Written by: Will Hoenike
It wasn’t that long ago that the Potlatch Loggers were coming off of a winless season. A last-place finish in the 1A Division 1 Whitepine League that saw the team hold one opponent – out of eight – below 56 points.
The year was 2016.
Since then, the coaches, the kids, and the community have steadily climbed, fighting back to a six-win season in 2021, a berth in the state playoffs, and an opening-round win over Grace to reach the quarterfinal round against perennial power Raft River. The Loggers fought valiantly but were ultimately overcome by a Trojan team that went on to reach the 1A Division 1 state championship game.
Now, the Loggers will be looking to reset themselves a little bit to resume the climb.
“We will need many young players to step in and contribute this season,” said fifth-year head coach Ryan Ball. “(I’m excited) to see the development of the young players as the season progresses.”
Potlatch had a pair of 1,000-yard rushers last fall that both graduated. Quarterback Tyson Tucker and running back Tyler Howard helped spearhead an attack that averaged over 40 points per game. Two of the three offensive linemen who helped pave the way – Odin McDonald and Logan Whitney – are also gone.
However, back for his senior season is all-state guard Logan Amos. If the Logger running game is gaining ground, it’s likely that Amos is leading the push upfront. Seniors Wyatt Johnson and Avery Palmer step into starring roles in Potlatch’s ground-heavy attack.
“We have, in the past, relied heavily on our run game so we will lean heavily on Logan Amos to open holes,” Ball said. “We will try to take advantage of Wyatt Johnson’s speed to get our explosive plays.”
All coaches strive for balance. Ball is no different. He’d like his office to be able to connect through the air to take some pressure off the backs to carry the load. With Tucker gone, Potlatch will likely turn to junior Jack Clark. His development and ability to keep the offense on the field will be big keys to the Loggers’ success this fall.
Defensively, Ball is quite honest in his assessment of his defense’s strengths.
“Not quite sure,” he said. “We’ve had to replace many starters from the defensive side of the ball and others that are returning are going to play a different position.”
While there is work to be done in anticipation of the team’s opener at Genesee on September 2, Ball and his staff have some pieces to work with. Notably, Amos along the defensive line. Along with being a dynamic guard on offense, he also earned all-conference honors on the defensive line as well. His ability to close holes on defense as well as open them on offense will be important to the team’s success. He’ll be joined on the defensive line by senior Sam Barnes while Palmer slots in as one of the team’s linebackers. Clark and the speedy Johnson will see time in the defensive backfield.
The Whitepine League from District 2 gets one automatic berth, the league champion, into the 1A Division 1 state playoffs. After that, it goes to a mathematical formula to decide seven at-large berths from around the state. The Whitepine produced five playoff teams in 2021 and looks to be tough again.
No team in the league has an easy path to a possible playoff berth. Potlatch’s path may begin a little tougher due to the volume of key players that need to be replaced but, under Ball’s leadership, the Loggers have traditionally played better as the season has progressed. Dating back to 2018, Potlatch has a record of 7-9 during the months of August and September, but 11-7 in October and November.