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:
- State high school basketball: Seven Clark County teams still playing in final week of tourneys
Union girls and Columbia River boys advanced Saturday, joining five other Clark County teams in the final week of state basketball tournaments. - State high school basketball: Celebrating a coaching connection at Camas and Fort Vancouver
Camas and Fort Vancouver saw their state playoff runs end on the same night, highlighting a unique coaching bond between Scott Thompson and James Jones. - Camas High School to host four state playoff basketball games this week
Camas High School will host four WIAA State Opening Round basketball games as multiple Clark County teams continue their state tournament runs. - Mat Classic: Clark County celebrates nine state champion wrestlers
Clark County wrestlers captured nine state titles and 14 finals appearances at Mat Classic in the Tacoma Dome. - 2026 Columbia River spring Chinook seasons announced
Washington and Oregon fishery managers approved 2026 Columbia River spring Chinook seasons, with a forecast of 147,300 upriver fish and specific fishing windows from March through early May.
