Gavin Packer, shown here last year against Camas, had a slow start to this season due to an injury but he scored three touchdowns last week for the Skyview Storm. Skyview takes on Camas on Friday night. Photo by Mike Schultz

Camas looks to continue its winning ways against Skyview, while undefeated teams La Center and Seton Catholic face off in the Trico League

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

For Class 4A football in Southwest Washington, this is the week everyone has been waiting to witness.

For Class 1A football, this is the week that maybe no one saw coming, but here we go: two undefeated teams about to clash.

For Class 2A football in the region, well, just try to predict this week, next week, and beyond. It’s up in the air.

And in Class 3A football, while it is not a done deal, Mountain View looks to be in control.

Week 7 of the high school football season kicks off Thursday night with a doubleheader at McKenzie Stadium. Heritage is taking on Evergreen in a 3A GSHL game at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, followed by an intriguing 4A GSHL matchup when Battle Ground takes on Union.

Intriguing? A league game that features Battle Ground is intriguing? Yes. This is the new Battle Ground football program. The program that had won a total of eight games from 2017 to 2022 now sits at 6-0 this season. No, the Tigers have not played a tremendously difficult schedule, but 6-0 is 6-0.

Union, on the other hand, has won a couple games in a row after a slow start.

This season, three of the four 4A GSHL will make it to the Week 10 state preliminary round playoffs. With only three league games, every matchup is big. But in the recent past, everyone else in the league — Camas, Skyview, and Union — just counted the Battle Ground game as an automatic win. We don’t know what’s going to happen the next three weeks, but Battle Ground can no longer be taken lightly. That’s intriguing.

Of course, the biggest game in the league, and one of the biggest games in the state is Friday night when Camas (5-1 overall) hosts Skyview (6-0) at 7 p.m. at Doc Harris Stadium.

As discussed in the Clark County Today podcast, Skyview has had some incredible teams over the years, some might even say better teams than Camas, yet Camas has prevailed, year after year in this rivalry.

Trenton Swanson, shown here last year against Skyview, is one of Camas’ top playmakers. Camas takes on Skyview on Friday night. Photo by Mike Schultz

OK, not every year. Camas is 13-4 in 17 matchups. But Skyview last beat Camas in 2011. Since then, Camas has won 12 consecutive meetings, including two in one season when the teams also played each other in the state playoffs.

Sure, Camas has won a few of these games by wide margins. But there have been four, five, maybe even six games when it seemed like Skyview was about to take the lead, or had a huge lead. Somehow, Camas has found a way.

Last year, Skyview led 33-14 … in the fourth quarter. Camas won.

That’s just one example of the difficulties Skyview has had while trying to finish off the Papermakers.

So, the question remains: Is THIS the year for Skyview? Or will Camas continue to rule this series?

Oh, and no matter who wins this game, both teams have the talent to go on long playoff runs in November. Would be pretty cool to see these two teams play each other again this season.

Hey, it’s happened before, so it could happen again.

Want to hear about something that has never happened before this year? The Seton Catholic football team with six wins.

That’s right. The Cougars are 6-0, the first time the program has won six games in a campaign. Friday, they want to make more history by beating La Center for the first time. Of course, that’s a huge challenge. The Wildcats are also 6-0. The Trico League game of the week is 7 p.m. Friday at Seton Catholic.

The 2A GSHL is as chaotic as any league has been in recent memory in Southwest Washington. Three teams sit at 3-1, and three more are at 2-2. Earlier this year, Woodland beat defending champion Washougal, then lost to Columbia River, and then River lost to Hockinson. Hudson’s Bay, meanwhile, beat Ridgefield, Ridgefield beat Washougal, and then Washougal beat Hudson’s Bay.

This week, it’s Woodland and Bay, with one team assured of getting to 4-1. Ridgefield will face Columbia River.

Oh, and in the 3A GSHL, Mountain View is at Kelso. If Mountain View wins, the Thunder will claim at least a share of the league title and earn the No. 1 seed from the league.