Experience counts

COULEE CITY — With a roster of 31 players, the Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors are entering 2023 with a more experienced squad than last year.

The Warriors were full of youth in 2022, but the past year of development has led to a more adept team.

“We were so young last year, the bulk of our team was freshman and sophomores,” head coach Brandon Walsh said. “That extra year of experience, physical growth and maturity hopefully is a big deal for us this year.”

ACH had 23 players on last year’s roster, two of whom graduated. With a bigger roster, mixed with that extra season of experience, it’ll lead to more competitive position battles in practices.

“It makes us better, there’s no question,” Walsh said. “If every drill and every scrimmage session is competitive, then you can replicate game situations in practice every week. It makes you better. We’re excited about that.”

The effects will be seen out on the field on game day, as well.

“It’s going to give us great looks, especially at practice,” senior John Pierce said. “I think our defensive squad should give our first-team offense some great looks. In games as well, I think it’ll be nice late in the game to have fresh guys go out on the field.”

Featuring a run-heavy offense, the Warriors crossed the 300-yard mark on the ground in four of their games last season, averaging nearly 275 rushing yards per game in the 2022 regular season. With the goal of dominating in the run game, Pierce said it begins with the offensive line.

“Our line is where it starts every game,” Pierce said. “Everett Wood and I are returning — we have a spot to fill in our left guard, but I think we’re going to be just fine.”

Junior Carter Pitts played quarterback for the Warriors last season, but the junior is moving to running back for this upcoming campaign.

“The position said quarterback, but I was the running back,” Pitts joked. “I’d just take it and run. (As a running back) it’s nice to get a running start, and I can block pretty well from there too.”

Fellow running back Jaxon Baergen noted the speed the Warriors have this season, brought in by a quick freshman class.

“We’re more versatile than we were last year, especially since we have a couple of freshman guys that are probably the fastest people I’ve ever played with,” Baergen said. “Being able to get out on the edge, be more developed at the varsity level.”

ACH finished 7-4 last season, reaching the state playoffs for the seventh straight season after a comeback victory against Wilbur-Creston-Keller in the Week 10 Crossover. Despite falling in the first round to Naselle, Walsh noted how important it was to win that crossover game and get the experience of playing in a state playoff game.

“It’s huge when you’re a young team,” Walsh said. “You can’t replicate that experience of winning a big game in practice, you just have to experience it and go through it. That whole experience, even the loss to Naselle in the first round of the state playoffs, is going to pay dividends for us down the road because now we know what to expect in that setting.”

ACH kicks off the 2023 season on the road against Oroville on Friday. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

“It’ll just be fun to play football again,” Walsh said. “We just want to see where we’re at. We still have a lot of unknowns — this is one of our bigger turnouts in my coaching career. We have a lot of young talent, so we’re going to spend these first two-and-a-half weeks evaluating that and seeing who fits where.”

Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.

ACH Football Schedule

Sept 1. — @ Oroville — 7 p.m.

Sept. 8 — @ Entiat — 7 p.m.

Sept. 16 — vs. Liberty Bell — 5 p.m.

Sept. 22 — vs. Inchelium — 7 p.m.

Sept. 29 — @ Mary Walker — 7 p.m.

Oct. 6 — vs. Wellpinit — 7 p.m.

Oct. 13 — @ Wilbur-Creston-Keller — 7 p.m.

Oct. 20 — vs. Odessa — 7 p.m.

Oct. 27 — Division Crossover — TBD