Schedules: What's on the docket in Yamhill County

With the 2026-27 scholastic year fast approaching, it is time to look at what athletic events will be the talk of the town this fall.

With the Oregon School Activities Association reformatting districts at every level, Class 3A competition will bring more rivalry contests than recent seasons as Amity, Dayton, Willamina and Yamhill Carlton join the reformation of the West Valley League. The four Yamhill County teams are joined by Santiam Christian, but some sports like soccer and football will see variations to their leagues due to roster sizes and regional proximity considered by the OSAA Classification and Districting Committee.

Regardless, local squads are looking forward to the opportunities.

Teams officially return to game action with jamborees beginning on Thursday, Aug. 27, but the first rivalry contest takes place on the gridiron Friday, Sept. 11, where Yamhill Carlton will host Dayton at 7 p.m. in week two of the football season. It will be the first time since the 3A State quarterfinals in Nov. of 2023 the teams have faced off. Dayton won the contest 50-36 before falling to Cascade Christian in the semifinals.

Fans of the pigskin will have to wait till Friday, Oct. 23, for the next county contest, when YC hosts Amity. The Warriors end the season the following week on Oct. 30 by welcoming Dayton to the Eola Hills.

At the 6A level, McMinnville opens the season on Friday, Sept. 4, at Wortman. They play just four of their nine games at home this year and travel to Newberg on Oct. 23 for a date with their Tiger rivals in blue.

Linfield University’s football program faces a road-heavy schedule of its own, playing just three games on the new turf at Maxwell Field this season. The Wildcats’ home opener is not till Saturday, Oct. 3, when they play George Fox University and celebrate homecoming. Linfield then hosts Pacific Lutheran University on Saturday, Oct. 24, for Fall Family Weekend. Their final home game is Saturday, Nov. 7, versus the University of Puget Sound.

On the volleyball court, pairs of county matchups dominate the middle and end of the 3A schedule. The first comes Sept. 14 and Sept. 19, when Dayton plays host to Willamina and Amity, respectively, to begin league play. Amity ends its season with a similar back-to-back, facing Willamina on the road on Oct. 15 before traveling to YC on Oct. 20.

McMinnville’s girls open their volleyball season on Tuesday, Sept. 1, followed by a brief hiatus that ends with road matches at Pacific Conference foes Forest Grove on Wednesday, Sept. 9, and Sherwood on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

On the soccer pitch, the Grizzly boys will face challenges that include Central Catholic on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at Wortman. Central Catholic was a quarterfinalist in the 6A state tournament in 2025.

Another powerhouse matchup will take place in Dayton on Thursday, Sept. 10, as the Pirates boys’ soccer team hosts 15-time state champion Catlin Gabel for a 4:30 p.m. kickoff.

This fall also marks the beginning of Amity’s first boys’ soccer program. They play their first home game on Tuesday, Sept. 8, versus Riverdale.

Stay tuned to the News-Register to learn more about the biggest matchups and read on to view the breakdown for the first two weeks of the athletic calendar.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27
Prep Volleyball
McMinnville at Newberg, 4 p.m. (Jamboree)
Amity, Willamina, Yamhill Carlton at Santiam
Jamboree
Delphian at Blanchet Catholic Jamboree
Prep Boys Soccer
McMinnville vs Hillsboro, Roosevelt, South Salem,
9 a.m. (Jamboree)
Prep Girls Soccer
McMinnville vs David Douglas, West Linn, South
Salem, 12:30 p.m. (Jamboree)
Dayton at Salem Academy, 5 p.m.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 28
Prep Football
McMinnville at Newberg, 6 p.m. (Jamboree)
Dayton vs Amity, 5 p.m. (Jamboree)
Willamina at Knappa, 5:30 p.m. (Jamboree)
Prep Volleyball
Willamina vs Blanchet Catholic, 6:30 p.m.
Prep Boys Soccer
Yamhill Carlton at Springfield Jamboree
Cross Country
Amity, McMinnville, Yamhill Carlton at The Opener
(Ash Creek Preserve)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29
Prep Volleyball
Amity vs Sisters, 2:30 p.m.
Dayton at Cascade Christian Invite
Sheridan at Warrenton Kickoff
MONDAY, AUGUST 31
Prep Volleyball
Sheridan at St. Paul, 4 p.m.
Sheridan vs Western Christian, 5:30 p.m. (St.
Paul High School)
Prep Girls Soccer
McMinnville at South Medford, 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
Prep Volleyball
McMinnville vs Roosevelt, 6:45 p.m.
Amity at Corbett, 6:30 p.m.
Dayton vs Taft, 6 p.m.
Sheridan vs Waldport, 6 p.m.
Willamina vs Waldport (Sheridan High School)
Yamhill Carlton vs Neah-Kah-Nie, 6 p.m.
Prep Boys Soccer
McMinnville vs Silverton, 7 p.m.
Amity at Willamette Valley Christian/Livingstone
Adventist Academy, 5 p.m.
Dayton at Oregon Episcopal, 5:30 p.m.
Yamhill Carlton at Sisters, 4 p.m.
Prep Girls Soccer
Amity at Crosshill Christian/Jefferson, 12 a.m.
Yamhill Carlton at Sisters, 6 p.m.
Cross Country
Sheridan, Willamina at Darrel Deedon Invite (Cascade High School)
College Soccer
Linfield women at Bushnell, 7 p.m.
Linfield men at Evergreen State, 4 p.m.
College Volleyball
Linfield vs Warner Pacific (Exhibition), 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
Prep Volleyball
Delphian at Nestucca, 6:30 p.m.
Yamhill Carlton at Gaston, 6:30 p.m.
Prep Boys Soccer
Delphian at Gervais, 6 p.m.
Cross Country
McMinnville, Newberg at Pacific Conference Preview (Joe Dancer Park)

