Football preview: Cougars host Rattlers; Perrydale to test Outlaws

Published 12:40 pm Wednesday, October 18, 2023

The Wallowa Cougars have a Friday afternoon playoff game, while No. 6-ranked Perrydale visits No. 10 Enterprise in a Friday-night showdown in an 8-Man Special District league game.

Here are previews of both games:

Spray/Mitchell/Wheeler at Wallowa

When: Friday, Oct. 20, 2 p.m.

Records: Rattlers, 2-4 overall, 1-3 1A 6-Man Special District 1; Wallowa, 3-4 overall, 3-2 in league.

After ending the regular season with a loss, the Wallowa football team is looking to bounce back in the opening round of the 1A 6-Man Special District 1 tournament. Home fans are looking toward Friday, Oct. 20 as the defending state champion Rattlers of Spray/Mitchell/Wheeler are in Wallowa for a 2 p.m. kickoff.

Mitchell/Spray/Wheeler saw losses in their final two games, falling to Prairie City/Burnt River 55-8 and Echo 55-35.

The Cougars and Rattlers met earlier this season in a contest at Wheeler High School on Sept. 8, a game the Rattlers won, 39-20.

Spray/Mitchell/Wheeler took a 32-13 victory over Triangle Lake last season, claiming the inaugural state 6-man championship after the Oregon School Activities Association voted to formally recognize the sport. Graduating a number of players after taking the championship, the Rattlers have fallen from a 10-1 record last season to a 2-4 record so far this fall.

Playing in their first season of 6-man football, the Cougars had put up two wins previous to falling to the Harper Hornets, 18-38 on Oct. 13 on Wallowa’s home field. In the district standings, Wallowa currently places in the fifth position while Spray/Mitchell/Wheeler sits eighth.

Because of a perfect 5-0 1A 6-man Special District 1 record, Wallowa County’s second 6-man team, the Joseph Eagles, have a bye for this week and await the results of played games before battling South Wasco County on Friday, Oct. 27 at a neutral site, Echo High School. Time for that game has not yet been announced. 

Perrydale at Enterprise

When: Friday, Oct. 20, 7 p.m.

Records: Perrydale, 6-1 overall, 3-1 1A 8-Man Special District 3; Enterprise, 4-2 overall, 3-1 1A 8-Man Special District 2

Enterprise returns home after crushing Powder Valley, 66-24, in last week’s nonleague matchup. The Outlaws have now won two games in a row. This game against the Pirates is Enterprise’s final home game of the year.

This game is the test Enterprise has awaited as both teams hold identical league records and maintain top 10 rankings statewide. Both teams need the victory to keep pace with league-leading and undefeated St. Paul.

Perrydale experienced its first loss last week, falling to St. Paul 48-12. Before the loss, the Pirates had put up 50 or more points in all of their six victories. Perrydale leads the 8-man ranks in scoring around the state, having scored 350 points to date. Enterprise has a 244-point total for the year.

The flip side of the coin is defense where Perrydale has allowed 200 points. The Outlaws have held opponents to only 164 points.