Week 4 game previews

Naselle celebrates homecoming with perhaps their biggest game of the year, while the Fishermen are off the Toledo after a schizo couple of weeks

Naselle vs. Valley, Friday, 7 p.m., Pentilla Field, Naselle, HOMECOMING GAME
The Comets have pretty much done everything you're supposed to do early in the season — win the close ones and blow out the easy ones. And with a win on Friday maybe they'll also win a little respect as well.
Naselle is ranked seventh in the News-Tribune computer rankings this week (Valley is ranked second, closely behind first place Morton/White Pass). Meanwhile, neither team is ranked on the Daily News' AP ballot this week — they instead ranked a 1-2 Raymond squad No. 5 in the state? Makes you wonder what the guys over at the Snooze are thinking, right?
Despite being still very early in the season, it's not too much of a stretch to say that the winner of Fridays game will have a decided edge on the league title. Both teams come in with identical 3-0 records, 1-0 in the Pacific. They also come in with with nearly identical numbers — NHS: 35 ppg, 11 papg, VHS: 41 ppg, 9 papg — which would certainly back up Valley as no. 2 and NHS as No. 7
The Vikings have a two-pronged running attack featuring Cody Buchanan and David Rockett — both of whom ran for more than 100 yards last week and multiple TDs. And while that is daunting, its really the only shell in their canon. The Vikings starting QB is just 3-13 passing for 69 yards total in three games — but it's Valley, so you would probably expect as much.
On the Comets side of the ball, you have one of the most diverse offenses on this side of the state. We all know about Dustin Eaton's gaudy numbers — 945 total yards and 12 TDs in three games — but you also have a WR duo of Brendan Greenfield, 340 yds and 3 TDs; and Chandler Chapman, 127 yds and 3 TDs; and of course "Slippery" Sam Scrabeck with 243 yards on the ground and a score. With all this offense from both teams its not a stretch to predict that it will come down to whoever has the stiffest defense will be coming away with the win.
And even though this is only week four, with so few away games this season, the Comets will celebrate Homecoming Friday. Scrabeck, Chapman, Eaton and Levi Wasmundt will be spending halftime as homecoming princes.

Check back Saturday for a photo gallery and game recap

Ilwaco @ Toledo, Friday, 7 p.m.

The Fishermen have seen the highest highs (week two 66-28 win), as well as the lowest lows (56-6 week 1 loss, 31-2 week three loss) this season. Unfortunately, visiting 5th ranked Toledo Friday will likely have them well on the low side of things once again.

Toledo comes into the game 2-1, having given up the third fewest points in the state, just 18 in three games. They're no slouches on offense either, averaging 34 ppg. 

Ilwaco is averaging 25 ppg, thanks to the 66 points they put on Seton Catholic, but have only scored 8 points in their other two games combined. The Fishermen are averaging 38 papg on defense. Their biggest problem 

Pigskin Pick'em

Played hooky last week, but would've picked IHS for the win, so I'll take the loss on that one, 5-1 this year.

W- Naselle vs. Valley

The Comets destroyed Valley in Valley last year 55-0, but I think this one will be a bit closer. The win last year was the first regular season win over the Vikes in a decade

L - Ilwaco @ Toledo

Sorry Fishermen, wish I could. Maybe in two weeks when Stevenson comes to town?

Week 2 game previews

Ilwaco has a golden opportunity for a win while the Comets try on their traveling shoes.

Ilwaco vs. Seton Catholic, Friday, 7 p.m., Sept. 7, Peterson Field, Ilwaco

The bad news is, Ilwaco had a really bad first week. The good news? The only Trico team to have a worse week is coming to town Friday night.
Seton Catholic, in their inaugural varsity football season, took a 62-7 loss at home to Castle Rock last Friday. The Cougars struggled mightily on both sides of the ball, giving up 541 yards of offense while amassing just 95 of their own. Their QB, Will Noce-Sheldon, is likely their best weapon, having scored their only TD on a short run, and throwing 4-13 passes for 57 yards.
And though they didn't have much to show for it, the Fishermen managed to put together a decent offensive showing against a strong La Center team, racking up 195 total yards — 176 of which on the ground. Ilwaco had to shuffle their line up a bit after starting fullback Adam Hernandez went out early with a rolled ankle, moving Marcus Cox over from tight end. Cox led the Fishermen with two catches for 19 yards, and added 25 more on the ground.

Check back Saturday for a photo gallery and game recap

• • •

Naselle @ Knappa, Friday, 7 p.m., Sept. 7

Once the Comets knocked the rust off at halftime last week they looked a lot more like the Comets teams people around the valley have come to expect, turning a close 12-6 game into a 39-6 blowout win over the visiting Rainier Mountaineers. This week they go on the road to face a Knappa team that is trying to rebuild after a disappointing last season — including a week 1 loss at Naselle 47-6.
This year the Loggers will host the Comets in their season opener, their first with a new head coach and a new backfield. The Loggers were hot and cold last season, winning just enough to make the playoffs, but being quickly knocked out in the first round with a blowout loss.
The Comets offense, once warmed up, ran like clockwork, with Dustin Eaton putting on quite a show with 166 passing yards and three TD throws and 85 more on the ground with two more TDs. Chandler Chapman was the go-to guy at the goal line, pulling in three TD catches, while Brendan Greenfield pulled in four catches for a big 111 yards — a nearly 30 yards per catch average.

Pigskin Pick'em

El perfecto thus far, 1-1 last week, looking to continue that trend.

