Last year’s W.F. West football team — which matched the best finish in school history with a run to the 2A state semifinals — set a new standard in the Mint City.
Then, just about all of its leaders from that historic group graduated, leaving a new crop of Bearcats tasked with keeping the program at its new-found heights.
That dominating line that led W.F. West just about everywhere? Four of the five starters are gone. Star quarterback Gavin Fugate? Currently in Pullman as a walk-on linebacker at Washington State. The deep corps of receivers he spread the ball out to? Four starters graduated, the fifth now at a new position.
The challenge for Dan Hill’s group isn’t exactly hard to figure out. But the W.F. West skipper isn’t shying away from anything.
“Obviously, we’ve got jobs to fill,” he said. “But we’ve got a squad of boys who are chomping at the bit for their turn. We’ve got a really good group. I wouldn’t say it’s as much of a rebuild as it is a reload. I feel like we’re just reloading and getting ready to go. Coming off that great season last year, it builds excitement and elevates the expectations and where these guys want to build at the end of the season.”
Under center, Hill is set to turn to junior Gage Brumfield, who moves to quarterback after earning 2A EvCo all-league honors at wide receiver in his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Despite being just a sophomore last fall, Brumfield led the Bearcats with 1,021 receiving yards and 16 total touchdowns, emerging as a leader as one of the younger faces in the locker room.
Now, he’s one of the most experienced.
“He’s a good athlete, he’s got a lot of great skills,” Hill said. “It’s been fun to watch him grow in the limited time he’s had.”
Next to him will be fellow junior Tucker Land — just one of two returning starters on offense — in his second year as the Bearcats’ top tailback.
“He’s a great worker and a great leader. He’s just gotten faster, he’s gotten bigger, he’s gotten stronger. I expect him to be even better than he has been.”
The Bearcats’ other returning starter will be Andrew Penland, though he's set to shift over a spot from center to guard.
That leaves Hill with four spots still to fill on the line, and a host of linemen trying to fill them. Wednesday, the Bearcats lined up with Kage Homan at left tackle, Talan Meredith at left guard, Andrew Snyder at center, and Jaksen Besaw at right tackle.
“There’s lots of guys coming in who haven’t had a lot of varsity experience, (except) some time on the back end of the games,” Hill said. “But last year, they got to go against that really good group of seniors in practice, and got to compete against high-level play. That attitude and mentality was transferred into them, and it’s still there.”
Hill said W.F. West also has some new faces hoping to crack the rotation, including Carlos Vallejo, who transferred from one Twin City to another after two years at Centralia.
Out wide, the Bearcats will have to replace 91% of their receiving yards from last year, with Brumfield now throwing the passes and the rest of the main cast graduated. Up to the plate will step a good chunk of the W.F. West baseball team, with Ross Kelley, Grady Westlund, and Connor Coleman rotating in with Anthony Isenhower and Beau Guyette.
Wednesday, under a sweltering sun, they finally got to begin the grind to try to maintain their predecessors’ success, just like the rest of the new — but experienced — faces on the W.F. West depth chart.
“The work ethic that the team had last year has carried over,” Hill said. “Everybody’s been chomping at the bit to get going and make their mark with their time here.”
