Union faces Camas, Skyview meets Heritage tonight
Guess one could argue this has been rather predictable, this journey to Week 9 of the high school football season.
Hey everyone, it’s Union vs. Camas for the Class 3A Greater St. Helens League title. Shocking, right?
Oh, and don’t forget, Skyview and Heritage are playing for the top seed in the 4A GSHL.
Looks a lot like 2008, doesn’t it?
Still, that does not mean it hasn’t been a wild ride, this journey.
Union has not given up a point in league play. Camas’ lone loss of the season, a non-league game against 4A Skyview, was by two points. Oh, and with both teams at 7-1 and 4-0 in league, it’s the first time two Clark County schools have had at least seven wins going into a game against each other since the 2004 Evergreen-Mountain View clash.
In the 4A GSHL, Skyview has a passing attack with quarterback Austin Dodge to match with just about any team, including Heritage, with Division I quarterback recruit Garrett Grayson.
The Storm have rolled in a couple of games and have survived a couple of close games to get to 4-0 in league. Heritage, meanwhile, shook off what could have been a debilitating loss to Evergreen to rally for two wins in a row to set up tonight’s contest for first place.
Then there is intrigue. Should Heritage lose, there is a possibility for a three-way tie for second place with Evergreen and Kelso. If that happens, the three teams will meet Monday at Battle Ground High School’s District Stadium for a modified tiebreaker, with the survivor taking the second playoff spot.
But first thing’s first: championships and top seeds.
“A lot of people felt this game was going to be inevitable,” Union coach Cale Piland said. “It’s here. It’s two well-run programs. There are a lot of questions on both sides right now. We’re excited to match up and see what happens.”
A year ago, Camas gave Union its toughest contest of the regular season. The Titans held on for a 26-21 victory to improve to 9-0. The Papermakers have been looking forward to this game since that night.
“We’ve known this was coming for a long time,” Camas coach Jon Eagle said. “I think these type of things are win-win. Any time you can play in an atmosphere that we’re going to play, it’s a neat thing, a neat memory. Not everyone gets to play a Week 9 like this. It’s a great opportunity for our kids, our program, and our community.”
Camas athletic director Terry Cavender said this could be the biggest crowd in Doc Harris Stadium history. Expect standing room only crowds in the small venue that will be renovated as soon as the season concludes.
Both coaches report their teams are relatively healthy except for the typical bumps and bruises seen through eight weeks of football. Both respect one another’s programs, as well.
“I’ve watched a lot of them on tape. Pretty impressive,” Eagle said of the Titans.
“We’re going to have to play a really good football game to do the things we want to do,” Piland said.
The 4A game features two teams that have been hit hard by injuries this season. Heritage lost its top returning running back to a knee injury in August and has lost three linebackers the past two weeks. Skyview also lost its leading rusher this season, as well as its starting center, among others.
“We’ve had more guys out for the season than the first five years I’ve been here,” Skyview coach Steve Kizer said. “Just one of those years.”
Heritage is also fighting that sick bug that’s been going around the county.
“We have eight or nine starters either injured or sick,” Heritage coach Nate Becksted said.
But he promises that is not meant to be an excuse if things do not go his team’s way tonight.
“We see it as our young guys, the future of our football program, getting a chance to step up,” he said. “We’re happy to be in the situation we’re in. More than a few people had written us off.”
Heritage (4-4, 3-1 in league) struggled to a 1-3 non-league record, then lost to Evergreen in Week 6, the second league game. The Timberwolves then had to rally from 15 points down to beat Kelso and also won a close game against Mountain View to get to 3-1 in league and in this position.
Becksted told his players after the Evergreen loss that they still had control of their destiny.
“We knew Skyview was going to be undefeated (in league). If we want to be league champs and have the No. 1 seed, we gotta beat Skyview,” Becksted said. “All of our goals are still on the table. We can still win a league championship, still get a home playoff game.”
Skyview (6-2, 4-0 in league) already has clinched at least a share of the title. But the Storm want the league’s No. 1 seed, and the benefits that go with that.
“We’re playing for home-field advantage. We want to play at Kiggins,” Kizer said. “That’s our biggest incentive. We want to play at home. If you look at the brackets, we’d play home quite a few times. That’s huge.”
Of course, pride is on the line, too. Two years ago, Heritage beat up Skyview. Last year, the Storm returned the favor with a lopsided contest.
“They’ve had their backs against the wall two weeks in a row, and they’ve come up big,” Kizer said of the Timberwolves. “They want to get us back from last year. They got the revenge factor going on over us.”
Playoff notes
n Evergreen needs a win to get to 3-2 in the 4A GSHL. The Plainsmen need Heritage to lose to drop to 3-2. If there is a two-way tie, Evergreen would advance with its win over Heritage. However, if Kelso also wins to get to 3-2, there would be a three-way tie, setting up the Monday night challenge. If Heritage and Kelso end up 3-2, Heritage advances.
n Columbia River can claim the third playoff spot in the 3A GSHL with a win over Prairie. If Prairie wins, the Falcons could get the spot, or there could be a three-way tie for third place with Hudson’s Bay. A three-way tie would be broken with a tiebreaker Monday night at Doc Harris Stadium in Camas.
n R.A. Long and Mark Morris are playing for the 2A GSHL title. Woodland is already in at No. 3. Hockinson hosts Washougal in a game to determine the final playoff spot.
