Napavine quarterback Laythan Demarest throws the ball during summer workouts.
Pe Ell-Willapa Valley junior quarterback Tyler Adkins passes the ball against Montesano in 2019.
Rainier quarterback Michael Green throws against Pe Ell-Willapa Valley in 2019.
Onalaska coach Mazen Saade reacts to the Loggers defeating Kalama in the 2B state championship Dec. 7, 2019.
Toledo quarterback Ryan Bloomstrom uncorks a throw during a jamboree in January.
Adna senior running back Zach Berg evades a Napavine defender in 2019.
Morton-White Pass sophomore Carter Dantinne takes off after a reception against Raymond in 2019.
Winlock junior Nolan Swofford shrugs off a Wahkiakum defender in 2019.
Onalaska football player warm up during the first day of official practices on Feb. 1, 2021.
Six years ago, Adna Athletic Director K.C. Johnson and then-South Bend Athletic Director Tom Sanchez helped create what would become the Southwest Washington 2B Football League (SWW), merging the 2B Central and Pacific leagues together into one powerhouse conference.
Back then, there were 19 schools in the league. Now there are 17, and the SWW 2B League has built itself into the toughest 2B football league in the state. All four of the 2019 state semifinal games featured SWW 2B League teams (Onalaska, Kalama, Adna and Napavine), and if there were a state tournament this year, it would likely be more of the same as the league is again loaded with talent.
“It just shows how tough our league really is,” Adna Athletic Director K.C. Johnson said. “And it’s no different right now. I truly believe five of the top six teams in the state are in this division again. It’s going to be interesting.”
This year, the league is starting a two-year cycle of brand-new divisions: the Upper North and Upper South divisions, which are made up of the top teams, with a Lower East-West Division made up of teams in rebuilding years.
“The East-West is a lot of schools that didn’t want to see the other (North and South divisions) teams on their schedules,” Johnson said. “There’s some really good football schools in it, they could just be low on numbers right now, so they chose to play there.”
Each team will play two crossover/non-divisional games to start the season, then break into their divisional matchups. With no state tournament, teams within the league will be seeded for a league playoff system. Let’s start with the upper divisions.
The Tigers would be instant state title contenders if the state tournament wasn’t canceled this year. They bring back eight starters on offense and 10 on defense for a team that went 10-2 overall and finished second in league, narrowly losing to eventual-state champion Onalaska, 44-42, in last season’s state semifinals. They’ve qualified for the state playoffs 12-consecutive seasons.
The Tigers will be led by signal-caller Laythan Demarest, a 5-foot-10, 155-pound senior quarterback who took over under center last season and was an all-state honorable mention selection after rushing for 1,397 yards and 25 touchdowns on 125 carries. He was also first-team all-league at both QB and defensive back.
Anchoring formidable offensive and defensive lines is junior Keith Olson, a 6-foot-6, 285-pound beast in the trenches who is a 3-star prospect with offers from Oregon State, California and Washington State.
Also returning is first-team all-state tight end Cade Evander, who is even more fearsome at defensive end, easily breaking the school record for sacks last year with 21. Junior Gavin Parker, a first-team all-league selection, will provide ample carries in the run game.
“Napavine may be the overall most talented,” Johnson said. “It’s one of Napavine’s most talented teams ever.”
The Tigers face rival Onalaska at 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 13 in a must-watch game.
The Titans have been a dominating force ever since Pe Ell and Willapa Valley joined forces in 2014 and have won five straight Coastal Division titles. Though losing some crucial pieces from last year’s team that finished 6-4 overall and 5-0 in the now-defunct Coastal Division, the Titans should still be a tough out.
PWV returns starting quarterback and defensive back Tyler Atkins, as well as starting running back and defensive back Kollin Jurek, who was first-team all-league at halfback. Also back is junior lineman Kaden Ritzman, who coach Josh Fluke said will anchor both lines. Fluke was the Coastal Division’s Coach of the Year in 2019.
“Those guys know how to play football,” Johnson said.
The Titans travel to Adna to take on the Pirates at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13 in their season opener.
The Mountaineers could make one of the biggest jumps in terms of success this season among the entire SWW 2B League after going 6-5 overall and 1-3 in league play. Rainier, which made the state playoffs last season with a slew of sophomores, brings back nine starters on offense and 10 on defense. Quarterback Michael Green, who was an all-league honorable mention pick last season, will have plenty of weapons to utilize this year.
“Our strength will be we are all a year older and in year two of our system with our quarterback,” Rainier coach Andrew Bartell said. “We also have a very athletic skill group.”
Senior Riffe Holmes was second-team all-league at running back, Logan Bowers was an honorable-mention tight end and junior Sean Mahaffey was first-team all-league at wide receiver. The sophomore duo of Jake Jeske and Jacob Uch both earned honorable-mention honors at wideout as well.
“Rainier’s got some very good skill kids,” Johnson said. “They’re going to be a force to be reckoned with.”
The Mountaineers travel to Toledo at noon on Saturday, Feb. 13 for their season opener.
The Spartans are newcomers to the league after dropping down from Class 1A this year. They went 4-5 overall and 1-3 in the 1A Evergreen Conference last season, but return 10 starters on both sides of the ball and should adjust quickly to the 2B level.
“We expect them to step right in and make it even tougher,” Johnson said.
The Loggers capped off an undefeated 13-0 season with their first state championship in 33 years over league rival Kalama. They didn’t just beat opponents either, they manhandled them with an unbreakable line, ferocious defense and an unstoppable triple option offense. The Loggers posted four shutouts, allowed just one team to score more than 22 points and outscored opponents by an average score of 49-10. Offensively, they scored 40 or more points in 10 of their 13 games.
