Fall Sports Preview 2018

August 29, 2018

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TRIAL BY REPETITION

Prairie won 2017’s football title; can the Pirates do it again? 6C Bulldogs have plenty of bite 4C Salmon River’s off-season saw high highs and low lows 3C

Fall Sports An in-depth look at our high school teams Football • Volleyball • Soccer

Clearwater Valley Rams Grangeville Bulldogs Kamiah Kubs Prairie Pirates Salmon River Savages

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August 29, 2018

Kamiah Kubs on the climb he Kamiah boys once again have their work cut out for them this season — and having won two more games last autumn than they did the one before, the Kubs are looking to build on the foundation they set last fall.

In a different circumstance, having three seniors might portend a down year — but Kamiah coach Nels Kludt had 24 out for picture day and was glad to see the Kubs’ numbers bounce back.

“One year, we had 13 at the end of the season,” he chuckled, “so we’ll take 24.”

Last season, the Kubs put two of the Whitepine League’s top teams to the test, with a midseason game against Prairie hinging on Pirates big plays just before and just after halftime. The next week against Lapwai, Kamiah had two cracks at completing a last-second, lead-changing touchdown pass, but came away with a 40-36 loss. The Kubs also lamented an early-season blowout loss to rival Clearwater Valley.

A win over any of those three

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Kamiah returns a stout six core players from the squad that put a couple of the Whitepine League leaders to the test in 2017. Pictured are (from left): Gabriel Eades, Bret Raymond, Peyton Whipple, Layton Gould, Titus Oatman and Chad Simmons.

would have vaulted Kamiah into the top half of the standings.

Kamiah’s strength early in the season will be up front, with linemen Layton Gould and Peyton Whipple clearing paths for running backs Titus Oatman and Bret Raymond and quarterback Chad Simmons.

“Once we get our receivers acclimated with our quarterback, we’ll mix in the pass a bit more,” Kludt said. “I’d like to be balanced by the time we get a couple of games in, but it just takes more time to get the passing game involved.”

As a reserve quarterback for

Grangeville two years ago, Simmons made a memorable play running for a touchdown in overtime at McCall. Having transferred last fall, he played JV while Kaleb Oatman, now penciled in as a quarterback for the LC Loggers, directed the varsity.

This fall, Prairie, Genesee and

Lapwai figure to be league-leaders once again.

Kludt likes his group.

“We had our traveling camp here a couple of weeks ago and it was really good,” Kludt said.

“This group works extremely hard. ... They’ve busted their butts this off-season and they’re

ready to play. For a lot of them, it’ll be their first high school experience. It’ll be an eye-opener.”

Kamiah’s season began with a neutral site game against Grace and the Kubs’ first home game is Friday night Aug. 31, against Lewis County. Their league slate opens Sept. 7 at Potlatch.

Hudson steps in at KHS amiah’s Leah York stepped aside after 25 seasons at the head of the KHS volleyball program, and after a season away from the Whitepine League, it’s 2014 and 2015 state champion bench boss Cheyenne Hudson’s clipboard this fall.

“All together between JV, Csquad and varsity, we have 25 out this fall,” Hudson told the Free Press. “They talk really well and they are pretty consistent hitters, but defense and passing are areas we need to work on.”

She said Sydney Wilcox, Kati Wilkins and Zoe Stiffler-Wilcox impressed early on; they’re penciled in as setter, outside hitter and middle blocker. Also returning are Marlee Engledow, Hailey Robinson and Lona Campos.

“The rest is kind of up in the air,” Hudson said. “It’s a rebuilding year for us.”

Kamiah is set to host Genesee and Troy on Aug. 30.

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Kamiah returns Marlee Engledow, Sydney Wilcox, Hailey Robinson, Kati Wilkins, Zoe Stiffler-Wilcox and Lona Campos for the 2018 season. Their first home matches of the season are Aug. 30 against Genesee and Troy, who will also play at Clearwater Valley that night.

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August 29, 2018

Salmon River

The Salmon River boys have seen one of their own go pro and their coach suffer an industrial injury — and will once again bring a blue-collar approach to the football field. The 2018 Savages are (back row, from left): Triston Adams, Eric Nelson, Randy McClure, Isaac Hofflander, Reece Jones, Canyon Harper, head coach Charlie Shepherd; front row, Justin Whitten, Johnny Swift, Ethan Shepherd, Jimmy Tucker, Malachi Bell and Garret Shepherd.

Savages turn to three seniors almon River’s football program took a turn in the national spotlight this past offseason when the most famous Savage became the first choice of the Dallas Cowboys — the NFL team with America’s biggest fanbase.

Head coach Charlie Shepherd called his trip to Dallas for the draft a high point, the low point having come when he was gravely injured in an accident.

“It set me back physically a little bit, for sure, but it won’t affect my coaching,” Shepherd said. “It’s healed up pretty good, but it was a mess. I was manually sharpening a 60-inch circle saw. I straddle it when I sharpen it. I didn’t tag it out like I’m supposed to and while I was sharpening it, the switch was bumped.

