The reigning back-to-back 2A Greater St. Helens League champs in Woodland look towards new faces and returning faces to rise to the occasion under the lights in an “any given Friday” league.
Do two straight league titles set an expectation around the 2A GSHL for Woodland to achieve a third, or could it come as a third straight surprise? Flanagan said teams may be taking into account the seniors Woodland lost after 2025’s graduating class, but his squad this year is hungry to continue the reign on the 2A GSHL.
What can Woodland faithful expect this year after two seasons of league-topping success?
“A team that’ll fly around, that tackles, that keeps teams off balance, that believes in themselves, that doesn’t embrace mediocrity, that plays for something bigger than themselves,” head coach Glen Flanagan said. “For a small town. Not a big town that splits their kids up. They are homegrown kids that play rough, play tough and get after it.”
Grit and determination to play for the identity that is Woodland may just be the winning recipe again to compete for that league title in the last regular season game for a third year in a row.
However, big names departed the school last year including all-world Elijah Andersen who flew around on offense and defense enroute to earning multiple league most valuable player awards. But, this season, a pair of three sport athletes are battling it out for the starting quarterback job, junior Michael Belvin and sophomore Jackson Andrews. Woodland also returns its entire core of linebackers and has an experienced wide receiver group, Flanagan added.
The keys to success include staying healthy as Flanagan pointed out his roster size doesn’t warrant depth if injuries occur. Flanagan also looks towards his defense to get off the field fast by pushing the issue to get creative. On offense, 30-plus carries a game for Andersen the last few years was standard. Looking at this season, it’ll be an entire effort to find the endzone.
“We’re going to spread it out,” Flanagan said. “We’re going to utilize our quarterback's legs. We’re going to utilize our quarterback’s arm. We’re going to use the running backs. You know, it’s going to be more well rounded, so to speak.”
Looking at the league, names jump out this season like Ridgefield, Mark Morris and the great unknown of Hockinson, but Woodland has set the standard with back-to-back league titles.
“The league’s wide open,” Flanagan said. “You know, it’s not like we dominated. We won straight by some games. Football is a sport where sometimes the ball bounces your way, sometimes it doesn’t. We were fortunate that it bounced our way and we created opportunities. But you know, we just have to play nasty, fly around and hopefully create opportunities enough that the scoreboard works in our favor.”
