‘Making state isn’t enough’

COULEE CITY — Two years removed from hoisting a state championship trophy, the Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors return an experienced roster hoping to make another run in the 1B State Football Tournament.

“I have big aspirations, I think a lot of us do for this season,” senior Grayson Beal said. “Our freshman year coming in, we obviously had a really great team – that set the standard really high for us, that making state isn’t enough. We’re really motivated to prove that we can be a great team.” 

ACH, 9-3 in 2023, reached the postseason yet again last fall but lost 46-30 to Mossyrock in the state quarterfinals. 

“For the kids that were a part of that team, the disappointment that comes with losing that game – and it was a great game, we were in it into the fourth quarter – there's a hunger that comes from going through that experience,” head coach Brandon Walsh said. “Which then turns into doing all the things you need to do to get better.” 

Last year the program had 31 players turn out to hit the field – that number increased this year. 

“We’re always happy if we can get to 25 (players),” Walsh said. “We have good participation in everything right now athletics-wise – I think we’re going to end up with 34 or 35.” 

Having 34 or 35 players turn out is quite a significant amount in the WIAA’s 1B classification, and Walsh pointed toward the program’s tradition as a key influence. 

“I’d like to think it has to do a little bit with the success that our program has had over time,” Walsh said. ‘We’ve been able to build something that the kids are excited to be a part of, so I think that’s part of it. Another part of it is we have a good youth program.” 

Among the returning players from 2023 are Northeast 1B all-league talents in seniors Carter Pitts, Kayle Casimir and Beal, as well as juniors Harvest Parrish and Brady Roberts. Familiarity with the program allows players to pick things up quicker during preseason practices. 

“When we’re installing our offense, I’m not speaking a foreign language,” Walsh said. “I can say we’re running such-and-such play, and almost everybody knows exactly what we’re supposed to do already. It’s just review, and we can get to be game-ready hopefully quicker in that regard.” 

While ACH only had three seniors graduate from last year’s roster, two of them played on the line of scrimmage — including John Pierce, who received all-state recognition from the Washington State Football Coaches Association. Walsh said he expects Beal and sophomore Tucker Bayless to fill the spots Pierce and fellow graduate Everett Wood left behind on the offensive line. 

“Those kinds of guys are tough to replace, but with these numbers, you’ve got guys excited to jump in, and we’ll probably move some guys around a bit,” Walsh said.  

In the backfield, Pitts is coming off a 2023 season where he rushed for 1,450 yards and 21 touchdowns on 179 carries.  

“I’m very glad that Carter’s on my team, because there’s no way I’d be tackling him,” junior Caden Correia said.  

Correia, the team’s starting quarterback, carried the ball one less time than Pitts, totaling 820 yards and 11 touchdowns of his own last fall. Four of ACH’s five leading rushers will suit up again in 2024, with Roberts and Parrish joining Pitts and Correia in the Warriors’ run-heavy offense. 

“I’m just hoping we’ll be able to share the wealth a little bit more,” Pitts said. “We’ve got guys that can run the ball stepping up, we’ll be able to get carries spread out more a little bit.” 

The number of players the Warriors will bring into the 2024 season also brings a new challenge to the coaching staff; managing depth. 

“Just numbers wise you would think we will, but some of that comes into talent, how you’ve progressed and how you fit into your role,” Walsh said. “Initially, it looks like we’re going to have a lot of depth and versatility with players that we can rest guys when we need to.” 

The Warriors begin their 2024 campaign with a road game against Cusick on Sept. 6. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. 

“We face some pretty good teams in (Garfield-Palouse), Liberty Christian; they’re going to be good tests for us,” Beal said. “The first half of the season, the main thing we’re trying to accomplish is gelling our offense and start playing well as a team.” 

ACH Football Schedule 

Sept. 6 – at Cusick – 7 p.m. 

Sept. 14 – vs Garfield-Palouse – 5 p.m. 

Sept. 20 – at Liberty Christian – 7 p.m. 

Sept. 27 – at Curlew – 3 p.m. 

Oct. 4 – vs Mary Walker – 7 p.m. 

Oct. 11 – vs Columbia (Hunters) - 7 p.m. 

Oct. 18 – at Wellpinit – 3 p.m. 

Oct. 25 – vs Wilbur-Creston-Keller – 7 p.m. 

Nov. 1 – vs Odessa – 7 p.m. 

    Almira/Coulee-Hartline junior Caden Correia participates in an agility drill during an August 23 practice in Coulee City.
  

    ACH players work out at the start of an August 23 practice. The Warriors will roster 35 players this season, according to Head Coach Brandon Walsh, an increase from 31 in 2023.
  

    Almira/Coulee-Hartline players race against one another during an agility drill.