Ilwaco senior M/F Alexa Avelar (4) competes for a loose ball against Hoquiam D/G Makala Haskey (24).

Ilwaco and Naselle cross country

Three Mountaineer runners enjoyed “home course advantage” at the Rainier Invitational Thursday, coming home 1-2-3. But Ilwaco’s speedy freshman, Elsa Linquist, was right behind them in fourth with a personal best of 21:30.7. Junior teammates Sophia Bittner and Nora Soule placed 13th and 14th, just nine seconds apart.

Freshman Karsen Green led the way for the Naselle squad, placing 17th in a season-best time of 23:32. For the boys, two seniors from Toledo and Rochester finished 1-2, both breaking the 17-minute barrier on the 5,000-meter course. Naselle sophomore Caesar Garcia was 15th; Ilwaco’s highest placing runner was senior Sammy Lloyd in 20th.

Next for Ilwaco is an Oct. 17 trip to Jewell, Ore., while the same day Naselle’s squad will run at Onalaska. After that, cross country focuses on WIAA state contention with league meet at Ocosta Oct. 24 and the district meet at Rainier again Nov. 2.

Naselle football

The Naselle football team notched their sixth straight win while pitching their third straight shutout in a 73-0 blowout against Chief Leschi (1-3) last Saturday, in Puyallup.

Despite the dominating win, the Comets (6-0), slipped one spot to fourth in the latest 54-team WIAA 1B state rankings. Remaining in the top four has been a goal for the Naselle team this season, which would allow a first-round bye and hosting a second-round home playoff game.

In the game against Chief Leschi last Saturday, Naselle was led by junior quarterback Leith Chadwick (15), who earned a perfect passer rating while connecting on 11 of 14 passes for 176 yards and four touchdowns. Chadwick added another touchdown on the ground, along with freshman Eli Gardner (9) and senior Jack Strange (44) as the Comets lit up the scoreboard for 29 points in the second quarter, taking a 42-0 lead into the half.

Naselle was led defensively by Strange, who had a team-high 13 tackles, followed by teammate Caiden Burke (26) with 12.

Up next: Naselle (6-0) will next host Taholah (2-3) Friday, Oct. 18.

Ilwaco football

The Ilwaco football team (4-2) suffered their second loss of the season in a 36-6 division loss to Pe Ell/Willapa Valley (4-2) last Saturday.

Ilwaco falls to 0-2 in league play and fifth place in the six-team division, joining Raymond/South Bend as the two remaining teams seeking their first division win. The Fishermen had risen as high as seventh in the WIAA 2B state rankings among 45 teams across the state during their 4-0 start, before falling to 12th following their first loss (28-0 to Forks) and currently rank 20th following Saturday’s loss.

Up next: The Fishermen (4-2) will travel to take on Napavine (4-2) Friday, Oct. 18.

Raymond/South Bend football

The Raymond/South Bend football team fell to 1-5 on the season after losing to Napavine (4-2) 61-7 last Friday.The Ravens (1-5) fell into a deep 27-0 first-quarter hole against the Tigers (4-2) and were never able to recover.

Raven senior Isaac Schlueter (15) rushed for a team-high 102 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries, while RSB sophomore defensive back Manny Becerra-Souza (81) recorded a team-high 11 tackles on defense.

Up next: Raymond/South Bend (1-4) will next host East Jefferson (0-6) in a non-league matchup Friday, Oct. 18.

Pe Ell/Willapa Valley football

The Pe Ell/Willapa Valley football team (4-2) collected their third straight win after beating Ilwaco (4-2) 36-6 last Saturday.

With the win, the Titans rose to 14th in the WIAA 2B state rankings among 45 teams and move to 2-0 in the division, tied with Napavine for first place.

Up next: Pe Ell/Willapa Valley (4-2) will next host Forks (2-4) on Friday, Oct. 18.

Willapa Valley volleyball

A streaking Willapa Valley volleyball team (9-2) earned their fifth straight win after sweeping Lake Quinault (1-9) and narrowly beating Naselle (6-7) last week.

The Vikings, currently second in the 1B Columbia Valley League, climb to seventh in the latest 80-team WIAA 1B state rankings.

Up next: Willapa Valley (9-2) will travel to take on Ocosta (10-1) on Thursday, Oct. 17.

Naselle volleyball

The Naselle volleyball team (6-7) split their matches last week, including a narrow five-set loss to Willapa Valley (9-2) and straight set victory over Wishkah Valley (1-8).

The Comets improved to 26th in the latest 80-team WIAA 1B state rankings, while remaining in fourth place in the 1B Columbia Valley League.

Up next: Naselle (6-7) will next travel to take on Neah Bay (6-4) Saturday, Oct. 19, followed by a home match against Ocosta (10-1) Tuesday, Oct. 22.

Ilwaco soccer

The Ilwaco girls soccer team lost to Hoquaim (2-9) 4-0 and Toutle Lake (3-8) 2-0 last week, falling to 0-8 overall on the season.

Up next: Ilwaco (0-8) will travel to take on Toledo (5-5-1) on Wednesday, Oct. 16 before returning home to host South Bend (3-7) on Monday, Oct. 21.

Raymond/South Bend soccer

The Raymond/South Bend girls soccer team lost their last two games, including a 5-1 loss to Onalaska (6-3-1) and a 4-1 loss to Adna (7-4-1), falling to 3-7 overall on the season.

The Ravens are ranked 25th in the latest WIAA 1B/2B state rankings among 45 teams.

Up next: South Bend (3-7) will travel to take on Ilwaco (0-8) on Monday, Oct. 21.