After having two weeks of practice, The Dalles High Riverhawks will begin the OSAA Class 4A football season Aug. 30 with a positive outlook and lots of enthusiasm as new head Coach Nate Timmons guides the squad in his high school coaching debut.
The Riverhawks play the opening matchup of their nine-game schedule in a nonleague contest Friday at 7 p.m. versus the Class 3A Umatilla High Vikings (1-8 in 2023) at Umatilla High School in Eastern Oregon. The game will be broadcast by Al Wynn on radio station KODL 99.1 FM beginning with a 6:30 p.m. pregame show.
The Riverhawks have a large group of returning varsity players, including London Leitz, junior quarterback Leighton Voodre, and senior linebacker Trace Larson, who earned a Special District 2 all-league honorable mention award last year.
Leitz had an exceptional performance as the Riverhawks’ punter a year ago, as he earned an SD2 first team all-league award. Seniors Julian Moorehouse, Gabe Hoff and Larson will provide solid leadership for the Riverhawks. Running backs Josh Brackenbury and senior Moorehouse will be counted as a solid one-two punch for the ground game in the Riverhawk offensive attack.
Timmons, 32, was hired in May to replace Marc Schilling, who resigned after two years at the conclusion of the 2023 season. Timmons is the third coach in the past four years. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Marc; he was a phenomenal coach, and we have a good foundation now that he helped provide the team with for the last two years,” said Timmons. “Practice has been going well; we’ve had some kids who have really stepped up their performance level and I feel pretty good about our chances to have some success this year. I’m counting on our seniors to provide good leadership, too. Our goal is to have a winning record and make it to the playoffs.”
Schilling guided the Riverhawks to a 2-3 Special District 2 mark, a 4-5 overall record, and a No. 21 4A ranking last year. It marked the best record for The Dalles since 2019, when the Riverhawks finished 7-5, and it was the last year that The Dalles reached the playoffs. The Dalles finished in a three-way tie for third place in the six-team SD2 2023 league standings.
Timmons said the head coaching job fulfills a goal that he has had for a long time. “I was super excited when I got the job and I’ve always wanted to be The Dalles head coach,” said Timmons, a 2010 The Dalles High graduate. “We’re going to throw the ball around a little bit and combine that with our running game so that we can hopefully have a balanced offense.”
Timmons was a Riverhawks’ varsity assistant coach for the past two years. “I’m pretty familiar with everyone who will be on the team this year after coaching them last season as an assistant coach,” he said. “My plan is to change things a little regarding consistency with the coaching staff and I’m planning to be here for the long term.”
The Dalles assistant coaches include Gabe Scherrer, Kyle Lee, TJ Green, and Eric Dugick. The Dalles, with 35 varsity players, has an experienced squad after losing just six graduated seniors from last year’s team.
Following Friday’s contest, the Riverhawks will play their home opener Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. versus the 3A La Pine High Hawks (2-7 in 2023) on Sid White Field at the Wahtonka campus.
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