Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Prairie
2. Clearwater Valley
3. Lapwai
4. Kamiah
5. Genesee
6. Potlatch
7. Troy
8. Logos
Written by: Will Hoenike
In 2019, head coach Ryan Ball and the Potlatch Loggers stormed down the stretch to win its final four regular season contests and qualify for the 1A Division 1 playoffs. A departure of several quality seniors set the team back in 2020 as the team finished with just one win in seven games.
But the record is a little misleading. Two early losses came by a combined total of eight points, leading one rival coach to say, “I’m not sure how they haven’t won yet.”
Clearly the team had some talent. But, in the 8-man game, health and depth are just as important as talent. And it takes game experience to create some of that depth – this year’s team returns 15 of 16 starters, which puts them in a position to contend in 2021.
“The fact that we return 15 of the 16 position starters helps us to start way ahead of last season, in which we were replacing every starter except for one,” said Ball, who is entering his fourth season as Potlatch’s head coach. “As last season progressed, we improved in all areas of the game and we hope to continue that trend this season.”
The Loggers averaged over 20 points per game last season which isn’t an extraordinarily high number in the 8-man game, but not unexpected with an inexperienced team. This year, returning all eight starters, expect that number to push upwards. Senior running back Tyler Howard tallied nearly 1,000 yards on the ground and will be leaned on heavily again this fall behind an offensive line of senior center Logan Whitney, senior guard Odin McDonald, and junior guard Logan Amos.
Growth and development are often talked about as an intangible but, when you’re talking about high school football, it can be a very literal thing with 15 to 18-year old players.
“I expect a big improvement in (quarterback) Tyson Tucker,” Ball said. “After one year of experience, he will be better prepared for varsity football, plus he grew two inches and picked up 20 pounds (of weight) since last season.”
Tucker also plays when the opposition has the ball, part of a defensive unit that returns seven of eight starters. In its first four games last fall, Potlatch allowed 51 points per game. But, over its final three, that number dropped to 29 points per contest, a testament to the improvement Ball saw as the season progressed.
“We have a much better understanding of the defense and all the players got bigger and stronger over last season, which should help us defensively,” Ball said. “We will rely on the strength of our linebacking crew that includes Tyler Howard, (senior) Izack McNeal, and Tyson Tucker.”
One team from the potent White Pine League is guaranteed a spot in the 1A Division 1 state playoffs. Beyond that, there are seven at-large berths up for grabs. Last season, Prairie won the league title to claim the automatic bid while Kamiah, Lapwai, and Clearwater Valley all earned at-large selections and all four teams appear capable of competing for a playoff spot again. Potlatch appears to be in position to be in the mix as well and the team’s candidacy would get a boost from a strong start to the season, when it faces Troy at home and Genesee on the road, two teams also looking to climb the conference standings.