2026 Preseason Top 100 Season Preview: No. 84 West Linn (OR)
Anthony Newman inherits an all-state quarterback, an Oregon commit and another roster capable of a deep 6A run.
Top 25 Public HSFB8/31/20264 min read
T25PS
West Linn’s 2026 season begins with a coaching change. Anthony Newman succeeds Jon Eagle after the Lions went 11-1 and reached the Oregon Class 6A semifinals. He inherits the Three Rivers League offensive player of the year at quarterback and one of the state’s top defensive backs.
Senior Sloan Baker is back after an all-state season. Senior Josiah Molden committed to Oregon in April. Ashden Marquis, Shane Peters and Tyson Donnerberg give West Linn more senior experience around them.
The Lions begin No. 84 because the new coach can build around proven players at the most important positions. The challenge is turning that continuity into a different finish after Central Catholic stopped West Linn at the goal line in a 21-14 semifinal loss.
Team Snapshot
Location: West Linn, Oregon
Head Coach: Anthony Newman
2025 Record: 11-1
2025 Finish: Oregon Class 6A state semifinalist
League: Three Rivers League
T25PS Preseason Rank: No. 84
A New Coach With an Established Quarterback
Baker gives Newman immediate stability. He threw for 2,808 yards with 37 touchdowns and two interceptions in 2025, then added 545 rushing yards and six more scores. West Linn does not have to spend September deciding who should run the offense.
Marquis returns after catching 11 touchdown passes, while Peters and Donnerberg add more senior skill-position experience. That group should let the Lions carry familiar production into a new coaching structure.
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Molden is the highest-profile returner on defense and one of Oregon’s top 2027 prospects. The Oregon commit is listed at receiver and cornerback on West Linn’s current roster, giving the Lions a two-way senior who can affect field position and matchups.
The rest of the defense will be measured against Central Catholic and the Three Rivers schedule. Last year’s semifinal was decided inside the final yards of the field. West Linn does not need a complete reinvention; it needs enough growth to finish the possessions that separated it from the championship game.
Players to Know
Sloan Baker, QB, senior
The reigning Three Rivers League offensive player of the year accounted for 43 touchdowns last season and returns as the clear leader of the offense.
Josiah Molden, WR/CB, senior
The Oregon commit is a two-way playmaker and the headliner on a defense with state-title expectations.
Ashden Marquis, WR/S, senior
Marquis caught 11 touchdown passes in 2025 and gives Baker a proven senior target.
Shane Peters, RB/S, senior
Peters is listed at running back and safety and gives West Linn another experienced two-way senior.
Tyson Donnerberg, WR/CB, senior
Donnerberg adds depth to the same receiver and secondary groups led by Molden and Marquis.
Schedule Breakdown
The season opens Sept. 4 against Central Catholic, the team that ended West Linn’s 2025 run. That rematch gives Newman an immediate look at how close his first team is to Oregon’s championship standard.
Westview, Wilsonville and Nelson complete the nonleague portion. The Three Rivers schedule begins Oct. 2 at Tualatin and continues through Lake Oswego, Lakeridge, Tigard and Oregon City. Four of the final five games are against programs capable of changing West Linn’s playoff seed.
Complete 2026 Schedule
Sept. 4: Central Catholic
Sept. 11: Westview
Sept. 18: at Wilsonville
Sept. 25: Nelson
Oct. 2: at Tualatin
Oct. 9: Lake Oswego
Oct. 16: at Lakeridge
Oct. 23: Tigard
Oct. 30: at Oregon City
Biggest Question
How quickly does a veteran roster become Anthony Newman’s team?
The Lions have no quarterback mystery and no shortage of senior leaders. The adjustment is organizational: a new head coach taking over a program that already expects to reach the semifinals. The Central Catholic opener will make that transition visible immediately.
Bottom Line
West Linn changed head coaches, not expectations. Baker, Molden and a senior skill group give Newman a roster built to contend immediately.
The Sept. 4 rematch with Central Catholic should tell us how much of the transition is already complete.
This preview is presented as part of MISTER F00TBALL’s National High School Football Composite Rankings, partnered with and powered by Prep Gridiron Logistics, the only rankings to include every national poll and every team receiving a Top 25 vote.
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T25PS Prediction
Projected Regular-Season Record: 8-1
Projected Postseason Finish: Oregon Class 6A state finalist
The schedule is too strong to assume a perfect regular season, but Baker and Molden give West Linn a higher floor than most teams undergoing a coaching change. The Lions should remain in the top group in Oregon 6A.
Reaching the championship game will depend on whether Newman’s first team can turn last year’s narrow ending into a more complete performance against the state’s best teams.
Thanks for reading,
Alex | T25PS
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