W- Ilwaco vs. Seton Catholic

The Fishermen have a really good opportunity to get into the win column this week, and with Columbia coming to town next week, they might  be able to put together a little win streak.

W - Naselle @ Knappa

Don't be too surprised if the Comets get off to another slow start this week, but look for them to finish strong as they round out their "preseason".

Week 1 game previews

Yes! The season is here! League champ Naselle opens up at home while the Fishermen travel to tough LaCenter

Naselle vs. Rainier, Friday, 7 p.m., Aug. 31, Pentilla Field, Naselle

It was over all too soon for the Naselle Comets last season, who after a perfect regular season, a league title, a district playoff win, a number 2 state ranking and racking up more points than any other 2B team in the state, the Comets were knocked out of the state playoffs in the first round by Adna. The Comets also lost all of their starting linemen to graduation,  a group who powered the team to those heights, leading to their biggest question mark heading into the season. The offensive skill players are still there, and probably even better, but will the holes and blocks be there?

Week 10 preview - 11/5 - District playoff game

This week it's Saturday Night Sights for Naselle as they try for a fourth-straight state playoff berth

Game of the Week

NASELLE (7-2) vs. Adna  (7-2), 7 pm, SATURDAY, Nov. 6, Stewart Field, Aberdeen

After a slow start in what would turn out to be an easy win last week at Ocosta, the Naselle Comets come into their district crossover game this Saturday riding a four game win streak. During that stretch, which began after their back-to-back losses to South Bend and Valley, the Comets have outscored their opponents 148-47, including two games where they gave up only 6 points each. The Comets took down a tough NWC team during this run, but for the most part  played the easiest portion of their schedule against teams with sub-.500 records. That will not be the case Saturday night as they face an Adna team that comes with a 7-2 record — their only losses came to undefeated Napavine and one loss White Pass/Morton, ranked second and fifth, respectively, in the state. Oh, and by the way, the winner of this game gets Napavine in the first round of the playoffs next week!

The two teams seem to have a lot of similarities coming in. The Pirates average 23 ppg while giving up 11 ppg. In contrast, Naselle is averaging 25 ppg while giving up 12 ppg. Both got throttled in their two games against the teams ahead of them in the standings, and both took care of business easily enough against their lesser foes. Both teams are also playing a hot hand over the last few weeks. The Pirates have won their last three games by an average score of 39-13, while the Comets have won their last four by an average of 37-12. But here's one major difference between the two — Adna is the defending state champions and have that pride riding on the line coming into the playoffs.

The Comets are a young team, and no one has symbolized the ups and downs that can bring more than sophomore QB Dustin Eaton, in his first year as the starter. At the start of the season Eaton couldn't hold onto the ball to save his life it seemed. The Comets were able to get by thanks to a dominant running game. But then halfway through the season that backfield was tore asunder thanks to injuries and suspensions. That's when Eaton turned it on and took over the offense. Reeling after the back-to-back losses, Eaton ran for 136 yards and three TDs at Pe Ell. The next week he broke all Comet conventions and threw for 172 yards and a score, with another on the ground, in a dramatic fourth quarter comeback win over NWC. The next week he threw for 241 yards and four scores, followed by 184 yards in the air and two TDs (one on the ground) in the final game of regular season. Oh, and don't forget that he has played much bigger than his size at linebacker as well. Coming back to the defensive line this week is Robert Eaton, who has been out since the South Bend game with injuries. A team source said that it is unlikely that he will be lining up at the FB position on offense though, so expect to see Leo Mendoza in that spot for a fourth straight week. Though starting the year as a RB and backup/wildcat QB, Mendoza has had quite a bit of success from the FB position, scoring five TDs in the last three games.
The Saturday night game will cap off a long day of crossover games at Stewart Field in Aberdeen, a stadium that features artificial turf, as is prescribed for all playoff games. In order to prepare to run on the surface the Comets will be traveling to Kalama tonight (Friday) in order to practice on the Chinooks synthetic field.


Driving directions to Stewart Field:
Take Hwy 101 north 54 miles, arrive in Aberdeen, turn right on 101 north for .6 miles, stay straight to go onto S. G St. for .1 miles, turn right onto E. Market St. for .3 miles, turn left onto N. B St. for .5 miles, field on the right

Pigskin Pick'em

1-1 again last week — now 11-6 this year

W- Naselle vs. Adna

I could see the Comets pulling this one out late, maybe similar to the NWC game. Adna is tough, but the Comets have evolved quite a bit since their two losses.

Week 9 preview - 10/28

Whoops! THURSDAY night sights this week for Naselle

Game of the Week

NASELLE (6-2, 3-2) @ Ocosta (0-8, 0-5), 7 pm, THURSDAY, Oct. 28, Westport, Wa.

Facing a team that is last in the league standings, last in points scored and last in points allowed (in the entire 2B division, 343 this year, 43 ppg) the Comets shouldn't have much trouble wrapping up their regular season schedule tonight. In fact, much like last year when they ended their league season with a win at Ocosta, look for the majority of their starters to be done by halftime.

Facing North Beach last week the Comets poured it on for really the first time this year, blowing out the Hyaks 50-6. But really the most notable thing to be taken from that game is the proficiency with which they moved the ball through the air. QB Dustin Eaton continues to get better each week, this time going 12-18 for 241 yards (that's gotta be some kind of record for the run-happy Comets!), throwing for 4 scores and rushing for another. Chris Walkowiak was the recipient of three of those passes for 96 yards — that's 32 yards per catch! 

