Hockinson Hawks • Woodland Beavers • Columbia River Chieftains • Washougal Panthers • Ridgefield Spudders
King’s Way Christian Knights • La Center Wildcats • Seton Catholic Cougars
La Center still with a shot at league title
La Center Wildcats (3-5, 3-1 Trico League)
Week 8: La Center 35, White Salmon 28
Next: vs. Castle Rock, 7 p.m. Friday at La Center High School
A crazy season indeed.
The La Center Wildcats have one final regular season game. They could win a share of a league title. Or they could be out of the playoffs altogether.
“Isn’t it wild?” asked La Center coach John Lambert.
The Wildcats, with a young team and a tough non-league schedule, started 0-4 this season. They have won three of their last four games to put them 3-1 in Trico League play.
They take on Castle Rock this week, which is 2-2. Meanwhile, the first- and second-place teams play each other.
So … if La Center wins to finish 4-1, and White Salmon tops Stevenson, all three will finish 4-1, tied for a league title and then hold a tiebreaker Monday to determine seedings.
Then again, if Castle Rock beats La Center, and Stevenson beats White Salmon, there will be a three-way tie for second place and only two of those teams can make the playoffs, along with league champion Stevenson.
Yes, Coach Lambert, this is wild.
Speaking of wild, the Wildcats had themselves a wild finish last week to put themselves in position to possibly tie for a league title.
Tom Lambert threw a touchdown pass to Andrew Scott with a second or two left on the clock for a 35-28 victory.
There was so much drama in the closing minutes, too.
On first down, there was an incomplete pass. On second down, Lambert found Scott in the end zone, but Scott was ruled to be out of bounds, so the pass was called incomplete. There were 7.8 seconds left, so the Wildcats sent out the field goal team, just in case that final play took took long to develop.
A pre-snap penalty moved what would have been a 25-yard field go to a 30-yard attempt. Then White Salmon tried to ice the kicker with back-to-back timeouts.
That gave Coach Lambert time to think about allowing quarterback Lambert one more chance at throwing the ball.
“I told him to throw it where only Andrew could catch it,” the coach recalled.
Oh, and throw it quickly. Don’t waste any time. If it’s not there, throw it out of bounds and then the Wildcats could kick the field goal on fourth down.
“Andrew high-pointed it, and it was good,” Lambert said of the catch to win the game.
“It felt good for the kids,” the coach said. “We’ve come a long ways. A lot of teams could have been broken.”
Yes. A month ago, the Wildcats were 0-4.
Still for any of this to matter, in terms of playoffs, the Wildcats have to finish this turnaround with a home game against Castle Rock. A win and La Center is in the playoffs for sure.
King’s Way Christian, Seton Catholic to start a rivalry
Seton Catholic (3-5, 0-4 Trico)
Week 8: Castle Rock 27, Seton Catholic 26
Next: vs. King’s Way Christian, 1 p.m. Saturday at Seton Catholic HS
King’s Way Christian (2-6, 0-4 Trico)
Week 8: Stevenson 48, Kings’ Way Christian 7
Next: at Seton Catholic, 1 p.m. Saturday
Just call it the Pride of Padden Parkway.
Two small, private schools from Vancouver who opted up to play Class 1A will face off in a true league game.
A couple years ago, they were a combined program. Last season, Seton Catholic played a hybrid league schedule. In the two previous matchups, according to archives on MaxPreps, the teams were not in the same league.
The future starts now. Both schools expect only to grow their football programs. On Saturday, it is a league game and bragging rights between the two teams that are roughly 2 miles from one another, along Padden Parkway.
Class 2A Greater St. Helens League playoff spots already locked
Hockinson Hawks (7-0, 5-0 2A GSHL)
Week 8: Hockinson 49, Washougal 12
Next: at Ridgefield, 7 p.m. Friday
Woodland Beavers (7-1, 4-1 2A GSHL)
Woodland Beavers (7-1, 4-1 2A GSHL)Week 8: Woodland 40, Columbia River 7
Next: vs. Mark Morris, 7 p.m. at Woodland High School
Columbia River Chieftains (5-3, 4-2 2A GSHL)
Columbia River Chieftains (5-3, 4-2 2A GSHL)Week 8: Woodland 40, Columbia River 7
Next: vs. Clarkston, 6 p.m. Friday at Columbia River HS
Washougal Panthers (4-4, 2-3 2A GSHL)
Washougal Panthers (4-4, 2-3 2A GSHL)Week 8: Hockinson 49, Washougal 12
Next: at R.A. Long, 7 p.m. Friday
Ridgefield Spudders (3-4, 1-4 2A GSHL)
Ridgefield Spudders (3-4, 1-4 2A GSHL)Week 8: Bye
Next: vs. Hockinson, 7 p.m. Friday at Ridgefield
The three playoff spots are secure. Hockinson is looking for its second consecutive perfect regular season and has the top seed from the 2A GSHL. Woodland wants to finish 8-1. The Beavers are No. 2 in the standings. Columbia River finished league play last week and is No. 3. … Washougal won’t make the playoffs but still has a shot at a winning season.
