Written by: Will Hoenike
The first season for varsity football at Moscow’s Logos School had its high points, such as a season-opening win over eventual 1A Division 2 playoff participant Timberline of Weippe. The team also closed strong with wins in two of its final three games, including its first conference win over Troy.
However, there were also bumps in the road for the Knights. Being a first-year varsity program is going to be a challenge no matter what but Logos was doing it in the ultra-competitive, ultra-deep, and ultra-talented 1A Division 1 Whitepine League. The team gave up at least 50 points in each of its six defeats, learning valuable lessons that cannot be replicated in practice.
Now, with a year’s worth of varsity games, varsity practice, and varsity expectations under its belt, the Knights are back for year two. Which brings its own challenges along with it.
“We lost nine seniors,” said head coach Nick Holloway. “We only have one senior returning.”
The Knights’ roster featured 20 varsity players in 2021, which is a solid number. It’s enough to practice 8-versus-8 and work on developing skill and depth. Logos also fielded a full junior-varsity team as well. However, with nine of those players being seniors (and only three listed freshmen), the need to develop impact players is big.
“We’re a young team but last year was the first year of varsity,” Holloway noted. “The experience of only one year has definitely shown in how they are preparing and playing in practice.”
As mentioned before, the team showed flashes in its first go-round as a varsity team. In each of its three wins, it surpassed 50 points. While key playmakers such as running back Aiden Elmore are gone, the team returns starting quarterback Jack Driskill, a junior, along with senior offensive lineman Gus Grauke and junior running back Jonathan Morrill.
Holloway and his staff hope to have a potent passing game with Driskill while the running game continues to evolve. Grauke will be the heart of the team’s offensive line charged with protecting Driskill and opening up holes for Morrill. A team needs more than one receiver to execute a potent passing attack and Holloway has a host of candidates, led by sophomores Seamus Wilson and Lucius Comis. Newcomers Ryan Daniels and Dominic Porras also have an opportunity to earn playing time.
Grauke, the program’s lone returning senior, will be in the middle of the team’s defense as well. He’ll be snapping the ball as the center on offense and, on defense, lining up over the center as a defensive tackle. Holloway likes the team’s speed at linebacker as Morrill figures to man one of the spots. Wilson, junior Henry Sundlie, and sophomore Ben Carlson will also battle for playing time at the position.
Holloway expects nearly 40 players to participate this fall, giving him and his staff the luxury of seeking full junior-varsity games as well as the varsity, which will help accelerate the development process for the program. With a program in just its third season (one year JV, one year varsity), the Knights are learning on the fly in one of the state’s top divisions.
How good is the 1A Division 1 Whitepine League? Five leagues get an automatic bid. There are seven at-large berths then awarded, based on a mathematical formula. Prairie won the automatic bid and four of the seven at-larges (Clearwater Valley, Lapwai, Potlatch, and Genesee) came from the league as well, meaning five of the 12 playoff teams came from one league.
Getting to the top of the 1A Division 1 classification is a challenge, no matter what. Holloway and the Knights know there is still work to be done but they also know significant steps are being made. Patience, health, and commitment will help the Logos program continue to move forward in 2022.