At home at the dome: Prairie’s Faith Tarrant wins historic fourth state title
Prairie’s Faith Tarrant made history, becoming Clark County’s first four-time state champion wrestler, while Woodland’s Couly McReynolds and La Center’s Isaac Chromey capped off their senior seasons with titles at the Tacoma Dome.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s (WIAA) Mat Classic state wrestling tournament featured a new format that removed the regionals round and instead brought everybody who made it through districts and crossovers to the Tacoma Dome from Thursday, Feb. 20, through Saturday, Feb. 22.
The season marked the 21st year of girls wrestling statewide after WIAA sanctioned girls wrestling in 2007.
Tarrant felt the weight of history as she became Clark County’s first four-time state champion wrestler. She also becomes just the 24th all time in both boys and girls to complete the feat in the state of Washington.
It took Tarrant just a minute and 24 seconds to pin her opponent, Olivia Hudson, of Oak Harbor, for the 235-pound crown in girls 3A wrestling. The win by pin marked Tarrant’s 114th career pin with a record of 116-3. Her three losses all came during her freshman year.
After the win, one of Tarrant’s arms was raised into the air as she held up four fingers on the other hand while sporting a huge smile.
Then, the emotion of the moment hit.
“I don’t even have words,” Tarrant said, overcome with emotion coming off the victory. “... I worked so hard for this. I just can’t believe it happened. I’m so grateful.”
The realization and emotion of the moment came earlier for Tarrant after her semifinal win as she was tearful having secured her spot in the final match. The four-peat pressure was looming, but the confidence was there the entire time from herself and her coaches.
“100% confidence in her winning out,” Prairie wrestling head coach Rob Smith said. “She’s been doing it for years, so there’s no question that she was going to come in and be Faith and do her thing. She walked through those doors as a freshman, and we always talked about young kids coming here and it’s this huge building and all these mats and all these people, and she walked in here and she looked at me and she goes, ‘Coach, I got this.’”
As Tarrant has stood on top of the podium four times in the Tacoma Dome, it has become a familiar feeling.
“Walking into the Tacoma Dome, I don’t know, it feels like home,” she said. “There’s no other place like it.”
Now that her high school career has concluded, the program will certainly miss her, and she’ll miss the program. Smith said the growth in the number of girls competing for Prairie wrestling in the last four years can be attributed to Tarrant.
After falling out of title contention at the Braided 64 Kelso girls wrestling tournament earlier in the season, McReynolds was looking forward to the postseason, as she was the highest placing girl in 2A at 115 pounds.
She completed the state title bid in under a minute with a 51-second pin of Centralia’s Eva Reinitz and completed the season 39-5 with 20 pins.
When Isaac Chromey won the boys 165-pound bracket at the Clark County Championships last month, he said all he cared about was winning the state championship. That came to fruition in the 175-pound 1A state championship match with an 11-2 major over Trico League foe Mason Darvel, of Castle Rock.
Chromey finished the season 44-8 and won the Wyatt Draper Memorial Invite in the 190-pound division, the Clark County at 165-pounds and the big dance in the Tacoma Dome at 175-pound to cap off his senior campaign.
Back-to-back: Prairie’s Foster enters rarified air with second straight shot put state title
Entering day two of the 2A/3A/4A state championship meet, the only feat that Prairie alum and throwing coach Jon Lawson had on senior Will Foster was winning the discus and the shot put in the same year back in 2011.
Foster was close to accomplishing the rare deed in 2024, winning the shot put title but finishing as the discus runner-up.
Now, Foster and Lawson are eye to eye on the throwers’ totem pole.
Foster earned his second straight shot put title to go along with his discus win, becoming the first male 3A thrower to complete the sweep of the two events since his throwing coach 14 years ago. The senior topped out at 61 feet, 8.75 inches, on his first attempt of the finals. Once his first throw hit the dirt, Foster never left first place, despite nagging back pain that he’s dealt with for a month and a half.
“My proudest accomplishment has gotta be this season. I’m proud of how I didn’t let this injury define me and I kept going. I gave it my best,” he said.
After the event concluded, Foster embraced Lawson, his coach of four years who slowly watched the future Washington Husky shatter all of his records and match his state accomplishments.
“He’s been everything to me. He’s the reason I’m here and have done so well. Without him, I probably wouldn’t even make it out of districts,” Foster said. “He’s just been my guide the whole time and I’m super grateful for him.”
