ROGUE RIVER — The Rogue River High weight room was packed with football players an hour before daily doubles began on a mid-August afternoon. Sweat dripped off muscle-bound Chieftains as they pushed, pulled and lifted impressive stacks of iron, adding a little more strength with each completed drill.

“See that,” said senior running back Said McWillie, pointing to a sheet on the wall that read, “bench press 225, squat 400.”

Those are the number of pounds that McWillie wants to hoist in the bench press and squat rack this fall. He’s already there in the latter and within a few pounds in the former. Not bad for a 5-foot-8, 165-pounder.

The team lifting sessions, which occur throughout the summer, are but one of the building blocks that head coach Aaron Sturdevant put into place since signing on as the Chieftains head coach a little over a year ago. He also launched a 7-on-7 flag football league last spring for small schools in the area, took the Chieftains to the highly-regarded Gold Beach camp in June and held conditioning sessions throughout the spring and summer months.

It's a blueprint that Sturdevant experienced at Ashland High in the late 1980s, when he was part of a powerhouse program and a state championship.

There are no secrets and no shortcuts to success, Sturdevant tells his players, and it remains to be seen just how far Rogue River — which has few winning seasons in the past 40 years and hasn’t advanced to the state playoffs in 20 years — has progressed in Year 2 of the Sturdevant regime. The Chieftains went 3-5 a year ago.

But the optimism surrounding the team is palpable.

“He (Sturdevant) came in and changed the work ethic and the culture, and you can really see it paying off now,” said senior fullback/linebacker Perrin Nelson. “We’ve got a different mindset this year. We’ve worked too hard in the offseason to fail.

“Our No. 1 goal is to make the playoffs. It’s been long enough.”

Senior Christian Moody, the Chieftains’ top lineman, believes that the week spent at the Gold Beach camp enhanced the team’s skill level on the field but was even more valuable as a bonding experience. The Panthers camped out in tents that the players hauled to the coast. Some held as many as six but the 6-1, 240-pound Moody stayed in a two-man tent with sophomore Jacob Stockman, stacked together like sardines in a tin can.

“The whole team grew a lot closer to each other that week,” said Moody, who was first-team all-conference and third-team all-state a year ago. “Those are the experiences that make football so much fun.”

To qualify for the postseason, Rogue River will need to finish among the top three in the newly formed Class 2A District 3 league. Oakland, Gold Beach, Bandon and the Chiefs are expected to fight it out for the league title and the postseason berths.

The state’s Class 2A schools have opted for a nine-man format this fall for the first time. The change should help schools with smaller enrollments remain competitive.

The new configuration removes two offensive linemen, meaning that five players will be on the line of scrimmage instead of seven. A four-man backfield will stay intact.

“The nice thing about it is, you don’t have to change your (offensive) formations or the routes your receivers run,” said Sturdevant. “But you will have to change your run-blocking schemes and pass protections.

“The field dimensions are the same but you’re taking two players off the field (on offense and defense), and so it’s going to be more of a speed game. And that works well for us because we’ve got a lot of fast kids.”

None faster than McWillie, who ran a sizzling 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash earlier this year. He was second-team all-conference last season.

Sturdevant runs a spread offense and plans to get McWillie in open space and one-on-one matchups.

“He doesn’t need a lot of daylight,” said Sturdevant. “Just give him a crease and he’s off and running. But Said is strong, too. He can get you the tough yards.”

Nelson also will shoulder some of the rushing load but his greatest value might be as a lead blocker for McWillie. “He’s great at it,” said Sturdevant.

Nelson, who has trimmed down from 230 pounds to 175 this season, could also see time at quarterback. That position is a work in progress as Sturdevant seeks to replace the graduated Charlie Smith. Senior Weston Foor, another speedster, has been sharing snaps with Nelson in practice. Foor also excels at receiver and defensive back.

A whopping 19 freshmen are in uniform this season for the Chiefs, and two of them — Brian Billard (6-2, 200) and Noah Kuykendall-Keaton (5-11, 245) — could join Moody in the starting lineup along the offensive front.

Other Chiefs to monitor include tight end/linebacker Josiah Dearinger and Stockman, a running back/quarterback/linebacker who came on strong during the summer league games.

Sam Hagg, a 6-2, 195-pound three-sport standout who might be the best athlete in school, underwent patella knee surgery last spring following a mishap in track and could be out for the season. Hagg was part of a 4x100-meter relay team that clocked the second-fasted time in the state last year in Class 2A. McWillie and Foor were also on the relay.

“We’d like to have him, even if it’s only for a game or two,” said Sturdevant of Hagg.

If Rogue River is indeed a threat to make the playoffs, it will need to be much stronger across the board against the better teams. In their five losses last season, the Chieftains got pushed around, losing by an average score of 47-7.

