High School Football Preview: Rainier prepares for life in 9-man game
Gang Green – Columbians set to clash with Clatskanie in return of Hwy 30 Hootenanny
Jordan Nailon for Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
The Basics
Team: Rainier Columbians
Head Coach: Mike King, 14th season
Helmets: Green
Last Year’s Record: 1-8, 1-5 league
Last place in 3A Special District 1 (No playoffs)
RAINIER – There’s change afoot for the Columbians this season. Notably, the Rainier School District has moved to a four-day week, and that has caused a chain reaction down the line. For instance, the Rainier High School football team pushed its preseason practice times a little later this year in order to match the new bell schedule. And as a matter of consequence, Friday night football games will now take place on non-school days.
In other news, Rainier has dropped down to the 2A ranks this season which will have several repercussions. First off, the Columbians will now play league contests as a member of 2A Special District 1, leaving behind old foes like Warrenton, Banks, and Yamhill-Carlton.
But joining a new league will also mean the renewal of one of the greatest rivalries in all of Blast Zone country – The Highway 30 Hootenanny. That rivalry was put on hold in 2022 when the next-town neighbors from Clatskanie dropped down to the 2A ranks. And now it’s back, with a twist; there will only be nine players on the field per side.
That’s a lot of change in one offseason. And for a program that was only able to pick up one win on the gridiron last fall, change feels like a good thing. Even if it means relearning the rules and dynamics of 9-man football.
“There’s definitely some excitement,” Rainier head coach Mike King said. “There’s also a lot of uncertainty, because it’s a much different game.”
As King prepares for his 14th season at the helm for the Columbians he’ll have six returning starters on both the offense and defense. After graduating nine seniors in the offseason, fans of ground and pound football will be encouraged to note that Rainier is particularly loaded with experienced linemen.
— The Rainier Columbians work through offensive sets during a preseason football practice on Wednesday, Aug. 27, at Rainier High School. / Video by Skyler Smith for Blast Zone Media —
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