Instead of cutting me in half, it threw me. I was extremely fortunate to make a mistake that severe and live to tell about it.”

“I’m going to try to utilize my physical comeback as a way to try to motivate the kids to be grateful for the God-given abilities they have and to not waste a day, because tomorrow those abilities might be gone,” Shepherd said.

During the offseasons, many of the Savages — including star running back Canyon Harper — work blue collar jobs, such as pouring concrete.

That’s no different from how many young Idahoans spend their summers. Uniquely, the

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Savages will be watching as one of their own goes to work as a professional linebacker. But they aren’t starstruck.

“The NFL had chauffers waiting at the airport to pick us up and we got to tour where they had the draft set up,” Shepherd said. “I got to meet 22 of the coaches throughout the nation — Texas coaches that get paid $100,000 a year, a coach from New Jersey whose office was right there looking at the Twin Towers when they fell, a California coach that was complaining about not having enough players because they only have 800 boys at his private school. I just said, ‘Yeah, you’ve got it rough.’”

Shepherd was in the front row when the announcer called “Leighton Vander Esch” — and got to see his kids’ reaction when the big screen displayed the scene live from the draft party at Summerville’s.

Seeing how far a Riggins kid can go is likely to give football teams across the state a boost — but without a big influx of freshmen or a surge through the cooperative SRHS has run with neighboring schools in recent years, the Savages will once again be one of Idaho’s smallest teams, at least numerically.

Shepherd has 11 out for this season, and he’s looking for three big seniors to show leadership this season.

“Reece Jones, Randy McClure and Canyon Harper are critical

to our success, but if they perform well, they give us a chance to compete in the league and at the state level,” Shepherd said.

“They’ll help us cover for new kids and inexperienced kids.”

One of Salmon River’s main

question marks is at quarterback, where Ethan Shepherd and Jimmy Tucker pencil in for a timeshare.

“Justin Whitten is going to be a sophomore spark plug,” Shepherd said. “He’s going to surprise

some people this year.”

“To beat us this year, teams are going to have to stop our run,” Shepherd said. “If we don’t have to pass, we won’t pass. I expect we’ll have to be more balanced against the better teams,

and if teams slow Canyon, we’ll have to get the ball to Randy.

He’s one of the top receivers at our level.”

Salmon River’s season begins with a home game Aug. 31 against Lapwai.

SRHS sees 11 he Salmon River girls have few fixtures but with 11 rostered, they are once again out in similar numbers.

But having lost Chevelle Shepherd to injury last basketball season, the Savages face “a slow build” without her leadership, coach Paula Tucker said.

“Hopefully we’re going to get her back soon. It’s rough for her and it’ll be at least a couple more weeks.”

In the meantime, the Savages will turn to outside hitter Lotus Harper and middle hitter Emily Diaz — and “we have a lot of work to do after that,” Tucker said. “The freshmen are just really, really green.”

Horseshoe Bend — returning most of a 1AD1 state champion squad — is a 1AD2 team and back in Salmon River’s league this season. “They look like the favorite,” Tucker said.

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August 29, 2018

Grangeville The 2018 football Bulldogs are (back row, from left) Taylor Bostick, Noah Kaschmitter, Brandon Stump, Garrett Kennedy, Nathan Lothspeich, Jacob Vanderwall and Jessie Cornia; front row, Justin Fogleman, William Nichols, Jaize Norman, Booker Bush, Blake Darr, and Adam Wonnacott.

Bulldogs intend to contend he Central Idaho League hasn’t won a state football championship in many, many years.

Not since…2016?

But it seems like an eternity since Grangeville won the title way back in…2015?

The truth is, it only seems to have been an off-year for District I-II because, for the first time since 2013, none of the three North Central Idaho 11-man teams reached the semifinal.

That season, like last season, saw the northern hope eliminated by Declo in an early round.

Even so, the CIL’s reputation as one of the classification’s premier leagues remains well-defended.

And the Bulldogs – who have a 2017 league title to defend this fall – look like one of 2A Idaho’s leading contenders in 2018.

Grangeville’s football roster is short on head count, with 35 committed to the gridiron this fall, but a large senior class nevertheless has the Bulldogs in the mix. A preseason poll of statewide media listed GHS outside the 2A top five, and put St. Maries slightly ahead, in fifth.

Grangeville has upperclassmen listed up and down the roster, including a whole bunch of bread-and-butter players who are perhaps less recognized than the four returning first-team allstate players who put up big numbers last fall.

Among the Bulldog bruisers, Zach Forsmann may have been less visible to fans in the stands, but he and Justin Fogleman drew all-state second-team recognition from those in the know, as revealed in the annual post-season coaches poll by the

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Idaho Statesman.

Another of the Grangeville big thumpers, Kyle Frei, drew even less attention.

No doubt Declo – which returns a legion of players having run over Firth in the championship game – has underheralded players to field. But only Declo can boast a returning “player of the year.” Running back Keegan Duncan is poised to return for his senior season having scored 42 touchdowns as a junior, and Grangeville is one of the few teams known to return the playmakers any team would need to put the defending state champions to a test.

