Coaches' sons set for state matchup.

Byline: STEVE MIMS The Register-Guard

It's a coaching matchup of Johnson versus Halvorsen once again.

Fourteen years after their fathers last coached against each other, Marty Johnson and Floyd Halvorsen will lead their teams against each other in the second round of the Class 4A football playoffs tonight. Johnson's Sheldon Irish will host Halvorsen's Sunset Apollos at 7 p.m.

Halvorsen's father, Floyd, won 176 games and 10 Midwestern League championships at Churchill from 1972-96.

Halvorsen Jr. played for his father and was a first-team all-league defensive back as a senior in 1982. He went on to play football at Linfield and has been the head coach at Sunset since 1994.

"Certainly my dad was an influence, but I had a lot of great coaches growing up," Halvorsen said. "We lived in Grants Pass in the late '60s and early '70s when their teams were tough as nails, and I was just a kid getting in the way. Then at Churchill we had good success and strong coaching staffs, and then I played for Ad Rutschman at Linfield, and he had tremendous success."

The younger Halvorsen inherited a successful Sunset program which was heading for hard times. The Apollos made the playoffs each year from 1984-93, but Westview High School opened nearby in 1994 and took many of Sunset's students.

Halvorsen got the Apollos back to the playoffs in 1998, and Sunset reached the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Ashland. Last year, the Apollos made it to the second round before losing to Sprague in double overtime.

The eighth-ranked Apollos (9-1) placed second in the Metro League, losing 45-14 to top-ranked Jesuit. Sunset defeated North Medford, which reached the state final last year, 45-35 in the first round of the playoffs.

Senior quarterback Mike Moomaw completed 90-of-178 passes for 1,667 yards and 17 touchdowns this year. Running back Andy Stewart ran for 835 yards and nine touchdowns, while senior Eric Fromhart had 465 yards rushing and 693 yards receiving.

Marty Johnson, whose father, John, was the head coach at Marshfield from 1979-87, is in his fifth year with the fourth-ranked Irish, who are making their third straight playoff appearance.

The fourth-ranked Irish (9-0) got a scare in the first round of the playoffs from Centennial, but survived for a 28-24 victory. Sheldon trailed 24-21 entering the fourth quarter, but rallied to advance into the second round.

Centennial rushed for 337 yards on 58 carries, but didn't score in the second half.

"Sheldon has athletes all over the field, and they are disciplined on defense," Halvorsen said. "I think they do a good job of adjusting to what is hurting them, as evidenced by last week."

However, Halvorsen also knows the first half is an indication that the Irish have some weaknesses.

"They must have some vulnerabilities because Centennial was able to rush for a lot of yards," Halvorsen said. "We have to do the same thing Centennial did, which is try and find a chink in their armor."

Sheldon got another big night from its passing game against the Eagles, as quarterback Alex Brink was 14-for-26 for 340 yards and three touchdowns. Zach Moran had 10 catches for 189 yards.

In other games involving Midwestern teams tonight:

Jesuit (10-0) at Churchill (7-2) at 7 p.m.: Two of the state's top offenses square off, as the top-ranked Crusaders are averaging 45.7 points per game and the unranked Lancers average 39.3.

Jesuit's D.J. Jackson is the state's top rusher, with 1,902 yards and 30 touchdowns on 215 carries. The 6-foot-1 senior also has five receiving touchdowns, two return touchdowns and a two-point conversion for a total of 224 points this season.

Churchill ran for 324 yards per game this season but was held to 213 yards in a 28-20 first-round victory over Central Catholic.

Grants Pass (8-2) at Marshfield (7-3) at 7 p.m.: Two of the state's traditional powers meet on the coast.

The 10th-ranked Cavemen feature two first-team, all-Southern Oregon Conference running backs in Tom Martin and Andres Reed. Linebackers Speedy Ortiz and Dan Eubank were first-team selections, as well as defensive back Tyler York.

The unranked Pirates pulled off the surprise score in the state in the first round, with a 14-7 victory over No. 5 Tualatin. Senior receiver Ben Looney had the game-winning 63-yard touchdown catch and also had an interception in the end zone.

Second Round

TODAY'S GAMES

McKay at Glencoe, 7:30 p.m.

Grants Pass at Marshfield, 7 p.m.

Sunset at Sheldon, 7 p.m.

South Salem at Pendleton, 7 p.m.

Jesuit at Churchill, 7 p.m.

McNary at Roseburg, 7:30 p.m.

Redmond at Gresham, 7:30 p.m.

Lincoln at Lake Oswego, 7 p.m.

CAPTION(S):

WAYNE EASTBURN / The Register-Guard Marty Johnson, shown with quarterback Alex Brink, has Sheldon in the playoffs for the third consecutive season. "Quote and quote and quote and quote and quote." - NAME, title Second Round TODAY'S GAMES McKay at Glencoe, 7:30 p.m. Grants Pass at Marshfield, 7 p.m. Sunset at Sheldon, 7 p.m. South Salem at Pendleton, 7 p.m. Jesuit at Churchill, 7 p.m. McNary at Roseburg, 7:30 p.m. Redmond at Gresham, 7:30 p.m. Lincoln at Lake Oswego, 7 p.m.