New Bulldog team takes aim at leaving their mark

Colfax football players, who wrapped up their two-a-day pre-season practice grind Monday, now get the chance to show what they can do for Bulldog football history. Coach Mike Morgan, starting his 14th year in the head job, points out the new crew for the upcoming season includes a lot of players from the old crew.

The Bulldogs graduated a lot of talent from last year’s team, but the new edition now gets a shot at leaving their mark.

Morgan and his returning crew of veteran assistant coaches have 41 players working out for the upcoming season which essentially will be the same run of foes with the locations reversed.

Despite the departure of some two or three-year veterans, the Bulldogs have several experienced players in the line. They also have some veterans in the skill ranks, although some changes are in the works for a new lineup.

Daython Maltone Cole Neu, Aaron Arneson, and Brent Conrad are all linemen who saw a lot of action last year and will be seeing a log more action next year. Maltone, Neu and Arneson are juniors and Conrad is a senior.

“I think were have the guys to fill in the holes in the line,” Morgan noted.

Number-one assignment change will be at quarterback where Justin Berarducci, a top receiver for the team last year, will be at quarterback.

Coach Morgan last year instilled a plan of sending in a backup quaterback for live game reps just to get the experience. The practice derived from the Colfax-Adna 2009 title game when QB Alex Teade was knocked out of action just as the Bulldogs were about to rub out an Adna lead.

After that episode, Morgan decided to always have his number-two QB ready with extended game experience. Last season, Berarducci, who is the top returnee among receivers, worked in the QB training slot.

Now, he’s been bumped up to the number one job as a senior.

Brady Ellis, now a junior, will get the number-two role. Ellis will play at wide receiver and also get a ration of reps at QB.

Coach Morgan notes wide receiver is one of the slots where the Bullogs will need to shore up in the wake graduations and the Berarducci move to the QB slot.

Sam Thompson, a senior, and Bryce Kramlich, a sophomore, will also get the call at the wide receiver slot.

At tight end, the Bulldogs will have Skylar Simonson and Cole Klaveano, both juniors, in the slot. Jay Hart, a senior, also returned to the football ranks this fall to brighten the outlook for the receiving corps.

In another switch, senior Alvin Li had been moved into the tailback slot where grad Tyler McNannay did business last year in a big way.

Li’s talents actually fit the tailback slot better than the fullback slot, but the tailback job essentially wasn’t open last year.

Levi Hardy, who saw some action as a freshman, and Jacob Alteri, a senior running back in the 200 pound range, figure to be doing shifts in the power back position.

“I think we have a lot of talent on offense, “ Morgan said. He noted the players fall short of claiming a ton of experience but they do have a lot of experience.

Morgan and crew welcomed the freshman class of 13 players who bring in a lot of talent, and some of the young players could break into varsity games later in the season. The freshman and sophomores posted a strong performance as their own unit when the team went to Boise State for the summer session.

Morgan, who has posted a 105-38 record in his 14 years as head coach, has the same crew of assistants with Tony Carter, Craig Culbertson, Jason Cooper, Phil Morgan, and Mark Brown back. Justin Carstens of WSU returned as a volunteer coach. Cole Groom, the other volunteer from last year, is now attending school in Alaska.

The NE-B loop against figures to have a lot of competition this year. Lind/Ritzvile/Sprague Broncos, who were bumped by Colfax in the quarter-final round of state last year, also graduated a lot of players and figures to be rebulidng this year, Morgan noted.

Reardan, which lost key players during the closing weeks of the season, could be back as a power. Morgan also sees Kettle Falls and Springdale as teams which could bring a strong game if things go right for them.

Davenport and Liberty, both with new coaches this year, rate as unknowns. Both of those teams have opted out of the Sept. 2 league jamboree at Ritzville in favor of opening up against tough foes.

Colfax will break out with a Blue & Gold scrimmage Saturday at 10 a.m. with a barbecue for players and family members to follow.