So while the Comets are padding their stats in Westport, by far the most important game this week will be at South Bend tonight, where the NW Christian Navs will be fighting for a chance to play for a state berth. As it stands right now, NWC is in fourth in the Pacific League at 3-2. Naselle is third at 3-2 as well, though they own the tiebreaker over NWC. And South Bend is in second at 4-1. However, if NWC were to beat South Bend tonight, and Naselle takes care of business, you would have three teams at 4-2, each of which having a tiebreaker on another. In this case the three teams would play off against each other, with the winner getting the #2 seed in the league and an automatic bid to the state playoffs. The second place team in this mini-tournament of sorts would take third in the league and would play a crossover game with the third place team from the Central League next week for the final state playoff berth, on Nov. 6 in Aberdeen at 7 p.m. As it stands right now that third place team is perennial power Adna and would be played at a neutral site. The winner of that game would likely face top-ranked Napavine in the first round of the playoffs. As it would happen, Pacific League champ Valley is playing Napavine in a non-league game to end the regular season this week.

We'll have a more accurate report on all this once the games are played tonight, so check back tomorrow for all the details.

ILWACO (1-7, 0-6) @ Ridgefield (6-2, 4-2), 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 29, Ridegefield

After a tough loss in their homecoming game last week, the FIshermen go on the road to end their season, traveling to Ridgefield to face a Spudders team that is on the rise. Ridgefield upset league-leading Toledo last week and are in third place in the Trico League going into this week. But, with Toledo finishing their regular season at Castle Rock, who looked particularly tough here last week, the Spudders have the opportunity to move up to the second seed going into the state playoffs if Castle Rock were to knock off Toledo. 

Despite the loss, the Fishermen scored the most points (16) they have since their 34-6 win back in week 2. Freshman QB Eric McMullan looked pretty good in his first start, connecting on a 62-yard bomb to Bobby Byrd for a late score. Senior Sklar Olson ran for 63 yards, averaging 10 yards per carry. And while the season has been one long lesson in perseverance and character building, you gotta give the student athletes high marks for both as they have hung in there. Many of them will now move on to basketball and wrestling in the next month, teams that advanced to their respective state tournaments just last year.

Pigskin Pick'em

1-1 last week — now 10-5 this year

W- Ilwaco @ Ridgefield

Once again it all comes down to pride for the Fishermen. Ridgefield knows they're going to the playoffs and may overlook the hungry Fishermen

W- Naselle @ Ocosta

Look for the JVs to get in a good amount of playing time in this one, an easy win for NHS.

Week 8 previews - 10/22

Homecoming for both teams this week

Game of the Week

Ilwaco (1-6, 0-5) vs. Castle Rock (2-5, 1-4), 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 22, Peterson Field

Another long season is winding down for the Fishermen, and potentially one of the funnest games of the year is upon us once more — it's homecoming!

The Fishermen had their least fun game in awhile last week, as they fell 54-0 to Trico-leading Toledo.

I know times are tough once again on the gridiron for the Fishermen, but I really hope they aren't giving up. I don't think they are. It's unclear why the JV team has forfeited their final two games of the year, but usually it's because they don't have enough players to fill out the roster. It's common for students to lose interest when success doesn't come. But perhaps the players need to look past the W's and L's and look at the successes they have had. 

Look up at the stands and see that the fans — students, parents, friends — have not given up on you. You have one of the best pep bands in the region. Your cheer squad is great, and both keep the crowd alive during the games. They know you're playing hard and appreciate the effort they see. You play in an extremely tough league, where five of the eight teams have winning records, and all of which also averaging at least 27 ppg and only give up an average of 14 ppg.

You've had a bevy of troubles on offense, namely turnovers, that have made it tough to get in the endzone. That being said, you've been IN almost every game, and for a good portion of the game. That shows heart. Sometimes heart is reflected by the scoreboard, but more often not. More often it is shown along the sidelines, in the huddle, getting up after a tackle, and after the game. You don't see heads down, you see guys wanting to get back in the game, thinking the next set of downs is the opportunity to get something going. 

And while your team has seen more than its fair share of hard times over the years, look around at the accomplishments your school has had in other athletic endeavors, including golf, basketball, cross country and track, all of which have had great success at the highest levels of competition. Some day, and maybe sooner than later, football will have those same opportunities, but until then, enjoy the time you have on the field. Enjoy the fact that you have the opportunity just to play — and that word is used for a reason by the way. 

Homecoming is usually the most highly attended game of the year, and in this case is also the final home game of the year. The fans know what's up, their expectations are not outrageous. They want to see guys playing, playing hard, and playing to have fun. Win or lose, they won't be let down by that.

Don't forget to check back Saturday for a game recap and photo gallery

Naselle (5-2, 2-2) vs. North Beach (2-5, 1-3), 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 22, Pentilla Field

Can you say clutch? After an impressive performance in the clutch to win on the road against NWC last week the Comets are that much closer to saying clinch, as in clinch their fourth-straight playoff appearance.

