2021 TDHS Football Preview
Jaxon Pullen ( 11 ) and Riley Brock ( 15 ) last season.
The Dalles High School Football has started practice this week. With a new head coach at the mantle and not many seniors, it’s an interesting season we’re heading into. They’re having a full season this year, unlike last year where the Riverhawks went 2-3 on the shortened season.
While former head coach Andy Codding stepped down from the head coaching position, he will still be on new head coach Lynn Helyer’s coaching staff. This will be Helyer’s “first season” as head coach ( he was the head coach for The Dalles Eagle Indians from 2011-2012 .) The team will be running an RPO offense this year. RPO stands for run/pass/option meaning their play could lead to a run or a pass or an option depending on the defense’s reaction or lineup. It’s an offense commonly used in college and the NFL.
With 8 seniors departing this past year, they’ve lost a lot of key players. With all of those seniors starting last year and losing now senior 3-star recruit Andrew Savaiinaea who went back to Washington to play, the team is smaller and a little less experienced. The Hawks now only have 5 seniors playing this year.
The team is led by senior Jaxon Pullen who has played wide receiver the past two years but could play any skill position in the new offense. He’s also a star on the defensive side of the ball playing any secondary position. He’s about 6’1 with blazing speed, running a 4.5 40 yard dash.
Junior Riley Brock is going to be a big impact on both sides of the ball as a returning starter. Playing wide receiver and defensive end last year he was new to starting on varsity but stepped up and did well. Lining up and some of the others teams’ best o-linemen he held his own. There are also talks of him splitting QB snaps with Pullen.
Junior Manatu Crichton-Tunai is returning after being injured in the second half of the season. It was a tough loss for the Riverhawks on the defensive side when Crichton-Tunai was out with an injury. He has played Defensive line and fullback in the past. He’s tall, long but very strong.
Junior Evan Baldy will be a big part of the defense as the nose tackles. He started last year at that position and did what a nose tackle needed to do. He may start on the o-line this year too.
Sophomores Andre Niko and Anthony Jara were the two freshmen who started on varsity last year and they’re hoping to make a big impact this year too. Anthony was starting corner and Andre played any of the front 7. Anthony might get some playing time on offense too with his blazing speed.
The Dalles is in the NWOC East division of the 5A conference. They’re competing against La Salle Prep, Parkrose, Pendleton, Rex Putnam, Redmond, Ridgeview, and rival Hood River Valley.
This is a big year for the Hawks to see how their promising young core performs. Will this be another rebuilding year? Or do they compete in this conference and make the playoffs?
