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Washougal beats Columbia River 48-27 to clinch 2A GSHL football title

Football

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Washougal coach Dave Hajek talks to his team following the Panthers’ win over Columbia River in a 2A Greater St. Helens League football game on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, at Fishback Stadium. (Will Denner/The Columbian)

WASHOUGAL — The seniors of the Washougal football team were part of a history-making run as freshmen in 2022 when the program won its first league title dating back more than two decades.

What the Panthers’ class of 2025 started as freshmen, they finished on Friday with a league title to truly call their own.

Washougal’s 48-27 win over Columbia River at Fishback Stadium clinched the 2A Greater St. Helens League title with one week left to play in the regular season. The Panthers (7-1, 6-0) have a two-game lead on the rest of the league and can run the table with a win over Hockinson next week.

That it came on senior night was merely a coincidence, but fitting for a group that embraced the challenge of climbing back to the top and carrying the torch from the last group to accomplish the same feat.

In a matchup that featured the area’s top two leading rushers, Royce Jones (Washougal) and Savion McCoy (Columbia River), Jones eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark after tallying 191 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

The Panthers’ passing game was also clicking with quarterback Tripp Leifsen, who finished an efficient 17-of-23 for 152 yards. That included eight straight completions during a two-minute drill, ending with a Jones 3-yard TD run, to give Washougal a 21-7 lead at halftime.

The Rapids faced a 27-point deficit to open the fourth quarter, but pulled within 42-27 after Joey Ianello ran for a 35-yard touchdown and McCoy caught a 46-yard touchdown after the Rapids recovered an onside kick.

Washougal maintained possession for the final 7 minutes, 36 seconds to seal the win — and a coveted league title for its senior class.

River (5-2, 4-2), meanwhile, finds itself in a three-way tie for second place with Ridgefield and Woodland after the Beavers fell to Mark Morris Friday. But with Ridgefield and Woodland set to face off next week in the regular-season finale, a River win against Hudson’s Bay next week means the Rapids would finish no worse than third place in the 2A GSHL.

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