This championship was a year in the making, making up for 15 years without a title.
The Skyview Storm are the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League football champions.
“It’s kind of crazy to think about. It’s a surreal feeling,” Skyview quarterback Dugan Logue said after Skyview’s 47-3 victory over Battle Ground clinched the outright league title for the Storm. “It’s super fun to be out here with all my buddies, doing what hasn’t been done in a super long time.”
This will mark the 12th time in the past 14 seasons that Skyview has qualified for the playoffs. Storm football is usually among the top teams in the region and respected around the state for playing in November.
Still, even with that impressive run, the Storm have not won a league title since 2011.
Surreal, indeed.
That drought is over now.
“We just rally behind each other and we trust our coaches,” linebacker David Dudko said. “We have a great coaching staff. The best in the state.”
“We expected it. We had a helluva offseason, putting in so much work,” added linebacker Toren Baker. “We knew all we had to do was our job this season. That’s what we’ve been doing. That’s what the results show.”
That offseason started almost immediately after last season’s rare losing season at Skyview. The Storm went 3-6, missed the postseason, and every returning player from that team promised to return Skyview to its winning ways.
“They just showed up and worked every day since December,” Skyview coach Matt Hamlin said. “They wanted to start before Christmas break last year. They’ve been dedicated in the weight room. We have great leadership from our seniors, and we have young kids who are following their leaders. It means a lot to me, but I feel really great for our kids.”
Logue threw four touchdown passes Friday night at Kiggins Bowl. The Storm have now scored 31 or more points in all eight of their victories this season.
With that said, the Skyview defense is even more impressive. An assistant coach who has been with or around the team for decades said this is likely the best defense in program history. That is a special kind of praise.
“This has been a great program for many years. To be called the best defense, that means everything,” Dudko said.
Skyview also has a chance to match the 2006 Storm with a perfect regular-season record. The 2026 Storm will finish the season against Union next week. Records-wise, it looks like Skyview is in good shape, but Baker and Dudko said the Storm will remain focused.
“The most important week is this week,” Dudko said, noting that is this year’s motto.
The Storm will worry about Week 10 when it’s Week 10. But now, it’s all about Week 9.
“We’re not looking past Union,” Baker said. “Week to week, we’re here to kick some …”
And then celebrate with each other.
“I bleed blue,” Dudko said. “I came here my freshman year. I grew up in Missouri. I came here, and right away I knew. I love where I’m at.”
“It’s a brotherhood. It’s my home. It’s my family,” Logue added. “All these guys around me, I trust them with everything.”
While the Storm might be focused on week to week battles, they also acknowledged that they hope those battles last deep into November and maybe even December.
“We’re looking at a state ‘ship right now. We’re on a roll,” Logue said. “We have the momentum to get there.”
“It feels great to get this victory, to get this league championship, but we’ve got bigger goals,” Baker said. “We’re on to the next thing.”
…
Battle Ground has some promise, too
This game got away from the Tigers by the end of the first half. Not the result they were looking for, but they also understand there is more football for them.
Sure, not too many people expect them to win next week against Camas. But the Tigers believe they have a shot.
That, right there, is progress.
It wasn’t that long ago that Battle Ground was an afterthought in the 4A GSHL.
Not anymore.
The Tigers have made the postseason in two of the past three seasons and at 5-3 overall they have clinched a winning regular season for the third time in the past four years. That was after six consecutive losing seasons.
Coach Mike Woodward has turned the program around since his arrival in 2022.
“We’re doing some good things,” Woodward said. “To be honest, we haven’t been looking back. We’re in the moment, but yet, we need to appreciate the moment, enjoy the moment.”
Earlier this year, Battle Ground got back in the Camas game, trailing 28-25 in the second half before Camas scored two touchdowns to secure the victory. Next week, it’s the rematch — for second place in the league and a playoff spot.
“The perception before was… Battle Ground, ‘Those kids are tough, and they will battle.’ Now, we’re in these games,” Woodward said. “Our expectations have changed. I feel like our kids go into every game thinking, ‘We’re going to win this thing.’ It’s no longer, ‘Let’s just keep it respectable.’”
The Tigers have 17 seniors.
“We’ve got some really great kids who work hard. We love them. They’re just believers,” Woodward said.
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