NAPAVINE – During one of the conditioning drills at Thursday’s morning practice at Napavine High School, head coach Josh Fay had four groups separated by grade in school.
It was quite the contrast between the first two and the last two.
Following a Class 2B state runner-up finish and some areas hit hard to graduation, the Tigers could be relying on a fair share of underclassmen this fall.
The sophomore and freshman class outnumbered the seniors and juniors by a decent margin.
“When you look at the metrics, strength, size, speed, they check those boxes,” Fay said. “If some of those guys end up in those roles, they’re capable of it.”
How the practice reps and game snaps are dished out remain to be seen. Still, the competition for several spots are apparent heading into the regular season opener versus Hudson’s Bay.
Here are three takeaways from the Tigers’ 90-minute practice session.
Position battles
Two of the five offensive line spots are in open competition. With three starters back in the fold, Napavine is looking to add strength inside at left and right guard. Meanwhile, the brewing question is at quarterback and who gets No. 1 reps.
Currently, Grady Wilson and Beckett Landram are in the mix. And on defense, a couple spots in the back-eight are up for grabs.
“Just knowing what you should do,” returning starter Jack Nelson said. “Don’t let effort be a problem. People are hungry for those spots.”
Denault back to form after injury
Even while missing 33 percent of the season, Karsen Denault put up monster numbers for Napavine last fall 10 touchdowns and 554 yards. He enters his senior year fully recovered from his shoulder injury that sat him five games.
“I’m more than excited, just hope I don’t get hurt again,” Denault said. “That’s all I can do.”
To go along with his offensive role, his defensive role as the safety in the Tigers’ scheme will involve a leadership bump. Fay stated that Denault will have the “green light” to change coverages.
Finishing through tackles
Per the norm at many practices, tackling was first up on the itinerary. Through several drills, Fay and the Tigers coaching staff preached driving through the tackle.
For a defense that has been shut down good in recent history, it hasn’t slowed down the emphasis to finish a play.
“It is going to be pretty solid,” Denault said.
