Football preview, august 31, 2017

SPECIAL SECTION | THURSDAY, AUG. 31, 2017

AIR RAID: WSU coach Mike Leach pays visit to Fairchild

TOP GUNS PHOTOS, 8-9

Washington State’s Luke Falk heads a list of experienced, quality quarterbacks at local colleges and high schools

PHOTOS BY COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

FOOTBALL 2017

Thompson’s bold move got the ball rolling Ex-Coug inserted himself into game and eventually into area passing lore Make your case that there’s been a more quarterback-rich year than 2017 in our football precincts.

From Luke Falk to Matt Linehan to Gage Gubrud to Ian Kolste, there’s an all-conference passer at each of the area’s colleges, every level. Throw in a Pac-12-caliber talent like Coeur d’Alene’s Colson Yankoff atop the high school heap. Over the mountains, there’s Russell Wilson and Jake Browning, headliners both.

So when has it been as good or better? Maybe 2014, what with Connor Halliday having 700-yard games and Vernon Adams Jr. defying both physics and logic and Brett Rypien airing out Albi JOHN BLANCHETTE Stadium. Or 1992, when Drew Bledsoe and Doug SPOKESMAN Nussmeier owned COLUMNIST the Palouse.

And 1985 was a very good year – thanks to an earlier generation of familiar names: Rypien (Mark), Linehan (Scott), and Halliday (Duane). Rick Sloan doing his super-sub thing at Idaho. Rick Worman launching the modern era at Eastern Washington.

There was even an option whiz in Gonzaga Prep’s Ron Hawkins.

But this year seems like the proverbial seventh wave and what came before simply momentum to this particular crest. And frankly, this quarterbacking thing has been going on so long hereabouts it’s difficult to remember – or pin down – when it began, and how.

Well, here’s how. It was rooted in something very un-football.

Insubordination.

Track back more than 40 years, to a September Sunday, 1976, in the old Brick House on the University of Minnesota campus, the Gophers lined up against Washington State in front of 31,627 witnesses. The Cougars trail 10-0 in the second quarter when quarterback John Hopkins comes to the sideline with what is later explained as an equipment malfunction – though nothing Janet Jackson-like.

“And I just ran in,” said Jack Thompson. “I was the third-string quarterback.”

Maybe No. 2A. Wally Bennett was more trusted to follow orders and hand off inside the opposing 20-yard-line, but Thompson had done some mop-up work in 1975 and thrown a few passes in WSU’s season opening loss the week before at Kansas.

But he hadn’t been cleared for takeoff at this moment. And instead of following through with the running play coach Jackie Sherrill had ordered up, he checked to – and completed – a pass.

“People said it was a gutsy thing to do,” Thompson recalled. “Well, yeah, but it could have been a real dumbass thing to do.”

Which is pretty much what Sherrill told him when he came to the sidelines,

FILE/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

In 1976, Jack Thompson averaged 252 passing yards per game while the NCAA team average was 124 yards. and not in an inside voice. Thompson had a notion he’d be a man without a team back in Pullman, which would require some ’splainin’ to his dad about how he lost his scholarship.

He could just see the legacy: the Blowin’-it Samoan.

Except that right before halftime, Hopkins threw an interception and hurt his knee chasing down UM’s Orville Gilmore. In the locker room, offensive coordinator Bob Leahy told Sherrill he wanted to start Thompson in the second half, and Thompson responded with a 49-yard touchdown pass to Brian Kelly right away.

Hopkins was back the next week at Wisconsin – but he lasted barely a quarter, Thompson passing for 260 yards in relief.

And so was born the Throwin’

Samoan. Within four years, he’d be the NCAA passing record-holder and see his number retired.

Sherrill would play all sage and insist that he’d been bringing Thompson along slowly to start at home against Idaho, and not risk destroying his confidence against the Big Ten. Thompson had a different feeling: “I don’t think Jackie liked me much,” he said.

But Thompson loved Leahy, “who was really the mastermind. He’d be on the phone with Mouse Davis at Portland State (who conceived the original run-and-shoot offense) and he’d been with the Steelers, so every now and then he’d call Terry Bradshaw, jotting down crazy ideas.

“He’d have the quarterbacks get up and create plays – back when the

FILE/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Washington State quarterback Jack Thompson took the reins in 1976 and began setting NCAA passing records.

shotgun was unheard of, when there were no empty backfields. We were doing some things that had never been done and we were moving the ball in big chunks.”

Consider that in 1976, the average NCAA team passed for 124 yards a game – and Thompson 252.

OK, Jack Thompson hardly invented the position around here. Bob Newman, Mel Melin, Dave Mathieson – all had been productive passers under WSU coach Jim Sutherland 15 to 20 years earlier, when his notion of throwing it 20 times a game seemed revolutionary.

Ed Goddard had been an All-American three times before World War II, and Gonzaga had been coached in the 1920s

by Gus Dorais, who legitimized the pass at Notre Dame throwing to a fellow named Knute Rockne. And at the small college level, Whitworth’s Denny Spurlock was a revelation as the clock struck 1960.

But Thompson’s nickname and style gave the Cougars some cachet, and his numbers put them No. 1 in one measurement, if not the standings. And it’s hard to argue with what’s followed, at WSU and neighboring schools.

Quarterbacks from our little corner of football have been No. 1 draft picks and made 400 NFL starts. They’ve won Super Bowls, Grey Cups, Arena Bowls and national championships, and continued to set records. They have evolved from dropback specialists to double-edged swords – Jason Gesser, Adams, Gubrud – keeping plays and games alive with their feet.

And Wazzu’s quarterback alums sit around and wonder what might have been had they been allowed 650 passes in a season in Mike Leach’s attack.

“Can you imagine Mark Rypien in that system?” offered Thompson, “with his gun and personality?

“You know, one thing we have in common is that we all played pretty boldly – Ryp, Drew, Timm Rosenbach.

He wanted to be a linebacker. I have a picture on my desk of Gesser, parallel to the ground and five feet in the air over an Idaho defender. And Luke – remember the UCLA game when he was getting the crap beat out of him and kept coming back.

“As a group, we’re a pretty bold bunch.”

And it started with Jack Thompson putting himself in the game.

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FOOTBALL 2017

Year of the quarterback in our area? Take a look back and decide To call it the year of the quarterback would be an understatement. Talented, veteran QBs dot the rosters of teams thoughout the area, from the professional ranks to college campuses to local high schools.

So today, we’re attempting to rank and compare the best quarterbacks from our region’s rich football history. To compile our

(Note: We limited our selection area to include only Spokane and Coeur d’Alene.)

In the end, our picks combined a number of factors: Statistics, team success and nostalgia – and obviously, the final choices are quite subjective (and for entertainment purposes only). We hope you’ll enjoy.

Ralph Walter, Sports editor

lists, we polled local media members, as well as some longtime observers of the sport.

High schools proved the most challenging.

We enlisted former Spokesman-Review high school writers Dave Trimmer and Mike Vlahovich as well as current staffers Greg Lee and Chris Derrick. In addition, prep historians Mike Schock and Bill Pierce also weighed in.

COLLEGES

University of Idaho quarterback Matt Linehan poses for a portrait in the Kibbie Dome, Aug 23, 2017.

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BOISE STATE BRONCOS

KATHERINE JONES/THE IDAHO STATESMAN

Boise State junior QB Brett Rypien completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 3,646 yards and 24 touchdowns and just eight interceptions last season.

Responding to adversity Third year could be a charm if Rypien can eliminate those mistake clusters

By Dave Southorn IDAHO STATESMAN

A quarterback’s season that most teams would kill for might seem a little disappointing to the Boise State faithful accustomed to the likes of Kellen Moore and Ryan Dinwiddie.

That’s where junior Brett Rypien, the Shadle Park standout, finds himself this fall, coming off a sophomore campaign that in some ways was better than his debut season. But losses in three of the final six games left a sour taste.

In those games, mistakes tended to compound on Rypien, something he’s focused on fixing this year.

“You don’t think about those too much, but you certainly have to let them motivate you,” Rypien said. “We were only nine points from being undefeated in the regular season. That’s the difference of a couple plays. I think I’ve learned from it, ready to fix what went wrong.”

Two days before the Cactus Bowl, offensive coordinator Zak Hill said of Rypien, “Things tend to build a little bit through a game if it’s not going great.”

Against Air Force in the regular

season finale, he was 3-for-16 in the first half. He started 2-for-6 against Baylor in the bowl game, throwing two interceptions in the first half.

One part of improving in fall camp for Rypien and company is getting over those lulls, whether they’re early or late in games.

“Responding to adversity is something we emphasized a lot in fall camp as well, and I feel we did a way better job with that,” Rypien said.

Senior wide receiver Cedrick Wilson said of that drive to fix mistakes, “Every ball we don’t connect on in practice, we do it after practice three or four times.”

Rypien didn’t exactly have a wide margin for error last season, with struggles on special teams and a defense that forced just nine turnovers.

He completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 3,646 yards, with 24 touchdowns to eight interceptions.

His completion percentage dropped slightly but his yards per completion went up by 2.6, thanks to a focus on an improved deep ball and Wilson’s addition. Rypien was 15th among FBS quarterbacks in pass efficiency (155.7) and his 49.3 attempts per interception

was better than the likes of USC’s Sam Darnold and Louisville’s Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson.

“Brett is continuing to progress,” Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said. “...

Brett’s operating, he’s leading, making decisions you want to see at this point.”

Hill, the former quarterbacks coach at Eastern Washington, has some fun options in the mobile Montell Cozart, and Rypien.

A third year is often when a quarterback can show the biggest improvement. Moore’s and Dinwiddie’s most efficient seasons came in their junior years. Hill said he is of that belief, adding of Rypien, “I think he’s in a very good position mentally.”

Another focus has been improving Rypien’s mobility and awareness. He took sacks that maybe could have been prevented, and a late safety at Wyoming was a game-changing play.

“The first thing I’ve seen this fall camp with Brett is that he’s really feeling the pocket a lot better,” Hill said. “Going into this offseason, he was pushing to be a little more athletic in the pocket, feeling things, creating time. He’s actually taken off on a few runs here and there, too ... which wasn’t really in his mentality before.”

Complementing Rypien this fall, and no doubt someone who has helped his mobility, is Cozart, the senior graduate transfer . Once a starter at Kansas,

Cozart will be able to, as he puts it, “spice it up a bit.” A former captain with the Jayhawks, he’s quickly picked up the offense and been a strong leader, helping push Rypien while also earning a role as a change-of-pace quarterback.

“Me being the new guy, I can come on the field, like, ‘Hey Brett, what do you think about this certain play or what should I have done here?’ ” Cozart said. “I came in just trying to grind and let those guys know I’m going to do whatever it takes to be able to help the team.”

The Broncos lost a quarterback in camp when redshirt freshman Jake Constantine left the team. He plans to enroll at Ventura (Calif.) College. But pushing him was true freshman Chase Cord, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound Phoenix-area native who was a 1,000-yard rusher as a junior in high school. Rypien said “he has a lot of athleticism – very, very smart player.”

“Chase Cord is going to be a dude,” Hill said. “... Can run and can throw it.

He’s going to be fun to develop. He’s a little raw right now.”

Though two quarterbacks — Rathen Ricedorff and Constantine — have left the team since April, Rypien’s improvements have been aided by Cozart and Cord.

“That whole room has gotten better, which elevates Brett’s game,” Harsin said.

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WASHINGTON HUSKIES

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington quarterback Jake Browning, who threw for 6,385 yards and school-record 43 touchdowns last season, is a perfectionist with his mechanics.

Washington foot soldier Focus on footwork puts Browning a step ahead of the field

By Adam Jude SEATTLE TIMES

Jake Browning likes feet.

His feet, in particular.

No, those feet aren’t the first thing anyone thinks about when it comes to the Washington Huskies’ star quarterback. His feet didn’t get much attention when he was throwing a school-record 43 touchdown passes last season, and they were probably the last thing you would have noticed when he was pointing UW to a monumental victory at Oregon.

In two seasons at Washington, Browning has used his right arm to throw for 6,385 yards. Meanwhile, he is averaging 0.6 yards per rushing attempt (sacks included). No one will mistake him for The Flash anytime soon.

But Browning takes pride in his feet, covered most days by size-12 Nike Vapor Pro cleats. Specifically, his movement with those feet in the pocket, he says, is the foundation for his success, and in that regard he might not be much different from most major-college quarterbacks. Good footwork equals good quarterback.

For Browning, though, there’s a certain satisfaction how he prepares his feet and how he studies the way other elite quarterbacks prepare theirs.

“Obviously, your drop and your footwork and all that is what sets you up (to make a throw),” he said. “It’s

Compiled by The Seattle Times

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Browning isn’t known for his scrambling, but he can’t be overlooked. something I feel I’m good at. It’s something I work at and take pride in.

“Some of my worst games have been when my feet aren’t ‘alive’ or staying buzzin’ in the pocket,” he added. “When you go through reads, your feet start to die. Your stride will change and you’re not in rhythm.”

Drew Brees is one NFL quarterback Browning studies often, because of Brees’ precise passing – he holds the career NFL record for completion percentage at just under 67 percent – and for his less-appreciated footwork in the pocket. Brees, at 6 feet, 209 pounds, has a similar stature to the 6-2, 210-pound Browning, and neither are considered much of a running threat.

“Brees is pretty good at it, the

footwork,” Browning said. “He keeps a wide base, he’s balanced. He has really active feet in the pocket, but he’s not antsy. Some of those (NFL) guys you’d like to watch, but a guy like Aaron Rodgers — I’m just not born that way.

He’s doing whatever drop and then flicks it 70 yards.”

Browning was not gifted with Aaron Rodgers’ natural talent. Few are. Instead, one of Browning’s best qualities is his dogged obsession with some of the most nuanced fundamentals of the position.

He said he spent time this summer trying to perfect his three-step drop, to better align the timing of his footwork and his wide receivers’ route-running.

The idea is for him to plant his right (back) foot just as the receiver starts the

break in his route. Good footwork leads to good timing, which leads to accurate throws.

“We throw from a posture that he’s gotten programmed in, and his footwork is pretty good,” UW offensive coordinator Jonathan Smith said. “Your footwork is about consistency, and consistency is going to lead to accuracy.

It’s one of our fundamentals to play the position.”

As for his study habits in general, Browning has tried to find a better balance in his preparation. In the past, he could be hypercritical of himself, going over every throw on film, demanding perfection. At times, it could be counterproductive. “(He is) as good as any player I’ve been around,” said first-year co-offensive coordinator Matt Lubick, “as far as being hard on himself and studying the game by himself and putting in time on his own.”

This summer, Browning attended the famed Manning Passing Academy in Louisiana, and he took away one important lesson from Peyton Manning.

“I was always pretty hard on myself, as far as film-wise,” Browning said. “If anything, it’s kind of peeling back a little bit – not getting too hard on yourself and overthinking it. Because there’s definitely (been) some of that. …

“Peyton Manning’s big thing was, ‘Yeah, you want to prepare, but there’s definitely a line where you don’t want to over-prepare and start thinking about too much.’ Because I’ve got a lot of physical stuff going on and there’s a lot of smart D-coordinators, so you’re not going to outsmart anybody. You’ve just got to be able to operate with precision.”

From head to toe.

1) Warren Moon

2) Bob Schloredt

3) Marques Tuiasosopo

4) Mark Brunell

5) Don Heinrich

1975-77 242-496 (49 pct), 3,277 yds, 19 TD, 17 INT: Emerged in 1977, leading Huskies to Rose Bowl victory. His two rushing touchdowns and one passing TD led the four-loss Huskies over No. 4 Michigan and coach Bo Schembechler, and keyed UW’s revival. Was Pac-8 co-player of the year in ’77.

1958-60 59-119 (50 pct), 1,077 yds, 6 TD, 6 INT: Only two-time Rose Bowl MVP in school history, led upsets of Wisconsin and Minnesota. In his junior season, he played quarterback on offense and made the AP All-America team. He also was a defensive back and intercepted seven passes.

A childhood accident, at age five, left him with only five percent vision in his left eye.

1997-2000 418-761 (55 pct), 5,501 yds, 31 TD, 28 INT: Consummate two-way college quarterback, and a terrific leader. Became the only player in FBS history to throw for 300 yards and run for 200 in the same game, finishing with 509. Recruited out of high school as a defensive back.

1989-92 259-498 (52 pct), 3,423 yds, 23 TD, 16 INT: Long professional career backed up his excellent run that began as the Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player for the 1990 season. He was the trigger for three consecutive Pac-10 titles and an inspiration during the run to the 1991 national championship,

1949-52 335-610 (55 pct), 4,392 yds, 33 TD: First great UW quarterback was a college Hall of Famer, then played nine years as a pro. He earned All-America honors in both 1950 and 1952; twice led NCAA in passing.

Honorable mention: Billy Joe Hobert (1990-92), Sonny Sixkiller (1970-72), Chris Chandler (1984-87), Steve Pelluer (1980-83), Tom Flick (1979-80).

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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

WASHINGTON ST. COUGARS Sept. 2 vs. Montana State, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 9 vs. Boise State, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 16 vs. Oregon State, 2:30 p.m.

Sept. 23 vs. Nevada, TBD Sept. 29 vs. USC, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 7 at Oregon, TBD

Oct. 13 at California, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 21 vs. Colorado, TBD Oct. 28 at Arizona, TBD Nov. 4 vs. Stanford, TBD Nov. 11 at Utah, TBD Nov. 25 at Washington, TBD

TEAM INFO

Key numbers 20 sacks: Statistically speaking, WSU’s pass-rush was the third worst in the Pac-12 and the Cougars played one fewer game than Cal and Oregon State (18 sacks each).

2,299 yards: Entering last year’s game at Colorado on Nov. 19, WSU’s RBs led the conference in yards from scrimmage 4,713 yards: No surprise here, but the Cougars once again led the conference in passing yards per game, and ranked fifth nationally in that category.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Head coach/ Offensive coordinator Mike Leach (29-34 overall) (Sixth year)

Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch (Third year)

2016 record 8-5 overall, 7-2 Pac-12

TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Senior running back Jamal Morrow, right, is part of an experienced and talented backfield at Washington State.

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Fast start crucial First five games at home may determine success, failure

Washington State University’s football facility sits at the end of Martin Stadium in Pullman

Martin Stadium Capacity: 35,117 Tickets: wsucougars.com or (800)-GO-COUGS

Last five seasons

By Theo Lawson

League outlook

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

It’s hard to tell whether Washington State’s early spate of home games is more a blessing or a great big curse.

No other FBS schedule out there is more frontloaded than that of the 24th-ranked Cougars, with five consecutive home games to start the year – all of them stuffed into the month of September.

WSU will be billed as the superior team in at least four of the first five, so the Cougars have an opportunity to dart up the national rankings before the marquee game against USC on Sept. 29. The back end of the slate isn’t so friendly, though, with five of the final seven on the road, including games at Utah and Washington to close out the season.

Of course, the Cougars won’t dare to look that far into the future.

Sixth-year coach Mike Leach has yet to win the first game of the season at WSU and the Cougars will aim to end a ghastly two-game losing streak to the Big Sky Conference Saturday against Montana State.

OFFENSE The top two receivers in school history are no longer around and yet it’s still overwhelming how much talent the Cougars return on offense.

There’s quarterback Luke Falk, a dark horse to win the Heisman Trophy who will become the school leader in all-time passing yards by the second week of the season, if not the first. But the senior, modest by nature, will say he’s only concerned about guiding the Cougars to a winning record for the third straight season. If he does that, he’ll also be the only QB in school history to start in three bowl games.

Then there’s the running backs.

Wait, running backs? In Pullman?

Not only do the Cougars have them, but the quartet of Jamal Morrow,

1. UW 2. USC 3. WSU 4. Stanford 5. Utah 6. Oregon 7. Colorado 8. UCLA 9. OSU 10. ASU 11. Arizona 12. Cal

James Williams, Gerard Wicks and Keith Harrington were more productive from the line of scrimmage than any other group in the Pac-12 last season. Morrow is a steady, savvy senior and Williams, a sophomore, has the raw talent that could make him one of the league’s top rushers before his

career’s over.

But wait, there’s more. In addition to all that firepower in the backfield, WSU brings back one of the country’s top-rated offensive lines.

