Photo By Patty Theurer - #42 Ridge Shown
Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Prairie
2. Clearwater Valley
3. Lapwai
4. Kamiah
5. Genesee
6. Potlatch
7. Troy
8. Logos
Written by: Will Hoenike
Following a 24-year dry spell, the Clearwater Valley Rams have qualified for the state playoffs each of the past three seasons. With that bridge crossed, fans in Kooskia are ready now to see their beloved red and white make a deep run in the 1A Division 1 postseason.
Head coach Allen Hutchens, who was a starter on the last team to play postseason football before the 24-year drought, is ready to see his team punch through and he has one of the state’s better players in senior Dylan Pickering to help lead the way.
The 6-foot-1 running back/linebacker made his mark last season on the defensive side of the ball, where he earned first-team All-State honors after having a direct hand in eight turnovers as a junior. He intercepted four passes, caused two fumbles, and recovered two more as the Rams went 5-3 during the regular season before a quarterfinal loss to Grace ended their season.
“We tackle well and we hit hard,” Hutchens said. “I have a lot of players who are not afraid to really get after it.”
In the team’s five wins, Clearwater Valley allowed an average of barely 12 points per game.
“We will mainly run a 3-3 (defense) but will have several other defensive schemes to throw at people as well,” Hutchens continued. “We need to get better at outside containment. This was a glaring weakness of ours in a couple of games last year.”
That’s where Pickering and fellow All-State honoree Ridge Shown (second-team defensive back) come in. With only eight defenders on the field, speed and discipline are pivotal. Those two will lead the charge that will include returning defensive linemen Laton Schlieper and Isaac Goodwin along with a returner of different sorts – Austin Routh – up front.
“Austin did not play last year as a junior,” Hutchens explained. “He is a big kid that can move people out of the way. He will be a huge asset coming back.”
On offense, junior quarterback Anthony Fabbi returns for a full season at the helm. He’ll have Pickering and Anthony Carter in the backfield with him and Routh, Goodwin, Kyler Schroeder, and Austin Curtis providing protection along the offensive line. The Rams would prefer to control the game with their running attack but the coaching staff is confident in its ability to mix in some play-action passes to keep defenses honest. When Fabbi drops to throw, he’ll have Shown and senior Nakiyah Anderson to throw to down the field.
Clearwater Valley comes out of the gates with a big test on August 28 when the team travels down to Middleton, Idaho, to face Raft River as part of the annual 8-Man Classic. The Trojans reached the 1A Division 1 state championship game and return key players from that team. The next game for the Rams is in Cottonwood against perennial powerhouse Prairie on September 10, so the challenge is big early on.
“We will need a few role players to break out of their shell a little and continue to gain confidence and grow,” Hutchens said when asked about keys to success this coming season. “I have a very good coaching staff and we hope to have everyone ready.”