By Joe Petshow
For Columbia Gorge News
HOOD RIVER — A key characteristic of this season’s successful Hood River Valley (HRV) football team is its fast, aggressive play on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Two players who epitomize that style are senior two-way starters Bam Layna and Jack Miller.
Layna, a fourth-year varsity member, is the team’s leading ball carrier and tackler from his running back and linebacker positions. Miller, in his third varsity season, spearheads a mobile offensive and defensive line. That line opens holes for Layna and his backfield teammates or manipulates opponents’ offensive linemen. Together, they’ve helped lead the Eagles to a 6-1 start and to the brink of another Class 5A state playoff berth.
The playoffs have been a constant of Coach Caleb Sperry’s program the past few seasons. He and his long-time assistant coaches, Vinnie Schlosser and Jeremy Dyal, are in their 17th season together. They know the value Layna and Miller bring to this year’s team.
“Both are just really versatile, strong, fast football players,” Sperry said of his senior leaders. “Whenever you have senior guys in football, it makes a difference. Those guys have been lifting; they’re older and more mature. It always helps to have more mature guys on the football team.”
And ones that prosper playing both ways.
“I prefer defense,” Miller said of his penchant for disrupting running plays or sacking opposing quarterbacks. “I just like the physical aspect of it — of just getting out there and hitting people.”
Miller said he’d prefer a sack-and-strip fumble recovery over scoring a 60-yard touchdown. “It’s a momentum changer,” he said of the defensive gem. “It brings the excitement for our team on the sideline.”
He’s done both; his TD came three weeks ago on a fumble recovery on a bad punt snap.
Layna, who leads the team in touchdowns along with carries and rushing yardage, agrees about playing defense. “Defense is definitely the football in football,” the 2024 first-team all-league linebacker said. “You get to go out there and hit people; you get to fly around and do what you want.”
Don’t get the wrong idea. HRV’s defensive structure allows for a little freelancing, but it’s predicated on everyone doing their assignments — basically having the backs of your 10 teammates.
“Bam is a returning honorable mention all-state football player, and he plays hard, urgent,” Sperry said. “He’s one of those guys we want to get the ball in his hands as much as we can.
“[Defensively] Bam’s got a good nose for the ball,” Sperry continued. “He’s a great reader on defense; he understands offensively what’s happening and does a great job of beating people to the attack.”
Miller is strong and mobile, although he said there likely won’t be any designated runs for him added to the Eagles’ offensive playbook anytime soon. “I don’t even want to bring up that conversation,” he quipped.
Sperry said Miller’s quickness gives him a huge advantage as a lineman. “Miller is fast and strong. He really is just a hard match-up for guys at his defensive end position. He does a great job of putting a lot of pressure on the quarterback but also sets a good edge on defense.”
Teamwise, the HRV players said a deep playoff run would be a satisfying way for them to finish their high school football careers. That would be a reward for the work they’ve put in to help keep the Eagle program at a playoff level. For Layna, that work included, under Dyal’s tutelage, recovering from two broken leg bones he suffered playing football.
“He’s taught me a lot,” Layna said. “I feel like after I broke my ankle, he’s the one who got me back into it … [retaught] me how to run again at a high-performance level.”
Miller’s position coach is Chris Mallon, someone the HRV lineman said intimidated him when he was a freshman and sophomore. “As a freshman, you see him pushing all those varsity guys to the next level,” Miller said. Today, Mallon has helped take Miller to that level. “He will get you to where you want to be.”
Just as Miller and Layna likely will help get HRV where it wants to be — back in the state playoffs for a record-setting fifth straight season.
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