League Previews
Thursday, September 4, 2008 5:47 PM PDT
By Rick McCorkle
Printable version
E-mail this articleGSHL 4A
The Kelso Hilanders will have their hands full in their first season as members of the GSHL 4A League. Kelso was forced to move up from the GSHL 3A following the recent WIAA state-wide school realignment based on enrollment numbers.
But the size of the league didn’t change with the addition of Kelso, because Prairie had a decline in enrollment and dropped from 4A into the GSHL 3A.
One of the largest 4A schools in the state, Evergreen, is the defending GSHL 4A champion and appears ready to return to the top of the league standings. But despite its league success, the Plainsmen fell to Graham-Kapowsin 33-28 in a state tournament qualifying game.
Senior Kyrell Hudson is ranked second among the state’s top-20 players for the Class of 2009 by the Washington Preps Web site. The 6-foot, 185-pound Hudson is considered to be the fastest player in the region with a football in his hands, is equally talented in baseball. Hudson has been recruited as a safety and wide receiver by a number of Division I schools including Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State, Stanford and Boise State.
But Hudson’s first love is baseball, and spent the summer playing in All-Star and All-American contests held at Dodger Stadium (AFLAC All-American High School All-Stars), Safeco Field (Mariners Cup Game) and Wrigley Field (Under Armour All-American Game).
The Plainsmen, who have won five league titles in the last six seasons, also feature Division I prospects Ashton Miller and James Monk, along with all-league defensive lineman Jake Hansell. Miller earned all-league honors as an offensive and defensive lineman, and Monk snagged six interceptions as an all-league speedster.
Heritage had a breakout season with a second place finish, but had its campaign end abruptly following a 37-14 setback to Woodinville in a state tournament qualifying game. The Timberwolves’ pass-happy offense is led by junior quarterback and Division I prospect Garrett Grayson, who threw for more than 2,700 yards and 20 touchdowns in his first varsity campaign.
All-league senior Stephen Forgette is the lone returner on the offensive line, which will be key in protecting Grayson. All-leaguer A.J. Randall returns at linebacker after leading the team in tackles, and Ashton Clark is the top defensive back when he isn’t hauling in passes from Grayson.
Skyview is looking to take the next step into the postseason after dropping a 45-0 decision to Olympia in a state qualifying game. The Storm, along with Hudson’s Bay and Fort Vancouver, will all play on new Field Turf recently installed at Kiggins Bowl. The new surface consists of a rubber-sand base, with the artificial blades of grass, and cost the school district $750,000.
All-league tight end/linebacker Casey Fields is back for his senior season, along with all-league lineman Connor Bockmeier and linebacker Jason Leineweber.
Adam Mathieson takes over the coaching and athletic director duties at Mountain View. The Thunder, which finished last season 5-4 including a 2-3 league mark, missed out on postseason play.
Battle Ground came into last season with high hopes and rolled to a 3-1 nonleague record. But the Tigers took their lumps in league with one win in five decisions, sending them to the bottom of the standings.
A key to the Tigers’ success will be the development of junior running back Komivi Akengue, who started playing football two years ago. Akengue, a native of West Africa, moved with his family to Portland eight years ago, and then to Battle Ground prior to his beginning the eighth-grade.
GSHL 3A
It’s hard to determine what affect the recent WIAA state-wide school realignment will have on the Greater St. Helens 3A League, with the departure of Kelso to the GSHL 4A, while Prairie drops down to join the GSHL 3A.
The move can only help Prairie, which has endured 14 consecutive losing football seasons. The Falcons’ offense will probably be in the hands of junior quarterback Tyler Fisher, who moves under center after a sophomore season at running back. Fisher’s main targets will be senior Myles McDonald and junior Camry Manning, and all-league junior Hayden Lucia is a standout on both lines.
Camas hopes to defend its league title and go deeper into the postseason. The Papermakers won their tournament qualifying game over Olympic 49-42 in overtime, but fell to Kennewick 27-7 in the opening round.
Senior Travis Beets takes over the offense that includes senior all-leaguer Quinton Beasley, who rushed for more than 1,300 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Union kicked off its first season in style with six consecutive victories under former Evergreen coach Cale Piland, but the Titans missed the postseason after dropping their final three contests and out of playoff contention.
Brandon Weller returns for his junior season at quarterback, and his top target will be junior receiver Mitch Saylor. Junior Devin Myers is a 270-pounder who takes up space on the offensive and defensive lines, and Kapono Victor is a standout defensive lineman and running back.
Fort Vancouver had a roller-coaster campaign in 2007 that included four consecutive losses midway through season, followed by three straight wins to close out the campaign.