Even with fearsome competitor and field marshal Fogelman sidelined by off-season injury, Grangeville has the toughness it will take to contend for another CIL title.

“Losing him just made me sick to my stomach, but that camp was awesome,” said head coach Jeff Adams. “It was the perfect place to go. We got after it. We were the toughest team there, no doubt. If it was a fistfight, we’d win, no doubt. We’ll tone it down, but these guys aren’t going to take anything from anybody. We’ve got to get it figured out, because last year, we were like the ’76 Oakland Raiders for penalty yards, and it killed us.”

Even before a non-contact fall at the summer camp put Fogelman out with a leg injury, GHS coaches were grappling with how to balance the workload of three first-teamers who return as seniors having played differencemaking roles on both offense and defense. Those three – Noah Kaschmitter, Booker Bush and Brandon Stump – might end up

in a very different defensive alignment than what the Bulldogs fielded last season.

But their offensive skillsets are known quantities. Tight end Stump makes great catches, and gets open in part because opponents have to commit heavily both to covering wide receiver Bush and jamming the lanes the

heavies clear for running back Kaschmitter.

Quarterback — a position of apparent stability due to the presence of 25-touchdown passer Tescher Harris having received the nod for the all-state offense as a sophomore — may turn out to be one of Grangeville’s most dynamic slots on offense.

That’s because Garrett Kennedy — tall and blessed with basketball ability — will contend for playing time in the offensive backfield.

With longtime offensive coordinator Jeff Adams in his second season as the honcho, look for Grangeville to challenge opposing defenses to reckon with both

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GHS starting anew with Sullivan rangeville is starting anew with longtime assistant Pat Sullivan stepping in as varsity volleyball coach. In the change, Sullivan sees symmetry.

He stepped into a similar circumstance to become varsity

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boys basketball head coach in 2000.

“The seniors, the year I took over in basketball, I was their third varsity coach in three years,” Sullivan explained. “The same thing has happened for these seniors...I told both groups the same thing. You have

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Sullivan said he prefers not to tout individuals and praised seniors Caity Johnson (right side), Paige Lindsley (outside hitter) and Molly DeFord (setter) for buying into his ap-

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Harris and Kennedy — but not at the same time.

“I’m going to put in one runheavy offense and one that’s more of a spread look,” Adams said. “I’m going to mix it up — two different offenses, but I’m going to make it super-simple.”

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proach.

“These volleyball seniors have bought in,” he said. “They are working hard. It’s a little bit different than coach Hudson or coach Edwards — both excellent volleyball coaches who See GHS, Page 7C

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August 29, 2018

The 2018 boys soccer Bulldogs are (back row, from left): Bryan Ruiz, Dayne Kinsley, Aidan Acton, Isaac Vandomelen, Michael Told, Adrian Ramirez, Owen Ruklic, Sebastian Darwish and coach Mike Connolley; front row, Colin Husted, Dalton Dennis, Gavin Gibleau, Jake Wren, Emilio Barela, Alec Rioux, Luis Castro and Josh Nichols. Not pictured: Bryan Gomez, Jesus Perez, Robert Newsom and coach Joel Gomez.

The 2018 girls soccer Bulldogs are (back row, from left): Talia Brown, Jolie Tosten, Jordan Click, Clarissa Stevens, Alleyna Edmondson, Kim Kaschmitter, Baeli Kinsley, Taylor Bransford, Jana Mehler, Cecilia Rojas, Johanne Korsvoll and coach John Cuffe; front row, Kylara Darwish, Chloe Dame, Illyana Barela, Miyana Melendez, Naomi Connolley, Yadira Rojas, Mia Rioux, Eryn Newsom, Bella Dame and Abby Asker.

Turnout lifts GHS soccer rangeville soccer turnout — girls and boys — topped 40 in the program’s second year at the high school level. That’s up from the 31 who turned out for the inaugurual season last fall.

And with comings and goings before rosters were finalized last week, the numbers were briefly even higher.

“We thought we’d have 18, but I think we have 20 so far,” boys coach Joel Gomez told the Free Press Aug. 14. “It’s a good number. When it gets over 20, it’s a little tough to get everyone in the game.”

Grangeville ended up rostering 19 boys.

“We have everybody who played last year except the seniors [who graduated] and one who moved away,” Gomez said.

With the departure, Gomez is rethinking one defense position he thought he had figured out going into the offseason.

What won’t change is the larger system.

“My system will be a 3-5-2, but you have to have the right players for that,” Gomez said.

“The positions are three defenders, three midfielders and two forwards, and you have two wingers. The three in the middle, they go as the play goes. The wingers carry the ball on the sides and their job is to center.

We have two forwards or strikers but we count like four forwards because if the right side carries the ball, the left side still runs up. The two wings, they have to

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have the conditioning to run the whole sideline — they help offense and they help defending.”

Having graduated wings Amador Perez and Ryan Ruklic, for 2018, the wingers are Emilio Barela and Josh Nichols.

