The Aberdeen Bobcats open league play with a key game against the Centralia Tigers as we take a look at this week’s prep football games on the Harbor.
Aberdeen at Centralia
When and Where: 7 p.m. Tiger Stadium, Centralia
Players to watch: Aberdeen – Grady Springer QB/DB; Aidan Watkins RB/LB; JaBron Brooks OL/DL; Paul Baltazar OL/DL. Centralia – Terrell Sanders QB, Kellen Rooklidge RB, Landen Jenkins WR.
It might be a little too early to say Aberdeen is in a must-win situation, but if the Bobcats are to earn one of those coveted 2A Evergreen Conference playoff spots, Friday’s game against Centralia is one they have to win.
Aberdeen is licking its wounds after a 38-7 loss to Monte in which the Bobcats were often their own worst enemy with eight penalties and four turnovers.
But when the Bobcats were able to avoid the miscues, they often found success against the Bulldogs, widely considered a top-five 1A team.
Bitter league-rival Centralia enters Friday’s contest having lost its first two games of the season, falling to Elma in overtime in Week 1 and falling to Eatonville 44-21 last week.
Centralia was led by running back Kellen Rooklidge, who put in a workhorse-like effort with 243 yards on 28 carries against the Cruisers.
In years past, there has been some bad blood between Aberdeen and Centralia, often leading to personal fouls and game-misconduct penalties.
The Bobcats will be looking to avoid racking up penalty yardage in hopes of picking up a victory against one of the teams in the lower echelon of the 2A EvCo.
Montesano at Columbia (White Salmon)
When and Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Columbia High School
Players to watch: Montesano – Jaxson Wilson QB/LB; Gabe Bodwell RB/DL; Cam Taylor OL/DL; Mason Rasmussen WR/LB.
Montesano enters Friday’s game against winless Columbia (White Salmon) riding high after opening the season with two convincing wins over 2A EvCo teams.
The Bulldogs have outscored its opponents by a combined 82-14 and racked up more than 400 yards in each of its wins.
Monte has found success on the ground with standout senior running back Gabe Bodwell and through the air with senior quarterback Jaxon Wilson connecting with receivers Bode Poler and Mason Rasmussen for big plays.
That trend should continue against the winless Bruins, who were outscored 50-15 in a Week 1 loss to Goldendale followed by a 13-7 defeat to Stevenson last week.
La Salle at Hoquiam
When and where: 6 p.m. Friday at Olympic Stadium, Hoquiam
When and Where: Hoquiam – Zander Jump QB/DB; Dominic Standstipher RB/LB; Trevor Turpin OL/DL; Chance LaBounty WR/DL. La Salle – Johan Valladares QB/LB, Kai Hanrahan WR/SS, Andrew Mauch WR/DB.
When Hoquiam hosts La Salle on Friday, be sure to keep an eye on the quarterbacks.
Both Grizzlies senior Zander Jump and Lightning signal-caller Johan Valladares were electric in leading their teams to victory last week.
Jump had arguably the best game of his prep career, accounting for more than 300 yards of offense and scoring six touchdowns, including a pick-six interception return from his free safety spot on defense.
Jump’s breakout performance led to a 50-20 win over Fort Vancouver in a game where the senior rushed for 181 yards on just 13 carries and passed for 181 yards.
Valladares was equally dynamic for the undefeated Lightning (2-0) running for two scores and passing for two more in a 28-21 win over Omak.
Valladares rushed for 210 yards and hit 10-of-18 passes for 113 yards in the win.
La Salle’s defense was also opportunistic in the win with four interceptions, two by Andrew Mauch.
Castle Rock at Elma
When and where: 7 p.m. Friday at Davis Field, Elma
Players to watch: Elma – Carter Studer QB; Isaac Phillips FB/MLB; Isaac McGaffey WR/DB; Jacob Meadows WR/CB. Castle Rock – Trevor Rogen QB/FS; Owen Langdon WR; Stephen Ibsen RB/FS.
Elma looks to get back into the win column when it faces Castle Rock on Friday in Elma.
