Freeman Scotties Have High Expectations

Thu., Sept. 10, 1998

By Dave Trimmer davetrimmer@yahoo.com

The Freeman Scotties had a loud bark last year, but the Colfax Bulldogs had a bigger bite.

Not this year.

Freeman is ready to replace Colfax at the top of the Northeast A football standings.

“The anticipation is great as expectations have been raised,” Custer said. “The last four years have established a real pride in Freeman football. A reputation as a hard-hitting program has to be continued to exploit the good athleticism.”

Colfax lost all of its starters off last year’s team that lost in the State 1A championship game. That means Kettle Falls will probably have the best Bulldogs in the league.

Freeman’s biggest challenge, however, would seem to be Reardan, a perennial B power that was bumped up to 1A at the start of winter sports last school year.

Liberty is favored to replace Reardan at the top of the Bi-County standings.

Scotties have speed and experience

The Scotties’ strengths are experience on the line and speed.

Junior receiver Jeremy Roche is the fastest Scotty, and he is complemented by classmate Bill DePell, another speedster, and Chris Miller. Dan Bright and Nick Dahman also figure into the receiver rotation.

Throwing the ball is junior Kelly Custer, the coach’s son. Filling out the backfield are tailbacks Brian White and Brandon Pratt, and fullbacks Bill Morphy and Chris Fulkerson.

All the linemen have starting experience. Eric Hendrickson is the center, with Simon Snyder at right tackle and Lance Rasmussen at left tackle. Chris McCoy and Charlie Abbey are competing at left guard, with Jeff Wigen, Alex Broili and Dustin Clum at right guard. Chris Hodl is a key reserve across the line.

Most players will go both ways. Wigen was an all-league linebacker last year and he fills the middle, backed up by Fulkerson. Dahman and Morphy are strong-side linebackers with Jacot on the weakside. Henrickson and Snyder are the left defensive ends with Broili, Hodl and McCoy at tackle. Abbey and Clum are right tackles with Rasmussen at end.

The defensive backfield includes cornerbacks Bright, Miller and Roche with Depell and Pratt at strong safety and White at free safety.

Lancers look to reverse fortunes

Liberty finished last season with five straight wins and tied for third in the Bi-County League but missed out on a playoff spot because of a tiebreaker. That should change.

“We finished as well as we can without getting into the playoffs,” coach Rod Fletcher said. “The kids are enthused to build on that. We have the talent to get it done if we keep everybody healthy.”

The offense is built around speed. Senior quarterback Jeremy Engle and senior running back Brad Wiman were the top two sprinters in the Bi-County last spring. Wiman, who gained more than 1,000 yards, was on the all-league second team. Sophomore Mat Macias is the other halfback in the wishbone offense with Ryan Lind the fullback. Sophomore B.J. Devinney will offer depth. Junior Jake Holling is the wideout with senior Mike Gardner at tight end.

Anchoring the line is 6-4, 240-pound senior guard Matt Horlacher, a second-team all-league pick last year. Sophomore Nathan Browning is the center with Mike Brumley, a 6-6, 255-pound junior, the other guard. The tackles are senior Dan Lish and junior Reed Wiman.

Horlacher was a first-team defensive end and Wiman was firstteam at linebacker. Brumley and Lish play the interior of the defensive line with senior Jeff Somboonpunpon or junior Nate Leitz opposite Horlacher. Jiggs Dodson is a backup on the line. Gardner, Macias and Lind are linebackers.

Devinney and Holling are cornerbacks. Holling was a second-team all-league pick last year. Engle is the safety. Sophomore Ben Holling is a backup.

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