Lawson said Foster reminds him of his younger self in that they share the same passion and love for track and field.
“We’re quite different in personality and upbringing, but achievement-wise, we’re the same. I won shot and discus, and now he’s done it. He’s also a two-time shot put champion, just like I was,” Lawson said. “He’s like a little brother to me.”
Ridgefield’s Allen smashes 3200m school record for state runner-up finish
Minutes after Ridgefield senior Danica Allen ran by far the best 3,200-meter race of her life at the 2A/3A/4A state championships, all she wanted to do was run. And run.
After all, she still had more left in her. Allen spent the time between her second-place finish in the event and her trip to the podium jogging laps around the Mount Tahoma Stadium field shoeless. As wave after wave of athletes came up to the podium for awards, she continued to keep a steady pace, occasionally smiling and waving at a supporter in the stands as she ran by.
Allen entered the day with a lifetime best of 11 minutes and 9.65 seconds in the 3,200 meters and had never recorded a sub-11 time. Not even in practice. On the final day of competition, she crossed the finish line in a blistering 10 minutes and 46.23 seconds in her final prep race.
"Yesterday, I really made sure to stay out of the sun and focus on today. The mile really didn't go very well for me," said Allen, whose 1,600-meter prelims performance wasn't enough to qualify for the finals. "This was my last high school race ever, and I had nothing to lose."
All season, Allen scouted her potential competition and kept an eye on their times to determine what she might need to run to just take home a medal. Her senior year marked her first trip to state in the 3,200 meters, but she had collected hardware in the 1,600 meters and the 4x400 relay.
"I think I proved to myself that everything I've been doing is working. This season has been a little tough with a lot of races not going my way and setbacks," Allen said. "I was so happy. That was kind of the first moment this year where I was able to actually do what I thought I could do. I couldn't have ended [my career] any better."
Allen will run at the University of Portland upon graduating from Ridgefield. The Spudders also collected points from junior McKenna Calkins, who took fifth in the 100 meters and seventh in the 200.
On the boys side, Davis Sullivan concluded his prep career with his second straight medal in the 800 meters, placing sixth at 1:56.72. Sophomore Elias Farley picked up a huge PR by over three feet in the discus as his sixth and final throw landed 155 feet and 10 inches down the field to give him seventh in the event. Junior Brian McLemore III also collected eighth in the finals for the 300-meter hurdles.
Prairie's Parker Rice, eighth, medaled in the 3A javelin, and Hockinson senior Madsen Richardson set a PR in the 400 meters at 49.69 seconds, stunning the competition in third place after starting as the projected 12th-place finisher out of 16 entries.
La Center advances to state baseball semifinal for first time ever, caps off year with second place finish
After a walk-off base hit in the round of 16 with a 5-4 win over Colville High School, the La Center Wildcats finished the day with a 3-0 win over Cashmere High School to advance to the semifinal round in the state baseball tournament for the first time in program history.
The Wildcats have found themselves in unfamiliar territory in the 1A State Tournament after their 3-0 win in the quarterfinals on May 24 at Camas High School against the Cashmere Bulldogs.
La Center’s standout player Justin Fuller locked down the Cashmere offense as he hurled in a complete game shutout with seven strikeouts on two walks and just two hits on 85 total pitches. He also helped himself on offense in the bottom of the fourth inning, hitting a single, reaching second on an error and then stealing third. Wyatt Brannan hit a groundball and reached on an error, leading to Fuller scoring the would-be winning run.
The loudest moment of the game came from a crack of the bat by catcher Wyatt Eiesland as a moon-shot in the bottom of the sixth cleared the left field fence and gave the Wildcats a 3-0 lead into the final half inning.
“It was absolutely electric,” Eiesland said. “Just as soon as it was off the bat, I knew it was going deep, and then just going around first base and high-fiving my coach, I mean, it was probably one of the best experiences of my entire high school career. Just being with the boys and celebrating, it was crazy.”
The state championship
In the championship game at Joe Martin Stadium in Bellingham, the Wildcats fell short, 5-4, in a loss to Bellevue Christian on Saturday, May 31. The Wildcats battled to get within a run in the bottom of the sixth inning after going down 5-1 in the top of the fifth inning.