The Comets go into their final two games with sole possession of third place in the Pacific League, as they now own the tiebreaker over NWC. The Comets next two opponents — North Beach and Ocosta — are a combined 2-12 on the season and should be easy work for a Comets team that is starting to play its best football at the right time of the year. Should the Comets win out they would be 4-2 in league. Friday's South Bend @ Valley game will likely decide the league title. Should South Bend lose, and then lose at home to NWC to end the season, they too would be 4-2 and NWC would be 4-2, causing a three way tie for second and third. If this were to happen, South Bend would have the tiebreaker over NHS, NHS would have the tiebreaker over NWC and NWC would have the tiebreaker over South Bend, resulting in a three-way playoff tournament of sorts, likely on Saturday, Oct. 30, to decide second and third, with the second place team automatically advancing to the state playoffs and the third place team playing a crossover game with the Central League for the last state playoff spot. Going into this week,  third place in a very strong Central League, is perennial power Adna. Of course if South Bend were to win either game against Valley or NWC the Comets would likely be assured of the third place finish.

Coming to Pentilla Field this week are the North Beach Hyaks, having lost their last two by the identical scores of 6-49. Through seven games the Hyaks have averaged only 13 ppg while giving up 34 ppg. Their two wins came in a one-point win at Seattle Lutheran, 7-6, and a six point win at 0-7 Ocosta. 

For the Comets, QB Dustin Eaton has come miles since the beginning of the season. Whereas he looked shaky and uncertain in early games, he has looked downright poised the last two. At Pe Ell two weeks ago he ran for over 100 yards (for the first time) and scored three TD's. Last week, on the road again, Eaton threw for 172 yards (!!) for a 17-yard average per pass and a game-winning TD (he also ran for 48 yards and another TD). Perhaps the best example came after NHS took the lead late in the fourth quarter. With the opportunity to stop an NWC drive and salt away the last minute of the game, Eaton was called for three penalties (only one of which was legitimate in my eyes) that practically gave the Navigators their go-ahead score. On the sideline before heading back to the field, with multiple coaches in his face, Eaton's only answer was "I'm going to score a touchdown!" in a highly emotional voice. And that's exactly what he did. Awe inspiring, especially for such a young player.

The Comets will be without  Robert Eaton again this week, as he continues to heal from an injury that has kept him out of the previous two games. Leo Mendoza, who returned from his own injury last week and scored twice, will continue to fill in at FB in two back sets.

 

Pigskin Pick'em

Boy, hit both nails on the head last week — now 9-4 this year

W- Ilwaco vs. Castle Rock

With pride on the line and facing a team with little to play for, I think Ilwaco pulls a small upset and gives the big crowd something to cheer about

W- Naselle vs. North Beach

This should be an easy one as the Comets come down the stretch looking better each week

Week 7 preview - 10/15

Do or die for Naselle on the road while Ilwaco faces league leader Toledo at home

Game of the Week

Naselle (4-2, 1-2) @ NW Christian (4-2, 2-1), 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 15, Lacey, Wa.

Despite the fact that they have three games left, the Comets whole season comes down to their game in Lacey against NW Christian Friday night, simple as that. 

They win the game, they put themselves into a third-place tie with NWC, with the tie-breaker over them, and two games left (which they should win) against the two worst teams in the league. If they lose, they could never catch back up as NWC would own the tie-breaker, even if they lost in their final game at South Bend (which they likely will). The third place team will play a crossover game with the Central League third place team for the final state playoff spot.

The Comets (4-2, 1-2) got back on track last week after two straight losses with a solid win at floundering Pe Ell — though the bumbling referee crew did everything they could to make it that much harder. Sophomore QB Dustin Eaton came alive after coming under fire early in the season for suspect play. With the Comets two leading rushers out last week Eaton looked like a certain quarterback from years back (Kyle Burkhalter) when he took off running time and again, scoring three TDs, and scoring his first 100 yard game, while operating a wildcat, option-read offense. RB Leo Mendoza is set to be back on the field this week, giving their offense some added dimension. It is unclear whether FB Robert Eaton will return this week or not.

This has been by far the most successful season in the short history of the NWC football program (4-2, 2-1). In their previous four seasons they went a combined 6-32. So far they have blowout wins over 0-5 Rainier Christian, 1-5 Seattle Lutheran, 2-4 Ocosta and got by a feisty 1-5 Raymond team in a shootout. Their two losses have come against the 1-5 Tenino, and last week at Valley, where they put up a good fight in a 36-19 loss.

The Navigators have scored a lot of points (against Swiss cheese D's for the most part), to a 30 ppg average, but have also given up more than their fair share, 15 ppg on the year. However, that average has been doubled over their last two games.

The Comets scoring is down this year, having just crossed the century mark last week (103 points total), for an average of 17 ppg. However, if you take away the two games against South Bend and Valley where they only scored 6 points, the Comets are averaging a more respectable 24 ppg in their four wins. Last weeks 27 was the highest output yet this season. The Comets are 3-0 on the road this year, while NWC is perfect at home.

Don't forget to check back Saturday for a game recap, photo gallery and player blog posts

Ilwaco (1-5, 0-4) vs. Toledo (5-1, 4-0), 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 15, Peterson Field

Good lord, that long bus ride up the gorge can be a killer, as the Fishermen found out last week when visiting White Salmon. The Fishermen went in with a real good chance at a win, and left two hours later (for the four hour bus ride home) with an 8-42 loss. *See sidebar below

Prior to last week the Columbia Bruins had scored only 33 points over the first five weeks, and then drop a 42 point bomb on the Fishermen, nearly matching their worst outcome of the season, a 45-8 loss to Kalama in week four.

Skyler Olson had a pretty good game, rushing for 76 yards on 10 attempts (7.6 ypc) and had a 93-yard kick return for the Fishermen's only score, and QB Josh Berteaux completed just under 60 percent of his passes, but only for an average of 6 yards per. The Fishermen came close to scoring two other times, but lost another fumble on the Bruins 15 yard line and the clock ran out on them on the Bruin 1 yard line to end the game. The Fishermen gave up 311 yards on the ground and another 90 in the air.

