Reporter Paul Valencia and sports administrators Tony Liberatore and Cale Piland discuss high school sports first, and we continue our discussion of the sports soap opera that is the Seattle Mariners
Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com
We are back, and just in time for the start of high school football.
It’s THE Study of Sports, with your hosts Paul Valencia, a reporter for Clark County Today, and sports administrators Tony Liberatore and Cale Piland.
As many of you know, we only have a couple of podcasts during the summer. Now, we hope to be back on our regular schedule, about once every two weeks during the fall and winter months.
In this episode, we tackle the return of high school football. I ask the former coaches how it feels to lose in Week 1, after the long offseason and summer prep. We also talk about scheduling games and officials. Plus, maybe a prediction on state championship contenders from the area.
Then we touch on how NIL money is flowing into Clark County athletes. Oh sure, we’ve had athletes from the area make some decent money in college in recent years. But now we are getting our first Division I commits, athletes who are just starting their senior years in high school, and they already have six-figure deals in place. That is different.
We veer from high school sports to the Mariners. Paul shares why he loves the lovable losers of the MLB, and notes that they won’t be as fun to watch if they ever do win a World Series. Tony and Cale refrained from beating up Paul in the studio.
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:
- County seeks new management agreement to operate Tri-Mountain Golf Course beyond 2026
Clark County Council opts for long-term management agreement instead of selling Ridgefield golf course after failed ilani deal. - 2026 Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Fishery begins May 1
Cash rewards start at $6 per fish, with top angler earning over $159,000 in 2025 catching 15,715 northern pikeminnow. - The Study of Sports Podcast April 23, 2026: We discuss WIAA amendments and how they will affect schools in Southwest Washington, 2A GSHL football schedule, Mariners, and … Prince?
Sports administrators discuss WIAA amendment that could affect Fort Vancouver and other area schools’ classifications. - Union baseball, softball teams honor military, veterans, and first responders
Baseball and softball teams combined efforts to recognize military heroes and first responders with ceremonial pitches. - Ridgefield to host Division I baseball game between UW Huskies and UP Pilots on April 21
The Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex welcomes two Division I teams this April, offering free entry for local youth players and a rare college matchup in Clark County.
