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Kamiah High School
School Info
Conference: 1AD1 Whitepine League
Classification: 1A D1
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Head Coach: Ryan Ball
Years as Head Coach: 14th Season
Previous Experience: Eight seasons as assistant at Kamiah before becoming head coach.
Record Last Year: 8-3
State Titles: 1978, 2000, 2001, 2012
Assistant Coaches:
Nels Kludt
Garett Bretz
Pat Eades
Bob Squires
Randy Daugherty
Returning Players:
Parker Whipple (Sr, QB/DB)
Taylor McAlister (Sr, RB/LB)
Cody Langston (Sr, RB/DB)
Bailey Christopherson (Sr, DB)
Chris Pethtel (Sr, TE/DE)
Ian Anderson (Sr, OL/DE)
Garrison Bretz (Jr, TE/LB)
Lars Kludt (Sr, OL/NT)
Returning Players with Honors:
Taylor McAlister (All-White Pine RB)
Lars Kludt (All-White Pine DE)
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Photo By: Clayton Bunt - #32 Taylor McAlister
“Key Players” lost from last year:
Ryker Grimm (RB)
Zack Wilkins (LB)
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Team Preview:
Written by: Will Hoenike (@willhoenike)
So much for easing into the season.
Saturday, August 28. Two teams expected to be in position for deep postseason runs in the 1A 8-man ranks meet in the middle to open their respective seasons. Kamiah from District II taking on Oakley from District IV in New Plymouth.
“Two teams with high expectations,” Kamiah head coach Ryan Ball told IdahoSports.com. “(who) normally do not get to play against one another outside of the playoffs.”
An early litmus test for a Kub team that returns a lot of depth on both sides of the football.
“They (the players) have been very motivated to try to exceed last season’s finish,” Ball said of last fall’s 8-3 Kub team that reached the 1A Division 1 semifinals. “So it will be fun to coach a team that has such high expectations for themselves.”
It’s easy to see why the central Idaho community has lofty goals this season. The Kubs averaged 51 points per game last season and return their starting quarterback (senior Parker Whipple), leading rusher (senior Taylor McAlister), two offensive linemen (seniors Lars Kludt and Ian Anderson) and two tight ends (senior Chris Pethtel and junior Garrison Bretz). In eleven games, the team was held under 42 points just twice – by eventual state champion Prairie in the regular season and then again in the state semifinals.
“Our strength is that we have a variety of players that can make explosive plays,” Ball said. “I expect this team to score many points.”
He and his staff will work to cut down on the number of turnovers committed, which would only create a more-potent offense.
Ball is looking for an improved defense based on team speed and depth.
“We will be able to play 10-12 players this season and they can all run,” Ball said. “Our overall team speed should help us to improve on the defensive side of the ball.”
The battle starts up front, where Kamiah returns Lars Kludt, a 4.0 student who was first-team All-White Pine despite playing injured most of the season. Expected to be at full-health, Kludt anchors a front that includes Anderson and Pethtel.
The Kubs also return their entire secondary with Whipple, McAlister and Bailey Christopherson. One area that hurt Kamiah last season was giving up the big play, something Ball hopes improves with the experience on the defensive side of the ball.
The only two teams to defeat Kamiah last season were rivals Troy and Prairie. The Kubs get each team on its home field this season as the Trojans are scheduled to visit on October 2 and the defending state-champion Pirates visit Kamiah to end the regular season on October 23.
Expectations are high in Kamiah this fall. It’s not hard to see why. If the Kubs can stay healthy, they should be in position to play for a trophy in November.
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