Things don't get any better for the beleaguered crew as they come home to an undefeated Toledo team who are atop the Trico League, are averaging a league-best 30 ppg and giving up 14 ppg. The Fishermen on the flip side have the league's lowest scoring offense, averaging only 9 ppg. Toledo come in after knocking off the other previously unbeaten Trico team, Stevenson, last week, 33-0. 

** So this leads me to a rant that I've been thinking about for quite awhile now — Why the hell are teams located that far apart still in the same league? 

The Trico League is made up of eight teams, five of which are located between Longview and Vancouver, as well as the far flung places like Ilwaco, Stevenson and White Salmon. A bus ride from IHS to Stevenson is a total of 294 miles and at least six hours on the road roundtrip. An away game at White Salmon, like last week, is a whopping 342 miles and nearly eight hours on the road! Last week they didn't get back until after 2:30 am. 

The other 1A league in District IV is the Evergreen League, made up of mostly teams from around Grays Harbor county and a few along the southern I-5 corridor. And then there's Forks. Forks! That vampire-loving northern Washington town, that is still a 5 hour roundtrip for an Evergreen team like Montesano. 

Granted there was some team shifting last year as a few teams either dropped down to 1A, moved up to 2A, etc., but none of that made Ilwaco's travel schedule any easier. Put this into contrast with the league Naselle plays in, the 2B Pacific League, all of their foes are in Pacific or south Grays Harbor counties, save for NW Christian, located in Lacey — 200 miles roundtrip and 4 hours on the road total. A two hour bus ride is not unreasonable, but when you start adding more and more hours to that it gets a little ridiculous, not only for the athletes, but for transportation costs.

Why can't Ilwaco be placed into a restructured Evergreen League (with Forks moving to a northern Washington league and Rainier into the Trico), that way their longest drive would be a two hour trip to Tenino once a year. And while we're at it, let's take this a step closer to home — what happened to natural rivals? I know that IHS' enrollment is still just a tick too high to be placed in the 2B Pacific League (probably not for too much longer though), but wouldn't it make sense if they were? They are the only high school in the county that isn't. Between the teams in Pacific, Grays Harbor and Wahkiakum counties, you can't tell me they couldn't reshuffle the deck and come up with leagues that are feasible athletically, economically and in the way of travel time.

These leagues need to be reassessed with travel time and distance in mind, because it can't be any better for the likes of Stevenson and White Salmon who have to come here, especially after a blowout?

Pigskin Pick'em

Comets come thru, Fishermen, eh, not so much— now 7-4 this year

L- Ilwaco vs. Toledo

Hate to say it, but this one could get ugly

W- Naselle @ NW Christian

This is going to be a tight game, probably the best in the Pacific League this week. But with their season on the line I think the young Comets get by in a close win.

Week 6 preview - 10/8

Get on your traveling shoes, pack up the car, we're going on a road trip!

Game of the Week

Naselle @ Pe Ell, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 8, Pe Ell High School

Naselle (3-2, 1-2) could not have played much worse than they did the last two weeks, scoring only 6 points while giving up a total of 44 in back to back losses at home to the two best teams in the Pacific League — South Bend and Valley. The Comets haven't lost two games in a row since 2006 — which was also the last time they lost two home games. Not surprisingly, that was the last year they had a losing record.

This losing streak has caused the coaching staff to apparently reorganize the line-up in an effort to get healthy and rediscover their mojo. 

Perhaps their two most explosive players, FB/DL Robert Eaton and RB/S Leo Mendoza, are out this week to rest injuries suffered over the last two games. This creates some serious holes on both sides of the ball. On offense, these two had been the most productive ball carriers on the team this year, and Mendoza has been successful while playing QB out of the wildcat formation. On defense, Eaton helps make up the line that for most of the season has held opponents running game in check, while Mendoza is by far the biggest player in the secondary as the lone safety, backing up a pair of shorter CB's. Kai Leach, who has had some success at RB this year, is being moved to FB. This seems an odd choice seeing as how he is a speed back who is not very large in his physical stature. The Chapman brothers — Chase and Chandler — are being moved to RB. On the defensive side of the ball, Jesse Lopez is being moved off the D line, replaced by Tanner Hovan, while Ryley Queener is being replaced on the line by Jake Condon.

So will these changes lead to victory for the Comets? Well, this week it probably will as they face awful Pe Ell Trojans (0-5) in a mid-season non-league game. The Trojans have scored only 22 points all year, while giving up 176 (and average of 35 per game). They have also been shut out three times this season, including the last two weeks. One thing to keep in mind? It is supposed to rain tomorrow night, and the Comets have had a pretty difficult time hanging onto the ball this year.

A win Friday could get Naselle back on track as they prepare for the most important game of their season at Northwest Christian, currently the second place team in the league. The Comets need to win out in order to put themselves into one of the top three places in the league and at least have the opportunity to play their way to a state playoff spot in a crossover game. The Crusaders face league-leader Valley this week and will play South Bend on the final week of the season. South Bend will play for league superiority the week before in Menlo. 

**NOTE: To kind of make up for us dropping the ball last Saturday in terms of coverage reports, Observer photojournalist Damian Mulinix will be attending a rare away game and posting a photo gallery.

