If the score is 63-0, your school wouldn’t want to be on the tail end of it. Unfortunately for Cottage Grove, that was the score by halftime as Marist Catholic dominated the game on October 9! But in a twist of events, the game was never completed, and despite the massive lead, Marist Catholic’s head coach lost his job.
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Here’s the thing: The Spartans had dominated a team with just 16 players, but the final score wasn’t what cost head coach Zach Loboy his job. By Monday afternoon, Loboy was out of a job because of what happened in the first half of the game.
“Sources close to the Marist Catholic Football program have confirmed that Zach Loboy has been relieved of his duties as Head Football Coach,” Mid-Major Media reported on X. “It is believed that the reason Loboy was let go was due to Marist Catholic running up the score to 64-0 in the first half versus Cottage Grove, going against the school’s code of conduct. Surprising news out of Eugene, Jake Lowther is set to finish the season as Interim Head Coach.”
The Spartans led 56-0 late in the second quarter, with 1:47 left in the half, and tried an onside kick, a play teams usually use when they are trailing. Cottage Grove recovered, then threw an interception, and Marist scored again with under 30 seconds left. Near the end of the halftime break, the PA announcer told the crowd the game was over.
The second half wasn’t played, but it wasn’t a forfeit either. Marist athletic director Rick Gardner, Cottage Grove AD Garrett Bridgens, and Lane County Football Association commissioner Mike Whitty agreed to end it. The school informed in a statement that Loboy was removed “effective immediately”. Principal Bob Fraley’s letter said, “A change in leadership was necessary to reflect our school’s mission and values.”
Marist is 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the Sky-Em League, with a double-overtime loss in Week 2 and a three-point loss in Week 4. Though the school did not state the exact reason for removing him, the statement cited the Cottage Grove game as not matching its values.
Mid-Major Media, an Oregon-based outlet, reported that Loboy’s dismissal could have been because his team continued piling on points instead of easing up. The game turned contentious, and Loboy kept his team’s scoring spree the same. That allegedly breached the school’s honor code.
Loboy had been on the staff for several years, first as defensive coordinator, and took over as head coach in 2024. That year, Marist won the Class 4A state title, beating Henley in a rematch after losing to them by three earlier in the season. Last season did not go well, with a 4-6 finish, according to BroBibel, and the team hasn’t found that form yet this year as well.
“What happened there is really not reflective of the school’s mission and how we want to treat our opponents,” Gardner said. “Our athletic program tries to adhere to the mission and the values of Marist Catholic High School. In this particular case, we definitely fell short.”
Gardner declined to elaborate on the decision, as Jake Lowther takes over as interim head coach for the rest of the season. He joined the staff as offensive line coach and assistant head coach, after time as a varsity assistant at Cascade High School in Turner.
Principal Bob Fraley wrote that the school is confident he will provide the leadership the players need, and the priority is to maintain a positive team environment and finish the season strong. Now, Lowther has to turn the team around in just one week.
Marist Catholic turns to interim coach for key matchup after Zach Loboy’s firing
Cottage Grove’s administrators had to make their own call that night, with a roster that was already thin. Cottage Grove AD Garrett Bridgens said the decision was made by the ADS and the commissioner of officials working together.
“It wasn’t a forfeit; it wasn’t that our coaches and players did not want to continue,” Bridgens informed the Register-Guard. “We were working in the best interest of our kids, our fans, the entire situation, to do what was best for everyone.”
Marist plays at North Bend on Friday, October 16. North Bend is also 3-3 and 2-1 in league play, so the game matters for the standings. For the Spartans, it’s the first one without Loboy on the sideline, and it comes under an interim coach.