Written by: Will Hoenike
The Timberline Spartans charge into the new-look 1A (formerly 1A Division 2) Whitepine League with high hopes in 2024, featuring a young team that will challenge itself right out of the gates with a pair of difficult non-conference games.
Co-head coaches Patrick Christopherson and Ryan West graduated four seniors off of last season’s 11-player roster: workhorse running back Rylan West and two-way standout lineman Gavin Christopherson, fellow lineman Tyson Stewart, and versatile leader Darrin Bonner. Total numbers have been an issue for the Spartans, located in Weippe, along State Highway 11 southeast of Orofino, so staying healthy will be objective number one for Timberline this fall.
One of the team’s newest players, OL/DL Justice Richardson, is also the team’s only senior. He’ll be joined upfront by junior Parker Hodges, protecting sophomore quarterback Korbin Christopherson. He’ll be joined in the backfield by junior running back Caleb Marshall while fellow juniors Aries Mabberly and Terrin Hueth will line up at receiver when the Spartans are on offense.
“Our offensive strength this year is going to be balance,” said Christopherson, who is in his 7th season as a head coach at Timberline. “Korbin will have some great receivers in Aries and Terrin to throw to and we will have a strong back field with Marshall holding it down.”
In the team’s two wins last season, it totaled 72 points. However, in the six losses, Timberline struggled to find the end zone, scoring a grand total of 46 points. Generating a more consistent offensive attack will be critical for the Spartans, so finding the balance Christopherson and West desire will go a long way in helping the team compete for a postseason berth out of District 2.
As usual, the same core of players will be leaned on defensively as well as offensively, with Richardson and Hodges playing up front, Marshall stepping in at linebacker, and Christopherson, Hueth, and Mabberly seeing time in the defensive secondary.
Timberline opens the regular season with a road game at Wallace before opening the home portion of the schedule on August 30 in Weippe against a solid Potlatch Logger team. The team will also face Salmon River and Wilder, both from District 3 and both on the road, to round out its non-conference schedule.
In Whitepine League play, 1A power Kendrick, winners of three consecutive state championships, has moved up to the 2A classification. Meanwhile, Genesee has moved down from 2A (formerly 1A Division 1) to join the 1A ranks. The Spartans will play home Whitepine games against Deary and Genesee before wrapping up the regular season on October 25 against rival Lewis County. The Eagles won the game last season to formally clinch a berth in the playoffs and the Spartans would assuredly like to return the favor this fall.
“We are young and fast,” Christopherson concluded. “With the changes in our league, it should be very competitive and fun to watch.”