Things will be a bit different this year without Ashton Haight, the Associated Press’ 2B State Player of the Year, along with a number of other all-state and all-league performers.
Instead, the Loggers will utilize what they do have, and that is likely the best offensive and defensive lines in the entire league. The Loggers bring back six of their seven offensive and defensive lineman, including all-state offensive lineman B.J. Cleveland-Barrera.
“They’re just animals,” Johnson said.
Offensively, they’ll run their deadly triple option with Danny Dalsted taking over at quarterback. Marshall Haight is the new starting fullback, with Kolby Mozingo and Gunnar Talley expected to get the bulk of the carries at tailback. Senior Kayden Allison was a second-team all-league pick at tight end last year and will be another potent weapon.
The Loggers face rival Napavine at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13, in a matchup of two of the top 2B teams in the state.
The Indians finished 2019 in solid fashion once again, going 8-4 overall and taking second place in league. They qualified for the state playoffs for the sixth-straight season, advancing to the state quarterfinals before losing to Napavine.
The Indians should be formidable this year, too, bringing back a total of five starters on offense and six on defense. Leading the charge is senior Jacob Marley, a 2-star prospect who committed to play for Dixie State University as an all-purpose back. The two-time all-league defensive lineman also played as a fullback for the Indians last season.
Senior tailback Davin Kinsman will take a bulk of the carries in the run game, which coach Mike Christensen expects to be the team’s strength. Kinsman rushed for 872 yards with 11 touchdowns last season while recording 64 tackles, three sacks, one interception and three forced fumbles on defense.
The Indians travel to Rainier on Saturday, Feb. 13 for their season opener.
The Pirates have graduated a ton of talented seniors the last two years and will be in a bit of a rebuild mode this season after going 9-4 overall and advancing to the state semifinals.
The biggest blow is losing Associated Press all-state lineman Lane Baker, who will miss the season after tearing his ACL during summer basketball workouts. Baker committed to Linfield University on Friday.
The plus side is this year’s seniors have played in the state semifinals and won a total of 21 games in each of the past two years. The Pirates bring back five starters on both sides of the ball, including Tyler Minkoff (o-line and linebacker), Devan Young (o-line and defensive tackle), Ryan Young (tight end and defensive end), Zach Berg (running back and safety) and wideout Eli Howe.
Berg and Ryan Young will split time at quarterback this year after all-league signal-caller Braden Thomas graduated, and both will get some opportunities to carry and catch the ball as well.
“Our kids expect to be there,” Johnson said. “And they’re going to go compete.”
The Chinooks advanced to the state title game in 2019 and could be even better this season after starting seven sophomores in that title game against Onalaska. They’ll be led by junior quarterback Jackson Esary, who was an Associated Press honorable-mention selection last season.
“They’re loaded,” Johnson said.
The newly-created division will feature just one local team, Morton-White Pass, and a collection of seven others from around Southwest Washington, including Chief Leschi, North Beach, Toutle Lake, Ilwaco, Ocosta, Wahkiakum, Stevenson and the newly-merged Raymond-South Bend Ravens.
Lee Metcalf enters his fourth year coaching the Timberwolves, who are coming a 1-8 overall season in 2019. Fortunately, the T-Wolves return a ton of starters on both sides of the ball: eight on offense and nine on defense.
The offensive line will be the strength this year, with Eathan Smathers, an all-league honorable-mention pick, anchoring the unit. Also back are Layten and Kysen Collette, both of which are running backs and linebackers. Layten was an all-league honorable-mention selection, while Kysen was a second-team defensive back. Sophomore Carter Dantinne will also see some carries and will be a starting defensive back. He was a first-team all-league punter last season.
The Timberwolves host East-West Division foe Ocosta on Saturday, Feb. 13 in the season opener.
Two area schools dropped down to Class 1B this season, with Mossyrock moving down for all sports and Winlock for football only. The two schools will play Naselle, Northwest Christian and Taholah in the newly-created 1B Pac-5 Conference.
The Vikings went 3-4 last year with two forfeits because of a lack of players, one of the reasons moving down to Class 1B made sense. They were fifth in the SWW League’s River Division.
This year, their strengths will include senior leadership and some very hungry underclassmen, coach Eric Ollikainen said. The Vikings returning leaders include quarterback Aiden West, wide receiver Ryan Bellino and offensive lineman Tryn Thompson.
This is Ollikainen’s first year taking over as head coach at Mossyrock, and has spent three total years as a head coach and 17 total on a staff.
Mossyrock travels to Naselle for a 5 p.m. matchup with the Comets on Monday.
Five years ago, the Cardinals hadn’t won a football game in two years. Last season, the Cardinals saw a resurgence, going 6-4 overall, placing third in the 2B Pacific’s River Division and clinching a spot in the crossover district playoffs.
While they do lose some key pieces from last season’s squad, there are some key returners heading back this year. Junior Nolan Swofford returns as the starting running back and at linebacker. Sam Howsden returns as a starting defensive back, as well as Collin Regalado and Cody Miller on the offensive line. Coach Ernie Samples, in his third year at Winlock, said sophomore linebacker Jay Crow and senior defensive end Aiden Freitas could make a big impact this year.
Coach Ernie Samples said the team’s strength this season will be the run game, with Swofford, Neal Patching and Nathan Childers spearheading a three-pronged attack.
Winlock hosts Taholah at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday.