At left guard, Cody O’Connell a 6-9, 370-pound behemoth, is coming off a season that saw him earn consensus All-America honors. Pro Football Focus considers Cole Madison (right tackle) the country’s top-rated offensive tackle in terms of pass blocking efficiency and the Cougars’ other tackle, Andre Dillard, checked in just one spot behind his teammate, at No. 2, when PFF graded the nation’s best blockers.

If there is a deficiency within this offense, it’s at inside receiver. The Cougars weren’t nearly as efficient after slot River Cracraft went down with an injury last season and with Robert Lewis’ health in limbo, Kyle Sweet and a host of youngsters will have to pick up the slack early.

DEFENSE WSU lost defensive line coach Joe Salave’a to Oregon this offseason, so, needing a replacement, and needing exponential growth in their pass-rush, the Cougars brought in Jeff Phelps just a few weeks after Phelps’ Minnesota D-line roughed up

Falk and company in the Holiday Bowl.

Phelps is trying to revamp a defensive front that sacked the quarterback just 20 times last season – second to last in the Pac-12 behind Oregon State and Cal, neither of whom played in a bowl game. But former freshman All-America tackle Hercules Mata’afa is primed for his best season yet and Nnamdi Oguayo should compliment him well on the edge with great speed and length.

Nose tackle Daniel Ekuale is a faster, stronger version of his 2016 self, but let’s see if he can hold up against those gargantuan offensive fronts at USC and Stanford.

The Cougars look sturdy elsewhere. All-Pac-12 middle linebacker Peyton Pelluer returns and will be flanked by roommate/weakside backer Isaac Dotson. The back end will look identical to last year: Marcellus Pippins/Darrien Molton at corner and Jalen Thompson/Robert Taylor at safety.

Shalom Luani, the hard-hitting, ball-hawking safety/linebacker now playing for the Oakland Raiders leaves a substantial hole, but the Cougars should still be able to take another step forward in year No. 3 under Alex Grinch.

SPECIAL TEAMS Senior kicker Erik Powell has been a mixed bag for the Cougars in his four years on the Pullman campus.

Case in point: Powell missed his first five tries as a junior before drilling nine of his last 10. If there’s anything to be gleaned from fall camp, the Cougar kicker has been consistent.

Fans just hope that translates – and it might need to.

Powell and Sweet will split the punting duties and the Cougars once again have a bevy of capable of punt/kick returners, including Taylor, Morrow, Travell Harris, Renard Bell and Jamire Calvin.

DIFFERENCE MAKER

Tavares Martin Jr. The top two receivers are gone and now that they have an elite group of running backs, the Cougars could theoretically ditch the Air Raid and spend more of their time moving the ball on the ground behind one of the nation’s best offensive lines. Of course, that won’t happen. With a Heisman candidate behind center, the Air Raid is in fine hands.

Speaking of fine hands, the Cougars bring back Tavares Martin Jr. (64 receptions, 728 yards in 2016) – a junior from Belle Glade, Florida, who has all the tools to become the next great WSU receiver. With Gabe Marks and River Cracraft out of the picture, he’ll be targeted plenty this year, and he probably has better athleticism than both.

3-9

’12

6-7

’13

3-9

’14

9-4 8-5

’15 ’16 0

2

4

6

8

Starting offense (projected) Quarterback Luke Falk, 6-4, 223, Sr. Running backs James Williams, 5-11, 195, So. Jamal Morrow, 5-9, 203, Sr. Left tackle Andre Dillard, 6-5, 3-6, Jr. Left guard Cody O’Connell, 6-9, 368, Sr. Center Frederick Mauigoa, 6-3, 315, So. Right guard B.J. Salmonson, 6-4, 310, Sr. Right tackle Cole Madison, 6-5, 314, Sr. “X” receiver Tavares Martin Jr., 6-1, 183, Jr. “Y” receiver Kyle Sweet, 6-0, 193, Jr. “H” receiver Travell Harris, 5-9, 177, Fr. “Z” receiver Isaiah Johnson-Mack, 6-3, 216, So.

Defense Defensive end Nnamdi Oguayo, 6-3, 237, So. Nose tackle Daniel Ekuale, 6-3, 3-5, Sr. Defensive tackle Hercules Mata’afa, 6-2, 252, Jr. Rush linebacker Frankie Luvu, 6-3, 235, Sr. Will linebacker Isaac Dotson, 6-1, 232, Sr. Mike linebacker Peyton Pelluer, 6-0, 225, Sr. Nickel back Hunter Dale, 5-10, 190, Jr. Cornerbacks Darrien Molton, 5-10, 185, Jr. Marcellus Pippins, 5-10, 178, Sr. Strong safety Jalen Thompson, 6-0, 191, So. Free safety Robert Taylor, 5-10, 186, Sr.

Special teams

JESSE TINSLEY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Wide receiver Tavares Martin Jr. had 64 catches last season.

10

Kicker Erik Powell, 6-1, 202, Sr. Punter Kyle Sweet, 6-0, 193, Jr. Long snapper Kyle Celli, 6-1, 240, Jr.

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WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS

COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

WSU quarterback Luke Falk needs 2,713 yards to become the Pac-12’s leading career passer.

All within his reach WSU QB Falk closing in on school, Pac-12 records with an NFL career on horizon

By Theo Lawson THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

PULLMAN – There’s a baseball coach in Logan, Utah, who probably does not have the slightest clue how his words fueled one of the top quarterbacks in college football.

By now, Luke Falk, the former Washington State walk-on whose college scholarship offers were somewhere between zero and zilch, has more bulletin-board material than he knows what do to with. Enough to fill a novel, probably. But this specific anecdote is worth mentioning because, well, Falk felt it was worth sharing.

Eight years ago, he was a starting pitcher for the freshman team at Logan High. Falk could place the ball in the

Compiled by Theo Lawson THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

strike zone with consistency, but the numbers on the radar gun were nothing to write home about, and besides, he’d already mapped out a path to college in another sport.

This is where the skeptic comes in.

“We were after practice and I don’t know what we were asking, but we were like, ‘Do you think we could play D-I football?’ ” Falk recalled. “He was like, ‘No, I don’t think so.’ ” Later on, Falk recants. Now that he thinks about it, HE was the one who asked the question and HE was the one who was bluntly told he couldn’t make it as a top-tier football player. It cut deep.

“That pissed me off,” Falk said, “so I carry that along with me.”

By Falk’s request, the baseball coach will remain anonymous and it’s probably

best to spare him of embarrassment, anyway.

The teenage boy he once doubted is now the top active passer in the NCAA and approximately four quarters shy of becoming the most productive quarterback in school history.

With only 420 yards, he’ll leap his WSU mentor, Connor Halliday. With 2,713, he’ll move past Sean Mannion and become the Pac-12’s all-time leader.

With 4,144 passing yards – he had 4,468 last season and 4,500-plus the year before, just to show how manageable it is – Falk will join only five other players in the history of the college game who’ve thrown for 15,000 yards or more.

That’s not why he’s back for another round, though. Falk didn’t put the NFL draft on hold and elect to return to school because he values any of these records he’ll likely squash, but rather because “it just felt right,” he said, “and once I have that feeling, I just go with my gut.”

“I never looked back.”

CONFERENCE OF QBs Not that he minds giving up a headline or two, but Falk will have to share some of his spotlight with three other elite gunslingers out west this season. It’s by no means the inaugural Year of the Quarterback in the Pac-12, but the Left Coast is especially littered with talent in 2017. Down south, the headliners are USC’s Sam Darnold and UCLA’s Josh Rosen, while UW’s Jake Browning and WSU’s Falk battle for supremacy up north.

All four have glowing golden arms that will someday yield NFL paychecks, but at least one slightly biased party in Pullman thinks his guy is a notch above the other three. And the numbers back that up.

“Statistically at this point, he’s better,” Cougar coach Mike Leach said. “I think See FALK, 28

1) Jason Gesser

2) Ryan Leaf

3) Drew Bledsoe

4) Jack Thompson

5) Luke Falk

1999-2002 611-1,118 (54.7 pct), 8,830 yds, 70 TD, 39 INT: Gesser was calling the shots the last time the Cougars played in “The Granddaddy of Them All.” In 2002, he split Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year honors with USC quarterback Carson Palmer after guiding the Cougars to a second straight 10-win season.

Gesser ranks top-five in most passing categories and has 24 career wins (most all-time).

1994-97 473-880 (53.7 pct), 7,433 yds, 59 TD, 24 INT: His post-college exploits are a conversation for another day, but Leaf was a 1997 Heisman Trophy finalist, finishing behind Charles Woodson and Peyton Manning after leading the Cougars to 10-2 – the first double-digit win season since 1929.

WSU also won its first Pac-12 title with the righty from Montana under center.

1990-92 532-979 (54.3 pct), 7,373 yds, 46 TD, 34 INT: One of two WSU gunslingers to get a starting nod as a true freshman, Bledsoe shattered a number of school records pre-Air Raid, including single-game passing yards (476), single-season completions (241) and single-season passing yards (3,946). He was the Pac-10 Offensive POY before ditching school to become the No. 1 pick in the 1993 draft.

1975-78 601-1,086 (55.3 pct) 7,818 yds, 53 TD, 49 INT: Even in today’s college football climate, Thompson’s aerial numbers would turn heads. By the end of his career, The Throwin’ Samoan had passed for an NCAA-record 7,818 yards and had ownership of Pac-10 records for attempts, completions and touchdown passes.

20141,047-1,521 (68.8 pct), 10,893 yds, 89 TD, 26 INT: The former walk-on is on track to shatter every Cougar record that he doesn’t already have and will become the Pac-12’s leading career passer with 2,712 yards this season.

How realistic is that? Falk hit that plateau by week eight in 2016.

HONORABLE MENTION: Mark Rypien (1981, ’83-85), Timm Rosenbach (1987-88), Ed Goddard (1934-36), Alex Brink (2004-07), Connor Halliday (2011-14).

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THE SPOKESM

FOOTBAL ALSO TODAY

A Mike Leach tale Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley tells a side of the quirkly Washington State football coach that few know.

STORY, PAGE 1

AIR RAID MEETS AIR FORCE

Washington State football coach Mike Leach steps into pilot’s seat at Fairchild

COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

WSU football coach Mike Leach sits in the cockpit of a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker during a mission briefing tour of Fairchild Air Force Base.

Fairchild Air Force Base Commander Col. Ryan Samuelson, right, watches Mike Leach sign footballs.

At left are Airmen Jon Barillas and Staff Sgt. Travis Peirce.

JESSE TINSLEY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Samuelson, Commander of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild, gives Leach th

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

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LL 2017-18

WSU football coach Mike Leach poses in front of a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker during a mission briefing tour of Fairchild Air Force Base on Tuesday, Aug. 15.

Fairchild Air Force Base Commander Col. Ryan Samuelson, left, and Mike Leach discuss respective strategies.

JESSE TINSLEY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

he grand tour of the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.

Leach gets a taste of the airman’s life in the seat of a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker during his Fairchild mission briefing tour.

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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES Sept. 2 at Texas Tech, 1 p.m.

Sept. 9 North Dakota St., 1:05 p.m.

Sept. 16 at Fordham, 10 a.m.

Sept. 23 at Montana, 5:05 p.m.

Sept. 30 Sacramento St., 1:35 p.m.

Oct. 7 at UC Davis, 6 p.m.

Oct. 14 Montana St., 1:05 p.m.

Oct. 21 at Southern Utah, 4:05 p.m.

Nov. 4 Weber St., 1:05 p.m.

Nov. 11 at North Dakota 11:05 a.m.

Nov. 18 Portland St., 3:05 p.m.

TEAM INFO

Key numbers 4,058: The number of receiving yards gained last year by departed wideouts Cooper Kupp, Kendrick Bourne and Shaq Hill 9.4: Average Eastern wins per season during the last decade 48: Touchdown passes thrown last year by quarterback Gage Gubrud

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Head coach Aaron Best (First year)

Offensive coordinator Bodie Reeder (First year)

Defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding (Third year)

2016 record 12-2 overall, 8-0 Big Sky

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

The Eastern Washington Eagles will host North Dakota State on Sept. 9 in their home opener at Roos Field.

JESSE TINSLEY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Roos Field

Mt. Spokane graduate Stu Stiles eyes a pass while being covered by North Central grad Jake Hoffman, right, during practice.

No end in sight Talented Eagles expect to vie for national title again

By Jim Allen THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Are these the best of times for Eastern Washington football?

It sure seems that way.

The Eagles are coming off another Big Sky Conference championship season, their fourth in five years, and are picked to contend for another despite a major coaching change and the loss of some serious star power on both sides of the ball.

More stars are waiting in the wings; new coach Aaron Best just needs to get them aligned.

These are his guys now. “Eastern Kinda Guys.” That’s EKG, for short, as if Best put his players and coaches under a machine to verify that their hearts are in the right place.

That wasn’t necessary. Best knows what he has: several dozen chip-on-the-shoulder overachievers who expect to win.

“Every time,” quarterback Gage Gubrud said with emphasis. “We expect to win every time.”

The Eagles were close last year, going 12-2 and finishing one play from the national title game. With 12 returning starters, one of the best quarterbacks in the land and an improving defense, they should be in the hunt again.

“Are we still going to be a League pass-heavy team? outlook Yes, but we’re going to be 1. EWU running the ball 2. N. Dakota downhill,” 3. Cal Poly Reeder said.

4. N. Arizona The key is 5. Weber St. balance and 6. Montana physical play, 7. Montana St. which Best hopes 8. So. Utah will pay off in 9. N. Colorado December. A 10. Sac. St. veteran offensive line in front of 11. UC Davis running backs 12. Portland St. Antoine Custer 13. Idaho St. Jr., Tamarick Pierce and Sam McPherson will help keep the pressure off Gubrud and the next generation of receivers.

Many of those wideouts have been in the program for several years, including senior Nic Sblendorio, juniors Terence Grady, Stu Stiles and Nsimba Webster. The underclassmen are deep and talented and itching to help fans get through life without Cooper Kupp, Kendrick Bourne and Shaq Hill.

All of the wideouts know the system and they know Gubrud, which should ease the transition.

OFFENSE

DEFENSE

The Eagles will continue to fly.

For all the talk about running the ball more often, Eastern football isn’t forsaking its roots.

Says new offensive coordinator Bodie Reeder, the Eagle offense will be “multiple, with timely shots, timely wrinkles and hard to predict.”

The system is the solution.

Going into the third year of coordinator Jeff Schmedding’s 4-2-5 scheme, the defense also figures to run downhill more this year.

After struggling in 2015, the Eagles got untracked last year in a seven-game stretch that saw

opponents score just 105 points. In a point of comparison dear to Eagle fans, Montana was held to 16 points last year after scoring 57 a year earlier.

The Eagles lose All-American Samson Ebukam, but will field a beefy front line anchored by 320-pound nose tackle Jay-Tee Tiulu and Andre Lino.

Opponents also will find the going tougher off tackle against ends Albert Havili and Keenan Williams.

Ketner Kupp and Kurt Calhoun bring experience to linebacker, while the secondary will be a strength.

With Josh Lewis, Nzuzi Webster, D’londo Tucker and Victor Gamboa, Eastern has a wealth of talent and experience at cornerback.

SPECIAL TEAMS Less is more.

After two years of shared responsibility for special teams, Best has brought all the groups together under new assistant Heath Pulver.

“It is always an added bonus that every special teams unit hears one voice from one coach, and Heath is going to be that guy,” Best said.

Pulver has plenty to work with. He inherits coverage units that have been in the upper tier of the Big Sky for years.

Kicker Roldan Alcobendas had a solid year in 2016, and so did punter Jordan Dascalo.

The biggest question is at punt returner, where several players are vying to replace Kupp.

Webster and Custer figure to handle kickoff returns.

CONTACT THE WRITER:

(509)459-5437 jima@spokesman.com

EWU defensive linemen Andre Lino, right, and Jay-Tee Tiuli pause between drills during practice earlier this summer in Cheney.

DIFFERENCE MAKER

Jay-Tee Tiuli Perhaps the biggest surprise on the team last year, nose tackle Jay-Tee Tiuli went from backup to first-team all-Big Sky. The 320-pound senior from Federal Way, Wash., is not only a top-notch run stopper, but surprisingly good in the pass rush.

Tiuli should be able to clog the middle against the run, forcing teams to go outside.

TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Capacity: 8,600 Tickets: www.goeags.com/

Last five seasons ’12 ’13 ’14

6-5

’15 ’16 0

2

4

6

11-3 12-3 11-3 9-4 12-2 8 10 12

Starting offense (projected) Quarterback Gage Gubrud, 6-2, 205, Jr. Running back Antoine Custer Jr., 5-9, 190, So. Wide receivers Terence Grady, 6-5, 200, Jr. Nic Sblendorio, 6-0, 185, Sr. Stu Stiles, 6-0, 185, Jr. Left tackle Chris Schlichting (6-5, 300, So.) Left guard Tristen Taylor, 6-6, 315, So. Center Spencer Blackburn, 6-2, 285, Jr. Right guard Matt Meyer, 6-5, 310, Jr. Right tackle Kaleb Levao (6-4, 290, Jr.) Tight end Henderson Belk (6-4, 240, Jr.)

Defense Nose tackle Jay-Tee Tiuli, 6-4, 320, Sr. Defensive tackle Andre Lino, 6-3, 270, Sr. Defensive ends Keenan Williams, 6-3, 255, Jr. Albert Havili, 6-2, 270, Sr. Linebackers Ketner Kupp, 6-0, 225, Jr. Kurt Calhoun, 6-2, 235, Jr. Rover Cole Karstetter, 5-11, 205, Jr. Cornerbacks Josh Lewis, 6-0, 190, Jr. Nzuzi Webster, 5-10, 180, Jr. Safties Mitch Fettig, 6-1, 200, Jr. Jake Hoffman (6-0, 195, Sr.)

Special teams Kicker Roldan Alcobendas, 6-0, 180, Sr. Punter Jordan Dascalo, 6-1, 225, Sr. Long snapper Curtis Billen, 6-2, 215, Jr. Kick returner Nsimba Webster, 5-10, 180, Jr. Punt returner Zach Eagle (5-8, 175, Jr.)

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EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES

COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Eastern Washington Eagles quarterback Gage Gubrud passed for an FCS-record 5,160 yards and 48 touchdowns last season.

Encore performance!

Despite departure of some gifted receivers, EWU’s Gubrud ready to excel

By Jim Allen THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

So much has changed since Gage Gubrud stepped onto the turf last September at Washington State.

Except Gubrud.

Two weeks ago, as the Eastern Washington players and coaches were preparing for their annual team photo, Gubrud sprinted onto the turf at Roos Field. He was full of apologies after a haircut that ran five minutes long.

“I am so sorry,” Gubrud said to the small gathering of media types.

The apology was as heartfelt as it was unnecessary. Gubrud does humble pretty well, but then, he’s had plenty of practice.

Almost an afterthought at quarterback during his first two years in

Compiled by Jim Allen

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Cheney, the former fourth-stringer got his chance in the spring of 2016.

Competing against the bigger arms of Jordan West and Reilly Hennessey, the former walk-on from McMinnville, Oregon, won over the Eastern coaches with his physical and mental ability.

He really is the total package, which was finally unwrapped in Gubrud’s first collegiate start last Sept. 3 in Pullman.

Working behind an offensive line as green as he was, Gubrud completed 34 of 40 passes for 474 yards and five touchdowns. With the game on the line, he juked a pair of Cougars and sprinted 30 yards for the clinching score in a 45-42 Eagles win.

By season’s end, Gubrud had passed for an FCS-record 5,160 yards and 48 touchdowns as Eastern posted a 12-2 season that was among the best in

school history.

“Looking back, what we accomplished was pretty special,” said Gubrud, giving due credit to that overachieving line, a running back corps that grew up in a hurry, and of course a superlative group of wide receivers.

Cooper Kupp, Kendrick Bourne and Shaq Hill are gone now, but Gubrud’s rising stature isn’t about addition by subtraction. Last year he lifted their game as much as they elevated his.

This is Gubrud’s offense now, no matter how much new coach Aaron Best wants to emphasize the running game and no matter the drop-off at receiver.

“For me, not much has changed – I have just as much confidence in the guys we have now,” Gubrud said. “My

job is to get them the ball – I’m going to keep doing that, let them make the plays.”

