The Stars were created when John Lucas, Ron Stutzman and Billy Joe Winchester brought the Portland Steelheads to Salem and paid a $6,000 entry fee into the NFA.  The team was a collection of former Steelheads and former college stars from the area, plus Pat White from USC and Mike Bemis formerly with UCLA.  Western Oregon University had the most with 13 players.
 
Steve Smith hit Carlton Martin on a 50-yard bomb, and Ken Evans for a 4th quarter TD but finished 14 of 44 passing for 101 yards in losing to the Blue Knights. (8/24/85)
 
Rich Espinoza booted a 28-yard FG with  21 seconds to play lifting the Stars to a 20-18 win over Spokane who had missed all three point-after trys during the game.
 
Rondre Hawthorne had 130 yards on 11 carries including a 68-yard TD to lead the Stars rush attack (258 yards) in a 29-0 win over Seattle (8/31/1985). Don McIntire added two TD's on 10 carries for 62 yards.  Brad Joelson led Stars receivers with 3 for 33 yds.
 
Reserve QB Reggie Jackson scored on a 1-yard plunge, but Damon Brown gave up a pick-six in overtime in the loss to the Cavaliers (8/9/86).  Rondre Hawthorne's first quarter fumble was a scoop and score as both Seattle TD's went against the Stars offense. 
 
QB Steve Smith and WR Reggie Jackson connected for 3 TD's while RB Jason Johnson rushed for 162 yds and 2 TD's in a 38-0 rout of the Cavaliers on Sep 27, 1986.  Ronald Austin caught Smith's 4th TD pass in avenging the overtime loss a month earlier.
 
WR Reggie Jackson earned NFA Player of the Week honors with 5 catches for 123 yards 1 TD, and a 96-yard kickoff return for TD in leading the Stars past the Eastside Express in the regular season finale.  Smith broke the NFA total offense record with 2.084 yards while also owning the passing record with 1,772 yards.
 
Against Spokane in the playoffs, the Stars had to scramble at QB using Reggie Jackson until Steve Smith arrived in the second quarter after having car trouble on the long drive to Spokane.  Spokane was forced to use nine different QB's in the game who were sacked seven times and intercepted five times.  Defensive tackle Brian Wilson had 4 sacks including a safety, while Pat White recorded another safety in the 4th quarter.
 
Rich Espinoza provided the only points the Stars could muster in the NFA Title Game with a 30-yard FG in the third period.
 
FB - Howard Harris would not return in 1986 focusing instead on the 198lb wrestling slot for the '88 Olympics.  He led the NCAA with 169 wins at Oregon State and was on the Olympic team in 1980, however the US boycott of the games nullified his chance at medaling.
 
1986:
In the season opener, Ricky Green (Oregon State) was 6 of 17 passing for 38 yards and intercepted twice, one being returned 48-yards for a Warhawk TD.  Jason Johnson scored from 35 yards out for the Stars only score.
 
QB Demone Brown threw 2 TD's to Reggie Jackson and Jason Johnson added another TD to go with his 195 yards on 29 carries (NFA record) in securing the Stars first win of the season.  Attendance was estimated at 210.
 
Steve Smith hit Reggion Jackson on a 78-yard bomb to take an early lead on the Auburn Panthers, but that was it for the 7th loss of the season.
 
Jason Johnson, leading rusher in the NFA with 344 yards in 3 games, left the team to pursue an out-of-state venture.
 
The season closed out with a crushing loss to the Raiders.  Steve Smith hit Reggie Jackson from 35 yards out, but the Raiders sacked Smith 14 times.

Jason Johnson, Stars running back exploded on Sno-King for 195 yards on 29 carries a touchdown and 2-two-point conversions in the 22-7 first win of the 1986 season.  In the second meeting with the Blue Knights, receiver Reggie Jackson caught five passes for 88 including a 59-yard TD, intercepted two passes on defense returning one for 45-yard touchdown.
 
During the 3-9 season of 1986, the Stars arrived at games against Snohomish and Eastside each time an hour late and with only 13 and 15 players respectively.  This began a discussion within the NFA about the viability of the Oregon franchise.  Linda Reoh president of the Eastside team said about the late arrival: "That's not the way you play football.  This is supposed to be a semi-professional league that we're touting...first class football and this happens.  There was no excuse at all."  In the season finale, Skagit Valley recorded 14 sacks in a 38-6 win over Salem, A 35-yard Steve Smith to Reggie Jackson touchdown pass scoring being the only points mustered.
 
The NFA suspended the Stars for the 1987 season on a 4-2 vote by owners.  Stutzman, also a player on the Stars ended his ownership role prior to 1987 had this to say about the team: "There are two problems at this level of football: One is money and the other is organization.  We had neither". 
 
Winchester was also frustrated noting: "We looked bad because we (at the championship game) had 10 guys with pants that didn't match."
 
Michael Highsmith, commissioner of the NFA, observed: "In the title game, they had to spray paint two white jerseys black.  They also had to borrow athletic tape to tape numbers for the players' uniforms.  Of course, we weren't impressed."
 
Following the 1987 season, the NFA shut down and the NWFL was formed.  The Stars reorganized as the Pioneers.  John Lucas, after serving as GM of the Stars, set about forming the Pioneers with former Offensive Coordinator Robert Owings to serve as head coach.  The 6-team NWFL was formed in 1988 however, low numbers would plague the franchise as it finished in last place.  Many of the Pioneers migrated to the newly formed Portland Thunderbolts in 1989, a team that became instant champions of the NWFL. 

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