Getting “Eck”cited for spring football: Week one

Positions for next year were set during the first week of spring practice

James Taurman-Aldrich ARGONAUT

Week one of spring practice has come to an end, and very few questions have been answered. Gevani McCoy will be under center, Anthony Woods will be next to him and Hayden Hatten will line up with Jermaine Jackson as the main wide receivers. Outside of the offensive and defensive lines, defensive backs and tight ends are all unknown.

Day one of practice was also pro day and it was outside. Mathias Bertram got the battle axe, Jack Layne was named offensive MVP, Tommy McCormick got defensive MVP and Jake Kindel landed special teams MVP.

“For spring ball, I’m looking to take more of a leadership role,” Bertram said. “I’m playing outside linebacker right now, a new position group, (so I’m) still figuring that out.”

After months without football, players could’ve had issues getting the rust off, but it returning players didn’t miss a step.

“Everybody played well,” head coach Jason Eck said. “It was great to see the defense get some turnovers. Mathias had a nice interception, so did Tommy McCormick.”

Thankfully, the facilities crew was able to get the field ready so that day two of practice could be inside. McCoy received the battle axe this time around, and it was well- deserved as he only threw one questionable pass. Michael Graves, who is trying to land a spot as the third wide receiver, earned offensive MVP. Tylen Coleman, who transferred from Western New Mexico University stood out as defensive MVP. Jackson showed his versatility as a wide receiver and returner as he was named special teams MVP.

After two days of practice, pads came on. Players seemed to reach new heights with the addition of pads. Murvin Kenion III had a great swat while Hayden Hatten leaped in the air for a deep catch. Eck was pleased with how the team did during this practice and has seen a lot of improvement.

“I think we’re ahead of last year,” Eck said. “Guys probably stayed on their feet better. We still wanted to stay up today, we didn’t want to be on the ground, and I thought guys did a better job of that.”

Although there are still a lot of practices to go, position groups are starting to get figured out. The only well-known starters coming into day one of spring ball were on offense as the defense graduated a lot of players and moved others around.

“It’s a work in progress, but I see some guys stepping up,” Eck said. “Malikai Williams caught my eye today, he won the ax, he did a great job at defensive end. Jahkari (Larmond) has been doing a good job at D tackle. Sam Brown has been doing a good job at D end.”

Many Vandal fans are also looking at is the offensive line. It was a position that caused fans concern last year,

Vandals lose spring opener to Washington State

cross into the box, Witte couldn’t handle it cleanly, and Washington state capitalized with a tap-in goal to put the Cougars up 1-0.

and it’s under a microscope once again.

“On the O line, Terrian Rainey getting some good reps, our centers have had a few good days and Eli Sanchez (has played well),” Eck said. “We have to keep getting better. Sometimes the D line is a little ahead of the O line, so we just gotta keep working on those different combinations and find the right chemistry.”

The Vandals have a few weeks left of practice before their annual spring game on April 28 at 7 p.m.

James Taurman-Aldrich can be reached at arg-sports@uidaho.edu or on Twitter @jamesaldrich25

New head coach Alex Pribble

Coming off a 12-3-3 2022 season, the Idaho Vandals opened their 2023 spring slate in Pullman Washington, taking on the Washington State Cougars. Seven p.m. hit, the lights were on, rain came down and Vandal Soccer was back.

The Vandals and Cougars showed their rust with some bad passes and turnovers early. Neither team was able to get control of the game until midway through the first half.

The Vandals got the first real chance of the game, getting fouled just outside the 18-yard box. Midfielder Margo Schoesler took the free kick however, the kick went straight into the wall of the Cougars defense. Washington State woke up after that and started putting pressure on the Vandals. They pressed high and forced multiple Vandals’ turnovers. Despite the awoken Cougars, goalkeeper Kira Witte made sure to take the Vandals into the half tied 0-0.

After a frustrating half for both teams, Washington State put Idaho on its heels. The Cougars sent a

Idaho tried to shake off WSU’s goal with some offense of their own. After not getting a single shot on goal in the first half, the Vandals finally had a chance. However, the Cougars’ defense held up to keep the ball out of the net.

The Cougars became more aggressive and physical as the half went along. Their physicality led to another goal, putting WSU up 2-0. Idaho was unable to figure out the Cougars, finishing their first spring game with a 2-0 loss.

Despite the loss, head coach Jeremy Clevenger liked the challenge Washington State brought the Vandals.

“It’s a good game for us,” Clevenger said. “They were very physical, they pressed us, and these types of games will help us come conference time.”

With the Vandals still trying to replace star midfielder Savannah Foster, Clevenger believes that spring is a big opportunity.

“Savannah was amazing for us,” he said. “When you lose an impactful player, the rest of the team has to step up. I think it’s also a good opportunity for some players to step into Savannah’s role.”

The Vandals have five games left of the spring season, and for some players, it is their best chance to earn some playing time.

“We will definitely give... our players opportunities to play and prove themselves,” Clevenger said. “That’s what spring’s about.”

The Vandals next test will be the spring home opener against conference foe Eastern Washington on April 7 at 6 p.m.

The “Pribble Plan” is underway as Alex Pribble has taken the Idaho men’s basketball head coach position. Pribble comes to Idaho after a four-year stint as the associate head coach at Seattle University. He led the Redhawks to back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since the 1960s and the team’s first Western Athletic Conference regular season title.

Coach Pribble has brought success to programs that haven’t been very successful. He took Saint Martin’s from a team that went 6-22 before he arrived to a team in the Sweet 16. With Idaho finishing the 2022-2023 season 10-22, Pribble is looking to bring this same turnaround to Moscow.

“As we begin this journey, I want to make one thing very clear,” Pribble said. “We are here to compete for championships at the University of Idaho.”

Before the Pribble Plan can commence, the Pribble Process must begin. In order to make Idaho men’s basketball the best it can be, coach Pribble has a three-step process when it comes to looking at players.

“One is academics, the second piece is talent and the third piece is character,” Pribble said. “We want to exhaust ourselves with the recruitment process with specific individuals. We want to make sure the people we’re interested in, we do all the research necessary to make sure they’re the right fit for the Vandals.”

In a room full of alumni, reporters and other coaches, coach Pribble spoke on the proud nature of being a Vandal.

“I want to hear from the alumni on what it means to them to be a Vandal,” he said. “I want our players to understand what it means to wear Idaho on their chest. When we hang the first championship banner in ICCU Arena, I want everybody in this community to take pride in that.”

Coach Pribble’s Vandals may not take the court until late in the Fall 2023 semester, but their coach is already getting to work. In just his first few days as head coach, he gave Jase Butler, a junior out of the Branson School in California, an offer. He followed that up by completing a request many Vandal fans asked for as he extended an offer to Kase Wynott, a junior in Lapwai, Idaho.

Coach Pribble’s staff hasn’t been set yet, but he’ll have someone helping him make decisions here soon as his