Greater St. Helens League has serious football playoff chases in 3A, 2A this week

If favorites follow through and win their Greater St. Helens League regular season football finales this week, then the playoff chase is cut and dried. But that’s rarely the case, so keep a piece of paper handy, as the GSHL’s 3A and 2A divisions still have a myriad possibilities. It’s over in GSHL Class 4A, …

If favorites follow through and win their Greater St. Helens League regular season football finales this week, then the playoff chase is cut and dried. But that's rarely the case, so keep a piece of paper handy, as the GSHL's 3A and 2A divisions still have a myriad possibilities.

It's over in GSHL Class 4A, where Camas is No. 1 and Skyview No. 2, regardless of Friday's outcomes. Friday night's feature game is Camas at Union, a tradition rival of Camas-based schools that always has meaning, even if no playoffs are at stake. With its 42-14 win over Prairie last Friday, Mountain View (5-3, 4-0) nailed down the GSHL's No. 1 seed. Kelso travels to Kiggins Bowl to play Hudson's Bay this Friday in a game with significant playoff implications. The Kelso-Bay winner is No. 2. The Hilanders are No. 3 if they lose, but should Hudson's Bay lose, the Eagles could be No. 3 outright, involved in a three-way playoff with Evergreen and Prairie, or out of it altogether depending on the Mountain View-Evergreen and Prairie-Fort Vancouver outcomes. In 2A, Hockinson and Columbia River are tied for first at 4-1, Washougal is 4-2 and finished with league play, Woodland is 3-2 and Ridgefield 2-3. If Hockinson beats R.A. Long (1-7, 1-4) and Columbia River defeats Ridgefield, it's over: Hockinson is No. 1, Columbia River No. 2 and Washougal No. 3. Columbia River is in the playoffs, regardless of its outcome against Ridgefield on Thursday. But if Hockinson somehow falls at R.A. Long (1-7, 1-4), the possibility exists of a three-way tie for second between Washougal, Woodland and Hockinson. That would require a tie-breaker playoff next week to determine the league's No. 2 and 3 berths. In Trico Class 1A, La Center has clinched No. 1, and King's Way, which plays a non-league game against Benson of Portland, awaits its playoff fate based on the outcomes of White Salmon and Stevenson games. The possibilities for King's Way are the No. 2 or 3 seeds, or at worst, a three-way tie-breaker playoff next week. The Week 10/district playoffs are held Nov. 4-5, with winners advancing to 16-team state playoff brackets in their respective classifications.  

• Ridgefield at Columbia River 7 p.m.

• Battle Ground at AC Davis, 7 p.m.
• Camas at Union, 4:30 p.m.
• Heritage at Skyview, 8 p.m.
• Hockinson at R.A. Long, 7 p.m.
• Mark Morris at Woodland, 7 p.m.
• Washougal at Rainier (Ore.), 7 p.m.
• Kelso at Hudson's Bay, 5 p.m.
• Fort Vancouver at Prairie, 7 p.m.
• Evergreen at Mountain View, 7:30 p.m.
• Castle Rock at La Center, 7 p.m.
• King's Way vs. Benson (Ore.) at Jefferson (Portland), 7:30 p.m.

Battle Ground 33, Heritage 7 Camas 37, Sunnyside 12 Skyview 43, Union 28 Hoquiam 48, Hockinson 40 Hudson's Bay 61, Fort Vancouver 0 Columbia River 35, Mark Morris 21 Washougal 27, R.A. Long 19 Woodland 38, Ridgefield 16 Mountain View 42, Prairie 14 Kelso 30, Evergreen 12 La Center 30, White Salmon 6 Stevenson 19, King's Way 18