Huskies hope top work pays off

Sherman coach Mike Somnis said that the team has spent a lot of time working on their schemes and the style they want to play over the course of the season.

“The biggest thing for us is upping our physicality and playing much more downhill,” Somnis said.

The defense posted a shutout last week and held Entiat to 162 total yards in a 52-0 shutout victory.

On offense, the Huskies have a similar philosophy to Wallowa, with the offensive line opening holes for the running backs.

Last week, Sherman rushed 46 times for 296 yards, as Reese Blake led the way with 102 yards and two touchdowns in his six carries, Treve Martin totaled 87 yards on 20 rushes with a score, and senior quarterback Jacob Justesen notched 48 yards on 10 attempts with a pair of scores to go with his 64 yards on 3 of 7 passing.

Wallowa started with a 70-22 win against Siletz Valley at the Dufur Classic, but lost to Adrian by a 52-36 margin last week, so they can be scored on.

Sherman got things back to normal with 429 yards of offense last week.

“(We need to start) executing better, limiting mistakes and maximizing our opportunities when they arise,” Somnis said. “Winning the penalty and turnover margins are always a good indicator of how well the team is executing.”

Wallowa has enjoyed success in the playoffs in the past few years, but the true test for Sherman is executing the fundamentals put in by Somnis, who is in his first year back with the program after a brief break from coaching.

Entering the third game, those elements should be much more refined, especially with all the extra preparation put in.

“I really believe you win and lose close games during the week of practice,” Somnis said. “It’s important for all of us, coaches and players to keep adjusting, improving, progressing and maintaining our attention to detail from Monday-through-Thursday. Friday nights are the fun part. You just got to go out, play hard and execute the game plan.”