2023 Fall High School Sports Preview: Mt. Spokane’s ‘Odd Couple’ of Bode Gardner, TJ Haberman provide dangerous combination

Sometimes a high school football team will have a quarterback who can throw it 50 yards on the fly but won’t have anyone that can go get it.

Other times, a team can have a speedster on the outside with no one to reach him.

It’s not often when teams have both types of players on the same team. And it’s a luxury for a coach for both to be returning senior starters.

Such is the case at Mt. Spokane this season, where QB TJ Haberman and receiver Bode Gardner comprise one of the most exciting and prolific quick-strike duos in the state.

Haberman is tall, lean and can throw it a country mile. Gardner is one of the fastest football players in the state.

They’ve already proven theirs is an athletic relationship not to be taken lightly. In Friday’s Greater Spokane League 4A/3A opener, the duo combined for four touchdowns in a 40-27 win over University on the road. Gardner finished with eight catches for 225 yards and hauled in scoring passes of 21, 80, 17 and 61 yards. Haberman completed 16 of 25 passes for 383 yards.

It’s no wonder they have lofty goals. Both said their primary objectives this season are a GSL championship and a long run at state, but they have both set the bar high personally as well.

“Yeah, I have some personal goals,” the quiet quarterback said. “I’d like to go for 20 touchdowns – I finished with 19 last year.”

“I want 1,000 receiving yards with 10 or 15 receiving touchdowns,” the gregarious wideout said. “I want to set some more records here school-wise.”

They are both off to a healthy start.

Haberman is a “lead by example” type of player, while Gardner is energetic and feisty. The two play well off each other, and Haberman is growing into more of a vocal presence in the huddle.

“He likes talking. He talks to everyone,” Haberman said of Gardner. “There’s times he’s talking when I’m talking in the huddle and I gotta go ‘Bode, be quiet.’ ”

“He’s kind of quiet – but when he says something, everyone’s listening,” Gardner said of his quarterback. “If he really has to speak up and will get on us in certain different situations, then you know it’s important and you have to listen – and we listen to him. Truly, he’s a good leader.”

Mt. Spokane coach Terry Cloer has grown comfortable with the arrangement, even if it’s not exactly how he would draw it up.

“As a football coach, you want your quarterback to be that vocal leader,” he said. “(Haberman) has a positional leadership ability just by being the quarterback. He’s the leader of our offense and so you hope that’s the guy with the outgoing personality. But it’s kind of flipped and kind of backwards and Bode’s definitely the more vocal.

“I’ve known Bode since he was born. Sometimes I want to reign him in a little, for sure.”

Cloer appreciates having senior leadership at the positions – and stability at signal-caller.

“It’s nice having guys returning from last year and you’re not having competition where we’re having to play three or four or five different quarterbacks at every practice,” he said.

Haberman’s development from the start of last season has gone from being a “thrower” to more of a complete passer.

“He came in last year and he was learning the offense, learning his teammates, trying to figure out where his role was and what he was in the program,” Cloer said. “And this year, he’s the man. He knows that it’s his job, and he doesn’t have to look over his shoulder all the time.”

No pressure though.

“We’re gonna go as far as (Haberman) takes us, because he’s our distributor,” Cloer said. “He’s the guy that’s gonna make the checks and get the ball in the right places, and he can throw sideline to sideline. So, we can stretch the field wide, we can stretch it, you know, vertically and horizontally.”

“His arm is insane. We call him ‘The Gunslinger’ for a reason,” Gardner said. “With my speed and his arm ability … I’m running as fast as I can, and I know he’ll put the ball out there – or sometimes he’ll even overthrow me. It’s like, just crazy arm strength. Every receiver loves deep routes. That kind of arm is pretty nice to have.”

Haberman more than appreciates the talent Gardner brings to the field.

“He can run by any (defensive back). He can run any route, break it off. You know, having that deep threat opens up a lot.”

Cloer and his offensive coaches know with Gardner they have a not-so-secret weapon that teams must game plan around.

“How are teams going to defend it?” Cloer asked rhetorically. “Are you going to double (team)? OK, then we’re gonna go someplace else. And we have guys that can step up and make the plays elsewhere. Or are you going to leave him one-on-one? Are you going to back off him so we can throw underneath? You know, the defense has to pick their poison.”

Gardner admits last year he was still learning on the job but is feeling more confident preparing for his senior season.

“Last year was my first year ever playing receiver and honestly, I only really knew how to run a ‘go’ and a ‘post’ (routes). This year, I’ve definitely opened up my game a little bit more and learned how to do some other different routes. I’m really excited to show everyone what we’ve been working on.”

Gardner expects to see defenses geared toward shutting him down, including getting double-teamed.

“I’m hoping ‘no,’ but we’ll see what happens with that,” he said. “But I think we’re ready either way. I just think, for us to win I think the ball has to be in my hands for a fair amount of plays. And I think yeah, we’re ready to do that.”

Gardner brings legit speed to the position. He’s the anchor on Mt. Spokane’s two-time State 3A champion 4x400 relay team and helped the Spokane Speed Academy to a second-place finish in the 4x100 and 4x400 at a national competition over the summer.

That doesn’t leave much time for vacation or rest. He nursed a quad injury and missed a couple of practices during early fall camp.

“Running at (the University of Oregon’s) Hayward Field was amazing, it was magical,” Gardner said. “We had a really good squad, great group of guys. Shout out to coach (Cecil) Jackson. It was a little hard on the body, but we’re ready for this fall.”

Gardner had praise for his football coach, too.

“Cloer is building a great culture, teaching us to do the little things,” he said. “And with every single coach, all of us respect them so much and they coach us very well and teach us to be good players on and then great people off the field.”