“Those guys have the type of conditioning to run really fast and get back and forth, and they’re good defenders as well,” Gomez said. “Josh Nichols, two years ago, he had never played soccer. I do clinics during the winter, and this winter, he looked like he has played forever. He’s my most improved.”

Look for Grangeville to apply pressure in each fourth of the field.

“For my team, the defense starts from the forwards,” he said. “They pressure, and we get the ball. Their fourth has the most traffic. I’m working with them on definition and shooting, so it’s not just pass-pass-nothing.

The forwards (sometimes described as strikers) for 2018 are Michael Told and Aiden Acton, with Dalton Dennis, Sebastian Darwish and Isaac Vandomelan competing for time.

Jesus Perez and Bryan Ruiz return to the midfield, and Owen Ruklic and Jake Wren will man the back line.

“We have good midfielders and good strikers — defense might be our weak side,” Gomez said.

And that’s where the team will rely on the coach’s son, with Bryan Gomez stepping in for graduated keeper Ethan Bonn.

With a year of varsity play

under their belts, the Bulldogs will be more competitive this fall. Playing mostly 3A Intermountain League teams, GHS finished 4-8 last fall.

But as a team they are improving.

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ive days before their first scheduled game — which ended up having to be rescheduled — girls soccer coach John Cuffe said he had as many as 16 to roster for the season.

At the time, it seemed like a huge gain from last fall, when the team occasionally had to field all 11 of its available players for the full 90 minutes.

“It’s really exciting,” Cuffe remarked during the minutes before practice Aug. 13.

By the time they started warming up, there were 21 girls on the soccer field west of the

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the progress made — and the progress still to make.

Grangeville’s Aug. 21 season opener against McCall ended up a 5-2 loss compared to an 11-0 blowout the Vandals inflicted in 2017.

Grangeville’s season continues on Aug. 30, when the Bulldogs host Priest River.

After road games at Bonners Ferry and Timberlake, GHS will host Orofino on Sept. 10 as part of a 12-game schedule.

21 turn out for girls soccer

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“A lot of the guys on this team have put a lot of hours into soccer,” Gomez said. “They have more experience in it. I think they’ll be more competitive.”

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football field.

“It’s definitely a different team,” Cuffe said. “We’re going to compete this year. We lost two players [Brenda Gomez and Tessa Godfrey] to graduation but gained a ton more. They’re a good group and they really get along together. It’s looking really good.”

Cuffe said the team’s biggest need is to limit the opposition’s scoring and showed early signs of success at that.

With Talia Brown in at keeper and Naomi Connolley splitting time between forward and sweeper, GHS showed major improvement in its opener against

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McCall. The game wound up being played Aug. 21, and GHS played the Vandals within 7-3, compared to a 13-1 walkover at the outset of last fall.

Cuffe had praised Brown’s willingness to take on the responsibility few others would choose for themselves.

“She’s a freshman and she’s totally enthusiastic about it,” he said. “She’s good at basketball and has good hands. We finally have someone who wants to be a keeper. It was the toughest job last year, and give ’em their due, we had a couple who kept at it.

But this year we have someone who wants to do it.”

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Connolley — Grangeville’s leading scorer in 2017 — appeared to score against McCall despite playing part of her time behind the GHS defense. But it was waived off.

Midfielder Mia Rioux scored two “fabulous goals,” Cuffe said, and McCall scored an own-goal.

On the whole, the girls’ opener marked vast improvement, Cuffe said.

Having played St. Maries Aug. 25, Grangeville’s next games are Aug. 29 against Kellogg and Aug. 30 against Priest River, according to the school’s scheduling website GHSATHLETICS.COM.

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Prairie Returning five seniors and having won the 1AD1 state championship last fall, Prairie enters 2018 as one of the state’s highest-ranked football teams. Statewide media voted two teams — Oakley and Valley — ahead of the defending champions in their preseason poll. Pictured are (from left) Caleb McWilliams, Michael Schwartz, Dylan Schumacher, Spencer Schumacher and Carson Schmidt.

PHS gunning for repeat ast season, the Pirates lost one game and avenged their only loss when it counted for the most: During the state title game, when they reversed Genesee’s 36-6 September win with a 38-26 triumph in November.

Prairie’s championship aspirations last year came out of having 11 upperclassmen on hand at the start of last season. While graduation removed five from the roster, the Pirates have championship aspirations once again, stemming from the Class of 2019 seniors who stepped up prominently as juniors during Prairie’s third state title since 2008.

“We do have a good returning core of players this year, a goodsized senior class, so hopefully that bodes well for us,” Pirates head coach Ryan Hasselstrom said. “We had a solid football camp over in Butte back in June and we are looking forward to getting things rolling here in August. … We go into every season with the goal most teams do: Winning a championship. In order to do that we really need to fill some holes, take each game as it comes and hopefully stay healthy. We will see what the outcome is after that.”

As perhaps physically the biggest player on the field during the finale was defensive lineman Spencer Schumacher, who made impact plays on both sides of the ball, including by running and throwing for touchdowns as quarterback.

