important because it gave us a chance to catch our breath and recover from some bumps and bruises,” Mason Finnerty, senior running back, said.
David Douglas (4-7, 1-4 league play) defeated North Medford 20-6 in their play-in game on Nov. 4. This capped a strong finish to a season that had, at one point, featured seven losses in a row.
West Linn went into the State Playoffs ranked third in the Rating Percentage Index (RPI) after finishing second in the TRL. Despite a pivotal 28-0 loss to Lake Oswego in the final weeks of the regular season, the team ended up 4-1 in league play.
“We finished third in the RPI, so we will play the thirtieth ranked team in the State,” James Coghill, senior lineman, said.
If the Lions win tonight’s game against David Douglas, they will advance to a second round matchup against the winner of Crater and Oregon City. That would also be a home playoff game, and could prove to be one of the most important in recent history if it were to be against the rival Pioneers.
“We all wanted to win league but we are having a great season and we have a great record,” Finnerty said.
Check out the entire 2011 6A Football State Playoff Bracket here on OregonLive: