Travinski leads Stevenson squad

Two years ago, head coach David Waymire welcomed a talented group of freshmen that he hoped would lay the foundation for success in the future at Stevenson.

Two years later, those freshmen are now juniors. But declining enrollment has led to low turnout.

“We have a really good group of running backs, linebackers and a really good quarterback that are now juniors,” Waymire said.

That quarterback is Jude Travinski, who piled up a quite a sophomore year not just in football, but other sports.

“Jude is a great kid and an amazing athlete,” Waymire said. “After football, obviously he was a good basketball player. But he went on to try track this year and ended up going to state in the 100-meter sprint.”

Travinski shined on the football field in the fall, earning all-Trico League honorable mention in a league loaded with talented quarterbacks.

He averaged a team-high 19.1 points a game in basketball in the winter.

And then the standout season in track that left him with the second-best marks in school history in the 100 meters (11.15 seconds) and 200 (23.11 seconds).

“He’s worked on his speed and his strength in the offseason,” Waymire said. “So far at camp, he’s looked amazing. He’s definitely ready to step up and lead the team as a junior quarterback.”

Key players

• Skylar Polzel, jr., RB/LB: Hard-nosed runner earned all-league honorable mention last season.
• Logan Polzel, jr., TE/LB: Waymire describes both Polzel brothers as “old-school, smashmouth” football players. “They are not afraid to get aggressive and go after things,” he said.
• Seth Marshall, jr., WR/DB: A defensive standout who was also a track and field athlete. “He’s kind of a slot back and strong safety for us. A strong, aggressive kid, he’ll be fun to watch this year,” Waymire said.
• Jayden Lankford, sr., WR/DB: A four-year letterman, Lankford is one of two seniors on the roster and has been providing some leadership by moving from receiver to the line this fall. “He grew and recognized the need for lineman at our small school, and he made a transition because it was what the team needed,” Waymire said.

Season outlook

The Bulldogs only took 18 players to team camp this summer. Waymire hopes to have between 30 and 40 players on the fall roster. But that roster will be heavily loaded with freshmen and sophomores, so the Bulldogs will need to grow up quickly.

Stevenson last won a Trico League title in 2018. But the Bulldogs have managed just two or three wins a season every year since then.

“Obviously, I feel like the Trico League has stepped up as far as competitiveness over the last several years,” Waymire said. “So I think if we can be a .500 team, that’s going to be a huge success for us.”

Stevenson opens the season with non-league games with Hudson’s Bay and Elma before opening Trico play against Fort Vancouver.

“I think we’ve got pretty competitive preseason games,” Waymire said. “It’s going to give us a good idea of what the season looks like. … I don’t know a lot about Hudson’s Bay. But obviously it’s a much bigger school, so we’ll see how we fare with that.”

Stevenson Bulldogs

Coach: David Waymire (15th year)

2024: 2-7, 1-6, seventh in Trico League

SCHEDULE

Sept. 5 Hudson’s Bay, 7 p.m.

Sept. 12 at Elma, 7 p.m.

Sept. 19 Fort Vancouver, 7 p.m.

Sept. 26 at Castle Rock, 7 p.m.

Oct. 3 at Kalama, 7 p.m.

Oct. 10 King’s Way Christian, 7 p.m.

Oct. 17 La Center, 7 p.m.

Oct. 24 at Seton Catholic, 7 p.m.

Oct. 31 Columbia-White Salmon, 7 p.m.