Reporter Paul Valencia and sports administrators Tony Liberatore and Cale Piland discuss high school sports, including some issues that concern us, then we get to some Mariners talk and the return of the NFL in this episode

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

We made it to another school year!

Which means the beginning of the fall season of high school sports.

So, yep, the Study of Sports team had to get together again to start talking.

We took a long break this summer. Didn’t intend to go so long between episodes. But life happens.

Now we’re back and ready to go for the 2026-27 academic/athletic school year.

We talk about changes to the first days and weeks of practice, now that schools (at least this year) opened earlier than traditional start times in the calendar.

And we talk about athletes moving to different schools. Yes, fans, players call every move a “transfer” but for WIAA purposes, there is a difference between an athlete who moves and an athlete who transfers. Either way, athletes moving to new schools is not new, but it is certainly becoming more “newsworthy” in this social media/”transfer portal” world.

Our podcast format is simple: A longtime sports reporter (Paul Valencia) discusses high school sports, and more, with longtime sports administrators and former coaches. Cale Piland is the former head football coach at Evergreen and Union and is now the athletic director for Evergreen Public Schools. Tony Liberatore is a former assistant coach and athletic director at Columbia River and is now an associate principal at Fort Vancouver.

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:

• 
  Opinion: Don’t fall for the illusion of voter control on income tax expansion
  A House amendment requiring a referendum before any income threshold change was voted down 45-51.
• Opinion: Don’t fall for the illusion of voter control on income tax expansion
  A House amendment requiring a referendum before any income threshold change was voted down 45-51.
• 
  POLL: The IBR project is described as only 30% designed and 30% funded after more than six years of work. How confident are you in the current management of the IBR program?
  IBR’s cost has climbed from $3.2–$4.8B to $15.2B while the project remains 30% designed and 30% funded.
• 
  Opinion: Two bridges, one expanding bill
  Bracchi traces how the IBR’s estimated cost grew from roughly $3B to $14.4B as Vancouver’s Bridge Shelter adds millions in annual operating costs alongside existing homelessness programs.
• 
  Opinion: WFSE demands a ‘fair’ contract — but workers and taxpayers can’t see the numbers
  Elizabeth New (Hovde) argues neither state workers nor taxpayers can evaluate what is “fair” when wage proposals and their costs remain undisclosed.