Aloha's football team cracked the statewide 5A coaches poll for the first time this season, landing at No. 9 after an overtime upset of Canby.
The Warriors (6-1, 3-0 Greater Metro Conference) earned 18 points in the OSAAtoday (Oregon School Activities Association) coaches poll released Wednesday, Oct. 21. Roseburg (5-2), previously No. 10, dropped out of the top 10. Canby (5-2), which had held the No. 9 spot, slid to No. 10 after the loss to Aloha.
Aloha had never been ranked.
The recognition follows the Warriors' 31-28 overtime win over Canby on Friday, Oct. 16. Aloha trailed 28-14 through three quarters before mounting a comeback fueled by the Blanchet brothers and a clutch field goal.
Senior receiver Luca Blanchet caught three touchdown passes, finishing with 12 receptions for 135 yards, according to OregonLive. His brother Landon Blanchet added two catches for 107 yards and a touchdown. The Warriors' quarterback completed 24 of 35 passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns in the comeback effort.
In overtime, kicker Rafael Sanchez Rojas drilled a 40-yard field goal to give Aloha the lead. Landon Blanchet then sealed it with an interception on Canby's possession, according to the OSAA's Week 7 recap.
"They continue to play for one another from the opening kickoff to the final buzzer," Warriors coach James Mitcham told OregonLive. "They have completely bought into the word 'finish.'"
Luca Blanchet was nominated for OregonLive's Player of the Week poll, and the Warriors were among the nominees for Team of the Week.
The poll debut caps a striking turnaround. It had been seven years since Aloha last qualified for the playoffs, and just three years since the program emerged from a 27-game losing streak, OregonLive reported in early October. Aloha also entered Sports Illustrated's Oregon Top 25 at No. 22 in rankings published Oct. 19.
The coaches poll does not affect the OSAA's RPI and Colley ratings used to determine playoff seeding. But the Warriors sit undefeated in Greater Metro play, tied atop the conference with Wilsonville (5-2, 3-0). Canby fell to 2-1 in conference play.
Aloha hosts Hillsboro next on Friday, Oct. 23, at 7:00 p.m.
