4A Greater St. Helens League preview: New schedule has rivals playing twice in same season

It’s a necessary evil. That’s the way football coaches in the 4A Greater St. Helens League are viewing their league schedule this fall. For the first time, football teams in the 4A GSHL will play each other twice this season with all games counting in the league standings. “Yeah, so we’re only going to play six different teams this season,” Camas coach Adam Mathieson said. “That’s weird, right?” How weird? Union has never played the same opponent twice during the regular season. Skyview played Hudson’s Bay twice in 2003. You’d have to go back nearly four decades for the last time Camas and Battle Ground faced the same opponent in the regular season. But after five seasons as a four-team league, something radical had to be done. Trying to fill out schedules with non-league games in October proved too challenging. “I sat in the (athletic director’s) chair for two decades, so I get it,” Mathieson said. “Finding games to play in Week 5 or 6 is really hard.” So hard that in 2024 Union couldn’t fill its Week 6 schedule. Last season, Skyview almost had open weeks in both Week 5 and 6 before finding a late replacement for Week 6. Schools had to get creative to fill their schedules. In 2024, both Camas and Battle Ground logged about 1,500 miles of travel to play games in Idaho, down in Oregon and farther north in Washington. Last season, Skyview opened with four road games — at Eagle (Idaho), Graham-Kapowsin, Puyallup and Oregon City. “The (drawbacks) of the schedule are definitely travel and money,” Skyview coach Matt Hamlin said. “Last year, we didn’t have a home game for the first month. And we had to spend a lot of booster money to go to all those places. … Staying in the county saves us a bunch of money, and our gates will be better because those games are against local teams who will bring their fans.” This fall, 4A GSHL teams will play non-league games in Weeks 1 and 2. Camas, Skyview and Union still worked in some longer road games, noting that such trips can be a great team bonding experience early in the year. Skyview opens the season at Glacier Peak in Snohomish, Union opens at Hermiston, Ore., and Camas has a Week 2 road game at Curtis of University Place. Then it’s right into league play in Week 3. And coaches are having to lean deep into their history to find past experiences that will mirror this year’s double round-robin league schedule. “We did it when I was coaching at Western Washington (in 2004-2005),” Mathieson said. “We played in the GNAC and we had to face teams like Western Oregon and Humboldt (State) twice. So I’ve dealt with it. I don’t know if it will be good or bad, but I know it’s hard to beat good teams twice.” Coaches say it has changed the way they are preparing for this season. “We’ve got two weeks to be ready to win league games,” Hamlin said. “So everything has got to happen a little faster. You’ve got to get up to speed a little bit quicker.” And it changes how coaches prepare for these league games, knowing a rematch is coming later in the season. “I’ve been calling coaches who were on that staff at Western 20 years ago,” Mathieson said. “Like, ‘Did we tweak the game plan? What film did we watch? Did we watch the first game we played, or did we watch the games since that first matchup?’ You’re trying to put your thinking hat on that a little bit.” At least two meetings will create a lot of excitement in a competitive league. “There aren’t going to be any nights where you can take your football off the gas or expect an easy game,” Battle Ground coach Mike Woodward said. “As I’ve always said, every league game is like the Super Bowl around here.” The hope is that this arrangement is short term, something for 2026 and 2027. Then reclassification likely will change the landscape in Southwest Washington. “In my opinion, it’s a necessary evil with our small league,” Hamlin said. “But I would definitely prefer not to do it if we had the option.” Mathieson added: “I have no problem saying this is good for two years. And then I hope it can all be like ‘Yeah, that was fun, but can we do something else?’ ” Camas After splitting time at quarterback last season, senior Ben Druckman steps in as the starter for the Papermakers this year. And he has an All-Region standout back at running back in senior Thor Brody. Receivers Max Gibson and Luke Parbon and tight end Zack Jones should be key contributors. Camas returns seven players on offense and five on defense, but the Papermakers are rarely short of talented players to step up from previous reserve roles. Camas will learn a lot in the first two weeks against Chiawana and Curtis, both 2025 4A state playoff teams. Skyview The Storm return 10 starters on defense and seven on offense, giving them a load of experience from last year’s 3-6 team. The Storm could be well positioned to end Camas’ five-year run as league champions. With two matchups on the schedule, the Papermakers’ 16-game win streak against 4A GSHL foes could be challenged. Senior quarterback Dugan Logue returns fully healthy after a great spring. First-team all-leaguers like RB Kenroy Brown, TE David Duko, DL Colten Nibler and DB Thierno Bah all return. Battle Ground The Tigers surprised many last season by earning one of the league’s two playoff spots. But Battle Ground graduated a ton of starters, returning just four on each side of the ball. But Coach Woodward is excited with his younger group of players ready to fill the void. Jacob Bryant, a three-year starter on the baseball team, takes over at quarterback and will provide a dual threat. The linebacking group may be the Tigers’ strength led by senior Seth Waldal and junior Gunner Kittleson. Junior Miles Skov and sophomore Jackson Sahli could play key roles in the running game. Union The Titans return six starters on offense and five on defense. Union will have speed outside with receivers Chase Moore, the 4A GSHL 100-meter champion last spring as a freshman, and new arrival Tynias Paige from Chino Hills, Calif. Union returns experience up front in seniors Logan Stokke, Noah Cruse-Ross, Faauiga Leoita and Micah Seville.

Related Stories