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While Schumacher was kept out of the passer’s role by a hand injury for much of the season, sophomore Damian Forsmann stepped up, notably turning a tight first half during a home game against Kamiah into a

blowout.

“We know we have two guys who can step in and play QB,” Hasselstrom said. “Both Spencer and Damian have proven they can perform at that position.

This year we will try to work

both of them in there throughout the games — haven't figured out just how yet though. We will see as the season begins.”

The PHS offense scored 50plus five times, and Prairie’s defense held three of six Whitepine

rairie graduated many and return a few of the girls who led the team to within two points of a play-in chance to make state.

Genesee ended the Pirates’ season — coach Julie Schumacher’s first as Prairie’s head — by ekeing out the fifth game of the district tournament consolation final.

Four seniors return having played varsity last fall: setter Kristyna Krogh, outside hitters Teresa Wemhoff and Jordyn Higgins and middle Alexis Hiler.

“Jordyn, her strongest side is the right side up front, but she’s one of our strongest players — so she’ll be in an outside hitter spot,” Schumacher told the Free Press.

Ellea Poxleitner, Ashton Lander and three sophomores — Madison Shears, Hope Schwartz and Sierra McWilliams — made varsity to start the season.

With the varsity carrying nine, Schumacher said she is looking for players at the JV level to distinguish themselves for a late-season opportunity of a call-up to the varsity.

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Four of Prairie’s 2017 varsity players return as seniors for the 2018 season, having come within two points of advancing beyond the district tournament last fall. They are (from left) Alexis Hiler,Jordyn Higgins, Teresa Wemhoff and Kristyna Krogh.

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League opponents to two or fewer touchdowns — and the seventh, Potlatch, offered no test with an Oct. 20 forfeit.

“Replacing Jacob Stubbers at running back this year will be difficult,” Hasselstrom said. “He

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August 29, 2018

GHS: To be their best Continued from Page 4C work hard, get in the best shape they can, and give their best. have taught me a lot.”

“I like our leadership and I Look for Sullivan — who is like the fact they love the game relentlessly positive in his out- of volleyball...and because they look and in his approach to love the sport I think we can get teaching — to ask his players to the best out of them.”

Dawgs: Host on Aug. 31 Continued from Page 4C while longer.

For the first time since 2015, Grangeville’s home opener, Grangeville doesn’t have a road Aug. 31 against Nampa Christian game scheduled anywhere south will mark the first time many of McCall.

Bulldog fans get to see for themFor the Bulldogs, league play selves what Adams means by begins with Grangeville’s homethat, but some of the 2A titans — coming Oct. 5 against St. Maries.

Declo, Aberdeen, West Side, The Bulldogs are set to visit Firth — may have to wait quite a Orofino Oct. 12.

Pirates: Hass ‘confident’

16 Pirates to run cross-country this fall With 16 runners — nine girls and seven boys — the Prairie cross-country team hopes to have two full teams run the state meet this season.

“We have eight girls back who ran at state last year — so solid runners coming back,” coach Glenn Poxleitner told the Free Press. “Boys, we have some who came out who had never run before.”

Kendra Duclos, who “ran very well for the girls last season” and Hope McIntire, the team’s only fourth-year runner both return to the girls squad as seniors, as does Maria Schmidt.

“Maria is a second year runner and a senior, and when we talk about guts, she has guts,” Poxleitner said. “If she runs to

her potential at districts and at state, that will make a huge difference. She ran second position for the team, basically, and she’s set lofty goals for this year.”

On the boys side, senior runners include James Villamor, Devin Ross, Tanner Hibbard and Ryan Arnzen.

Villamor has been “right on the edge of making state,” Poxleitner said.

Ross is “a tall kid, he plays basketball, and he has the potential to qualify for state — and lead the team in that way,” Poxleitner said. “He’s got a positive attitude. He’s listening and picking up on his fundamentals and we’re starting to see the effect.”

Arnzen is running as “a nice

young kid who is in it for the right reasons,” Poxleitner said.

“He’s going to cheer everyone on. I’m not sure what we have, but as a varsity runner, he’s going to be helping us out. He’s just a solid young man and the biggest thing he’ll bring to the team is supporting everyone.

He’s coming off some injurytype stuff that might slow him this season, but we just love his attitude.”

Hibbard — a rodeo competitor who has pursued running — “benefits from his sheer athletic ability,” Poxleitner said. “It’ll be fun to see where he comes out.

He can be a force, even on the individual level. He hasn’t had that experience in a meet yet, but I think he’ll be in the mix.

He’s a kid who wants to be out front. He’ll push himself to the limits.”

Poxleitner sees toughness play out on the cross-country course.

“You have to have heart,” he said. “Your legs will tell you’re done before your brain and your heart, but the heart carries you the last part of it. Somewhere between your brain and your heart, you can see what your body will allow you to do.”

“There’s a Prefontaine quote — I’m trying to remember exactly how it goes — but it’s that he ran not to find out who was the fastest, but who had the most guts.”

