Tualatin's 4-0 Timberwolves will host West Linn at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, at Tualatin High School in the Three Rivers League opener for both teams.

The Lions come in at 3-1 after a 36-35 loss to Nelson on Friday, Sept. 25, at West Linn High School. Nelson scored a two-yard touchdown run with seven seconds remaining, then senior quarterback Braylon Gaines scrambled around right end and dove into the end zone for the go-ahead two-point conversion, as reported by OSAAtoday. The loss snapped West Linn's three-game winning streak.

West Linn had been ranked No. 2 in the OSAA Week 3 6A coaches poll. The Lions pulled ahead by a touchdown five separate times against Nelson, and the Hawks answered each one, according to Your Oregon News.

Senior quarterback Sloan Baker completed 14 of 23 passes for 213 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while adding 59 rushing yards and three scores on the ground. After the loss, Baker said the result would sharpen the Lions heading into league play.

"This is going to absolutely change our season. I know that. Credit to them — they played a great game. But if you get some losses, you've got to build off them," Baker said.

Senior center Grady Hall, a three-year starter and first-team all-league selection, said after the game that league play was all that mattered now.

Tualatin enters the matchup unbeaten after rolling through its nonleague schedule with wins of 52-13 over Mountainside, 35-14 at Sherwood, 63-18 at Glencoe and 43-0 over MMAA, according to MaxPreps.

The Timberwolves were ranked No. 3 in the Week 3 coaches poll and had a bye on Sept. 25.

Tualatin's defense features senior end Zane Carley, who recorded 32 tackles, eight for loss, seven sacks and 11 quarterback hits as a junior.

Carley earned first-team all-Three Rivers League and second-team all-state honors last season, according to The Oregonian. He will test a West Linn offensive line that piled up 416 yards of total offense against Nelson.

Tualatin head coach Dom Ferraro acknowledged the challenge ahead after the Timberwolves' season-opening win on Aug. 28, telling the Valley Times that West Linn and Lake Oswego would always be strong but that his team could compete if it did its job.

Friday's winner carries early momentum into a demanding stretch. Tualatin travels to Lakeridge on Oct. 9, hosts Oregon City on Oct. 16, then visits Lake Oswego on Oct. 23. West Linn faces Lake Oswego the week after the Tualatin game.