Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Both teams aiming for top-half finish in NE2B
COLBERT – Reardan’s first venture as a mascot-less football team is coming up. The squad formerly known as the Indians heads to Colbert to take on the Northwest Christian Crusaders in a rare matinee Friday tilt Sept. 3 at 4 p.m.
During this winter’s strange, COVID-19 shortened season, Reardan finished 3-1 while Northwest Christian struggled to an 0-5 campaign.
After losing several key seniors, head coach Eric Nikkola will turn to a sophomore under center while relying on two new senior running backs to carry the offensive load.
“We’re going to go with Tate Nelson at quarterback, a sophomore,” Nikkola said. “He’s raw, but the athleticism is there. He’s very athletic, and quite coachable.”
Nelson will be faced with a “trial by fire,” as Nikkola put it, against an NWC defensive line anchored by two-star 6’4”, 245-pound end/linebacker Jonny Lester, who won MVP awards at high school camps put on by the University of Washington and Eastern Washington University.
“In the jamboree last weekend, he had some buffer,” Nikkola said. “But now, it’ll be the real thing.”
Nikkola will rely on senior running backs Cody Sprecher and Abe Nelson, the latter Tate’s older brother, to carry the load on offense with a run-heavy strategy and some quick passes to stretch the NWC defense without forcing Tate Nelson to hold the ball for too long. Reardan also lost four seniors on the line, making the need for Sprecher and Abe Nelson to get into open space that much greater. Nikkola did say he’s enjoyed the progress of senior Justin Murinko and junior Robert Colvin, who have stepped up as leaders in the trenches.
Reardan’s strength lies defensively, Nikkola said, with depth in the defensive backfield and on the line. Star NWC running back Aaron House will be out due to a hip injury, aiding Reardan’s chances.
NWC coach Marshall Hart will rely on a core group of seniors that were freshmen when the Crusaders made the state quarterfinals in 2018. Lester is the star, and senior lineman Zack Patrick will help anchor the NWC trench attack.
Hart said for NWC to have a chance against Nikkola’s defense, the Crusaders must match Reardan physically.
“Nikkola always figures out our tendencies and is good at giving us something new every time we play them,” Hart said. “We’ll have to match their physicality offensively.”
Nikkola also brought up physicality going into the game, especially when attempting to contain Lester’s attack from tight end.
“We don’t have anyone who can match him physically, so we’ll have to know where he is on the field at all times,” Nikkola said.
Reardan’s first game at NWC will be followed by a non-league matchup and this season’s home opener with Oroville a week from Saturday.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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