Ferris looks to finally make final

Kjelby Oiland was on the field and Jason Bates suited up and watched from the sideline when they made their first State 4A football semifinal appearance.

Today the Ferris Saxons veterans hope the third time’s a charm when they play at 1 p.m. at Joe Albi Stadium for the final time in their last chance to reach Gridiron Classic in Tacoma.

“If we win this, we’ll know that we made it,” said Oiland, a two-way starting lineman. “It’s a great deal for our program.”

The past two semifinals the Saxons lost – to Bothell, 14-7, when a last-second fumble near the goal line prevented a tie, and 24-21 in a thriller to eventual champion Skyline. Ferris also was a semifinalist in 1988, losing 14-6 to Ingraham, which went on to a state title.

This week the opponent is Skyview, a team in its first semifinal and one that mirrors Ferris with its spread offense. The game is the first of two at Albi, with West Valley and Ellensburg following at 4 p.m. for a berth in the 2A state final. And like their 4A counterparts, both run similar spread attacks.

At Kennewick’s Lampson Stadium, Cusick faces Tri-Cities Prep at 1 p.m. for a 1B finals berth and Colfax plays DeSales at 4 p.m. for a 2B trip to Tacoma.

Oiland became an immediate starter as a 290-pound sophomore. Bates, like most of this year’s 11 starters who made the 2007 roster as sophomores and freshmen, ran scout team for the varsity.

Today, Oiland is down to 255 pounds on a 6-foot-4 frame, sculpted by the conditioning program of Drew Buchkoski, who also works with WV.

“The think what’s special about him is how well he’s been playing on both sides of the ball,” Ferris coach Jim Sharkey said. “He’s a force who gives tremendous effort.”

Oiland prefers defense, where he was named unanimous All-Greater Spokane League and is being recruited by assorted colleges.

“I’m moving a lot faster than when I was a sophomore,” he said, adding the key was the large drop in weight. “But I’m a lot stronger. When I came to Ferris I never thought I’d be a D-I recruit.”

He leads the defensive push that Bates said has been the key to Ferris’ resurgence after nearly missing the postseason altogether. A line that had given up yards for much of the league season suddenly became salty in the playoffs.

“Pretty much us four up front have been getting a pass rush,” Oiland said. “We’re playing with a lot more enthusiasm, playing like we can.”

Bates, at 6-foot-4, last year became the big target missing when Jared Karstetter graduated. He was the complement to Karstetter’s replacement, Aaron Roberts, at the X receiver.

This year he took over the position and set a single-season GSL receiving record with 1,091 yards and 63 catches.

“It’s been a real neat progression,” Sharkey said. “Over the summer he and Connor (Halliday) worked hard together and you could see it develop. His speed picked up and he is real tough to cover.”

Bates defers the credit.

“I would just say having a D-I quarterback certainly helps and our offense throws the ball a lot. It worked out good for me,” he said.

The Saxons were 4-3 and needed a combination of things to happen on the last week of regular season that got them into a three-team tiebreaker. They have made the most of it, with three straight victories in postseason.

Now comes Skyview, a team that has won nine straight games since a 1-2 start. Sharkey said it will be interesting to see how Ferris handles the Storm’s team speed.

“Their receivers are tough,” he said, “and from film you don’t know how physical they are. I think we’re thinking exactly the same – we’re worried about our offenses and see them getting loose on the field.”

Oiland and Bates hope the Saxons can have a say both ways.