Don't forget to check back Saturday for a game recap, photo gallery and player blog posts

Ilwaco @ Columbia of White Salmon, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 8, White Salmon High School

The Fishermen (1-4, 0-3) have a heck of a chance this Friday. Chance to what, you might say? A chance to get their second win of the year. A chance to get their first league win since 2007. Chance to see some returns on their exceptional efforts they have put forth this year on defense. 

Aside from the blow out loss at Kalama in week four, 45-8, the defense has been stout, holding league leader Stevenson to 23 points (they average 30 ppg) and LaCenter last week to 21 (they average 25 ppg). 

This week they travel to White Salmon to face a Columbia team that has scored only 33 points this year, while giving up a Trico League worst 198 (an average of 40 ppg!).

The Fishermen offense hasn't inspired much confidence this year, but they did put up the points the last time they faced a lesser adversary — 34-6 win at 0-4 Neah-Kah-Nie back in week two. Josh Berteaux's debut at QB was inauspicious, 0-2 passing and 20 yards on 10 run attempts, but new RB Skylar Olson did rip off an 80-yard run for a TD late in the game.

Pigskin Pick'em

Both teams lose last week, bad for them, good for my picks— now 6-3 this year

W- Ilwaco @ Columbia of White Salmon

Fishermen have a chance at a multi-win season, I think they take it

W- Naselle @ Pe Ell

Comets get back on track with a possible blow out, giving them plenty of time to plan for NWC next week

Week 5 preview - 10/1

Both teams face tough home games this week 

Game of the Week

Naselle vs. Willapa Valley, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 1, Pentilla Field

By losing to South Bend last week, Naselle (1-1, 3-1) has put themselves in a tough position going into perhaps an even tougher game this week against the Valley Vikings (2-0, 3-1).

After falling in week one to South Bend, in a non-league game 24-0, the Vikings have been red hot. In the last three weeks they have outscored their opponents 129-35. The bad news for Naselle? A lot of those points came through the air as well as on the ground.

The Comets showed last week that their defense can control an opponents run game and keep it out of the end zone. The problem for the Comets came when South Bend figured out that they could take advantage of the Comets undersized cornerbacks and threw a couple of pop-ups to their taller receivers that turned in two TDs.

So what will the Comets do this week when they face a QB like Matt Friese who throws for an average of 112 yards per game? If they reshape their D to try and shut down the pass attack the Vikings can simply hand it off to an equally potent weapon in running back Michael Neumeyer, who averages 112 yards on the ground and has rushed for 8 TDs thus far (he also averages more than 20 yards per catch).

The Comets offense looked terrible last week and face a Vikings D that only gives up an average of 15 ppg, while scoring an average of 32 ppg. And if you take out the shutout loss to South Bend and look at how they've scored all their points in three games, that average rises to 43 ppg.

Prior to last week the Comets had been averaging more than 300 yards on the ground per game, but saw that fall to just 192. Their leading rusher was QB Dustin Eaton with 46 yards. FB Robert Eaton was held to 31 yards after averaging 121 yards per game, while Leo Mendoza and Kai Leach were essentially non-factors. 

The limited success the Comets did have came through the straight up passing game, with Eaton going 5-for-9 for 67 yards, including a 25-yard reception by Mendoza for Naselle's only score. The Comets were finally able to hold on to the ball, giving up only one fumble, after coughing it up 16 times the first three games. Now if they can just move that ball in a productive fashion down the field. 

PACIFIC LEAGUE NOTES: Valley is currently tied for first in the Pacific League with South Bend. The Vikings have perhaps the best chance of winning the league title outright as they face South Bend at home in their final league game of the year. However, if Naselle were to beat Valley and then Valley beat South Bend (and all three run the table in their other league games) you would have another co-champion situation like you did in 2007.

But forget about all that for a second. Naselle is still very much alive for a playoff berth, regardless of whether they are number one or not. The Pacific League gets two automatic berths to state for it's top two teams tis year. The third place team plays a crossover game on Nov. 5 with the third place team from the Central League, with the winner going to the playoffs. NW Christian are currently in third place, but have yet to play South Bend, Valley or Naselle.

Don't forget to check back Saturday for a game recap and player blog posts

*NOTE: The will be no photo gallery this week as Observer photojournalist Damian Mulinix will be out of town attending the annual WNPA awards ceremony Friday night.

Ilwaco vs. Ridgefield, 7 pm, Friday, Oct. 1, Petersen Field

As if facing one of the top teams in the Trico League wasn't tough enough, the Ilwaco Fishermen (0-2, 1-3) will be doing so with a new body taking the snaps Friday.

Josh Berteaux was moved to QB this week after playing the first four games at running back. How this will affect the double wing offense the team has run this year is yet to be seen, but Berteaux is a playmaker, even though he is a bit undersized. Don't be surprised if you see more option runs and wildcat-like formations this week as the team tries to find its bearings. One thing you probably won't see is much of a pass game as apparently Berteaux does not have much touch. The few times the Fishermen have put it in the air this year, Bobby Byrd and Kasey Plato have made some productive catches, but it would likely have to be someone else getting the ball to them. One other point about the Fishermen O — If you take away the 34 points they scored at Neah-Kah-Nie three weeks ago, the Fishermen have scored only 8 points the rest of the year and have been shutout twice in four weeks. 

The Trico League is tough this year. Period.

The top five teams are either 4-0 or 3-1, and all of them average nearly twice as many points as they give up. LaCenter (1-1, 3-1) is one of those teams — 26 ppg average, while giving up 13 ppg. The Wildcats beat an equally good Ridgefield team last week, 27-13, while Ilwaco was blown out on the road, 45-8 at Kalama.

