Friday, Oct. 24, 2008

League titles on line around region

By Kevin Anthony, Herald staff writer

No fewer than five matchups of Mid-Columbia teams tonight in the small-school football ranks pit league unbeatens against each other.

Included in that mix are eight overall unbeatens, two No. 1s in state polls and three defending state champions.

No doubt most eyes will be focused on the battles in the CWAC and SCAC East. No. 1 Prosser (7-0, 6-0) plays host to No. 7 Selah (7-0, 6-0) for CWAC supremacy.

The Vikings are led by QB Justin Windsor, who is third in the league with 949 yards passing and fourth with eight TDs. Tyler Porter and Quincy Davis (50-735, 7 TDs combined) make a potent pass-catching combo.

But Prosser is Prosser. Jordan Durbin's 35 passing TDs are as many as the league's next two QBs combined, and Kirby Moore's 108 points are 36 more than second place for the scoring title.

In the SCAC East, No. 1 and defending champion Royal (7-0, 4-0) pays a visit to Connell (4-3, 4-0).

Royal's Connor Paysse (1,257 yards, 18 TDs) and Connell's Nathan Martinez (1,047, 9) are in a pitched battle for the league passing title. The Eagles' Carlis Bailon-Schubert (886 yards, 8 TDs) leads the rushing chase by more than 200 yards, but the Knights are spreading their running game among several different rushers.

The other games featuring league unbeatens are in the Southeast 2B -- No. 8 DeSales (5-2, 4-0) at No. 6 Garfield-Palouse (6-0, 4-0); the Southeast 1B -- No. 2 Tri-Cities Prep (6-0, 2-0) vs. No. 3 LaCrosse-Washtucna (6-0, 2-0); and the Eastern Oregon -- Umatilla (7-0, 3-0) vs. Grant Union (7-0, 3-0).