The Trappers’ defense is anchored by all-state senior Jeremy Girod, who logged 10 sacks.
Hudson’s Bay struggled to three victories last season, including a 20-13 nonleague triumph over Prairie on Sept. 21, and a stunning 26-13 win over Union on Oct. 12 for the Eagles’ lone league victory.
Columbia River won four of its five league games and finished runner-up to Camas, but dropped a 19-11 decision to Newport High of Bellevue in the state qualifying game. The Chieftains lost a number of skilled position players, and many believe this may be the least experienced River team in recent years.
GSHL 2A
Hockinson, which won the GSHL 2A title in 2006, hopes to return to the top of the league this season. The Hawks, who finished third behind league champ Woodland and runner-up Mark Morris last season, dropped its state qualifier game to Centralia 49-14. But in order to stay among the league’s elite, they’ll have to gain experience quickly. Only four players on both sides of the line return with any starting experience.
Hockinson plans to run a no-huddle offense with quarterback Jody Robertson, who will line-up in a shot gun formation. He’ll be handing the ball off to a number of talented backs, including senior Colton Dunn (Class 2A state 200-meters champ in track), Justin Green and Matt Williams. Senior Ben Arp moves from center to tackle, and the defensive line will be led by Arp and Green.
Washougal welcomes new coach Josh Gibson, a former Camas assistant coach who replaces longtime coach David Hajek, who was dismissed after six seasons. The Panthers, who advanced to the postseason but lost their state qualifier to Tumwater 52-15, lost most of their experienced skill players to graduation.
Senior Jordan Fuller takes over at quarterback, with senior Stan McIlwain stepping in at running back.
Ridgefield, which managed only one league win last season (7-0 over R.A. Long on Oct. 19) hopes to move up the GSHL standings. Senior Chandler Webb takes over at quarterback, his first year under center after playing wide receiver last season.
Webb and senior tight end/linebacker Cole Barton and Webb are two of 10 seniors on the Spudders’ thin roster of 40 players. Three-year offensive/defensive line starter Sean Henderson will miss the season after suffering a snowboarding accident during the winter. Junior Philip Esquival, a 283-pound junior, anchors the offensive and defensive lines, and senior Andrew Jannsen moves from defensive end to linebacker.
SWW 1A TRICO
The SWW 1A Trico Division shrinks to six teams with the migration of Rochester to the SWW 1A Evergreen Division.
La Center appears poised to challenge Kalama and Castle Rock for the division title after advancing to last year’s state playoffs, where the Wildcats fell to Tenino in the opening round. La Center returns most of last year’s team, including all-league senior Duke Kelly at running back, linebacker and defensive back.
The Wildcats’ offensive and defensive lines will be anchored by all-league seniors Dan Pershall and Elliott Deotsch.
White Salmon hopes to take the next step and challenge for a postseason berth. The Bruins have a tough nonleague schedule that includes travelling to Sitka, Alaska on Sept. 19, and hosting Oregon Class 2A runner-up Heppner on Sept. 12.
The Bruins’ offense will be led by senior quarterback Andy Pate, while the defense will be paced by all-leaguers Kevin Kreps and Carlos Mendoza at defensive back and linebacker, respectively.
Stevenson, which completed its second straight 1-9 season, hopes to show improvement. The Bulldogs won one league game in the last two years, a 27-24 triumph at Ilwaco last season.
The Bulldogs’ offense is led by returning junior all-league receivers Andrew Olson and Dean Powell, also standout defensive backs.
SWW 1A EVERGREEN
After dropping consecutive state semifinal games to Connell (51-14 last season, 28-21 in 2006), Montesano is ready to take the next step and claim a state title.
After alternating wins and losses in the first four weeks, the Bulldogs ran off eight consecutive victories that included postseason wins over Kalama (14-6), Orting (28-20) and Meridian (21-7) before falling in the semifinals.
Junior Josh Tyler takes over at quarterback after successful stints on the JV team. He’ll be joined in the backfield by a bevy of experienced running backs, including seniors Frank Carpenter, Zach Fenn and Taylor Church, and junior Ryan Campbell. Ira Alefteras leads the offensive and defensive lines, with Carpenter, Campbell, Fenn and Church seeing time at linebacker.
Forks hopes to parlay its team depth and experience into a run for the division title. The Spartans, who opened last season with four straight losses, rallied to win four of their last six matchups and narrowly missed a postseason berth.
All-League running back Luke Dixon returns to key the Spartans’ offense, along with nearly all of the offensive and defensive linemen from a year ago.
