4A Greater St. Helens League
Skyview
Camas
Battle Ground
Union
Evergreen
Mountain View
Heritage
BATTLE GROUND: The Tigers are off to a slow start. Still, there are athletes on this team that will cause trouble for opponents. Jossilyn Blackman had double-doubles in the first two games of the season.
CAMAS: Is this the team that can knock off Skyview from the top of the 4A GSHL? Time will tell, but this team has talent. And finally getting healthy, too. Nikki Corbett and Brenna Khaw are recovering from knee injuries. Together, they make for an impressive combo.
The Plainsmen started 1-2 this year. Moriah Doyle scored 16 points in the team’s first win. Expect http://www.columbian.com/admin/news/story/256072/#Evergreen to always give a strong defensive performance.
HERITAGE: The Timberwolves promised to be more competitive this year, and they already have kept that promise with three non-league wins. Still hoping to get a league. Only two seniors on this squad.
MOUNTAIN VIEW: Joining the 4A GSHL, the Thunder will be looking to gain experience. The team is led by three juniors — Christina Lundy, Hailey Hartney, and Emilly Moore.
SKYVIEW: Some give the nod to Camas. But really, until someone from the 4A GSHL knocks off Skyview, the Storm will be the team to beat. Skyview lost a ton of talent to graduation, but the Skyview tradition is strong. Look for new stars — HJ Adams, Gen Lo — to emerge.
UNION: Coach Kelly Blankenship takes over a program that is used to winning but is still hoping to make “the leap.” Not 100 percent healthy in the early going, look for the Titans to improve.
3A Greater St. Helens League
Prairie
Kelso
Columbia River
Fort Vancouver
COLUMBIA RIVER: A quick start to the non-league season has given the Chieftains some confidence and grabbed the attention of AP voters. Yes, the Columbia River Chieftains are ranked in girls basketball. Team has several players with the ability to lead the team in scoring on any given night.
FORT VANCOUVER: It already has been a better year for Fort. The Trappers got a non-league win last week. “We are young, but we are much-improved,” coach Arlisa Hinton said.
KELSO: Any team with strong shooters poses a threat. Earlier this season, Kady Bruce made a school-record eight 3-pointers. Watch out for the Hilanders.
PRAIRIE: The Falcons still play tenacious defense. This team gets so many more scoring opportunities, because of that defense. When their shots are falling, look out. The Falcons are always the league favorite.
2A Greater St. Helens League
Mark Morris
Woodland
Washougal
Hockinson
R.A. Long
Ridgefield
Hudson’s Bay
HOCKINSON: Finished second in the league a year ago and return seven players, including three starters. Athletic team.
HUDSON’S BAY: This is a building year for the Eagles and former college coach Nancy Boone, who is returning to high school coaching. “We had a lot of kids try out, but we’re young. We’re really young,” she said.
MARK MORRIS: Simply put, one of the best teams in the state regardless of classification. The Eaton sisters (Kourtney and Karley) and Ashley Coons are seniors. So there is hope for the future for the rest of the league.
R.A. LONG: Other coaches say R.A. Long is another strong team, too. Yikes, this league is loaded.
RIDGEFIELD: The Spudders have a win over a 1A program and losses to 4A programs. Bailey Hooghkirk scored 30 points in a win over Stevenson. Any time someone puts up 30, that’s someone to keep an eye on the rest of the year.
WASHOUGAL: Alyssa Blankenship is one of top players in the region. The Panthers expect to be one of the top teams in the league, too. With Mark Morris, Hockinson, and R.A. Long, as well as Woodland moving into the league, and Washougal, you know, this might be one of the best leagues in the state.
WOODLAND: The Beavers were undefeated in the regular season last year as a 1A team. Now they are in the 2A GSHL, just making the league even stronger. Jessica Flanagan was the Trico League MVP a year ago. She’s back to help the Beavs transition to the new league.
1A Trico League
Kalama
La Center
White Salmon
Seton Catholic
Stevenson
Castle Rock
LA CENTER: With the return of league co-MVP Katie Whitten, the Wildcats expect to compete with Kalama for the top spot. Whitten scored 1,000 points last year.
SETON CATHOLIC: Lizzie Sheldon and Amy Fraizer combined to score 42 points in team’s first game. So there is some scoring power there.
STEVENSON: Three different players have led team in scoring in first three games, and Ari Morris had 13 steals in a game.
Rest of league: Kalama should be the team to beat. White Salmon expects to be upper-middle of the pack.
