Bulldogs crank up with running back jobs open

Colfax Coach Mike Morgan and his crew of assistants expected to greet 40 football recruits Wednesday on the first day of turnout around the state. The turnout will include a large group of seniors who provided a lot of core power from last year’s Bulldog team.

Number-one topic for the Bulldog pre-season will be two vacant running back slots. Joe Cammack and Ethan Smith, the Mr. Outside and Mr. Inside of the Bulldogs’ running game last year, graduated . Smith and Cammack also stayed on the field for defense and their work in the linebacker slots gave opposing defensive coaches headaches.

Colfax last year in its first season of 2B football rolled all the way to the state semi-final round when they ran into a powerhouse Asotin team in the fog shrouded Martin Stadium.

Colfax advanced to the semis after turning back DeSales, the SE’s perennial power team, in the quarter-final round at Kennewick.

Tyler McNannay and Alvin Lee, both returnees who logged game time last year in varsity rounds, will be back and can be expected move up to the open running positions.

Coach Morgan has also “recruited” Stetson Steiger to move off the line and take a shot at running back. Steiger sampled the running back job when the team took off for football camp at Boise State in June.

Steiger last spring wound up in the state finals as a sprinter for the Bulldog track team. He opted to join the tracksters after playing on the Colfax baseball team.

“He turned out to be the fourth fastest 2B sprinter in the state, so I figured we might try him at running back,” Morgan said. He pointed out the Steiger move follows a similar decision last year when he moved Smith out of the line and gave him the football.

Colfax fall sports season got off to an official start with the Tuesday night meeting for coaches, parents and athletes.

Volleyball and cross country practices will begin Monday.

Colfax volleyball has 40 girls signed up, and the cross country team has seven recruits.