Reporter Paul Valencia and sports administrators Tony Liberatore and Cale Piland talk about a new name for the podcast, as well as changes to Mat Classic, and the excitement surrounding playoff basketball
Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com
We’ve never loved our name for the podcast. We were trying to come up with something when we launched this labor of love, never found anything, and just went generic.
Well, how’s this?
The Study of Sports.
This is, after all, a talk about local high school sports, with administrators representing the two largest school districts in the region. We don’t just talk about the highlights of sports, but we take you behind the scenes of making the sports happen, from the perspective of administrators.
So we’re trying this out for now, but we are open to suggestions. The Study of Sports? The Study of Sports with Paul and the Admins? Or something else? Got an idea? Email me at paul.v@clarkcountytoday.com.
This week, we talk about the changes to Mat Classic, and the thrill of playoff basketball. We talk about a great rivalry in girls basketball. We salute Fort Vancouver boys basketball for making it to state, but the reporter also has some questions regarding the way Fort was reclassified this school year.
Oh, and we thank the Eagles for making the world a better place for not having to live with a Chiefs three-peat.
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:
- Clark County all-stars get together for a final high school baseball game
Landon DeBeaumont and James Gill earned MVP scholarships honoring a soldier killed in Iraq. - Spring sports review: Columbia River soccer, Seton Catholic baseball finish third in state
Columbia River, Seton Catholic, and four individual athletes from Clark County earned hardware at the WIAA spring state championships. - Raptors, Ridgefield welcome another season of West Coast League baseball
Mayor Matt Cole threw the ceremonial first pitch as the Raptors opened their 2026 season with a 9-0 win. - Ridgefield Raptors set for opening night on Thursday, May 28
Now in its seventh season, the Raptors open 2026 with 32 home games and a new non-league opponent Thursday night. - High school sports: Columbia River boys soccer looking for a repeat state championship
Columbia River boys soccer is the 3-seed again — just like the year they won it all.
