Mt. Spokane looking to turn experience into deeper playoff run in 2026

SPOKANE, Wash. — Last season, Mt. Spokane put together a seven-win campaign and made a run at the top of the Greater Spokane League.

Now, the Wildcats are back with plenty of experience and bigger expectations.

Mt. Spokane returns eight starters from last season, including senior quarterback Cade Stroscher, who is entering his second year as the starter.

“We got some returning guys from last year,” head coach Terry Cloer said. “We returned eight starters, which is a big number for us. We don’t typically return that big of a number.”

Cloer said having Stroscher back gives the Wildcats continuity at quarterback after he took all of the No. 1 reps throughout the summer. Stroscher was also recently voted a team captain.

For Stroscher, the difference heading into his senior season is confidence.

“I still last year had a little bit of leeway,” Stroscher said. “This year … I feel comfortable with it, confident and I’m ready to go to work.”

That confidence extends to the rest of the offense.

“We got dudes, we got dudes on both sides of the ball,” Stroscher said. “We got guys at slot receiver, running back, line. We got some dogs so we can hit them everywhere.”

But the Wildcats aren’t simply relying on their returning talent. Stroscher said the team has made a major emphasis on starting practice — and games — with more intensity.

“We wanted to come out of the gate stronger,” Stroscher said.

That mindset is part of a culture Cloer said has helped Mt. Spokane remain consistently competitive.

“That’s kind of been our mantra for these guys, is to win the day and a standard of excellence that’s high,” Cloer said.

Senior linebacker/tight end Brody Reed said that culture begins during the summer, when the team comes together to establish what it wants the season to look like.

“We just build our culture off of it,” Reed said. “In the beginning, the summer in June camp, when it all starts, like the new season, we all just come together and we make a plan for this year and what we want our system to look like, and we just go off and it just builds throughout the summer.”

That senior class will play a major role in maintaining that standard.

Reed said the group has consistently pushed each other throughout their time in the program.

“I think now this is really our year to show what we learned and how we’ve grown,” Reed said.

The Wildcats will also face another challenging GSL district schedule.

“I love the challenges,” Cloer said. “Those guys get us ready for the playoffs and get us battle tested throughout the regular season each year.”

And while a GSL championship is a major goal, Stroscher’s expectations go beyond simply reaching the top of the league.

“I would argue that’s not even our number one goal,” Stroscher said. “We want to get there and then go beyond that.”

After winning seven games a year ago, Mt. Spokane believes its returning experience can help turn a strong regular season into a deeper postseason run.