Written by: Will Hoenike
After a three-year hiatus from the football field, the Cascade Ramblers returned to action in 2022. The squad picked up a win over Meadows Valley in September and hung with Wilder before dropping a close, two-point contest. Now, in 2023, the Ramblers are returning to the Long Pin Conference and will play a full conference schedule since 2018.
Things are trending the right direction in Cascade. The team didn’t have any seniors last season so it gained valuable experience on the field last season, so there is reason to think the forward motion could continue this fall.
Head coach Keala Hoe is entering his second season atop the Rambler program. By his side is longtime Cascade fixture Pal Sartori, who led Cascade to the 1A state championship back in 2003.
“We went through a big learning curve last year,” said Sartori. “There’s no real ‘X-factor.’ Cascade will need to play mistake free to be successful.”
The team returns senior Trevor Sayers and junior Hayden Hull along the offensive line in front of senior quarterback Tyler Thurston. Senior Grant Whipple and junior Stuart Derrick will compete for carries in the offensive backfield while senior Alex Johnson and junior Cole Olson will look to impact the Rambler offense from the tight end position, either as blockers or pass-catchers.
Cascade will have good speed on defense but will need to continue to grow to find more consistency. The group, led by Sayers and Whipple at linebacker, played very well in spurts but will face greater challenges this fall as full members of the Long Pin.
Hoe, Sartori, and the Ramblers jump right in to the deep end of the pool in 2023 with non-conference contests against Idaho City, Timberline, and Lewis County. Two of the three (Idaho City and Timberline) reached the postseason last season and the third, Lewis County, is expected to be a strong playoff contender this fall. Cascade will host Salmon River and defending Long Pin champ Council in conference play in back-to-back weeks before ending the regular season with three consecutive road games.
Cascade last reached the 1A playoffs in 2009. While 2023 may not be the year to end that dry spell, the Ramblers have a good chance to keep moving closer.