As so many male athletes do, these three athletes started their school year on the football field.
But it was their contributions in other seasons that made these athletes finalists for The Columbian All-Region Multi-Sport Male Athlete of the Year: Ayden Denbo of Mountain View, Holden Bea of Washougal and Juan Pasillas-Stanton of Mountain View.
To be considered for this multi-sport honor, an athlete had to participate in sports in multiple seasons and earned a spot onto at least one All-Region team during the 2023-24 school year.
All three athletes will be honored at The Columbian’s All-Region Athletes Award ceremony on June 5 at Kiggins Theater. On that night, one of these athletes will be announced as the multi-sport athlete of the year.
On the football field, Denbo, a senior, set himself apart on the offensive and defensive lines for the Mountain View Thunder, earning All-Region status on defense.
The linebacker was 3A Greater St. Helens League defensive player of the year, whose highlights included pivotal goal-line stand in overtime against Kelso.
Denbo also was a first-team all-3A GSHL pick on the offensive line and will play football in the fall at Southern Oregon University.
Denbo also earned All-Region status in wrestling. The senior was Class 3A state runner-up at 215 pounds as well as regional and Clark County champion.
Bea, a senior, earned All-Region status at quarterback in football, leading the Panthers to the state playoffs.
The All-Region player of the year in 2022 passed for 2,567 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2023 and rushed for 823 yards and 14 touchdowns.
In the winter, Bea was a starter for the Washougal basketball team, earning second-team all-2A GSHL status.
A 2A state placer in the high jump last season, Bea passed on competing in track this spring to prepare to play football next fall at the University of Idaho.
Pasillas-Stanton, a junior, was another pivotal piece of the potent Mountain View offensive line that powered the way for running back Porter Drake to rush for 1,600 yards as the Thunder won the 3A GSHL title and advanced to the state playoffs.
Pasillas-Stanton earned All-Region status in track and field, placing second in the state in Class 3A in the spot put. His season-best throw of 59 feet, 6 inches, recorded at last weekend’s state meet, was the second-best in the state this season for any classification.
