Just like that, we’re more than halfway through the regular season. As we stare down October in Lewis and Thurston counties, let’s get into another set of games to end the week with:
THURSDAY
Shelton at Centralia
If Centralia is going to get over the hump and into the win column this fall, it’s got to be soon. The Tigers have been stuck in single digits on offense this entire season, and need to find a bit more production if they’re going to have a shot at a Shelton team that two weeks ago beat the Rochester side that just took out Centralia.
Kalama at Onalaska
What a difference a year makes. Last fall, this game was played on a Saturday, and just about the entirety of the C2BL went to Kalama to watch two of the top three teams in the state duke it out. This year, the Loggers and Chinooks are a combined 2-7. Will that pull back on the bad blood that’s boiled between these two teams the past few years? Yeah, probably not at all.
Morton-White Pass at Napavine
MWP’s sparkling 4-0 start took a haymaker to the chest last Friday in a 41-8 loss to Pe Ell-Willapa Valley, and the sledding isn’t likely to get any easier with a trip to the No. 1 team in the state. Napavine's backups did give up two whole touchdowns last Saturday — though playing against a 2A, the Tigers get a pass on that front — but Ashton Demarest, Cael Stanley, and the rest of the offense don’t look like they’ll be slowing down anytime soon.
FRIDAY
Rochester at W.F. West
Do you believe in trap games? W.F. West might still be pinching itself after the most dominant regular season win anybody’s had over Tumwater in a decade. In two weeks, the Bearcats get one of the best late-season non-league games, hosting 1A No. 1 Eatonville. But in between, Chehalis has to deal with a pesky Rochester squad that got a bit of its offensive mojo back last Friday, putting up 38 points on Centralia.
Aberdeen at Tumwater
The sky is not falling in Tumwater after last Friday. But if there’s one thing the T-Birds’ first loss to a fellow 2A side since 2018 showed — along with their 8-6 win over North Kitsap — it’s that they’ve got some adjusting to do to beat the top teams in the state, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The good news for Tumwater is that it now has a month to figure things out before postseason play begins.
Black Hills at Elma
What started out so promising for Black Hills this season has gone a bit sideways thanks to an unfortunate rash of injuries knocking out multiple key starters. Back-to-back losses have the Wolves backing into their final non-league matchup of the season against 1A Elma, sitting at 2-3 overall this fall.
Tenino at Hoquiam
Tenino gave No. 1 Eatonville all it could handle last weekend, but finds itself needing a bounceback performance after its first loss of the season. Next up on the docket is 3-2 Hoquiam, which just squeaked out a 33-30 win over Elma. Five weeks into the season, nobody’s been able to keep Tenino’s Dylan Spicer under 100 yards on the ground, and the senior has hit 200 in two of the past three weeks.
Toledo at Wahkiakum
Toledo’s looking better and better in three wins since its season-opening loss to Raymond-South Bend — and that loss is looking better and better as well as the Ravens continue to roll. But the Riverhawks needed a statement win, and a first victory over Onalaska since 2018 will do that for you. Now, they get the dreaded test of a trip to Cathlamet, which itself can be the great equalizer for games against Wahkiakum. Adna barely came back north with its skin last Friday, we’ll see if Toledo can manage better.
Rainier at Raymond-South Bend
If one thing’s clear this year in 2B football, it’s that the power balance in District 4 is shifting north, and that’s a tough thing for a team like Rainier. The Mountaineers did get into the win column last week at Ilwaco, but now it’s back to the grindstone to take on another highly-ranked side in RSB. In another league on the other side of the mountains, a rebuilding year like this could’ve gone a bit better in terms of record. But there aren’t any easy weeks for Rainier.
Adna at Stevenson
If Adna thought its trip to play Wahkiakum was long, the Pirates only had to wait seven days to blow that one out of the water with a bus ride down to the Oregon border and a good deal east to play Stevenson. This time around, Jason Dunnagan will be looking for a faster start after the long ride; the Pirates still sit above .500, but it’s been a few weeks since their offense really clicked.
Ilwaco at Pe Ell-Willapa Valley
Quality losses are all well and good, but PWV needed to make a statement with a win, and blowing out Morton-White Pass last week did just that. Beating Ilwaco won’t be nearly as big a message-sender, but with a date with Raymond-South Bend looming next week, a chance to keep the offense humming and momentum growing will be welcome.
Oakville at Winlock
The focus here for Oakville has to be making sure Naselle only beat the Acorns once; if they can wipe a tough time against a top-five team in the state from their focus fast, they’ll be fine going forward. A good example of that: Winlock, which bounced back from its own loss to the Comets with a shellacking of Sound Christian. If the Acorns can get their mojo back on offense, this one could be a back-and-forth battle, and maybe even an upset special.
SATURDAY
Mossyrock at Evergreen Lutheran
Mossyrock got an unexpected bye when Taholah had to forfeit last week, and the Vikings will be hoping to be rested and not rusty when they head up to Tacoma on Saturday. If previous weeks are indication, the field at Franklin Pierce High School should resemble a runway for the Vikings to take off from; Evergreen Lutheran is 0-4 and has yet to hold opponents under 66 points.
