The St. John-Endicott Eagles have a new coach for the 2015 football season.
Ken Gering takes over as a first-year head coach, after serving the past two seasons as Defensive Coordinator for Steve Selk.
Selk left the program after his job at Endicott School ran out of a grant funded by WSU. He now works on campus in the provost’s office in institutional research.
Gering, in turn, is set to guide a team he has known most of his life, including a previous stint as an assistant, and days and nights as an S.J.E. player from 1987-90.
A longtime Transportation Supervisor for the St. John School District, he now looks to fill the absence of seven graduates from last year’s team; Jimmy Hollingshead, Wilson Lundberg, Skylar Smith, Dakota Gering – the coach’s son – Rowdy Brown, Jordan Morris and Cole Crider.
"All key seniors," Gering said. "On both sides of the ball they played really well."
Practice began at 6 a.m. Wednesday after 11 players attended the Whitworth University 8-man football camp in June.
Gering expects to see several of them contribute from last year’s 4-6 team.
A group of four seniors return as two and three-year starters, including tight end/defensive back Weston Whinery, center Lucas Elkins and quarterbacks Tyler Anderson and Luke Bailey.
"Those are my four big dogs this year," said Gering.
Other notable returners are junior Reagan Harrison at running back/linebacker, junior lineman Wyatt Wilson and sophomore Chase Schlueneger, another lineman.
Gering will make his debut as head coach Sept. 4 in a home game vs. Odessa-Harrington. He coached two games last year, however, due to Selk’s absence because of a hospitalized family member.
"It’ll be a natural transition," said Gering of moving into the head job. "Steve and I worked well together. I love a good challenge."
Gering will be assisted by Ron Pitts.
Growing up in Endicott, the son of an Arrow Machinery man, Gering played football and baseball in high school, an anchor on the offensive and defensive lines in the fall.
"We filled buses," he said of the large turnouts back then – the first years of the St. John-Endicott co-op.
After high school, Gering played linebacker at Ricks College for one year before a shoulder injury ended his career.
"The dream position," he said. "I loved being a linebacker."
Gering later left school, returned to Endicott, got a job as a farmhand and got married.
In 2003, he returned to football, acting as an assistant for the high school team under Mark Mansell.
Now as head coach, preparing for thefirst practice earlier this week, he had a few small items to take care of.
"Clean out a couple cobwebs in the shed where the pads are and the cones are," Gering said.
From there, he already had plans set for the first practices.
"I like a defined plan," he said.
Parents are welcome to watch as the team prepares for Sept. 4.
"I encourage any parents that want to watch to come on down," Gering said.
So it begins, a new season in St. John-Endicott.
How are they going to replace workhorse running back Wilson Lundberg, who ran for multiple 300+ yard games last year?
"I’ll be honest with you, he’s gonna be a tough one to replace," said Gering. "But ultimately somebody will step up. They always do."
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