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Here we go. Week 2 of the high school football season kicks off tonight with a number of storylines.
For some leagues, the games begin to really count. A new school plays its first home game. One player is back, and another could set a milestone.
And of all the games scheduled, the best matchup might come from an 8-man game.
Here are the top five storylines for the weekend.
The games count
At least for the CBBN 4A/3A league and the 2A CWAC, they do. After last weekend's nonleague contests, now the games matter in the standings.
There are four CBBN Cascade Division games -- Eastmont at Richland; Eisenhower at Walla Walla; Hanford at Chiawana; and West Valley at Kamiakin.
There are three CBBN Columbia Division games -- Kennewick at Wenatchee; Pasco at Davis; and Southridge at Sunnyside.
In the CWAC, the lineup has Ellensburg at East Valley; Ephrata at Othello; Prosser at Quincy; Selah at Wapato; and Toppenish at Grandview.
Check the area schedule, but all of the above games kick off at 7:30 p.m.
Chiawana's home opener
The Riverhawks opened the season with their first-ever game last Friday at Moses Lake, losing 42-28.
Tonight, they have their very first home game, playing host to Hanford at 7:30 p.m. at Edgar Brown Stadium.
Tri-Cities Prep
Coach Dan Whitsett's team lost its season opener 40-36 to Oregon power Imbler last week. But the Jaguars are still one of the best 8-man football teams in the state, and they've got a heck of a matchup at 2 p.m. Saturday at their school in Pasco when Lummi comes to town.
Prep beat Lummi 62-34 last season. Lummi is coached by Jim Sandusky, the Othello High graduate who went on to play in the Canadian Football League and for the Seahawks. Sandusky's offense is high powered, as is Whitsett's.
Now, throw in the fact that Prep quarterback Will Hoppes is closing in on history. The senior had 394 total yards of offense (354 passing, 40 rushing) last week against Imbler. That gave him a career total of 9,779 total yards, surpassing former Lummi quarterback Dustin Tom (2005-08 and 9,702 yards).
With 221 yards of offense Saturday, Hoppes will hit 10,000 yards.
Winston is back at Wa-Hi
It took one varsity football game to make Gary Winston miss playing. The Walla Walla senior verbally committed to the University of Idaho on a basketball scholarship last spring, and he decided to skip playing football this fall.
But after watching the Blue Devils fall to Hermiston 27-23 last Friday, Winston had had enough and wanted back in.
"It was as simple as that," said Wa-Hi coach Marc Yonts. "He was still missing it. So he called his (Idaho) coaches and asked if it was OK for him to play, and they said sure."
An all-league receiver last season, Winston won't be eligible to play until Sept. 25 against Hanford. And when he is, Yonts will move him all over the field -- QB, running back, receiver, returner -- in order to get him the ball.
Oros as good as gold
Keep and eye on Grandview's Josue Oros tonight against Toppenish.
In a 23-15 win over South Whidbey last Friday, the Greyhounds quarterback went out and scored every single Grandview point.
He had two rushing touchdowns, an interception return for another TD, a field goal, and two extra-point kicks.