Sometimes, Gubrud will need to make the plays himself. Last year he rushed 134 times for 606 yards, both team highs and both too high for Best’s liking.

Gubrud doesn’t care; he’ll never be a pure pocket passer.

“I understand what he’s saying, but at the end of the day we’re going to have to do what it takes to win,” Gubrud said .

“I’m not just going to take sacks – if I feel we’re running zone read and it’s best for me to keep it, I’m going to keep it,” Gubrud said.

CONTACT THE WRITER:

(509)459-5437 jima@spokesman.com

1) Vernon Adams Jr.

2) Erik Meyer

3) Bo Levi Mitchell

4) Matt Nichols

5) Rick Worman

2012-14 701-1,081 (64.8 pct), 10,438 yds, 110 TD, 31 INT: Yes, he left a year early, but Adams also left the Eagles with an unprecedented three straight Big Sky Conference titles. He also leads the program in career pass-efficiency rating (173.4), yards per pass attempt (9.4) and total yards per game (315.4). Eastern’s record-setting offense was defined by Adams’ mobility, pocket presence and strong arm.

2002-05 721-1,097 (65.7 pct), 10,261 yds, 84 TD, 17 INT: The best pure passer in Eastern history, Meyer also was the most accurate. His last two seasons ranked second and third in school history for efficiency, and the Payton Award winner twice carried the Eagles to the postseason.

2010-11 618-1,008 (61.3 pct), 7,505 yds, 70 TD, 28 INT: Imagine his numbers had “The Gunslinger” played in Cheney for his entire career. Mitchell made the most of his two seasons in Cheney, winning a national title in his first season, then the Payton Award as a senior when he was called upon to carry the offense.

2006-09 995-1,608 (61.8 pct), 12,616 yds, 96 TD, 46 INT: The most prolific QB in EWU and Big Sky history, Nichols also ranks sixth all-time nationally.

No quarterback has been asked to do more: Nichols started a school-record 47 games and carried the Eagles to a 23-13 record his last three years.

1984-85 430-765 (56.2 pct), 5,588 yds, 45 TD, 25 INT: His numbers aren’t gaudy (he played just two years), but Worman went 16-5-1 as a starter. He completed 274 passes in 1985 and led the Eagles to their first Division I postseason win (42-38 over Idaho in ’85).

HONORABLE MENTION: Harry Leons (1994-97), Mark Tenneson (1989-92), Bill Diedrick (1965-7, ’69), Fred Salanoa (1990-2001), Gage Gubrud (2015-).

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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

IDAHO VANDALS Aug. 31 vs. Sacramento State, 6 p.m.

Sept. 9 vs. UNLV, 4 p.m.

Sept 16 at Western Michigan, 4 p.m.

Sept. 23 at South Alabama, TBD Oct. 7 vs. LA-Lafayette, 2 p.m.

Oct. 14 Appalachian St. at Idaho 2 p.m.

TEAM INFO

Key numbers

Oct. 21 at Missouri, TBD Oct. 28 vs. LA-Monroe, 2 p.m.

Nov. 2 at Troy, 6:15 p.m.

Nov. 18 vs. Coastal Carolina 2 p.m.

Nov. 25 at N.M. State, TBD Dec. 2 at Georgia State, TBD

2,129: Yards Matt Linehan needs to become Idaho's leading passer. Accomplishing this would signify he has had a successful senior season.

120: Points scored last year by Austin Rehkow. Can new kicker Cade Coffey come close?

20: Idaho's disruptive defense last year featured linebackers who made 20 tackles for losses. LB is projected to be a defensive strength again. Can Kaden Elliss, Ed Hall and Tony Lashley be a force this year?

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Head Coach Paul Petrino (15-33, Fifth year)

Offensive Coordinator Kris Cinkovich (Fifth year)

Defensive Coordinator Mike Breske (Third year)

2016 record 9-4 overall, 6-2 Sun Belt

TYLER TJOMSLAND/TYLERT@SPOKESMAN.COM

Senior running backs Aaron Duckworth, pictured, and Isaiah Saunders give Idaho a strong one-two punch in the backfield.

Keep climbing

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Idaho Vandals head coach Paul Petrino watches his receivers get in some work.

Kibbie Dome Capacity: 16,000 Tickets: govandals.com

Vandals motivated to raise the bar after 9-4 season As the field at Boise’s Albertsons Stadium gradually froze during the 2016 Idaho Famous Potato Bowl and players lost their footing, their connection to actual football became ever more tenuous.

At some point, though, the University of Idaho Vandals decided that even though they were playing on the ice against Colorado State last December, they weren’t going to lose. They weren’t going to be the ones to blink.

The Vandals’ 61-50 win capped a 9-4 resurgent season of UI football. From a team that won only one game as recently as 2014, to one that showed it could win, with a 4-8 record in 2015, to one that expects to win, the Vandals have been trending upward in fifth-year coach Paul Petrino’s tenure.

The motto this year is “raise the bar.”

With four-year senior quarterback Matt Linehan in position to become Idaho’s all-time passing leader and senior receivers like Jacob Sannon, Alfonso Onuwor and Reuben Mwehla returning, along with a quick, disruptive defense, Idaho could go out in a blaze of glory in the Football Bowl Subdivision and the Sun Belt Conference.

Next year, the Vandals will return to the Football Championship Subdivision and Big Sky Conference they dominated through much of the 1980s and early 1990s. But that’s next year.

“Right now, we’re just focused on this year,” Petrino said.

race cornerbacks and go get a deep ball, and Linehan can 1. App. St. deliver it. The 2. Troy heart of Idaho’s 3. Idaho passing attack, 4. Arkansas St. however, 5. S. Alabama features precise 6. Ga. Southern short to 7. La-Monroe intermediate 8. La-Lafayette routes. Idaho 9. Coastal Car. receivers must 10. N.M. St. be adept at catching passes 11. Texas St. in parts of the 12. Georgia St. field densely populated with linebackers and safeties.

In the running game, Saunders, especially, can square his shoulders and move the pile, but Vandals running is heavy on counters. Linehan scrambles often enough to make defenses respect the fact he will run.

Idaho has had to rebuild the offensive line. Senior tackle Jordan Rose, 6-6, 325, is probably able to physically dominate anyone he is liable to face this year.

Petrino says sophomore Noah Johnson, 6-4, 308, has also been a physical presence in preseason camp. Everybody else in the line rotation is either young or not huge. They will survive on scheme and technique.

“We do a good amount of zone offense,” said Petrino. Zone blocking rewards quickness and athletic ability over size.

OFFENSE

DEFENSE

Behind Linehan the past three seasons, Idaho has has been prolific.

Last year he threw for 3,184 yards and 19 touchdowns. Leading rushers Isaiah Saunders (731 yards) and Aaron Duckworth (672) are back as seniors.

This season, the Vandals will continue to attack from multiple dimensions. In Sannon, Onuwor and Mwehla, Idaho has players who can

Befitting its quality depth at linebacker, Idaho plays a lot of 3-4 defense, although lining up with four down linemen is also in the defensive plan. Aileen Coleman, D. J. Henderson and Zach Cable anchor the line and engage blockers. Ed Hall, Tony Lashley and Kaden Ellis’s return as linebackers, and the Vandals’ can go two deep behind them and expect no great

By Peter Harriman FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

League outlook

dropoff in production. Petrino said the front seven have played great since last spring, and he has the best speed on defense he has ever seen at Idaho.

He fretted “you can never have enough cornerbacks,” but in Dorian Clark and Lloyd Hightower, Petrino has a pair of good ones.

A former running back, Denzal Brantley, was moved to safety last spring to strengthen the position. At 210 pounds, “he’s that big safety you like to have back there,” said Petrino.

In addition to delivering hits from the defensive backfield, Brantley is also developing a talent for reading quarterbacks and jumping pass routes.

SPECIAL TEAMS After four years of being able to count on the monster leg of Austin Rehkow, Idaho will break in his successor, Cade Coffey, a redshirt freshman from Rathdrum, as both kicker and punter.

“He’s got a big leg. He continues to get better and better,” Petrino said.

The coach is looking for greater accuracy from Coffey on kicks but added “we dealt with that with Austin his first two years, too.”

Petrino said special teams will be liberally staffed by starters. “This is where we win games.”

Sannon, who has led Idaho in special teams tackles the past two years, will continue to play on the kickoff coverage, punt coverage and kickoff return teams. Brantley will return kickoffs, and Onunwor and David Ungerer are being considered for punt returners.

Finally, the schedule is not bad. Idaho gets a league favorite, Appalachian State, at home, and another Sun Belt projected power, Arkansas State, is not on the schedule. Idaho faces one big out of-conference challenge at the University of Missouri. But while the Vandals won’t be favored in the first road game against Western Michigan, it’s a winnable game for a team that can raise the bar.

Idaho is counting on massive offensive tackle Jordan Rose, a 325-pound senior from Freeman High School, to anchor a line that lost three starters from a year ago.

DIFFERENCE MAKER

Jordan Rose On an offensive line that must replace three starters, senior offensive tackle Jordan Rose (6-6, 325) is a stabilizing presence. The Vandals have plenty of ways to move the ball, if they can get defenses blocked. Rose has taken on the responsibility to be the line’s leader, and he provides his line mates the security of playing with a big brother watching over them. Idaho is just better when he is on the field.

COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO

Last five seasons

1-11 1-11 1-10 4-8

’12 ’13 ’14 ’15

9-4 9-4

’16 0

2

4

6

8

10

Starting offense (projected) Quarterback Matt Linehan, Sr., 6-3, 239 Running Back Isaiah Saunders, Jr., 5-10, 225 Wide receivers Alfonso Onuwor, Sr., 6-1, 195 Reuben Mwehla, Sr., 5-10., 174 Jacob Sannon, Sr., 5-11, 193 Tight End Joe Wysocki, So., 6-2, 230 Fullback Josh Herman, Sr., 6-1, 254 Quick Tackle Sean Tulette, So., 6-3, 271 Quick Guard Zion Dixon, So., 6-4, 303 Center Conner Vrba, R-Fr., 6-1, 300 Strong Guard Noah Johnson, So., 6-4, 308 Strong Tackle Jordan Rose, Sr., 6-6, 325

Defense Buck Charles Akanno, R-Fr., 6-1, 245 Tackle Zach Cable, Sr., 6-3, 258 Nose tackle Arie Anderson, Sr., 6-1, 302 Defensive end Aikeem Coleman, Sr., 6-3, 275 Linebackers Kaden Elliss Jr., 6-3, 222 Tony Lashley, Jr., 6-1, 239 Ed Hall, Jr., 6-0, 211 Strong Safety Denzal Brantley, So., 6-0, 211 Free Safety Armond Hawkins, Sr., 5-10, 203 Cornerbacks Dorian Clark Jr., 6-0, 185 Lloyd Hightower, So., 5-10, 173

Special teams Kicker/punter Cade Coffey, R-Fr., 6-1, 189 Long Snapper Luke Hyde, So., 6-2, 241 Holder AJ Woodin, Jr., 5-10, 192 Kick Returner Denzal Brantley, So., 6-0, 211 Punt Returner Alfonso Onuwor, Sr., 6-1, 203

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IDAHO VANDALS

COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Heading into his senior season, Idaho quarterback Matt Linehan will likely break the Vandals’ record for career passing yards.

Linehan adds to legacy Lightly recruited QB continues family tradition of shining on gridiron for Vandals

By Peter Harriman FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

University of Idaho freshman quarterback Dylan Lemle is throwing in a preseason drill. He is tight, electric, bouncing, as if each new instant of awareness of his receivers’ unfolding routes sends a jolt through him.

By contrast, senior Matt Linehan approaches the drill with loose, rolling shoulders. He takes the snap, and it seems the entire repetition is a continuous, languid thought. Unhurried but efficiently, Linehan delivers the ball with velocity, on target, with a high, short stroke that economizes motion. It was a moment in a drill. Linehan probably never gave it a second thought. But if he did, he might have seen his former self in Lemle. “As a freshman, I was all about trying to make everything happen. I’d force every play,” he says.

How time passes. In a long, sometimes difficult journey, Linehan, as a redshirt freshman, led Idaho forward from a 1-10 season of despair in 2014 to a hopeful 4-8 in 2015 to the breakout 9-4 last year. With a season to go, this is what one of the Vandals’ all-time passing leaders looks like. Linehan is already in the top five for pass attempts, completions and yards and with 2,129 more yards he will surpass Doug Nussmeier’s record 10,824 career passing yards. Linehan has joined John Welsh, MVP of the 1998 Humanitarian Bowl, and Nathan Enderle, who led Idaho to a comeback win over Bowling

Compiled by Peter Harriman FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Green in the 2009 Humanitarian Bowl, as Vandals who have quarterbacked a bowl win. Linehan threw for 381 yards and four touchdowns in a 61-50 shootout over Colorado State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl last December.

Coach Paul Petrino can’t contain a smile as he looks forward to the next four months and a final go-round with the exceptional quarterback to whom he gave his lone NCAA Division I ride.

“It’s going to be fun,” said Petrino.

“He’s had a great fall camp. He really understands the offense now. It has been great being with him the past four years.”

Petrino said Linehan made his most ambitious strides as a quarterback between his first and second seasons and between last year and now. Linehan has progressed in measurables like passing statistics and wins and in a quarterback’s prized intangible, leadership.

“He’s the leader who understands the offense,” said Petrino. “That makes it easier on me.”

If the emergence of this can be pinned to a single event, according to Linehan, it would be the game against Troy in 2015.

“We flew down the same morning as the game and we won,” he remembered.

“It was the turning point of our program.

We believed we were tough enough to do anything at that point. I developed a confidence about myself. The game slowed down for me.”

Throughout camp, quarterbacks coach Charley Molnar has shadowed the taller Linehan like a pilot fish hovering about a

shark. Molnar sees the same things in Linehan that Petrino does.

“Like all great quarterbacks, his leadership is top notch,” said Molnar.

Linehan also remains eager to refine his game. If a quarterback is built from the ground up, Linehan’s footwork is already impeccable. On throws, his feet don’t race to keep up with his arm. As the Vandals practice a running play, Linehan starts it with a diagonal step before handing off to a back on a counter. His step takes the same angle and is the same length on every rep. Said Molnar, “It’s fun to coach a guy who wants to be the best he can be. It never ends. I told him ‘I will coach you all the way to the kickoff of the bowl game.’ ” But even now Linehan is a master.

“He’s in rhythm. He knows where to go with the ball. He reads coverages, recognizes blitzes,” said Molnar. “He knows what the head coach is thinking.”

On a certain level, football is all in service of a player years later being able to look back fondly at being part of a team. “I love the guys here, being in the locker room. This place is special to me,” Linehan said.

One of those guys, Jacon Sannon, has caught as many passes from Linehan in practice and in games as anybody. They came in together as skinny freshmen and over the years as quarterback and receiver they developed a tight bond.

“His ball has got a little heat on it,” said Sannon. “Most of the time it’s right where I need it, and if it’s not it’s in a safe spot where the defense won’t blow me up.” A receiver’s highest endorsement.

The prospect of this coming to a close after this season doesn’t thrill Sannon.

“It’s going to take some getting used to. I

don’t like to think about it yet.”

Linehan and his brother, sophomore linebacker Michael Linehan, are the latest to take up the family business, Vandals football. Their father, Scott, starred at quarterback in the mid-1980s and is one of the figures Matt is chasing through the UI record book. Their uncles, Ron and Rick, anchored Vandal defenses as a linebacker and defensive back, respectively, in the 1970s. But Matt’s own connection to UI and Moscow was tenuous. After serving as Idaho’s offensive coordinator in 1993, Scott Linehan’s coaching career took him to a couple of universities and five stops in the NFL, most recently Dallas.

Matt remembers coming to Moscow only once as a child, “My memory is spotty on it.”

But Scott and Petrino had coached together at Idaho, and when Matt, as a high school senior, was drawing so little interest from Division I teams that he was planning to pursue his first love, basketball, in college, Scott sent Petrino a highlight tape of his son. Matt readily accepted the only Division I scholarship he was offered. Since then, he has been able to meet all the people ahead of him in the Vandals record book, John Friesz, Nussmeier, Enderle, Ken Hobart.

“The most important statistic is winning, it always is,” Linehan said. “But I have wanted to be a part of that group.”

And after this season he would like to continue playing in the NFL. Molnar thinks it is possible.

“He’s got a next-level arm.”

He goes on to state what everybody in the University of Idaho program already knows: “Somebody is going to be really glad they signed him.”

1) John Friesz

2) Doug Nussmeier

3) Ken Hobart

4) Nathan Enderle

5) John Welsh

1986-89 801-1350 (59.3 pct), 10,697 yds, 77 TD, 40 INT: Idaho’s MVP award is the John Friesz Award.

Enough said. He was a three-time Big Sky Conference player of the year, Division I-AA All-American, a recipient of the Walter Payton Award as the outstanding player in I-AA as a senior, and he has been elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. He took Idaho to the playoffs all three years he started.

1990-93 746-1205 (61.9 pct), 10,824 yds, 91 TD, 32 INT: The Vandals’ career passing yardage leader.

Like Friesz, Nussmeier won the Walter Payton Award.

He is one of only five quarterbacks in NCAA history to throw for 10,000 yards and run for 1,000. As a senior, he led Idaho to the Division I-AA semifinals.

1980-83 629-1219 (51.6 pct), 9,300 yds, 79 TD, 42 INT: A case can be made that Hobart should be higher on this list. After walking on to the Idaho team, he led the Vandals for two years as a veer quarterback and was a top rusher. In his final two seasons in Dennis Erickson’s offense, Hobart proved he was an even better passer. As a junior he led Idaho to the I-AA quarterfinals.

2007-10 779-1427 (54.2 pct) 10,064 yds, 74 TD, 60 INT: Did you see the 2009 Humanitarian Bowl?

Enderle threw four TDs and led Idaho to an amazing 43-42 comeback win in the final seconds. He was steadily productive throughout his career and threw for a ton of yards, but that Humanitarian Bowl victory alone earns him his star in the pantheon of Idaho QBs.

1998-2001 584-968 (60.3 pct) 7,401 yds, 55 TD, 38 INT: First of all, as a senior, Welsh quarterbacked Idaho to an overtime win over Boise State, always a great resume item for a Vandal quarterback. He went on to be named the MVP of the 1998 Humanitarian Bowl after the underdog Vandals beat Southern Mississippi, 42-35.

Honorable Mention: Scott Linehan (1982-86), Brian Lindgren (2001-04), Rick Seefried (1971-73), Rick Sloan (1984-85).

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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

WHITWORTH PIRATES Sept. 2 at Central Iowa, 10 a.m.

Sept. 9 vs. Whittier, 11 a.m.

Sept. 16 vs. La Verne, 11 a.m.

Sept. 30 at Linfield, 1:30 p.m.

Oct. 7 vs. George Fox, 1 p.m.

Oct. 14 at Pacific Lutheran, 1 p.m.

Oct. 21 vs. Puget Sound, 1 p.m.

Oct. 28 at Pacific, 1 p.m.

Nov. 4 at Lewis & Clark, 1 p.m.

Nov. 11 vs. Willamette, 12:30 p.m.

TEAM INFO

Key numbers 1: Whitworth quarterback Ian Kolste finished the 2016 season ranked first in NCAA Division III passing yards (3,790). With a stable of returning starters at receiver and offensive line, he should be be in the same neighborhood this fall.

10: Years since Whitworth won a Northwest Conference championship.

This number also denotes NWC bully Linfield’s win streak against the Pirates.

13: Starters returning – eight on offense and five on defense – from an 8-2 squad that was essentially two points short of reaching the NCAA playoffs a year ago.

Head coach Rod Sandberg, Fourth year (23-8)

Offensive coordinator Alan Stanfield (Fourth year)

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Defensive coordinator Adam Richbart (Fourth year)

Special teams coordinator Mike McCune (Third year)

2016 record 8-2 overall, 6-1 Northwest TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Whitworth head coach Rod Sandberg enters his fourth season with “competition and depth at each position.”

A winning culture

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

A crew puts the finishing touches on the new turf being installed in the Pine Bowl.

