1A Trico football preview: Stability is the key for La Center

Explaining why the La Center Wildcats have become the perennial team to beat in the Class 1A Trico League is simple: the Wildcats have been playing the same tune since 1999.

That’s when John Lambert was hired as head coach. Entering his 17th season, his program has continuity any school would love.

By contrast, Kalama, Castle Rock and Seton Catholic have new head coaches this season. White Salmon’s John Hallead is in his fourth season and Stevenson’s David Waymire is in his fifth.

So, even with fewer seniors than many of their rivals, the Wildcats are favored to win a fourth consecutive league title, which would be a first for La Center. 

Experience is why Kalama might be the team best positioned to challenge La Center. Despite the fact that Eric Boswell left Kalama to coach and teach at Castle Rock, the Chinooks have a senior-laden defense and a capable quarterback who should help ease the transition for first-year coach Sean McDonald. Plus, McDonald was a Trico League MVP at Kalama just eight years ago before playing college and Arena League football.

LA CENTER WILDCATS

Coach: John Lambert (17th season)

2014 season: 6-4, 5-0 1A Trico.

Key players: Zach Galster, sr., te; Dalton Morgan, sr., rb/db; Michael Shufeldt, sr., ol/dl; Kellan Sullivan, sr., te; Hazen Kapp, sr., ol/dl; Jake Wise, jr., te; Jeremy Scott, jr., qb; Cole Judd, sr., rb/lb; Brett Judd, jr., rb/; Matthew Lincon, jr. ol/; Jack Hiller, soph., ol.

Team notes: The Wildcats return eight starters on offense and seven on defense and again are the team to beat in the Trico League. The Wildcats have only 10 seniors. Four of them are fourth-year contributors, including 2014 Trico offensive MVP Cole Judd. A strong sophomore class includes three of the offensive line starters.

Schedule

Sept. 4

at Hockinson, 7 p.m.

Sept. 11

at Woodland, 7 p.m.

Sept. 18

Tumwater, 7 p.m.

Sept. 25

Hudson’s Bay, 7 p.m.

Oct. 2

at Castle Rock*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 9

at White Salmon*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16

Stevenson*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 23

Kalama*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 31

at Seton Catholic*, 2 p.m.

*—1A Trico League game

SETON CATHOLIC COUGARS

Coach: Will Ephraim (First season)

2014 season:
1-7, 0-5 in 1A Trico League.

Key players: Hunter Cofer rb/lb; Sam Jackson lb; Jonathan Stell qb/db;
Josh Vick wr/db; Ricky Torres ol/dl; Alex Rodriguez ol/dl;
Ben Besquera qb/db.

Team notes: The Cougars enter their fourth varsity football season with a new head coach. Will Ephraim, a defensive back at Oregon State in the early 1990s, takes over for Dan Chase. Ephraim has been an assistant coach at Camas for four years and interim coach at Hudson’s Bay. Ephraim said he wants the Cougars to be “fast, aggressive and unpredictable.”

Schedule

Sept. 4

at King’s Way Chr., 6 p.m.

Sept. 11

BYE

Sept. 19

at North Beach, 2 p.m.

Sept. 25

at Portland Chr., 7 p.m.

Oct. 2

Stevenson*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 9

at Castle Rock*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16

at Kalama*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 23

White Salmon*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 31

La Center*, 2 p.m.

*—1A Trico League game

STEVENSON BULLDOGS

Coach: David Waymire (Fifth season)

2014 season: 3-6, 3-2 in
1A Trico.

Key players: Colton VanPelt, sr., lb; Bryan Griffith, sr., rb;  Issac Adams, sr., ol/dl; Brett Brenan, sr. wr; Luke Nichols, jr, qb; Riley Ohmemus, sr., lb; Cody Seaman, sr., ol/dl.

Team notes: Coming off a second-place finish in the Trico League (they tied with Kalama but beat the Chinooks), the Bulldogs will look to young players with speed to make a run at a district playoff spot this season. Said coach David Waymire: “The attitude is great and the team is really coming together. I am excited to see what they can do.”

Schedule

Sept. 4

at Washougal, 7 p.m.

Sept. 11

at Hoquiam, 7 p.m.

Sept. 18

Estacada (Ore.), 7 p.m.

Sept. 25

Rainier (Ore.), 7 p.m.

Oct. 2

at Seton Catholic*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 9

Kalama*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16

at La Center*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 23

Castle Rock*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 30

White Salmon*, 7 p.m.

*—1A Trico League game

KING’S WAY CHRISTIAN KNIGHTS

Coach: Luke Gillock (Eighth season)

2014 season: 1-5.

