CORRECTION: A previous version of this article contained incorrect information. The name of Pe Ell-Willapa Valley’s interim head coach is Josh Seymour.
Week 5 of the prep football season brings league play for several Twin Harbors teams, including a Pacific County rivalry filled with intrigue.
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Raymond-South Bend at Pe Ell-Willapa Valley
When and where: 7 p.m. Friday at Crogstad Field, Menlo
Players to watch: RSB – Chris Quintana QB/DB, Chris Banker RB/LB, Isaac Schlueter RB/LB. PWV – Nathan Fluke QB/S, Cody Strozyk RB/MLB, Connor “Cheese” Keeton OL/DL; Blaine King WR/DB.
An always intriguing Pacific County rivalry game got a whole lot more interesting heading into Friday’s game at Willapa Valley High School.
That’s due to a recent and surprising coaching chance for the Pe Ell-Willapa Valley Titans (2-2 overall), whose head coach Nate Smith stepped down on Monday, Sept. 23 due to personal reasons.
Titans offensive coordinator Josh Seymour was announced as the interim head coach and guided PWV to a 34-28 victory over Lake Roosevelt on Saturday.
In that game, the Titans rallied from down 20 in the second half to tie the game and send it into overtime, where Cody Mican scored on a 4-yard touchdown run to secure the victory.
After opening the season with a win over Mossyrock, Raymond-South Bend (1-3) has struggled to slow down their opponents, allowing an average of 42 points per game over three straight losses, including a 47-7 defeat to Adna last week.
Since becoming a combo program in 2021, the Ravens have lost all four meetings to the Titans. PWV beat RSB 14-12 in on a wet, muddy Crogstad Field last season.
With rain in the forecast all day leading up to kickoff, this season’s matchup could very well see those wet and muddy conditions once again.
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DAILY WORLD FILE PHOTO Aberdeen quarterback Mason Hill and running back Legend Vessey (2) helped the Bobcats to a 34-9 win over Hoquiam in the Myrtle Street Rivalry on Friday. Aberdeen will face 2A Evergreen Conference foe W.F. West on Friday.
W.F. West at Aberdeen
When and where: 7 p.m. Friday at Stewart Field, Aberdeen
Players to watch: W.F. West – Gage Brumfield QB; Beau Guyette RB, Grady Westlund WR. Aberdeen – Micah Schroeder RB/LB, Mason Hill QB/S, Legend Vessey RB/LB, Adonis Hammonds WR/DB.
After another Myrtle Street Rivalry win last week, Aberdeen will have its hands full in its 2A Evergreen Conference opener against W.F. West.
The WIAA RPI’s 10th-ranked 2A team, the Bearcats (4-0) have been dominant in routing three of its four opponents this season, including two straight wins over Timberline (50-8) and Shelton (62-0).
W.F. West racked up 384 total yards of offense in last week’s victory over the Highclimbers, led by standout quarterback Gage Brumfield’s 152 passing yards, three touchdown performance.
Aberdeen’s defense held Hoquaim to three points until the Grizzlies scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter in last week’s win, but the Bobcats face a different animal against a W.F. West team that has dominated the series for over a decade.
W.F. West has won the past 11 meetings between the two teams, with Aberdeen’s last victory dating back to a 27-14 win on Oct. 26, 2007.
Some good news for Aberdeen is head coach Todd Bridge will return to the sideline after missing last week’s game due to a school board disciplinary decision made just hours before last week’s kickoff.
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PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Montesano linebacker Marcus Hale (left) and defensive lineman Kyle Caton (68) attack Napavine quarterback Grady Wilson during the Bulldogs’ 35-19 win on Friday. The Bulldogs open league play when they take on Tenino on Friday.
Montesano at Tenino
When and where: 7 p.m. Friday at Tenino High School
Players to watch: Montesano – Tyson Perry QB/LB, Gabe Pyhala RB/LB, Mason Rasmussen WR/LB, Terek Gunter RB/DB. Tenino – Mason Metcalf QB, Michael Vassar RB, Austin Gonia WR.
Montesano will face what may arguably be its toughest 1A Evergreen League opponent when the Bulldogs take on Tenino on Friday at Beaver Stadium.
