Written by: Christian Weaner
When your two best players — your three-year starter at quarterback and Idaho's all-time leading receiver, no less — graduate and move on to go play football at the University of Miami, any coach knows they are going to have some very big shoes to fill.
That is exactly where fourth-year Kellogg Head Coach Dan Davidian finds himself as the Wildcats look to start a new chapter following the Kolby and Riply Luna era.
Last season, the Lunas connected for 95 receptions, 1,750 yards and 21 touchdowns through the air and helped lead Kellogg's offense to a whopping 37.6 points per game, which was second best in all of 2A football.
Coach Davidian knows these type of numbers are not replicable in 2023, but he still has high expectations for what his team can do.
"Statistically, we will not improve over last year offensively with the Lunas," Davidian admitted. "[But] we hope to stay consistent, protect the football, keep defenses on their heels."
This season, the Wildcats offense will be led by senior quarterback Reed Whatcott. Junior wide receiver Coleman Blalack and senior running back Koler Wood are also expected to be importance offensive weapons, and senior Ethan Spencer — a first-team all-league nominee last season — will anchor the offensive line.
Defensively, Kellogg hopes to build upon what was a solid unit last season, allowing just over 15 points per game.
"We run a 3-4 defense and blitz in multiple ways," Davidian noted. "We keep offenses guessing on who’s blitzing, we swarm to the ball and cover the pass well."
The Wildcats had a respectable 6-4 campaign last fall after moving down from 3A to 2A. Kellogg went 4-0 against Central Idaho League (CIL) opponents and won the league championship.
Despite the loss of the Luna brothers, competing for another CIL title is an expectation, according to Davidian.
"We ask a lot from our players," Davidian said. "We have a tight group that works together and we’re just excited to continue to compete for league titles."
The Wildcats open the season hosting 4A Moscow, who they annihilated 50-12 in the season opener last year, and then face perennial 2A powerhouse North Fremont in Week 2 before hitting the road to take on Newport (WA) on Sept. 8.
By the time the Wildcats hit CIL action in mid-September, they should have a pretty good idea of how they stack up this season.