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
Prep Volleyball
Amity at Salem Academy, 6 p.m.
Dayton vs Banks, 6 p.m.
Sheridan at Scio, 6:30 p.m.
Willamina vs Warrenton, 6 p.m.
Yamhill Carlton vs Sisters, 6 p.m.
Prep Boys Soccer
McMinnville at McNary, 7 p.m.
Amity at Jefferson, 4:30 p.m.
Dayton vs Sisters, 4:30 p.m.
Yamhill Carlton vs Corbett, 6 p.m.
Prep Girls Soccer
McMinnville vs McNary, 7 p.m.
Amity vs Westside Christian, 4:15 p.m.
Dayton vs Sisters, 6:30 p.m.
Sheridan at Portland Christian [JV], 4:15 p.m.
Yamhill Carlton vs Corbett, 4 p.m.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
Prep Football
McMinnville vs Beaverton, 7 p.m.
Newberg vs Lakeridge, 7 p.m.
Amity at Pleasant Hill, 7 p.m.
Dayton vs Salem Academy, 7 p.m.
Sheridan vs Central Linn, 7 p.m.
Willamina at Clatskanie, 7 p.m.
Yamhill Carlton at Gervais, 7 p.m.
Prep Boys Soccer
Delphian at Columbia Christian, 4:30 p.m.
College Volleyball
Linfield vs Augsburg, 4:30 p.m. (Oregon Trail
Classic)
Linfield vs Nebraska Wesleyan, 7 p.m. (Oregon
Trail Classic)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
College Football
Linfield at UW-Oshkosh, 11 a.m.
Geoge Fox vs Redlands, 7:05 p.m.
Prep Volleyball
Amity vs TBD (Amity Tournament)
Cross Country
Amity, Sheridan, Yamhill Carlton at Ultimook Race
(The Hydrangea Ranch)
College Volleyball
Linfield vs Azusa Pacific, 3:30 p.m. (Oregon Trail
Classic in Forest Grove)
College Soccer
Linfield men at Pomona-Pitzer, 10 a.m.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
College Soccer
Linfield women vs St. Thomas (Texas), 11 a.m.
Linfield men at Cal Lutheran, 10 a.m.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
Prep Volleyball
Sheridan vs Gervais, 6 p.m.
Willamina vs Salem Academy, 6 p.m.
Prep Girls Soccer
Amity at Riverdale, 7:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
Prep Volleyball
Amity vs Gaston, 6:30 p.m.
Dayton at Scio, 6:30 p.m.
Sheridan at Neah-Kah-Nie, 6 p.m.
Yamhill Carlton at Warrenton, 6 p.m.
Prep Boys Soccer
McMinnville vs South Medford, 5:30 p.m.
Amity vs Riverdale, 4:15 p.m.
Dayton vs Banks, 6:30 p.m.
Yamhill Carlton vs Clatskanie/Rainier, 4 p.m.
Prep Girls Soccer
Dayton at Banks, 6:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
Prep Volleyball
McMinnville at Forest Grove, 6:45 p.m.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
Prep Volleyball
Amity at Harrisburg, 6 p.m.
Dayton at Portland Christian, 6:30 p.m.
Delphian vs Riverside, WLWV, 6 p.m.
Willamina vs Scio, 6 p.m.
Yamhill Carlton vs Rainier, 6 p.m.
Prep Boys Soccer
Amity at De La Salle North Catholic, 12 a.m.
Dayton vs Catlin Gabel, 4:30 p.m.
Delphian vs Oregon Episcopal, 4:15 p.m.
Yamhill Carlton vs Riverdale, 4 p.m.
Prep Girls Soccer
McMinnville vs Liberty, 7 p.m.
Sheridan vs Coquille/Myrtle Point, 4:15 p.m.
Yamhill Carlton at Riverdale, 4:30 p.m.
College Soccer
Linfield women vs Corban, 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Prep Football
McMinnville at Clackamas, 7 p.m.
Newberg at Dallas, 7 p.m.
Dayton at Yamhill Carlton, 7 p.m.
Sheridan at Neah-Kah-Nie, 7 p.m.
Willamina vs Rainier, 7 p.m.
Prep Volleyball
Amity at County Christian 3-way
Yamhill Carlton at Salem Academy, 5 p.m.
Cross Country
Amity, Willamina at Gervais Invitational (Gervais
High School)
College Volleyball
Linfield at Southwestern, 10:15 a.m. (Southwestern Invitational, Georgetown, Texas)
Linfield vs Hardin-Simmons, 12:45 p.m. (Southwestern Invitational, Georgetown, Texas)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
College Football
George Fox vs Lewis & Clark, 7:05 p.m. (Oregon
Cup)
College Volleyball
Linfield vs Texas Lutheran, 9:15 a.m. (Southwestern Invitational, Georgetown, Texas)
College Soccer
Linfield women at UW-Stevens Point, 7:30 p.m.
Cross Country
Amity, Newberg, Yamhill Carlton at Ash Creek Invitational (Ash Creek Preserve)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
College Soccer
Linfield men vs Walla Walla, 12 p.m.