The La Grande football squad gathered in Ontario on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, for a jamboree including two Greater Oregon League opponents.

LA GRANDE – As the La Grande football team looks ahead to the season opener at home against the Wolverines of Weiser, Idaho, the state’s coaches are already giving a nod to a successful season.

The Oregon School Activities Association released its preseason poll of the state’s football coaches on Tuesday, Aug. 29, and the Tigers sit in the seventh position, one slot behind Pendleton/Nixyaawii and three positions higher than the Baker Bulldogs. All three teams compete in the 4A Greater Oregon League.

Mazama leads the poll followed by Scappoose in second and Tillamook in third.

La Grande and Baker were both present, along with the Ontario Tigers and 3A Burns, at the Ontario Jamboree on Aug. 25. After hitting opponents other than teammates finally, coach Dalton Sheets saw both positive and negative from the now seventh-ranked Tigers.

“We need to work on finishing our tackles and maintaining blocks,” Sheets said. “I thought we had a good flow with the ball and the defense definitely knew their assignments. I was really happy with the intensity the guys showed.”

Sheets is also impressed with the large numbers of freshmen and sophomores out this year.

“Tiger football looks good for quite a while,” he said.