An East County Civil War with major playoff implications highlights the final week of the 2019 high school football regular season.

Montesano at Elma

When and Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Davis Field

Players to Watch: Elma — Cody Vollan QB/DB; Brady Shriver RB/LB; Isaiah O’Farrill RB. Montesano — Trace Ridgway QB; Sam Winter RB/LB; Aydan Darst RB/LB.

It’s been a tale of two seasons for the Montesano Bulldogs and Elma Eagles heading into the final week of the regular season.

The Bulldogs (8-0, 3-0 Evergreen 1A) have been dominant in every facet of the game en route to a spotless record. Not one team this season has come close to beating Monte. Led by the likes of quarterback Trace Ridgway, running back Aydan Darst, receiver Sam Winter and a stifling defense the Bulldogs have scored 427 points this season, an average of 53.4 per game. Defensively, Monte has allowed a paltry 38 points in 2019, an average of 4.5 per game.

Monte has scored no less than 41 points in a game this season and has allowed no more than 14 points in a game. The Bulldogs have four shutouts on the season and two games where they’ve allowed just six points.

In its last two games, Monte has outscored Hoquiam and Tenino by a combined score of 102-0.

By every statistical measure, Montesano has been utterly dominant in 2019.

The Elma Eagles, however, have had its share of difficulties in an up-and-down season that has seen them be on both ends of blowout games and nail-biters.

Elma (5-3, 2-1) won handily over teams such as King’s Way Christian, Rochester and Tenino but were on the wrong end of losses to Castle Rock, Aberdeen and Hoquiam.

But since its 32-7 loss to Hoquiam back on Oct. 11, Elma has put together two straight wins against Tenino and last week over Forks. The recent victories coincide with the return of athletic quarterback Cody Vollan to the lineup. The senior play-caller threw for 200 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s 27-24 victory over the Spartans as it appears the Eagles have righted the ship and are peaking at the right time.

Back from injury, Elma quarterback Cody Vollan, seen here in a file photo, threw for four touchdowns in last week’s victory over Forks. (Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group)

It’s a good thing for the Eagles too, as a victory would give Elma at the very least a share of the 1A Evergreen League title. And the Eagles would like nothing more than to spoil Monte’s perfect run with a season-finale blemish on the Bulldogs’ record.

But that’s easier said than done as their storied rivalry has been one-sided over the past decade-plus. Monte has defeated Elma 13 straight times dating back to 2005.

Monte head coach Terry Jensen isn’t taking anything for granted in a rivalry game where records can be thrown out the window.

“We don’t have anything locked up. There’s a lot riding on (the Elma game). It’s for a league championship and Elma is coming into the game a lot healthier now.”

WF West at Aberdeen

When and Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Stewart Field

Players to Watch: Aberdeen — Ethan Morrill RB; Connar Sherman RB; Gio Pisani WR/DB. WF West — Josiah Johnson QB; Jaiyden Camoza RB; Leandre Grimes WR.

If Aberdeen fans were told at the beginning of the season that the Bobcats would be playing for second place in the 2A Evergreen League in the final week of the season, many would likely have thought it to be pure fiction.

Yet here we are. If the Bobcats can somehow find a way to beat the Bearcats on Friday at Stewart Field, Aberdeen will finish no worse than second place in league behind the top 2A team in the state in Tumwater.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, we need to stop and realize an important fact: WF West is an excellent football team.

The Bearcats (7-1, 3-1) have an offense that has put up 45 points or more in six of its seven wins, including a 49-0 drubbing of Centralia in winning the annual Swamp Cup rivalry game last week.

WF West is ranked in the top 10 in multiple 2A state polls, yet has some question marks coming into Friday’s game. Talented WF West quarterback Josiah Johnson was knocked out of the first half of the Bearcats’ 34-0 loss to Tumwater two weeks ago with a concussion and did not play last week.

Freshman quarterback Gavin Fugate struggled against Tumwater in the second half as Johnson’s replacement, but went 9-for-10 for 140 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s victory.

Furthering issues for the Bearcats, starting running back Jaiyden Camoza was sidelined with an ankle injury last week. But WF West didn’t miss a beat as senior Leandre Gaines rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns in reserve.

Aberdeen (3-5, 2-2) took care of business against Rochester last Friday as running back Ethan Morrill rushed for over 300 yards by halftime in a dominant 50-6 win.

If the Bobcats manage to pull off the upset, they’d be alone in second place, holding the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Bearcats.

A loss doesn’t mean the Bobcats are out of it, as they could very well end up in a three-way tie with Black Hills and Centralia for third place in the league. A Kansas tiebreaker would be played the following Tuesday to determine league seeding heading into the crossover round.

It’s a situation Aberdeen head coach Todd Bridge didn’t necessarily picture his team being in at this point of the season.

“I’ll be completely honest with you, I saw the kids that we had and thought we could be Centralia and that we’d have the No. 4 seed,” he said. “If we were to have lost to Rochester, we would have taken last place in league versus now, where we could pull off the upset of the century and finish in second place behind Tumwater.”

Forks at Hoquiam

When and Where: 7 p.m. Friday at Olympic Stadium

Players to Watch: Hoquiam — Dane McMillan QB; Malaki Eaton RB; Cameron Bumstead WR/DB. Forks — Carter King QB; Hayden Queen WR; Ethan Bello K

The Hoquiam Grizzlies will have to put last week’s tough loss to Sequim behind them as they close out the regular season by hosting Forks on Friday.

And for the Grizzlies, there is still much to play for.

Hoquiam (5-3, 2-1 Evergreen 1A) sits tied for second place in the league standings with an identical record as Elma, whom the Grizzlies defeated 32-7 on Oct. 11.

A win over Forks combined with an Elma upset over Monte would mean Monte, Elma and Hoquiam would end the regular season in a three-way tie for first place.

So the Grizzlies, which were stopped inside Sequim’s 5-yard line multiple times and lost the game 14-12 on a questionable officiating call at the goal line, will have to refocus against a Forks team that is playing better under new head coach Trevor Highfield.

“They’ve got a new head coach that’s got those kids going and we’ve beat them five years in a row, so they’ll be motivated,” Hoquiam head coach Jeremy McMillan said of the Spartans.

Forks (4-4, 1-2) started the season 3-1 but has lost three of its last four games, including last week’s 27-24 loss to Elma.

But McMillan isn’t one to let his team get too far ahead of itself and start looking at possible playoff scenarios too early.

”We’re week-to-week and try not to look too far ahead,” he said. “We’re trying to be 1% better than we were last game.”

Hoquiam has also played one of the toughest scheduled in the 1A section based on opponents combined record. The Grizzlies foes this season are a combined 42-21, which McMillan remarked was “pretty tough.”

Hoquiam wide receiver Cameron Bumstead has a chance to surpass 1,000 yards in the regular season with a good game against the Spartans. The senior wideout has 52 catches on the season for 927 yards and 12 touchdowns through eight games.

Other Games

(All games 7 p.m. Friday unless noted)

Vashon Island at Raymond (5 p.m. Friday)

Chief Leschi at Ocosta

Pe Ell-Willapa Valley at Ilwaco

Taholah at Naselle

North Beach at Northwest Christian (1 p.m. Saturday)

South Bend at Lake Quinault (2 p.m. Saturday)