TRICO LEAGUE NOTES: Coming up this month the Fishermen will have a good chance at netting a few more wins this season as they face the two teams below them in the Trico League: Columbia of White Salmon and Castle Rock. Next Friday the Fishermen will travel up the gorge to White Salmon to face a team that is 0-4 and is losing by an 8-44 average score each week. The Fishermen will play their homecoming game Oct. 22 against Castle Rock, a perennial Trico League favorite, who are having a down year in 2010, 1-3 record and losing by an average score of 12-23 each week (Ilwaco's average score is 11-25). Castle Rock haven't lost more than three games in a season since 2004.

Pigskin Pick'em

What the heck? 0-2 last week, dropping me to 4-3 this year

L- Ilwaco vs. LaCenter

Tough visiting team and personnel changes don't bode well for Fishermen

L- Naselle vs. Valley

Wish I could another way on this one, but after how the Comets looked last week it'd be pretty hard to pick'em over a really good Valley team. Hope they prove me wrong, but the Comets haven't beaten the Vikings in the regular season in the last decade.

Week 4 preview - 9/24

The Comets prep for perhaps the biggest game of their regular season while Ilwaco heads to the field turf of Kalama

Game of the Week

Naselle vs. South Bend, 7 pm, Friday, Sept. 24, Pentilla Field

For those of us who always look forward to the Naselle-South Bend game each year, it feels a little early in the season to be having such an important game. The last six years the game has taken place within a week of Halloween, but here we are the last Friday of September and both teams are facing perhaps their biggest game of the regular season. To say that  a loss this early could greatly effect either teams chances of making the postseason may be a little premature. But to say that the winner would have a much easier task along the way wouldn't be a stretch at all.

The Comets (1-0, 3-0) have beaten South Bend (1-0, 2-1), the last three years — and as fate would have it, Naselle made the playoffs each of those years. In every case the game was a decider for both teams.

South Bend come into the game as the odds-on favorites to win the league. They are ranked 5th in the state in the first statewide AP poll of the year (Naselle is in a tie for 10th in the poll), despite having one loss, which came two weeks ago in a shootout with 1A Onalaska, 21-32. South Bend bounced back in a big way over league punching bag Ocosta, 35-0 last week. That being said, South Bend has already shut out the Valley Vikings (the other perennial league favorite)  in week one. The visitors bring with them a mighty good offense to go with that stiff D.

They average 27 ppg on offense, led by QB  Levi Bale. And just like the Naselle attack, in South Bend the QB is not really a passing position. While Bale has only thrown 3 for 19 for 52 yards this year, including a TD, he has ran for 236 yards and five TDs.

The Comets offense — might as well call it a ground game as they have only attempted 9 passes in three games — has been beyond productive, it's been downright dominant. In three games they have run for 1,061 yards (354 ave. per game).

And to say that fullback Robert Eaton is off to a good start would be an understatement. If you just look at the numbers thus far you'd easily put him in the race for league MVP — and who knows who long its been since you could say that about a fullback? In his first three games he's ran for a total of 363 yards (a 121 per game average) and 5 touchdowns. He's joined in the backfield by a pair of equally productive tailbacks — Leo Mendoza had 226 yards in two games before an injury last week, and Kai Leach has 265 yards in three games to go along with a pair of TDs. And according to a team source, Mendoza does plan to play Friday night.

The Comets biggest problem, and it could potentially be their downfall one of these nights if they can't get it squared away, is the turnovers, especially lost fumbles. Naselle has turned the ball over 16 times in three games. 

Yes, 16 times. 

In three games. 

It's amazing the coaches have not burned holes through the top of their hats. And these aren't strips or interceptions, these are unassisted fumbles a lot of the time, which makes it that much more frustrating. There is no way they can continue to turn over the ball five times per game and expect to beat quality opponents like South Bend and Valley. 

The X factor of the game?  Due to a quirk in the schedule, Naselle is hosting the annual rivalry game for the second straight year. That doesn't mean that South Bend won't be packing their side of the stands (and all around the track and field) with as many of their crazy, loud, obnoxious fans as they can, so make sure to bring your loudest friends and relatives. Have a loudmouth cousin or nephew that doesn't want to drive? GO PICK THEM UP, they are needed!

Don't forget to check back Saturday for a game recap,  photo gallery and player blog posts

Ilwaco @ Kalama, 7 pm, Friday, Sept. 24

After a sobering loss at home last week to Stevenson, Ilwaco (0-1, 1-2) heads to Kalama where they hope four quarters on field turf will help them hold on to the ball better. Nine turnovers in three games (they had none in their win at Neah-Kah-nie too weeks ago) have really kept them from getting much going on  offense — last week they turned the ball over twice when standing on the goal line alone. And while they have lost nine balls, they've come darn close to several more. 

Ilwaco also had the unfortunate timing of running into a buzzsaw of a Stevenson team last week, which has yet to give up a point this year — the only team in the 1A division, and one of three teams in the state to be pitching a shutout three weeks in.

The Chinooks (1-0, 2-1) are one point away from being perfect this year — their lone loss coming at Hoqiuam two weeks ago, 21-22. They haven't had a ton of success in the way of offense, averaging 19 ppg, but their defense has been tough, giving up an average of 14 ppg, which includes holding Castle Rock to just six last week. 

