Written by: Will Hoenike
First-year head coach Jason Strobel inherits a roster that didn’t lose a single senior from last season as the Kootenai Warriors look to build forward momentum in the 1A Division 2 North Star League.
Due to a small enrollment, player participation has been an issue for the past few years for the program that was once one of the top 8-man football programs in the Idaho panhandle. But the young, small group from Harrison Flats continues to work hard to rebuild its team.
The Warriors do feature one of the North Star League’s better offensive and defensive linemen in 6-foot-4, 230-pound senior Gavin Tiller. He’s an effective blocker along the offensive front and takes up a lot of space along the defensive front. Junior Decoven Beckman fills a linebacker spot behind Tiller on defense and a running back spot behind him on offense.
Sophomore quarterback Riley Ausman returns with a year’s worth of strength and experience under his belt now for Kootenai, as does sophomore athlete Michael Nyman.
The Warriors play non-conference games against Deary on September 1, the Kendrick junior varsity on September 15, and then against the Mullan/St. Regis junior varsity to conclude its regular season on October 3. The North Star features a tough Mullan/St. Regis team as well as competitive programs at Clark Fork and Wallace, while Lakeside continues to improve under a new coach so Kootenai will have to remain healthy and develop quickly to contend for a playoff spot. As the young team continues to mature physically, better days lie ahead for the Warrior program.