One inch.

The biggest play at District Stadium on Thursday night came down to a fourth-and-1-inch play — could Kelso get a redzone first down with 1 minute, 11 seconds to play to seal the 3A Greater St. Helens League victory, or would Prairie’s defense get a turnover on downs to shift momentum back in its offense’s hands that scored 14 points in its previous two possessions?

The way Kelso celebrated Kainoa Fili’s first-down run — and one play later, needing just an Anders Dahl kneel-down to seal a 20-14 victory — officially puts the Hilanders in league-title contention with three regular-season games remaining.

Kelso has won outright or shared two 3A GSHL titles since 2019. That year’s team, like the 2025 squad, also began 5-1. By no means is their work complete, but they believe it’s a

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