Wildcat pitching only gave up two earned runs in the loss, with Austin Aseph and Gunnar Shockelt on the mound. Aseph and Shockelt combined to give up just four hits.
Shockelt got the nod to start the game, going four innings and giving up three hits and two runs, with one earned, and striking out three while walking two Bellevue Christian batters. Aseph came in for three innings giving up three runs, one earned, while striking out four and walking two on just one hit.
At the plate, Will Anderson led the Wildcats in the title game with two base hits and an RBI.
To get to the championship game, La Center used their ace, Justin Fuller, in the 3-0 win over Charles Wright/Life Christian on Friday, May 30. Fuller threw another complete game, giving up just one hit while striking out 10 and walking three. The Wildcats completed the semifinal game with just no errors, but the error-bug caught them in the title game as both La Center and Bellevue Christian had three errors in the game.
The Wildcats closed their history-making season with a record of 22-5.
Area cross country runners reach podium, earn medals
Since Sasha Pash made her debut for the La Center High School girls cross country program, all she’s done is win plenty of races, qualify for the state championships at Sun Willows Golf Course each year and go about her business.
Now, she can add state medalist to her list of accomplishments.
Pash controlled her race from the opening gun to crossing the finish line in 10th place with a time of 19 minutes, 41.10 seconds.
“I’m really happy about it,” Pash said. “It has been a goal for a while.”
The previous two trips to Pasco have resulted in top-25 placements, but a medal was just out of reach. Pash took off from the starting line and bee-lined to the front of the pack. She was 13th after the mile and 10th with 1.1 miles to go.
It’s the first time the Wildcats junior ran sub-20 minutes on one of the most difficult courses on their schedule.
“I learned not to go out too fast at the beginning and try to push in the second (loop),” Pash said.
Pash was waiting to break the 20-minute barrier after coming close last fall. She first accomplished it at the Meriweather Cross Country Classic nearly two months ago, then did it four straight races leading into state.
That included a Trico League and District 4 individual title. It sets up Pash with plenty of positivity ahead of the track and field season.
Even though the Battle Ground High School boys cross country program didn’t end up on the podium as a team, they made it to state as a team for the first time in 14 years.
And Cooper plus Nana-Badu-Weah were the two main characters all fall long.
Nana-Badu-Weah fought through a difficult final mile-plus to finish 11th in the Class 4A state championships field while Cooper placed 14th to join his teammate on the medal stand at Sun Willows Golf Course.
“A podium is an added bonus,” Cooper said. “Let’s see what we can do.”
The Tigers finished in eighth place with 249 points, 98 off a podium spot. Mead, Gonzaga Prep, Kamiakin and Camas were the four trophy groups this season.
“Next year we’ll have a really good chance,” Nana-Badu-Weah said.
The junior knew the opening mile was going to be fast, but when he saw his time of 4:40 and Camas’ Cohen Butler sub-4:35, he was immediately concerned. So he slowed down a touch to attempt to save some kick for the end.
He didn’t get the sudden burst of energy late. Yet after just missing a medal as a sophomore with a 17th place performance, Nana-Badu-Weah didn’t have to stress about Saturday. Plus, his time of 15:34.10 was the best in two trips to Pasco.
BGHS Unified basketball earns third at state competition in Wenatchee
The Battle Ground High School Unified Basketball team took home third place in the state competition from Friday, Feb. 28, through Saturday, March 1, in Wenatchee.
Tigers Unified Basketball Coach Jason Otto called the experience a once in a lifetime moment for him and the players. Unified basketball consists of athletes with intellectual disabilities and partners, students without intellectual disabilities who help the athletes on the court.
“This was a great experience for the kids this past weekend,” Otto said. “We had a wonderful experience going over to Wenatchee. You know, the kids played amazing basketball.”
The Tigers played a tough game, keeping it close but ultimately losing by 11 points in the opening game against Roosevelt High School. For third place, Battle Ground won 20-16 against Kamiak High School.
“It was just a wonderful experience for these kids, all weekend long,” Otto said. “They had danced after the game and all the kids just came together. Partners and athletes just had a great, great time.”
Battle Ground High School has three teams at different levels. The third place team was coached by Tanner Casaw.
“He did an amazing job with these kids and I’m just very happy that he was part of the team to coach these kids, and for me to have an opportunity to be along with these kids, as well,” Otto said.
