Woodburn Independent Online

Pierson named best in state

St. Paul senior named 1A player of the year, will play in Shrine Game

• By: Garrett Rudolph  
• Published: 2/2/2010 3:10:38 PM

Photo By: Garrett RudolphSt. Paul senior Ryan Pierson was recently named state player of the year in the 1A classification. He closed out his career with 112 total touchdowns — second most in Oregon eight-man football history.

ST. PAUL — Locally, and even around the state, Ryan Pierson has been recognized as the focal point of the Bucks’ high-octane offense, which carried the St. Paul High School football team to its fifth state championship in school history.
 
However, the St. Paul senior’s career stacks up not just with the best players in Oregon, but the best players around the nation in eight-man football.
 
Pierson’s career numbers are almost dizzying: 5,313 yards rushing and 1,342 yards receiving, for a grand total of 6,655 yards of total offense, while tallying 112 touchdowns in his four-year span with the Bucks.
 
Those numbers moved Pierson into the eight-man football record books, compiled by the National Federation of High School Associations. For his career, he ranks seventh nationally in rushing yards, 10th in total yards, third in rushing touchdowns (89) and is tied for sixth in total touchdowns.
 
During Pierson’s four-year tenure, the Bucks won three Casco League titles, made it to the quarterfinals twice, the semifinals once, and finally won the Class 1A state championship this past season.
 
Within the state of Oregon, Pierson ranks second in total touchdowns, rushing touchdowns and rushing yards. Mohawk’s Brody Wilkins ranks first with 113 career touchdowns, while Dufur’s John Hammel ranks first in yardage with 6,959 yards on the ground.
 
Pierson made his mark early with St. Paul. As a freshman in 2006, he saw limited playing time, but scored seven touchdowns, including a 78-yard kick return for a score during the Bucks’ semifinal loss to Dufur.
 
The following year, he developed into one of the premier feature backs in the league, racking up over 1,000 yards of total offense, to go along with 14 rushing touchdowns, seven touchdown receptions and an interception returned 65 yards for a touchdown. He continued that progression into his junior year, where he topped 1,800 yards of total offense and scored 35 touchdowns, although for the only time during his career, St. Paul missed out on the Casco League title, placing second behind Perrydale.
 
With early playoff exits in the 2007 and 2008 seasons, Pierson and the Bucks were determined to make a stand during the 2009 season.
 
As a senior, there was no debate Pierson was the most productive offensive player in Oregon. Pierson cemented state player of the year honors with his performance in the state championship game, as he ran for 384 yards and five touchdowns in the Bucks’ 38-34 victory.
 
Pierson’s senior season ranks among the greatest of all-time in eight-man football. His 47 total touchdowns and 2,943 rushing yards break the single-season Oregon records.
 
Nationally, he is tied for seventh in total touchdowns, fourth in rushing yards, fifth in rushing touchdowns (42) and seventh in total yards.
 
Pierson was also selected to play in the annual Shrine Game this summer, which features the state’s top players from the 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A classifications. Teammate David Ferguson was selected as an alternate.
 
Notes: While Pierson’s 42 rushing touchdowns is one of the most prolific in national history, it still only ranks second in school history.
 
During the 1991 season, Steve Ott scored 43 touchdowns on the ground for the state title-winning Bucks. At the time, Ott held the national record for rushing touchdowns in a single season, which has since been eclipsed three times.
 
Other notable entries in the national record books for St. Paul include Matt Anderson, who set the single-game record for rushing attempts with 44 against Gilchrist in 2004, and the Bucks’ 40-game winning streak between 1991 and 1993, which ranks 10th.

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