Columbia High vs. Ridgefield

Entering their final home game this Friday against Ridgefield, the Bruins trail third-place La Center by one full game.

A victory over Ridgefield--and a loss by Woodland to Castle Rock--would put Columbia all alone in fourth place with a chance, slim as it is, of still finishing in Trico's top three.

"Mathematically, we haven't been eliminated," Bruins Coach Matthew Whitmire said. "But our position isn't as good as it was a week ago."

Last Friday's loss at La Center put Columbia in the awkward situation of having to hope for someone to step up and play spoiler these last two weeks of the division schedule.

La Center takes on Hockinson this Friday. Columbia doesn't figure to get any help there.

However, Ridgefield and La Center have to play each other in week nine. The outcome of that game is a toss-up.

But, if it wins out and Ridgefield stumbles against La Center, Columbia would slide into the third spot in the standings.

The trick for the Bruins will be in winning back-to-back games--including one on the road where they are 0-3 this season--against "two teams that are physically better than La Center but may not play as good of football," Whitmire said.

"The next two weeks are going to be tough ones to deal with for us," he continued. "We can win both games, but our kids are going to have to play their best football to do it."