Prairie’s first meet was still to be determined as of Aug. 23.

Continued from Page 6C which affords the victor favorable seeding for the playoffs.

Martin. I feel confident that “As for the league, not much these four will do a good job for has changed,” Hasselstrom said. us. Caleb McWilliams will be “We have a tough schedule with back at fullback also for us. At five away games and only three wide receiver we need to replace home games. I see Genesee Hunter Chaffee and Nick Mager, being tough again, Clearwater both seniors who had a really Valley with some great young good year for us. Forsmann and players, Kamiah with talent left Shears filled those roles at camp and Lapwai with solid skill guys. so we will see who else we can Should be a fun season once get in there.” again.”

Prairie has two graduates to Prairie’s first game will take replace on the offensive line: place on a Saturday afternoon in center Dereck Arnzen and guard the Mountain Time Zone, where Jace Perrin. the Pirates will take on Valley at The Pirates will be gunning Middleton High School at 3 p.m. for the Whitepine League title, MT Sept. 1.

Rams: Must ‘play big’ Continued from Page 7C the 95. Prairie, Genesee and Lapwai are the favorites and the rest going to have a hundred years of of us are in the mix, I guess. experience on the sideline.”

We’re going to have to be physiWhalen said he coached cal and play big in the moment. against Brockie for 12 years be- We looked good in the first half fore they joined forces in cooper- against Genesee and Prairie last ation the last six or seven years. year, but they just beat us down As for the Rams’ chances in in the second quarter and we the ever-tough Whitepine didn’t answer in the second League, the top of the WPL once half.” again appears tough.

The Rams face Genesee Sept.

“It’s forever going to go up 28 and Prairie Oct. 19.

Schedules Football Clearwater Valley Aug. 31vs. Council, 6 p.m.

Sept. 7 vs. Wallace, 6 p.m.

Sept. 14 vs. Lapwai, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21 at Lewis County, 7 p.m.

Sept. 28 at Genesee, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5 vs. Potlatch, 7 p.m.

(Homecoming) Oct. 12 at Troy, 7 p.m.

Oct. 19 at Prairie, 7 p.m.

Oct. 26 at Kamiah, 7 p.m.

Volleyball Clearwater Valley Aug. 23 at Troy Aug. 28 vs. Kamiah Aug. 30 vs. Genesee, 4 p.m.

Aug. 30 vs. Troy, 6 p.m.

Sept. 4 at Timberline, 6 p.m.

Sept. 6 vs. Prairie, 5 p.m.

Sept. 11 vs. Lapwai, 6 p.m.

Sept. 17 at Grangeville, 6 p.m.

Sept. 20 at Potlatch, 5 p.m.

Sept. 24 vs. Timberline, 6 p.m.

Sept. 25 at Kamiah, 5 p.m.

Sept. 27 at Genesee, 5 p.m.

Oct. 2 at Prairie, 5 p.m.

Oct. 4 at Lapwai, 4 p.m.

Oct. 6 vs. Potlatch, 2 p.m.

Oct. 9 vs. Nezperce, 6 p.m.

Oct. 11 vs. Kendrick, 5 p.m. w/Grangeville

Soccer

Grangeville Aug. 24 at Moscow Aug. 31 vs. Nampa Christian, 7 p.m.

Sept. 7 vs. Clarkston, 7 p.m.

Sept. 14 at McCall-Donnelly, 7 p.m.

Sept. 22 at Priest River, 7 p.m.

Sept. 28 vs. Kellogg, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5 vs. St. Maries, 7 p.m.

(Homecoming) Oct. 12 at Orofino, 7 p.m.

Kamiah Aug. 25 vs. Grace at New Plymouth Aug. 31 vs. Lewis County, 7 p.m.

Sept. 7 at Potlatch, 5 p.m.

Sept. 21 at Troy, 7 p.m.

Sept. 28 vs. Wallace, 6 p.m.

Oct. 5 vs. Genesee, 7 p.m.

Oct. 12 at Prairie, 7 p.m.

Oct. 19 vs. Lapwai, 7 p.m.

Oct. 26 vs. Clearwater Valley, 7 p.m.

(Homecoming)

Prairie Sept. 1 at Middleton, 4 p.m. MT Sept. 7 vs. Troy, 7 p.m.

Sept. 14 at Salmon River, 7 p.m. MT Sept. 21 vs. Genesee, 7 p.m.

Sept. 28 at Potlatch, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5 at Lapwai, 7 p.m.

(Homecoming) Oct. 12 vs. Kamiah, 7 p.m.

Oct. 19 at Clearwater Valley, 7 p.m.

Oct. 27 - at Wallace, 7 p.m.

