By Dylan Reubenking
dylan@yelmonline.com
The Rainier Mountaineers have a new level of discipline and hunger entering the 2023 football season.
Fifth-year head coach Andy Bartell has instilled this mentality into his team after a couple of down seasons, including a 2-7 campaign in 2022 in which they lost three games by at least 30 points. The Mountaineers will have their first chance of the season to turn the page in a 2B East/West conference matchup against the Wahkiakum Mules at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1 at Wahkiakum High School.
“They’re hungry. They are definitely ready to win some football games,” Bartell said of his team’s mentality. “Our guys are ready, locked in, more disciplined to be a better character football team and ready to try to put some wins together.”
Starting senior running back and safety Chris Grey doubled down on the team’s hunger to win and improved discipline this summer.
“There’s a lot less goofing off and a lot more discipline,” he said. “I think it just started with the crappy seasons the last two years. We’re ready to turn that around and be a better team.”
The Mountaineers boast an experienced group of returning starters, especially on offense. Sophomore quarterback Jake Meldrum earned second team all-Central 2B honors as a freshman and has taken command of the offense with his poise, Bartell said.
“We’re really excited about him. He was really smart with the ball last year,” he said. “He didn’t force any bad throws. He was always protecting the ball and pulling down and running instead of forcing throws. He’s been working really hard to have a good year for us.”
Meldrum will be supported by a strong backfield duo of Jared Sprouffske and Grey. Bartell said that the two backs are strong, noting that Grey has been a leader in the weight room. Sprouffske, an honorable mention all-league player a season ago, will also earn carries as a fullback and line up at linebacker on defense, while Grey will step in at safety.
The focal point of the Mountaineers’ offense will be Hunter Howell, who burst onto the scene as a junior in 2022. Bartell said that they will mix him into the backfield rotation, as well. Howell was Rainier’s lone representative on the all-Central 2B first team.
“He’ll have a chance to tote the ball as well as catch passes, but he could be a big offensive weapon for us this year,” Bartell said.
Howell said that he has been working on his speed and explosiveness this offseason, as well as earning more yards after the catch.
“I feel like there’s a bit more I can do this year,” he said.
Up front, the Mountaineers return four players on the offensive line, including a standout starter in senior Ryder Cruse, who also plays along the defensive line. Bartell credited Cruse’s strength and desire to get stronger in the offseason. The head coach also likes the depth on the offensive line, as Blake Roberts, Alex Clark and Thomas Roland are all underclassmen who could play a factor in the trenches this fall. Bartell’s team features a hefty freshman class of eight newcomers.
“I’m really excited about Blake Roberts. He’s a big, strong kid. He’s probably going to start at middle linebacker and play some right tackle,” Bartell said. “Another kid that is really exciting from that group is Thomas Roland. I think he has the potential to start on the offensive line.”
On defense, the Mountaineers hope to improve from a season in which they surrendered nearly 40 points per contest. Standout sophomore defensive back Jayden Alegarbes impressed Bartell in his debut season with his willingness to tackle despite his smaller stature.
“He worked his butt off last year. He’s not afraid to get in there and mix it up,” he said.
A variety of two-way players will also lead the defense, including Sprouffske, Cruse and Grey.
The Mountaineers will open up at home at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. against Morton-White Pass High School. But first, they must endure three straight road contests to kick off the season, including conference foe Wahkiakum in the season opener.
The 2023 season marks the first season in a new league for the Mountaineers, as they moved to the 2B East/West league along with Wahkiakum and Ilwaco. The new members join Ocosta, North Beach and Toutle Lake. Rainier will face each of those teams, including Wahkiakum twice, and non-conference opponents Toledo, Onalaska and Morton-White Pass.
Wahkiakum bested the Mountaineers 36-28 in overtime last season, but Bartell likes how his team matches up with their opponent.
“We match up really well. We’ve seen them a couple of times now,” he said. “I feel like there’s a really good chance that we could win a football game. I know that our new level of discipline and attention to detail about trying to make sure that we’re just right as a football team has got us more locked in than we have ever been.”
It’s that discipline and hunger that will help define the Rainier Mountaineers’ season and ultimately their goals of upward trajectory. The players have bought into the coaching staff’s added push this offseason and are primed to improve not only on the field, but off of it, as well, Bartell said.
“Our mentality is definitely better than last year,” Howell said. “We’re more of a team. We’re more of a family. We just want to be better people and win more games.”
