Bulldogs face Lancers in first NE grid round

A brand new NE season will start for the Colfax High football team when they roll north Friday to play neighboring Liberty in the league opener.

Coach Mike Morgan said the first round of the season rates as an unknown for all league teams, but he believes Liberty and Northwest Christian are two teams that have been building programs that could make a mark in this year’s league race.

“They have quietly been developing the program up there,” Morgan noted of the Lancers who are again headed by Coach Mike Dewey.

Liberty will take to the grid with QB Match Burnham gone to graduation, but Chase Burnham, now a junior, rates as a key player who can fill multi-assignments during a game.

“He can do a lot of different things, and he can even wind up at quarterback,” Morgan noted.

Chase Burnham is among 13 or 14 juniors which make up the core of the Lancer team.

NE coaches met Tuesday, and one of the lead topics was the impact of wildfires in the north part of the district. Springdale and Kettle Falls coaches reported they have been able to conduct just five outside practices session since the start in August.

Coaches were advised to be aware of smoke conditions and modify practice sessions accordingly.

The league also charted alternatives, including reversing game sites, in the event of smoke conditions. One reversal this week could be a move of the game at Springdale to Reardan.

Another feature of the league’s first round will be a trip by Northwest Christian to Seattle where they will meet Neah Bay for their non-league round.

Colfax will make the short hop to Liberty after booking some plus and some minus marks in the jamboree last Friday at Ritzville.

Coach Morgan said the big plus for the night was the debut of the new 3-4 defense for Colfax. They allowed just one score, late in the round with Davenport, and stopped Tri-Cities-Prep in their two defensive assignments.

Colfax faced Warden and Medical Lake, non-league guests, in its offensive segments.