High school football: Outlaws ready for postseason run

Published 8:01 am Tuesday, November 1, 2022

ENTERPRISE — Josh Harman is happy with where his Enterprise Outlaws are at after the team endured a rough three-game losing streak and dealt with a couple of key injuries early in the season.

The Outlaws are 6-3 as they return to the eight-man playoffs for a second year in a row, and Friday, Nov. 4, host a postseason game for the first time since 2017 when they play Cove.

“The way we have bounced back from the injuries, I’m just pleased to death with how they finished the season out the last two games,” the first-year head coach said. “We’re in a really good spot headed into the playoffs — not taking anything for granted.”

Enterprise was 4-0 early in the season, then was presented with a major challenge. The Outlaws faced a tough skid during which key lineman John Howard was out with an injury, and in the middle of that stretch, lost quarterback Tyler Knapp to a broken collarbone during a loss to Crane.

Enter Caden Fent, who moved to quarterback and has helped steady the offense. Fent has found a groove, and last week in a 60-22 home win over Lyle/Wishram/Klickitat he compiled 300 yards of total offense — 182 passing and 118 rushing — and four touchdowns. Howard has also returned to help steady the line on both sides of the ball.

While Enterprise is “still trying to find ourselves” on offense, according to Harman, the team is moving in the right direction. The Outlaws had 575 yards against Lyle, fueled not only by Fent but by Ashtyn Irwin, who rushed for 222 yards and a score — on just eight carries — and had an 84-yard TD catch.

The defense, which allowed nearly 69 points per game during the three-game skid, has rediscovered its form, too. The Outlaws have allowed just 16 points per game in their six wins, and 21 per contest in the previous two victories.

They will be up against a team in Cove (5-4 overall) that downed Elgin in a must-win game, 46-0, to earn a playoff berth. Enterprise will have to deal with a Cove offense that has averaged 34.5 points per game.

The style of both teams and the conditions Friday, which figures to see temperatures in the 30s with rain and snow possible, lends toward the game being a run-heavy affair.

“The weather is sure not looking really pretty. It’s going to be cold and wet. Anytime you get conditions it necessitates (running) — I would imagine both teams want to run the ball,” Harman said.

He said the Leopards “lean on an option play that we gotta make sure we handle. … It’s been that way for a long time (at Cove). They do a really good job with it.”

Keeping healthy in the cold conditions and taking care of the football, Harman said, are the keys for the Outlaws if they want to move on and earn a rematch with Powder Valley.

The game is Enterprise’s first home playoff game since a 33-0 loss to Kennedy in 2017. The Outlaws will be trying to end a 24-year drought since their last playoff win. The last postseason victory for Enterprise was the 1998 2A state semifinal, a 23-13 win over Lost River.

“(If) we could come out on top Friday night on our own field, that would be great for our fans, school and community,” he said. “I’ve heard from a lot of people that are very excited about getting to watch us at home Friday night in the playoffs.”