Preseason Coaches' Poll
T-1. Lakeside
T-1. Wallace
Written by: Will Hoenike
Veteran head coach Chris Dohrman has been through the 8-man football wars in north Idaho several times. He knows how things can play out in October and November, no matter what a team’s roster looks like in August.
“We do have a good group of returners and should have a good year if we can stay healthy,” said Dohrman, entering his eighth year as the head coach at Lakeside. “We have a good group of young men that will be fun to see how they improve throughout the season.”
The Knights are coming off a four-win season and a berth in the 1A Division 1 state playoffs and the team graduated just three seniors. Replacing Jayson Hall, Alberto Arroyo, and Sonny Reuben won’t be simple but Lakeside does have playmakers back this fall.
Vander Brown, a junior who draws raves for his quickness from opposing coaches, will be back to play running back and defensive back. He’ll be joined in the backfield by senior quarterback Tucker Sanchez who continues to improve after first seeing the field as a freshman. Seniors Jonathan Sperber and Patrick Brown will see increased roles in the Knights’ offense this fall as well. Senior Patrick Galler will anchor the offensive line from the center position.
If you went to a Lakeside game in 2020, you usually saw a lot of big plays. Only one of Lakeside’s eight opponents held the team under 34 points and that was Oakley in the opening round of the 1A Division 1 state playoffs. However, the inverse is also true – Lakeside surrendered more than 30 points per game. In order to return to the postseason and challenge for a deeper run, the Knights’ defense will need to limit the explosive plays of its opponents.
It starts with Gellar along the defensive line. When he’s not playing quarterback, Sanchez may be asked to chase down the opposing quarterback from the defensive end position. Both Vander and Patrick Brown will contribute on defense as well, along with Sperber, as other newcomers settle into larger roles.
Lakeside plays alongside Wallace in the two-team Scenic Idaho Conference. Last season, by virtue of two head-to-head wins, Lakeside won the conference and earned an automatic berth into the postseason. Again in 2021, the Knights will play six non-conference football games. They’ll play a home-and-home series with the Miners. If those two games don’t settle the matter, it seems a Kansas-City tiebreaker shortly after the final regular-season game on October 22 will likely be the deciding factor.