South Salem’s varsity football team poses with the Mayor’s Cup trophy after their win against North Salem High School. Photo taken by Zoey Keele
From their inaugural game against Liberty High School to their final game against North Salem High School, the Saxon football team was undefeated for the regular season. Throughout these 55 days of competition, South Salem High School played against seven league opponents and two non-league opponents. While each team in the OSAA 6A classification played nine games throughout the season, only four out of the 44 teams managed an undefeated season. The Saxons were a part of that margin.
They ended the 2023 regular season with a 54-0 win against North Salem at home on Bennett Field. While this win might seem the same as their eight other season wins, it was more than that. It was the title defense of the Mayor’s Cup.
The Mayor’s Cup is a tradition between South Salem and their rival team, the Vikings. Each year, the schools in the Salem-Keizer School District play against each other at least once. This allows for the annual meeting of the Saxons and the Vikings. With this most recent win against North, the Saxons have repeated as the winners of the Mayor’s Cup.
In addition to the triumphs of the Mayor’s Cup, the Saxons have qualified for OSAA 6A Football State Championships. After the rankings froze on the night of October 27, the Saxons found themselves locked in at the seventh position. Moreover, this ranking differs from their Adjusted Playoff Ranking, which is six. This ranking is how teams will be seeded into the championship bracket, meaning they will host eleventh-seeded Tigard High School for their first-round game. The game will take place on Bennett Field and will kick off at 7 p.m. on November 3.
