The Pe Ell-Willapa Valley Titans got over the hump last season, making it to the state tournament and making a run all the way to the semifinals before falling to Okanogan.
And while there are some new faces this year, most notably at coach and quarterback, the Titans hope they can duplicate the success from last season.
Former junior high coach Nate Smith is now at the helm of the high school team, and he’ll have to adjust for some key losses, most notably Kolten Fluke.
As a senior last fall, Fluke averaged almost 10 tackles per game on defense and scored 18 touchdowns on offense.
This year, senior Tyson Portmann will be starting at quarterback Week 1, but Smith said junior Nate Fluke will also see playing time depending on the flow of the game.
Both Portmann and Fluke impressed throughout camp, beating out sophomore Brody Ritzeman, who was also competing for the starting spot.
Regardless of who is under center, the offense will run through Blake Howard in the backfield. Last season, Howard was the team’s workhorse, tallying 10 total touchdowns and 673 yards rushing.
A big blow to the offensive line came before camp even began earlier this month, as projected starter Dylan Jerles broke his collarbone and will miss the entire season.
Smith said he was bummed for Jerles, who he said worked his tail off over the summer to be in a position to succeed.
“He is a big part of it that’s not going to be there,” Smith said of Jerles. “But they’re (the rest of the O-line) coming together and messing really well.”
Conner Keeton and Kevin Ruelas return to anchor the defensive line, while Cody Strozyk and Hank Swartz are back to lead the linebacking room, giving the defense a solid foundation. Last season, the unit allowed 20 points or fewer in eight games.
Dave Strozyk, an assistant on last year’s staff, is leading the defense this year. Smith says his players are quickly adapting, and he and Strozyk expect them to fly around and make their presence felt.
