Written by: Will Hoenike
When you lose graduated seniors like Titus Yearout and Kross Taylor, no matter how explosive and talented they are, you’re somewhat prepared for it. The 2022 Lapwai Wildcats, however, suffered a loss over the summer when talented, two-way lineman Sage Lone Bear transferred to nearby Clarkston (WA) High School.
Before you write the eulogy for Lapwai’s season, though, remember this – one thing that is never in short supply in Lapwai is good athletes. And head coach Josh Leighton once again has a host of kids who can make big plays.
Leading the way is junior Mason Brown. As a sophomore, Brown ran for 865 yards, averaging nearly nine yards per carry, and scored eight rushing touchdowns for the Wildcats. He also collected 75 tackles, a pair of sacks, three interceptions, and a pair of fumble recoveries en route to second team All-State accolades as a defensive back. Another incoming junior coming off a breakout sophomore season is Ahlius Yearout. Yearout also earned second team All-State honors, but his were on offense where 11 of his 23 receptions went for scores, he added seven more touchdowns on the ground, and he totaled 746 yards of offense for the Wildcats.
A third weapon returning for Lapwai is senior Terrell Ellenwood-Jones. In ten games, Ellenwood-Jones ran for 364 yards and three scores, caught 411 yards worth of passes and three more scores, intercepted three passes on defense, and filled in at quarterback when Titus Yearout, the 1A Division 1 Idaho State Player of the Year who is now a scholarship basketball player at the University of Idaho, needed a substitute.
Where Lone Bear’s departure hurts the Wildcats is along the offensive and defensive line. The team does return All-Conference center and defensive tackle Promise Shawl to lead the way when Lapwai has the ball. As a team, the Wildcats averaged a whisker under 50 points per game in 2021. If you take out the team’s season-ending loss in the playoffs against Raft River, where they only managed 6 points, that average balloons up to just over 55 points per contest.
With the pieces still in place, expect Lapwai to still have an explosive offense this fall. The 1A Division 1 Whitepine League figures to be deep and competitive, as usual, so the keys often lie on the defensive side of the ball. Tackling, playing sound “assignment” football, and forcing turnovers can be the difference between playing in November and having an extra break before the start of basketball season.
And though Lapwai is a basketball-crazy town, the kids and the community would undoubtedly trade the extra days off if it meant a deep run in the football postseason as well. The Wildcats have the playmakers to be a difficult matchup for just about anyone in 2022.