Otto said that in his 13 years of coaching, this campaign has been the most fun. Otto added that the athletes and partners were phenomenal on and off the court, in game and in practice.
La Center’s John Lambert earns 200th coaching win
La Center Wildcats head coach John Lambert donned his 1997 “La Center Football” hat from his very first head coaching win on Friday, Oct. 24.
That hat ended up being a part of Lambert’s 200th career head coaching win as the Wildcats routed the Kalama Chinooks 42-16. The win sets up a 1A Trico League title bout against Seton Catholic on Friday, Oct. 31, as both teams entered undefeated in league play.
After the clock struck zero and Lambert was doused in water by his players, the Wildcat student section held up signs reading “200” while the cheerleaders unfolded a large banner that read, “Coach Lambert’s 200th Win.”
The win marked the first time a Clark County high school football coach reached 200 career victories entirely at one school. Lambert has been the head coach since 1999 when his first career win came against Hoquiam High School in week one.
“It’s a reflection of the people I’ve had around me,” Lambert said. “I can’t do this on my own.”
Prior to Lambert’s tenure as head coach, La Center was named by USA Today in the 1980s as having the nation’s longest high school losing streak, according to previous reporting by The Reflector. School historians have combed through all the yearbooks and have discovered that no other coach has posted more than 17 wins in the 80 years before Lambert.
Lambert told reporters that he intends on staying as head coach of the Wildcats until the 2035 season, when he and his wife Kerry’s youngest son will be a senior in high school. But Lambert said he loves what he teaches, who he coaches and the community.
“Why would I stop something I enjoy?” Lambert said, referring to the likelihood of coaching beyond the 2035 season.
In the big win against the Kalama Chinooks, running back Gaven Emerson had four rushing touchdowns while Landen Randall’s efforts moved the ball up and down the field with quarterback Nate Rembisz at the helm.
“It’s a great win,” Rembisz said. “We have a bigger opponent next week, and I think this just prepares us for that. I mean, the biggest thing is celebrating coach’s 200th win. So we’re all proud of him and we’re just happy to be his players. It really means a lot to us.”
For Rembisz, being a part of La Center football history like this means a lot to him as the starting quarterback after being told last year by Lambert that he will have the job for his senior season.
Prairie volleyball earns third, La Center finishes fourth in state tournaments
The Prairie Falcons volleyball team bounced back from a semifinal loss to defeat Bellevue High School for the third-place trophy in the 3A volleyball tournament on Saturday, Nov. 22.
The third-place finish for the Falcons was their best result since the 2012 season, when the Falcons sat at the top as 3A state champions. In 2012, Prairie beat North Thurston High School in the state championship matchup.
Fast-forward to 2025, and it was North Thurston versus Prairie in the semifinal.
The Falcons saw their state finals reappearance hopes come to a close as the North Thurston Rams won in four sets in a late-night affair in the Yakima SunDome. The Falcons followed up with a four-set win of their own to take third place against Bellevue.
The Falcons began with a 25-17 commanding first-set victory, but the second set tested their desire. The Bellevue Wolverines held a 23-20 advantage, but the Falcons came back for a win. The Wolverines came back with a 25-22 set-three win, but the Falcons ultimately closed it off in the fourth set for a 25-17 win to lift the trophy.
The La Center Wildcats volleyball team wrapped up a third straight top-five finish in the 1A volleyball state tournament with a fourth place trophy in the Yakima Valley SunDome on Saturday, Nov. 15.
The Wildcats had an uphill climb to reach a top-five finish this year as they entered the tournament as the sixth overall seed after a loss in the district championship to Kalama High School. A win in the district championship would have kept a perfect season alive and likely an easier path toward the state championship.
But the gritty and determined Wildcats kicked off the tournament with a three-set win over Lakeside High School to advance and face No. 3-seeded Cascade Christian High School in the quarterfinal.
The quarterfinal was nothing short of an absolute thriller as the matchup, a rematch of last year’s semifinal round, went to five sets. La Center won the first, the fourth and the fifth set to take the 3-2 win to the state semifinals.
In the semifinals, the Wildcats found themselves exceeding seed expectations, but so did their opponent as No. 7 seed Meridian handled the matchup in four sets for a 3-1 win over La Center. The Wildcats next lost in three sets to the Cashmere Bulldogs in the third/fourth place match.