“We think all that time we spent in the weight room will pay off,” said Sturdevant. “Our team strength is night and day above what it was last year.”

With five players returning who gained all-conference recognition last season, and a veteran coach with a winning resume, the Oakers might be the team to beat in District 3.

Quarterback/defensive back Cole Collins, running back/defensive back Cade Olds, receiver/defensive back James Baimbridge, offensive guard/defensive end Tucker Cozart and running back Gabe Williamson all earned all-conference honors for the Oakers last season.

Olds, a 5-9, 190-pound senior who ran for 617 yards and five touchdowns last season, and Collins, a 5-7, 165-pound senior who added 363 yards, appear primed for big seasons under 13th-year coach Ben Lane, who doesn’t hide the fact that Oakland prefers to pound the pigskin.

“We love power football,” nods Lane, who has guided Oakland to 11 state playoff appearances, including a state title run in 2012. “This year we may throw a little more because Cole (Collins) is a very gifted athlete, but we live and die by running the football.”

Oakland lost one of the state’s top linemen — center Ty Purcell — to a knee injury suffered in baseball. He isn’t expected back for the football season. But his absence is partially mitigated by the return of 6-3, 285-pound two-way senior lineman Will Parnell, who hasn’t played since middle school due to injuries

Parnell, Cozart (6-1, 215), Hunter Shamir (5-11, 260), Robert Davis (5-10, 175) and Dallas Fishbaugher (5-10, 165) give the Oakers a nice blend of size and finesse along the offensive line.

Juniors Jacob Chenoweth and Brayden Webb and sophomore Silas Arscott lend depth to Oakland’s riches at running back. “We think we’re five-deep at that position,” said Lane.

The Oakers were narrowly picked to win the league over Gold Beach and Bandon by the league’s coaches.

With all but one starter intact from 2021 and loaded at the skill positions, Gold Beach has its sights set on the league title.

“Our goal is to win the league title, get a home playoff game and go from there,” said third-year coach Chris Higgins.

The Panthers need to replace quarterback Trenton Storns, the one starter who graduated, but Landyn Miller is ready to step in. The 5-10, 180-pound senior, who has bench-pressed 300 pounds, ran for 800 yards and seven touchdowns last season while earning first-team all-league honors at halfback. He also threw for three scores.

Juniors Jake Westerman (5-10, 175) and Tanner Wright (5-10, 170) could form the best 1-2 receiver punch in District 3, and senior tight end Chase Sprinkle (5-11, 190) is no slouch.

Anchoring the defense will be junior Nelson Wilstead (6-1, 200), a first-team all-league linebacker last season. Higgins calls Wilstead “our fastest kid and probably our best all-around athlete.” He’ll also play running back on offense.

Junior Korben Storns (6-4, 270) headlines the offensive and defensive lines.

Although most of Gold Beach’s best athletes are juniors — there are 14 of them on the roster — Higgins said they’re ready for the bright lights as the Panthers make the transition from eight-man to nine-man football.

Historically successful Bandon hired its fifth head coach in six seasons in June when Dustin Carmack took over the program.

Despite all the coaching changes, the Tigers never forgot how to win, advancing to the state playoffs in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021, and posting a 4-1 record during the shortened COVID-19 season in 2020.

Carmack is taking on his first head-coaching assignment after nine seasons as an assistant, but he’s a stickler for details and seems up for the task.

He inherits a Tiger group that graduated 13 seniors from 2021 but will have roughly 30 players in uniform. Speed monopolizes the lineup.

“We’ve got a lot of kids in the 4.7 to 4.9 range,” said Carmack, referring to 40-yard dash times.

The swiftest Tiger is Connor Devine, a 5-9, 175-pound senior running back/safety who started both ways a year ago.

“He’s our fastest kid and he’s also a tough kid with football savvy,” said Carmack of Devine.

Running the show at quarterback will be senior Will Panagakis (5-11, 175). He’ll switch to end on defense.

Bandon’s other top senior is Dylan Kamph (6-0, 205), who will line up at guard on offense and end on defense. “He’s a farm boy who bucks hay,” notes Carmack of Kamph. “We’ve got a lot of those.”

With speedy players dotting the field, Carmack believes that asset will help the Tigers in the new nine-man format.

“We think if we get our quick guys in space, it will work to our advantage,” he said. “It’s going to be fun to watch.”

Bitter rivals for decades, North Douglas and Yoncalla have joined forces this season to form one team. J.J. Mast of North Douglas and Matt Bragg of Yoncalla will serve as co-head coaches.

They have split up school colors on their new uniforms (using the cardinal of North Douglas and the gold of Yoncalla), they’ve combined the nicknames of North Douglas’ Warriors and Yoncalla’s Eagles to form the War Eagles and the school’s towns will host two games each.

“We’ve made this as neutral as we can,” said Mast.

