Oregon’s Top 5 Public HS Football Programs (2021–2025)

Public HSFB Top 25 | National Series — Part 37/50Oregon turned out to be one of the more interesting states in this series because the OSAA playoff structure has evolved during this five-year window, especially at the top.Traditionally, the state crowned champions across seven classifications:6A5A4A3A2A1A 8-man1A 6-manHowever, in recent seasons, the OSAA made a major change at the top by splitting 6A into two postseason brackets.Instead of one single large-school champion, 6A was divided into:6A Open → the true top-end championship bracket featuring the best teams in the state6A Championship / Cup bracket → the remaining 6A fieldThat change is extremely important when evaluating Oregon over the past five years.A 6A Open championship or runner-up finish carries more weight than a standard 6A Cup appearance because it represents the state’s best large-school teams.That nuance especially mattered when comparing programs like West Linn and Lake Oswego, whose recent résumés were built during this split era.As always in this series, the biggest factors were:state championshipsrunner-up finishesclassification weightconsistency across the full five-year windowAfter going through every champion and runner-up from 2021–2025, here are the Top 5 Public HS Football Programs in Oregon over the past five seasons.1. West LinnWest Linn is the clear No. 1 in Oregon.Résumé (2021–2025)2022 6A State Champion2024 6A Open State ChampionTwo championships in the highest classification gives West Linn the strongest public résumé in the state.The 2024 6A Open title carries especially significant weight because it came in the top-end bracket against the best 6A teams in Oregon.When combining hardware with consistency, no public program matched West Linn’s five-year run.Verdict:The standard for public football in Oregon over the past five years.2. WilsonvilleThis is the strongest five-year résumé outside of West Linn.Résumé2022 5A State Runner-Up2023 5A State Champion2024 5A State ChampionThree championship game appearances in a three-year stretch is elite.Wilsonville’s résumé is one of the cleanest in the state:two championshipsanother runner-upall in an upper classificationThat level of sustained contention makes them the clear No. 2.Verdict:One of the most consistent winners in Oregon regardless of classification.3. SilvertonSilverton was one of the toughest placements in the state.Résumé2021 5A State Champion2025 5A State ChampionTwo state titles spread across the full five-year window is a massive accomplishment.What pushes Silverton this high is that their championships are bookended across the series timeline, showing long-term strength from start to finish.This was extremely close with Wilsonville, but Wilsonville’s extra runner-up finish gave them the slight edge.Verdict:Two titles across five years makes Silverton one of Oregon’s premier public programs.4. Lake OswegoThis is where recent dominance meets five-year context.Résumé2024 6A Open Runner-Up2025 6A State ChampionLake Oswego has had an incredible last two seasons.A 6A Open runner-up followed by a 6A title is one of the best recent two-year runs in the state.However, unlike West Linn, Wilsonville, and Silverton, the first three years of this five-year window were much less dominant, with the program hovering just above the .500 mark.Because this series evaluates the entire 2021–2025 stretch, that pulled them slightly below the top three.Still, their recent peak in the state’s largest classification keeps them firmly in the top five.Verdict:Elite recent peak, slightly lower five-year consistency.5. TualatinA very strong résumé in the state’s largest class.Résumé2021 6A State Runner-Up2023 6A State Runner-UpWhile they did not capture a championship during this stretch, two title game appearances in 6A carries major weight.For this series, sustained upper-class contention is more valuable than lower-class hardware.That makes Tualatin the clear No. 5.Verdict:One of the most consistent big-school contenders in Oregon.Final Ranking — Oregon (2021–2025)1. West Linn2. Wilsonville3. Silverton4. Lake Oswego5. TualatinOregon was a really fun state to rank because the classification changes at the top added another layer of complexity.The move to split 6A into the Open bracket and the Cup bracket made it critical to properly weigh recent hardware.In the end, West Linn stood above the rest, while the battle behind them came down to consistency vs recent peak.That wraps up Part 37 of 50 in our nationwide series breaking down the Top Public High School Football Programs of the Past Five Years.Next up: Part 38/50 — The state where I currently reside - Pennsylvania!