Give the Central 2B some credit. The best small-school football league in the state certainly doesn’t futz around when it comes to settling its business. Week 3? Summer weather? Still sunny at 8 p.m.? Let’s get it on.

The Central 2B counts among its slate of eight teams the Nos. 1 and 5 squads in the state. And while those highly-ranked juggernauts (Napavine and Adna, respectively) do battle Friday night on The Hill, another pair of contenders will slug it out in Cathlamet.

That’s four playoff candidates in head-to-head combat in a league of eight that has only two automatic state playoff berths.

Which is why every coach in the Central would agree with Wahkiakum boss Eric Hansen when he said, “There are no off nights in this league.”

“With only two spots, for sure, and the third spot a play-in game, you’d better come ready to play,” added Hansen, whose Mules host rival Toutle Lake at 7 p.m. “We’ve only had two games to get ready, and we’ll find out if we’re ready (tonight). We haven’t fared well against Toutle for quite a few years. We’ve gotta figure out how to stop the Ducks and make some big plays.”

Due to a scheduling fluke based on classification cycles, the Wahkiakum-Toutle rivalry has been played on the Ducks’ home lawn two years in a row. Toutle enjoys a three-game winning streak in the series, dating back to a victory in Cathlamet in the final week of 2006 that clinched the league championship.

In a perfect world, these perennial heavyweights would always meet in late October.

But Friday night it is.

“We just feel fortunate we got two nonleague games in already,” TL coach Scott Grabenhorst said. “We feel especially fortunate that we got matched up with (Willapa Valley) early and got some of our weaknesses exposed. We needed that before we started league, because this league is very balanced.”

Both teams are 1-1, with losses to upper-echelon teams from the equally balanced Pacific 2B League, and drew lessons from their respective setbacks. For Wahkiakum, a Week 1 loss to Naselle underlined the importance of ball security. For Toutle Lake, last Friday’s loss to Willapa Valley reinforced the critical nature of correct blocking technique.

“A big key for us (Friday) is that we have to capitalize every time we have the ball,” Hansen said. “We can’t turn the ball over and expect to win. We can’t play catch-up against Toutle.”

Added Grabenhorst: “Our linemen did a good job (against Valley), but there were a couple of times where they came at us, and the difference between us breaking a big play and taking a big loss was one block. They were quick and strong. They won the line of scrimmage. That’s an important battle for us to win (tonight), especially early in the season, when skill kids are trying to get confident.”

Elsewhere Friday (all games at 7 p.m.):

Astoria (2-0) at R.A. Long (2-0): Quarterback/defensive back Jordan Poyer was the Oregon Class 4A Player of the Year in 2008, when he led the Fishermen to an undefeated season and state championship. Poyer graduated — and is a special teams gunner for Oregon State as a true freshman — but the cupboard is far from bare at Astoria. It returns 10 all-league players, including two wide receivers and an all-state fullback, plus four starting offensive linemen.

With all due respect to the GSHL 2A elite, this is clearly the best team on R.A. Long’s schedule. A major test for the undefeated Jacks (ranked 13th in Washington; Astoria is No. 2 in Oregon) in their home opener.

The game will be broadcast on KEDO-1400 instead of KBAM.

Fort Vancouver (1-1) at Kelso (2-0): Probably the easiest nonleague game on the Scotties’ schedule, this home cookin’ should keep Kelso’s considerable preseason momentum at full throttle. Fort is coming off an overtime victory over Ridgefield, but is also hitting the road for the first time and has allowed an average of 35.5 points per contest.

May be a game where Pat Hymes tinkers with his passing game — Kelso will need one once league begins — without abandoning meal ticket Lane Sari, who has rushed for 226 yards and two TDs to open his senior campaign.

Woodland (2-0) at Rainier (1-1): The Beavers finally get a test. Rainier offers an extreme upgrade in experience and physicality over Woodland’s first two opponents, and will seek to build on its interstate success after sweeping Kalama and Woodland on their home fields in ’08.

Beavers QB Trevor Hurn is in a rarefied zone. The senior ’slinger has completed 37-of-75 passes for 589 yards and six touchdowns running Woodland’s high-octane passing attack.

Castle Rock (1-1) at Ridgefield (0-2): Could the Spudders be just what the doctor ordered?

The Rockets need to re-establish their running game, their defensive reputation and their confidence after absorbing the full wrath of the top-ranked 1A team in the state last Friday. Ridgefield has struggled in its two losses, surrendering 34 points in defeats against La Center and Fort Vancouver.

Tenino (0-2) at Kalama (1-1): The rebuilding Chinooks may not have “come of age” in a stirring fourth-quarter comeback at Washougal in Week 2, but Kalama did earn its learner’s permit. The ’Nooks overcame a 21-6 deficit with big plays by Nathan Wilfong, Sean McVicker, Jacob Clizbe, Jacob Nieman, Ethan Oomittuk, and freshmen Austin Johnson and Tanner Vossen.

The good times should keep rolling on the turf tonight against a Tenino team that has hemorrhaged points in ’09.

Kalama had more than 400 yards of offense in the win against Washougal.

Ilwaco (0-2) at Naselle (2-0): Every poll and ranking in the state sees Naselle as a top-5 terror, and the Comets are earning their pub. Naselle has two quality wins under its belt — both teams the Comets beat are undefeated otherwise — and should stay unbeaten against a team that could really, really, really use some luck with injuries.

Ilwaco just deserves to stay healthy.

Toledo (2-0) at Montesano (2-0): If life were fair, this would be a late-October matchup, and Toledo would be healthy and hearty as opposed to limping and gasping into SWW Evergreen 1A Division play.

As it stands, the Indians will be missing a handful of key playmakers when they roll into Monte and butt heads with the ferocious, top-ranked Bulldogs. Art Walsh called Montesano’s effort in Castle Rock’s 43-0 loss last Friday flawless.

It’ll take that kind of show by Toledo for an upset to be possible.

Winlock (2-0) at Rainier, Wash. (1-1): See “Toledo.”

The Cardinals are banged up yet undefeated, thanks to a monumental display of intestinal fortitude during a Week 2 comeback victory at Stevenson.

Rainier is a bit of a mystery thanks to an uneven nonleague sample group. The Mounties were blasted by defending state champion Napavine, then manhandled 2B lower-division Raymond.

This is the Evergreen Division opener for both teams.

Clatskanie (0-2) at Culver (0-2): The first of four consecutive road games sends the Tigers to Class 2A titan Culver, which was the state runner-up last year. Like Clatskanie, the Bulldogs are looking for their first win of the season.

Jeron Cruz has flourished in the featured tailback role for the Tigers, who have impressed in stretches but suffered from lapses in two losses that were closer than the final score indicated.

Friday night radio

"Football Friday" (KUKN 105.5 FM, 6 p.m.)

Astoria at R.A. Long (KEDO-1400 AM, 6:40 p.m.)

Fort Vancouver at Kelso (KUKN 105.5 FM, 6:45 p.m.)