Team Preview:
Written by: Will Hoenike

Let’s start by giving you three numbers to remember:

Seven, two and six.

First of all, seven. That’s the number of football games Grangeville won last season. Jeff Adams’ team reached the 2A quarterfinals, where they were bested by eventual state champion Declo. Sure, the Hornets topped the Bulldogs by 20 points in that game, but consider this – only two teams came closer to the undefeated state champs.

Secondly, the number two. That’s the number of seniors on last season’s team. Put another way, a seven-win, playoff-caliber football team has virtually its entire roster back this fall.

Then, six. That’s the number of players returning for Grangeville to receive All State accolades last season. Think about that. A 2A school that has six returning All-Staters. Declo, the defending state champions who many expect to repeat, only has four.

Sure, four returning All-State players is nothing to sneeze at (West Side also has four). But, if this was a power-point presentation, the bullet point would be this – let’s pump the brakes on the Declo repeat-championship coronation ceremony just a little bit. The 2A classification in Idaho in 2018 is not a one-trick pony. Whichever team hoists the trophy in November is going to have to earn it.

Without question, the classification’s coaches understand that. The proof comes in the fact that they recognized six Grangeville players last fall.

The name most people are familiar with is senior RB/DL Noah Kaschmitter. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder was a second-team All-State defensive lineman as a sophomore before elevating to first-team status last fall as a junior. And, for good measure, he was also selected as a second-team All-State running back following his junior campaign. He’s generating attention from multiple college programs, including Idaho, Montana and Montana State of the Big Sky Conference.

He’s not alone in that category. Senior receiver/defensive back Booker Bush, one of the returning All-Staters, has some eyes on him. Likewise for senior tight end/linebacker Brandon Stump. And that may not be all.

Junior quarterback Tescher Harris returns, fresh off All-State accolades as a sophomore, to trigger an offense that averaged 35 points per game in 2018 and he’ll be protected by an offensive line that includes All-Stater Zack Forsmann, who is also just a junior.

That group of players is joined on defense by senior linebacker Justin Fogleman, who was a second-team All State honoree following his junior season. They’ll be joined by senior defensive back Jacob Vanderwall and junior Jeffery Williams as well as linebackers Brydan Brannon and Kyle Frie. The Bulldog defense held four opponents to one score or less last season, only allowing Declo to top 30 points, so the potential is there to see a special defense in Grangeville this season.

The Bulldog non-conference schedule is no cakewalk, including a road game against 4A Moscow as well as road trips to face 3A foes Kellogg and Priest River. So there is plenty of work to be done before Grangeville gets to its two, Central Idaho League matchups. Grangeville will host St. Maries on October 5 before taking the hour-long bus ride up the highway to Orofino to tangle with the rival Maniacs on October 12.

“Orofino has a new coach that will do well. St. Maries has a great coaching staff,” Adams observed. “These teams will always prepare as good as any staff in the state at any level.”

With so much talent returning from a very good 2018 Grangeville team, it’s easy to pencil them in for a deep November playoff run. The ability is there. If the Bulldogs can stay healthy and take care of the football, central Idaho fans could be watching a championship-caliber team this fall.