2021 Football Preview: 10 players to watch at smaller schools in Tri-Cities region

It’s time again.

Time to play high school football, and hopefully with some normalcy.

The 2020-21 school year just wasn’t normal. Football — heck, all sports — were put on hold in the fall of 2020.

It wasn’t until after the first of the year that teams were given the OK to play. And even then, it was a shortened season.

The goal this year among administrators and coaches is to get a full season in, with a postseason after that.

It won’t be easy. There have already been some schools around the state that have had to cancel their first one or two games, thanks to COVID-19.

So we step cautiously into the season, yet joyous in seeing the kids back out on the gridiron.

Over the next few days, we’ll take a look at some of the top players to watch in the Mid-Columbia.

Today, we’re starting with the top 10 small-school players in the region.

Region’s Top 10

▪ Sonny Asu, RB, Othello. Last year, the Huskies played in the Greater Spokane League’s 2A division, and Othello finished in the middle of the pack with a 4-3 record.

A lot of credit goes to Asu, who gobbled up yardage rushing the ball.

▪ Derek Bergeson, QB/LB, Royal. Bergeson was well established as a sophomore standout at linebacker for the powerful Knights, who despite being a Class 1A team, beat up on Class 4A squads from Wenatchee, Eastmont and Moses Lake back in the spring.

Bergeson now steps up on the offensive side to run the offense at quarterback, taking over for the now graduated Caleb Christensen.

▪ Keegan Bishop, QB, Liberty Christian. Had there been playoffs this past spring, the Patriots would have been a major factor in the 1B tournament.

Bishop comes in after a solid spring of passing for 1,765 yards in just four games. Just a junior, Bishop has compiled 2,432 passing yards and 30 TD passes.

▪ Cade Clyde, TE/DE, Connell. This guy is a force to be reckoned with. Last spring, as a sophomore, he was a two-way, first-team, all-South Central Athletic Conference at both tight end and defensive end.

At 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, Clyde will provide headaches to 1A opponents on both sides of the line.

▪ Avery Ellis, RB/LB, Royal. Now a senior, Ellis has been a standout linebacker for the Knights (alongside Bergeson) for the last two seasons. Two years ago, Royal coach Wiley Allred called him one of the best LBs he has ever coached.

Ellis took his share of carries last spring on offense. But he should be the main guy getting those totes this fall.

▪ Zane Hickman, OL-DL, River View. Hickman, a senior, was a two-way, first-team all-star on both sides of the line for the Panthers last spring in the Class 2B Eastern Washington Athletic Conference. River View will look to him for leadership this fall.

▪ Michael Lenke, LB, Columbia-Burbank. Last spring, as a sophomore, Lenke stood out on the defensive side. He was named first-team all-conference, playing for a squad that dominated its opponents.

▪ Neo Madrano, LB, Prosser. This junior, who was named first-team all-CWAC at inside linebacker in the spring, is expected to be the leader of the Mustangs’ always-swarming-to-the-ball defensive unit.

▪ Carson Riner, RB/DB, Connell. Last spring, Riner was a strong two-way player for the Class 1A Eagles.

The son of head coach Wayne Riner, Carson dominated on the offensive side of the ball, piling up big numbers rushing-wise. In fact, he was named SCAC Offensive Player of the Year by the conference coaches.

▪ Kaiden Rivera, QB, Prosser. This guy is finally a senior, and knows what he’s doing in the pocket.

Twice named a CWAC first-team all-conference QB, Rivera has no problem slinging the ball all over the field in the Mustangs’ high-powered offense.

Schedules

Here is a look at this fall’s small-school football schedule (subject to change, and all kickoffs at 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted):

Sept. 2 — Kiona-Benton at River View (non-league); Pateros vs. Sunnyside Christian at Granger, 6 p.m. (NL).

Sept. 3 — Connell at Othello (NL); DeSales at Odessa (NL); Liberty Christian vs. Tri-Cities Prep at Chiawana (NL); McLoughlin at College Place (NL); Royal at Ellensburg (NL); Sunnyside at Prosser (NL); Wahluke at Grandview (NL); Wapato at Columbia-Burbank (NL); Warden at White Swan (EWAC).

Sept. 9 — River View at Wahluke (NL); Sunnyside Christian at Soap Lake, 6 p.m. (NL).

Sept. 10 — Columbia-Burbank at Kiona-Benton (NL); Connell at Deer Park (NL); Liberty Christian at Tekoa-Rosalia (NL); Mabton at White Swan (EWAC); North Central at Grandview (NL): Othello at Royal (NL); Touchet at St. John-Endicott-LaCrosse (NL); Wallowa at DeSales (NL); Warden at College Place (NL); Zillah at Prosser (NL).

