Washington looks for another successful season

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids Washington watched potential blossom into a trip to the state finals.

The Warriors lost some key players to graduation, but return plenty of talent to maintain high expectations for the new season.

'Last year, we knew we would be respectable but it took us to get into the season to realize that we had something special going,” Washington Coach Paul James said. 'This year, with a certain amount of experience coming back, we have 14 starters coming back, there is a lot of guarded optimism.”

Washington opened its quest to improve last year's state runner-up performance Monday, participating in the first day of official practice for prep football programs across the state. The Warriors open the season against crosstown rival Cedar Rapids Jefferson Aug. 28 at Kingston Stadium.

The calendar year has changed, but the standards are the same.

'Nothing has changed,” Warriors wide receiver Isaiah Nimmers said. 'We still have the same requirements throughout the whole program.”

Washington was unbeaten until a lopsided loss to West Des Moines Dowling in the state championship, going 13-1. The Warriors have to tend to some unfinished business.

'We want to finish the job,” Senior Johnny Dobbs said. 'We have to fill the positions we lost last year, like quarterback and linebacker. We want to get back to state and finish it this time.”

The Warriors dominated opponents, winning the Class 4A District 6 title. Washington averaged almost 41 points a game, while the defense held opponents to less than 12 points per game.

'The harder we work the better the chances we have of winning,” Washington junior O'Rien Vance said. 'We all want to stay together. We want to keep it as strong as last year.”

Even though Washington has a strong nucleus back from last season, they have some big cleats to fill. Quarterback Reid Snitker graduated and accounted for almost 1,500 offensive yards and 23 touchdowns. Wideout and kick returner Landen Akers, linemen Royal Silver and Julian Good-Jones and defensive standouts Connor and Sam Vincent have moved on as well.

T.J. Vogel, who threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns as a reserve last season, is likely to take over at quarterback. He has some strong weapons, including Nimmers and running back Tavian Patrick and Dobbs. Patrick rushed for 1,191 yards as a junior, while Dobbs ran for 17 TDs. Nimmers, an NCAA Division I recruit, was the leading receiver with 409 yards on 21 catches. The offensive line might exchange size with athleticism with four new starters this season.

'It's a different team,” James said. 'It's not the same team that was in the state finals a year ago.

'There are some similarities and a few people are the same, but there is a certain amount of change. They are their own team. Those that played a key role in it, those guys will have a feeling they want to get back there, looking for a different outcome.”

The seniors want to cap their careers with a victory. They don't want the 'nasty feeling” that followed the 49-14 loss to Dowling.

'We want to end on a high note,” Patrick said. 'We want that ring, so we've been working hard.”

l Comments: (319) 368-8679; kj.pilcher@thegazette.com