Camas, Skyview, and La Center get home football games in first round of state playoffs
Paul Valencia
Clark County Today
The Mountain View Thunder had the perfect attitude regarding the seedings, and the matchups, for the upcoming state football playoffs.
“We don’t care who we play,” senior running back Porter Drake said Saturday. “Whoever we play, we’re coming out as a team, as dawgs, and we’re going to do whatever we can to get the W.”
In all, seven area football teams from the Greater St. Helens Leagues and the Trico League that made it to state. They found out who they are playing when the WIAA announced the brackets on Sunday.
Mountain View reached the Class 3A state playoffs with a brilliant second half Saturday, rallying from a 21-7 deficit to cruise past Edmonds-Woodway 42-28. Drake had three third-quarter rushing touchdowns to take the lead. Mountain View scored the first 35 points of the second half.
“We came out flat. But in the second half, we were all hyping each other up. We got our mentals right, and we brought it to them,” Drake said.
He added that it did not matter what was said at halftime, or the feeling going into the locker trailing by 14.
“It’s all about the comeback and how you switch your mind to being positive, and that’s what we did,” he said.
This week, all seven teams from the region are getting their focus on their state playoff opponents.
Camas, at 9-1, received the 3-seed in the Class 4A bracket. The Papermakers will host No. 14 Mount Si in the first round.
Skyview, at 9-1, will also get a home game in the first round of the 4A playoffs. The Storm, at No. 5, will take on No. 12 Skyline.
Mountain View is on a nine-game winning streak, at 9-1, but in the tough 3A classification, there was no guarantee of a home game. In fact, the Thunder got the 12-seed and will travel to face Kennewick in the first round.
But as Drake said, the Thunder don’t care who or where they are playing. They just know they have arrived at state.
In Class 2A, the Woodland Beavers, fresh off their 2A GSHL championship, received a 9-seed and will be on the road against No. 8 Clarkston.
Washougal responded to two early losses in the season and made it to state with a victory Saturday over Aberdeen. On Sunday, they found out they got the 10-seed and will travel to take on Orting.
In Class 1A, La Center, the lone undefeated team from Clark County, got the 8-seed and will host No. 9 Omak in the first round.
Seton Catholic, 9-1 with the only loss coming against La Center, was given the 12-seed. The Cougars will travel to face No. 5 King’s.
State soccer:
Clark County has seven girls soccer teams that have qualified for state.
Defending 2A state champion Columbia River got the 3-seed and will host No. 14 Steilacoom in the first round.
Ridgefield is also home for the first round. The Spudders got the 7-seed and will take on No. 10 Sequim.
Hockinson is the 12-seed and will travel to North Kitsap.
(While not from Clark County, R.A. Long also made it to state, which means four of the 16 2A teams come from the 2A GSHL.)
Camas is a 12-seed in the 4A tourney. The Papermakers will be at No. 5 Curtis in the opening round.
In 1A, La Center is the 5-seed and will host No. 12 Meridian.
Seton Catholic is No. 16 and will travel to face No. 1 Klahowya.
In 3A, a 20-team tournament, Mountain View is the 19-seed and will take on 14-seed Roosevelt with the winner to face 3-seed Seattle Prep.
State volleyball:
Two-time defending 2A state champion Columbia River earned the No. 1 seed. Ridgefield is the 6-seed. The 2A state volleyball tourney is Friday and Saturday in Yakima.
In 1A, La Center is No. 7 and King’s Way Christian is No. 12. The 1A tourney is Friday and Saturday in Yakima.
The Class 4A and 3A volleyball state tournaments are the following week.
State cross country:
The state cross country championships were held Saturday in Pasco.
Jacob McManus of Columbia River finished second in the Class 2A boys race, just four seconds off the pace of champion Parker Mong of Anacortes.
The Columbia River boys finished fourth in the team standings. Three of River’s top five runners on Saturday are juniors, including McManus, so the Rapids are expecting big things again in 2024.
The Seton Catholic boys had the best team finish among Clark County teams. The Cougars finished third in the 1A boys race. La Center was sixth.
In 1A girls, Seton Catholic’s Alexis Leone finished sixth. She was the two-time defending state champion. Leone dealt with an injury for most of the season, but still managed to make it to the podium.
State swimming:
The girls swimming and diving championships are coming up Thursday through Saturday at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way. Clark County Today will list all local athletes who have qualified for state later in the week.
For all bracket information, go to https://www.wiaa.com/
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