Written by: Will Hoenike
In 2018, amidst program struggles, Ryan Ball stepped forward to become the head coach at Potlatch High School. The Loggers were coming off of a one-win season and had just seven wins combined between 2013 and 2017. And yet there was a near-unanimous sentiment.
Potlatch would turn it around. Quickly.
That’s how much respect Ryan Ball had in District 2. He had a successful run as both a football and basketball coach at Kamiah High School before moving to Potlatch, so immediate results seemed inevitable.
The Loggers won four games in Ball’s first season. During Ball’s five seasons, the team has won 22 football games and reached the 1A Division 1 postseason two times. So what’s the outlook for Ball’s sixth season?
He and his coaches have depth and experience along the offensive and defensive lines, which is always a good place to start. The Loggers do have to replace two-time All-State lineman Logan Amos, which will not be easy. Senior Pablo Gonzalez returns as the team’s center with junior Tanner Garrels and sophomore Jacob Keck handling the guard positions in front of senior quarterback Jack Clark.
“Having an experienced quarterback in Jack Clark who can be a dual threat is going to be a big asset,” said Ball. “We have some very capable receivers and our offensive line is going to be very consistent with some depth.”
Potlatch will be leaning on new primary running backs after the graduation of Wyatt Johnson and Avery Palmer last spring. A pair of sophomores, Jay Marshall and Ben Johnson, will have an opportunity to earn key roles for an offense that put up over 40 points per game last fall. Junior Waylan Marshall will likely see ample playing time at receiver when the Loggers are looking to throw the ball.
Defensively, Potlatch’s results were up and down in 2022. Deary, Troy, and Clearwater Valley were limited to 14, 14, and 20 points, respectively, which are solid numbers in eight-man football. However, in the team’s other five games, the average ballooned to nearly 40 points per game.
“We will be leaning heavily on Jacob Keck in the middle of our defense to stop the run game,” Ball said. “A position change to safety for Jack Clark will also allow him to cover all areas of the field.”
Garrels, Marshall, and Johnson figure to be key contributors to the team’s defense from the linebacker position.
Ball and his staff know there is crucial game experience and talent to be replaced. But they also feel like they have the players to do it.
“We have a lot of inexperienced varsity players that are very capable of becoming good players but it might take them a bit of time to learn to play at varsity intensity and speed,” Ball said. “But I am excited about their abilities.”
Teams in the 1A Division 1 Whitepine League aren’t afforded multiple non-conference games to get themselves prepared for league play. The Loggers come out of the chutes in the first two weeks with critical Whitepine matchups against Genesee and Prairie before playing their lone non-conference game at Deary on September 15.
The rate at which the coaching staff and team leaders get the younger varsity players up to speed this season could be the determining factor on whether or not Potlatch reaches the postseason for the third time under Coach Ball. The league will get one automatic qualifier to the 1A Division 1 postseason with the rest of the teams competing for at-large berths. With strong play along the lines and continued growth and improvement as the season progresses, the Loggers should be a strong contender for one of those at-large postseason spots.