Prep Football Preview: Week 7 and the season turn, turn, turns…

The Darkside: Stakes grow larger as the schedule gets tight

Kelso’s Aden Mintonye rushes for one of his seven touchdowns in a 49-35 win over Prairie, Friday, Oct. 11, at Schroeder Field. The Hilanders will be back at home on Friday against Heritage. — Photo courtesy of Skyler Smith / Framed Photography

Jordan Nailon / blastzonenews@gmail.com

We’ve got six full weeks behind us now and the signs of wear and tear are beginning to become obvious for some high school football teams in the Blast Zone. Roster issues compounded by injuries and bad grades have hit some teams hard, resulting in forfeits on the schedule for two teams in Southwest Washington this week alone. And the local team hit hardest by the injury bug wasn’t even the one to wave the white flag.

So for those teams that still have all (or most) of their pieces in place Week 7 will provide an opportunity to flex on their foes and continue the process of creating separation in the standings. High stakes home games are on top at the stadiums in Kelso and Longview, so follow those Friday night lights like beacons to a great gathering. Or, if you're feeling up for a road trip, there’s big league games on tap in both Clark and Lewis counties this week.

So fill up your big gulp and make sure your tires are properly inflated if you plan to keep up with this prep football season in person. And if not, we’ll have the full results reported for you here over the weekend.