Written by: Will Hoenike
When it comes to 8-man football in Idaho, many would argue the 2A (formerly 1A Division 1) Whitepine League has long been the gold standard. Prairie has won multiple state championships. Kamiah also has one. Genesee won one before moving down to 1A (formerly 1A Division 2), as did Troy.
At one point or another over the past fifteen years or so, every team in the league has made a splash. That includes the league’s two newest members: Logos, which has been playing varsity football for five years, and Kendrick, a powerhouse program that moved up from 1A to 2A last year.
The two claimed the top two spots in the league’s standings in 2024, with Logos winning the past two regular-season league titles. Kendrick finished second in the regular season but won the 2A state championship – the program’s fourth consecutive state title.
LOGOS
The Knights, coached by Nick Holloway, have won 16 of 17 regular-season games over the past two seasons, but have been foiled each time in the postseason as they hunt for a state-title trophy.
Despite the run of success, Holloway and his staff know there’s work to be done if the Knights want to take that next step, the one that the previous two teams could not quite take.
“The talent is there and the numbers, but we have a completely different and new team, having graduated some real studs from last year’s class,” Holloway said. “Our depth will help to mitigate that, but chemistry and team cohesion, self-sacrifice, and pursuit of your teammate’s best is a question that still needs answering.”
Four All-State players have graduated, along with other key performers. The cupboard isn’t bare, though. All-League defensive lineman Peter Story returns to anchor the Knights’ front and Baxter Covington, a second-team all-league selection as a running back last season, makes the move to the quarterback position as a junior this fall. Seniors Ole Sundlie and Honour Mallory figure into the running-back plans for Logos, while seniors Ace Grieser and Ezra Shafer are among the pass-catching targets when Covington drops to throw.
If you’re looking for an “All-Name” candidate, keep your eye on senior OL/DL (and all-league kicker) Finn McCool from Logos.
KENDRICK
Logos may have the league’s most interesting name, but the Whitepine’s most interesting storyline is in Kendrick. And not just because the Tigers will be chasing an unprecedented fifth consecutive state championship. But also because the person who quarterbacked the first three titles, Ty Koepp, is now the team’s head coach.
One of the best 8-man players in recent memory, Koepp takes over for uber-successful Zane Hobart as Kendrick’s top man, despite graduating from high school less than two years ago. He turns 20 years old two days after Kendrick’s second game.
His age may turn some heads, but there is no questioning his intelligence and experience at the 8-man level. There’s also no questioning the talent that he inherits, including the return of Tanner Clemenhagen, who didn’t play last fall, and Nathan Tweit, who missed much of the season with an injury.
Add them to dynamic quarterback Maddox Kirkland, explosive receivers Ralli Roetcisoender and Cade Silflow, veteran linemen Travis Hix and Kolt Koepp (yes, they’re related), and sturdy fullback Orion Stewart, and it’s easy to see why many expect Kendrick to be a strong contender for a fifth straight title banner.
“Football is one of the longest seasons for sports,” Koepp said. “Trying to keep everyone focused can be hard, but we have a great group of kids who want to work hard and succeed, so it's usually not a huge problem.”
Koepp will take the field as head coach for the first time on August 22 in a neutral-site heavyweight clash against Butte County in Homedale.
PRAIRIE
When asking coaches to identify a dark-horse candidate in the Whitepine League, the most common answer is the Prairie Pirates. Not only does the program have a long tradition of success, but it is also clear that the program’s leader, veteran head coach Ryan Hasselstrom has the utmost respect of his peers.
The program also has a young team in 2025.
“Overcoming the lack of experience and depth will be key,” Hasselstrom said. “We will need some freshmen to fill key roles for us, but we have some good athletes ready to take on the task.”
The coaching staff likes its potential in the backfield, led by a senior quarterback (Levi McElroy) and two senior running backs (Levi Gehring and Chris Schumacher), but the team is young up front, led by junior lineman Ashton Martin. Junior Kade Quintal and sophomore Trajan Elven will have an opportunity to earn key roles on the field this fall.
“We had a good camp in June with these guys, so we are looking forward to seeing how they gel and progress throughout the season,” Hasselstrom concluded.
