This story is part of an ongoing series featuring Basin athletes who have committed to play in college. In case you missed them, be sure to check out our other stories on Henley basketball’s Annie Campos, Mazama volleyball’s Gillian Merhoff, and Lost River football’s Connor Dunlea and Joel DeJong.
It’s definitely cliché–but also definitely warranted–to say that Logan Whitlock’s senior season at Henley was the stuff of legends.
In 12 games, the Hornets running back set program records with 1,934 rushing yards (the sixth most in Oregon and second most in 11-player football) and 42 touchdowns while averaging 7.5 yards per carry. He also had one receiving, one passing and one kickoff return touchdown, giving him a total of 45 (the second most in Oregon and 16 more than anyone in 11-player football). All of those numbers could have been significantly higher, but Henley blew out so many of their opponents that Whitlock sat out the equivalent of three full games over the course of the season–so, in a way, they’re really nine-game totals.
The numbers only get more impressive when you take into account that 1) In addition to his offensive duties, Whitlock started at linebacker for most of the season, meaning he rarely had time for a breather until the Hornets had put the game out of reach and 2) Whitlock played with a broken wrist for more than half the campaign; he suffered the injury in Henley’s fifth game but only realized the full extent of it after getting an X-ray last week.
Now, Whitlock will have an opportunity to leave his mark at the college level. He signed with Southern Oregon in February.
“I’ve felt nothing but at home there,” Whitlock said. “I felt like they can give me a lot to offer for as long as I can get there.”
Whitlock’s recruitment first started to pick up after his junior season. Southern Oregon head coach Berk Brown, who was named to the position in January 2023, reached out to him that spring. Brown was the defensive coordinator for the Raiders’ 2014 NAIA Championship team–which included Whitlock’s head coach at Henley, Alex Stork.
Despite Stork’s close ties to the program, he said he “tried to stay out of [the recruiting process] as much as possible.”
“Wherever Logan needed help, I inserted myself,” Stork said. “But outside of that, I wasn’t involved with the ins and outs of it as much as just making the connection.”
Throughout his senior season, Whitlock fielded interest from Southern Oregon and Linfield while also mulling the idea of walking on at a Division I school. He tore his ACL in Henley’s 4A semifinal win over Scappoose, but the teams that were recruiting him didn’t back off. Whitlock said Southern Oregon coaches emphasized the family atmosphere they try to foster within the program when he visited, and Stork confirmed their recruiting pitch was accurate.
“He was just like, ‘it feels like college, but at the same time…it’s all felt like family. We’re so tight with each other’,” Whitlock said. “I kind of want that again, because high school ball is…just a family built around each other, friends and all that kind of stuff, and that’s what I want in college.”
Stork said he’s “so proud” of Whitlock and believes he’ll “represent Henley really well” at his alma mater.
“He was an easy kid to work with just because of his commitment level and dedication,” Stork said. “It’s an honor to see him commit to play at the next level and for him to go to SOU…I’m just excited to see him develop over his college career.”
Whitlock joins a Raiders team that went 6-4 (including a win over eventual NAIA semifinalist College of Idaho) in Brown’s first year at the helm, breaking a string of three losing seasons. He decided to redshirt this year while he continues to recover from his injuries. After that, Whitlock said he wants to contribute on special teams while working his way up the depth chart at running back, where the coaching staff expects him to compete for the starting job as an upperclassman. Academically, he intends to major in criminal justice and pursue a pre-law curriculum.
“I’ve always had a fascination with the law,” Whitlock said. “My senior project was going and shadowing judges and stuff like that.”
Stork said Whitlock’s work ethic, drive and leadership will help make him a successful college football player.
“Ever since I’ve known him, he has pushed himself to be the best athlete, student and person that he can become,” Stork said. “He sets that positive example, but then he lives up to it, and his peers really respond well to him.”
Whitlock said playing college football has been a goal of his since he was in seventh grade, and he’s eager to get back to working out and practicing once he’s fully healthy.
“I want to show these coaches that I deserve everything they’re going to give me,” Whitlock said. “I just want to prove myself again.”
Southern Oregon opens the 2024 regular season at home against Lincoln (CA) at 1 p.m. Sept. 7. Prior to that, the Raiders will host Japan’s Kwansei Gakuin University in the fourth installment of the Mills Bowl at 6 p.m. May 4.