Sandberg has numbers, and buy-in, to take next step

By Ryan Collingwood FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Four months after Rod Sandberg was introduced as Whitworth’s head football coach, the former Wheaton College defensive coordinator was met with an offensive line held together by chicken wire.

Graduation and a slew of injuries made the 2014 edition of spring drills an even more arduous task for a new-look staff trying to install a new system.

“We had about five healthy linemen that spring,” Sandberg recalled. “We had a coach playing center.”

Three seasons and a combined 23-8 record later, over 20 behemoths littered the offensive line station at a recent practice.

Sandberg, who has now experienced a full four-year recruiting cycle, boasts numbers at every position. Entering a season in which his program is expected to continue its ascent, he points to one intangible.

“We have culture now,” said Sandberg. “We have competition and depth at each position. The seniors have set expectations for the younger kids.”

Thirteen returning starters – eight on offense, five on defense – and skill players such as record-breaking quarterback Ian Kolste and fleet-footed receiver Garrett McKay, give Whitworth a nice preseason aesthetic.

Now the Pirates, ranked 28th in the preseason NCAA Division III poll, are ready to take the next step.

“My freshman year we went 6-4, then 9-2 and 8-2 the next two seasons,” senior cornerback LJ Benson said.

“Much of that has to do with our coaching and culture. We want to keep ascending, but have to respect our opponent each week.”

One foe is naturally in this team’s consciousness: NCAA Division III

power and Northwest Conference rival Linfield, the one 1. Linfield squad to 2. Whitworth hand the 3. George Fox Pirates a 4. Pacific Lutheran conference 5. Pacific loss each the 6. Willamette last two 7. Puget Sound seasons.

8. Lewis & Clark “Linfield is the top dog, but we have to respect every opponent,” Kolste said.

“Every week we have to prepare like we’re playing a team like Linfield.”

League outlook

OFFENSE Kolste led NCAA Division III in passing yards (3,790) and completions (351) a season ago. Couple that with a stable of experienced receivers, including McKay (72 catches, 1,072 yards in 2016), Kevin Thomas (51 catches, 689 yards), Nick Kiourkas (38 catches, 537 yards) and Mike McKeown (33 catches, 286 yards), and it’s no secret what offensive coordinator Alan Stanfield’s plans will be.

The quick-trigger quarterback should have time to see plays develop in the pocket, too, with the return of starting right tackle Tyler Adamson (6-4, 255, All-NWC), left tackle Vince Porporato (6-3, 278) and center Jacob Hubbard (6-1, 255).

Whitworth’s biggest offensive void is currently in the backfeld after the graduation of Duke DeGaetano, the NWC’s leading rusher (1,001 yards, 21 TDS) last season.

Moving the ball through the air won’t be a problem for Whitworth, but if it is going to have the offensive balance it wants, senior running back Griffin Hare will need to be healthy.

Hare, a former Gonzaga Prep star

who has battled injuries throughout his college career, scored eight touchdowns as a freshman. Junior Mason Elms and sophomore Tariq Ellis are also vying for first-team carries.

“We have a lot of speed at the running back and receiver positions,” Sandberg said. “I can’t wait to see how fast we are on (Whitworth’s new artificial) turf.”

DEFENSE Depleted by graduation, Whitworth doesn’t return a single starting defensive lineman.

Conversely, it returns the core of its secondary, including senior corners Benson and Taylor Roelofs and junior safety Ben Stockdale.

In a pass-happy conference, their services will be needed.

“We have a fast and aggressive secondary,” said Benson, a Central Valley High alum who tallied three interceptions last sason. “When camp started one of our freshmen said ‘Man, I am glad our defensive backs aren’t a bunch of’ ... well, fill in the blank.”

Whitworth lost three All-NWC selections to graduation on a defense that gave up 30 points a contest.

Linebackers Patch Culp (70 tackles in 2016) and Connor Tangeman return to their respective starting inside and outside spots.

Sandberg believes Andrew Young, a 6-foot-1, 235-pound defensive end, has the ability to step in and lead the inexperienced defensive front.

SPECIAL TEAMS Rehn Reilly’s foot earned him D3football.com All-Region and first-team All-Northwest Conference honors in 2016, connecting on 47 of 49 PATS, 7 of 14 field goals and averaging 40 yards a punt.

McKay averaged 20 yards a kick return and 6.3 yards a punt return last season.

Garrett McKay was quarterback Ian Kolste’s favorite target a year ago with 72 receptions for 1,072 yards.

DIFFERENCE MAKER

Garrett McKay Defenses will need to know where junior Garrett McKay is at all times. The 5-foot-9, 180 pound junior has the sort of big-play ability – be it torching secondaries as a receiver or zipping around a kickoff team – that can change a game.

He led Whitworth in all-purpose yards (140.9 ypg) last season, which earned him first-team, all-Northwest Conference distinction.

Pine Bowl Capacity: 2,200 Tickets: whitworthpirates.com or call (509)-777-3224.

Past five seasons

7-3

’12

4-6 6-4

’13 ’14

9-2 8-2

’15 ’16 0

2

4

6

8

Starting offense (projected) Quarterback Ian Kolste, 6-1, 202, Sr. Running back Griffin Hare, 5-11, 192, Sr. Wide receivers Kevin Thomas, 6-3, 200, Sr. Michael McKeown, 5-11, 182, Sr. Garrett McKay, 5-9, 175, Jr. Flex Nick Kiourkas, 6-3, 216, Sr. Left tackle Tyler Adamson, 6-4, 269, Jr. Left guard Tanner Conroy, 6-3, 290, Sr. Center Jacob Hubbard, 6-1, 264, Jr. Right guard Nick Little, 6-1, 286, So. Right tackle Vince Porporato, 6-3, 290, Sr.

Defense Defensive ends Chad Wilburg, 6-3, 223, Jr. Andrew McCoy, 6-1, 235, So. Defensive tackles PJ Solomon, 6-1, 268, Jr. Jack McLeod, 6-0, 262, So. Outside linebackers Kale Wong, 6-1, 192, So. Brian Lee, 5-10, 213, Sr. Middle linebacker Patch Kulp, 6-0, 221, Sr. Cornerbacks Taylor Roelofs, 6-2, 211, Sr; LJ Benson , 5-11, 185, Sr. Rover Ben Stockdale, 6-2, 198, Jr. Free safety Shai Pulawa , 5-11, 187, Jr.

Special teams

COURTESY OF WHITWORTH (DICK THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY)

10

Kicker/punter Rehn Reilley, 5-11, 184, Jr. Kick returner Chase Takaki, 5-9, 175, Sr. Punt returner Brett Moser, 5-10, 168, Jr.

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

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SPECIAL 15

WHITWORTH PIRATES

COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Whitworth senior quarterback Ian Kolste wants to win the Northwest Conference, but powerhouse Linfield stands in his way.

To-do list unfinished Accomplished QB Kolste has his sights set on Linfield, conference title and playoffs seasons. “I can care less about records.”

With the bulk of his offensive line back from a year ago, including most of his favorite targets, there’s no reason to With the sort of resume most believe the 6-foot-1, 202-pound Kolste quarterbacks covet, Whitworth senior can’t check those boxes.

Ian Kolste is less interested in his If not for a season-ending shoulder laurels than he is his shortcomings. injury in 2014 and an ensuing medical His nation-leading 3,790 passing redshirt, Kolste would have exhausted yards and 351 completions were nice. his eligibility last fall.

The myriad school records, It proved to be serendipitous. Sitting Northwest Conference Co-Offensive out that fall ultimately helped boost his Player of the Year and preseason All-America distinction are impressive, development.

“I started started seeing more too.

But Kolste, one of just four fifth-year progression. The game started to slow seniors, can’t help but think of what he down,” said Kolste, who also started a couple games as a true freshman in hasn’t done.

“I’ve never beaten Linfield. I’ve never 2013, 19-year head coach John Tully’s won a (Northwest) conference title and final season. “Now I want to take more of a leadership role and help elevate my I’ve never won a playoff game,” said teammates.”

Kolste, who boasts a 17-4 record as In 2015, Kolste made a name for Whitworth’s starter the last two

By Ryan Collingwood THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Compiled by Ryan Collingwood THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

himself in the NCAA Division III ranks after passing for 2,810 yards and helping Whitworth reach the first round of the playoffs.

In 2016, Kolste continued to shred opposing secondaries and led the Pirates to an 8-2 mark. If not for a 50-49 overtime loss to Central Iowa in the season opener, Whitworth would have likely returned to the playoffs.

Whitworth looks to return the favor on Sept. 2 when it travels to Pella, Iowa, to open the season.

“We have the talent to do some stuff this season,” he said. “There’s talent all over the place. I am really excited about our receiving corps.”

Fourth-year head coach Rod Sandberg is excited about another year with his prized gunslinger.

“He’s a special player that can do some really special things. I’ve been in this game a long time and have seen a couple like him,” Sandberg said. “That allows you to do a lot of things, and gives other guys confidence.”

Senior cornerback LJ Benson has the

daunting task of trying to break up Kolste’s passes and trying to stop him from breaking off lengthy runs in practice.

“I think Ian is a very good all-around quarterback,” Benson said. “He can sling the ball, is very accurate, can make people miss. He is very well-rounded.”

After starring at Oak Harbor, Kolste didn’t generate any interest from FCS or FBS schools and had originally planned to walk on at Eastern Washington.

A recruiting trip to north Spokane changed his plans.

“I came and instantly liked the school and the students,” said Kolste, a Health and Science major.

Sandberg, who accepted the position in December of 2013 via Wheaton College, was glad that visit transpired.

“He’s just so poised and relaxed. No moments too big or too low, pretty even keel,” Sandberg said. “People like him, he does the right things. He’s a role model for my kids. He’s the entire package, really.”

1) Joel Clark

2) Dennis Spurlock

3) Ian Kolste

4) Scott Biglin

5) Bryan Peterson

2003-2006 The former Mt. Spokane star had a sterling career at Whitworth, passing for 8,513 yards and 71 touchdowns while completing 80 percent of his throws. Clark, the 2006 Northwest Conference Player of the Year, was also dangerous with his feet, totaling 1,443 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground. Clark led the Pirates to a 10-0 regular season in 2006 and the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.

1958-1961 Spurlock, a North Central grad, led the Pirates to an Evergreen Conference championship in 1961 and the NAIA semifinals, completing 135 of his passes for a NAIA-record 1,892 yards. Whitworth's top student-athlete honor, The Dennis Spurlock Award, is named in memory of the All-American signal caller.

2013-2017 With a full season ahead of him, Kolste already owns about every Whitworth passing record. Kolste, who is 17-4 as a starter the last two seasons, completed 351 of his 488 passes for a NCAA Division III-best 3,790 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2016. The Oak Harbor, Washington, native was a first-team All-NWC selection in 2016 and led the Pirates to a playoff berth in 2015.

1999-2002 Biglin, a three-time All-NWC selection, led the Pirates to their first NCAA Division III playoff appearance in 2001. As a senior, Biglin completed 143 of his 264 passes for 13 touchdowns and added 431 rushing yards and three scores on the ground. The Pasco product was the NWC Offensive Player of the Year in 2001.

2011-2014 A four-year starter, the West Valley High product set NCAA Division III records for most completions in one game (58) and most consecutive passes without an interception (82). He also set Whitworth records for single game passing yards (580) and total offense (559). His six touchdown passes in one game tied another school record.

Honorable mention: Vern Tucker, Ed Kretz, Danny Figuiera, Mike Martin, John Moomaw, Steve Wilson

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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Clark Fork hopes for 1A DII breakthrough NORTH STAR

By Greg Lee THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Deary and Kendrick have owned the football-only White Star League the first two years of its existence.

Two years ago, Deary finished as the 1A Division II state runner-up and Kendrick did the same last fall.

The league combines the four North Star League teams with four District II teams.

Deary and Kendrick, which lost much to graduation, are picked again to shut out the NSL teams from the playoff picture this fall.

Clark Fork Clark Fork hopes it can break through the Deary/Kendrick blockade.

The Wampus Cats have 18 players out – double that of Kootenai and Mullan.

“The small towns seem to be shrinking,” coach Brian Arthun said. “It’s getting tougher and tougher to field teams.”

Clark Fork is led by quarterback Wade Stevens, a four-year starter.

He has some familiar targets at wide receiver.

After the skill positions, though, the Wampus Cats are thin across the front.

“We’re a little weak in the offensive and defensive lines,” Arthun said.

Arthun is optimistic, though.

“We’ll have a shot if things go well to get one of the two playoff sports,” he said. “We’ll have to stay healthy.”

Lakeside The Knights were the highest

PREDICTIONS

SCHEDULES

WASH.

Sept. 1 Odessa at Inchelium, 3 Deary at Mullan, 3:30 p.m.

East Valley vs. North Central at Albi, 5:30 p.m.

Post Falls vs. Mead at Roos Field, 6:05 p.m.

Coeur d’Alene at Central Valley, 7 p.m.

Mt. Spokane at Peninsula, 7 p.m.

Rogers at Deer Park, 7 p.m.

Sandpoint at University, 7 p.m.

Cheney at Sunnyside, 7 p.m.

Clarkston at Moscow, 7 p.m.

Bonners Ferry at Lakeside (WA), 7 p.m.

Kellogg at Medical Lake, 7 p.m.

Colville at Lakeland, 7 p.m.

Timberlake at Freeman, 7 p.m.

Chewelah at Bridgeport, 7 p.m.

Riverside at St. Maries, 7 p.m.

Newport at Priest River, 7 p.m.

Wilbur-Creston at Northwest Christian, 7 p.m.

Springdale at Davenport, 7 p.m.

Lind-Ritzville/Sprague at Asotin, 7 p.m.

Liberty at Kettle Falls, 7 p.m.

Reardan at Colfax, 7 p.m.

Northport at Entiat, 7 p.m.

Troy at Garfield-Palouse, 7 p.m.

Cusick at Pateros, 7 p.m.

St. John-Endicott at Tekoa-Rosalia, 7 p.m.

Republic at Yakama Tribal, 7 p.m.

Curlew at Columbia, 7 p.m.

Colton at Salmon-River, 7 p.m.

Lewiston at Walla Walla, 7 p.m.

Kendrick at Lakeside (ID), 7 p.m.

Lake City vs. Lewis and Clark at Albi, 8 p.m.

Sept. 2 Wallace vs. Clearwater Valley at Kibbie Dome, 1 Pullman at Fife, 1 p.m.

Ferris vs. Mountain View at Vancouver, 2 p.m.

Gonzaga Prep vs. Eastside Catholic at UW, 7 Sept. 8 Lakeside (WA) vs. Shadle Park at Albi, 5 p.m.

Lewis and Clark vs. Kamiakin at Lampson Stadium, 5 p.m.

Pullman vs. Rogers at Gonzaga Prep, 7 p.m.

Central Valley at Lake City, 7 p.m.

North Central at Cheney, 7 p.m.

Mt. Spokane at Sandpoint, 7 p.m.

Gonzaga Prep vs. Bellermine at San Jose, 7 p.m.

Mead at Coeur d’Alene, 7 p.m.

Post Falls at University, 7 p.m.

Grangeville at Clarkston, 7 p.m.

West Valley at Colville, 7 p.m.

Lakeland at East Valley, 7 p.m.

Newport at Okanogan, 7 p.m.

Medical Lake at Priest River, 7 p.m.

Lethbridge at Freeman, 7 p.m.

Chewelah at Liberty Chrisitian, 7 p.m.

Bonners Ferry at Riverside, 7 p.m.

Deer Park at St. Maries, 7 p.m.

Northwest Chrisitian at Springdale, 7 p.m.

Lind-Ritzville/Sprague at Wilbur-Creston, 7 Davenport at Kettle Falls, 7 p.m.

Colfax at Asotin, 7 p.m.

Liberty at Reardan, 7 p.m.

Cusick at Almira/Coulee-Hartline, 7 p.m.

Odessa at Garfield-Palouse, 7 p.m.

Pateros at Tekoa-Rosalia, 7 p.m.

Northport at Wellpinit, 7 p.m.

Columbia at Inchelium, 7 p.m.

Joseph at Republic, 7 p.m.

Selkirk at Pomeroy, 7 p.m.

Sunnyside Christian at Joseph, 7 p.m.

Potlatch at Wallace, 7 p.m.

Lewiston at Mermiston, 7 p.m.

Clark Fork at Lakeside (ID), 7 p.m.

Orofino at Kellogg, 7 p.m.

Timberline at Kootenai, 7 p.m.

Moscow at Timberlake, 7 p.m.

Ralston Valley vs. Ferris at Albi, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 14 Eastmont vs. Mt. Spokane at Albi, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15 University vs. Mead at Albi, 5 p.m.

GSL 4A

1. Gonzaga Prep 2. Mead 3. Central Valley 4. Lewis and Clark 5. University 6. Ferris GSL 3A

1. Mt. Spokane 2. Shadle Park 3. North CentralA 4. Rogers GNL

1. West Valley 2. East Valley 3. Cheney 4. Pullman 5. Clarkston NEA

1. Colville 2. Freeman 3. Deer Park 4. Newport 5. Lakeside 6. Chewelah 7. Riverside 8. Medical Lake NE 2B

1. Asotin 2. Colfax 3. NWC 4. Liberty 5. Reardan 6. Lind-Ritz Sprague 7. Davenport 8. Wilbur-Creston 9. Kettle Falls 10. Springdale NE 1B NORTH

1. Cusick 2. Republic 3. Northport 4. Selkirk 5. Inchelium 6. Columbia 7. Curlew NE 1B SOUTH

1. Odessa 2.Almira/CouleeHartline 3. Entiat 4. Wellpinit 5. Yakima Tribal 6. Pateros SE 1B

1. Sunnyside Christian 2. Garfield-Palouse 3. Colton 4. Touchet 5. St. John-Endicott

IDAHO

finishing NSL team last year, just one spot out of the playoffs.

Coach Chris Dohrman is hopeful his team will challenge for a playoff berth.

Lakeside returns quarterback Bryar Sanchez and running back Jordan Davison, both seniors.

“We have a good backfield. It’s a matter of getting our offensive and defensive lines going too,” Dohrman said. “If we do that we should continue to improve.”

Lakeside’s turnout dropped to 13 with three returners choosing not to play. A couple others moved away and just one freshman turned out, Dohrman said.

Kootenai Turnout is razor thin in Harrison.

Coach Doug Napierala had nine eligible players for the season opener. A 10th player turned out

North Central at West Valley, 7 p.m.

Shadle Park at East Valley, 7 p.m.

Lewis and Clark at Gonzaga Prep, 7 p.m.

Pullman at Moscow, 7 p.m.

Cheney at Post Falls, 7 p.m.

Clarkston at Lewiston, 7 p.m.

Lakeside (WA) at Riverside, 7 p.m.

Medical Lake at Freeman, 7 p.m.

Chewelah at Newport, 7 p.m.

Deer Park at Colville, 7 p.m.

NW Chrisitian at Lind-Ritzville/Sprague, 7 Kettle Falls at Springdale, 7 p.m.

Wilbur-Creston at Colfax, 7 p.m.

Davenport at Reardan, 7 p.m.

Asotin at Liberty, 7 p.m.

Almira/Coulee-Hartline at Touchet, 7 p.m.

Entiat at Wellpinit, 7 p.m.

Tekoa-Rosalia at Odessa, 7 p.m.

Pateros at Yakama Tribal, 7 p.m.

Republic at Columbia, 7 p.m.

Northport at Curlew, 7 p.m.

Inchelium at Cusick, 7 p.m.

St. John-Endicott at Selkirk, 7 p.m.

Wallace at Colton, 7 p.m.

Lakeside (ID) at Garfield-Palouse, 7 p.m.

Cove (Ore.) at Sunnyside Chrisitian, 7 p.m.

Sandpoint at Raymond, 7 p.m.

Mullan at Kootenai, 7 p.m.

Moses Lake at Coeur d’Alene, 7 p.m.

Bonners Ferry at Thompson Falls (Mont.), 7 Priest River at St. Maries, 7 p.m.

Central Valley vs. Ferris at Albi, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 16 Hillcrest at Lake City, noon.

Sept. 21 Mead vs. Shadle Park at Albi, 4:45 p.m.

Ferris vs. Rogers at Albi, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 22 Wellpinit at Inchelium, 3 p.m.

University vs. Lewis and Clark at Albi, 5 p.m.

