Team Preview:
Written By: Will Hoenike

For four years, opponents on the field against the Lakeside Knights needed to know where explosive playmaker Bryar Sanchez was at all times. The four-year quarterback was the straw that stirred the drink for an offense last fall that averaged about 35 points per game.

Good news, White Star League opponents, Sanchez has graduated (though he is helping out on the coaching staff for head coach Chris Dohrman).

However, there’s another Sanchez on the scene as freshman Tucker Sanchez may be the one to step under center and take over the role previously held by his brother.

The younger Sanchez, if he earns the starting quarterback position, won’t be asked to do the same things as Bryar had been asked to do in recent seasons.

“We have most of our line returning and should be able to run the ball well this year,” Dohrman said. “We are replacing a four-year starter at quarterback so we need to have a lot of growth in this area.”

The Knights have experience back along the front line in center Gavin Rhea and guards Trey Wienclaw and Lazarus Iron Cloud. That trio will be asked the pave the way for tailback Vincent Howard and fullback Devin Arroyo. Arroyo, a junior, had two big touchdown runs in a win over Kootenai and two more in a win over Mullan, so he’s a weapon Dohrman and his staff will lean on to keep the ball moving when the Knights have the ball.

Defensively, Arroyo will help anchor the middle of the Lakeside defense from his linebacker position along with Howard. Rhea, Wienclaw and Iron Cloud will man the defensive line spots with Jayson Hall and Robert Cameron III playing in the defensive backfield.

“We have a good group of returners (on defense) and, if we can fill a few spots, we should be pretty tough on defense,” Dohrman observed. “We need to remain disciplined and improve our tackling this season.”

Among those looking to earn a role are Sanchez, who plays defensive back along with quarterback, fellow freshman Jonathan Sperber (WR/DB) and sophomore Alberto Arroyo (WR/DB).

“We have a good group of young men with very good attitudes and work ethic,” Dohrman said.

The Knights will look to compete for a playoff spot in the tough White Star League. Deary and Kendrick have earned the league’s two post-season spots each of the past four seasons – you have to go back to 2011 to find the last season that neither Kendrick nor Deary reached the 1A Division 2 state playoffs - and both appear to have good squads again this fall. Lewis County returns a potent offense as well, among other teams in the White Star. Lakeside has an opportunity to jump up into the conversation but will need to stay healthy and pick up a win or two that people outside the program may not expect.

The schedule-makers may have done the Knights a favor in that regard as Lakeside will host both Lewis County and Deary in the final two weeks of the season. If Dohrman’s squad progresses as he hopes, the Knights have two teams that most expect to be in the playoff hunt coming to their home field to end the regular season.

The Knights should be competitive in 2018. Will it be enough to punch through into the postseason? The team will have a chance. And that, as they say, is why you play the game.