Chewelah Hasn’t Had To Concern Itself With Kicking Game

The story goes that Ryan Chicoine was practicing his punts during halftime of a Saturday Lakeside game when the punter from Chewelah, dressed in street clothes, decided to join the fun.

The ball went back and forth a couple of times before Chicoine launched a kick well beyond the competing punter. Sensing the futility of matching Chicoine, the Chewelah punter left the field.

Truth be told, however, Chewelah hasn’t had to concern itself with punting this year.

The fourth-ranked Cougars (6-0), under first-year coach Roy Albertson, have averaged 44 points and close to 500 yards per game. Chewelah owns a 37-14 win over Class AA Colville which is the only team to have defeated Idaho A-1 Division II third-ranked Post Falls.

“In two or three games we’ve had 30 points by the beginning of the second quarter,” Albertson said.

Albertson inherited a strong front seven and a backfield led by 225-pound fullback Greg Belzer. Extra dividends have come from the play of junior running back Cody Katzer, who has rushed for eight touchdowns.

Albertson’s main concern has been in the defensive backfield, where two sophomores and three seniors who didn’t play last year have received on-the-job training.

“Every week people are testing our DBs,” Albertson said. “They’re getting better because of it.”

Chewelah held Newport’s Nate Carrara, one of the league’s top quarterbacks, to a 2-of-24 effort.

Cougars QB Dan Macrae runs Albertson’s option. Chewelah hasn’t had to throw much, but Steve Murbach has proved able at slant patterns.

, DataTimes