Mtn. View powers through most of 5A state title game, but Wilsonville rallies to capture crown, 29-23
HILLSBORO, Ore. (OSAA/KTVZ) -- Mountain View powered through most of the Oregon 5A championship game vs. Wilsonville at Hillsboro Stadium Friday night, holding a 13-point lead in the third quarter.
But the top-ranked Wildcats battled back and overtook the Cougars in the final quarter to capture the crown, 29-23.
Senior quarterback Kallen Gutridge connected with junior Nick Crowley for two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter as the top-seeded Wildcats (12-1) rallied to overtake No. 3 Mountain View.
Winning their first title since 2004 lifted a giant weight off the Wildcats, who lost in the state championship game in 2016, 2018 and 2022.
“Finally winning it is just so special,” Crowley said. “I wanted to do this for all those guys that we lost it with, that wanted it so bad, and people that left without one. So this is for them.”
Wilsonville coach Adam Guenther claimed his first state championship in 14 seasons with the team. Wilsonville has won six state titles in boys basketball – five since 2016 – but had a long wait to claim its second blue trophy in football.
Mountain View, playing in its first final since winning its only title in 2011, opened a 20-7 lead when senior quarterback Connor Crum ran for a 15-yard touchdown to end the first series of the third quarter.
Late in the third quarter, Wilsonville got the big play it needed when Gutridge scrambled and found Wiepert for a 55-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and six, cutting the lead to 20-14.
Mountain View senior Connor Calvert, who made field goals from 37 and 44 yards in the first half, connected again from 36 yards early in the fourth quarter to push the lead back to 23-14.
But Wilsonville's offense was starting to find a rhythm. Gutridge capped an 80-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown pass to Crowley. And one play after Wildcats junior Will Ingle sacked Crum on fourth-and-four from the Mountain View 39, Gutridge hit Crowley on a deep ball for a 32-yard touchdown.
Gutridge ran in the two-point conversion, and Wilsonville led 29-23 with 4:56 to go.
“That kid is electric. He's really fast,” Gutridge said of Crowley. “We knew we had an advantage on the edges with his speed. So just getting it up to him, high percentage he comes down with that.”
Crum led Mountain View down the field, hitting senior Kaden Alayan with a 21-yard pass for a first down at the Wilsonville 12-yard line with 56 seconds left. But Ingle sacked Crum for an eight-yard loss on first down, and the Wildcats forced three consecutive incomplete passes to seal the win, getting break-ups from senior Lucas Larson and junior Carter Christiansen.
“Everything started clicking,” Ingle said of the final defensive stand. “Coaches made the right calls, and the defense was just doing the right thing.”
For Mountain View, Crum completed 14 of 22 passes for 136 yards and one touchdown and ran for a score. Junior Jack Foley caught an 18-yard touchdown pass – his 16th of the season – and had one of his team's interceptions, the other going to junior Brady Kennedy.
Cougars sophomore Angel Valenzuela, who entered with 1,745 rushing yards, was held to just 71 yards on 24 carries.
Crum lamented how Mountain View was unable to hold its lead.
“We just couldn't make the plays down the stretch when we needed to, while they could,” Crum said. “That's just what let it slip away. They had some big plays in that fourth quarter. Credit to them. They've got some great athletes, great quarterback.
“The first three quarters, we were playing our style of football. We were doing a great job, with 11 guys doing their job. I think that's just kind of what we got away from in that fourth quarter.”