The senior class of Bailey Espana, Nadia Whited and Madison Castro were a part of three straight semifinals runs for the Wildcats. The 2023 state tournament run resulted in a third place finish while 2024 and 2025 landed fourth place honors.
Hockinson girls soccer finishes fourth at state tournament
The Hockinson girls soccer team advanced into the semifinals round of the 2A state tournament for the first time since 2021 and left with a fourth-place finish after back-to-back losses.
The Hawks' defense stood out in their semifinal loss as they held the explosive West Valley High School offense to a single goal on Friday, Nov. 21. The Hawks then lost 2-0 to Anacortes High School the next morning in the third/fourth place matchup at Federal Way Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22.
To make it as far as the Hockinson Hawks did, head coach Tony Ayala believed his team overperformed expectations. He said his players had the hunger to make a deep postseason run after last year’s first-round exit.
“I’m so proud of the girls and so proud of making it to the final four,” Ayala said. “This experience has been awesome.”
Ayala added that the memories will serve a lifetime.
“Getting to this point, having all the fanfare,” Ayala said, “just being a team and staying in a motel and the van rides and all those things.”
To close out the final two games of the year, goalkeeper Audrey Armstrong was awarded the sportsmanship award in the semifinal matchup and again in the third/fourth place game.
Over 95 teams show their school spirit at state cheer championships, including Ridgefield and Battle Ground
The Ridgefield Spudder cheer team placed third, but Battle Ground High School had the shortest trip to travel for the 2025 Washington Interscholastic Activities Association State Cheer Championships at BGHS.
The state cheer championships brought 95 high schools from all over the state to Battle Ground High School on Friday, Jan. 24, and Saturday, Jan. 25. Even the University of Washington stopped by for an exhibition performance on Saturday fresh off their first national competition medal in program history.
On Saturday, Jan. 25, the Ridgefield Spudders showed off their game day spirit, which resulted in a third-place finish in the 1A/2A game day small category. The Battle Ground Tigers sported their black and orange pride on their home floor in front of fans and cheerleaders from every corner of the state and placed eighth in the 4A game day large category.
Ridgefield’s performance was a sign of the Spudders’ resilience.
“It was an amazing performance. These guys have been through a lot,” head coach Angela Campbell said. “We’ve had teammates that have been hurt and some that have had to quit for whatever reason and had to pull alternates in, and this team has worked together for the last few weeks and did this.”
For the Battle Ground Tigers, the opportunity to perform in front of a full-capacity audience at their own high school has been a year in the making.
In 2019, the Tigers won the state title in their home gym in the 4A coed non-tumbling division.
“I am so proud,” Torneby said. “There is not one athlete on this team who has ever been to state before. Our team has gone to state before, but it was before any of these kids performed. So every single one of them is a rookie, and they went out there and killed it. I have never heard them as loud as they were.”
Tigers earn second football postseason berth in three years
The Battle Ground Tigers did their part to clinch a postseason berth with a 38-14 win over Union High School on Thursday, Oct. 30.
The postgame celebration felt like the Tigers were a lock for finishing in second place in the 4A Greater St. Helens League. But after the win, the deciding factor in the team’s placement came down to a game between Camas and Skyview on Friday, Oct. 31.
On paper, the Camas Papermakers were the clear favorites over the Skyview Storm. In the first week of 4A GSHL league play, the Papermakers beat the Tigers 22-7. The next week, the Tigers beat the Storm for the first time since 2004 in a 35-21 victory. The hierarchy of the league puts Camas ahead by a good margin, it appeared.
Battle Ground’s lock in the postseason almost turned into a 4A GSHL three-way tiebreaker game for the two postseason spots, however. The Camas Papermakers ultimately outdid the Storm when time expired with a game-ending field goal to win 16-13.
It wasn’t until the clock hit zero in Camas on Halloween night that the Tigers’ second postseason berth in three years was a sure thing. But ahead of the Halloween night scare for both the Papermakers and Tigers, Battle Ground players and coaches were certainly relieved and celebrating after doing their part.
“Pretty special,” Tigers head coach Mike Woodward said. “We didn’t play our best football, but give credit to them — they came out and played hard and gave us a game. That was a good football game. But we’ve been tested all year, you know, in different scenarios, and our kids have rallied and bowed back, and we needed this one to take a little pressure off and now we can relax.”
