Sports

Fall football rolled around for the No. 17-ranked Thurston Colts (6-1, 3-0 League) as they took a short hop over to Springfield High School to take on the No. 21-ranked Springfield Millers (1-4, 1-2 League). 

Late in the third quarter, the Millers had the ball around their own 15-yard line and were scrambling for quick scores late as they trailed 31-7. Senior quarterback Matias Gutierrez took the snap, dropped back and lofted a pass to the left sideline. Colts sophomore Bentlee Davenport noticed the air on the ball and used the opportunity to jump the route, intercept the ball, and take it to the house for the pick-six and the dagger. The extra point went through, and this would be the final scoring of the game as Thurston mauled Springfield 38-7.

“Turnovers are always special,” Thurston head coach Justin Starck said. “They get the kids excited, and they change the game quickly.”

Leading the way for the Colts offense was junior quarterback Emmit Distefano,…

After being away on a seven-game road trip, Oregon (1-2, 10-3 BigTen) faced Iowa (1-2, 10-5 BigTen) at home Friday for its first game in Eugene since the start of the conference. It was the first game of two to be played at Matthew Knight this weekend. 

The first set of the game started off strong for the Ducks, the first point being made by junior Valentina Vaulet. After getting a few points on the scoreboard for Oregon, the Hawkeyes managed to catch up with the Ducks, only for them to answer back with on-point defense and kills. 

Throughout the entirety of the first set, the Ducks dominated with their calm and collected energy, brushing off errors made. Their morale never broke, and it seemed to have contributed to their success in the first set. Every dig, assist, block and kill was carefully placed as Oregon moved as one unit. The set ended with an Oregon win, 25-19. 

“We train every day and put so many reps in for games like this,” said Vaulet…

EUGENE, Ore. - Hoping to secure their first win in six games, Oregon women’s soccer (2-6-2, 0-2-1 Big Ten) faced off against the Northwestern Wildcats (4-1-5, 0-0-3 Big Ten) at Papé Field. A strong battle between two teams looking for their first conference win ended in a scoreless draw.

“I think we played a little cleaner,” Oregon head coach Tracy Joyner said. “… And I think we were hard to defend today.”

The early phase of the match was dominated by the strong defense from both teams. Neither team could get a true look on goal until the 11th minute, when Megan Norkett placed the ball off target for the Wildcats.

Taylor Bryan gave Oregon its first shot in the 12th minute, before it went out for a Ducks corner. Off the corner from sophomore Carly Cormack, Abella Hunter launched the ball over the top crossbar.

In the 19th minute, Kennedy Roesch gave Northwestern its second look on goal, but Selah Simms blocked it before it could bounce into the net.

…

EUGENE, Ore. — Since the first football game between Oregon and Oregon State on Nov. 3, 1894, the two teams have only hit pause in 1911, as rowdy fan behavior caused disruptions after the previous year’s game ended, and 1943 and 1944, due to war. However, the series will take a pause in 2026 after conference realignment made the historic matchup a non-conference game.

In the 129th meeting between the two teams, the Ducks won their third straight and second straight as a non-conference clash in September — 41-7 over the Beavers. 

“I think everyone feels like this resonates a little bit more when it's on that Thanksgiving weekend,” head coach Dan Lanning said. “It's a little bit different when it's not, but it's still a game that means a ton.”

Led by the run game, Oregon overwhelmed Oregon State on Saturday afternoon. Six running backs, one quarterback, and one punter racked up 280 yards across 46 carries.

“We talked about winning the trenches before this…

As the crowd squeezed out the last bit of sun before the rainy season, the Oregon State Beavers (0-4, 0-0 Pac-12) made the hour trek south to Eugene to face the No. 6-ranked Oregon Ducks (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) for the I-5 showdown.

With eight minutes left in the third quarter, the Ducks were up 21-7 and were faced with the opportunity to blow the game open with the ball on the Beaver 13-yard line. Sophomore quarterback Dante Moore took the snap in shotgun, dropped back to pass, fired and completed to an unlikely source, freshman wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan, for the touchdown. This was McClellan’s first touchdown of his career and made it 21 unanswered for the Oregon crew as they cruised to a 41-7 stomping that continued their perfect 4-0 season.

“It felt amazing to score a touchdown for the Ducks,” McClellan said. “To hear all the fans yelling, being excited with my brothers out there, it was amazing. Fantastic.”

