Week 6 prep football preview, picks
A 9-3 week last week pushes the season record to 56-12 (82 percent). Hey, that’s better than my free throw percentage in high school.
I clanked a few last week, picking against Ridgefield, Stevenson and R.A. Long (the last one was a close one).
So it made me think — which teams have been right on their outcomes each week? There are quiet a few.
First there are the winless teams: Hudson’s Bay, Fort Vancouver, Seton Catholic. OK, so you don’t have exactly be Nostradamus to get those picks perfect.
Then there are the unbeaten teams: Camas, Battle Ground, La Center. Well, you know, you get on a good thing, you keep riding it until it bucks you off.
But Union is 4-1 this season, but I’m 5-0 on picking the Titans’ game. Even more impressive, Skyview is 3-2, but I’m 5-0 on predicting Storm outcomes.
Let’s see if we can keep those perferct marks going in Week 6.
Here are the Week 6 previews:
FRIDAY’S 4A GSHL GAMES
Battle Ground (5-0, 1-0) vs. Union (4-1, 1-0)
When, where: 5 p.m., McKenzie Stadium
Radio: KKOV 1550 AM or www.1550talk.com.
Last week: Battle Ground beat Evergreen 40-6; Union beat Heritage 56-19.
Game notes: Battle Ground is 5-0 with five convincing wins. That’s the good news. On the flip side, none of the teams the Tigers beat have a winning record. … Kevin Haynes saw limited action last week vs. Evergreen, but still leads the county in rushing with 924 yards and 10 TDs. … QB Ian Humphrey almost doubled his passing output for the season last week. He now has 807 yards and 13 TDs … Union QB Nolan Henry has completed 25 of 30 passes over his past two games. He has 904 yards passing and 5 TDs on the season. … The Titans shut down two pass-heavy offenses the past two weeks (Heritage and Bonney Lake). Now, they’ll get a test in stopping Haynes.
Columbian’s take: Battle Ground’s battle cry for the season is “Something to prove.” The Tigers will prove a lot with a over Union. In three meetings with Union, the Tigers have been outscored 157-19. Prediction: Union 28-20
Heritage (1-4, 0-1) vs. Skyview (3-2, 0-1)
When, where: 7 p.m., Kiggins Bowl.
Last week: Heritage lost to Union 56-19; Skyview lost to Camas 42-17.
Game notes: Last week’s loss to Camas snapped a 15-game winning streak in 4A Greater St. Helens League games for the Storm that dated back to 2008. … Heritage QB Loren Standiford leads the county with 1,653 passing yards and 19 TDs. … WRs Tim Hergert (691 yards, 9 TDs) and E’Lon Mack (534, 7 TDs) continue to be 1-2 in receiving. … Mack has been limited to four catches in the past two games as opponents focus their attention on him. … Heritage is allowing opponents to score an average of 46 points a game.
Columbian’s take: The last time Skyview lost, the Storm came back to shut out Columbia River 42-0. Shutting out Heritage will be tough, but the Storm will be highly motivated this week. Prediction: Skyview 52-13
Evergreen (2-3, 0-1) vs. Camas (5-0, 1-0)
When, where: 7 p.m., Doc Harris Stadium, Camas.
Last week: Evergreen lost to Battle Ground 40-6; Camas beat Skyview 42-17.
Game notes: Not much to say about this one, except Camas is really, really, really good. Evergreen? Not so much. … The Plainsmen opened the season 2-2, but had really faced a team with an accomplished passing game. Last week against run-first Battle Ground, QB Ian Humphrey lit up the Plainsmen for 372 yards and 6 TDs. … Camas QB Reilly Hennessey had three games of 300+ yards passing this season.
Columbian’s take: Camas beat Skyview without a lot of passing from Hennessey. The Papermakers won’t need much this week either. Prediction: Camas 48-6
FRIDAY’S 3A GSHL GAMES
Columbia River (2-3, 1-0) vs. Kelso (5-0, 1-0)
When, where: 7 p.m., Schroeder Field, Kelso HS
Last week: Columbia River beat Fort Vancouver 62-12; Kelso beat Hudson’s Bay 40-0.
Game notes: With QB Clayton Frank back from injury, River’s offense has made strides since the second half of a Week 4 loss to W.F. West and last week against Fort. That will be important against a tough Kelso defense. … River has scored 102 points in its two wins, 22 in its three losses. … Both teams have wins over Heritage (River 40-34; Kelso 49-46). Kelso beat Mark Morris (17-7), while River lost to the Monarch (20-6) without Frank. … The loser of this game figures to be the front-runner for the 3A GSHL’s No. 3 berth to the state preliminary round.
Columbian’s take: Kelso is rolling right and at home. That ought to be enough, but the Chieftains will give them a battle in this classic rivalry. Prediction: Kelso 26-20
Hudson’s Bay (0-5, 0-1) vs. Prairie (1-4, 0-1)
When, where: 7 p.m., District Stadium, Battle Ground HS.
Last week: Hudson’s Bay lost to Kelso 40-0; Prairie lost to Mountain View 49-21.
Game notes: Hudson’s Bay has scored 14 points in five games this season. One touchdown came on a game-opening kickoff return against Hockinson in Week 3. … Prairie has lost four in a row since a season-opening win at Rainier, Ore. … Prairie QB Jacob Austin has seen his passing yards increase the past two weeks. He threw for 194 yards and 2 TDs last week against Mountain View.
Columbian’s take: Despite their recent struggles, a playoff berth is not out of the question for Prairie. Prediction: Prairie 27-6
Fort Vancouver (0-5, 0-1) vs. Mountain View (3-2, 1-0)
When, where: 8 p.m., McKenzie Stadium.
