‘We’re hungry’: Clark Fork football is seeking NSL title

CLARK FORK — Is this the year the Clark Fork football team ends its decade-long state drought?

Walk on the field during practice and the Wampus Cats will let you know how they feel about that question.

“We’re hungry and we’re going to get it and we’re going to go beyond that and get that too,” senior Chris Wade said.

With a two-time North Star League MVP in Cameron Garcia returning under center, the Wampus Cats are eager to start the season and show the rest of North Idaho what they are capable of. And Clark Fork’s chances of making it to state improved over the offseason.

Lakeside moved up to 1A Division I leaving Kootenai, Mullan-St. Regis and the Wampus Cats in the North Star League. Last year, Kootenai didn’t field a team due to low turnout, but Clark Fork head coach Brian Arthun said the Warriors will be making a return to the gridiron this fall leaving three schools to vie for one playoff berth.

Arthun said the realignment of the league doesn’t change his approach, it just makes the four games they have against those two schools that much more important.

The Wampus Cats will need to knock Mullan-St. Regis off their throne to get to state, but a talented incoming freshman class has Arthun excited about the damage his team can do.

“It’s definitely a bright future,” he said.

Last year, the Clark Fork Junior High football team went a perfect 7-0, allowing just six total touchdowns all season. Stars from that team, including Ethan Howard and Cole Sanroman, have now reached high school and are ready to make an impact right away.

Arthun said they are freshmen so naturally there will be some growing pains, but he’s been impressed with their work ethic and ability to pick up the playbook.

Wade, an offensive and defensive lineman, said this group of freshmen are special.

“Their mentality to the game is unbelievable,” he said. “Of all the freshmen we’ve had on this team, I’d say these are the most mature ones we’ve had so it’s very exciting, especially to see the high intensity level they’re bringing.”

The Wampus Cats went 4-4 last season and will have to replace six seniors including all-league selections Charlie Abbott and Josh Constantin. Arthun said it will be nearly impossible to replace the impact and production of those two, but he is expecting Wade to fill Abbott’s leadership role on the line of scrimmage and newcomer Antonio Maygora to step in where Constantin shined at running back and linebacker.

Wade, who stands at 6-foot-5, has been looking forward to his senior season for a while. Wade tore his ACL and MCL as a freshman and has battled knee problems ever since. He still played as a sophomore and junior, but injuries in his knee prevented him from reaching his full potential.

Now Wade doesn’t even need a knee brace thanks to an offseason filled with doctor visits and recovery.

“It’s my redemption year,” he said. “Finally this year I got the chance over the summer to actually get healthy again and this time it’s feeling better than ever. I’m ready to hit hard and play hard.”

Opponents in the North Star League better keep an eye on Wade this fall because he’s not messing around.

“I’m going to print my number on a lot of teams,” he said.

Ultimately, the team’s success this year will come down to how well Clark Fork’s quarterback plays. Garcia, who had his junior season on the Sandpoint baseball team canceled due to the coronavirus, spent his summer training to get back in football shape. He came out to the football field, worked on his throws and began showing the incoming freshmen what it takes to be a Wampus Cat.

Garcia is more motivated than ever to get this team to state and finish his career on a high note.

“I think it’s going to be very beneficial to have Garcia as our quarterback,” Arthun said. “It’s definitely nice to have somebody at the quarterback position that knows our system and playbook like he does.”

This season, Garcia isn’t worried about the accolades. Instead, he wants to focus on leadership and making sure everyone knows their role on the field.

“Most games we argue with each other,” he said, “but we’re going to stay more calm and collected as a family than most years, and we’re going to get some W’s.”

When Garcia joined Clark Fork as a freshman he wanted to be a wide receiver. However, that plan changed when the Wampus Cats’ starting quarterback at the time went down with an injury. Garcia stepped up, seized the opportunity and has stuck with the QB spot ever since. It happened by accident, but Garcia is grateful to be in the position he is in.

“I kind of just fell in love with it,” he said.

The title of starting quarterback comes with a lot of pressure and expectations, but Garcia embraces it. He likes having control over the game and looking out over the defense and understanding what coverage they are in.

Garcia said this year’s team lacks size but makes up for it with speed.

“We’re going to be the most conditioned team,” he said. “We’re going to be working harder both ways to make sure we’re the best team out there.”

Garcia’s knowledge of the quarterback also pays dividends when he lines up on the other side of the ball at defensive back. Garcia understands the tendencies of each team in the North Star League after seeing them so many times over the last few years. This allows him to diagnose the play prior to the snap and make game-changing plays.

Senior right guard and defensive end Matthew Hobbs said the Wampus Cats need to take things more seriously if they want to make some noise at state this fall.

“We need to play as a team and get way more aggressive than what we were,” he said. “We need to make tackles, wrap up better and listen to the plays.”

Arthun expects to have 17 players on the team when the season begins. With only three seniors on this year’s squad, inexperience could be an issue. But Garcia and Wade are planning on instilling as much confidence as they can in the younger players to make sure everyone trusts each other to do their job.

“They’ll have no butterflies, come out hitting hard and win games by like 30,” Garcia said.

After an offseason of uncertainty, Arthun is glad fall is back.

“It is such a breath of fresh air,” he said. “I haven’t seen a lot of these kids since everything hit and I can sense the excitement from them. They’re super excited to get back together and be out here on the football field.”

This eight-man football team is a family and Wade loves being a part of it.

“It’s like a brotherhood ... nothing can break us apart,” he said. “We care so much about each other ,it’s unbelievable.”

Kickoff for the season opener is set for 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, against Wallace at CFHS.