Monte (2-2) is coming off two straight wins, including an impressive 35-19 victory over 2B powerhouse Napavine last week, serving notice to the rest of the league in the process.
The Bulldogs have regained some of the identity that has been the hallmark of past Monte teams: Run the football and stop the run.
Against Napavine, the Bulldogs ran for 255 yards while wearing out a Tigers team that tallied just 37 rushing yards in the second half.
Monte may need more of that and then some against a senior-laden Tenino club that is off to a 3-1 start and had nearly 500 total yards of offense in a 48-20 win over Centralia last week.
In that game, Tenino amassed 317 yards on the ground.
So when Tenino’s ground game meets up with Monte’s run defense, it may be a case of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.
Monte is 17-3 in its past 20 meetings against Tenino, with two of those Beavers wins coming recently in 2021 and 2022.
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DAILY WORLD FILE PHOTO Hoquiam quarterback Joey Bozich and the Grizzlies will host Toutle Lake in a non-league game scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday.
Hoquiam at Toutle Lake
When and where: 7 p.m. Friday at Toutle Lake High School
Hoquiam – Joey Bozich QB/LB, Kingston Case RB/FS, Winston Kaikaka RB/LB, Ethan Byron WR/DB. Toutle Lake – Jamison Shelb QB, Austin Webber WR.
Hoquiam (1-3) can wash away last week’s Myrtle Street Rivalry loss with a strong performance against Toutle Lake on Friday.
It’s been an up-and-down last few weeks for the Grizzlies after beating Raymond-South Bend two weeks ago before being humbled in a 34-9 loss to Aberdeen last week.
Consistency has been an issue for a young Grizzlies team led by quarterback Joey Bozich, running back Kingston Case and lineman A.J. Young, Hoquiam has shown it can move the ball between the 20s, but often comes up short in the red zone.
The Grizzlies will be looking to improve against a Toutle Lake team that was on the wrong end of a 48-0 loss to Toledo last week after two straight wins against Fort Vancouver and Winlock, by a combined score of 69-6.
In Hoquiam’s lone win this season, Bozich passed for over 200 yards and four touchdowns while Case carried the ball 22 times for 134. The Grizzlies didn’t have near that efficiency last week.
If they get close to those numbers once again, a second non-league victory could come on Friday.
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Rochester at Elma
When and where: 7 p.m. at Davis Field, Elma
Players to watch: Rochester – Xander Peterman RB, Ethan Rodriguez RB, Carter Rotter QB. Elma – Isaac McGaffey QB/S, Ethan Camus WR/DB, Traden Carter RB/LB; Blaize Salazar RB/DB.
After starting the season with two straight wins, Elma has hit a skid.
The Eagles have lost two straight and will be looking to right the ship when they play a key league game against Rochester on Friday in Elma.
Bad snaps, turnovers and costly mistakes led to Elma’s big first-half deficit in a loss to King’s last week.
Despite passing for a season-high 166 yards and sporting a 109.3 quarterback rating, Elma junior Isaac McGaffey and company couldn’t overcome an early fumble and a bad snap en route to a 47-7 halftime deficit last week.
The Eagles will have to sharpen up against Rochester, a team with size up front and speed in the backfield. The Warriors (2-2) have scored a combined 61 points in wins over Aberdeen (33-7) and Black Hills (28-13).
Rochester rushed for 249 yards in last week’s win while just attempting one pass in the game.
Elma is 6-1 against Rochester dating back to 2004. The two teams last played each other in 2019, a 63-14 victory for the Eagles.
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Other games
Lake Quinault at WA School for Deaf – The Elks (0-2) are still searching for their first win of the season and will take on the Terriers (0-2) at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday.
North Beach at Naselle – After opening the season with a win, they Hyaks have lost three straight and will face the undefeated Comets (4-0) at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Wahkiakum at Ocosta – The Wildcats (3-1) sit in third place in the Southwest Washington 8-man League and will host the Mules (1-3) at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Oakville at Taholah – The Chitwhins (2-0) look to win their third straight game when they host Oakville (2-2) at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Wishkah Valley at Clallam Bay – The Loggers (2-0) are off to one of the program’s better starts in recent memory and will face Clallam Bay (3-0) in a key Coastal League 6-man showdown at 7 p.m. on Friday.