Last week: Fort Vancouver lost to Columbia River 62-12; Mountain View beat Prairie 49-21.
Game notes: The Trappers haven’t had much success this season, but at least they are putting up some stats. QB Jordan Suell has passed for 200+ yards in three of five games this season. WR William Doty is fourth in the county with 424 receiving yards. … No secret was Mountain View plans to do: run, run run. … RB Carl Falls leads the Thunder with 548 yards and 5 TDs; Austin Mace follows with 5334 yards and 3 TDs.
Columbian’s take: The Thunder should roll in this one. Prediction: Mountain View 48-6
FRIDAY’S 2A GSHL GAMES
Washougal (3-2, 0-1) vs. Ridgefield (4-1, 1-0)
When, where: 7 p.m., Ridgefield Stadium, Ridgefield HS.
Last week: Washougal lost to R.A. Long 34-31; Ridgefield beat Hockinson 42-18.
Game notes: Washougal is still stinging after letting a 23-6 lead get away in the fourth quarter against R.A. Long … RB Bobby Jacobs is second in the county in rushing with 819 yards on 67 carries and 8 TDs. … Ridgefield’s Clayton Farr has rushed for 451 yards and 11 TDs. He also has 27 receptions for 254 yards and 2 TDs. … Ridgefield QB Gunnar Long has passed for 674 yards, while Washougal QB Guy LaRue has tossed for 641. … Apart from the River Ridge game, Ridgefield’s defense has been very good, allowing 38 points in four wins.
Columbian’s take: The Spudders had a solid 2A GSHL debut led by solid defense. We expect another strong showing. Prediction: Ridgefield 33-19
Mark Morris (4-1, 1-0) vs. Hockinson (3-2, 0-1)
When, where: 7 p.m., Nautilus Field, Hockinson HS.
Last week: Mark Morris beat Aberdeen 42-6; Hockinson lost to Ridgefield 42-18.
Game notes: Hockinson’s running game was absolutely shut down last week by Ridgefield. The Hawks rushed for 21 yards, leaving QB Jess Krahn to carry the load with 292 yards passing. Hockinson will need better production from the ground game this week. … Mark Morris has been led by its defense this season, holding opponents to 36 total points in five games. … Prairie had a hard time running vs. the Monarchs, and River’s Remick Kawawaki rushed for just 41 yards against them.
Columbian’s take: Some folks thought this game could decide the league title. But after Hockinson’s loss to Ridgefield, it appears that game is still down the road. Prediction: Mark Morris 21-13
FRIDAY’S 1A TRICO GAMES
Stevenson (2-3, 2-3) vs. Ilwaco (1-4, 1-4)
When, where: 7 p.m., Ilwaco HS
Last week: Stevenson beat Kalama 30-0; Ilwaco lost to Woodland 62-0.
Game notes: Stevenson stuck to the ground to beat Kalama last week. Josh Anderson rushed for 99 yards, Zack Iwrin for 71 and Jacob Schneider for 73. … After being outscored 136-14 in their first three games, the Bulldogs have won their last two, outscoring foes 80-0.
Columbian’s take: The winning ways will continue for Stevenson. Prediction: Stevenson 27-7
Seton Catholic (0-5, 0-5) vs. White Salmon (2-3, 2-2)
When, where: 7 p.m., White Salmon Columbia HS
Last week: Seton Catholic lost to Toledo 60-13; White Salmon lost to La Center 36-7.
Game notes: There was good news to report for the young Cougars last week. Seton took its first lead of the season (3-0) on an Erik Powell field against Toledo. … QB Will Noce-Sheldon passed for 85 yards and rushed 61 vs. Toledo. … Drew Fuller rushed for 43, including a 26-yard TD run.
Columbian’s take: The Cougars may not get a win this season, but they are making progressPrediction: White Salmon 40-13
Woodland (4-1, 4-0) vs. Toledo (4-1, 4-0)
When, where: 7 p.m., Toledo HS.
Last week: Woodland beat Ilwaco 62-0; Toledo beat Seton Catholic 60-13.
Game notes: Toledo has played a very soft schedule so far, and the Indians did what they needed to in those games. Their lone loss was a 7-6 loss to Forks in Week 3. Forks is 2-3. … Toledo ran only 17 plays in its win over Seton. QB Lakota Rakoz completed four passes for 182 yards, including three TDs. … Woodland QB Hunter Huddleston completed five passes for 197 yards vs. Ilwaco, including 3 TD passes.
Columbian’s take: If Woodland can get past Toledo, the next big test figures to come in Week 9 against La Center. Prediction: Woodland 26-20
FRIDAY’S 1A TRICO GAMES
Tenino (5-0) vs. La Center (5-0)
When, where: 7 p.m., La Center Middle School.
Last week: La Center beat White Salmon 36-7; Tenino beat Rainier (Wa.) 62-6.
Game notes: According to statewidestats.com, Tenino QB has passed for 1,162 yards and 15 TDs in four reported games. He lit up Washougal for 460 yards in Week 2. … Devante Harris is his No. 1 target with 32 catches for 693 yards and 10 TDs. … Harris had 921 yards of total offense. … La Center QB Dylan King has passed for 689 yards and 13 TDs. … The Wildcats have three RBs with 290 yards rushing or more: Jared Huddleton (358), Connor Fulton (330) and Wyatt Aguirre (290).
Columbian’s take: La Center has not seen a passing offense like Tenino’s, which will present them with a unique defensive challenge. Prediction: Tenino 28-26
