2025 Fall Preps Preview: Football capsules for Greater Spokane League and Eastern Washington

Capsules for the 2025 Greater Spokane League and Northeast A, Northeast 2B, Northeast 1B and Southeast 1B football teams.

In alphabetical order by classification. Records and standings from the 2024 season. 2B/1B capsules compiled from programs which responded to S-R preseason questionnaire.

GSL 4A/3A

Central Valley (7-4, 6-3, fourth): The Bears reached the round of 16 last year and return 27 letter-winners for coach Ryan Butner’s 10th season at the helm. CV has a senior leader at each level of the defense: DL Skyler Harty, LB Connor Marks and DB Jake Young; kicker Tyler Bissell is a weapon. Replacing all 11 starters on offense will be a huge undertaking.

Cheney (3-7, 2-7, eighth): The Blackhawks return 25 letter-winners and 12 starters for second-year coach John Graham, who coached on two national college football teams at Central Washington and Eastern Washington. Senior WR/LB Tank Best is a leader, and junior QB Connor Collins looks to take the next step.

Ferris (1-9, 0-9, 10th): Second-year coach Jerrall Haynes acknowledges the youth of his team. “With only six or seven seniors expected to start this season, it is my assumption that we will be the youngest team on the field each week,” he said. “Our youth and lack of depth are by far our biggest weaknesses this year.” Senior Teddy Osborne takes over at QB, while fellow senior Raheem Morris will lead the line on both sides of the ball. Sophomore RB Z’Khari Burgess will provide a spark.

Gonzaga Prep (12-1, 9-0, first): The Bullpups reached a state semifinal last season with a junior-heavy team and should be on everyone’s radar to reach or exceed that lofty perch once again. Coach Nate Graham returns 14 starters, including the dynamic receiver tandem of Jonah Keller and Isaiah Docken. All-state DB Jacobe McClelland is pound-for-pound one of the best players in the state, and Graham plans to utilize the playmaker on offense this year as well. “We have a lot of seniors who have won a lot of games the past few years,” Graham said. “We have really good experience on both sides of the ball.”

Lewis and Clark (6-4, 6-3, third): Coach David Chambless, formerly head coach at Rogers, takes over at LC with 21 seniors and 10 starters back from a team that qualified for the postseason last year. Second-team all-GSL DL Sonny Naipo and DB KJ Kinkade will be leaders on a tough defense. “With players learning their third system in three years, this season presents both challenges and opportunities,” Chambless said. “The coaching staff is excited to see athletes step up and take on larger roles, while the senior class provides the backbone of leadership and experience.”

Mead (9-2, 9-1, second): Coach Kyle Snell slides over with the Panthers after earning coach of the year at LC last season. There are just nine letter-winners back and a small but stout senior class, led by all-league two-way lineman Cooper Daines, C Sean Jones, LB/TE Garrett Miller and S/QB Landon Thomas. Senior Trevelle Jones, a GSL 2A all-league QB, transfers in from NC. “We have some really skilled and committed players in both our senior and junior classes,” Snell said, “and we need to put them in positions to be successful as a staff.”

Mt. Spokane (5-5, 5-4, fifth): Coach Terry Cloer returns for year 11 with 10 letterwinners and six starters back for the Wildcats. Slot/DB Rock Franklin, DL Beau Tampien and LB Brendan Hughes will play at the next level, while Cade Strochser takes over at QB. “We are going to look to run the ball more consistently than the past few years,” Cloer said. “We also need to stay healthy as depth could be an issue.”

Ridgeline (5-5, 4-5, sixth): The dynamic duo of QB Landon Garner and record-setting WR Brayden Allen have moved on, but fifth-year coach David Myers has 21 letter-winners and eight starters back, including a good chunk of the offensive and defensive lines. The majority of the starters on offense will be juniors, according to Myers. “They’ll need to gain experience quickly, but many of them did play varsity football as sophomores,” he said. “This is our biggest, fastest, and strongest team yet, but we do lack experience in a lot of places.”

Shadle Park (5-5, 4-5, seventh): Coach James Mace returns for his 12th season with more questions than normal for the Highlanders, who have just eight letter-winners back from last year’s edition. “We are young and very varsity inexperienced,” Mace said. “We are looking to rebuild a solid culture and foundation on and off the field and hope to see growth this year.” Senior RB/LB Myles Gibson will be counted on to lead, while WR/LB Evan Tilton will take on more responsibility.

University (1-9, 1-9, ninth): The Titans hope to make big strides in coach Joe Ireland’s second season at the helm. There are 29 letter-winners and nine starters returning, including seniors RB/LB Logan Cox, QB Aiden Sauter and linemen Mason Potter and Andrew Jones. Ireland lauds a “talent-rich sophomore class” and strong senior leadership.

GSL 2A

Clarkston (6-4, 5-1, second): First-year coach Kyle Fox takes over a program that was competitive last year but suffered significant losses to graduation, including all-state receiver Ryken Craber. Line play should be a strength, and junior Nike Ah Hi is dynamic on both sides of the ball. “We have a good group of returning core players,” Fox said. “But we will need our incoming sophomores and juniors to step up into the roles that they have this year.”

Deer Park (5-5, 3-3, fourth): New coach Dane Wadkins has seniors at most skill positions, even if they are new starters, including RBs Evan Brinlee and Cam Knudsvig, while senior Blake Berger and junior Ian Olietti will vie for playing time at QB. Junior RB Carter Criss is a transfer from perennial contender Tumwater.

