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TOLEDO — Make no mistake, the bar in Toledo is already set high.
The Riverhawks haven’t missed the state tournament since 2014, making at least the quarterfinals seven times in that stretch, and they haven’t lost on their home field since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
As lofty as those expectations are, could it be possible that they are even higher heading into 2025?
“All of those things motivate our kids,” Toledo coach Mike Christensen said. “Our guys want to take that next step.”
Ten offensive starters from last year’s nine win team are back in the fold, including senior quarterback Eli Weeks, who is entering his third season running the offense.
When Weeks took over as QB1 in 2023, it was Christensen’s sixth quarterback in six seasons, and the previous five were all seniors.
Having Weeks step in as an underclassman led to some growing pains, but that was by design. As planned, he was much more comfortable in the offense in Year 2, and they’ve already delved deep into the playbook so far this preseason.
“(Weeks) has got the potential to be one of the best 2B quarterbacks in the state,” Christensen said. “He worked hard to get physically bigger, which was huge, but also just him knowing the offense. He knows everything we’re doing. When the play caller and the quarterback can be on the same page, that’s when you’re really moving the ball in the right direction.”
Add in Adam Kruger, who averaged nearly 20 yards per catch and scored six touchdowns last season, and the offense's potential skyrockets even more.
It’s got Christensen and his offense thinking about the records they could set this season, through the air and on the ground.
“The records are cool,” Weeks said. “It gets you hyped. It gives you confidence. But you just focus on the winning.”
That same level of continuity is felt on the defensive side, where nine starters return from last year’s group which allowed an average of just 16.4 points per game (not including Winlock’s forfeit, which officially was recorded as a 1-0 win on the WIAA website).
The knowledge of the playbook on both sides of the ball has led to some intriguing chess matches throughout fall camp.
“We are going over things we normally go over in week four or five,” Christensen said. “We’re pretty far ahead, and we’re trying to get these guys in as difficult of situations as we can in practice so they’re ready to go Week 1.”
The Riverhawks will be tested right away. They’ll put their home winning streak on the line against Adna, another C2BL team on the rise after a strong finish to the 2024 season. After that, they’ll head southeast to Goldendale before returning home to face Pe Ell/Willapa Valley in their non-league finale.
It’s the same three opponents that the Riverhawks faced last year. They won all three of those games and eventually reached the 7-0 mark before falling to Onalaska in the de facto C2BL East Division Championship Game.
They’ll face the Loggers again in Week 8, and that game could again determine the division champion. Regardless of the outcome, though, the expectations remain the same.
“We’re just shooting higher,” Nico Acosta said. “That’s the talk in the huddle. Practice like a state championship team, and perform like one.”
