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Written By: Will Hoenike

Trivia time, 8-man football fans.

When is the last time a 1A 8-man team in Idaho had two players walk on to an NCAA-level college football team? We’ve got that at the University of Idaho, where former Genesee Bulldog All-Staters Edward Becker and Cole Allen have both walked on to the Vandal squad.

Now, double or nothing. Can you think of a time when an 8-man team had two players advance to NCAA-level college football and returned two All-State caliber players the following season?

Again, we offer the Genesee Bulldogs.

Coming off a 10-1 season that ended in a hard-fought loss in the 1A Division 1 state title game against rival Prairie, head coach Tim Sperber watched Becker and Allen head up the road to Moscow … and welcomed back second team All-State quarterback Kolby Moser and second-team All-State defensive back Daniel Lindquist for the 2018 season.

It’s a rare mix, for sure, that leaves few in the White Pine League shedding any tears for Sperber and his program. The Bulldogs appear primed to compete for a playoff berth in the White Pine again this fall, led by Moser, Lindquist and all-conference lineman Dillon Sperber. Oh, and all-conference lineman Ethan Graves. And all-conference linebacker Jon Kopf.

“I think we are athletic, smart and have great work ethic,” Sperber said of his team. “It will be fun to watch the underclassmen improve.”

As you see, as the underclassmen improve, the cupboard is far from bare just off Highway 95, between Moscow and Lewiston.

Defensively, the Bulldogs held every opponent in the regular season to 16 points or less and it may not change a ton this fall with Kopf leading the way at linebacker. What he lacks in traditional size, he makes up for in effort and Sperber calls him, “an impact player.”

Sperber and Graves will likely see time along the defensive front with Moser and Lindquist on the corners, meaning a strong nucleus of the 2017 defense remains in place to start 2018.

While it will be tough to replace the production of Becker, who earned 1A Division 1 State Player of the Year honors in 2017 after totaling 35 touchdowns for the Bulldogs, Sperber has his quarterback (Moser) back in the fold. Though Becker garnered a lot of the headlines, Moser was explosive with both his feet and his arm as a junior and should be the focal point of the offense. Lindquist and Kopf should be key factors on offense for Genesee as well.

As for the blocking, two of Moser’s protectors were all-conference performers in 2017, so there’s a strong base along the offensive front as well.

Having a strong core of big-game experience will come in handy for the Bulldogs because Sperber’s group jumps in, metaphorically, with both feet when the season kicks off on August 24. First, it is 1A Division 2 contender Kendrick. Then it’s a neutral-site contest against perennial 1A Division 1 contender Raft River in Middleton. Then it’s a home game against Lapwai, a team that features two of the conference’s top offensive playmakers in Kendall Leighton and Tui Moliga. Then it’s a road game against Prairie, who is considered a top contender to return to the title game again this fall. Then, to keep it going, it’s a home contest against an up-and-coming Clearwater Valley program to close out the month of September.

Genesee will be tested early and often in 2018, but that’s also fairly common for the White Pine League which, historically, is as deep and as talented as any 8-man conference in the state. This year appears no different.

The Bulldogs have the look of a contender. They’ll be battle-tested and experienced but don’t be caught off-guard if they make another November push this fall.