Salmon River Aug. 31 vs. Lapwai, 7 p.m. MT Sept. 7 at Notus, 7 p.m. MT Sept. 14 vs. Prairie, 7 p.m. MT Sept. 28 at Horseshoe Bend, 7 p.m. MT Oct. 5 vs. Cascade, 7 p.m. MT (Homecoming) Oct. 12 at Garden Valley, 7 p.m. MT Oct. 19 at Tri-Valley, 7 p.m. MT Oct. 26 vs. Council, 7 p.m. MT

Grangeville Sept. 6 vs. Kendrick Sept. 8 vs. McCall Sept. 11 vs. Kamiah Sept. 13 vs. Orofino Sept. 17 vs. Clearwater Valley Sept. 19 vs. Lapwai Sept. 22 at St. Maries Sept. 24 at Lapwai Sept. 27 vs. Prairie Oct. 1 at Orofino Oct. 6 at Genesee Oct. 8 at Prairie Oct. 10 at McCall Oct. 11 at Clearwater Valley w/Kendrick Oct. 13 vs. St. Maries * Per GHSATHLETICS.COM, current as of Aug. 24, subject to change. *

Kamiah Aug. 23 at Potlatch Aug. 28 at Clearwater Valley Aug. 30 vs. Genesee, 3:30 p.m.

Aug. 30 vs. Troy, 6 p.m.

Sept. 6 vs. Lapwai, 6 p.m.

Sept. 8 at Nezperce Tournament, 9 a.m.

Sept. 11 at Grangeville, 5 p.m.

Sept. 18 vs. Prairie, 5 p.m.

Sept. 20 at Genesee, 6 p.m.

Sept. 22 at Border Batttle Tourney (Pomeroy, Wash.)

Sept. 25 vs. Clearwater Valley, 5 p.m.

Oct. 1 at Prairie, 5 p.m.

Oct. 2 at Lapwai, 6 p.m.

Oct. 4 vs. Orofino, 6 p.m.

Oct. 6 vs. Potlatch, 11 a.m.

Oct. 9 at Troy, 5 p.m.

Oct. 11 at Orofino, 6 p.m.

Prairie Aug. 28 vs. Potlatch Sept. 6 at Clearwater Valley, 5 p.m.

Sept. 10 vs. Lapwai, 6 p.m.

Sept. 11 vs. Genesee, 5 p.m.

Sept. 18 at Kamiah, 5 p.m.

Sept. 20 at Troy, 5 p.m.

Sept. 22 at Border Battle Tourney Sept. 24 vs. Troy, 5 p.m.

Sept. 25 at Potlatch, 5 p.m.

Sept. 27 at Grangeville, 5 p.m.

Sept. 29 at Grangeville Tourney Oct. 1 vs. Kamiah, 5 p.m.

Oct. 2 vs. Clearwater Valley, 5 p.m.

Oct. 4 at Genesee, 5 p.m.

Oct. 8 vs. Grangeville, 5 p.m.

Oct. 9 at Lapwai, 6 p.m.

Oct. 10 at Highland, 5 p.m.

Salmon River Aug. 25 Salmon River Invitational Aug. 30 at Cascade, 6 p.m. MT Sept. 4 vs. Council, 6 p.m. MT Sept. 6 vs. Horseshoe Bend, 6 p.m. MT Sept. 11 vs. Meadows Valley, 6 p.m. MT Sept. 13 at Garden Valley, 6 p.m. MT Sept. 18 at Tri-Valley, 6 p.m. MT Sept. 25 at Council, 6 p.m. MT Sept. 28 at Horseshoe Bend, 5 p.m. MT Sept. 29 vs. Garden Valley Oct. 5 vs. Cascade, 5 p.m. MT Oct. 6 at Nezperce, 11 a.m.

Oct. 9 vs. Tri-Valley, 6 p.m. MT

Grangeville Boys Aug. 21 vs. McCall Aug. 25 vs. St. Maries Aug. 30 vs. Priest River, 4 p.m.

Sept. 8 at Timberlake, 2 p.m.

Sept. 10 vs. Orofino, 4 p.m.

Sept. 13 at Priest River, 4 p.m.

Sept. 15 at St. Maries, 2 p.m.

Sept. 17 at McCall, 5:30 p.m.

Sept. 19 at Orofino, 5 p.m.

Sept. 22 vs. Bonners Ferry, 2 p.m.

Sept. 29 vs. Timberlake, 2 p.m.

Grangeville Girls Aug. 21 vs. McCall Aug. 23 vs. CDA Charter Aug. 25 vs. St. Maries Aug. 29 vs. Kellogg, 4 p.m.

Aug. 30 vs. Priest River, 2 p.m.

Sept. 8 at Timberlake, noon Sept. 13 at Priest River, 2 p.m.

Sept. 15 at St. Maries, noon Sept. 17 at McCall, 4 p.m.

Sept. 22 vs. Bonners Ferry, noon Sept. 26 at Kellogg, 4 p.m.

Sept. 29 vs. Timberlake, noon Oct. 6 vs. CDA Charter, noon

* Per GHSATHLETICS.COM, current as of Aug. 24, subject to change. *

* Per GHSATHLETICS.COM, current as of Aug. 24, subject to change. *

Cross Country

Oct. 2 - CV-Kamiah Invitational at Bob Squires Sports Complex, 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 6 - Inland Empire Challenge at LCSC XC Course, Lewiston Orchards, 9 a.m.