Moore led the offensive charge for the Ducks as he…

EUGENE, Ore. - Looking to rebound after four straight losses, Oregon women’s soccer (2-6-1, 0-2-0 Big Ten) looked to get back on track at home against the unbeaten Illinois Fighting Illini (8-0-1, 1-0-1 Big Ten), in the first Big Ten conference matchup of the season at Papé Field. However, the Ducks couldn’t find the back of the net to break the losing streak, falling 1-0 against the Fighting Illini.

“A lot of our reactions are reactionary, rather than anticipatory, and we got to make some adjustments there, and look at film,” Oregon head coach Tracy Joyner said. “The details matter.”

Oregon goalkeeper Caeley Goldstein had her first save of the game in the third minute, off a shot from Illinois. Oregon responded with a shot of its own just a couple of seconds later, coming from the boot of Taylor Bryan, but it couldn’t get past Illinois goalkeeper Izzy Lee.

In the fifth minute, Oregon sophomore Abella Hunter took a shot in the bottom right corner. Lee, however,…

While Oregon (2-4-1, 0-1-0 Big Ten) held its ground in Westwood versus No. 4-ranked UCLA (5-2-0), it was not enough as two penalties would be the difference in a 2-0 defeat.

The Bruins wasted no time showing their class, as within the first 10 minutes, the dynamic UCLA attack forced sixth-year transfer senior goalkeeper Caeley Goldstein to make two key saves.

As the half continued, Oregon was outpossessed heavily and absorbed pressure all throughout the first 45. The heroics of the Oregon backline were pivotal, especially the efforts of sixth-year transfer senior centreback Jasmine Young.

“She’s been just a stalwart back there,” Oregon head coach Tracy Joyner said. ”She’s so composed, she’s so confident... She’s done a wonderful job this year so far.”

The Ducks managed to achieve their first chance in the 18th minute, when a soaring cross from transfer senior Jayde Holley met the head of junior Lauren Kenny, but landed just high of the crossbar.

The…

The Friday night lights beamed down at Thurston High School for the first time this football season as the No. 34-ranked Eagle Point Eagles (0-2) took on the No. 15-ranked Thurston Colts (1-1).

As the clock ticked toward the two-minute mark in the first half, the Colts had the ball around the 50-yard line and were hunting an early dagger as they led 33-0. Junior quarterback Emmit Distefano took the snap, dropped back, stayed patient and lofted one over the middle and into the arms of sophomore wide receiver Bodie Bonar for the touchdown. The extra point sailed through to make it 40-0, and it was all Thurston early.

Leading the way for the Colts offense was senior running back Justin Fisher, who had 11 carries for 126 yards and three touchdowns.

“Really proud of Justin,” Thurston head coach Justin Starck said. “He ran so hard and showed his speed and explosiveness. We’re just tickled to death for him.”

Thurston came into this game off a gut-punch 35-6 road…

No. 6 Oregon (2-0) delivered a blowout performance at Autzen Stadium on Saturday, dismantling the Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-1) in dominant 69-3 fashion. With 631 yards of total offense, the Ducks looked unstoppable, led by quarterback Dante Moore.

Oregon wasted no time setting the tone. On just the second offensive play, sixth-year senior running back Noah Whittington broke through the middle for a 59-yard touchdown, making that his longest rush of his career, showcasing both his poise as a veteran on this team.

“This guy’s got juice—he’s never had a bad day,” said Oregon head coach Dan Lanning. “He’s tough as nails and embodies what it means to be an Oregon Duck.”

True freshman wide receiver Dakorien Moore followed with a highlight-reel moment of his own — burning his defender for a 65-yard touchdown — the longest reception of his young career. A failed two-point conversion attempt left the Ducks up 13-0.

Before the end of the first quarter, another true…

EUGENE, Ore. – It’s been 1,099 days since Dan Lanning first put on the headset as head football coach for the Oregon Ducks back in September of 2022. The hours that followed prompted a 49-3 thrashing at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs, a team Lanning helped win a national championship as the defensive coordinator the prior season. Fast forward three years to 2025, and Lanning has since compiled a career record of 37-6, wins in both the Holiday and Fiesta Bowls, along with a Big Ten Conference Championship in a short time frame. Now into his fourth season at the helm in Eugene, Lanning’s head coaching debut feels like nothing but a footnote.

Following a 59-13 blowout victory over Montana State last Saturday, No. 6 Oregon (2-0) welcomed Oklahoma State (1-1) to Autzen Stadium for Week 2. Days before the opening kickoff, longtime OSU head coach Mike Gundy had made comments about the large financial efforts the Oregon football program has been able to make in NIL and the…