Kellogg at Omak, 6 p.m.

North Central vs. Central Valley, 7 p.m.

Bonners Ferry at Pullman, 7 p.m.

Eisenhower at Cheney, 7 p.m.

Moscow at West Valley, 7 p.m.

East Valley at Lake City, 7 p.m Lakeside (WA) at Deer Park, 7 p.m.

Newport at Medical Lake, 7 p.m.

Chewelah at Freeman, 7 p.m.

Riverside at Colville, 7 p.m.

Northwest Christian at Kettle Falls, 7 p.m.

Colfax at Lind-Ritzville/Sprague, 7 p.m.

Reardan at Springdale, 7 p.m.

Liberty at Wilbur-Creston, 7 p.m.

Asotin at Davenport, 7 p.m.

Yakama Tribal at Almira/Coulee-Hartline, 7 Entiat at Sunnyside Christian, 7 p.m.

Touchet at Odessa, 7 p.m.

Curlew at Pateros, 7 p.m.

Colton at Tekoa-Rosalia, 7 p.m.

Columbia at St. John-Endicott, 7 p.m.

Cusick at Northport, 7 p.m.

Selkirk at Republic, 7 p.m.

Garfield-Palouse at Lewis County , 7 p.m.

Pomeroy at Potlatch, 7 p.m.

Lewiston at Sandpoint, 7 p.m.

Kootenai at Lakeside (ID), 7 p.m.

Coeur d’Alene at Camas, 7 p.m.

St. Maries at Timberlake, 7 p.m.

Lakeland at Post Falls, 7 p.m.

Gonzaga Prep vs. Mt. Spokane at Albi, 7:30 Sept. 23 Kendrick at Mullan, 1 p.m.

Priest River vs. Gooding at McCall-Donnelly, 2 Wallace vs. Kamiah at Kibbie Dome, 3 p.m.

Sept. 28 Lewis and Clark vs. Mt. Spokane at Albi, 7 p.m.

Lummi vs. Sunnyside Christian at Kittitas, 7 Sept. 29 Gonzaga Prep vs. Shadle Park at Albi, 5 p.m.

North Central at University, 7 p.m.

Rogers at Central Valley, 7 p.m.

Pullman at Clarkston, 7 p.m.

Cheney at East Valley, 7 p.m.

West Valley at Kellogg, 7 p.m.

Freeman at Lakeside (WA), 7 p.m.

Medical Lake at Riverside, 7 p.m.

Deer Park at Chewelah, 7 p.m.

Colville at Newport, 7 p.m.

Colfax at Northwest Christian, 7 p.m.

Kettle Falls at Reardan, 7 p.m.

Lind-Ritzville/Sprague at Liberty, 7 p.m.

Springdale at Asotin, 7 p.m.

Wilbur-Creston at Davenport, 7 p.m.

Pateros at Almira/Coulee-Hartline, 7 p.m.

Yakama Tribal at Entiat, 7 p.m.

Wellpinit at Odessa, 7 p.m.

Tekoa-Rosalia at Northport, 7 p.m.

Columbia at Selkirk, 7 p.m.

Inchelium at Curlew, 7 p.m.

Cusick at Republic, 7 p.m.

Garifeld-Palouse at Pomeroy, 7 p.m.

Ione at Touchet, 7 p.m.

Lake City at Sandpoint, 7 p.m.

Moscow at Lewiston, 7 p.m.

Mullan at Lakeside (ID), 7 p.m.

Capital Christian at Coeur d’Alene, 7 p.m.

St. Maries at Bonners Ferry, 7 p.m.

Kootenai at Clark Fork, 7 p.m.

Timberlake at Lakeland, 7 p.m.

Post Falls at Wenatchee, 7 p.m.

Mead vs. Ferris at Albi, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 30 Elgin at Colton, 7 p.m.

Genesee at Wallace, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5 Ferris vs. North Central at Albi, 7 p.m.

Oct. 6 Shadle Park vs. Lewis and Clark at Albi, 5 p.m.

Clark Fork at Deary, 6 p.m.

Mt. Spokane vs. Mead at Albi, 7:30 p.m.

Gonzaga Prep at Central Valley, 7 p.m.

Rogers at University, 7 p.m.

Clarkston at Cheney, 7 p.m.

West Valley at Pullman, 7 p.m.

Lakeside (WA) at Chewelah, 7 p.m.

Colville at Medical Lake, 7 p.m.

Deer Park at Freeman, 7 p.m.

Riverside at Newport, 7 p.m.

Northwest Christian at Reardan, 7 p.m.

Liberty at Colfax, 7 p.m.

Asotin at Kettle Falls, 7 p.m.

Davenport at Lind-Ritzville/Sprague, 7 p.m.

Springdale at Wilbur-Creston, 7 p.m.

Almira/Coulee-Hartline at Entiat, 7 p.m.

Pateros at Odessa, 7 p.m.

Wellpinit at Tekoa-Rosalia, 7 p.m.

Inchelium at Yakama Tribal, 7 p.m.

Northport at Columbia, 7 p.m.

Curlew at Republic, 7 p.m.

Cusick at Selkirk, 7 p.m.

Colton at St. John-Endicott, 7 p.m.

Pomeroy at Clearwater Valley, 7 p.m.

Touchet at Sunnyside Christian, 7 p.m.

Lake City at Post Falls, 7 p.m.

Wallace at Lakeside (ID), 7 p.m.

Lewiston at Coeur d’Alene, 7 p.m.

Eastmont at Sandpoint, 7 p.m.

Bonners Ferry at Priest River, 7 p.m.

Kellogg at Timberlake, 7 p.m.

Kootenai at Kendrick, 7 p.m.

Moscow at Lakeland, 7 p.m.

Grangeville at St. Maries, 7 p.m.

Oct. 12 Mt. Spokane vs. Rogers at Albi, 4:45 p.m.

Shadle Park vs. North Central at Albi, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 13 Northport at Inchelium, 3 Mullan at Lewis County, 3:30 p.m.

Central Valley vs. Mead at Albi, 5 p.m.

Kendrick at Clark Fork, 6 p.m.

University at Gonzaga Prep, 7 p.m.

Lewis and Clark vs. Ferris at Albi, 7:30 p.m.

Cheney at West Valley, 7 p.m.

East Valley at Clarkston, 7 p.m.

West Valley (Yakima) at Pullman, 7 p.m.

Newport at Lakeside (WA), 7 p.m.

Medical Lake at Deer Park, 7 p.m.

Freeman at Colville, 7 p.m.

Chewelah at Riverside, 7 p.m.

Liberty at Northwest Christian, 7 p.m.

Reardan at Asotin, 7 p.m.

Colfax at Davenport, 7 p.m.

Wilbur-Creston at Kettle Falls, 7 p.m.

Lind-Ritzville/Spargue at Springdale, 7 p.m.

Almira/Coulee-Hartline at Wellpinit, 7 p.m.

late.

Making matters difficult, though, is four of Kootenai’s players are freshmen.

“I hope we can make it through the season. It’s a thin margin,” Napierala said.

Kootenai is led by quarterback/ linebacker Gage Maitland and tight end/defensive end Triston Usdrowski.

“We have some talent and ability,” Napierala said. “It’s going to boil down to line play. We don’t have the bubbas like we’ve had. We have a bunch of little guys.”

Mullan Mullan returns to the league after having to drop out last fall because it lacked players.

The Tigers managed to play six six-man games last year.

Mullan has no room for injury with eight players. Three retur-

Odessa at Entiat, 7 p.m.

Republic at Pateros, 7 p.m.

Yakama Tribal at Tekoa-Rosalia, 7 p.m.

Columbia at Cusick, 7 p.m.

Selkirk at Curlew, 7 p.m.

Sunnyside Christian at Colton, 7 p.m.

St. John-Endicott at Garfield-Palouse, 7 p.m.

Pomeroy at Touchet, 7 p.m.

Coeur d’Alene at Lake City, 7 p.m.

Post Falls at Lewiston, 7 p.m.

Lakeland at Sandpoint, 7 p.m.

Lakeside (ID) at Timberline, 7 p.m.

Timberlake at Bonners Ferry, 7 p.m.

Priest River at Kellogg, 7 p.m.

Deary at Kootenai, 7 p.m.

Oct. 14 Prairie (ID) at Wallace, 2 p.m.

Oct. 19 Lewis and Clark vs. Mead at Albi, 7 p.m.

Oct. 20 Selkirk at Inchelium, 3 Timberline at Mullan, 3 p.m.

North Central vs. Mt. Spokane at Albi, 5 p.m.

Lewis County vs. Clark Fork, 6 p.m.

Ferris at Gonzaga Prep, 7 p.m.

University at Central Valley, 7 p.m.

Shadle Park vs. Rogers at Albi, 7:30 p.m.

East Valley at Pullman, 7 p.m.

Clarkston at West Valley, 7 p.m.

Colville at Lakeside (WA), 7 p.m.

Medical Lake at Chewelah, 7 p.m.

Freeman at Newport, 7 p.m.

Deer Park at Riverside, 7 p.m.

Northwest Christian at Asotin, 7 p.m.

Davenport at Liberty, 7 p.m.

Reardan at Wilbur-Creston, 7 p.m.

Colfax at Springdale, 7 p.m.

Kettle Falls at Lind-Ritzville/Sprague, 7 p.m.

Tekoa-Rosalia at Almira/Coulee-Hartline, 7 Entiat at Columbia, 7 p.m.

Odessa at Yakama Tribal, 7 p.m.

Wellpinit at Pateros, 7 p.m.

Curlew at Cusick, 7 p.m.

Republic at Northport, 7 p.m.

Colton at Pomeroy, 7 p.m.

Touchet at Garfield-Palouse, 7 p.m.

Sunnyside Christian at St. John-Endicott, 7 p.m.

Lewiston at Lake City, 7 p.m.

Wallace at Lapwai, 7 p.m.

Sandpoint at Moscow, 7 p.m.

Lakeside (ID) at Deary, 7 p.m.

Post Falls at Coeur d’Alene, 7 p.m.

Kellogg at Bonners Ferry, 7 p.m.

Priest River at Timberlake, 7 p.m.

St. Maries at Orofino, 7 p.m.

Oct. 26 Mt. Spokane vs. Shadle Park at Albi, 4:45 p.m.

Rogers vs. North Central at Albi, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 27 Clark Fork at Mullan, 3 p.m.

Lakeside (ID) at Lewis County, 3:30 p.m.

Wallace at Troy (ID), 6 p.m.

Central Valley vs. Lewis and Clark at Albi, 6 p.m.

Mead at Gonzaga Prep, 7 p.m.

Ferris at University, 7 p.m.

Lakeside (WA) at Medical Lake, 7 p.m.

Riverside at Freeman, 7 p.m.

Colville at Chewelah, 7 p.m.

Newport at Deer Park, 7 p.m.

Davenport at Northwest Christian, 7 p.m.

Asotin at Wilbur-Creston, 7 p.m.

Springdale at Liberty, 7 p.m.

Lind-Ritzville/Sprague at Reardan, 7 p.m.

Kettle Falls at Colfax, 7 p.m.

Almira/Coulee-Hartline at Odessa, 7 p.m.

Entiat at Pateros, 7 p.m.

Cusick at Tekoa-Rosalia, 7 p.m.

Yakama Tribal at Wellpinit, 7 p.m.

Columbia at Curlew, 7 p.m.

Inchelium at Republic, 7 p.m.

Selkirk at Northport, 7 p.m.

Garfield-Palouse at Colton, 7 p.m.

Pomeroy at Sunnyside Christian, 7 p.m.

St. John-Endicott at Touchet, 7 p.m.

Nov. 2 Colton at Touchet, 7 p.m.

Sunnyside Christian at Garfield-Palouse, 7 p.m.

Pomeroy at St. John-Endicott. 7 p.m.

Wallace takes aim at playoff spot WHITE PINE

By Greg Lee THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Jared Young has learned a few things about the White Pine League and his team. He’s beginning his third year as Wallace’s head football coach, and the Miners are in the 1A Division I White Pine League for a second year. The Miners finished fourth last year, a spot out of the state playoffs. “We weren’t playoff ready,” Young said.

It could be a different story this 1,000 yards. But Wallace’s passing fall. Genesee is heavily favored to game struggled. capture the league championship So Young decided to move reand Prairie and Lapwai will be turning quarterback Zayne Hunter near the top. Young believes the to a hybrid fullback/tight end posMiners are contenders for a ition. Junior Erik Brackebusch will playoff berth. start at QB. “I see us fighting for second or “We were limited throwing the third,” Young said. “If we can ball last year,” Young said. move the ball like I think we can, “(Brackebusch) has a better arm. we’ll be fine. We have speed.”

This makes the team better and a For that to happen, the Miners little more balanced.” must be less one-dimensional.

Last year, the Miners relied heaCONTACT THE WRITER: vily on senior running back Jaden (509) 844-8168 Dimitroff, who gained more than gregl@spokesman.com

ners chose not to play, coach Stetson Spooner said.

“We have to limit the hitting in practice to avoid injuries,” Spooner said. “We’ll have to do a lot of individual drills, hitting pads and hitting dummies.”

Mullan is led by quarterback Gryphon Todd and running back/ linebacker Sheldon Trogden, both seniors.

Spooner is especially high on sophomore Skye Galloway, a fullback/linebacker. Spooner said he hasn’t seen an athlete like Galloway in all his years coaching.

Mullan will find out immediately how it stacks up against the best in the league. The Tigers open Friday at home against favorite Deary.

CONTACT THE WRITER:

(509) 844-8168 gregl@spokesman.com

CENTRAL IDAHO

For St. Maries, new faces, same expectations

By Greg Lee THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

The St. Maries football team had a special group of seniors last year.

Coach Craig Teft had 17 seniors, 15 who were starters and at the core of the Lumberjacks’ 12-0 journey to a State 2A championship.

If St. Maries had been a 3A team, it would have been the undefeated Intermountain League champion.

“We were fortunate last year. We didn’t have a single injury,” Teft said. “That is rare.”

The impact of winning the state title and losing so many athletes to graduation didn’t hit Teft until summer camp.

“I’m looking around and we have all these new kids,” Teft said. “I was just used to having all those seniors for so long.”

Losing 17 players at a school St. Maries’ size could be difficult to overcome. While stopping well short of predicting a similar season from a year ago, Teft isn’t overly concerned.

So if it sounds as if Teft is talking out of both sides of his mouth, he’s not. “It doesn’t feel like we’re starting over,” he said.

That’s because Teft made it a point to play as many as possible last year. In the title game alone, 28 of the 32 players who suited up saw significant minutes.

All three Central Idaho League teams make the state playoffs. The other two teams, Grangeville and Orofino, will challenge St. Maries.

Teft said his team’s toughest game last year was an 8-0 win at Grangeville that decided the league title.

“Grangeville is going to be tougher than nails,” Teft said.

Two years ago, St. Maries’ junior varsity team went 7-1. Last year it went 8-0.

So Teft is optimistic there won’t be a significant drop off.

“There are some question marks, but there’s a lot of excitement,” Teft said.

CONTACT THE WRITER:

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IEL 5A

1. Coeur d’Alene 2. Post Falls 3. Lake City 4. Lewiston IEL 4A

1. Sandpoint 2. Lakeland 3. Moscow

Youth movement won’t slow down Timberlake INTERMOUNTAIN

INTERMOUNTAIN

1. Timberlake 2. Kellogg 3. Bonners Ferry 4. Priest River CENTRAL IDAHO

1. St. Maries 2. Grangeville 3. Orofino WHITE STAR

1. Deary 2. Kendrick 3. Clark Fork 4. Lakeside 5. Lewis County 6. Timberline 7. Mullan 8. Kootenai WHITE PINE

1. Genesee 2. Lapwai 3. Wallace 4. Kamiah 5. Troy 6. Prairie 7. Clearwater Valley 8. Potlatch

By Greg Lee THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

The Timberlake football team may field its youngest team ever under coach Roy Albertson.

Come the second half of the season, though, it may not matter. The Tigers have a big upside.

Albertson knows his team will suffer growing pains early, especially against a strong nonleague schedule.

With a thin senior class, Timberlake has committed to go with youth and will start 21 different players.

Even with the youth movement, Timberlake is expected to stay atop the Intermountain League, which the Tigers have owned for more than a decade.

Kellogg returns the most experience among the four league teams and should challenge for one of two state playoff berths.

scored IML opponents 1,092-244.

Many thought the Tigers would be dethroned last year. And after going 0-6 through their nonleague schedule they appeared vulnerable.

But they rebounded to earn the league title. They’re banking on another difficult nonleague schedule and the maturation of youth to pay dividends in October.

“We believe we’ll be a good team before it is all said and done,” Albertson said. “It is possible it will be a rocky road getting there, but we are going to enjoy the ride early on.”

Timberlake will feature a backfield of mostly sophomores including quarterback Joey Follini. Timberlake’s lone returning senior starters are Griffen Foote, a tight end/defensive lineman, and Riese Peightal, an offensive and defensive lineman.

“We should be pretty fresh in the second half of games,” Albertson said.

“With the schools our size, this could be a big advantage.”

Timberlake

Kellogg

Timberlake has captured 14 straight outright or shared league titles. In the last seven years, the Tigers have out-

Dan Lucier had been living for six months in a new house he had built in Pullman, where he was the Grey-

hounds’ head coach for five years.

Weiser to overtime before falling.

Then a friend called. It was the KelBrad Martin takes over as coach. logg superintendent. He wanted to Priest River returns four starters, and know if Lucier knew of any young Martin said the Spartans had a low turncoaches he could consider for Kellogg’s out and lack depth. coaching vacancy.

Top returners are junior receiver After Lucier thought about it, he told Robbie Anselmo, senior lineman Derhis friend he was interested. It was a rick Melton and senior running back short job search and Lucier resigned at Caleb Blancher.

Pullman in mid-June.

“The team is working hard and comThe move gets Lucier, 58, closer to mitted,” Martin said. “I’m very proud of Superior, Montana, where he coached the effort and look forward to opportunfor 32 years and still owns a home. ities this season.”

Lucier takes over a program that has struggled in recent years.

Bonners Ferry “I’m looking forward to the chalThe Badgers graduated talented lenge,” Lucier said. quarterback Kaleb Stockton and runHe’s implemented the wishbone to ning back Nick Sabin. They have several take advantage of his players’ strengths. holes to fill off a team that finished Kellogg lacks numbers.

1-8.Bonners Ferry coach Cory Kramer Senior basketball standout Chase Je- says the Badgers’ strength will be their rome will start at quarterback. offensive and defensive lines.Just before “I like the enthusiasm and the hunger jumping into league play, the Badgers to be successful,” Lucier said. “We give have back-to-back games against Pullgreat effort in practice and are becoming man and defending State 2A champ St. atight-knit unit. They will compete very Maries. The games should reveal where well.” the Badgers stand going into league.

Priest River

CONTACT THE WRITER:

The Spartans earned the league’s second playoff berth last year, taking

(509) 844-8168 gregl@spokesman.com

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AUGUST 31, 2017

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HIGH SCHOOLS

Gonzaga Prep senior wide receiver Devin Culp, who has committed to play for University of Washington, is excited to start this year’s GSL football season.

COLIN MULVANY

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AUGUST 31, 2017

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Sandpoint aims for 4A IEL title behind talented offense IEL 4A

which includes a mix of chuck-it pistol with churn-it-out power.

With 4A All-Inland Empire League quarterback Robbie Johnson manning an offense that returns seven starters, Yarno thinks his team is capable of exceeding last year’s 4-6 mark.

“We return some special players,” said Yarno, who finished his playing career at Idaho State in 2007. “(Johnson) had one of the better seasons a QB has had at Sandpoint.

He can take over a game.”

In a three-team league that includes defending champion Lakeland and Moscow – Yarno’s alma mater – it all comes down to the last three weeks of the regular season.

Lakeland was hit the hardest by

By Ryan Collingwood THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Second-year Sandpoint head coach George Yarno Jr. has been molded by first-rate football minds.

His late father, George Yarno Sr., anchored the offensive line at Washington State before a lengthy NFL career. His first college coach, then University of Nevada head man Chris Ault, invented the pistol offense. As an assistant coach at Idaho 5A power Highland, he worked under Gino Mariani, one of the best prep football coaches in the state.

