Stags make great strides in GNL

Deer Park football coach Keith Stamps knew this summer his Stags would be much better, based upon close outcomes a year ago, weight-room commitment and camp efforts in the off-season.

But he couldn’t have envisioned they’d be playing for undisputed first place in the Great Northern League entering the ninth week of the season. They’re doing so despite having lost starting quarterback Ryan Jorgensen to an injury three weeks ago.

Co-leader and eighth-ranked Pullman (6-2, 5-1 GNL) comes to ninth-ranked Deer Park (7-1, 5-1) on Friday and the Stags end the season at twice-beaten Colville.

“I love the position we’re in, two weeks to go and tied for first in league,” Stamps said. “I thought going in we’d be much better. I knew in the off-season this was the best team since I’ve been here. They keep amazing me every week with the way they play.”

Still young, with only three seniors starting on offense, Deer Park suffered a blow when Jorgensen tore an anterior cruciate knee ligament against West Valley. It was the opposite knee that he injured two years ago and re-injured again last year before placing in state wrestling.

Alex Wolf moved from tailback to quarterback and the Stags have carried on.

“Alex was our quarterback all summer and he started there when we went to Chewelah,” Stamps said.

He switched to tailback at half, ended up with 184 yards rushing, and remained there until Jorgensen’s injury.

“He knows the system and we run out of quarterback a little more,” said Stamps, who added that Wolf was on the field for 137 of 140 snaps in Deer Park’s last game. He rested only on kickoffs.

Jorgensen is still at practice and on the sidelines.

“(He’s) an unbelievable leader,” Stamps said. “That’s a piece we couldn’t lose.”

Pullman has finished first or second in the GNL and has gone 35-3 from 2003 to the present. Deer Park has no such tradition.

But it is company the Stags are only too happy to keep.