BOISE, Idaho — A handful of teams in the Treasure Valley begin the high school football season this week with a rivalry matchup, including Timberline, who faces the Boise Brave on Saturday at Dona Larsen Park.
With so many new players stepping up on the roster, the Wolves have been working hard to get game ready, even without the core group of last year's team.
Despite the youth, Timberline is confident they will remain competitive in the 5A Southern Idaho Conference (SIC) in 2022.
"We all we got, we all we need," senior linebacker Preston Sansoucie said. "We only need 11 players, so we just need to find the best 11."
Timberline head coach Ian Smart believes the foundation the Wolves have built can keep them in the mix of the conference's best.
A lot of Wolves will be getting their first meaningful varsity minutes this season, stepping into the roles that helped Timberline finish 5-4 last season.
"That's hard to replace and so we've had to really lean into some of these guys that are new and are gonna have to fill some roles that they may not have been able to fill in the past, due to guys who were pretty seasoned vets," Smart said. "So, it's exciting. I think a lot of these guys are kind of thriving in their opportunities to make that happen and we're excited to see what they do."
Timberline's strongest returning position group is its linebackers. Smart calls them the heartbeat of the team and says they have led the charge in getting the defense ready to roll.
"We got a lot of dogs out there," senior tight end Tanner Bishop said. "A lot of people wanting to play, wanting to be physical."
If you watch a Timberline practice, you will notice there is something special about the 2022 team's unity and how well they communicate.
"As long as we all know what we're doing, we're gonna be successful," Sansoucie said.
As the Wolves transition their roster, newer players are asking questions, with the few veterans making sure everyone knows their job.
"I think that helps. One, they're gonna speed their learning up, but two, I think it builds that comradery and the ability to trust each other is huge," Smart said. "I think those are the things that kind of pay dividends on weekends, you know, as those guys get into games."
"You know, as a younger guy, I thought a little more hesitant, but this year I think everybody's excited," junior linebacker Mark Jones said. "Everybody's playing fast and they really just want to get out there and play. So, the energy has just been completely different this year."
Smart says it's all about setting the standard and retaining the identity of the program, even as personnel changes.
"Every year you're going to have different guys that have to do different things," Smart said. "The standard doesn't change and so for us, it's doing things the right way -- the way we interact with people, the way that we treat people on a daily basis -- that's kind of the standard we're looking to live by."
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