For the past few seasons, the Pullman Greyhounds were a team opponents only needed to make sure they didn't overlook. "Pullman" on the schedule usually meant a win, as long as you strapped on the pads and made a few plays.
The roles have been reversed. Now, the Hounds (4-1, 2-0) are the team that needs to not overlook anyone, as they host Clarkston at 7 p.m. tonight at Hobbs Field.
"If we are going to rely on us being pretty good, we're going to get our butt-kicked," Pullman coach Dan Lucier said.
Clarkston (1-4, 0-2) has scored exactly 20 points in each of its last four games, a solid number that shows the Bantams have some ability to move the football. The problem? No opponent in that span has scored less than 37 and Clarkston is losing contests by an average of almost 30 points during its four-game slide.
But if anyone around the Pullman football program thought it would be a light week of practice, Lucier made sure that line of thinking didn't last long, challenging his players to give everything they had each day to prepare for another game night under Friday night's lights.
"What if you focus? What if every day you really came and had fun?" Lucier said. "(We) know today that our competitors are practicing. Are we beating them in practice today? All we have to have is one guy who is not there to blow everything up for us, because we're only as strong as our weakest link."
Last week it was difficult to find a weak link for the Hounds, as the offense, defense and special teams came through for big play after big play during a 48-20 drubbing of Deer Park.
Pullman is hoping it can carry that momentum into tonight's ballgame, especially given the Hounds finally started to click in their no-huddle look.
Lucier prides his teams on having an up-tempo offense that exposes opponents' weaknesses and fatigue. It takes time to learn, and quarterback Justin Cillay is beginning to figure it out. Last Friday, Pullman fully installed the offense in the second half and immediately ran off 34 unanswered points.
Defensively, the Hounds have been stellar as well, forcing key turnovers in each of Pullman's four wins to turn the tide in games. Those plays have come with physical play on the defensive line, the hard-nosed toughness of middle linebacker Ryan Pitzer and the speed of cornerback David Ungerer.
Lucier hopes this is just another week for the Hounds on their way toward becoming a great team, a point he's made clear all season long. To do that, they are going to have to continue to make the plays that have gotten them to this point.
"We have to continue to trust the process," Lucier said.
Andrew Nemec can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 231, or by email at anemec@dnews.com.
