Wolverines deep with talent at many positions

By: 
Steve Lyon

Weiser High School football coach Tom Harrison begins his second year leading the Wolverines, and in the big picture sees positive things happening.
 The football programs at the middle school and youth leagues are buying into what Harrison is trying to build in Weiser. The kids are more familiar with the program and have trust in the system. They are also seeing some of the results.
 “When I look at the football program my eyes are trained on all of it. I look at where we are headed, and we’re headed in the right direction,” Harrison said.
 Harrison, who has won 10 state championships at three high schools in 37 years of coaching, had a winning first season with Weiser in 2018. The Wolverines made it to the state 3A playoffs and gave fans a thriller of a game before losing 35-28 to South Fremont.
 Reviewing the roster this season, he sees some talented kids and a lot of depth on the squad. A total of 53 players came out this year, including returning starters on both offense and defense. There are players who are backing up other positions and some who are vying for a starting spot.
 “There is competition out there for some positions, and that’s good and keeps the kids working pretty hard,” Harrison said.
 One position that has been decided is quarterback. Brett Spencer will start the season calling the snaps. He’s only a sophomore with a couple of years ahead of him to get better and better.
 A multi-sport athlete at WHS who also plays varsity baseball and basketball, Spencer has been training hard since last winter, lifting weights and working on his skill set. He’s a returning starter for the Wolverines who played in the secondary last year.
 Harrison said he likes Spencer’s work ethic. On the field he’s a “multi-threat” to defenses, a quarterback who can scramble and make things happen down the field.
 “We’re going to take advantage of what he can bring and that’s both running and passing the ball,” the coach said. “We look for him to have a good year.”
 There are a couple of backups to Spencer at signal caller. Both Sylais York and Sam Kerner have been taking reps at the quarterback position. At a recent afternoon practice, Kerner was running the offense on the scout team while Spencer was playing safety on varsity defense.
 The Wolverines lost workhorse runningback Braden Bumgarner and speedster punt and kick returner Logan Wood to graduation last May, but the team doesn’t have a shortage of players who can contribute to the ground game.
 Senior Layten Tolmen is a returning senior who has taken a lot of snaps and can run hard. Nick Swank, who jumped hurdles on the track team this spring, has the speed to get outside. He’ll be trying to clear defenders this fall. Seth Harris also is a threat if he can string out defenders and get to the outside. Chris Burke is new to the team after just moving to Weiser from Payette and can run, Harrison said.
 “We’re going to use all three of them, and they have some decent speed and some shiftiness,” he said.
 Harrison mentioned some other varsity players who will contribute this season. The offense will use senior Tim Reed as a wingback. He’s also a good blocker. Ande Jensen, another returning player, can run and catch the ball. Wide receivers include Caleb Harris and Kooper von Brethorst. Both will also play defense in the backfield.
 “Both of those kids are real threats as far as receiving. They have good hands and run good routes, and they are good blockers to boot,” Harrison said.
 Weiser has returning starters to anchor the offensive and defensive lines. At 230 pounds, offensive tackle Angel Magana is bigger, faster and stronger. Magana also will play middle linebacker and plug any holes against the run. He’s also the punter and kicker for the Wolverines.
 Nathan McDaniel comes back bigger and stronger this season. He will play left tackle and possibly some time as center. The guards will include Riley Willet and Jesse Lockett.
 Harrison said the offense will show opposing defenses different looks and multiple sets to mix it up. The playbook is a bit of a conglomeration of things he’s been working on for several years and modifications to what he has found success doing in the past.
 If he had to be pinned down on a style of offense, it’s probably a modified wing T style. But Harrison also likes to spread it out and will throw the ball. He’s confident with the receivers and quarterback that the team can pick up yards through the air this season.
 The Wolverines have a core of experienced assistant coaches who work with the varsity and JV teams. Harrison will be joined on the sidelines by assistant coaches Jason Bruce, Dave Britt, Darren Thomas, Brad Cordes and Bowe von Brethorst.
 The 2019 football schedule starts, as it has for the past several years, with a trip to Buhl on Friday, Aug. 29. The Wolverines then take on Kellog on Sept. 6, also on the road, before playing their first home game of the season against visiting Gooding on Sept. 13.
 In the Snake River Valley Conference, Harrison thinks Homedale will be solid this year. The JV team was good and those kids are coming back and moving up. The Trojans also benefit from a strong Optimist youth league program. As always, Fruitland will bring a team ready to play in the SRV.
 If the Wolverines can stay healthy, Harrison thinks the team can go far and compete, especially with the depth at various positions.
 “We put ourselves right in the mix with those teams. Our goal is to win the first game, win the district championship, get to the playoffs and compete for a state championship,” he said.

Category:

Signal American

18 E. Idaho St.
Weiser, ID 83672
PH: (208) 549-1717
FAX: (208) 549-1718
 

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