Tenino made the most of its first state playoff appearance since 1986, shocking La Center 33-27 in a state qualifying game before falling to Cascade Christian 49-10 in the first round. All-league running back Jason May rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a junior, and is joined in the backfield by talented backs including senior Dylan Fant and juniors Ansen Abbett and Ruke Chea. Chad Reaves leads both lines, with May, Zach Gonia, Fant, Dylon Risner and Abbett at linebacker.
Onalaska missed moving into the state bracket after dropping its qualifying game with Castle Rock 33-14.
Former Goldendale and Naches high school coach John Hallead takes over the Loggers from Wayne Nelson, who stepped aside after 28 seasons. Hallead is a former seventh round pick in the Major League Baseball first-Year Player Draft, reaching the AA level before retiring from baseball at age 22.
The Loggers’ offense will be operated by either junior Codty Nailon or sophomore Dalton Ritchey, and includes junior running back Justin Boggs. Ross Petro, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound lineman, is ranked by the Washington Preps Web site as one of the best in the state.
Jeff Johnson takes over the Rainier, Wash., program from Anthony Hicks, who left the Mountaineers after two seasons to be the offensive coordinator at Capital High School. Johnson formerly coached at North Beach from 1996-99, and served as an assistant coach at Lincoln, Washington and Puyallup high schools before coming to Rainier.
Senior Kevin O’Leary takes over at quarterback, and will hand off to senior backs Jacob Fox and Kyle North. Tyson Balzer and Eric Lordier lead both lines, and linebackers include O’Leary and Jim Soto.
Rochester shifts to the Evergreen Division after spending the last two campaigns as a member of the Trico Division where the Warriors compiled a 10-10 record that included a 6-6 mark in league. Paul Christianson returns for his second season as coach, along with seniors Jordan Ruiz (safety), Patrick Noltensmeier (lineman), Alan Palmerson (tight end/linebacker) and Logan McFarland (running back/linebacker).
Winlock, under second-year coach Tim Edmonds, hopes to break into the win column after going 0-10 last season. The Cardinals won their last league game on Oct. 28, 2005 (21-14 over Rainier, Wash.) and have lost their last 12 league games en route to amassing a 6-32 overall record in the last four years.
CENTRAL 2B
It’ll be hard for Adna to repeat the league campaign it had last season when the Pirates outscored their opponents 355-33, which included six shutouts. But for all of the success the Pirates had during the regular season, it was quickly erased when they dropped a 26-7 shocker to Life Christian in the first round of the state playoffs.
The Pirates lost 16 of their 22 starters to graduation, but return senior all-state running back Jered Rodgers, considered by many to be the best Class B running back on the west side of the state. Rodgers will be joined in the Adna backfield by all-league running back Anthony Tatum and junior quarterback Kyle Grosshans, who also earned all-league honors at kicker.
Adna’s defense will be led by all-league linebackers Rodgers and Tatum, and all-league lineman Colby Fitzgerald.
Mossyrock, which lost its state tournament qualifying game to South Bend 41-20, returns several all-league players at skill positions. All-league quarterback Nic Gressett returns for his junior season, and is joined on offense by all-league seniors Jeremy Harper and Scott Wedam at running back and wide receiver, respectively.
Christian Brown returns for his junior season to anchor the offensive and defensive lines, and is accompanied on defense by all-league lineman Brendan Palmer and defensive back Harper.
Napavine will probably have the largest lines in the league, if not in the district. All-league senior Cody Burrese (6-foot-1, 340) anchors both lines for the Tigers, and will be joined by juniors Damon Garnas (6-1, 290) and Zane Christenson (6-3, 285). Connor Craft returns for his senior campaign as an all-league punter/linebacker, and leads the offense at running back.
Morton had its ups and downs last season in a 4-6 campaign. The Huskies’ offense is led by all-league running back Mikhal Tran and lineman Tony Olson, while senior Ryan Miunce returns as an all-leaguer at linebacker.
Pe Ell completed its second straight 5-5 season, but missed out on competing in a postseason league tiebreaker after falling to Wahkiakum 18-12 in the eighth week. The Trojans’ offense will be led by all-league junior Tyler Lusk, who will either hand off to all-league senior running back Eric Pace or pass to all-league receiver Dillion Skeen. Defensively, Pe Ell’s all-leaguers are defensive backs Skeen and Daniel Duncan.
White Pass hopes to rebound from its 1-9 campaign last season. The Panthers’ youthful defense took its lumps, allowing 50 points or more in four games, including consecutive shutouts to Napavine (53-0) and Adna (51-0) to end the season.
Senior quarterback Derek Moody leads the Panthers’ offense, which also includes senior running backs Antony Tran and Kris Bates, and receiver Jordan Sume. Sophomores Devin Sume, Cameron Sume and Tyler Dotson will be key players on the defensive line.
