Tigers ready to earn stripes in tough league

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With nearly 100 high school football players putting on the pads in Battle Ground, the Tigers are ready to tangle in the ultra-competitive 4A Greater St. Helens League.

League champion Union and runner-up Camas reached the first round of the state tournament in 2017. Skyview was the odd team out in third place and missed the playoffs for the first time in years. While Heritage showed signs of improvement, Battle Ground lost all of its league games.

But second-year head coach Mike Kesler is confident they can stack up more wins in 2018. For starters, the Tigers have at least 40 returning varsity players as opposed to just three players with varsity experience last season.



“I know we are going to do a lot better this year, even though we have a tougher schedule. We have our first three games against top 10 teams in the 3A and the 4A. And then we start league where we always have three of the top 10 teams in the 4A,” Kesler said. “Here’s the deal. We have a group of kids. They have a group of kids. We line up and we play football. I’d rather play quality opponents to make us better.”

The Tigers have talented players willing to go into the trenches and earn their stripes. Senior Seth Workman steps under center as the starting quarterback for the second year. Blake Harris was an all-league defensive lineman last year. The senior will have the opportunity to anchor both the offensive and defensive lines this year. Trent Thompson emerged as one of the top running backs at the Western Oregon football camp Battle Ground attended in June. Receivers Garrett Moon and Boden Strouse give Workman two agile targets to throw to down the field.

“My hope is that every time we step foot on the field, whether it be for a practice or a game, we’re getting better,” Kesler said. “Just learning from our mistakes and getting better as we climb that ladder to success. When we have success, the (wins) will take care of themselves.”