Reporter Paul Valencia and school administrators Cale Piland and Tony Liberatore discuss high school football, NIL, recruiting, Mariners, pro football, and more
Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com
In this episode of the Clark County today sports podcast, we discuss great moments in rivalry games with the former coaches after I watched a great rivalry game last week between Prairie and Battle Ground.
And there are plenty of ranking systems out there, and three weeks into the high school football season, we’ve got a bunch of teams from Southwest Washington that the computers “believe” have a chance to do something special this season.
Big news in college football this week does affect Clark County athletes. It’s NIL-related, promises kept, or promises never delivered, and the ever-changing landscape of college recruiting. All athletes in Clark County who will be playing in college have more options and obstacles than ever before in the recruiting process.
And, of course, we talk about our fandom. The Mariners are on playoff life support but still have a chance, as of this recording. The Raiders looked awful. We bond over our heartbreaks, knowing some day it will all be worth it.
Our podcast is simple. It’s me, reporter Paul Valencia, with Cale Piland, the athletic director for Evergreen Public Schools, and Tony Liberatore, an associate principal at Fort Vancouver High School who used to be in athletics. Both of them were also in the coaching ranks during their careers. We talk about local sports first, then go into professional sports, with a side trip to fantasy sports or non-sports from time to time.
We’re always interested in subject ideas for a future podcast. Email us a subject idea.
Send us your thoughts at: paul.v@clarkcountytoday.com.
Also read:
- The Study of Sports Podcast Dec. 30, 2025: A look ahead to 2026 with WIAA amendments, a year in review in high school sports, plus remembering the Mariners’ magical run
The latest Study of Sports Podcast looks ahead to proposed WIAA amendments, reviews high school sports in 2025, and reflects on the Seattle Mariners’ memorable run. - Virginia Rodeman defies limits and wins No-Gi World Championship in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Battle Ground athlete Virginia Rodeman won two divisions at the No-Gi World Championship in Las Vegas, continuing an eight-year rise in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition. - High school sports: Pac Coast Wrestling to showcase some of the best in the Northwest and beyond
Clark County will host major high school sports events next week, highlighted by the Pac Coast Wrestling Championships in Ridgefield and holiday basketball tournaments featuring local teams. - Columbia River salmon and steelhead endorsement goes into effect Jan. 1
Beginning Jan. 1, anglers 15 and older must purchase a Columbia River salmon and steelhead endorsement to fish for those species in the Columbia River and many Washington tributaries. - High school girls basketball: Union Titans give Brooklynn Haywood a homecoming in Alaska
Union traveled to Anchorage for two games that allowed Brooklynn Haywood to play in front of her hometown crowd while the Titans bonded through travel, cold weather, and on-court adversity.