The Tigers’ season was a tale of extreme highs and lows. A streak of three dominating wins turned into a streak of four close losses, leading to back-to-back must-have wins to add a 10th game to the schedule.
“Over the years, we’ve always stressed that you want to peak in the playoffs,” Woodward said. “Those are the teams that can kind of get deep and do their thing. But a lot of times, at this time of the year, teams are wearing out, you know.”
The Tigers were not worn out after the marathon of nine weeks. And, as Woodward said, injuries did not become a major issue for the team, though some players were hurt.
“That’s a testament to their toughness,” he said. “These kids are tough as nails.”
Prairie baseball earns top spot from 3A GSHL
The Prairie Falcons baseball team peaked in their biggest series of the season against 3A Greater St. Helens League rival Kelso High School.
The name of the game for Prairie High School in the series was dominating the rubber. Their pitchers only gave up nine hits in the three games, including a combined no-hitter.
The Falcons started off with a commanding 8-0 win over the Hilanders on Monday, April 28. Prairie senior Issac Watson threw a complete game, giving up just three hits, two walks and striking out three in the 8-0 win.
On Tuesday, April 29, the Falcons’ pitching was lights out with a combined no-hitter by Michael Rovig and Maddux Blunt in the 1-0 win. Rovig threw for six innings, striking out six and walking just one batter while Blunt came in for the close with a strikeout and walk.
“He’s a competitor and we had a lot of confidence in him,” Prairie head coach Shane Sullivan said of Rovig. “Coming into this game, he’s been getting his work in all season long, going through the process, and he was prepared to come out here and deliver, and that’s exactly what he did. He’s had a knack for rising up in key moments and he delivered again today.”
Rovig’s pitching efforts kept the Falcons in the game against a star pitcher in Bryce Collins, a junior from Kelso already committed to the 2022 NCAA Division I national champs, Ole Miss.
In the seventh inning, the Falcons started off with a single to right field by Jake Drogos, followed by a sacrifice bunt by Issac Watson.
Drogos advanced to third on a wild pitch after Kelso’s Collins recorded two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Kishon Brown walked to have runners at the corners. Cam McCray came up to the plate with a runner at third. With a one-one count, he roped a single to right field and Drogos jogged to home to complete the 1-0 win.
Although Brown never reached second base during the walk-off hit from McCray, meaning Kelso could have advanced the game into extra innings with a force out at second, but they left the field of play as a whole, and so did the umpires once Kelso huddled up before the handshake line, nullifying the opportunity to extend the game at 0-0.
Two north county wrestlers earn 2025 Clark County wrestling champion status
Two north Clark County area high school wrestlers stood at the top of the podium on Saturday, Jan. 18, as the best of the area in their respective weight classes.
La Center’s Isaac Chromey and Battle Ground’s Isaiah Rogers topped the podium of the Norm Friehauf Clark County Championships with Chromey earning a technical fall win over Mountain View’s Kingston McPherson at 165 pounds while Rogers wrestled for a 9-6 major over Skyview’s Nathan Martinez at 150 pounds.
Chromey, now 20-1 on the season, is looking to earn a state title bid in February.
“Winning, that’s all I care about,” Chromey said about what he’s looking forward to with the Mat Classic up ahead.
For Rogers, the Clark County title was a sign of resiliency after the last couple of years of missing the tournament.
“The last two years I kind of missed Clark County for medical reasons,” Rogers said. “So it’s just like I’ve been so close, like I saw the kids in the finals and I used to compete with them in the practice rooms. It’s just like it finally came. I put in the work, and it finally paid off, staying healthy.”
Numerous area wrestlers earned podium finishes, as well.
50 years at Spudder Stadium: Ridgefield wins big on historic night
Not only did Ridgefield impress the home crowd with a 42-0 win over Hudson’s Bay High School on Friday, Sept. 26, but the night also marked 50 years to the day of the Ridgefield Spudders home debut at Spudder Stadium.
To amplify the night’s fun, Ridgefield High School celebrated its homecoming night with classic cars dropping off the homecoming court to the stage on the track.
The Spudders did stutter at the start of the game with a couple of empty possessions, but Ridgefield head coach Scott Rice said he was not worried about that as his team continues to learn the new offense.
After the slow start, the Spudders could not be stopped from outside the red zone with long touchdown after long touchdown.