Key players: Preston Danberg, sr., rb/lb; Dustin Johnson, sr. rb/lb; Tony Huser, sr., ol/dl; Liam Nabors, jr., qb/db.; Riley Danberg, soph., ol/dl; Carson Theis , jr., ol/dl;
Luke Hoffman, jr., rb/lb; Aaron Wogan, sr., ol/dl; Sam Brouwer, jr., wr/db; Judah Smith, jr., wr/db.

Team notes: This is Year 2 of 11-man football for the Knights and their last before joining the Trico League for the 2016 football season. KWC played six varsity games and three junior varsity games last season. This season the Knights play eight varsity opponents, five of them at home.

Schedule

Sept. 4

Seton Catholic, 6 p.m.

Sept. 11

Chief Sealth, 6 p.m.

Sept. 18

Kalama, 6 p.m.

Sept. 25

at Castle Rock, 7 p.m.

Oct. 2

BYE

Oct. 9

Umatilla (Ore.), 6 p.m.

Oct. 16

at Fort Vancouver, 5 p.m.

Oct. 23

at Friday Harbor, 6 p.m.

Oct. 30

Salem Academy, 6 p.m.

1A Independent

CASTLE ROCK ROCKETS

Coach: Eric Boswell (First season)

2014 season: 3-6, 2-3 in 1A Trico.

Key players: Nate Myklebust, soph., rb/db; Parker Patching, soph. qb/lb; Dakota Golden, jr., qb/rb; Nathan Halladay, soph., rb/lb; Dylan Libby, sr., rb/db; Chris Millward, jr., rb/lb; Adam Black, jr., te/lb; Talib Meeks, sr., rb/de; Raimon Mangan, sr., ol/dl.

Team notes: Eric Boswell moved to Castle Rock from Kalama. Castle Rock
has a young squad. Boswell said he will use a  lot of players, but the coach  said the Rockets have enough size and speed to compete each week.

Schedule

Sept. 4

at Ridgefield, 7 p.m.

Sept. 11

Tenino, 7 p.m.

Sept. 18

at Hockinson, 7 p.m.

Sept. 25

King’s Way Chr., 7 p.m.

Oct. 2

La Center*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 9

Seton Catholic*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16

at White Salmon*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 23

at Stevenson*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 30

at Kalama*, 7 p.m.

*—1A Trico League game

KALAMA CHINOOKS

Coach: Sean McDonald (First season)

2014 season: 5-5, 3-2 in 1A Trico League.

Key players: Hunter Esary, sr., te/lb; Casey Sweet, sr., de/ot; Isaac Truesdell, sr., qb/db; Corbyn Burns, soph., sb/wr; Victor Leatzow, sr., db/wr; Jacob Herz, sr., db/wr; Carl Hausserman, sr.,  de/rb; Sam Ross, sr., ol/dl; Jasper Pullido, sr., rb/db.

Team notes: Sean McDonald — a four-year player at Kalama and the 2007 Trico League MVP —is a first-time head coach after two years as an assistant at Mark Morris. He takes over a team with a solid senior class, strong defense and proven quarterback in Isaac Truesdell who threw 17 TDs and only three interceptions last season.

Schedule

Sept. 4

Woodland, 7 p.m.

Sept. 11

Ridgefield, 7 p.m.

Sept. 18

at King’s Way Chr., 6 p.m.

Sept. 25

at Corbett (Ore.), 7 p.m.

Oct. 2

White Salmon*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 9

at Stevenson*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16

Seton Catholic*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 23

at La Center*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 30

Castle Rock*, 7 p.m.

*—1A Trico League game

COLUMBIA-WHITE SALMON BRUINS

Coach: John Hallead (Fourth season)

2014 season: 5-4, 2-3 in 1A Trico League.

Key players: Ulices Isordia, sr., rb/db; Kaleb Brasuell, sr., ol/lb; Tyler Dennis, sr., ol/dl; Jabal Gilbert, sr., te/d; Bubba Demchuk, sr., ol/dl; Zach Walker, jr., rb/de; Aidan Trummel, jr., wr/db; Austin Bucklin, jr., qb; Lewie Rowlen, soph. wr/db; Chandlor Bucklin, fr., wr/db.

Team notes: The Bruins had a winning record last year and look to qualify for the district playoffs this season behind a solid offensive line and front seven on defense.
White Salmon will be young at skill positions. But with 51 players on the team, coach John Hallead believes the Bruins have good potential.

Schedule

Sept. 4

at Goldendale, 7 p.m.

Sept. 11

Washougal, 7 p.m.

Sept. 18

Fort Vancouver, 7 p.m.

Sept. 25

Riverside, 7 p.m.

Oct. 2

at Kalama*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 9

La Center*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16

Castle Rock*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 23

at Seton Catholic*, 7 p.m.

Oct. 30

at Stevenson*, 7 p.m.

*—1A Trico League game