How will they fare on the field? Perhaps quite nicely, as the War Eagles could be the biggest team in District 3. Tight end/defensive end Ray Gerrard (6-4, 230, sr.), running back/linebacker Ashton Hardy (6-2, 220, sr.), receiver/safety Noah Leary (6-5, 215, sr.) and center Gino Martinez-Gray (6-0, 250, sr.) all tip the scales at well over 200 pounds.

Gerrard was the defensive player of the year last season in 1A District 3.

Caden Reigard (5-9, 150) will be the War Eagles’ starting quarterback. He held the position as a sophomore in 2021 for North Douglas.

Glide could be in a rebuilding season after graduating seven seniors from 2021, but the Wildcats possess three of the league’s best players in tight end/linebacker Coby Pope (6-3, 190, sr.), guard/defensive end Brock Barron-Perreira (6-4, 230, jr.), and senior quarterback/running back/receiver Dyland Damewood (6-1, 180, sr.), a three-year starter whose speed makes him a threat to score from anywhere on the field.

Pope, who coach Daryl Watkins calls “our coach on the field,” was first-team all-league and second-team all-state a year ago.

Ced Walker takes over the Illinois Valley head coaching reins and will attempt to resurrect a program that has fallen on hard times in recent years.

The Cougars, 1-7 a year ago, always seem to boast numerous outstanding athletes, and this season is no exception. Their top headliner is junior Daniel Polk, a speedy receiver and defensive back who’s known for making acrobatic catches.

“If the ball’s in the air and he’s close to it, it’s his,” said Walker, noting that the 6-0, 165-pound Polk “can jump straight up and dunk a basketball.”

If opponents double-team Polk, the Cougars won’t hesitate to target junior wideout Zach Dugas (5-10, 165) and sophomore tight end Kaiden Green (6-1, 220), who bring their own quality credentials to the gridiron.

Dugas’ main assets are his disciplined route-running and soft hands, said Walker, while Green “is an impact player by virtue of his athleticism and size.”

Leading the way up front will be senior road grader Riley Denlinger (6-3, 310).

Walker, who coached at the high school and semi-pro level in Portland the past several years, won’t predict a win total in 2022 but he believes the Cougars will be competitive.

“I watched film of this team from last season and I don’t think they played up to their potential,” said Walker. “That’s our main goal: playing to our potential. If we do that we’ll win some games.”

Reedsport graduated seven seniors from last season’s squad that went 3-5, and returns only four starters. But one of them, quarterback Gabe Foster, should keep the Braves competitive. The 6-3, 190-pound senior has a good arm and isn’t afraid to tuck the ball and run. He rushed for nearly 300 yards in a 16-0 victory over Illinois Valley last season on a muddy field in Cave Junction.

Senior center/guard Micah Hill (6-3, 195), sophomore guard/tight end Jordan Thompson (5-10, 230), sophomore receiver/defensive end Miles Morgan (5-10, 150), junior receiver/tight end Grady Sevits and senior running back Tristin Corrie (5-10, 155) also return for the Braves.

Aaron Sturdevant (second year, 3-5).

ASSISTANTS: Andrew Hebrew (linemen), Derek Nelson (receivers/linebackers), Max Javernick (quarterbacks/defensive backs).

2021 LEAGUE RECORD: 1-5 (sixth, Dist. 4).

PREDICTED FINISH THIS YEAR: Fourth.

OFFENSE (5): Halfback Said McWillie ( 5-9, 175 , sr.), fullback/quarterback Perrin Nelson (5-10, 190, sr.), guard Christian Moody (6-1, 240, sr.), tight end Josiah Dearinger (6-0, 185, sr.), receiver/quarterback Weston Foor (6-0, 170, sr.).

DEFENSE (4): Safety Said McWillie, linebacker Perrin Nelson, tackle Christian Moody, linebacker Josiah Dearinger, safety Weston Foor, linebacker Jacob Stockman (5-11, 175, so.).

Offensive guard/defense tackle Brian Billard (6-2, 200, fr.), offensive guard/defensive tackle Noah Kuykendall-Keaton (5-11, 245, fr.), quarterback/receiver Jay Morton (6-2, 175, jr.), quarterback/receiver Dustin Morton (5-9, 145, fr.), offensive/defensive lineman Harlin Perry (6-0, 190, fr.).

Sept. 2 at Waldport, 7 p.m.

Sept. 9 at Monroe, 7 p.m.

Sept. 23 at Oakland, 7 p.m.

Sept. 30 at North Douglas/Yoncalla, 7 p.m.

Oct. 7 GOLD BEACH, 7 p.m.

Oct. 28 at Illinois Valley, 7 p.m.

First-place votes: Oakland 4, Gold Beach 2, Bandon 2.

Don Hunt is a freelance writer. To comment on this article, write to sports@rosebudmedia.com