Team Preview:
Written by: Will Hoenike
In this day and age, most football fans have tuned in, at some point or another, to watch the NFL Draft. And, in doing so, they’ve probably heard the following phrase from someone standing at the podium.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a trade …”
Well, fans of the Central Idaho League, we’ve had a bit of a trade.
After seven seasons as the head coach of the Grangeville Bulldogs, Jeff Lindsley is changing roles. He’s moving to an assistant-coaching position and his long-time offensive coordinator, Jeff Adams, will take over the head coaching role for the team.
“Coach Linz (Lindsley) has two of his sons playing at C of I (the College of Idaho) on Saturdays now and liked the idea of having flexibility to go watch them,” Adams said of the coaching ‘trade.’ “But he is very much still involved and has done wonders with the kids in the weight room.”
With Adams, there should be little (if any) disruption to the program. Adams was Lindsley’s offensive coordinator for the past seven seasons so he knows the schemes, the players and the community well. And he knows he has one of the top 2A football players in Idaho in LB Noah Kaschmitter.
“He has started on the defensive line for us since he has been a freshman and has never wanted any of the spotlight,” Adams said of the now-junior Kaschmitter. “He has other things, like schoolwork and he has been working around the family rock-crusher since he could walk.”
It is players like Kaschmitter, the second-team All-State performer last fall, that help define Grangeville football. Blue-collar, hard-working and quietly effective. Located in central Idaho, without much media attention, the Bulldogs are just two years’ removed from a state championship and return a young, hungry team for the 2017 season.
The Bulldog defense allowed just 26 points over the season’s final three weeks – including holding eventual 2A state champ St. Maries to a season-low 8 points – to reach the playoffs. After an opening-round win over McCall, the team was knocked out in the quarterfinals by a good Declo team.
Kaschmitter leads the defense from his spot along the defensive line. He’ll be joined by linebackers Justin Fogleman and Brandon Stump, giving the Bulldogs a solid nucleus defensively. Adams wants to see added growth in the secondary and continued improvement in tackling to ensure the defense can play to its potential this fall.
Offensively, the Bulldogs have a good group of receivers, led by junior Booker Bush. An excellent route-runner, Bush headlines a group that includes senior Braison Norman – one of just two seniors on the team – and juniors Blake Darr and Jacob Vanderwall. Sophomore Kyle Frei should also figure into the mix as Adams hopes to be able to spread the ball around to his talented playmakers.
Setting things in motion is sophomore quarterback Techer Harris. Harris started under center as a freshman, eventually suffering a season-ending injury in the opening-round playoff game, but is back and ready to go this fall. His older brother, Layton, was the starting quarterback on Grangeville’s 2015 state championship team, giving the younger Harris something to strive for over the next three seasons.
Adams and his staff do need to replace three starters along the offensive line but are confident the team will have the pieces to keep the ball moving.
The Bulldogs will open the season on August 25 by welcoming in 4A Moscow. With only two CIL “league” games, it’ll be another heavy slate of non-conference games, including road games at Nampa Christian and at Parma during September.
Grangeville also has to travel to St. Maries, but gets rival Orofino at home in October.
Adams and his staff have the pieces to return to the 2A state playoffs in October and November. As always, health is vital. With a hard-working, blue-collar team, expect the Bulldogs to have a say in things when the calendar flips to November.
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