Prep football preview: Teams take different approaches to making schedules

The best do not shy away from the best.
And teams that are struggling should not feel an obligation to prove anything against the best.
That seems to be the philosophy among many football coaches and athletic directors.
Traditional powers Camas, Union and Skyview always seem to look for the best teams to play in the non-league schedule.
Camas will open on the road against Chiawana in Week 1, then head to Federal Way in Week 2. Both those teams made long playoff runs last season, and Chiawana beat Camas in the 2013 state championship game. In the past, Camas played ­Oregon powerhouse Jesuit.
Union also has faced Jesuit, and this year will host Federal Way in Week 1.
In 2011, Skyview opened 0-2 against teams that would win state championships in Idaho and Oregon. The Storm would win 11 in a row, making it to the Tacoma Dome in December.
“If it wasn’t for those losses, we don’t make it to the championship game,” Skyview coach Steve Kizer said. “We’re trying to become the best that we can be.”
And that means not being afraid to lose in a non-league game.
“You don’t get better unless you play great competition,” Union coach Gary McGarvie said. “Even if you get beat, you’re going to get questions answered. And it prepares you for the playoffs.”
Not that Camas needed any extra motivation after the 2013 state title game, but the Papermakers scheduled Chiawana for back-to-back openers in 2014 and 2015. Plus, Federal Way. A year ago, the Papermakers beat both of those teams en route to an undefeated regular season.
“It makes your offseason better,” Camas coach Jon Eagle said of the schedule. “It creates greater focus.”
A blowout over an overmatched opponent in Week 1 does not help a coaching staff. But a sound win over a quality opponent, or even a loss, has benefits.
“You find out who you are right now,” Eagle said.
This season, 10 of the 11 teams in the 4A and 3A GSHLs are playing the same opponents as last year, a two-year scheduling cycle of home-and-home series.
But what about teams on the other end of the spectrum?
Fort Vancouver believes programs that have fallen on hard times should not feel the need to take on bigger programs.
Two years ago, the Trappers lost their four non-league football games by 36, 26, 35, and 29 points, and they were shut out in two of those games. A year ago, the Trappers won one of their six non-league games, and they were competitive in four of their losses. The Trappers scored in every non-league game last season.
Did the Trappers get better? Sure. But they also got creative with the schedule.
“We look for teams we can be competitive with,” Fort Vancouver coach Cal Szueber said. “Our kids need to compete. Once you learn how to compete, you start getting more confidence. You win a few games, you get more kids out. When you lose by 50, no one wants to play.”
By being more competitive, the Trappers attracted more players. Fort has nearly twice as many athletes in the program this season than it had in 2014.
There is nothing to be done about league schedules. If the first-place team in a league is 50 points better than the last-place team, so be it. But there is no reason for a last-place team to play a traditional power in the non-league schedule.
“It’s just no good for anybody,” Szueber said. “It’s not fun when you win those games. You don’t gain anything out of those games.
“Good competition makes you better.”
Still, there are going to be mismatches, if only because there are so many non-league games to schedule. Columbia River, Fort Vancouver, Prairie, and Kelso make up a four-team league. That leaves six non-league games.
Columbia River, a 3A team, played five 2A teams last year. One, Tumwater, is considered to be among the elite of 2A. The Chieftains also always play 4A Skyview in a rivalry game.
The Chieftains went 4-2 in those non-league games, rolled over the competition in the 3A GSHL, then won two playoff games to reach the 3A quarterfinals.
The 2A GSHL has seven teams, and last year’s league champion Hockinson played two traditional 1A powers and also took on a 3A program. The Hawks went on to have the best campaign in program history, going 11-1 and reaching the state quarterfinals.
La Center, the defending Trico League champion, has Hockinson, Woodland and Tumwater on its schedule again this season. Those could be three losses, but it would be three learning experiences, too. Just like last year, when the Wildcats went undefeated in league play.
Then there are teams in the middle of the pack in league play. A year ago, Mountain View went 3-6, losing against quality non-league competition but going 3-3 in the 4A GSHL.
The Thunder open this season in Seattle against Auburn in the ­Emerald City Kickoff Classic at Husky Stadium. Head coach and AD Adam Mathieson said he loves the competition and he enjoys being a part of the 4A GSHL’s tour around the state.
“We’re going to go find games that raise the profile of Southwest Washington,” Mathieson said.
The key is competition.
Those who are at — or believe they are really close to — the top, should be challenging themselves.
And those teams still trying to find an identity should be battling with similar programs.
Szueber of Fort Vancouver said those games makes for a more enjoyable Friday night for all involved — fans, coaches, and especially the players.