Sept. 17 — Cle Elum-Roslyn at River View (NL); College Place at Zillow (SCAC); Connell at Timberlake, Idaho (NL); Granger vs. Tri-Cities Prep at Chiawana (EWAC); Kiona-Benton at Wapato (SCAC); Kittitas at Warden (EWAC); Liberty Christian at St. John-Endicott-LaCrosse (NL); Othello at East Valley-Yakima (CWAC); Prosser at Selah (CWAC); Touchet at Sunnyside Christian (NL); Wahluke at Toppenish (SCAC); White Swan at Columbia-Burbank (EWAC).

Sept. 18 — Goldendale at Mabton, 1 p.m. (EWAC); Meridian at Grandview, 1 p.m. (NL); Royal at Cedar Park Christian, 5 p.m. (NL).

Sept. 24 — Brewster at Kiona-Benton, 6 p.m. (NL); College Place at Naches Valley, 6 p.m. (SCAC); Columbia-Burbank at Cle Elum-Roslyn (EWAC); DeSales at Touchet, 3 p.m. (D9); Ephrata at Othello (CWAC); Grandview at Prosser (CWAC); LaSalle at Royal (SCAC); Liberty Christian at Yakama Tribal (D9); Mabton at Kittitas (EWAC); River View at Granger (NL); Sunnyside Christian vs. St. John-Endicott-LaCrosse at LaCrosse (D9); Tri-Cities Prep at Goldendale (EWAC); Wapato at Wahluke (SCAC); Warden at Highland (EWAC); Zillah at Connell (SCAC).

Oct. 1 — College Place at Connell (SCAC); Ellensburg at Grandview (CWAC); Naches Valley at Kiona-Benton (SCAC); Othello at Selah (CWAC); Royal at Wahluke (SCAC); St. John-Endicott-LaCrosse at Liberty Christian (D9); Tekoa-Rosalia at Sunnyside Christian (NL); Touchet at Pomeroy (D9); Tri-Cities Prep at Columbia-Burbank (EWAC); Warden at Dayton-Waitsburg (EWAC).

Oct. 2 — River View at Mabton, 1 p.m. (EWAC).

Oct. 8 — Columbia-Burbank at River View (EWAC); Dayton-Waitsburg vs. Tri-Cities Prep at Chiawana (EWAC); Grandview at Othello (CWAC); Kiona-Benton at Royal (SCAC); Liberty Christian at DeSales (D9); Mabton at Warden (EWAC); Prosser at Ellensburg (CWAC); Sunnyside Christian at Touchet, 3 p.m. (D9); Toppenish at Connell (SCAC); Wahluke at College Place (SCAC).

Oct. 15 — College Place at Kiona-Benton, 6 p.m. (SCAC); Connell at Wahluke (SCAC); DeSales at Pomeroy (D9); East Valley-Yakima at Grandview (CWAC); Mabton at Dayton-Waitsburg (EWAC); Othello at Prosser (CWAC); Royal at Zillah (SCAC); Touchet at Liberty Christian (D9); Warden at Columbia-Burbank (EWAC); Yakama Nation at Sunnyside Christian (D9).

Oct. 21 — Dayton-Waitsburg at River View (EWAC).Oct. 22 — Ellensburg at Othello (CWAC); Grandview at Ephrata (CWAC); Kiona-Benton at Connell (SCAC); Prosser at East Valley-Yakima (CWAC); Royal at College Place (SCAC); St. John-Endicott-LaCrosse at Touchet, 3 p.m. (D9); Sunnyside Christian at Liberty Christian (D9); Tri-Cities Prep at Warden (D9); Wahluke at La Salle (SCAC).

Oct. 23 — Columbia-Burbank at Mabton, 1 p.m. (EWAC).

Oct. 28 — DeSales at Sunnyside Christian (D9).

Oct. 29 — College Place at Wapato (SCAC); Columbia-Burbank at Dayton-Waitsburg (EWAC); Connell at Royal (SCAC); Ephrata at Prosser (CWAC); Liberty Christian at Pomeroy (D9); Mabton vs. Tri-Cities Prep at Chiawana (EWAC); Othello at Quincy (NL); Selah at Grandview (CWAC); Wahluke at Kiona-Benton, 6 p.m. (SCAC); Warden at River View (EWAC).

Nov. 4 — Pomeroy at Sunnyside Christian, 6 p.m. (D9); St. John-Endicott-Lacrosse at DeSales (D9); Yakama Tribal at Touchet, 3 p.m. (D9).

Nov. 5 — Tekoa-Rosalia at Liberty Christian (D9).

This story was originally published September 2, 2021 at 11:49 AM.