Written by: Brandon Baney
Veteran Timberlake coach Kelly Amos doesn’t mince words when discussing his team in 2024.
“We return 233 yards of offense from a team that had over 4,300 yards a season ago,” says Amos.
Among the losses:
Cooper Lenz, a two-way All-State player
Jacob Yetter, Timberlake’s school record holder in every receiving category
and Cole Meidinger, Timberlake’s all-time passing yardage leader
And six of the top seven offensive linemen
Needless to say, there’s work to be done. But Amos is optimistic.
“We have the parts to be a good offense, we just need all the parts to gel,” he explains.
It’s not all doom and gloom for the Tigers, though. You’ll notice there weren’t any running backs missing from that list of departures above, and indeed, seniors Cayden Knight and Jonathan Hansen both return at running back and fullback, respectively.
And, yes, Timberlake lost six of its top seven offensive linemen, but the one guy that’s back is senior Jeremy Hurlbert, a 2nd Team All-State selection. He’ll lead a group of new linemen that Amos describes as “athletic.”
And what about the defense? “We will be a multiple front team led by Jonathan Hansen at linebacker,” says Amos. "Jonathan is physical and can run to the ball, and Jeremy Hurlbert will be an impact player on the defensive line.”
But…
“Just like the offense, we need to gel to make a solid defense,” says Amos.
Overall, Amos is excited about his team’s potential this year.
“We do have to replace a very productive senior class, but we have the parts to be a solid team,” he says. “It will be fun to watch them grow as a team.”
In order for Timberlake to hold off Intermountain League rival Bonners Ferry, as well as IML newcomer Moscow, which is dropping down a level for competitive reasons, they’ll have to limit the growing pains.
“We must play error-free football,” Amos concludes. “With limited experience, we cannot afford to make mistakes.”