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COMETS HEAD COACH Berk Brown (second year, 4-2). GENERAL INFORMATION ASSISTANTS: Vinny Gay (assistant head coach/special teams/linebackers), Trent Thompson (offensive coordinator/ Brown quarterbacks), Brad Eaton (offensive line), David Douglas (cornerbacks), Beau Canfield (defensive line), JR Godley (running backs), David deVilleneuve (JV co-head coach/outside linebackers), Tyler Baird (JV co-head coach/wide receivers), Tyler Dean (JV defensive coordinator/safeties), Josh Middleton (offensive line), Josh Daulton (tight ends). 2020-21 OVERALL RECORD: 4-2. PREDICTED FINISH THIS YEAR: Second. 2019 RESULTS CRATER OPPONENTS 40. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wilsonville 0 56. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Willamette 7 20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thurston 20 66. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . North Bend 28 61. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . North Eugene 0 57. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . South Eugene 26 48. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ashland 13 56. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eagle Point 0 48. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Churchill 0 State Playoffs 49. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hillsboro 0 49. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parkrose 0 30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . West Albany 24 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thurston 14 2020-21 RESULTS CRATER OPPONENTS 9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . South Medford 6 13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Grants Pass 13 20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Liberty 38 18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . North Medford 25 28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eagle Point 7 42. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roseburg 7 20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Canby 14 RETURNING STARTERS OFFENSE (4): Tackle Sage Wilson (6-3, 230, jr.), center Justin Brehm (6-1, 280, so.), tackle Jimmy Jordahl (6-3, 230, sr.), running back Caden Lasater (5-10, 190, sr.). DEFENSE (4): Nose tackle Justin Brehm (6-1, 280, so.), cornerback Miles Jennings (5-9, 170, sr.), end Jimmy Jordahl, linebacker Caden Lasater. OTHER NOTABLES Quarterback Shane Wood (6-1, 210, so.), linebacker Ryken deVilleneuve (5-9, 205, sr.), receiver Javon Smith (5-11, 170, sr.), tight end/linebacker Kayden Gardner (6-0, 220, so.), safety Aidan Chenoweth (5-10, 175, jr.), receiver/defensive back Andrew Schatz (5-11, 180, jr.). 2021 SCHEDULE Sept. 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . at North Bend, 2 p.m. Sept. 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHURCHILL, 7 p.m. Sept. 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . .at Springfield, 7 p.m. Oct. 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .WILLAMETTE, 7 p.m. Oct. 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . at Eagle Point, 7 p.m. Oct. 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . at Thurston, 7 p.m, Oct. 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SUMMIT, 7 p.m. Oct. 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ASHLAND, 7 p.m.
“We’re having to replace 15 seniors, 13 of which were every-down players for us and five of those are playing college football now. That’s our biggest challenge that we have to overcome — finding kids who played in the lower levels who can step up into a varsity role and be difference-makers for us.” Crater head coach Berk Brown
Friday, September 3, 2021 |
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Crater eyes quick transition period All-star seniors Jordahl, Lasater pace largely new cast of Comets in 2021 By Danny Penza Mail Tribune
CENTRAL POINT — Berk Brown could look all over the field and see senior after senior leading his team out onto the field during Crater’s spring 2021 season. Just a few months later, things are a little different. In their first fall season since a historic run to the Class 5A state title game two years ago, the Comets will be a young and hungry bunch rather than the seniorheavy group that had college talent all over the field just a few months back. Despite that swing in his team’s experience level, Brown knows he has a talented group on Lasater his hands. It’s just about getting them up to speed that comes with so many players stepping into new roles. “We’re having to replace 15 seniors, 13 of which were every-down players for us and five of Chenoweth those are playing college football now,” Brown said. “That’s our biggest challenge that we have to overcome — finding kids who played in the lower levels who can step up into a varsity role and be difference-makers Wood for us. We’ve spent all summer and our kids have worked extremely hard. We’re starting to develop those roles for those guys.” The Comets went 4-2 in Brown’s first season at the helm this past deVilleneuve spring playing a schedule that featured four games against 6A opposition in the temporary revival of the Southern Oregon Conference, recording a 9-6 win over South Medford and close losses against Grants Pass (21-13) and North Medford (25-18). A return to a regular Midwestern League schedule is certainly a welcome sight. “I think the sense of normalcy for our kids provides a ton of emotional and social well-being, social health,” Brown said. “They get to be around their friends all of the time, they get to be around their teammates all the time. As hard as fall
ANDY ATKINSON / MAIL TRIBUNE
Crater senior lineman Jimmy Jordahl will be one of the Comets’ most important players on both sides of the ball as head coach Berk Brown begins his second season at the helm.
camp can be, I think they’re enjoying it because it feels like football again. It’s not something that was rushed and last minute and dumped into a six-week (schedule). “Not that we didn’t appreciate it, but just the sense of normalcy, it helps the kids in between the ears more than anything.” While the Comets’ senior class is small — all of six players — Brown said that each of them will be looked to for big contributions this season. Of those six seniors, it’s easy to identify Crater’s foundation: lineman Jimmy Jordahl and running back/ linebacker Caden Lasater, with Brown describing them as “two of the top players not only in our region but in the state.” “Those two kids have just been unbelievable leaders and they’re just hard workers,” Brown said. “They’re the hardest working kids we have on the team right now and I’m really excited to watch them progress as they enter their final season at the high school level.” Jordahl is the Comets’ lone senior on the offensive line, which also features returning starters Sage Wilson and Justin Brehm, who started at center as a freshman in the spring.
Rather than a senior stepping in for a senior like in the spring at quarterback, it will be sophomore Shane Wood moving up from the JV level to take over under center for the graduated Blake Eaton. “Protection is everything for a young quarterback,” Brown said. “He has to feel as though he is safe when he takes that snap, and if he doesn’t feel safe that’s when a young quarterback can get jittery, get out of rhythm, forget his reads and responsibilities. Shane’s a good quarterback, but he’s a sophomore, so he’s going to have a learning curve. “Shane’s potential is through the roof, but what he’s gotta do is let things slow down for him. Things are just moving a little fast for him right now.” Jordahl and Lasater will also be key for the Comets’ defense, one that also lost over half of its starters from last season’s team. Jordahl, an all-state pick at defensive end and one of the few underclassmen who participated in the Les Schwab Bowl this summer, and Lasater have been two of Crater’s top tacklers the last two seasons. SEE CRATER, 14