The Pirates open the 2025 season at home against Deary on August 29.
KAMIAH
Nels Kludt stepped aside following the 2025 season, putting the wraps on a great coaching career that included three consecutive top-four finishes in the uber-tough Whitepine League.
In steps Garrison Bretz, who not only must fill the shoes left by Nels Kludt, but also replace his immensely talented son, David, who is pursuing a career in college basketball at the College of Idaho after earning Whitepine Player of the Year honors last fall on the football field.
“I’m excited to get to work,” Bretz said. “I like our team chemistry and we’re getting better every day.”
Though Father and Son Kludt are gone, Bretz has plenty of talent on his roster to compete for a 2A playoff spot. Junior Lawson Landmark takes the reins from Kludt as the Kubs’ quarterback this fall. Senior Everett Oatman, a first-team All-Whitepine performer last fall, will line up behind Landmark at running back along with junior Todd Roberts. Gavin Schoening will be a top pass-catching target, while junior Rylan Skinner will anchor the team’s offensive and defensive lines.
In a scheduling quirk, the Kubs will square off with Whitepine rival Lapwai twice – once in the season-opener on August 29, and once in the season finale on October 24. The first game will be considered a non-conference game, with the second matchup counting as the Whitepine League contest.
POTLATCH
The Loggers reached the 2A state playoffs in 2024, setting the stage for excitement in 2025. However, the team was dealt an early blow when all-league running back Hunter Redmon was lost for the season due to an injury.
Before you write the obituary for Potlatch’s season before the opening kickoff, though, head coach Ryan Ball still has some cards to play.
The cards begin with a returner at quarterback, Jay Marshall, and a veteran front line in junior Avery Smith, senior Jacob Keck, and senior Brenton Breeze.
“We will rely on our run game to set up our play-action passing game,” Ball said. “However, we will have to find a new set of running backs, but both (sophomore) Conner Carpenter and (freshman ) Deegan Franklin have the ability to step up and keep the run game running smoothly.”
Ball and his assistant coaches believe Keck has the potential to be a dominant force along the defensive line, and Marshall will move to safety this fall, where his leadership will be critical in directing the team’s defense as well as its offense.
The Loggers open with a non-conference matchup against Timberline of Weippe on August 29 before a neutral-site matchup against Oakley of the Snake River Conference in Payette on September 5.
CLEARWATER VALLEY
Sixth-year head coach Allen Hutchens returns all-league receiver Hyson Scott but must replace several key performers from the 2024 team, including the team’s entire offensive and defensive line.
The coaching staff will look to senior Lander Mitzkus and junior Daymian Davis to help fill those gaps, providing pressure on defense and allowing the Rams’ offense to do what Hutchens hopes it can do.
“Our offensive strengths will hopefully be running the football and controlling the clock to keep opposing offenses off the field,” Hutchens said. “I hope to get the power running game going and then mix in our play action passes once the ground game is established.”
Hutchens has a host of backs he believes can help churn out yards on offense, led by seniors Timuni Moses and Peter Fabbi. Junior Liam Walle looks like the top candidate to play quarterback for the Rams in 2025 and has Scott and junior tight end Conner Christensen among the potential pass-catching targets when the team looks to throw the ball.
“I am excited to see some younger guys that are going to have to step up this season and play a bigger role and potentially start for us,” Hutchens said.
Clearwater Valley opens the season with a tough conference game on August 30, hosting two-time defending Whitepine champ Logos in Kooskia.
LAPWAI
Head coach Josh Leighton, Jr., can no longer rely on talented offensive playmakers Julian Barros and Marcisio Noriega, both of whom graduated last spring, but returns junior Jereese McCormack for his third season as the team’s quarterback, giving the Wildcats an experienced and highly athletic trigger man on offense. He was also an effective linebacker on defense.
Senior Joseph Whitefoot and junior Jared Marek also return in 2025 as key skill position players.
The Wildcats showed the ability to score points in bunches last fall, topping 60 points once and scoring over 50 points in another game, but struggled on defense. Only one of its losses was by fewer than 30 points, so improvement on that side of the ball should lead to better results in Lapwai.
The Wildcats open with a non-conference game on the road against Genesee on August 22.