TUMWATER — Black Hills’ 2023 season came to an unceremonious end.
By Week 9, the Wolves didn’t have enough players to field a team, leading them to forfeit the Pioneer Bowl, a loss that put their final season record at 1-8. It was a much different ending than the one the Wolves went through just 12 months prior, when they reached the state tournament.
New head coach Tom Spray, who had been an assistant since 2020, has higher hopes for Black Hills this season, saying that the players seem to be buying in and doing what they need to do to have more success on the field.
Here are three takeaways from one of the Wolves’ practice sessions:
Beck entering Year 4
The Wolves offense will continue to run through first-team All-EvCo quarterback Jaxson Beck, who is entering his fourth season as the starter at Black Hills.
While adding that the Wolves will likely run the ball more than they have in the past, Spray noted that they’ll be relying on Beck to lead the offense.
“He knows the playbook as well as any of the coaches,” Spray said. “He knows what checks to make, what audibles to make, and what’s working. It’s gonna be awesome for us to see Jaxson and his experience help with his talent this year.”
Strength up the middle
While Beck is the headliner offensively, the Wolves have a couple of key returners back on the defensive side to bolster that side of the ball.
Jess Bender, a junior safety, is set to anchor the back end, and Kenny Bell is set to take over as the Mike linebacker after a strong showing at outside linebacker last season.
“It’s good to be strong up the middle,” Spray said. “I feel like that’s where our strength is … Having that leadership there, and the experience, is really good.”
Size disadvantage
Spray knows that the Wolves are on the smaller side, especially when it comes to the trenches.
“Everybody we play is gonna be bigger than us,” Spray said.
That being said, Spray said that it’s also something that the Wolves are used to, and it’s something that his and his staff are working on ways to use to their advantage.
“We’re gonna have to win with some nastiness and some double teams,” Spray said.