East Valley (3-7, 1-5, sixth): Coach Adam Fisher enters his 20th season with the Knights, and his third in his second stint, with 20 letter-winners and eight starters back, including QB/DB Tarin Fields RB/DB JJ Bittner and linemen Julian Torres and Aiden Tuttle. “Year 3 back with the same staff and kids now know the expectations,” Fisher said. “We’re better at this time than we were a year ago at the same time.”

North Central (1-9, 0-6, seventh): Eight starters return for fourth-year coach Aaron Woods, including two-way all-league WR/DB Nick Elliott, senior WR/DB Killian Davis and RB/LB Maddox Watson. “We have a solid core on both offensive and defensive lines,” Woods said. “We are working hard in closing the gap between our starters and non-starters in preparing them to be in positions to be successful when they are on the field.”

Pullman (3-6, 2-4, fifth): Kevin Agnew returns for his second season as coach with 10 letter-winners, but just two starters, back. LB/TE Hunter Recknagle and RB/LB Silas Wheatley were second-team all-league. “We have a good nucleus of kids that have worked hard throughout the offseason,” Agnew said. “We will need to stay healthy and grow up quickly on our offensive line.”

Rogers (6-4, 4-2, third): Three of the four returning receivers – Miley Sanders, Jerry Allen and Jelani Kabba – helped Rogers take third at state track in the 4x100 relay in the spring. The fourth, senior Alex Peabody, was first-team all-league last season. Allen has already committed to University of Idaho at defensive back, and Sanders transitions to RB. “We expect the defense to play fast, physical and fundamentally sound,” Cole said, as the Pirates try to qualify for a third consecutive trip to the postseason.

West Valley (11-1, 6-0, first): The Eagles reached the state quarterfinals last season and coach Craig Whitney returns for his 21st season at WV with 24 letter-winners and 10 starters back, including junior QB Nathan Zettle, WR Erik Borg on offense, with DL Ryder Johnson and LB Adan Knapp as stalwarts on defense. “We will be untested at a few positions to begin the year,” Whitney said. “We do have a good nucleus coming back from last year, but we’ll have to battle every week to improve.”

NEA

Colville (5-5, 3-0, first): The Crimson Hawks reached districts last season and return 18 letter-winners and 12 starters for coach William Benbrook, who enters his second season. First-team all-league seniors Brock Benson (QB/DB), Bridger Lewis (RB/LB) and Braedon Heater (line) are leaders.

Lakeside (3-6, 2-1, second): The Eagles suffered their first losing season in several last year, and seniors WR Jett Winger, TE/LB Cy Reeves and lineman Colton Howell are key returners as Tanner Cummings takes over at QB.

Medical Lake (1-8, 0-3, fourth): The Cardinals hope to improve on last season’s struggles as coach Nick Puzycki enters his fourth season at the school with just two wins to show for it. Eight starters return, featuring all-league honorable mention senior TE/LB Kaden Shaffer.

Riverside (2-9, 1-2, third): Did not respond.

NE2B-Tier 1

Lind-Ritzville/Sprague (4-6, 2-5, sixth): Juniors QB Cam Boness and RB/DB Cole Rouleau are leaders with just six starters returning for fourth-year coach Brendan Bermea. “To reach our max potential need to be able to throw the ball more consistently,” Bermea said.

Northwest Christian (6-3, 4-2, third): The Crusaders were playoff qualifiers last year but hit hard by graduation – just four starters return for sixth-year had coach Marshall Hart. Returning senior QB Mason Gassaway will look for all-league senior WR Lincoln Crockett and junior Braylon Comfort often.

Reardan (3-6, 0-6, seventh): Fourth-year coach Matt Clouse has seven starters back, led by senior QB Hunter Flaa and senior RB/DB Blake Wynecoop. “Our senior class is doing a great job of leading our team,” Clouse said. “They want to compete and aren’t afraid to hold each other accountable.”

NE1B-Tier 1

Almira/Coulee-Hartline (10-3, 2-1, second): The Warriors reached the state semifinals last year and coach Brandon Walsh returns eight starters, including all-league QB Caden Correia and all-state RB/LB Harvest Parrish. “Last year our three losses were to the two teams that played for a state championship (Liberty Christian and Wilbur-Creston-Keller),” Walsh said. “Our kids want to get over the hump this year and win those big games.”

Wilbur-Creston-Keller (13-0, 3-0, first): The Wildcats won their first state title last season but graduated state player of the year Preston Michel and all-state QB Kallen Maioho. Veteran coach Darin Reppe returns five two-way starters and 11 letter-winners with 21 out this season, their biggest turnout in several years.

NE1B-Tier 2

Sel/Port (2-6, 2-4, fifth): Selkirk and Northport joined programs last season and the team improved steadily throughout the season for coaches Kelly Cain (Selkirk) and Matt Moore (Northport). Several returning players with experience, including QB/DB Danny Searson, should continue to develop and increase this team’s competitiveness.

Southeast 1B

Pomeroy (10-2, 5—2, second): The Pirates won the Wheat Division last year and lost in state semifinal. Coach Kyle Kimble has 11 letter-winners and four starters back, including all-league RB/DB Kyzer Herres and OL/DL Peyton Cannon.