Ken Roberts
For The New Era
Sweet Home opens its football season this Friday with another face-off against powerhouse Sisters Outlaws, who have been the 4A state runner-up the last two years.
Since the advent of the OSAA endowment games, now in its third year, the Huskies have partnered up with their former Capital Conference adversary to ensure that the traditional rivalry continues.
Game time is 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29, at Sisters.
The OSAA endowment game, which replaced the jamboree, was set up as a fund-raiser for the organization, who splits the proceeds 50-50 with the host school.
The game will give the Huskies a quick read on where they are going into the 2008 season.
“Sisters has always had a program that’s been challenging,” said head coach Rob Younger, “so we just made it the endowment game to always keep that non-league game on our schedule.”
This year, the potent Outlaws will have to replace their two greatest offensive weapons since both all-state running back Cory McCaffrey graduated, along with their quarterback Jared Hasskamp.
“They have lost a lot of skilled kids,” stated Younger, “but they are still going to be a good team because they return with a team that has playoff experience.”
Going deep into the playoffs gives players an extra month of practice that most teams don’t get.
The Huskies, who lacked experience last year, will look to reverse their fortunes with a team that has solid depth in every position. Plus they had high participation in their summer weight program and the Glencoe football camp.
“We are markedly ahead of where we were last year because we return so many kids,” Younger explained.
The offense will be led by quarterback Ryan Graville and last year’s leading rusher, Amos Parmenter, as well as all-league tight end Josh Riggs and tackle Zane Wise.
Plus the Huskies have a host of wide receivers, starting with returners Sam Macklin and Kevin McGuyre, that will allow them to have a balanced offense.
Wise, who anchors a solid offensive line, believes the team expectations are going to be higher in the clash with the Outlaws.
“Sisters always has a lot of blitzes from their three-five stack look,” said Wise. “They are never very big but usually fast, so we have to make quick reads.”
In the opening game, Younger will be more concerned with defense and special teams, the two areas that he believes produce championship teams.
“We have the potential to be a very good defensive team,” said Younger. “And we’re going to spend extra time and energy to see that happens.”
Macklin, also an experienced defensive back, hopes that the time spent in the weight room in the off season pays off so the Huskies can match up in team speed.
“All Sisters teams have been fast,” said the senior wide out and track star, who thinks the defense is a lot further along this year. “We have to be in the right position.”
Younger, who has the Huskies practice right through the game, wants to keep the focus off the outcome of the game and more on team development.
“We just want to do things correctly within our system,” emphasized Younger. “That doesn’t mean we aren’t going to play to win. It’s just more important to develop kids and look at the long range goals.”
Senior linebacker and guard Marc Callagan echoed those sentiments.
“We want to get the fundamentals down,” stated Callagan, who said he hopes to see the mental game develop as well as the physical skills. “We need to play as a team, not just individual players.”