Vancouver Christian hopes this is the season it breaks through for its first league victory. The Light, in their fifth season, have lost 26 consecutive league games since joining the Central 2B in 2004. Their only victory last season was a 33-28 nonleague triumph over Lyle in the eighth week.
All-league running back/defensive back Greg Polyakov returns to the Light for his senior season.
Pacific 2B
The Pacific 2B League was well-represented during the last year’s postseason, with three teams — Willapa Valley, Naselle and South Bend — all making noise in the playoffs. It appears that not a lot has changed as all three teams will challenge for the league title.
Willapa Valley put together a pair of four-game winning streaks during the regular season before falling to rival South Bend in the first round of the state playoffs. Despite not having locker rooms on-campus to dress in because of school construction, the Vikings managed to overcome the off-field distraction and remain a force in the league.
The Vikings’ offense will be led by sophomore quarterback Matt Friese and junior Jon Nissell, who rushed for a team-high 636 yards and five touchdowns. Juniors J.J. Carney, Will Rockett and Jordan Wilkeson will anchor the defensive line
South Bend built a six-game winning streak in the middle of last season, crushed Mossyrock 41-20 in a state qualifier game and slipped past Willapa Valley 6-0 in the first round of state before falling to Toutle Lake 21-7 in the quarterfinals.
The Indians, who graduated several key skill players, return all-leaguers Zach Boyes on defense and kicker Eric Jambor. Boyes will also lead the offense at running back, which also includes split ends Ricky Kousohnsa and Eric Fuller, and running back Roger Vongmixay.
Ocosta hammered out its third consecutive 5-5 campaign, alternating wins and losses through the final six weeks of last season. The Wildcats’ offensive and defensive lines with be anchored by all-league senior Kyle Strode, and all-league punter Kaylan Forbis returns for his senior season at wingback behind senior quarterback James Wallace.
Raymond, which opened the season with five straight setbacks, rallied for victories over North Beach (22-18) and Northwest Christian (28-0) before ending the season with two losses. The Seagulls’ defense will be led by all-league honorable mention senior Kevin Newman, while the offense will include quarterback Newman, running backs Brian Mai and Michael Lundy, and receivers Brandon Lev and Danny Xaysy.
The second-year Northwest Christian Navigators, who lost every game during their inaugural season in 2006, snapped an 11-game losing skid with a 30-0 victory over North Beach in the fourth week. The Navigators, who won the league’s Sportsmanship award, were shutout in five games.
All-league honorable mention defensive standout Kyle Tracht returns for his senior campaign, and is joined on defense by senior linebackers Scott Hailman, Dillon Mark and John Wightman. Tracht also anchors the offense at center, which also features tackle Hailman, guard Wightman and running backs Mark and Dawit Doelman.
North Beach will be coached by longtime area mentor Hugh Wyatt, who replaces Vic Reykdal. The 70-year-old Wyatt formerly coached at Hudson’s Bay, Washougal and La Center, and has spent the summer preparing videos on the double-wing offense.
The Hyaks’ lone victory last season was a 34-14 nonleague triumph over Christian Faith in the second week, and finished the campaign with eight consecutive losses. Senior all-leaguers Jamaal Lind (running back/linebacker) and offensive lineman Nick Poplin anchor the youthful North Beach lineup.
Lewis and Clark 3A
Vernonia, which won seven straight games during the middle of the season, dropped its last two league games to Rainier and Clatskanie but still managed to grab the third berth from the league into the Oregon Class 3A state playoffs. The Loggers’ season came to an abrupt end following a 63-0 setback to Cascade Christian.
A pair of all-leaguers, Levi Timmerman and Taylor Smith, return to anchor Vernonia’s offensive line.
Warrenton, which regularly advances to the playoffs, missed out on a postseason berth for the first time since 1999 after winning only two of five league games. Mark Morris High graduate John Mattila returns for his 35th season as head coach and brings a 232-106 overall record. All-leaguer Stephen Petersen returns for his junior season as a key player on the offensive and defensive lines.
Neah-Kah-Nie of Rockaway Beach, Ore., won only its second league game in four seasons when it slipped past Riverdale 20-18 in last year’s regular-season finale to snap a 19-game winless drought. The Pirates, who have an overall 5-32 record in the last four campaigns, are led by returning all-league running back Joe Marino and defensive lineman Madison Ngirarois.
Riverdale, which opened its season with a 22-8 nonleague victory over Gaston, dropped its last eight games to finish winless in league. In their two seasons as members of the Lewis and Clark League, the Mavericks have won one league game (35-6 over Neah-Kah-Nie on Oct. 27, 2006) and have an overall record of 3-15.
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