Cougs set to start new chapter under Rogers
MIKE MAYNARD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 months, 1 week AGO
Cougars wide receiver Joshua Meredith running downfield during a game last season. The Cougs open their season at home against the Idaho Vandals Saturday night.
COURTESY PHOTO/WASHINGTON STATE ATHLETICS
PULLMAN – This Saturday, the Washington State Cougars football team returns to the gridiron when they host FCS-opponent, the Idaho Vandals.
According to a statement by WSU athletics, Washington State is led by first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers, who coached South Dakota State the past two seasons, highlighted by an FCS National Championship in 2023.
The Cougars went 8-5 last season and earned a trip to the Holiday Bowl for the program's eighth bowl game in the last nine full seasons. The Cougars' eight wins were the most since the 11-2 campaign in 2018. The 2025 roster features just three returning starters on offense and 75 newcomers.
As they prepare for the first game, the Cougars are set to have a new starting quarterback in the opening game of the season. This will be the third consecutive season where the Cougars are starting a new quarterback, Cam Ward in 2023 and John Mateer in 2024.
Zevi Eckhaus was a Bryant transfer before 2024 and started the 2024 Holiday Bowl, throwing for 363 passing yards and four total touchdowns.
Jaxon Potter, a redshirt sophomore and 2023 signee, made his debut last season vs Hawaii, throwing 2-2 for 26 yards.
Julian Dugger, a redshirt freshman transferring from the University of Pittsburgh. He played in the 2024 bowl game, throwing for 72 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also had 88 rushing yards and one touchdown.
Ajani Sheppard, redshirt sophomore and Rutgers transfer, played one game in 2023 and four in 2024, where he had a 20-yard rush against Wisconsin.
According to their statement, the Cougars lead the all-time series against Idaho 73-17-3 and have won the last 10 meetings, including the last matchup, 24-17 to open the 2022 season. Idaho's last win in the series was a 38-34 win in 2000. WSU's last meeting against a team from the Big Sky Conference was a 70-30 win over Portland State in last year's season-opener.
Washington State opens the 2025 season Saturday night, hosting Idaho at Gesa Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.
ARTICLES BY MIKE MAYNARD
Wahluke falls to Tri-Cities in home opener
MATTAWA — The Wahluke Warriors (0-1) were defeated 46-24 in their home opener by the Tri-Cities Prep Jaguars. Despite the loss, Head Coach Makai Hirai said he was proud of the effort his players gave on the court. “That was the biggest thing that I took away is we had a lot of effort. We have a lot of girls who are hungry, and the coaches were excited about (that). Our girls look pretty motivated ... they’re working hard,” Hirai said. The Jaguars started fast and held the lead the entire game. Tri-Cities Prep put up double-digit scores in each quarter except for the third. The Warriors finished strong with 10 points in the fourth quarter, but the Jaguars came out victorious.
From overtime thriller to championship stage
The Knights meet Cashmere once again
ROYAL CITY — On Friday, the No. 1 seed Royal Knights (12-0) will travel to Husky Stadium to play the No. 2 seed Cashmere Bulldogs (11-1) in the 1A state championship game. The Knights Head Coach Wiley Allred was not surprised to see the Bulldogs reach the state championship game. “I was hoping there wasn't a team better than them, because that's a pretty tough team right there. We'll meet our match,” Allred said. When these two met in October, it was the Knights pulling off a late comeback to win 21-15 in overtime. Coming into that game, both teams were undefeated. The Knights had only allowed seven points all season, while the Bulldogs had not allowed a score by any team.
Warriors fall short in home opener
MATTAWA — The Wahluke Warriors (0-1) were defeated 67-43 by the Tri-Cities Prep Jaguars Tuesday in their return to the hardwood. Wahluke Head Coach Anfernee Cortez said some of the loss may be attributed to first-game jitters. “We started too flat and just kind of dug ourselves into a hole early. Against a team like Tri-Cities Prep, it’s tough to catch up at that point,” Cortez said. A slow start by the Warriors allowed Tri-Cities Prep to take hold of the momentum early and build a commanding lead. In the first half, the Warriors struggled to knock down shots and attack the rim. The Jaguars carried their momentum into the second half to run away with the game. Wahluke had a stronger second-half showing, but Cortez said it was not enough to get back in the game.