Washougal High School’s varsity football game scheduled for Friday against Rainier (Wash.) High School has been canceled.
Washougal athletic director Doug Cox was notified Tuesday by Rainier AD Jerrad Jeske that the Mountaineers would forfeit the non-league game to the Panthers.
“The Rainier administration and coach met yesterday and concluded that the (number of) players that they have available this week is not adequate in the number and experience level of athletes available,” Cox said. “They are hopeful that by forfeiting this game to us they can recuperate some of the injuries that they sustained last week and have those players available for the postseason.”
Rainier is a Class 2B school in Thurston County, near Olympia. The Mountaineers are 6-2 this season and are currently in third place in the Central 2B League Mountain Division.
Rainier, which was ranked eighth in the state in last week’s Associated Press 2B rankings. lost 42-0 to No. 1 Napavine on Saturday.
In that game, the Mountaineers lost two key defensive players, Easton Holmes and Ian Russell to injury, leaving Rainier with 14 healthy players.
“We can’t play (Washougal) with 14 guys,” Rainier coach Terry Shaw told The Olympian.
Despite starting the the season with only 19 players on its roster, Rainier has clinched one of the Central Mountain Division’s postseason berths.
The forfeit victory will improve Washougal to 5-4 on the season. The Panthers’ 27-19 win over R.A. Long on Friday clinched at least a berth in a three-team tiebreaker for the 2A Greater St. Helens League’s final two berths to the district playoffs.
However, if Hockinson beats R.A. Long, Columbia River beats Ridgefield or Woodland loses to Mark Morris this week, then Washougal would be assured of its first postseason berth since 2007. In that scenario, Washougal would claim the No. 3 seed to the playoffs and travel to play Tumwater or W.F. West of Chehalis in the playoffs next week.
“The Panthers will also use this week to rehabilitate a few injuries and prepare for the first round of postseason play,” Cox said.
