Written by: Brandon Baney
It's been tough sledding for Orofino in recent years, as the team hasn't experienced the postseason since 2017. This year's seniors were 7th graders when the Maniacs went 4-5 in that 2017 season.
Speaking of 7th graders, Orofino will have a new head coach this year, as longtime assistant coach and junior high head coach Jake Maetche takes the reigns from former coach Garret Bretz.
The hardest part of Orofino's rebuild in recent years has been a lack of games on the schedule. Covid-19 reduced the Maniacs' schedule to three games in 2020, a year in which many of their contemporaries played six or seven contests.
Even last year, Orofino couldn't avoid the pandemic plague. Typically teams strive for an eight-game regular season slate. The Maniacs went 1-6 in a shortened schedule, and one of those losses was a forfeit to Priest River.
Speaking of Priest River, the Spartans and Kellogg are both moving down to the 2A Central Idaho League after spending several years at the 3A level. What was once a cozy, three-team CIL has turned into a five-team league that could become a grind.
But there is optimism brimming at Orofino, and for good reason. The Maniacs' starting offensive backfield is back in 2022, and senior quarterback Nick Drobish and senior running back Cory Godwin will be counted on to lead the offense. Up front, senior Luke McAdow is Orofino's most experienced player.
Otherwise, it's a fairly new cast of characters that is still learning to compete at the varsity level. "We do not have any returning all-league players," Maetche said. "But I think we should produce several this season."
On the surface, it appears as if Kellogg and Grangeville are the early favorites overall in the CIL. Those teams possess different styles, as Kellogg will rely on its speed to disturb opponents, while Grangeville is more of a hard-nosed, grind-it-out type squad.
Luckily, Orofino is well-equipped to handle whatever the opponent throws their way. "We have a team with good spped and a tough group of kids," Maetche said.
Part of the speed that Maetche touted is senior Tucker Malloy, who took 2nd place in the 100-meter dash at last spring's 2A state meet. He will be joining the football team for the first time this fall.
In addition to their four-game league schedule to conclude the year, the Maniacs will face Marsing, Bonners Ferry and Melba in non-conference play.