Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Prairie
2. Clearwater Valley
3. Lapwai
4. Kamiah
5. Genesee
6. Potlatch
7. Troy
8. Logos
Written by: Will Hoenike
The Troy Trojans may be coming off a one-win season in 2020 but the team does feature one of the White Pine League’s top players in senior Elijah Phillis.
The 5-foot-9 running back and defensive back demonstrated a number of different ways to help his team as a junior. He ran for over 500 yards and five scores, including 144 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Potlatch. He had nearly 50 tackles, including nine solo stops in the team’s game against Clearwater Valley. He returned a punt for a touchdown. And he caught 31 passes, including a 12-catch, 377-yard, five-touchdown game against Genesee.
If Troy is doing well, it’s a good bet that Phillis is in the middle of it.
He’ll get help from juniors Rider Patrick and Chandler Blazzard while senior Boden Demeerler returns along the offensive and defensive lines after earning all-conference honors as a junior.
The Trojans have a three-week stretch in October where they face Genesee, Logos, and Clearwater Valley in consecutive games at home. Those three weeks will go a long way in determining whether Troy returns to the 1A Division 1 state playoffs. The White Pine League gets one automatic berth into the postseason – the league champion – while seven other at-large berths are available for the rest of the conference. Last season, Prairie earned the automatic berth while Clearwater Valley, Lapwai, and Kamiah were each selected for at-large berths, giving the White Pine four of the classification’s 12 playoff teams.
For Bob Wilson’s team to play its way into the mix in 2021, it will need to be healthy and improve defensively after holding just one opponent under 50 points in 2020. Demeerler (DL) and Blazzard (LB) will lead the charge up front with Phillis and Patrick filling roles in the secondary.
The Trojans open conference play at home on September 3 when they host the Potlatch Loggers.