For Cheney football, it's 'finish, finish, finish'

CHENEY – The difference between Cheney football's 3-7 finish in 2022 and earning a couple of additional victories was not a lot.

A half-dozen additional touchdowns, perhaps?

That's what Blackhawks head coach Bobby Byrd said is driving his team into 2023. "We've, for the most part, had the ability to start pretty well but now it's just finish, finish, finish," Byrd said.

And that, he said, comes down to mental focus, better conditioning, and your discipline.

This was on display in the Blackhawks' opener, a 34-6 loss to Greater Spokane League juggernaut, Gonzaga Prep on Sept. 1.

"I think we started out pretty well and kind of G-Prep does what G-Prep does; they grind you and we lost some focus there towards the end," Byrd said. Cheney led early but Prep ran off the next 34 straight points.

Byrd, who enters his 10th season as head coach at Cheney is excited to get back to business.

"Offensively our receiver core is back aside from Josh Bingham, but we've got some good playmakers including All-GSL first team returning receiver Kordell Laher," Byrd said. Cam Collins, Trey Little and Carter Ittner will also play key parts catching the ball.

The unsung offensive heroes, the line, returns three out of five players that have seen significant time and started a couple games. Chris Houndonougbo earned mention from Byrd, if not for his talent but maybe his name. "Sometimes we just call him Hound," Byrd said. Additionally, "Caden Straley started quite a few games for us last year; Gauge Seubert plays guard for us."

A couple of varsity newcomers that mostly saw JV time last year include Krystjin Gonzalez and Jackson Barden as well as Mike Walsh.

That crew will not only work on opening holes for Jermiah Hubbard at tailback but also help protect new quarterback Sam Coffin, taking over for All-GSL performer Jacob Vallance.

Not that "home run" balls to receivers are not welcome but Byrd said a critical gear in his offense machine are the short five-yard passes.

"We're teaching our receivers a five-yard pass is just as good as a five-yard run," Byrd said. "It's that much more imperative that timing on everything is synced up because if we have drops that's just like having a bad exchange in the backfield."

Defensively, Cheney has its core back in the secondary with Johnny Hauf, James Guske at safeties and Hamza Al-Amin and Jaishon McDonald at cornerback.

On the D-line Byrd pointed to Alex Hubbard. "He was kind of our rock steady beast in the trenches for us," Byrd said, adding that Miles Hoover, a junior, "Is the ultimate competitor."

And as much as he know about the "finish" part of things, Byrd reminded that success in football is really pretty basic.

"I had an old coach, give me a Boy's Life Magazine from 1956," Byrd recalled. "It said football comes down to two things blocking and tackling and it still holds true to this day I believe."