Written by: Will Hoenike
Ryan Ball has been around the block a few times. First, as the head coach at Kamiah for over a decade. And now, going into his seventh season as the head coach of the 2A Potlatch Loggers of the Whitepine League. So he’s replaced a talented quarterback before. And he’ll do it again this season, replacing the talented and explosive Jack Clark.
“Overall, we return the majority of the players who were on the starting unit last season,” Ball said. “It will depend on the ability to replace Jack at quarterback and his ability to make explosive plays.”
Clark was the focal point of a Potlatch offense that averaged nearly 48 points per contest in 2023 en route to a 6-3 overall record and a berth in the 1A Division 1 (now 2A) state playoffs. And while he has moved on, Ball and his assistant coaches welcome back the entire offensive line. Junior Jacob Keck was a 1st teal all-conference performer as an offensive and defensive line and will anchor both units this season. He’ll be joined up front by senior Tanner Garrels and junior Avery Smith.
“Our offensive line will be our primary strength this season,” Ball continued. “So we will primarily rely on the run game early on and develop the passing game as the season progresses and our QB play gets more game-time experience.”
Junior Jay Marshall will be one of the first players looked to in the role of quarterback. He was an all-conference performer at running back as a sophomore so sliding over one spot and taking the snap shouldn’t be a big physical change. He’ll be joined in the backfield by senior Ben Johnson and flanked on the outside by senior all-conference receiver Waylan Marshall. Sophomore Hunter Redmon will also be given the opportunity to earn significant playing time on offense as well.
Defensively, it’s largely the same cast of characters. Keck, Garrels, and Smith will be tasked with controlling the line of scrimmage in front of Redmon and Jay Marshall at linebacker. Meanwhile, Waylan Marshall and Johnson will lead the team’s secondary.
“We need to improve our physicality and with the returners getting bigger and stronger over the past year I think that we will be a more physical team which should help us be a better defensive team.” Ball said.
And it wasn’t a bad defense last season. During a season-opening four-game winning streak last season, the Loggers allowed a total of 60 points.
Potlatch will bear witness firsthand to one of the big storylines in Idaho 8-man football this season as a member of the 2A Whitepine League. On October 4, the Loggers will host Kendrick. The two communities are no strangers to one another – separated by less than 40 miles - but this season the two will play in the same league. Kendrick, winners of three consecutive state titles at the 1A Division 2 (now 1A) level are now a member of the 2A (formerly 1A Division 1) level. So Potlatch’s road just got even tougher with Prairie, Logos, and Kendrick, among others, on the schedule, meaning the margin for error could be thin for the Loggers.
“We are very limited in our depth so any injury could really hurt our team,” Ball explained. “Last season we got hit with a variety of health and injury problems so we are hoping this season we stay away from those things.”
The coaching staff remains optimistic, though, and looks forward to seeing the green-clad Loggers take the field on August 30 in a non-conference tilt against 1A Timberline-Weippe.
“I am excited that we have a group of young men who are excited about the upcoming season and have been working on improving themselves during the offseason,” Ball concluded. “I believe the leadership and attitude of this team is going to be very good which should lead to successes on game day.”