For some, Week 9 is the last chance to send the seniors out on the right foot with one more game with their brethren. Others see the final week of the regular season to clinch playoff berths with the glimmer of hope they can go on a magical run to Husky Stadium.
There’s plenty at stake for the 14 area teams that will play on Thursday and Friday for potentially the last time in 2025. Of note, Toledo and Tumwater will not play this week.
Here is a capsule look at the final 10 games of the regular season.
W.F. West (6-2) at Black Hills (2-6), Thursday, 7 p.m.
Believe it or not, there is an outside chance that the Wolves can make it into the Class 2A Round of 32. They will need to beat the Bearcats to create a three-way Kansas tiebreaker with Aberdeen for two playoff spots. Black Hills has lost three in a row and quarterback Jesse Keith is three rushing scores away from 10 on the season. Wyatt Hoffman and W.F. West are looking to bounce back from a multi-turnover game last week against Tumwater.
Tenino (6-2) at Aberdeen (5-3), Thursday, 7 p.m.
The final non-league contest for the Beavers will see them try to end with a seven-win regular season for the first time in three years. Tenino is coming off a shutout loss to arch rival Rochester in the Scatter Creek Showdown. It would be its second win of the season over a 2A program. Meanwhile, the Bobcats are trying to win their third game over a 1A foe. They clinch a playoff spot with a Black Hills loss.
Adna (6-2) vs. Pe Ell/Willapa Valley (6-2) at Pe Ell, Thursday, 7 p.m.
The C2BL East title will either be settled outright on the day before Halloween or create chaos. If Adna triumphs, it completes an unbeaten league slate. If PWV pulls off the victory, then those two plus Napavine – so long as it beats Forks – would all have beaten each other. Any tiebreaking scenario is unknown as of writing these capsules. The Titans could see Blane King and Lucas Lusk get to double figure TDs. The Pirates haven’t won a league title since 2018.
Napavine (4-4) at Forks (1-7), Thursday, 7 p.m.
So much for that 1-4 start dooming the Tigers’ chances of going far. They are a victory and PWV loss away from being the No. 2 seed out of the C2BL East and hosting a crossover game next week. Grady Wilson saw limited snaps in his first game back last week, but the Caleb Von Pressentin show rolled on with another 200-plus yard effort on the ground. Forks scored 37 points in its first league win, then have combined for 29 in three straight setbacks.
Mossyrock (1-5) vs. Morton-White Pass (3-5) at White Pass, Thursday, 7 p.m.
Despite having shortened numbers that required a forfeit, the Vikings are one win away from getting into the Week 10 crossover. First-year head coach Robbie Dailey has loved the effort of his team all year, but fumbles have been a constant issue. An MWP victory plus a Toutle Lake loss will force a coin toss between those two and Rainier for third-through-fifth in the C2BL West. Kohen Ingalsbe is nine yards away from a 500-yard rushing campaign.
Toutle Lake (5-3) at Onalaska (6-3), Thursday, 7 p.m.
The three losses on the season are the most for the Loggers since 2023 plus Friday’s shut out loss to Toledo was the first time they lost to Adna 39-0 in 2016. Onalaska can still host a Week 10 crossover next week with a victory. Ethan Thayer will try to get back top triple digits on the ground after a season-low 17 yards last week. Surprisingly, Toutle Lake can nab the C2BL East No. 2 seed with a victory. The Ducks’ Jamison Shelb has thrown for 12 touchdowns this fall.
Rainier (3-5) at Centralia (2-6), Thursday, 7 p.m.
Two teams that didn’t have a Week 9 game are meeting at Tiger Stadium in an area head-to-head clash. The Mountaineers are going to play in a Class 2B crossover next week either at home or on the road. Since starting 0-4, Rainier has reeled off three wins and two wins have been 40-point outbursts. Centralia won its first home game in 22 tries last week and both victories have been via shutouts.
Winlock (3-5) at Wahkiakum (8-0), Thursday, 7 p.m.
The Cardinals are coming off a dominant 50-14 win over Muckleshoot Tribal, but they have a tall task ahead of them in their final regular-season contest. Wahkiakum is not only unbeaten at 8-0, but those eight wins have come by an average of 49.5 points. Last week was the Mules’ closest win, but they still topped Northwest Christian (Lacey) 54-22. They have not scored fewer than 52 points all season, and they’ve allowed fewer than 10 four times.
Rochester (6-2) at Hoquiam (3-5), Friday, 7 p.m
The Warriors bounced back nicely from a Week 7 loss last Friday, routing Tenino 46-0 in the Scatter Creek Showdown. It was the fifth time this season that Rochester has scored more than 40, and they’re facing a Hoquiam defense that has allowed that many or more five times this season. The Grizzlies are coming off one of their better defensive performances, though, as they allowed just 13 points in a loss against Elma last week.
Naselle (7-1) at Oakville-North River (3-5), Friday, 7 p.m.
It’s a short week for Oakville-North River, which lost its third straight game on Saturday against Entiat. It’s a tough week to have a short week, as the Acorns will prepare to host Naselle, which has lost just one game. The Comets have scored at least 50 points in six of their seven wins, and in the seventh, they still put up 40 in a win over Ocosta.
