The regular season comes to an end this week for just about every area team in football, volleyball and girls soccer.
By Friday night, we should have a clearer picture on which teams will be heading to district, bi-district and state preliminary playoffs next month.
So let’s take a look at how those league races are shaping up heading into the final week of league play.
Football
4A Greater St. Helens League: The league championship and Nos. 1 and 2 seeds to the state preliminary round will be determined by the winner and loser of the Skyview-Union game at McKenzie Stadium. The No. 3 seed to the playoffs will be determined in the early game at McKenzie on Friday, when Heritage plays Evergreen.
3A GSHL: The easiest solution on Friday would be a Camas win over Kelso and a Mountain View win over Columbia River. In that scenario, Camas wins the 3A GSHL title and claims the No. 1 seed to the state preliminary playoffs. Mountain View would take the No. 2 seed and Kelso would be No. 3.
However, if Kelso and Mountain View win, it would set up a three-way tie for first, which would require some kind of tiebreaker.
If Kelso and Mountain View both lose, that would set up a three-way tie for second place among Kelso, Mountain View and Columbia River, with two teams going to the playoffs and one staying home. That tie would require an on-field tiebreaker.
2A GSHL: R.A. Long and Mark Morris have clinched the league’s two district playoff spots and will play for the league title.
1A Trico: Toledo can claim the No. 1 seed from the Trico and its automatic berth to the state playoffs with a win over Castle Rock. Stevenson will get that spot with a win over White Salmon and a Toledo loss. A Stevenson win would also assure the Bulldogs the No. 2 seed and a home district playoff game next week.
La Center clinches a playoff berth with a win over Kalama or a Ridgefield loss to last-place Ilwaco. If La Center wins, the Wildcats claim the No. 3 playoff seed. Ridgefield will clinch a playoff spot with a win and will take the No. 3 spot with a win and a La Center loss.
Volleyball
4A GSHL: Skyview has clinched the league title and will advance to the bi-district tournament Nov. 5-6. Union and Heritage will have a playoff match on Nov. 2 for the league’s second berth to the bi-district tournament.
3A GSHL: Camas has clinched the league title, and Prairie has locked down the No. 2 seed to the district tournament. Columbia River and Kelso also have clinched district tournament spots. Mountain View needs one more win, or one Hudson’s Bay loss, to lock down the final berth.
2A GSHL: R.A. Long has clinched the league title, while Mark Morris and Woodland are tied for second place at 6-4. The Monarchs and Beavers will end the regular season with a match Thursday at Woodland.
1A Trico: Castle Rock’s win over Ridgefield on Thursday all but locked up the league title for the Rockets, who end the season with matches against Ilwaco and Toledo — teams that have one league win between them. Ridgefield has locked up second place. Stevenson faces a key match Tuesday against Kalama in the Bulldogs’ hopes to finish in third place.
Girls soccer
4A GSHL: Skyview finishes the regular season against Evergreen on Tuesday. A win or tie by the Storm will give Skyview the league title. Union has a solid hold on second place, leaving Battle Ground and Evergreen to battle it out for third place. The Tigers and Plainsmen play Thursday.
3A GSHL: Camas has clinched the league title. Prairie and Kelso are tied for second and have clinched bi-district berths. Each have one match left. But Kelso’s match is against Camas, so the Falcons have an edge in claiming the No. 2 seed. Hudson’s Bay faces a must-win game against Mountain View on Tuesday if the Eagles hope to keep their hopes of claiming a district playoff spot alive.
2A GSHL: Hockinson and Washougal enter the final week tied at 9-2. But the Hawks have two wins over the Panthers. Hockinson will clinch the league title with a Washougal loss to Mark Morris on Tuesday or a win over R.A. Long on Thursday.
Tim Martinez is the assistant sports editor/prep coordinator for The Columbian. He can be reached by phone at (360) 735-4538 or e-mail at tim.martinez@columbian.com
