They know the drill

Rain uncharacteristically fell Wednesday morning before giving way to a balmy, breezy afternoon on the first day of football practice for area high schools.

Two of them, Lewis and Clark and Almira/Coulee-Hartline, were back on the field some nine months removed from state championship seasons.

ACH coach Brandon Walsh said the title caught the fancy of youngsters wishing to be part of that success.

“We have kids who are excited about football and turning out because they want to be a part of something special,” Walsh said. “Our school spirit is higher than it has ever been since I’ve been here.”

Winning a title has had few residual effects on a new season at LC, said coach Tom Yearout.

“Each season defines itself differently,” the Tigers’ coach said. “Going into this one, I’m just as nervous now as I was my first year as a head coach.”

Yearout said all a coaching staff can do is tell kids to work as hard as they can and let the chips fall where they may. Last season, those chips fell remarkably well for the Greater Spokane League.

It was particularly so on the South Hill. Ferris – a consensus favorite – won the GSL as expected on its undefeated march before losing in the State 4A semifinals.

The only thing missing was an all-GSL final.

“You want to win that last game, but when you analyze it, it was a good season,” said Ferris coach Jim Sharkey.

Ferris, LC and Mead swept all three state-qualifying games against teams from the Columbia Basin League. LC captured Spokane’s fancy with its magical five wins through the other side of the playoff bracket on its way to the improbable state title.

“The whole run still has a surreal quality about it,” Yearout said.

At this time of year hope springs eternal, not only for the two South Hill teams, but for everyone else who began the season on equal footing, including Shadle Park and Rogers, who move to 3A this year.

That means the GSL will be split nearly evenly between 4A (six) and 3A (five) teams.

Taylor Eglet, returning quarterback of the LC’s state champions, said a blanket can be thrown over the field in the race for postseason berths.

“Every 4A team has a chance of making the playoffs,” he said. “Everybody’s just really good. Whoever gets those two playoff spots should be ready go by the time they roll around. We don’t change expectations. We just try to be the best team we can be.”

The first of three days sans contact saw players in helmets, T-shirts and shorts.

Yearout said three days of practice without blocking and tackling was akin to practicing basketball without the ball. The real work begins Saturday.

The Tigers will be different in the line and different behind the quarterback with graduation of impact seniors.

But Yearout, following a workout that ended with boot camp-like conditioning, said he expects his team to be quicker.

Ferris must replace most of its skilled players, but its strength should be in the line.

“I don’t have a feel yet (for the team),” Sharkey said. “A few of those seniors we lost might be tough to replace. But this group works hard, so time will tell if we will be competitive.”

Mead, with two of the league’s best receivers and a solid line; Central Valley, with talented skill players; and traditional power Gonzaga Prep, under new coach Dave McKenna, also are expected to be in the 4A mix. Mt. Spokane, which started a bunch of sophomores last year, is the 3A team to watch.

“The league will be better than people think,” Sharkey said. “It will be very competitive.”