Written by: Will Hoenike
Last year, the Timberline Spartans featured a solid offensive and defensive front led by now-departed seniors Jaron Christopherson and Micah Nelson.
So now, just in time to replace a big part of the team’s front, the Spartans feature a nice collection of talented skill players.
That’s the way it can go in small-school football in Idaho, particularly the 8-man ranks. Synching the two up – the trenches and the skill – can be tricky. The teams that do it are generally duking it out for the privilege of holding a state-title banner in November.
For the second consecutive year, the Spartans will feature a co-coaching tandem of Pat Christopherson and Ryan West, along with assistant coach Ronnie Fugate. On the surface, the loss of Nelson and Jaron Christopherson could look highly damaging but, while certainly not beneficial per se, the staff believes in the pieces it has.
Quarterback Parker Brown returns for his senior season. Junior running back Rylan West is also back. That pair will be joined by, among others, senior Logan Hunter, junior Gavin Christopherson, and junior Darrin Bonner to form a solid nucleus for the Spartans, who finished 3-4 overall last season and qualified for the 1A Division 2 state playoffs as the second seed out of District 2’s Whitepine League.
“We have a solid core group returning and some great freshmen coming up,” Christopherson said. “I believe that this is the most unified team that I have ever had the privilege to coach. We are super focused and looking forward to a very successful season.”
The Spartans are coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, though their draw each time has been exceedingly difficult. In 2020, Timberline opened the postseason in Dietrich and the Blue Devils went on to win the 1A Division 2 state title. Last fall, the task was maybe more daunting – a road trip to perennial state power Carey, who went on to play in the championship game.
Can this be the year that Timberline breaks through? The immediate road block for the Spartans resides in the same league, the Whitepine, as defending state champion Kendrick returns virtually its entire team. Fellow league rivals Lewis County and Deary also present challenges. With three league foes, someone will have to play two of their three Whitepine games on the road. This fall, one of those teams is Timberline. The Spartans face road challenges at Kendrick and in Highland against Lewis County, so a tough path awaits Timberline in 2022.
But Christopherson welcomes the challenge.
“We are fairly well-rounded,” he said. “Our RPO (run-pass option offense) continues to improve and we hope to really showcase it this year. Our overall physical strength (on defense) will be a huge factor this year.”
If Christopherson, West, and Fugate are successful in filling gaps along the offensive and defensive fronts, the Spartans will be a factor in the Whitepine race. There are enough playmakers on both sides of the ball to provide a spark for the team as it seeks to continue forward momentum created over the past few years.