Evergreen coach Christian Swain gets soaked by his team in the closing seconds of Evergreen’s win over Heritage on Friday night, a victory that clinched a league title for the Plainsmen. Photo by Paul Valencia

Christian Swain was smart enough to put his hoodie over his head just before his Evergreen football players celebrated their league title by soaking their head coach. Photo by Paul Valencia

The Plainsmen won their first league title since 2007 to highlight Week 8 of the high school football season, and Week 9 will feature three other league championship games

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

For many of the players, it was a celebration a lifetime in the making.

The Evergreen Plainsmen are the 2024 Class 3A Greater St. Helens League football champions.

“It shows how hard this program works. We had a goal. We stuck to the goal,” said sophomore Damian Perez, a linebacker who made play after play Friday night in Evergreen’s 49-7 win over Heritage to clinch at least a share of the league title.

Perez is 15 years old.

Evergreen linebacker Damian Perez made a bunch of great plays Friday night in Evergreen’s win to clinch a league title. A 15-year-old, Perez was not alive the last time Evergreen won a football league title. Photo by Paul Valencia

The last time Evergreen won a league title in football was 2007.

“It demonstrates how hard we work,” Perez said of the championship. “This team, we’re not only a team. You look around, we’re a family. You look, shoulder to shoulder, those are your brothers. (We’ve got a sister on the team, too.) We just work so hard for each other.”

This is celebration season in high school football, a time when league champions are crowned.

Evergreen became the first league champion in Southwest Washington this season, claiming the 3A GSHL in Week 8.

Next week, crowning moments will take place in the 4A GSHL, the 2A GSHL and in the Trico League, featuring the area’s Class 1A programs. The schedule makers should be proud of themselves, with all three of those leagues coming down to Week 9 showdowns between teams that have undefeated league records.

Something’s gotta give between Camas (8-0 overall, 2-0 4A GSHL) and Skyview (6-2, 2-0).

Something’s gotta give between Ridgefield (8-0, 6-0 2A GSHL) and Woodland (6-2, 6-0).

And something’s gotta give in one of the biggest games in the state for the small schools when La Center (8-0, 4-0) hosts Seton Catholic (8-0, 4-0) for the Trico League title.

What a finish.

But always remember, Evergreen started things off by finishing some business in the 3A GSHL in Week 8.

James Bethune scored three of his four rushing touchdowns in the first quarter Friday night, leading the Plainsmen to the victory over Heritage at McKenzie Stadium. Evergreen improved to 7-1 overall and 4-0 in league play. Evergreen hopes to complete an undefeated regular season next week against rival Mountain View, but no matter the result, Evergreen is a league champion with the league’s top seed. Kelso, at 3-1 in league play, lost to Evergreen earlier in the season.

There you have it. Evergreen is the 2024 league champions.

Senior Mark Williams said he loved the sound of that title. The 2023 Plainsmen had a ton of senior talent, but it was the 2024 squad that broke through with this accomplishment.

“It was about working hard at practice, and contributing with everything, including working in school. The small things matter,” Williams said. “We worked hard to get here, and we never gave up on each other. We had our ups and downs, but we never gave up.”

Mark Williams Jr., a senior with the Evergreen Plainsmen, said he and his teammates have been working hard on and off the field in order to earn the success they have had this season. Photo by Paul Valencia

He called Evergreen his “home” and his team is like family.

Evergreen coach Christian Swain reminded his team just how they arrived at this championship. The journey was not paved with just X’s and O’s in a football playbook.

“Our No. 1 team goal is to have a 3.0 team GPA or better, our No. 2 team goal is to be a class team with unity, and the No. 3 team goal is to work to our maximum potential every day free of entitlement,” Swain said.

Do those three things, and the winning takes care of itself, he reminded the Plainsmen.

“It’s hard to win,” Swain said. “It’s hard to win, especially in the GSHL with the quality of the coaches in the programs. I’m really, really just humbled that we were able to accomplish it. Obviously our kids and our coaches have worked really hard and they are excited for the future.”

That would be the immediate future as well as the long-term future.

Again, Evergreen wants to finish league play undefeated with a win against Mountain View in Week 9, and then Evergreen will find out its opponent for the Week 10 playoffs.

The players will be working for each other, and they’ll be inspired by their coaches, Perez said.

The league title, Perez said, is “a way to pay back how much time and effort these coaches put into this. These coaches really love us.”

Evergreen coach Christian Swain said he did not want to talk too long after Friday's game, because this night belonged to the players. Evergreen clinched a league title in football for the first time since 2007. Photo by Paul Valencia — Evergreen coach Christian Swain said he did not want to talk too long after Friday’s game, because this night belonged to the players. Evergreen clinched a league title in football for the first time since 2007. Photo by Paul Valencia

From Week 8 family feel from Evergreen, we turn our focus to Week 9’s intensity.

Every league in Southwest Washington will have games that matter in Week 9, but the three games that will determine league championships are clearly in the spotlight:

Class 4A GSHL championship: Camas vs. Skyview, 7 p.m. Kiggins Bowl, Friday, Nov. 1

Class 2A GSHL championship: Ridgefield at Woodland, 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1

Trico League championship: Seton Catholic at La Center, 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1

Something’s gotta give.

What a night.