By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

SALEM, Ore.-  It wasn’t too long ago that Blanchet’s Spencer Kowalski had stepped into the starting Quarterback role for the Cavs Football team.

The bright lights of that April, 2021 night against Corbett was something else as he stepped in for Sam Schindler against the Cardinals that night.  A role and position he hasn’t relinquished yet going into his final Fall Camp of his prep career here on Monday.

“The game moves really fast at first.  It takes a few weeks to get comfortable.  It made it hard being an underclassmen because at Quarterback you’re expected to lead and we had a bunch of seniors out there, it felt almost awkward but it was a good experience.  I’m glad it happened that way and developed over the last couple of years and ready to go for my senior year here,” Kowalski said.

Blanchet went 2-4 and the Cavaliers went 3-6 last Fall, reaching the 3A State Playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season with Kowalski building upon his sophomore year into his junior year.  Hoping that the last season-plus will play off for him and Blanchet with the squad dropping to 2A this upcoming season as he picked up how the Justin Hubbard-style of play wants to go as well as finding his comfort zone in being a field general out on the field of play.

“Last year was good.  I put in a lot of work in the offseason last year and throughout the season.  I just got a better feel for the game, the pace of the game and our offense.  The coaches and the coaching style and the way we like to play,” Kowalski said.  “(The leadership) has come along a lot.  I got to lead a lot in baseball sophomore year because I was one of the older people on our team that year and this year I was a captain on the team and I was captain on the football team last year.

“Just being able to lead and have the experience of leading, it’s been helpful.  It’s been good stuff to build off of the last couple of years.”

Kowalski catches for the Cavs baseball team, helping them to the 3A State Semi-Finals in a historic season in program history as they were on the verge of the State Title game before falling to Santiam Christian in Adair Village back in May.

This current week of camp has been great in conditioning work going into the first official practice of the year Monday and with the squad dropping to 2A, which opted to go nine-man starting this year, the playbook has changed yes…but the goal remains the same.

“Our playbook has changed a little bit, but for me to understand that the best out of everybody has been my main priority going down to nine-man.  Making sure everyone is on the same page on each play,” Kowalski said.  “(This week) has been a great week so far.  It’s a blast coming back out here…(the goals are) win our league, win State.  We have a competent group of people and it comes down to putting in the work and being focused week-after-week and day-after-day.”

Blanchet opens the season at Gold Beach September 3 before hosting Taft for their home opener September 9.

Photos By Jeremy McDonald