The second season of the Wyatt Evenson Era is ready to roll and the White River football coach has high hopes for his Buckley bunch.
“Our expectations for ourselves are always high,” Evenson reported. “We make no excuses and expect to compete with every team we play. If we do what we’re capable of, we’re going to cause teams a lot of problems.”
It will be interesting to see how the Hornets make the transition from Class 2A to the larger North Puget Sound Class 3A.
The season kicks off this Friday, September 6, with a home game against league foe Thomas Jefferson. Things get started at 7 p.m. at Arrow Lumber Stadium on the rural Buckley campus.
“We focus on what we can control and play whoever they put in front of us,” the coach said. “We’re excited for new battles, rivalries and competition. We’re ready.”
If there are doubters in the world of local prep football, Evenson points to recent history as a cautionary tale. A year ago, his squad was picked to finish last in the SPSL 2A. Instead, the Hornets managed a No. 5 placing and earned a playoff berth. Evenson additionally noted that his crew was on the short end of a couple of crucial plays that resulted in close losses. Other defeats were at the hands of a state quarterfinal team (Orting) and a state semifinalist (Enumclaw).
“We’ve been working tirelessly to close the gap,” he stated in an email to the newspaper.
This time around, the Hornets should be sparked to senior Tate Bowen, a two-way standout and first team, all-league receiver last season. During that 2023 campaign, Bowen set school records with 1,000 receiving yards and 75 receptions. His 13 receiving touchdowns landed him No. 2 on the school’s all-time list.
Other key Hornet returnees, the coach noted, include a handful of linemen who will likely play on both sides of the ball. That list includes seniors Luke Lisherness and Riley Simmons, along with junior Blake Bargelt; all received all-league honorable mention in 2023. Fellow senior Dainton Neff earned honorable mention for his offensive line play. Others to watch, Evenson said, are seniors Trevor King and Levi Northam who will fill a linebacker role and be found in the offensive backfield.
Having lost veteran quarterback Aidan Rathbun to graduation, the Hornets will look to senior Tristan Waterman to direct the offense. As a backup last season, he completed two-thirds of his passes (40 of 60) and tossed 10 touchdowns.
Evenson said others who could make an impact – all listed as defensive backs/wide receivers – are Hunter Oswold, Jacob Scheidt, Ray Palmer and Kovi Poulin.
