Area High Schools Enter the Field of Play this Week

The Toledo Cheer Squad pulls out the tradional banner during a football game in 2008.

With the beginning of school, also starts a season where coaches start sorting out the damage done by graduation on the field of play. While the first football games started last Friday, Volleyball, Soccer and Cross Country all start this week and next in our local high schools.

While Napavine dominated the local sports scene with powerful football (state champions), basketball and baseball (3rd place in state) teams, it looks like an exciting year for Onalaska with many exciting athletes returning to all sports.

The Napavine Football team is well positioned to make another run at state under the leadership of Head Coach Josh Fey.

In football, the Tigers won the 2B state championship in 2008 with a unit that developed as a smooth, effective operation through the season. They replace a few athletes, but return most of their skill players. Onalaska has perhaps the most exciting athlete in the area in Dalton Richey. With a couple of receivers developing, Onalaska could dominate the local 1A scene. Winlock takes on a dark-horse status after a two-win season with a young team barely affected by graduation and a couple of new athletes added to the campus. Toledo returns one of the best passers in the person of Andrew Blair, to grace area football fields in recent history. Expect the Indians to play total team ball and compete for a spot to state. Toutle Lake may be in a rebuilding year after graduating many great athletes, but expect Castle Rock to field a solid team despite the loss the great Zach Gehring and Kyle Karnofski among many others.

Onalaska Volleyball Coach Susan Gordon has a bevy of returning talent in the Lady Logger athletic program.

The Lady Loggers look to compete very well with Toledo on the Volleyball court as both schools bring back athletes and coaches in very proud programs. Other volleyball programs to watch include 2008 State Runner-up Castle Rock. Even with the graduation of five seniors off the 2008 team, the pipeline of talent will continue.

Olanlaska takes pride in not only its ability to field a competetive team, but host large meets like this one last fall.

Onalaska Cross Country will also bring back huge numbers of harriers to compete at the district level.

Rock-On and Castle Rock split two classic battles in 2008. Rock-On went on to State, could 2009 be the year for a rapidly developing CR program?

Count on three very good soccer programs from Castle Rock, Rock-On (a combined group from Onalaska and Napavine) and Toledo-Winlock United to battle for local supremacy.

Yes, it is that time of year; Entire communities come out to support their local student-athletes on the field of play and old rivalries are renewed with a new generation of athletes and fans.