Photo By Wes Turner - #40 Aden Bunn
Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Declo
2. Wendell
3. Valley
Written by: Keller Sherman
After a winless 2020, the Wendell Trojans are bringing back Jon Helmandollar for a 2nd stint. Wendell has not had a winning season since 2013, the last year of his 1st stint before he left for Toledo High School in Oregon. Helmandollar had two additional stops during his time in the Beaver State at Springfield and Hillsboro before returning to Idaho for a two year tenure at the Nampa-based Columbia High School and now returns to Wendell to try and revive a struggling program he led to some of its best moments since the 2003 state title.
Many people have taken notice of Helmandollar’s return and are not underestimating what he can accomplish in year one. Helmandollar couldn’t be more excited to return and get things started right away. The Trojans have not won a game since October 4th, 2018 so Helmandollar will be rebuilding this program from the ground up, but he is ready for the task.
Wendell will be very young in 2021 with only two notable seniors; Matt Dahl and Aden Bunn returning. The Trojans lost two players that received all conference honors in Joey Ward and Teegan Dunn. “We will miss what (Ward) brought to the game with his leadership and intangibles and (Dunn’s) abilities to make plays in the running game.” Helmandollar said of their departures.
While juniors Xander Coelho and Diego Torres return, Wendell will be relying on several underclassmen this season. There are five sophomores and one freshman that Helmandollar feels will make an impact this season and will dictate whether the team is successful or not.
The offense uses multiple formations and finds their strength in using the run game to create play-action passes. The QB position will be inexperienced heading into the season. “We are young and inexperienced at the QB position with Alex Hirai, a Sophomore, and Gabe Finley, a Freshman. Both have stepped up this summer, so we are excited to see their continued growth as we transition into the season.” Helmandollar said of the quarterback position.
Helmandollar is confident that the line will be the strength of his offense. He states “We have some returning starters in John Smith and Isaac Finley who will be at the Tackle positions. A new move into our district, Xander Coelho will provide a lot of toughness to our front inside at the Guard position. Deegan Gonzalez has provided us consistency at the center position.”
The running back position will also be very talented for the Trojans as they return several starters at this skill position including Diego Torres, Wyatt Oden, and Aden Bunn. Helmandollar feels that the halfback position will also be a strength for his offense and names one player in particular that he expects to step up to the position. “Mikey Talbert looks to fill into our most versatile position on offense, the H-Back position. He has shown a remarkable ability to both block in the run game and make plays in the pass game.” he said.
Josh Green has switched over to tight end from the offensive line. This is a change that Helmandollar is excited for as he states “(Green) has made remarkable strides catching the ball this summer. We are looking for big things from him this year.” The wide receiver unit will be strong this season. “Our Wideouts are grinders with Matt Dahl and Bodey Cutler, along with a host of newcomers. The biggest strength of this group is their ability to understand how to beat different coverages.” Helmandollar said of his wide receivers.
The Trojans however, had too many negative yards last season which led to “some very tough down/distance situations.” If Wendell hopes to improve on this in 2021, they will need to protect the quarterback better to avoid sacks as well as improve on executing plays especially in play-action passes.
The defense primarily focuses on a physical base 4-4, but also adjusts depending on the situation. On the focus of the defense this season, Helmandollar states “We are looking to stop the run first. If we can stop the run, everything else will fall into place for us defensively.” Similar to the offense, the defensive strength for Wendell will be on the line. “Our D-Line should be the anchor of our defense with John Smith’s ability to take on double teams and make plays behind the LOS. We are looking for big things from Isaac Finley as well, with his strength/size upfront.” he said.
The linebacker and edge positions will also be in good shape bringing back several key players and incoming impact players. “Our linebacker core returns Aden Bunn inside who is an aggressive downhill run stopper. Gabe Finley is the utility guy of our linebacker group, being able to play both inside and outside. We have some athletes on the edge of our defense with Diego Torres, Mikey Talbert, and Wyatt Oden, who can set the edge in the run game and drop back into coverage to defend the pass.” Helmandollar said of the linebacker and edge positions.
As a young secondary, the team will be undersized compared to other defenses they will face. However, the team is ready to prove that size does not matter and Helmandollar is confident that this unit will be able to make adjustments on their own based on what they deem suitable for the task at hand. In addition, the defense will also focus on stopping big plays in 2021. Helmandollar states “We gave up way too many big plays last year. Communication, being dialed into our keys, and swarming to the football will help us drastically improve in this area defensively.”
When coaching a young team, it is important that the players grow through each game and build leadership skills so that they can be role models for the next group of young players. Helmandollar has already had plenty of time to become acquainted with these players and has overseen the hard work they have put in all summer. “The ability to work with such an amazing group of players. We are the youngest team I have ever coached, so it will be exciting to see their continued growth throughout the season.” he said of his excitement to see what his players can accomplish this season.
Just like with many teams, no one individual player can run the show and that is why Helmandollar knows that it will be important for his team to “come together as one unit and realize no one person is bigger than the team.” If his team can do this, he feels that his team will have a great chance to knock off seven-time defending conference champion Declo while also surprising some people with what his team can accomplish against other opponents.
The schedule opens with a trip to face Nampa Christian in the first of four straight games against Treasure Valley based competition. Wendell will then return home to face Marsing before heading west again to face Cole Valley Christian. The Trojans will then have a two game homestand as they return home to face 3A foes Payette and Filer.
Wendell will then be back on the road to face another 3A opponent in Buhl with their victory over the Indians in 2018 marking the program’s last win before beginning conference play by hosting Valley for senior night. They will then travel to Declo to close out the season looking to snap an eight game losing streak to the Hornets that dates back to the 2013 state semifinals. Derek Matthews is a player for Declo that Helmandollar will be keeping his eye on this season.
Many coaches that return for a 2nd stint prove to be successful which has helped to spark excitement around the Wendell program. While the team may struggle in year one, Helmandollar has the Trojans trending in the right direction and will continue to grow this into a regular contender at both the conference and state levels. Any team that expects to beat Wendell by just showing up will be sorely mistaken and the Trojans will make opponents pay for underestimating them.