Now the 32-year-old Yarno has implemented his own system,

graduation but still returns 10 starters, including the league’s offensive player of the year in running back Wyatt Gatten.

“We have a great core of guys with a lot of returning players,” 16th-year Lakeland head coach Tim Kiefer said. “If we stay healthy we will be tough.”

Moscow, which has won just 10 games since 2011, welcomes back the bulk of its talent from a 2-6 campaign.

Phil Helbling, heading into his sixth season as head coach, believes his program can challenge for the crown.

“We return a lot of key players from last season,” Helbling remarked. “We have more depth in the skill positions than we’ve had in

years past.”

Sandpoint

quarterback Logan Siegford. Up front, All-IEL talents Jack Peed and Luke Gardner will look to give Gatten and Siegford room to work. Lakeland, which gave up just 18 points a game last season, could boast as stingy a defense this fall with the return safety Ryan Brandt, linebacker Bradley Allen and defensive Nathanael Dansereau, All-IEL picks.

The return of Johnson, three of his favorite receivers and three starting offensive linemen, means moving the chains won’t be an issue.

But Sandpoint, two years removed from an appearance in the State 4A title game, returns just three starters on defense. Fortunately for the Moscow Bulldogs, two of those returners are Two-way All-IEL offensive and All-IEL linebacker Payton Cox and All-IEL defensive lineman Hayden defensive linemen Tanner Newton and Adam Wallace anchor a team Emerson. that returns a horde of experienced skill players. Quarterback Peyton Lakeland Wyatt Gatten, who rushed for Broenneke leads an offense looking over 700 yards last season, will be a to improve from its lowly average of key component, but the Hawks will 17 points a game in 2017. The Bears be looking to air it out more with haven’t won a road game since 2012.

Follow the leader Vikings the favorite, rest of the league still up for grabs IEL 5A

By Jim Meehan THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Coeur d’Alene is the clear-cut favorite in the 5A Inland Empire League. After that, it’s anybody’s guess.

The Vikings, knocked off by Lewiston last season, appear poised to be return to the top spot. Coeur d’Alene – ranked No. 1 in the state preseason poll – is loaded, but it could be without starting quarterback Colson Yankoff (knee) for a couple of games.

Post Falls, Lake City and Lewiston can all make a case for the second spot and a state playoff berth.

“Coeur d’Alene is kind of head and shoulders above everybody,” new Lewiston coach Matt Pancheri said. “I think we can compete for that second spot. I’d like to think we can go compete with Coeur d’Alene. The Yankoff kid is awfully special, a once-in-a-longtime kid, and that’s not the only kid they’ve got.”

Second-year Post Falls coach Blaine Bennett learned in his first tour that the IEL is offensive minded.

“Most of the coaches last year were offensive coaches so they put their best athletes on offense,” Bennett said. “It’s almost like the Big Sky 20, 25 years ago, trying to outscore everybody. The ball is in the air a lot and there are a lot of points on the board.”

Coeur d’Alene Coeur d’Alene has another impressive collection of talent and another arduous non-conference schedule, including Washington 4A champion Camas and California’s Capital Christian (54-9 since 2012).

“The funny thing is my coaches kind of give me a hard time,” said coach Shawn Amos, who led CdA to state titles in 2010, 2011 and 2013. “We’re very unlikely to go undefeated with the schedules we put together, which is fine.

When we get to the state playoffs, we try to give ourselves a shot.”

As in past years, the Vikings have a number of standouts who will see time

Compiled by Jim Meehan THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

KATHY PLONKA/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Post Falls High School running back Braden Vaughan listens to instruction during practice at the school on Aug. 22. on both sides of the ball. All-IEL selections Cole Ramseyer (WR/DE), Caleb Beggerly (RB/LB), Kyler Prendergast (WR/DB) and Sam Matheson (WR/DB) return. Others to watch: Noah Gunn (OL/DL), Gabe Zanetti (OL/DL) and linebackers Noah Throm and Ross Chadderton.

“Our depth, except on the offensive line, is pretty dang good,” Amos said, “and we’ll play them all.”

Post Falls Post Falls returns quarterback Nate Buer and running backs Braden Vaughan and Quin Bennett from last year’s 6-3 squad.

“Having those three guys, all seniors, that’s a good thing,” said coach Blaine Bennett, no relation to Quin. “We’re trying to do some uptempo stuff and you rely on the decisions of the quarterback.

He’s certainly smart enough to take that leadership role.”

The defense is solid in the back seven

with senior linebackers Coleton Kazmierczak and Gage Ficklin, and defensive backs Junior Williams, Casey Walker, Taylor Ryan, Brock Zeller and Allen Ballew. Several of those players will see time on offense, too.

Lake City Grant Clark and Zane Lettau provide a strong running back tandem. Clark shared IEL newcomer of the year honors with Post Falls’ Nate Buer. Senior Bryce Buttz takes over at quarterback.

The Timberwolves went 3-6 in coach Bryce Erickson’s first season, but they’re optimistic about moving up the IEL standings.

Erickson expects improvement in year two because “the team understands the system and expectations. We should be a more physical and disciplined team.”

Erickson called the defensive front seven “solid” and the unit’s speed has improved. LC needs to stay healthy with limited depth.

Lewiston First-year head coach Matt Pancheri isn’t the only new face in Lewiston. The Bengals lost a whopping 21 starters from last year’s 9-2 season that ended in the state quarterfinals.

“We don’t have a lot of seniors this season and our depth isn’t fantastic, but our junior class is awfully good,” Pancheri said.

The core include Nicholas Blume (DE/OT), Treyce Bradley (WR/DB), Troy Hanes (DB/RB), Connor Spencer (WR/DB) and Donaven Santana, who will see time at running back, safety and backup quarterback.

Junior Tyson Wallace steps in at quarterback for Colton Richardson, who is now at Idaho.

“We’ll still spray the ball around a little bit, but not as much as last year,” Pancheri said. “I think we’re pretty competitive with our front-line group (on defense) but if anybody gets hurt we’re going to feel it.”

1) Mark Rypien

2) Brett Rypien

3) Bill Etter

4) William ‘Bud’ Roffler

5) Chad Chalich

Shadle Park (1978-80) All-State in football, basketball and baseball, he led the Highlanders to two Greater Spokane League football titles and earned Parade Magazine All-American honors.

Finished prep career with 6,460 passing yards and 56 touchdowns. Was All-Pac-10 at Washington State and earned two Super Bowl rings, including his MVP performance in Super Bowl XXVI.

Shadle Park (2011-14) Mark Rypien’s nephew, he put up staggering numbers at the helm of the Highlanders. Finished with 13,044 yards, eclipsing the state record held by Max Browne, who went on to USC and is now at Pitt. Rypien also broke Browne’s record for completions with 1,006.

Shadle Park reached the state semifinals in Rypien’s junior year and quarterfinals in his senior season.

Lewis and Clark (1965-67) Earned All-American honors while leading the 1967 Tigers to a city championship and the top spot in state poll. LC had one of the most dominating seasons ever by a Spokane school, outscoring opponents 326-48. Etter passed for 1,256 yards and ran for 720 as a senior. He went on to play at Notre Dame, joined

by Tigers teammate Bob Minnix, and in the CFL

Lewis and Clark (1945-47) Roffler, a remarkable multi-sport athlete, guided the Tigers to city titles as a junior and senior. The dual-threat QB led the league in rushing both seasons and finished his career with 1,334 on the ground. He also helped LC win city championships in baseball and basketball.

Roffler played football, basketball and baseball at WSU before playing defensive back for Philadelphia in the NFL.

Coeur d’Alene (2009-11) Directed the Vikings to back-to-back state titles, capped by a 12-0 mark in 2011. Passed for 3,641 yards and 42 TDs as a senior.

Chalich broke a bone in his foot in the 2011 state semifinals but stayed in the game. A week later he had the cast removed, passed for 410 yards to lead the Vikings past Eagle 49-28 in the title game. He played two seasons at Idaho and two at Montana.

Honorable mention: Connor Halliday, Ferris (2008-09); Ron Hawkins, Gonzaga Prep (1985-86); Ryne Sandberg, North Central (1975-77); Denny Spurlock, North Central (1955-57); Mike Pfeifer, Ferris (1985-87); Colson Yankoff, Coeur d'Alene (2015-17); Joel Clark, Mt. Spokane (2000-02); John Friesz, Coeur d'Alene (1983-84); Jim Dorr, Rogers (1977); Scott Wellman, Coeur d’Alene (1981-83); Terry Campbell, Rogers (1947-50); Rick Sloan, Central Valley (1979-80); Duane Halliday, Coeur d'Alene (1984-85).

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

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INLAND EMPIRE LEAGUE

COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Coeur d’Alene head coach Shawn Amos says quarterback Colson Yankoff ‘is the guy (for the Vikings), but you wouldn’t know he’s the guy.’

Complete package CdA’s Yankoff has size, speed, talent to go far, but humility may be his biggest asset

By Jim Meehan THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

He stands 6-feet-4, weighs 210 pounds, runs a 4.6-second 40, vertical jumps 39 inches and ranks seventh, according to ESPN.com, among Class of 2018 prep quarterbacks.

Coeur d’Alene High senior Colson Yankoff is the complete package on the football field, and he just might be more impressive away from it.

He carries a 4.3 weighted grade-point average and answers a reporter’s questions with an occasional “yes sir.”

Vikings coach Shawn Amos says the best thing he can say about Yankoff is that there’s nothing bad to say.

“He’s the guy,” Amos said, “but he doesn’t act like the guy.”

Those types of compliments seem to mean more to the 2016 Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year than a stack of recruiting letters.

Yankoff has no idea where he ranks on Coeur d’Alene’s all-time lists. He can tell you his goal this season, and it has

nothing to do with his stats.

“We think we have a chance to do something special,” said Yankoff, who could miss the first few games as he recovers from meniscus surgery in May. “Obviously a state championship is the goal.”

His first recruiting letter arrived when Yankoff was in eighth grade. It was a form letter and contained nothing particularly special or memorable.

Except to the recipient.

“For me, it was, ‘Oh my gosh, this might actually be possible,’ ” Yankoff said.

Numerous other schools quickly joined the pursuit, wowed by his measurables, game tape and smarts. He had nine scholarship offers from coast to coast when he committed to Oregon the summer following his sophomore season.

Yankoff de-committed when the Ducks fired coach Mark Helfrich.

Schools swarmed around Yankoff like blitzing linebackers, but Washington’s pitch was the most convincing.

Yankoff, No. 89 in ESPN’s Top 300, committed to the Huskies in March. He will join No. 30 Jacob Sirmon, a quarterback at Bothell (Wash.) High, at Washington.

“I figured I’m going to have to compete whether it’s (against) a younger kid, older kid or the same age as me,” said Yankoff, who will enroll at UW in January.

Yankoff has successfully juggled three sports and school work. He credits his father, Trevor, who played quarterback at Brown University, for managing the recruiting aspect so he could concentrate on athletics and academics.

Yankoff played varsity basketball last year and long-jumped in track. The latter is where his knee injury occurred.

His summers are busy with elite camps and he said the “coolest thing” was meeting former NFL coach Jon Gruden.

He can’t remember his last ‘B’, but suspects it was in Advanced Placement (AP) calculus in his sophomore year.

“It’s tough at times, especially when you’re practicing until dark and you have to go home and do four hours of homework,” Yankoff said. “I’ve had some late nights and some really early

mornings.”

Yankoff probably saves hours by largely avoiding social media. He has a Twitter account, mainly because schools use social media for recruiting, but rarely posts. He isn’t on Facebook.

Amos has had a string of standout quarterbacks, including Chad Chalich, Amos’ son Gunnar and Austin Lee. Chalich played at Idaho and Montana.

Gunnar recently transferred from Idaho to Idaho State.

“Gunnar and Chad could do all the same things as Colson, it’s just that Colson elevates that with his talent level,” Coach Amos said. “His physical skill set is off the charts.”

Yankoff is humble, occasionally forgetful and a little bit goofy, Amos said. “I tell him, ‘You’re like a 6-4 version of my son.’ ” Yankoff doesn’t disagree, mildly protesting, “I just have football on the brain, sometimes I don’t remember the little things.”

Yankoff can’t wait to get back on the field. He should be ready for most of Vikings’ biggest games, including their three IEL contests. Asked for his favorite moment on the field, Yankoff sounds eager to make up for lost time.

“Maybe,” he said, “it’s yet to come.”

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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Garfield-Palouse hopes to give Sunnyside Christian run for its money When Liberty Christian left the league in 2016, Sunnyside Christian ran the table before advancing to the state semifinals.

With six starters back on both sides of the ball, Garfield-Palouse coach Willy Woltering believes the Vikings are capable of dethroning the private school.

“This is the year we might be able to (win the league title),” said

SOUTHEAST 1B

By Ryan Collingwood THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Garfield-Palouse has had the horses to push for a Southeast 1B title recently, but 8-man powers Liberty Christian and Sunnyside Christian had the faster steeds.

Woltering, whose team blew a 16point fourth-quarter lead against Sunnyside Christian last season.

“But like most small schools, we’re an injury away from being mediocre.”

Sunnyside Christian, which won a state basketball title in March, is still the prohibitive favorite and boasts one of the most dangerous weapons in the league

Colton, which tied for second in Southeast 1B play with Pomeroy, and Touchet graduated its most proven commodities. St. John-Endicott looks to break into the win column after a winless campaign.

The league took a hit when Pomeroy, a playoff team last season, opted to play a JV schedule due to a lack of numbers.

in do-everything Chance Marsh.

But Garfield-Palouse returns Evan Weagraff, a run-first quarterback and All-Southeast 1B selection who rushed for 1,800 yards last year.

He’ll share a backfield with Travis Knauff, an all-conference linebacker.

“He’s a tough cookie,” Woltering said of Knauff.

COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Mt. Spokane Wildcats offensive lineman Risone Ama should be a force at the line of scrimmage this season.

Wildcats loaded as usual Perennial league powerhouse Mt. Spokane will have to fend off Shadle Park for 3A title GSL 3A

By Greg Lee THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Ever since the 3A classification came into existence, Mt. Spokane has been at the top or near the top in Greater Spokane League football.

Expect more of the same this fall.

Could this be the year Mt. Spokane makes its deepest run in the state playoffs? There’s no reason why it can’t happen.

The top two teams advance to play for state playoff berths against Mid-Columbia Conference teams.

While Mt. Spokane will be at the head of the class, not far behind should be Shadle Park.

Mt. Spokane The Wildcats return 14 starters.

They may not have the proven weapons that eventual state champion Kamiakin had last year, but they have more than enough serviceable athletes.

Mt. Spokane’s chances begin up front with six returning offensive linemen

who started at one point or another because of injuries last year. Leading the way is senior Risone Ama, a returning first-team all-league pick last year.

“We have the biggest lines that we’ve ever had at Mt. Spokane,” coach Terry Cloer said.

That makes Mt. Spokane dangerous.

The ability to run from all angles with their multi-faceted offense will make the Wildcats difficult to defend.

The depth Mt. Spokane features this season was born out of necessity a year ago.

The Wildcats struggled through an injury-plagued season, and that has prepared them for this fall.

“We’re resilient,” Cloer said.

And they’re tight-knit.

“We’re closer this year,” Ama said.

Mt. Spokane has a difficult nonleague schedule that will make it battle tested come league play.

The Wildcats open with a trip to the Tacoma area to meet Peninsula, which advanced to the state quarterfinals last year.

“We need to come together off the field as much as on it,” Cloer said of the road trips. “It’ll pay off in November.”

They’ll follow that up with a trip to Sandpoint, which will be opening its new stadium.

Before beginning league, Mt. Spokane faces heavy 4A favorite Gonzaga Prep and faces off with Mead in the annual Battle for the Bell rivalry showdown.

“We have all the experience we need,” Cloer said.

“If we can stay healthy, we have an opportunity to get into the state playoffs and make a run.”

Shadle Park The Highlanders return 14 starters.

Their two most productive skill players are senior running back Xavier Wicks and junior quarterback Carson Doyle. Wicks will most likely break the school career rushing record.

Both were first team all-league picks last fall.

Together they pose a nice 1-2 punch on offense. On defense, the Highlanders bring back their front six.

“We expect to challenge for the 3A title,” Shadle Park coach Jim Mace said.

Shadle Park has strengthened its schedule. The Highlanders have added nonleague crossover games with G-Prep and Mead.

The benefit is being ready for a showdown with Mt. Spokane.

Mace said his team’s strength should be offense and in the defensive line.

North Central Whether the Indians can challenge for a postseason berth depends on if they have enough offensive weapons and can stop the offenses of Mt. Spokane and Shadle.

One thing is for sure – coach Tom Griggs appreciates the commitment of his players, and it started in the weight room.

He hopes the improved strength pays off on the offensive line where NC returns four starters.

“Being an offensive lineman myself, I like to run the football,” Griggs said.

Rogers The Pirates had a dropoff last year after making the state playoffs for the first time the year before.

Coach Ben Cochran must fill many spots lost to graduation. He likes what he’s seen so far.

The offense will feature a pair of talented skill players – receiver Daunte DeMarce and running back Tre Phillips, both juniors.

Senior Andrew Radford, a first-team all-league pick last year at linebacker, will anchor the defense and start on the offensive line.

CONTACT THE WRITER:

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Asotin appears to be cream of competitive crop NORTHEAST 2B

By Ryan Collingwood THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Northeast 2B may not have produced a state football champion last fall, but its depth was evident.

Liberty, Asotin and Northwest Christian – three teams that shared the league crown – all won playoff games, the Lancers and Panthers reaching the title game and semifinals, respectively.

The favorite to repeat, Asotin isn’t interested in sharing the crown this season.

The Panthers return seven starters on both sides of the ball including all-state running back and linebacker Colton Ball.

“The expectation is pretty high,” Asotin coach Jim Holman said. “We return a lot of players with a lot of experience.”

Most of Northwest Christian’s skill positions and offensive line were depleted by graduation, but it returns the league’s most electric player in junior running back Silas Perreiah, who accounted for 2,254 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns in 2016.

“We’re young and inexperienced. We’re thin,” Northwest Christian coach Jim Nendel said.

“We’ll need to avoid injuries.”

Liberty lost the bulk of its skill players but will boast an experienced and sizable offensive front.

“It all depends on how the new guys develop,” Liberty coach Mike Dewey said. “The talent is

there. We just have to see how it all comes together.”

Asotin Its second year in the league, Asotin has already asserted itself.

But it must replace quarterback Blake Magnuson and its top two receivers and running backs. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Ball rushed for 600 yards and 13 touchdowns last year.

Matt Heier, an all-league selection last year, will anchor Asotin’s line.

Liberty Alec Fletcher takes over at quarterback for Liberty, which is thin on experienced skill players.

The Lancers return four starters on offense and defense.

Northwest Christian Nendel said Perreiah (6-0, 205), has added 20 pounds of muscle since last season and has generated Division I interest.

Even if the Crusaders can’t develop balance, Perreiah will have a hand in most of the plays.

Colfax Bulldogs coach Mike Morgan said his team has improved defensively from a year ago, a unit led by all-league linebacker Dane Hall.

Offensively, Colfx returns a group of skill players including quarterback Brett Kincaid and running back Brett Ahmann.

Wilbur-Creston After playing mostly freshmen

and sophomores during a 1-8 season, sixth-year coach Dari Reppe returns 10 starters. Reppe reports an offensive line averaging 228 pounds.

Lind-Ritzville/Sprague The sophomore-heavy Broncos welcome back 13 starters, including standout running back Mason Brausen, who missed the 2016 season due to injury.

Around the League Quarterback Tyler Sprechel is back for Reardan after earning all-league distinction as a freshman.

Davenport returns the bulk of its young roster including quarterback Jaden Flett and running back Justin Regan.

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Gonzaga Prep defensive back Sam Lockett is a three-year starter and played on the Bullpups’ 2015 State 4A championship team.

No surprise: Bullpups G-Prep should continue title run, but Mead, CV in playoff hunt GSL 4A

By Greg Lee THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Dave McKenna stops short of gushing when he talks about the summer his Gonzaga Prep football team had.

Do his Bulldogs have the makings of the team that went 14-0 and captured the State 4A championship two years ago?