The Eagles (1-1) were held scoreless through the first three quarters in a 40-20 loss to Cascade Christian last week before rallying for 20 points in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Carter Studer passed for 286 yards and three touchdowns, but was also picked off three times in the loss.
Receiver Isaac McGaffey filled up the stat sheet with 286 yards and two scores on just five catches for the Eagles, which rushed for eight yards on nine carries.
Castle Rock (0-2) is also coming off a loss, falling 16-7 to Kalama.
The Rockets were without standout running back Stephen Ibsen, who was out with a lower body injury.
Castle Rock struggled to find much offense without its catalyst in the game, managing just a first-quarter touchdown catch by Owen Langdon.
Ilwaco at Raymond-South Bend
When and where: 7 p.m. Friday at Raymond High School
Players to watch: Ilwaco – Boston Caron RB; Ethan Hopkins QB; Robert Sanders TE. RSB – Austin Snodgrass QB/LB; Ferrill Johnson RB/DB; Robby Stigall RB/LB.
After being upset to open the season, Raymond-South Bend found its explosive offense in a dominant 62-29 win over Wahkiakum last week, overcoming an early 10-0 deficit.
The Ravens (1-1) did most of their damage on the ground, with running backs Ferrill Johnson and Robbie Stigall each eclipsing 130 rushing yards.
Ilwaco has also found success on the ground this season in its two victories.
The Fishermen (2-0) routed North Beach 47-0 in the opener – tallying 232 rushing yards – and ran all over Toutle Lake for a 49-0 win last week.
Ilwaco is facing a considerably tougher opponent in the Ravens, who are currently ranked in the top 10 in some of the state’s 2B class media polls.
Pe Ell-Willapa Valley at Wahkiakum
When and where: 7 p.m. Friday at Wahkiakum High School
Players to watch: PWV – Nathan Fluke QB; Tyson Portmann RB/LB; Blake Howard RB/LB; Cody Strozyk TE/LB. Wahkiakum – Zakk Carlson QB/SS; Kyler Sause WR/DB; Jacob Johnson WR/DB.
So far, so good for new head coach Nate Smith after guiding the Pe Ell-Willapa Valley Titans to victories over Mossyrock and Adna.
PWV (2-0) has featured a balanced offense through two games, rushing for 160 yards while passing for 144 as a team.
That’s good news for a team that had uncertainty at the quarterback position to start the season, but with junior Nathan Fluke assuming the starting role and Tyson Portmann joining Blake Howard to form a potent running back tandem, the Titans may have found some stability in the backfield.
Wahkiakum is searching for its first win of the year after falling to Rainier and Raymond-South Bend.
The Mules (0-2) have allowed 96 points in two games and are led by senior quarterback Zakk Carlson, who has passed for 587 yards and rushed for a team-leading 242 yards this season.
Other games
Ocosta at North Beach – Ocosta and North Beach renew their rivalry, this time in 8-man football, when they meet at 7 p.m. Friday in Ocean Shores.
Lake Quinault at Easton – The Elks have a long trip east to take on Easton in a 6-man game at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Easton.
Wishkah Valley at Evergreen Lutheran (Tacoma) – The Loggers look to get into the win column when they face Evergreen Lutheran at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Franklin Pierce High School.
Taholah at Oakville – The Chitwhins open their season against Oakville (0-2) at 7 p.m. Friday in Oakville.
PHOTO BY LARRY BALE Raymond-South Bend quarterback Austin Snodgrass (3), seen here against Wahkiakum on Sept. 8, will lead the Ravens against undefeated Ilwaco in a Week 3 matchup.
PHOTO BY FOREST WORGUM Hoquiam senior quarterback Zander Jump (10), seen here against Fort Vancouver on Sept. 8, and the Grizzlies will take on undefeated La Salle on Friday at Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam.
DAILY WORLD FILE PHOTO Montesano quarterback Jaxson Wilson (10), seen here against Aberdeen on Sept. 8, and the Bulldogs will look to go 3-0 when they face Columbia (White Salmon) on Friday.
