Turning leaves aren't the only things that add color to the fall season.
Rivalry games, like this Friday's Trico Division matchup between Columbia High and Stevenson, do too.
And a lot will be riding on the outcome of the game: a chance to remain in contention for a playoff berth in November.
The Bruins are coming off a big 38-19 league victory over Ilwaco that halted a three-game skid. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are looking for their first win of the season.
Bruins Coach Scott Ross expects nothing but a tough battle from Stevenson, which has been outscored 94-20 in losses to Trico front-runners Ridgefield and La Center.
"Stevenson will be ready for us. They got a taste of our (Wing-T) offense by playing La Center last week," Ross noted. "We'll have to be able to handle whatever defensive adjustments they've come up with."
In its third game operating the Wing-T offense, Columbia ran for a season-high 357 yards against an Ilwaco team that hadn't played in three weeks. Ross is hoping for more of the same Friday night.
"We want to sustain some drives, control the clock and keep their offense off the field as much as possible so we don't have to play pass defense all night," the Bruins' coach said. "In a perfect world, that's what we'd like to see happen."
Stevenson's offensive modus operandi over the last decade has been to throw first and run only when necessary.
"They have a tendency to throw the ball a lot and I don't think they're going to change (their approach) for this game," Ross said.
In fact, Ross almost welcomes the challenge of grounding Stevenson's aerial attack down.
"Our defensive backs, Marcus Giovannoni, Jon Bryan and Adnrew Culp, have been solid the last two games," Ross noted. "Coach (Matt) Whitmire has done a good job with those guys. Because of them, teams are having to beat us by running the ball. That's a nice change."
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