Time will tell. The Bullpups are favored to capture a Greater Spokane League championship for a fourth straight year. They’ve won four of the last five.

By any measure, that’s a dominant stretch.

“It takes practice and it’s going to start in practice,” McKenna said succinctly. “We expect to be at the top. They’ve done a great job this summer. But it’s the grind and they have to do it every day in practice.”

Three teams advance to games against Mid-Columbia Conference teams to decide state playoff berths.

wide receiver. In G-Prep’s scheme, he’ll get several opportunities to run the ball as well.

Anchoring the offensive line will be right guard John Perko, a returning first-team all-league selection.

Perko is solidly built and will open holes. He’ll be the leader in the trenches.

Just who will be commanding the offense at quarterback is a question mark. A handful of athletes have shown McKenna they’re capable, but for a second straight year he’s thinking of taking an athlete proven at another position.

Last year, McKenna moved receiver Ryan Gross to quarterback and that worked out well. The leading candidate this season is junior Connor Halonen, who had a breakout season at running back last year.

“He ran with the (starting unit) this summer,” McKenna said. “We have a couple other guys I’d feel very comfortable with in a game.”

McKenna says the league race is wide open.

“I think the league will be very balanced,” McKenna said.

Gonzaga Prep

Mead

Few teams in the GSL will have the breadth of weapons G-Prep will put on the field.

The Bullpups have direct ties to the title team with three-year starters Sam Lockett and Devin Culp.

Culp was the all-purpose player of the year last season and Lockett was a first-team pick at defensive back.

Lockett will continue to roam the secondary where he loves to apply bone-rattling hits similar to the Seahawks’ Kam Chancellor. Lockett will also see time on offense.

Culp, who has given Washington an oral commitment after decommitting from Oregon, will be a threat again at

The Panthers are expected to return to the state playoffs for the first time since 2012.

Mead featured a prolific offense last year, and the Panthers could be as productive again. They return senior wide receivers Joseph Heitman and Lucas Bacon, both of whom were first-team all-league picks last year.

Mead also returns its entire offensive line, led by first-team all-league selection Orom Opiew, a senior.

The question Mead must solve is on defense. It ranked last among the 4A schools last year.

Mead took third last year, a spot out

of a postseason berth.

“We are curious to find out how good we can be,” third-year coach Benji Sonnichsen said. “We want to be better than we were in 2016. We are eager for a playoff run.”

Central Valley The Bears will challenge for a top-three finish. But they have some holes to fill.

Even though CV has more numbers than any other GSL school, coach Ryan Butner said depth is an issue at some positions.

Senior Jase Edwards, a three-year starter at wide receiver and defensive back, is the Bears’ top returner. He was a first team all-league team on defense last year.

Senior Grant Hannan and sophomore Matt Gabbert are in a tug-of-war at quarterback. Butner said he plans to play both until one separates from the other.

“I like the potential of what our offense can do if we get on the same page early,” Butner said. “And I’m looking forward to an active and vocal defense that can play with any type of offense.”

Lewis and Clark The Tigers could be a team that pounces on an opportunity if one of the favorites stumbles.

They return nine starters. They’re led by seniors Josh Via, a returning starter at linebacker, and Ryan Meyer, a returning starter at receiver.

“Our front seven on defense will be very solid and our receivers will be a team strength,” coach Dave Hughes said.

LC fielded one of its smallest teams physically last year. The Tigers have benefited from a year of maturity.

“We had a very good summer of camp and workouts,” Hughes said.

“We are going to be competitive in all our games. We look forward to the many opportunities and challenges that await us.”

Ferris There’s a new/old coach in the GSL. Tom Yearout, who coached LC to a state championship in 2007, takes over for Jim Sharkey, who was dismissed.

Yearout resigned at LC following the state title season, but remained on staff as a defensive coordinator.

Not only are the Saxons new to Yearout, but most will be new to the starting lineup. Ferris returns just four starters.

Yearout said the Saxons will have speed and athleticism at most positions.

“We have some skill at key positions and we think it matches up with much of the league,” Yearout said.

University The Titans are tossing out finesse for power.

U-Hi will be ground-and-pound in coach Adam Daniel’s second year. The Titans average 275 pounds across the offensive line.

“They’re tough, big, physical and athletic,” Daniel said.

Returning to anchor the line is senior Campbell Barrington, who committed to Brigham Young University as a sophomore but missed last year because of an injury.

Daniel said his team could be the anomaly in a spread-based league.

“Nobody does it anymore – I formation, counter, power, trap,” Daniel said.

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League championship race should come down to Republic or Cusick NORTHEAST 1B NORTH

By Whitney Ogden THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

As long as they remain healthy, the Republic Tigers expect to be at the top of the Northeast 1B North standings this season.

“Barring injury, we should be really competitive,” coach Chuck Wilson said.

The Tigers return several starters this year to their 30-man roster, a large turnout in the eightman league that is accustomed to much smaller numbers. Among the returners are all-league quar-

terback Dan Phillips, middle linebacker and all-league center Justin Riggs.

“He’s a stud on both sides of the football,” Northport head coach Kevin Dionas said of Riggs.

Cusick The Panthers are poised to contend for the league title this season despite having a small roster of 13 players. Although small in number, Cusick returns a quality defense that has been difficult for opposing offenses to fend off.

Among returners are cornerback Dillon Hendershot and defensive lineman Caleb Ziesmer.

“He’s (Ziesmer) one of those

kids who will wreck an offensive game plan,” Dionas said.

Northport With only one win in two seasons and going 0-10 last year, the Mustangs are optimistic that this season will return stronger results.

“We’re young, we will be for a while,” said Dionas, who led a team of mostly freshmen in his second season as head coach last year. “But we’re very optimistic.”

Of the 22 players who turned out for the team this season, 18 of them are underclassmen. Dionas will have 10 sophomores under his tutelage this season.

Third-year senior Kade Mid-

dlesworth will return at quarterback and offer some needed experience in the backfield.

“He’s really grown,” Dionas said. “He’s a great passer. In my opinion, (he’s) the best quarterback in the league this year.”

Inchelium Inchelium went undefeated (5-0) in league last season, but Wilson and Dionas said they don’t expect the Hornets, who lost most of their starting roster to graduation, to be as big of a threat this season.

“They lost their whole team pretty much,” Dionas said.

“They’re going to be rebuilding.”

Inchelium could also be down in numbers this season because some of its starters are on notice for grades.

Selkirk Last year, the Rangers were forced to rebuild after losing 14 seniors from the 2015 season. Their young roster held them down in the standings, with Selkirk’s only win in league being against lastplace Northport.

Wilson said the Rangers have grown and will have much more experience this season, setting them up to be Republic’s toughest competition in league, along with Cusick.

Eagles ready to soar

TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

West Valley’s Connor Whitney runs through drills as his father Craig, left, coaches during practice at West Valley High School.

West Valley has talent to finish atop Great Northern League GREAT NORTHERN

By Jim Allen THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Connor Whitney might just be the ultimate team player.

His favorite football moment at West Valley has nothing to do with his own exploits on the field, which are considerable enough to earn him a scholarship offer from Idaho.

No, Whitney’s proudest day came as a young ball boy for the 2009 Eagles, who made it all the way to the State 2A title game in Tacoma.

“Just to be a part of that, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Whitney said.

More good times could be ahead for Whitney and his dad Craig, the head coach at West Valley since 2003. The Eagles are everyone’s pick to win the Great Northern League and perhaps take another deep run at state.

“I think we have a really good chance to be good, and we have a lot of potential,” said Craig Whitney, whose 2016 squad went 10-2 and reached the state quarterfinals.

A big reason is Connor, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior who was all-GNL last year at wide receiver, defensive back and punter. He also excelled in the secondary.

“I like his competitive nature,” Craig Whitney said. “He has that fire inside his belly and drives the guys around him.

He also likes to do the dirty work and he doesn’t care about his stats.”

His numbers were still impressive: 57 catches for 770 yards and seven touchdowns.

An even more important number for dad: Connor’s grade-point average of 3.85. “He has a lot of drive,” Craig said.

A lot of optimism, too. “I’m super excited about this season,” Connor said.

“We have a lot of solid guys, and once we start playing together, I think we could blow some other teams out of the water.”

That’s unlikely, given the traditional balance in the GNL. “Every game is like a playoff game,” said Craig, whose club

lost by three last year to eventual league champ Pullman, then beat Cheney by eight and Clarkston by a field goal.

However, West Valley returns 13 starters, including a top-notch offensive line that includes Jessen Day, Noah Youseph and returning first-team all-GNL pick Joshua Quirk.

The Eagles also return all-league kicker Chase Howatt. Standout receiver Collin Sather will take some of the pressure off Whitney.

West Valley has two solid options at quarterback: senior Blake Transue and sophomore Matt Allen.

East Valley The inspiring story of Rodrick Fisher went viral last year – and it’s not over.

The superlative wide receiver and defensive back recently won an extra year of eligibility to play for the Knights before he goes on to Washington State.

The Knights (4-5, 1-3 last season) have

more weapons, including first-team all-GNL running back And’re Bracey, senior quarterback Christian Johnston and wideouts Josh Morales and Tallon Watson.

Two-way starters Zac Holt and Chris Kent will bolster the lines.

Cheney It’s no cliché. Last year’s Blackhawks were better than their record – 2-6 overall and 0-4 in the GNL. Rival coaches see it that way – most pick Cheney for a high finish despite the return of just seven starters and 16 lettermen.

A big reason is running back Charles Johnson, one of the fastest players in the state. “He’s a big-play threat every time he touches to ball and he works hard and has added more tools to his game this offseason,” coach Bobby Byrd said.

Also back is two-way lineman Logan Kendall, a first-team all-GNL pick last

year at defensive end.

Pullman The defending champs (8-3, 4-0) lost some standout players to graduation, but new coach David Cofer is counting on strong lines on both sides of the ball.

The standout lineman is Dietrick Mueller, but the Greyhounds also have all-GNL defensive back Jed Byers.

Clarkston The Bantams (7-3, 2-2) count on a senior offensive line and all-league running back.

All-leaguer Nate Savolainen returns at linebacker, but the Bantams have just 11 seniors on the roster. Coach Brycen Bye expects at least seven sophomores to start of play key backup roles.

CONTACT THE WRITER:

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West Valley’s Connor Whitney was All-Great Northern League as wide receiver, defensive back and punter last season.

TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

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Zach Trumble, center, a linebacker for the Freeman Scotties, is expected to wreak havoc on opposing offenses this season.

Scotties serve notice Freeman’s stalwart defense could mean first NEA title since 2013 NORTHEAST A

By Ryan Collingwood THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

A youthful Freeman defense put the Northeast A League on notice in 2016.

The Scotties posted four shutouts and yielded just six points per game – save for a 49-42 triple-overtime playoff loss to Zillah.

With the return of seven key starters on that unit, including menacing linebacker Zach Trumble, Freeman believes it has the means to push for a league title.

But so do Colville, Deer Park and Newport, according to 13-year Freeman coach Jim Wood.

“Colville and Deer Park reload.

They have the numbers,” Wood said.

“Newport is the sleeper with their quarterback (Koa) Pancho. He can take over a game if you don’t contain him.”

Since Colville and Deer Park dropped down a classification three years ago, they have accounted for the last three league titles. Deer Park went unscathed in NEA play in 2016 before falling to Royal in the state semifinals.

Deer Park has the chore of replacing stalwart quarterback Connor O’Dea and most of its offensive line, but the Stags return Trayton Bird and Tyson Lim, a pair of All-NEA running backs.

“This is a good group of young men working hard to find their own identity,” Deer Park coach Keith Stamps said. “The skills players are good on offense. We lost a lot of starters on defense, but we return an experienced group of guys who do a nice job.”

Typically run-heavy, Colville returns a wealth of talent in the passing game in All-NEA receiver Dawson Flugel and quarterback John Knight.

The Indians return 13 starters.

“Some experience, decent speed, athletic line, great attitude. High expectations every year,” longtime Colville coach Randy Cornwell said.

Colville Knight (992 yards passing, 9 TDs), Flugel (27 receptions, 529 yards) and Jakob Larson (602 yards rushing, 11 TDs) return to Colville’s offense looking to earn a third league title in four years.

Flugel, also an All-NEA defensive

back, and All-NEA linebacker Tristan Lewis will spark the Indians’ defense.

The Indians got a boost at running back and defensive back when Silas Say transferred from 3A Shadle Park.

Bradbury.

Pancho, a first-team All-NEA quarterback, burned teams with his arm and feet in 2016 and accounted for more than 20 touchdowns.

Freeman

Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls)

If the senior-loaded Scotties want to earn their first league title since 2013, they need to make up for the void left by 1,400-yard rusher Ben Darcy.

Multiple threat athlete Desmond Parisotto will be counted on to help put points on the board. He’ll be aided by a defense that should give Freeman’s offense plenty of opportunities.

Eleven starters – six on offense, five on defense – return for the Eagles, including quarterback Caden Wickwire and trusty wide receiver Drew Shuler.

Deer Park Losing O’Dea is tough, but the Stags will have the 1-2 punch of accomplished running backs Bird and Lim. Lim, who led the league in rushing in 2015, missed last season because of injury.

The Stags return nine starters, including two-way All-NEA talent Mikal Palmer.

Newport Newport has some of the more impressive skill players in the league in Pancho and receiver Danny

Chewelah The Cougars return most of their skill players from last year’s 3-6 campaign, including Elan Krausz, John Larson and Jenson Holloway.

Riverside The Rams were shut out five times in 2016 and averaged just more than five points per game.

Head coach Buddy Wood said his team is comprised mostly of underclassmen, but he believes it has the potential to surprise.

Medical Lake After going winless and being outscored 332-13 in NEA play in 2016, the Cardinals hope to improve this fall.

ABOVE: Freeman coach Jim Wood saw his Scotties fall to Zillah in triple overtime during last season’s State 2A playoffs.

RIGHT: Linebacker Zach Trumble helped the Freeman Scotties notch three shutouts in 2016.

Odessa hopes position changes at skill positions lead to league title NORTHEAST 1B SOUTH

By Whitney Ogden THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Odessa has piqued some interest in the Northeast 1B South league with a few position moves this year that will help fill some spots left vacant by eight starters who graduated last year.

Sophomore Camden Weber will take over for senior Colton Hunt at quarterback. Weber has a strong arm that could provide more opportunities for pass plays on a team that has relied heavily on its speed and running game.

“He’s a better passer. Colton

was a really good runner back there, but (Weber) can throw the ball pretty good,” coach Jeff Nelson said.

Weber has some experience at QB, stepping in for Hunt in the quarterfinals against Almira/ Coulee-Hartline and in the first two rounds of the playoffs last season after Hunt suffered a sprained ankle against ACH. Hunt will move to running back, a position left open by 2017 graduate Sage Elder. He’ll work the field alongside Sage’s younger brother Gavin, a senior this season and one of the top running backs in the state.

“He’s not really big, but he’s

fast,” ACH head coach Brandon Walsh said of Gavin.

As for Hunt’s new role, Walsh said he expects the former QB to be even stronger.

“He’s a very good football player,” Walsh said. “He’ll be one of the top running backs in the league, if not the state.”

Almira/Coulee-Hartline ACH will lack size and experience on the offensive line this season after losing five starters to graduation last year. Walsh said he will look to senior tight end and wide receiver Payton Nielson, a three-year starter, to provide speed and leadership on of-

fense.

The Warriors will also bring back junior quarterback Maguire Isaak, who started as a sophomore and is one of the league’s top talents.

“They’re going to be big up front, compared to us,” Nelson said. “And they’ve got one of the better players in the league. Their quarterback, he’s a stud.”

Entiat The Tigers fell to third place in the league last season, partially because of a young roster. More than half of the starters on both sides of the ball were freshmen last year.

“This year, we’re a lot older, a lot more experienced,” head coach Brian Bailey said.

Entiat will have only two seniors on its 17-man roster this season – wide receiver Roger Mora and offensive lineman Ronnie Parks – but will have no freshmen.

Around the league Turnout will be the biggest setback for the Wellpinit, Yakima Tribal and Pateros. “They’re just so few in numbers ... They only have about 10 or 11 kids out right now,” Bailey said of Wellpinit.

“That’s where we have the advantage.”

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NFL

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman leads a defense that hasn’t finished outside the top 3 in the league in points allowed since the 2011 season.

ELAINE THOMPSON ASSOCIATED PRESS

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SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson had banner season in 2015, but injuries and poor offensive line play saw his performance take a step back last season.

Which Wilson will it be?

Seahawks hoping it’s 2015 version, but a lot will depend on play of offensive line

By Matt Calkins SEATTLE TIMES

They’ve got an unproven offensive line that just lost its left tackle. They’ve got running backs that are A) coming off injuries, B) too green to be considered reliable or C) both.

“Seahawks football,” which has come to mean pounding the pigskin five yards at a time until the opponent is depleted, is on the verge of becoming past tense.

But they still have Russell Wilson.

And hence they still have hope.

Here’s a declaration for you three weeks into the exhibition season: If the Seahawks are going to contend for the

Compiled by John Blanchette FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Super Bowl, Wilson must have the best season of his career.

His health must remain optimal. His passing must be precise. His elusiveness must drive pass rushers to the brink of insanity.

Gone are the days when Seattle’s offense can ride its running game possession after possession. After finishing in the top four in team rushing for four straight years, the Seahawks ranked 25th in the NFL last season.

Granted, Thomas Rawls played just nine games, and fellow running back C.J. Prosise just six – but Rawls was underwhelming when healthy, and Prosise had a mere 30 carries.

The bigger issue, of course, was the Hawks’ O-line, which happened to be the lowest paid in the league. And aside from center Justin Britt, the Pro Bowler who recently signed a three-year, $27 million extension, the performances typically matched the paychecks.

The one bright spot up front was potential for growth in left tackle George Fant, who packed on more than 20 pounds in the offseason and had coaches starry-eyed heading into his second year. But he went down with an ACL injury will miss the rest of the season.

So assuming their defense can’t hold opponents to under 100 points over 16 games, how are the Seahawks going to make their sixth straight postseason and vie for title No. 2? Easy. They’ll need a year for the ages from No. 3.

For his first three NFL seasons,

Wilson was a productive supplement to a championship-caliber team. Though he was never higher than 19th in the league for passing attempts, he was efficient when throwing, evasive when pursued and generally careful with the football.

To say the Seahawks could have won with any quarterback during those years would have been insulting, but to say they could have won with about 10-12 other quarterbacks probably would have been accurate.

But when 2015 rolled around, it appeared Wilson had transformed himself into one of the top signal callers in the league. When then-Browns coach Mike Pettine said Russell wasn’t a top-tier QB, it’s almost as though he took it personally.

See WILSON, 28

1) Russell Wilson

2) Matt Hasselbeck

3) Dave Krieg

4) Jim Zorn

5) Jon Kitna

2012-17 1,476-2,281 (64.7 pct), 18,193 yds, 127 TD, 45 INT: As triggerman for the franchise’s lone Super Bowl victory and playoff appearances from his rookie season on, Wilson’s place atop this list is secure. His 56 wins are the most among quarterbacks in their first five seasons and his 99.6 career passer rating is second only to Aaron Rodgers. And don’t forget his 2,689 career rushing yards.

2001-10 2,559-4,250 (60.2 pct), 29,434 yds, 174 TD, 128 INT: Seahawks fans named him quarterback of the club’s 35th anniversary team in 2010, just five years after steering the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl appearance. Still the franchise’s leader in passing yards, Hasselbeck was 69-62 as a starter and was at the controls for six playoff appearances, along with playing in three Pro Bowls.

1980-91 2,096-3,576 (58.6 pct), 26,132 yds, 195 TD, 148 INT: Undrafted and from a defunct college, he took over as starter nine games into the 1983 season and led the Seahawks to their first playoffs – and the AFC title game. Krieg was 70-49 as a starter with four playoff berths and three Pro Bowl appearances during Seattle’s breakthrough phase. Member of the team’s Ring of Honor.

1976-83 1,593-2,990 (53.3 pct), 20,122 yds, 107 TD, 133 INT: The Butch to Steve Largent’s Sundance for the early Seahawks, when the expansion franchise managed to poke its nose over the .500 mark in just its third season. The AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1976, his scrambling ability (1,491 rushing yards) was well suited to those early teams. Second inductee into the team’s Ring of Honor.

