Written by: Keller Sherman
Mike Schroeder led the Lakeland Hawks to a 7-3 record in his first season in charge in Rathdrum. Only one of those losses came by more than one possession. The Hawks dropped a 14-13 heartbreaker to Coeur d’Alene that prevented the team from going 3-0 against 5A Inland Empire League competition and also fell 20-14 in the first round of the playoffs to Pocatello.
In 2023, the goal shifts to catching ground on Sandpoint in conference play. Lakeland fell to the Bulldogs 38-13 last season and it will be a difficult challenge to knock them off on the road this season. However, if Lakeland is to take that next step as a program, they must vanquish the Bulldogs.
Lakeland loses a majority of its all conference talent from 2022. Offensive league MVP John Cornish highlights a talented group of graduated seniors that also includes Cayson Loutzenhiser, Thomas Calder, Preston Jeffs, Taylor Winklecotter, Hutton Hegbloom, Chase Burcham, Gabe Means, and Jamison Elliott. Schroeder points to Cornish and Calder especially as players that will be hard to replace.
All conference and all state kicker Owen Forsman and all conference defensive lineman Carter Vanek are the only returning honors players. Other key returners for Lakeland include Ezra Benson, Landon Burmeister, Roan Reily, and Carder Scarcello. In addition, Lovie Weil is expected to step up at the running back position.
On offense, Lakeland will utilize a west coast style scheme. “Our goal on offense is to be the most prepared and physical up front,” Schroder said. The Hawks offense will look to improve in the passing game. “(We) should be much better in the passing game and should have more of a deeper passing game as well,” Schroeder stated.
On defense, Schroeder points to three key players as the strength of the Lakeland defense. Linebackers Will Peed and Dillon Scott as well as safety Riley Saxe will be key figures on a 3-4 front. Even with this strength, Schroeder states that the defense “must be better in the secondary.”
Despite all of the talent that Lakeland lost, Schroeder believes that the Hawks will be able to reload and be even better. “We could actually be more physical and more mentally prepared. (We) could be deeper in several positions. We feel like we have developed more players in the off season,” Schroeder said.
He continues to emphasize physicality as he talks about what the x-factor to his team’s success is. Schroeder also stated, “Getting out of the gate successfully (will be important). We must have success early in our season. (We) must be healthy and we have to be more physical than our opponents.”
The 2023 campaign starts just as 2022 did as Lakeland will face Preston at Montana Tech University in Butte, Montana. Butte sits roughly halfway between Rathdrum and Preston and will serve as the neutral site of this North vs East Idaho showdown to open the season for both teams for the second straight year.
Lakeland will play its next three games at home starting with a date against Lake City. The Hawks then play two straight games against opponents from the state of Washington as Pullman and West Valley visit. Lakeland then hits the road for two straight games against 5A competition facing Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls. Lakeland will remain on the road to open conference play as the Hawks make the trip up to Sandpoint to face the Bulldogs. After a non conference tilt against Timberlake for homecoming, the regular season concludes with a visit from Moscow.
Schroeder knows that if Lakeland wants to reach the next level, his team must defeat Sandpoint. He expects the Bulldogs to have a loaded offense and offers special praise for the quarterback, running back, and offensive line positions from Sandpoint. Schroeder believes the Hawks have what it takes to challenge the Bulldogs and Lakeland will look to do just that in 2023.