2010 WP Team Fills Big Shoes

WAITSBURG - Sure WP has lost some great seniors.

Who can forget the defensive tackles of last year's middle linebacker James Lehr or the edge-of-your seat touchdowns by wide receiver Lucan Gerke or the rushing scores by slot backs Jace Zuger or Zac Alexenko?

Seven players on offense and seven on defense for a total of eight starters who helped give WP its 8-1 season last year have graduated.

But Coach Jeff Bartlow's roster for 2010 looks every bit as impressive as 2009, with seasoned captains and players from among this year's juniors and seniors who will give the team all the skills they need.

The 2010 team is already on a natural high from having a winning season last year. Add to that the promising new players from Jubilee and WP is looking at another strong season in a very tough league.

"Last year's season was outstanding," said Bartlow, who is going into his 12th year as head coach. "We still have that taste in our mouths. The kids are excited and ready to play. We think we can win eight games again."

Getting them there has been no small feat. Of the 43 players this year, 24 - more than half - are new, some even new to football. With roster big enough for three teams, it's taken some time just to introduce the players to each other and give them chance to bond.

"Melding three communities (Waitsburg, Prescott and Jubilee) can destroy you or make your better," Bartlow said. "One of our biggest challenges is to build a tight family. With the right chemistry and unity we can make a lot of good things happen."

The coaching staff, which aside from Bartlow consists of offensive coaches T.J. Scott and Allan Wilson, defensive coach Joe Estes and special teams coach Troy Larsen, has its ways to integrate the team.

Before the first few practices, they would gather the players in the high school band room, match strangers into duos and have them introduce each other to the entire team.

The one thing that hasn't changed is the toughness of the league, though not all WP's opponents will be the same this year. DeSales and Asotin will be the teams to beat again (WP defeated the Irish last year in a rare victory that sent the home crowd swarming onto the field in an ecstatic celebration). Dayton will be much better this year under new head coach Dean Bickelhaupt. Two teams, Pomeroy and Liberty Christian, will drop away because they have switched to 8-men football, but Tri-Cities Prep is back in the league because they've emerged back from the smaller teams league. That school took an 8-men team to state last year.

Bartlow is counting on returning quarterback Zach Bartlow (junior), wide receiver Kris Cady (senior), linebacker Tre Brannock (senior) and left halfback David Brock (senior) as captains to provide the Cardinals their team leadership. Brock, Cady, Morgan Robinson and Justin Armstrong make the team fast on defensive - the fastest in Bartlow's career as coach. It doesn't hurt that Cady and Armstrong were track team sprinters earlier this year. Cady in particular will help make up Gerke's 1,282 yards last year. His ball-handling skills are reliable, Bartlow said.

On offense, Cady and Brock will be complemented by Joe Purdin and T.J. Hofer as receivers. Hofer, who broke his leg in last year's first game, is as of yet untested, but along with all the other receivers, he looked good in football camp that was attended by 28 of the team's players this summer.

This year, the team will also have the benefit of several strong Jubilee recruits, including starting tailback Grant Germaine (senior), linebacker Shane Eastman (senior), receiver Anthony Powell (junior) and defensive lineman Peter Wilson.

"They are tough," Bartlow said about the Jubilee players. "Our kids respect them."

The biggest question mark on offense is the pocket. Defending the quarterback is where the team may get its first wakeup calls.

"The first game is when we'll feel the loss of the seniors," Bartlow said. "The young ones have a lot of heart but they don't have the experience."

2010 Cardinals

2 Steven Ravas 6 Dalton LaRue 7 TJ Hofer 8 Trenton Kitselman 10 Kyle Dozier 11 Zach Bartlow 12 Grant Germain 13 Dalton Estes 14 Dustin Wooderchak 20 T.J.Callahan 21 Logan Dozier 22 Shane Eastman 24 Alex Dill 27 Jesse Moreno 28 Justin Armstrong 29 Erick Kelly 32 Guillermo Hernandez 33 Kris Cady 38 Chad Pearson 41/61 David Brock 50 Morgan Robinson 51 Raul Chavez 52 Jose Martinez 54 Eshom Estes 55 Nate Bartlow 56 Matt Hamilton 57 Tre Brannock 58 Daniel Hernandez 59 Peter Wilson 60 Catarino Martinez 63 Kelsey Scott 64 Will Garcia 66 Trevor Van Drew 70 Nick Pearson 72 Greg Stearns 75 Tucker Alleman 77 Justin Hegel 79 Ben Shafer 80 Joe Purdin 81 DJ Leroue 85 Jared Vance 88 Anthony Powell

Head Coach: Jeff Bartlow

Assistant Coaches: Troy Larsen, Joe Estes, Allan Wilson TJ Scott

Managers: Hannah Helms Jesus Carrion