If you want to talk about "easy wins," don't come to Southwest Washington. Seriously. The Greater St. Helens League 2A (GSHL) is basically a meat grinder with a scoreboard. It's the kind of league where a three-win team can suddenly knock off a state contender on a rainy Tuesday in October, and nobody even blinks.
I've watched this league for years. Honestly, the level of parity is just ridiculous. You have these eight schools—Columbia River, Hockinson, Hudson's Bay, Mark Morris, R.A. Long, Ridgefield, Washougal, and Woodland—that are constantly trading blows. There’s no "off" week. If you show up sluggish to a game in Woodland or Longview, you're going home with a loss.
The Absolute Gauntlet: How the League Shapes Up
People from the Puget Sound area sometimes overlook the 2A GSHL. That’s a mistake. The league is part of WIAA District 4, which is widely considered one of the toughest paths to a state trophy in any classification.
Look at the current landscape. As of January 2026, the football season just wrapped up with Washougal sitting on top of the pile. They went 7-0 in league play, led by Royce Jones, who was basically a human highlight reel this year. The kid put up over 1,800 rushing yards. But even a "dominant" Washougal team had to sweat out games against Ridgefield and Columbia River.
The standings usually look like a logjam.
- Washougal: 7-0 (The current kings)
- Columbia River: 5-2
- Ridgefield: 5-2
- Woodland: 4-3
- Mark Morris: 4-3
When the gap between second place and fifth place is a single game, every possession matters. It's stressful for the coaches, but it's incredible for the fans.
👉 See also: Why the 2025 NFL Draft Class is a Total Headache for Scouts
Why the Postseason is a Nightmare
In the Greater St. Helens League 2A, winning your league is only half the battle. Because of the WIAA allocation system, these teams have to cross-over with the Evergreen 2A Conference (the guys up in Tumwater and Centralia).
It is a "pigtail" game nightmare.
You can have a stellar season, finish second in the GSHL, and your "reward" is a loser-out game against a powerhouse like Tumwater. Just recently, in the 2025 girls' soccer district tournament, Columbia River took the top spot, but the road was littered with close calls. Hockinson and Ridgefield are always lurking, and the District 4 bracket is famous for ending "state-level" seasons before the state tournament even officially begins.
The Hockinson Factor and the "Old Guard"
You can't talk about this league without mentioning Hockinson. For a few years there, they were the untouchable gold standard, winning back-to-back state football titles in 2017 and 2018. They had this aura. Nowadays, the league has caught up, which is actually a testament to how much the coaching has improved across the board.
Then you have the Longview schools: Mark Morris and R.A. Long. There is so much history in those gyms. When those two play each other, the town basically shuts down. It’s gritty, it’s loud, and it’s usually decided by a last-second free throw or a goal-line stand.
✨ Don't miss: Liverpool FC Chelsea FC: Why This Grudge Match Still Hits Different
And don't sleep on Hudson's Bay. They've hopped between 3A and 2A over the years, but they bring a different kind of athleticism to the mix. They are "kinda" the wildcard every year. You never know when they're going to put it all together and wreck someone's playoff seeding.
Stars You Might Have Missed
The talent pipeline here is real. We’re talking about a league that produced guys like Travis Claridge and Brian Hunter back in the day. More recently, you’ve got athletes like Royce Jones (Washougal) and Savion McCoy (Columbia River) picking up All-State honors.
It's not just football, either. The Greater St. Helens League 2A is a basketball and soccer powerhouse. The RPI rankings often have three or four GSHL teams in the top 15 statewide. That doesn't happen by accident. It happens because they spend four months beating the life out of each other in league play, so by the time they see a team from North Seattle or Spokane, they’re already battle-hardened.
Real Talk on Rivalries
- Woodland vs. Ridgefield: The "20-minute drive" rivalry. These schools are so close they basically share the same air. The games are always heated.
- Mark Morris vs. R.A. Long: The Civil War of Longview. If you haven't been to a packed game at Ted Hinderlie Gym or the Lumberyard, you haven't seen Washington high school sports at its best.
- Columbia River vs. Everyone: River is the school everyone loves to hate because they are consistently good at everything.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception about the Greater St. Helens League 2A is that it's "just" a rural league. While places like Hockinson and Woodland have that small-town feel, the level of training and specialization is collegiate-level. These kids are playing year-round. The coaching staffs, like Mike Peck at Mark Morris or the crew at Washougal, are some of the most sophisticated in the Northwest.
Another thing? The weather. People forget how much the rain and the mud of Southwest Washington act as a "ninth defender" in late October. If you aren't prepared to play in a swamp, you won't survive the GSHL.
🔗 Read more: NFL Football Teams in Order: Why Most Fans Get the Hierarchy Wrong
The Actionable Insight for Fans and Recruits
If you’re a scout or just a hardcore fan looking for the best bang for your buck on a Friday night, head south.
- Check the RPI early: The WIAA RPI rankings are the best way to see which GSHL team is currently "gaming" the system with a tough non-league schedule.
- Watch the Crossovers: The Week 10 crossover games against the Evergreen 2A are the most intense games of the year. It's literally win-or-go-home.
- Follow local beat reporters: Honestly, the big Seattle papers don't cover the Greater St. Helens League 2A with enough depth. You need to be reading The Columbian or N2 Media to get the real scoop on who’s injured or which freshman is about to blow up.
The 2025-2026 season has already proven that the power dynamics are shifting. Washougal is the team to beat right now, but in this league, "top dog" is a temporary title.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep a close eye on the mid-week basketball standings this winter. The difference between the #2 seed and the #6 seed in this league is usually a couple of missed layups and a whole lot of heart. If you want to see who’s actually going to make a run at a state trophy, look at the teams that survive the January gauntlet in the Longview and Vancouver gyms.
Next Steps for GSHL Fans:
- Monitor the WIAA District 4 RPI rankings weekly to see how league strength of schedule is impacting state seeding.
- Plan your travel for the District 4 crossover games in early November; these are historically the most competitive 2A games in the state.
- Verify live scores through the official 2AGSHL.com portal for up-to-the-minute changes in standings across all varsity sports.