1997-2000 658-1,130 (58.2 pct), 7,552 yds, 49 TD, 45 INT: Home-grown in Tacoma and another small-college success (from Central Washington), he was Dennis Erickson’s find and took over from Warren Moon in mid-1998. The next year, he led the Seahawks to their first playoff berth in 11 years, but Hasselbeck’s arrival nudged him into moving on as a free agent in 2001.

Honorable mention: Warren Moon (1997-98), Rick Mirer (1993-96), Trent Dilfer (2001-04), Tavaris Jackson (2011-15), John Friesz (1995-98).

2 tickets to the Rams vs. Seahawks game on Dec. 17th, $100 gas card, one night hotel stay, and $200 Gift Card to SportTown!

On the 40 yard line!

Enter to WIN at any Pizza Pipeline location!

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AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE

Pats class of AFC again DIVISIONAL PREVIEWS R Barry Wilner, Associated Press

Let’s get it out of the way immediately: If there’s a team good enough to stop the Patriots from winning the AFC again, we don’t see it. Of course there aren’t any locks in pro sports, especially in the NFL, where teams rise and fall annually. Well, except for New England, which appears even more stacked than last season, when it won everything. At 40, Tom Brady might still be in his peak years.

That’s a scary proposition for the rest of the league.

“I think it’s a lot easier now for me than it’s ever been,” Brady says of getting prepared for the season, which the Patriots kick off on Thursday night, Sept. 7, by hosting Kansas City. “I feel like my routine is better than it’s ever been. When you’re younger you don’t know

what to do. After 17 years, going into my 18th year, I know what to do.

I know how to prepare. I’m never sore. I could practice every day. I could practice twice a day if they’d let us do that, but that’s not the way it goes anymore.

“It’s just fun being out here competing. That’s what us football players are here for. It’s football season. That’s what football players do – we go out and compete.”

And in New England, those players go out and win, to the tune of 14-2 in 2016. The AFC East could be over by Halloween given the weaknesses of the opposition for Brady and company – even though Brady lost his favorite receiver, Julian Edelman, to a torn-up knee. At least the conference should feature some tight races in the other divisions, particularly the AFC West and South.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Quarterback Tom Brady of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots is set to begin his 18th season in the NFL.

New England, Pittsburgh likely have easiest paths to division titles AFC EAST Brady needed a deep threat, so the Patriots brought in Brandin Cooks. They lost rushing TD machine LeGarrette Blount in the backfield, but are plenty deep there. Stud TE Rob Gronkowski is healthy again. The offensive line is among the best in football.

And now the defense, which probably doesn’t get the credit it deserves, has added key ingredients in cornerback Stephon Gilmore and linebacker David Harris. Watch for developing end Trey Flowers.

The schedule isn’t daunting, particularly intradivision. Miami has had the worst preseason imaginable with all its injuries; Jay Cutler as the answer at quarterback? Buffalo can’t seem to figure out who is staying and who should go, and its best receivers (Sammy Watkins, traded to the Rams) and Anquan Boldin (retired) are gone.

The Jets are odds-on to be the worst team in the NFL.

AFC SOUTH Many observers believe you can put a blanket over Houston, Tennessee and Indianapolis because their talent bases are that close. We demur.

The Texans have a terrific defense that gets back the incomparable J.J. Watt and could be enough to overcome a mediocre offense with an unproven QB and suspect passing game. They are well coached and rarely beat themselves – until the playoffs, that is.

No team appears more ready to make the next big step in the AFC than the Titans. They are deep at

running back, secure at quarterback and on the offensive line, and have a developing D with playmakers such as Jurrell Casey and Brian Orakpo. The coaching staff is innovative, which fits nicely in Music City – and maybe atop the division.

Indy is a far bigger question mark because of the uncertainty of Andrew Luck’s right shoulder. Just as uncertain is the O-line charged with protecting the franchise quarterback. As for the defense, it doesn’t measure up to Houston’s or Tennessee’s. Could be a tough year for Chuck Pagano to hold onto his coaching job.

Jacksonville will be tougher with Tom Coughlin in the executive offices. Better? A bit.

AFC WEST A three-team scramble is likely, with only the San Diego – oops, Los Angeles – Chargers unable to make a charge.

Oakland appeared headed for a showdown with New England until Derek Carr went down late in December.

Should he stay healthy, the Raiders are the favorites to hold off the Chiefs, who sneaked past them to win the West last season, and the Broncos.

The Raiders have difference makers throughout their offense, and a line equal to the Patriots. Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack is by far their best defender and that unit must come through in a big way in the NFL’s best sector.

Kansas City will be stout on defense, somewhat dull but effective enough on offense, and well coached. The

Chiefs’ season could be made or broken in a six-game stretch when they face Houston, Pittsburgh, Oakland, Denver, Dallas and the Giants.

Denver is the wild card out West. Its defense could carry it very far, as it did in winning the Super Bowl two seasons back. There are standouts at receiver and a deep backfield, but the quarterbacking is precarious and the protection is problematic. Never underestimate Von Miller and cohorts, though.

AFC NORTH Everything in this division depends on whether Baltimore rebounds from a mediocre season. If the Ravens don’t – and their need for QB Joe Flacco to remain healthy is paramount – the Steelers will romp.

Baltimore added talent in the secondary with safety Tony Jefferson, but needs to revitalize the pass rush, as well as its pass protection.

Pittsburgh is the class of the North regardless. No offense is more dynamic, and the defense, while no Steel Curtain, has stoppers such as Bud Dupree and Ryan Shazier. It’s not a long shot that WR Antonio Brown , RB Le’Veon Bell and QB Ben Roethlisberger will be in the running for league MVP. Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis enters his 15th season in charge and needs a turnaround from 6-9-1, plus, at last, a postseason victory to secure his status. The Bengals are pretty good with the ball, not much without it.

Cleveland won’t go 1-15 again. That doesn’t mean the always-rebuilding Browns won’t contend for the top overall draft selection.

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NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE

Wide-open look to NFC DIVISIONAL PREVIEWS R Barry Wilner, Associated Press

If the AFC has the look of a slam dunk for the Patriots, the NFC is as wide open as Odell Beckham Jr. can get on a deep pass.

Sure, there are favorites, led by the Falcons, whose late collapse in the Super Bowl should serve as motivation to get things right for a full 60 minutes. Seattle looks like the top dog in the West, and the Giants – if Beckham can stay healthy – appear dangerous back East.

No one wants to visit the tundra in winter, but the NFC North race looks like it will go through Green Bay. Most intriguing is

what might occur in Atlanta, where the Falcons have a sensational new home – complete with reasonable food prices, if you can imagine – and some sour memories to use as impetus in the South.

“I am demanding of them and of the staff and of myself, too,” coach Dan Quinn says. “I definitely share the disappointment when that happens or share in how much fun it is when we have a red-zone period … where it’s competing and battling for it. Those are the moments I try to really stay in and not look too far down the line.”

Or too close back. But handing the Falcons the division title, let alone the conference crown, is something of a stretch.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Last season’s Super Bowl collapse has Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, left, and running back Devonta Freeman motivated to return to title game.

Seahawks, Packers should prevail, but South and East hard to call NFC SOUTH This might be the most competitive sector in the NFC. All four teams have high expectations, and major weak areas.

For Atlanta, aside from its psyche, the question is how much the defense has improved around sackmaster Vic Beasley Jr. Adding tackle Dontari Poe and rookie end Takkarist McKinley should help the pass rush, but the secondary, in particular, needs upgrading.

That said, 2016 MVP Matt Ryan and a strong corps of receivers and running backs are capable of 40 points any day.

Carolina’s post-Super Bowl malaise was apparent from the outset last year, and Ron Rivera is too good a coach to let anything approaching half-heartedness rear its head again. Look for Cam Newton, if his arm is OK, to have a strong turnaround campaign, and the running game to be spiced by rookie Christian McCaffrey. The defense has Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis as its foundation.

Tampa Bay must find such a foundation on D to go with an offense that will scare every opponent. Watch TE O.J. Howard, an Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite.

New Orleans is in an ugly trend of 7-9 finishes. A fourth straight, especially with Drew Brees still a sensational passer, could doom coach Sean Payton, who needs the defense to show up.

NFC WEST The only remote challenge to the Seahawks – except, perhaps, for turmoil within – is Arizona. The Cardinals, though, come off an underachieving season

in which they couldn’t close the deal too often.

If Carson Palmer rebounds, David Johnson continues as the most versatile RB around, and Larry Fitzgerald remains, well, Larry Fitz, Arizona could push Seattle. The Cardinals were badly damaged by injuries in 2016 and their depth still is questionable.

Seattle also had injury issues, yet got into the playoffs in something of a down year. Its running game has been juiced up with the return of Thomas Rawls and the signing of Eddie Lacy (if he is in shape), and that defense can be scary, especially down the stretch.

Forget any thoughts of the Rams or 49ers contending for anything but high draft choices.

NFC EAST During a year when Jerry Jones went into the Hall of Fame, how about them Cowboys winning it all?

Whoa! Dallas might not be the top team in this division.

While the Cowboys could take a step back, perhaps several if sizzling RB Ezekiel Elliott has to sit out all six games of his suspension, New York is primed to leap forward. That changes if Beckham keeps taking hits like he did against Cleveland last Monday, but with Brandon Marshall and impressive rookie TE Evan Engram, Eli Manning has more targets. The big if is New York’s ground game, but no one – not even Dallas – figures to run well against Steve Spagnuolo’s defense.

Of course, if top offensive rookie Dak Prescott is as effective in his sophomore season, working behind an outstanding O-line, Dallas is dangerous. The biggest issue is an undependable defense, though Sean Lee is

an All-Pro linebacker.

Philadelphia’s 2018 could be a special year. For now, development and a .500 or better record should be the goal.

Washington is paying QB Kirk Cousins as if he was a combination of Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. The Redskins need that kind of production from him to stay out of the cellar.

NFC NORTH Detroit and Minnesota have designs on challenging the Packers. We don’t see it.

Not if Rodgers is healthy and develops a symbiotic relationship with TE Martellus Bennett, among the best offseason signings by any team. Not if the secondary that was so damaged by injuries can stay healthier. Certainly not if the Packers find their form early after a 4-6 record last season forced them to get hot just to get into the postseason.

If Minnesota finds a balanced offense to go with a very strong defensive line, it could get it into the playoffs. The Vikings should be powerful on the ground with Latavius Murray and rookie Dalvin Cook , but the air game needs more consistency and downfield threats. Minnesota could lead the league in sacks.

The Lions were comeback kings in 2016 and will need to avoid falling in so many holes this time.

Improvements up front could bolster the running game, and Matthew Stafford has proven he is worth franchise-QB money. It’s hard to get excited about the D in Motor City, though.

The Bears won’t resemble recent versions of the Cubs or Blackhawks.

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FOOTBALL 2017-18

ASSOCIATED PRESS

At 6-foot-6, wide receiver Tanner McEvoy, left, provides a big target for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

WILSON

KEY NUMBERS

Continued from 25

1: The number of return touchdowns – punt, kickoff, interception, fumble – the Seahawks produced in 2016, after totaling 18 over the previous four seasons. $55,000: The amount running back Eddie Lacy earns at each of his seven monthly weigh-ins when he comes in under 250 pounds.

22.1: Points scored per game in 2016, 18th in the NFL, down from 26.4 and fourth in 2015.

28.6: Average age of the projected starting defense, up from 26.3 at Super Bowl XLVII. Is the window closing for this group?

By the end of the year, Wilson owned the NFL’s best passer rating after stringing together one of the best five-game stretches in league history.

He helped will his team into the playoffs and seemed to have his proverbial “breakout season.”

But then came 2016, when Wilson was essentially two things — injured and ordinary.

Considering he was dealing with a high ankle sprain and MCL sprain for much of the year, it would be silly to argue Wilson’s output reflected his ability. But even when his mobility appeared to return toward the end of the season, there were still moments when the Houdini of football completely disappeared.

Wilson posted a 38.8 passer rating in a 14-5 loss to Tampa Bay in Week 12, when he threw two interceptions. He posted a 43.3 passer rating in a 38-10 loss to Green Bay two weeks later, when he was picked off five times.

The physical torment Russell endured in previous games gives him some leeway when analyzing those duds. But it still raises the question: Was Wilson’s epic 2015 season an announcement, or just an anomaly?

You can’t discount the fact Wilson benefited from the fourth-best rushing attack in the NFL that season. If opponents don’t fret the run like they

FALK Continued from 7 that’s indisputable.”

Of that quartet, Falk was the leader in attempts (633), completions (433) and yards (4,468) last season, but more impressive than the raw numbers was the precision. Falk tried more passes than anyone in the country, but only one other quarterback – Oklahoma stud Baker Mayfield – hit them at a higher completion percentage. Mayfield’s clip was 71 percent, Falk’s was 70.

A team of Pac-12 Networks analysts recently stopped in Pullman during a preseason tour of the conference. It’s their job to survey all 12 teams from top to bottom and understandably, their eyes are drifting over to the quarterback more this fall than any other. The verdict on Falk?

“The precision that he delivers the ball with, the accuracy he does it with, that’s what separates him from quarterbacks not just in the Pac-12, but all around the country,” analyst Anthony Herron said. “… He’s as precise as he needs to be and he does as much pre-snap as any quarterback in the country.”

MADE FOR THE AIR RAID Believe it or not, there are still Falk cynics out there.

Are all of the astronomical numbers legitimate, or is Falk simply the product of an offensive system that asks its QB to distribute the ball more than any other in the country? Falk’s nonchalance to the matter is what makes him such a rare breed of college athlete. He throws a stiff arm at the outside chatter and he doesn’t indulge in the oft-dangerous universe of social media, though he has hinted at creating an anonymous Twitter account just so he can see what kind of mischief his head coach is up to.

(Leach has become a burgeoning web celebrity in recent months.)

Really, Falk is just grateful to be in this spot, at the wheel of an offensive system that seems to fit him to a T. You see, as a growing boy in Logan, he was a gamer. A video-gamer, to be specific, though the other interpretation of “gamer” would fit his persona quite

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Difference maker: Eddie Lacy His glory days seem well behind him, even though this is just his fifth NFL season, and more people seem to be concerned about his “lbs” than his “yds.” But running back Eddie Lacy’s free-agent signing may be central to the Seahawks’ success -- even if he isn’t the opening game starter.

The Seahawks’ run-game was a woeful 25th in the NFL last year, and naturally much of that was due to the bargain-basement offensive line that had quarterback Russell Wilson in constant peril. Thomas Rawls has had a difficult time staying healthy and available, and C.J. Prosise seems ticketed for more of a specialty situation back. Lacy may not approach the back-to-back 1,000-yard season form he showed in his first two years in Green Bay, but he’ll need to be productive.

nicely, too. He’d play the now-extinct EA Sports NCAA football game and Texas Tech was a common stopping place while he was scrolling through a list of teams to use.

“I just really liked Texas Tech. My parents asked me if we could push my film to one school, what school would you do it?” Falk said. “… Just watching Graham Harrell and that year that they had was incredible.”

Tech, of course, is where Leach popularized the Air Raid offense, years after Hal Mumme laid the ground roots in Lexington, Kentucky. Harrell, who’d later become a tutor of Falk’s at WSU, threw for nearly 15,800 yards over the course of his career and took down a bundle of NCAA records along the way.

In Logan, young quarterbacks were already learning the basics of a spread offense that wasn’t identical to the Red Raider Air Raid, per se, but shared many of the core concepts. Reading the box, determining defensive numbers and making checks at the line of scrimmage were all things Falk had mastered by the time he reached high school.

“Throughout his career, he was doing what Peyton Manning was,” said former Logan High coach Mike Favero, who Falk still calls one of the most influential figures of his football career. “Luke had full freedom to call plays at the line of scrimmage as long as he followed a criteria that we called numbers. Reading numbers in the box, angles – meaning angles of the defenders or where we have an angle advantage based upon the formation or the front.”

At this point, Falk had already passed on every other sport – “Originally, I thought I was going to be an NBA star,” he quipped – and determined his only route to college was via football, and more specifically, quarterback.

“I always joke with people, if I didn’t play quarterback, I wouldn’t play football,” he said. “I’d probably be a golfer. Or really focus on my academics.”

Favero’s offense, similar to Leach’s, gave Falk full autonomy. As long as the quarterback followed Favero’s basic criteria, he essentially held the clout of an offensive coordinator. But Favero also felt it was crucial for Falk to understand how opponents were game-planning against him – he needed

to see the field through the eyes of a defensive coordinator.

“We spent a lot of time in the film room teaching him how to be a defensive coordinator,” Favero said.

“So our whole deal was, if you can think like a defensive coordinator, play calling becomes very, very simple.”

Logan’s high-volume passing offense demanded a lot of Falk’s throwing arm.

In one game, he attempted a Utah state record 70 passes – and that was in the middle of a blizzard, when it might have been most sensible to keep the rock on the ground. Nope. Falk’s darts cut through the chilly air and the quarterback ultimately led his side to a 28-10 victory over Box Elder.

“It was like raining and sleeting and snowing,” Falk said. “My coach was like, ‘Yeah, we threw it a lot today.’ ” Five years later, Falk still owns Utah High School Athletic Association records for single-season completions (330) and attempts (562).

“He was a great fit for Mike Leach’s system,” Favero said of Falk. “So I think the marriage was perfect for him.”

THE NFL BECKONS After a 15-minute interview with Favero, you’d be convinced that Falk is prepared to take the reins of any NFL franchise and transform them into a playoff contender.

The ex-Logan coach has already dropped Peyton Manning’s name while gushing about his player – guess who’s next?

“I know he’s a big Tom Brady fan, but I’m telling you, he’s the second coming of Tom Brady,” Favero said. “That’s who he is.”

Now, this could just be a high school coach gloating about his most successful project, but Favero’s credentials would tend to tell you otherwise. In 17 years, he amassed 149 wins and won five state championships while taking home five UFCA coach of the year honors. He’s had wild success at the quarterback position and was one of the first Logan-area coaches to dabble in the spread offense.

All successful NFL quarterbacks, Favero believes, need to be competent in four categories: mental toughness, accuracy, the ability to process

have in years past, the aerial attack suffers. However, if you look at the truly great quarterbacks – they’re productive regardless of fellow personnel.

Who knows? Perhaps the O-line will surprise folks this year and control the line of scrimmage.

Or maybe Eddie Lacy will return to pre-injury form, just as Rawls might play like the rookie who averaged 5.6 yards per carry two years ago. It’s possible, but that thinking is more wishful than it is realistic.

The truth is, Wilson will likely bear more responsibility than he ever has for this team. The man never rests, but the fate of his team rests with him.

information in a nanosecond and leadership. Falk is 4 for 4 in those areas.

He’s also completely obsessed with preparation. In 2014, Leach told The Spokesman-Review, of Falk, “He’s one of the guys you’ll see lurking around at night, watching film.”

As a high school sophomore, Falk jotted down every one of Logan’s offensive concepts, schemes and plays, then matched each of them with every single defensive coverage the Grizzlies could face. It amounted to hours of homework – just to ensure he was ready for every package the opponent could roll out.

Recently, Favero sat down for a meal with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Even though he’s left his post at Logan, the longtime ball coach is still keen on learning about the nuances of the game and wouldn’t this be a sweet opportunity with the NFL’s 2016 Offensive Rookie of the Year sitting at the other end of the dinner table. Favero was curious. How does Prescott prepare? How does he read a defense?

And so on and so forth…

“He said, I go out there and when we install a new play or a concept, he sits down and draws them up by hand against every defense that the opponent runs or that he can possibly see,” Favero said. “He told me what he does is what Luke Falk was doing as a 10th-grader at Logan High.”

So, to refresh: one of those coaches in Utah thought Falk couldn’t make it as a college football player. The other predicts he’ll have a long and fruitful career in professional football.

Falk, who’s fully embraced Leach’s tagline of “play the next play,” is only concerned with what’s happening this fall for No. 24 Washington State. The senior has an opportunity to become the only quarterback in school history to guide the Cougars to three consecutive bowl games.

But when he finally does leave, the contrasting messages he received from two coaches in Logan will surely stick with him – one who thought he could and one who thought he couldn’t.

CONTACT THE WRITER:

509-939-5928 TheoL@SPOKESMAN.com