The dreams of new turf fields at Grant and Wilson remain alive at those schools, two of the largest in the Portland Interscholastic League.

Wilson is looking at a combination of community donations and contributions from Nike, Portland Public Schools, the city of Portland, and the PPS Great Fields Fund, which has allocated $77,000 so far. The goal at Wilson is to meet the $1.2 million fundraising goal by May 2013 and install the turf field at its stadium before the fall 2013 sports season.

Long-range goals at Wilson include artificial turf on the practice field, new turf at adjacent Rieke Elementary School, an upgrade to the Wilson press box, a new or improved concessions area and upgrades to the parking lot and other infrastructure.

Grant will have an Oktoberfest theme for a Saturday, Oct. 6, fundraising party, 3:30 to 8 p.m, to benefit its fields project and booster club. Headlining the event are 3K and 5K run/walk races and kids runs, with music, brats and beer, kids activities and more at Grant Park. To register, go to foottraffic.us.

Grant, despite some neighborhood dissent, nearly pulled off a home football game under the lights at Grant Park this year. The plan was to bring in temporary lighting, but the cost turned out to be prohibitive.

The PIL will have three new tracks, at Franklin, Madison and Roosevelt, for the 2013 spring season. This will give the league a place to run its district meet again.

“Last year, we couldn’t run a meet at all on any of these three, so it’s nice to have them on line,” district athletic director Greg Ross says. “We had to do a lot (of the events) at Marshall.”

That’s Marshall, the school the district chose to close but where other schools still are playing various sports, including football and baseball.

Roosevelt is celebrating its new track on Friday, Oct. 5. The event starts at 5 p.m., and continues into the football home game against Madison.

With a lot of help from a wide variety of sources and transfers, Roosevelt is continuing in its attempt to return to athletic prominence.

And one of the big changes for Roosevelt didn’t take any money or donated help — the school returned to Class 5A status, leaving what Ross calls its “orphan” years at the 4A level.

“Being back at 5A saves a lot of headaches for Roosevelt and makes less travel for them,” Ross says. “They’ll be able to compete very well in all sports, and in some of them they’ll be real tough.”

Parents, boosters and teams have been in ultra-fundraising mode this year in the PIL, because the district cut coaching stipends in various team sports.

Some of the coaching positions have been filled by volunteers; others have been restored through fundraising efforts.

“We cut 60 positions, including golf (coaches),” Ross says. “Most of the cuts were at the JV2 level.”

Those are positions for the level just below varsity, and for coaches who typically help out with the varsity.

Coaching salaries consume 85 percent of the PIL athletic budget, Ross says. The next-biggest items are transportation and officials fees, “and you can’t cut the officials,” Ross says.

Equipment and transportation also suffered cuts in the budget. “Every line item, practically, took a hit,” Ross says.

Uniforms?

“The district office hasn’t bought uniforms for 25 years,” Ross says.

The PIL has no money in its budget for golf coaches next spring, but Ross says he expects those schools that had programs last year to retain them thanks for fundraising.

“I think there will be teams,” he says. “But they have to be through fundraising, or with volunteer coaches.”

The cost for a PIL golf program, boys or girls, is $5,000, Ross says. “It’s $3,500 salary for each coach, but then you add workman’s comp and other things,” he adds.

The PIL has made arrangements that take care of course availability and tournament fees. “Those things are taken care of,” Ross says.

Football

Central Catholic finished its muderers-row preseason 2-2, outscoring Jesuit 16-0 over the last three-plus quarters to win 16-7 last week at Hillsboro Stadium. The Crusaders led in total yards 292-183, but the Rams won behind their quick defense, the kicking of Mitch Seeley, some key plays, a ground attack by committee (six ball carriers) and QB Aidan Wilder’s 9 for 12 passing for 94 yards without an interception.

Lincoln is 0-4 for the first time since the 0-9 season of 1996 (not including 1999, when the Cardinals forfeited four times in their first five games). The Cards rank 38th out of 42 teams in the OSAA system. Lincoln is averaging 21 points per game but has allowed 40. On Friday, the Cardinals play host to West Salem (3-1).

Jefferson also is 0-4. In 2009, Jeff lost its first four games, then won nine in a row before losing to Hillsboro for the state title. The 0-4 start three years ago came against very tough competition (Grant, West Albany, Sherwood and Crater). Such a reversal isn’t in the cards for the Demos this year. They have scored two touchdowns in every game, but they have given up 34 points per game. And Jefferson plays host to PIL 5A co-leader Wilson on Friday.

Roosevelt (2-2), despite losing 47-21 at home to Wilson, is No. 6 in the 5A football rankings, while the Trojans are 10th.

n Wilson’s Cory Hincks ran for 369 yards and five touchdowns (33 carries), and Josh Hagge returned a kickoff 78 yards for a TD.

The Trojans gained the inside track to the PIL 5A title. Their only likely obstacle is Madison. Those two will meet Oct. 19 at Madison. Wilson beat Madison 59-6 last year, after losing the previous two years to the Senators.

All-time, Wilson is 29-8-1 in football against Roosevelt. The meeting this year was their first since 2005, when Roosevelt won 24-0.

Soccer

PIL 5A teams begin league matches Oct. 4.

In girls nonleague games, the PIL 5A teams are a combined 4-28-3 and have been outscored 186-22.

PIL 5A boys teams have fared much better, going 11-15-2, with 49 goals scored and 61 goals allowed. Franklin (3-1, No. 4) has cracked the top 10 in the OSAA rankings.

Lincoln’s boys (5-0) are ranked No. 1 in Class 6A by the OSAA, with Jesuit (4-2) second. Grant (2-1-2) is fourth, Central Catholic (1-0-3) fifth

In 3A/2A/1A girls, Oregon Episcopal (5-0) leads the OSAA rankings. Catlin Gabel (2-1-2) is fifth.

Jefferson does not have a boys soccer team this year, and the Demos have only one level of girls soccer (varsity).

Both Jefferson and Roosevelt have only one level of volleyball (varsity), and both schools are lacking cross-country runners.

Volleyball

Three-time defending 6A champion Central Catholic captured the elite Kent (Wash.) Classic last weekend. The Rams won 25-23, 25-18 in the finals over Crook County, which has won six consecutive state titles at either the 5A or 4A levels. Clackamas was fifth in the Kent tournament.

The Rams triumphed without star middle Kailee Johnson. She was on a basketball recruiting visit to USC (she committed to Stanford).

“We played solid all day with a revised lineup,” coach Rick Lorenz says. “Raina Hembry had an excellent tourney. She led us in kills all day. Monica Gajda had 17 digs and 19 kills, libero Lexie Skalbeck passed well all day, and Camille Foster ran an efficient offense.”