RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 1 sourcesWho will be the best linebacker in the Salem-Keizer area this fall?
It's your turn to vote.
The 2026 OSAA high school football season is approaching and the Statesman Journal is working around the football field to identify some of the top players at every position. After working through the entire offense and defensive line, it's time for the linebackers.
So who will be the linebacker with the biggest impact this fall? Here are the nominees, brought to you by Maps Credit Union.
Travis Conklin, Cascade
Gabe Flynn, Sprague
Benjamin Greer, South Salem
Luke Horner, Silverton
Tevita Lata, North Salem
Josiah Senados, West Salem
Wyatt Smith, St. Paul
Jaden Traeger, Kennedy
Ryder VanDeweghe, Silverton
Josiah Vela, Central
Information about each nominee is listed below. Vote for the athlete you think is the most deserving at statesmanjournal.com/sports. The poll closes at noon Monday, Aug. 17.
Travis Conklin, Cascade
Conklin performed as an all-state honorable mention linebacker for Stayton last fall but found a new home with Cascade for this upcoming football season. Conklin, a senior, joins a talented linebacker room and overall defense fresh off a Class 4A state title. The Cougars graduated a few key pieces on the defense, so Conklin's addition could be vital to the team's championship defense campaign.
Coach Shane Hedrick said Conklin's come in and made an instant impact with the team, settling in well and establishing a spot in the program. "I like everything about him," Hedrick said.
Gabe Flynn, Sprague
Flynn, a senior, is returning to an Olympian team that brings back a majority of contributing defensive varsity talent from last year. Flynn earned honorable mention in Class 6A's Special District 1 as a linebacker. Flynn and the Olympians have a core of linebackers and strong defensive linemen, giving them an intriguing front seven as the season approaches.
"He was near the top of the league in tackles," coach AJ Robinson said. "He was our leading tackler last year, he comes back and if you have a good D-line in front of you, you should have a lot of opportunities to make tackles. We're looking for Gabe to have a big season."
Benjamin Greer, South Salem
South Salem gave up one of the higher point tallies of any team in Class 6A last fall but returns a mass amount of defenders with varsity experience. Greer, a senior, collected second-team all-conference honors last fall from the linebacker position and is positioned to be a leader of the defense, and offense, this fall. Greer boasts the physicality and work ethic required of a lead linebacker and he'll help spearhead the defense on a team looking to take some major leaps in 2026.
"A lot of those guys on offense are going to play defense," coach Josh Vanlue said. "We only lost one (linebacker) last year so everybody's back, which is awesome."
Luke Horner, Silverton
Horner earned first-team all-conference and second-team all-state for Silverton en route to a Class 5A state championship a year ago. Now a senior, Horner will once again be a two-way impact guy with a plethora of responsibilties that coach Dan Lever looks forward to seeing him assume.
"Luke Horner again will be a staple for us," Lever said. "I think we'll rely on the sure hands and speed of Luke Horner."
Tevita Lata, North Salem
North Salem finished 5-5 a year ago in Class 6A's Special District 1 and Lata was an impact Viking from the linebacker position. At the conclusion of the season, Lata earned all-conference honorable mention. North Salem graduated a lot, but the Vikings' linebacker room is one they look forward to seeing in action this fall.
"Our linebacking corp is one of our best," coach Caleb Singleton said. "We have five seniors ... it's really fun to be able to coach this group."
Josiah Senados, West Salem
West Salem graduated a pair of first-team all-conference linebackers but return an intriguing amount of athleticism and talent at the position. Senados, a senior, earned honorable mention in Class 6A's Special District 1 from linebacker after stepping into the role late last fall. He's back with a bigger workload and two-way responsibilities within the new-look West Salem team.
"We feel great about that spot," coach Shawn Stanley said. "He ended up starting for us at the end of the year with injuries at middle linebacker and he became on all-league guy. He's an elite football player on both sides of the ball."
Wyatt Smith, St. Paul
St. Paul went undefeated in Class 2A's Special District 2 and reached the state semifinals a year ago. Smith was a staple in the Buckaroos' defense, one of the best in the classification, and he earned second-team all state honors as an O-lineman and linebacker.
Smith and the Buckaroos return multiple all-state players on both sides of the ball and to replicate, or exceed, the success of last fall Smith and the defense will need to step up once more.
Jaden Traeger, Kennedy
Treager earned Class 3A second-team all-state honors from the linebacker position last fall. He helped Kennedy to a 5-1 finish in Special District 1, 7-3 overall record and a state quarterfinal appearance.
The Trojans graduated some strong varsity talent on both sides of the ball, but the return of a pair of all-state athletes is exciting for a team with a new-look conference.
Ryder VanDeweghe, Silverton
VanDeweghe, a junior, played a vital role in Silverton's march to a Class 5A state championship last fall. He earned second-team all-conference recognition within the Foxes' loaded defense and is one of many returning players on the hunt for back-to-back titles. If Silverton is going to reach the heights it did last year, Lever anticipates VanDeweghe being a decisive factor.
"I'm looking forward to who steps forward as vocal leade...
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.