Oct. 11 - Troy Invitational, 4 p.m.

Oct. 18 - District Meet at LCSC XC Course, Lewiston Orchards Oct. 27 - Idaho State Championships at LCSC XC Course, Lewiston Orchards

Kamiah Aug. 25 - Dash & Splash at Ponderosa State Park, McCall, 9 a.m. MT Sept. 6 - Deary Invitational Sept. 15 – Seaport Invite atBeachview Park, Clarkston, Wash.

Sept. 18 - Potlatch Invitational at Scenic 6 Park, 4 p.m.

Sept. 22 - Bob Weisel Invitational at Moscow

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August 29, 2018

Clearwater Valley

The 2018 Rams are (back row, from left): Tyler Hess, Cole Carter, Davis McElroy, Tyce Pfefferkorn, Lane Schilling, Tyler Pressly, Dylan Pickering, Austin Routh and Ty Dominguez; front row, Layton Schlieper, Bubba Summers, Scott Zarnick, Will Willis, Aiden Martinez, Christian Fabbi, Ridge Shown, Tate Pfefferkorn and JJ Propst.

Rams’ veteran core returns he first test for Clearwater Valley coach Roger Whalen came last year — his first of eight-man football in a long coaching career. The next one is coming up Aug. 31, when the Rams host Council for their season opener.

“We’re a ways off,” Whalen said of his team’s readiness for the opener.

But they’re a lot farther along than they were when, after 11 practices, the Rams ran into a rout against Wallace in their first

T

game last fall.

“They put 21 on us in the first four or five minutes,” Whalen recalled. “They just shocked us. We were not ready to go.”

While they won’t overlook the Lumberjacks, the Rams didn’t play Council last year and will therefore treat the Wallace game Sept. 7 as their first chance to chart progress from last season.

“They have 8-9 seniors back and I expect that to be a tough ballgame,” Whalen said. “It’ll be a good indicator of any improvement we might have made.”

The Rams have their whole nucleus back from last year.

“We have a little more depth at different spots,” Whalen said.

“We’ll mix things up a little more this year on defense, change fronts and things like that. Our same players are back on defense.”

It’s a similar situation on offense.

“We had to replace a center and a guard — we had four seniors last year and we’re going to miss those four guys,” Whalen said. “We got some role players

back who are bigger and stronger, and their speed is the most glaring difference — we’re faster. We’re going to be able to do some more things because of natural growth on their part and mine. Wallace was my first 8man game, period, and I’ve learned it’s a different game. It’s quicker and you have to have speed at the right spots.”

Perhaps the Rams’ biggest position battle will be at quarterback. Whalen had penciled in returning junior Tyce Pfefferkorn.

“He’s back and he’s taller and

throwing the ball better,” Whalen said.

A hand injury may put sophomore Aiden Martinez on the spot instead — and his throws in practice appear on point.

“He’s really looking good,” Whalen said.

At running back, CV has depth.

“We’ve got three or four kids there’s not a lot of difference in,” Whalen said. “Bubba Summers stands out, and Lane Schilling is back stronger. One of our speedsters — Will Willis — is only a

sophomore but he’s pretty darn quick. Christian Fabbi and Davis McElroy can be pretty effective with what we’re doing.”

One of the main differences from last year’s squad will be on the bench, where CV will boast a “new” assistant coach and about a century’s worth of football knowledge.

Bob Brockie steps in as Whalen’s chief assistant.

“He has 47 or 48 years of experience,” Whalen said. “We’re See Rams, Page 7C

Rams bring back five varsity volleyballers for 2018 learwater Valley has a huge turnout for volleyball this season — enough to schedule Troy, Kamiah, Prairie and Potlatch, but not quite enough for a third coach.

So with 29 on board, the CV coaches have six long nights on their calendar this fall.

The varsity will look to senior setter Mikaela Herrick for leadership, coach Mikel Sears told the Free Press and has five varsity returners as its strength.

Among them is Martha Smith, a libero who missed last season with injury.

“I’m hoping she’ll be great for us this year,” Sears said.

The Whitepine League remains tough, with Troy and Genesee likely to lead it again.

“This is always a tough league and getting in the top half is a good goal for us this year,” Sears said. “We’ll be more of a threat in our hitting, and I’m hoping to make that one of our strengths. “These girls all really get along. Last year they talked about even though it was a rough season for wins and losses, they all said what a fun season they had.”

Clearwater Valley hosts Genesee and Troy on Aug. 30, when the Bulldogs and Trojans also visit Kamiah.

C

DAV I S C O MM U N IC AT ION S Kami ah 2 08 - 9 2 6 - 44 3 9

Clearwater Valley’s 2018 volleyball varsity team is (back row, from left): Ashton Mangun, Hailie Roy, Makayla Bean, Kaitlyn Mangun, Kaycee Costa and Kadance Schilling; front row, Martha Smith, Alicia Reuben, Torri Miller and Mikaela Herrick. Not pictured: Morgan Krieger.

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