For Rice, the home crowd in Ridgefield has always been a treasure, but treating them to a win was important, especially now that league play has started in the wide open 2A Greater St. Helens League. The Spudders have three away games and two home games left, including the ever important rivalry game between the Spuds and Woodland Beavers that has decided the league champion each of the last two years.
“Great crowd and our band is amazing, the kids are amazing,” Rice said of the home game atmosphere. “They were super focused. We talked about it in my classes and stuff this week like, you know, we’re better when our kids are better and our community is amazing. They rally around us.”
When Rice got the head coaching job seven years ago, he knew Ridgefield would be special on Friday nights.
“Seven years ago, I knew it was a special place when I got here,” he said. “We’ve done a great job of building a community and our community has supported us. There’s no better place in America.”
The Ridgefield High School students filled an entire section of the 50-year-old stadium seating, bringing pure energy all night.
“I tell the kids all the time, I go, ‘there’s something special about Friday nights in Ridgefield, Washington,’” Rice said. “And it’s a testament to them showing up. They’re fired up. They cheer really hard and it’s amazing that they’re always decked out for the dress-up stuff. And again, it’s just an amazing group of kids and community.”
Woodland girls dance team competes at their first national competition in Orlando
The Woodland girls dance team is accustomed to performing for the home crowd and competitions in Washington state.
The team grew and the bond of the dancers on the Woodland High School Dance Team strengthened throughout their experience at the Dance Team Union Nationals in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 14-16.
Woodland head coach Andria Terry said traveling to a completely different time zone was already an added difficulty, but she said the team performed its best of the season even with the heightened pressure.
The Beavers dance squad performed in the medium varsity pom and small varsity hip hop categories in their first ever nationals event.
“You are dancing on a much higher level with way more people and higher level teams,” Terry said of nationals. “Also, the pressures of nationals is really high. You are dancing on a floor that you’ve never danced on before with the top teams in our nation that we’ve never seen before.”
Beavers girls basketball falls in round of 12
There’s a lot to be proud of for the 2024-25 Woodland girls basketball team.
The Beavers won 18 games, made it back to the state tournament for the first time since 2014, and made it back to Yakima for the first time since 2006. In due time, those accomplishments will be what stick with these Beavers.
But late Wednesday night in the Yakima SunDome, it was hard to think of anything other than the missed opportunities.
“The game gives, and the game takes,” Woodland coach Glen Flanagan said. “Sometimes you don’t end up on top. It just wasn’t our night.”
The Beavers had their chances late in both regulation and overtime, but fell to Bainbridge 44-40 in the Round of 12 at the 2A State Tournament.
The Spartans are through to the quarterfinals, while the Beavers’ season is over.
“A lot of girls would die to end up here,” Flanagan said. “They did a great job just to get here. We showed why we’re one of the top 12 teams in the state.”
Battle Ground native gets called up for weekend in Western Hockey League
Anthony Ganoung, a 17-year-old hockey goalie from Battle Ground, recently got a major callup for a weekend road trip in January with the Wenatchee Wild of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
Ganoung first got the news on New Years Day when Bliss Littler, Wenatchee Wild general manager, called him wondering if Ganoung would be available for a practice with the WHL squad. Ganoung has been with the Wenatchee Wild 18U squad this season as part of the Wenatchee Wild Hockey Academy.
“Originally, it was just for the practice, and then my mom brought up that they were playing three games that weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and that Saturday they were going to be down in Portland,” Ganoung said, adding that he brought up that scenario to Littler. “Around 4 p.m. on the 2nd, he called back and said, ‘Yep, I’m going to need you for the weekend.’”
Ganoung didn’t see any time on the ice, but he said the travel and experience of taking in the action from the bench made him feel very fortunate for the opportunity. He said that oftentimes the players in the other academy teams don’t cross paths much with the WHL players as schedules run differently or are taking part in online school versus in person classes.
“It was really nice to be able to be in the locker room and, you know, warmups and everything and be on the ice, and of course being on the bench was a blast,” he said. “Typically, when you’re on the bench in youth hockey and stuff, you have your helmet on and everything, but when you’re on the bench for the Western Hockey League, even more like the pro stuff, it’s pretty lenient. You get a baseball cap, you know, team hat, you get to relax there. It was pretty fun to just kind of be in a relaxed state, no helmet. You kind of just get to sit there and look pretty and have fun and enjoy the game.”
