Daniel Sanchez certainly has speed. His fifth-place medals in the 400 meters and 800 meters in last spring's state track and field championships certainly prove that.
Sanchez certainly has strength. His fourth-place finish in the 145-pound weight class in last winter's state wrestling meet proves that.
Sanchez has also proven himself over the past couple of years as a wide receiver and defensive back on the Goldenale High School football team, but over the summer, Timberwolves Coach Doyle Payne decided to add a new dimension to Sanchez's game on the gridiron to fully utilize the senior's speed and strength.
Payne told Sanchez that he'd be taking some snaps under center this fall, splitting reps with Goldendale's primary starting quarterback, senior Tanner Milliren.
Some athletes might bristle at the suggestion of a position switch when they've had success at a particular position, but Sanchez handled the situation with admirable aplomb.
"He's having fun with it," Payne said of Sanchez. "We worked on (integrating him to the quarterback position) in camp in June, and we've been coming up with a number of plays to set that up for him."
The Timberwolves' plan, at least for now, is to have Milliren, the junior varsity quarterback a year ago, be the team's primary quarterback, but to move Sanchez in under center from his wideout spot to give the offense an added dimension.
Needless to say, the Timberwolves will be more of a running team when Sanchez is playing quarterback.
"We'd like to stick with one guy," Payne said, "but Daniel adds another dimension. He runs well. We're happy with what Tanner's done (so far). He's still young, but he's been working really hard at it, and I think he's doing OK."
Sanchez is one of five seniors returning to a Goldendale squad which has fallen on hard times in recent years. Last season the Timberwolves finished 3-7 in Payne's second season at the helm and missed out on a playoff spot.
This season, however, Payne has reason for optimism.
"Their work ethic has been good so far," he said. "I'm pleased with what we've been doing in practice. The have a clear place where they want to go. These guys are willing to do whatever it takes to get it done. If I move guys from one position to another, they're jumping in and saying, `OK, what can I do?'"
With Sanchez entrenched as the team's top wideout and change-of-pace quarterback, and Milliren tabbed as the starting signal-caller, sophomore running back Nick Dohrman will round out the Timberwolves' core group of skill players on offense.
Dohrman exploded onto the scene last year, rushing for over 1,000 yards in his first season as a varsity starter.
"Our returning running back is a real strength," Payne said. "And we expect Nick to get even better. He's bigger and stronger, and we do expect a lot out of him."
The players who are going to open holes for Dohrman and protect the quarterbacks will need to emerge quickly. Payne said that a couple of spots on the offensive line are still up for grabs heading into Friday's season opener against visiting Columbia (White Salmon).
Senior Jared Witt is entrenched at tight end. Vance Shafer will take one of the starting tackle spots, and the guards will be picked from Wade Plumlee, Nick Hurt and Art Saucedo. Matt Van Horn will be the team's starting center.
"Our line will be more experienced this year," Payne said. "But I'd like to see our guards step up in a game situation and claim starting spots."
Junior Kyle Hamilton will be the team's other starting wideout opposite Sanchez.
On defense, Payne will alternate between a 4-4 front and a 3-5 look that is designed to put the opposing offense into passing situations and attack with stunts from a lot of different angles.
The defensive line will be made of of largely the same group of players who make up the offensive line and will be anchored by Shafer, a third-team all-leaguer last season.
Witt and Plumlee will start at inside linebacker, while Hamilton and Dohrman will play on the outside.
In the secondary, Tyler Huntziger and Sanchez will start at cornerback, with Milliren working from the free safety position.
Sanchez will also be the Timberwolves' primary kicker and punter, and will return kicks and punts as well.
This season, Goldendale will be playing in a reconfigured SCAC that will have former 2A schools Connell, Kiona-Benton and Naches Valley drop down.
However, the East division, with perennial powerhouses Connell and Royal, seems to be more top-heavy than the West, which the Timberwolves are in.
"With the way (the league) has been divided, there's a number of questions," Payne said. "Naches will be respecatable. Zillah will be tough again as always. Granger could be tough. The questions are Kiona-Benton and Mabton. I hate to say our division is easier, but with Royal and Connell in (the other) division with Wahluke, that's going to be a tough division.
"If we have some success early and answer our questions at third wide receiver and the guard spots, I think we're going to have a lot better production than alst year."
On Friday, the Timberwolves will play host to a Bruins team that beat them 40-20 in the first game of last season.
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