And while the Ilwaco offense could only muster 96 yards last week (and only 66 in week one), the defense has continued to hold strong. The Fishermen have given up 53 points in three games, putting them in the middle of the pack in the 1A division in points allowed (an ave. of 18 ppg). 

The Fishermen have once again changed up the look of their offense, adding a lot of motion and movement by the backs, but couldn't seem to get it going consistently last week. It's a shame to see the offense stuttering, as they have guys who can do great things if they get on track. Josh Berteaux, for example, is a playmaker, plain and simple. Give him the ball as a back or a receiver and he'll make things happen. But, to their credit, they haven't given up. Look at the sidelines and you don't see heads hung low and bickering, you see guys out there hustling and trying to make plays till the buzzer sounds, and you gotta respect that. One of these nights that kind of effort will be rewarded again, just wait and see.

Pigskin Pick'em

1-1 last week after Ilwaco pulled a donut, 4-1 this year

L- Ilwaco @ Kalama

While the road was the answer last time in Rockaway Beach, I don't think the Fishermen wlll be as lucky on this road trip against a strong Kalama team.

W- Naselle vs. South Bend

If I could've picked a tie in this one I may have as I think this will be a real test for both these teams and will be a tight game to the final buzzer. But, home field trumps, so going with Naselle in a close one.

Week 3 preview - 9/17

After breaking their winless streak last week, Ilwaco looks to continue the trend at home, while the Comets hit the road to open league play

Game of the Week

Ilwaco vs. Stevenson, 7 pm, Friday, Sept. 17, Peterson Field

As the final seconds ticked off the clock at Rockaway Beach last week you gotta wonder what was going through the minds of the Ilwaco players. Joy? Disbelief? Rejuvenated hopes for the season?

This may sound like hyperbole, and in some ways it is, but there is a portion of the team that had never won a game in their high school career, and many others who had seen limited success almost two years ago (when they last won a game).

The Fishermen (0-0, 1-1) totally dominated the Neah-Kah-Nie Pirates last Friday to the tune of 34-6. The Fishermen continued to keep it on the ground, racking up 315 yards with multiple players putting up good stats, and four different players scoring including QB Nick Cox twice.

They will need to bring some of that offense to keep up this week with a red-hot Stevenson (0-0, 2-0) team coming to town to open the Trico League season. So far the Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 78-0, albeit to less-than-stellar opponents — last week beating a start-up private school and the week before beating a Tenino team that has occupied the bottom portion of the Evergreen league for the last few years. The Bulldogs possess a good offense and can hurt you through the air as well as on the ground. The QB, Zach Castro, can run and throw with equal success, as he did last week to the tune of 77 yrds on the ground and another 132 through the air, rushing for two TDs while throwing another for 89 yrds. The Bulldogs have multiple running backs that can get in the endzone and apparently have a very strong defensive line as well, which may be able to stuff up the Fishermen's double-wing pound the ground game.

Perhaps the equalizer? Looks like the stormy, rainy weather will continue into tomorrow night, which usually means a reduction in pass completions, making it perhaps a battle of who can run the ball better in the slop.

Don't forget to check back Saturday for a game recap and photo gallery

Naselle @ Raymond, 7 pm, Friday, Sept. 17, Raymond

Those who weren't there to watch it might have thought that last week's home opening win by the Comets (0-0, 2-0) was an easy one, but they'd be wrong. After a really fast start, scoring twice in the first quarter, the Comets did not score again until a couple minutes into the fourth quarter. Not that they didn't have their chances, but they let them slip away, literally. The Comets continued the unfortunate trend of fumbling away the ball — 10 times in two weeks. By the fourth quarter though the Comets had pretty much shut down the Warrior offense — only giving up a kickoff return — while the offense pretty much had its way. Throw in a couple of really head-scratching calls from the officials and multiple players cramping up again late, and you have a game that was a lot closer than the score implied at the end.

Now let's get to the good stuff. When the Comets did hold onto the ball they ran, and ran, and ran some more. Three players rushed for more than 100 yards — Mendoza, R. Eaton and Leach. Fullback Robert Eaton had a career night, rushing for 156 yards and three scores. And when young QB Dustin Eaton went down with cramps late in the third quarter, senior Leo Mendoza stepped in to run the "Wild-Comet" offense, and did so very well, scoring in the fourth quarter on a 14-yard run. Leach should have been given a TD score as the game expired, but once again the refs blew an easy call (one of four on the night).

This week the Comets go on the road to open the Pacific League season at Raymond (0-0, 0-2), which has lost their first two games by a combined score of 13-59. The Gulls have been the league punching bag for awhile and went 0-10 last year. So while the Gulls may not put up much of a fight, perhaps the Comets biggest challenge Friday is not beating themselves.

Pacific League Notes:

• The Comets are the only team in the league to have not lost a game thus far, as South Bend lost last week to Onalaska.

• The 12 points the Comets have allowed are the least in the league, with NWC close behind with 17 allowed. Meanwhile, Ocosta has already given up 91 points while only scoring 12.

• Though a Comet player mentioned last week that the team was in the 2B state rankings, I have yet to be able to confirm that. From what I've seen, Colfax is tops with Napavine right behind (both undefeated), while the rest of the top 10 have at least one loss, including third-ranked South Bend.

Pigskin Pick'em

Called the Ilwaco win last week, oh-yeah, 3-0 this year

W- Ilwaco vs. Stevenson

I think Stevenson's record and scoring differential are deceiving and the Fishermen have a shot at back-to-back wins

W- Naselle @ Raymond

Not a question of if but probably more like by how much