The Evergreen 1A League will know which team will survive the storm as the league leader after Friday night.
Two other leagues will know the same thing, too, after all is said and done this weekend.
While the entire Washington coast battens down the hatches to prepare for three typhoon-quality storms scheduled to hit today through Sunday, Hoquiam and Montesano are preparing for their annual fight for league supremacy.
On Friday, Olympic Stadium’s natural grass field will be the site of the Grizzlies-Bulldogs. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
At Crogstad Field in Menlo, Pe Ell-Willapa Valley will greet Ilwaco in a battle of Southwest Washington 2B Coastal Division undefeated teams. The winner will have a clear path toward a top seed into November’s district-to-state crossover games.
On Saturday afternoon, Taholah and Naselle will meet up in eight-man football to determine which team will likely be a state qualifier at 1 p.m. at Ben Charley Field.
Hoquiam-Montesano
Over the last couple of years, this matchup has been the must-watch football game on the Harbor in the Evergreen 1A.
The winner of this game has gone on to win the league, but only Montesano has turned in postseason success, including a state semifinal run last season. Hoquiam cracked into the quarterfinals for the first time in years last season.
With the rain and wind expected to play a part in this contest, this edition will be memorable.
“It is just another game, but with a bit more meaning; it has been that way over the last few years,” HHS head coach Rick Moore said. “The winner of this game is in the driver’s seat with a clear view (for the league title). There are a lot of ramifications.”
“Our preparation will always be the same every week, regardless of who we are playing,” Montesano head coach Terry Jensen said. “With only five teams in the league, every league game is crucial.”
The two teams are similar on offense in style, but not function — find a team-wide balance to keep teams from gearing up on one portion of the offense and take advantage of spots given by the defenses.
Hoquiam’s rushing offense, led by senior running back Artimus Johnson, has allowed the Grizzlies to grind the football and open up the passing lanes for quarterback Gregory Dick and his receivers.
“Hoquiam will be the best team we have played this year,” Jensen said. “One of the things that stands out is the quality of depth they have on their roster; not too many 1A teams have that luxury. They have been more balanced offensively than last year and certainly Artimus Johnson has been a big key for them.”
Montesano’s vaulted rushing offense hasn’t missed a beat with junior running back Carson Klinger plowing through defenses and quarterback Trevor Ridgway running the offense efficiently. Ridgway has also found his rhythm as a passer, with Klinger and Nate Chapman being the main beneficiaries of his throws.
“After the La Center game, we made some changes (to our run defense),” Moore said. “Traditionally, Montesano is tough to stop on the run. You have to account for their trap, their counters, their zone runs. They are disciplined and we need to be disciplined as well. We have to be aware of them trying to out-leverage us and when they go off-balance.”
If the weather turns bad and the Olympic Stadium grass becomes a muddy quagmire, both teams’ well-laid plans will be water logged. It could turn into a run offensive game that’ll turn on one team’s mistake.
“The big thing for us is we need to play fundamentally sound: take care of the football, limit penalties, tackle well and sustain blocks,” Jensen said.
“If (the weather) gets ugly, it will affect what both teams will do,” Moore added. “The game will come down to matchups. We need to be balanced across the board on offense and defense.”
Aberdeen head coach Kevin Ridout, whose team has faced both Montesano and Hoquiam earlier in the season, believes it’ll be a tight, seven-point contest between the two.
“I wish this game was on Saturday, so I could go watch it myself,” Ridout said. “Montesano doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. Hoquiam has the standouts. The matchup is awesome. Whichever team can put together the team plan to take advantage of their strengths will prevail.”
Coach Moore cited Johnson for his work on offense and defense, especially at linebacker, along with Anthony Nash and Jackson Folkers on defense and Dylan Moodenbaugh and Dick on offense.
Aberdeen-Tumwater
The last time Aberdeen prevailed over Tumwater was in 1997, a 21-14 win for the Bobcats at Stewart Field with Robby Lonborg as head coach and Ridout as an assistant coach.
This matchup at Tumwater Stadium will be the final Aberdeen-Tumwater game for longtime T-Birds head coach Sid Otten, who gave Ridout his first coaching job in 1982.
“They have a good staff and they’re a good group of people, too,” Ridout said. “Make no mistake, they are a top quality team. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find success against them. We’re going to go there toe-to-toe against them and see what transpires.”
Tumwater took out Centralia, 41-0, last week in Centralia, capitalizing on special teams touchdowns — a game-starting muffed kickoff return for a score and a kickoff return for a score — to add to 325 yards of rushing offense.
Last week, Aberdeen couldn’t find its rhythm on the road in a 49-7 loss to Black Hills at Tumwater Stadium. It will be a tough matchup for the Bobcats on Friday.
“I think (Kylan) Touch and Braden Castleberry-Taylor are two of the best receivers in the league, so Tumwater will have to account for them,” Ridout said. “How they defend them will show us what will open up for the rest of the offense. We have to attack the area that opens up and we need to find a way to do that.”
On defense, Aberdeen will have to adjust its lineup to match and counter Tumwater’s Wing-T offense, which presents an entirely new set of challenges.
“We have to control the line of scrimmage; the one thing that kills you in the Wing-T is penetration and space,” Ridout said. “We are planning on being more disciplined up front. We need to maintain gap integrity.
“The guys know they need to play solid ball,” Ridout added. “What a great way to play Tumwater and show them what we have, go show them how Aberdeen plays football. I think we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Other games
Elma and Tenino will have a pivotal game between themselves with the chance to grab the league’s third and final crossover berth still available. Davis Field will also be a challenge for both teams if the weather turns ugly, but the Eagles’ Ira Hartford has powered the offense with nearly 1,000 yards rushing so far this season. … PWV and Ilwaco are undefeated in division play right now. If the Titans prevail, they’ll have two rivals in North Beach and Raymond left on the schedule before the crossover games. A Titan win would make life easier for a possible home crossover game.
