Puckett, Powers add up to success
SPIRIT LAKE, Idaho – Ask Timberlake High offensive coordinator and math teacher Brian Kluss what P{+2} equals and he has a quick answer that is more statistical than mathematical.
Seniors Nick Puckett and Levi Powers, the P elements in the equation, have combined for 5,602 yards total offense in two years in the Tigers’ yard-mulching backfield.
“They’ve carried us for a couple of years,” Kluss said. “We had some good seniors with them last year, but they accounted for the lion’s share of yards.”
Behind Puckett, the Tigers’ record-setting fullback, and Powers, the team’s quarterback, Timberlake finished a school-best 10-1 last year, advancing to the semifinals where the Tigers were topped by eventual state champion Fruitland.
Puckett and Powers want to take the Tigers one game further this year.
“We’re better right now going into the season than at the same time last year,” Powers said.
Puckett certainly is as healthy as he’s been. He aggravated a shoulder he separated while wrestling as a freshman last year before the season started and eventually had to play with a brace. Then in the Tigers’ quarterfinal win over Declo, he suffered a high ankle sprain.
Most athletes wouldn’t have attempted to play a week later. But not Puckett, who figures he was 75 percent at best.
Kluss figures he was less than 75 percent, and making matters worse is that the game was played on a field soaked by an overnight dousing of snow.
Three weeks following the season-ending loss, Puckett had surgery on his shoulder. It mended in time for him to turn out for track, and he and Powers helped lead Timberlake to a repeat state title.
“My doctor told me I had the shoulder of a 45-year-old man,” Puckett said. “I’m ready to go now.”
Puckett rushed for a school-record 2,159 yards last year, scoring 24 touchdowns and pushing his school-record career total to 3,485. It’s quite conceivable that he will finish with more than 5,000 yards.
“It comes after all the team goals,” Puckett said. “It’s the one thing I can do to help with the team goals.”
Puckett could rush for fewer yards this year and the Tigers could be every bit as successful. Kluss wants to involve Powers more in the rushing aspect of the Wing T offense. That means Puckett will have to be more selfish.
“He’s very unselfish,” Kluss said. “We need him to run more so it will take some of the burden off Nick. When Levi is in the open field, he’s as good as anybody we have. He needs to take advantage of his hurdling and triple jump instincts.”
Powers smiled when asked if he planned to be more selfish this year.
“I know they want me to run more, but I’d rather throw to someone,” Powers said.
Powers will throw more, too. He’ll have a nice target in senior tight end Josh Goodman, and the Tigers hope to take advantage of Goodman’s speed in play-action situations.
Before Puckett and Powers can run, though, the offense begins with their teammates in the trenches. Timberlake graduated four lineman and senior Dan Bashoor is the lone returning starter.
But they’re confident that the first-year starters can step up and open holes.
“They’ll do just fine,” Puckett said.
Puckett and Powers, who both stand 5-foot-9, also will start on defense opposite each other at cornerback.
“You’ll find the other skill kids are going to play a major factor in our success,” head coach Roy Albertson said. “With Puckett and Powers both playing on defense, we need everybody to share the work load. It just can’t be Puckett (running the ball) all the time. They won’t be off the field much.”
To say that Puckett and Powers were disappointed in the way the season ended last year is putting it mildly.
“I dwelled on the loss for a long time,” Puckett said. “Last year we kind of started believing our own hype. We can control how we play, and if we control how we play and it’s good, we can get to the (state) title game.”
“We know what to expect this year,” Powers said. “We know what a semifinal game looks like. We’ll be ready this year.”