Glen Flanagan is no stranger to the athletics scene at Woodland High School nor the football team. After 28 seasons as the defensive coordinator, he now steps into the role of head coach for the Beavers varsity squad.
Football and the community of Woodland is in his blood, Flanagan said. As he looks to lead the Beavers into a tough season, one of the most versatile players in the region and reigning 2A Greater St. Helens League Most Valuable Player, Elijah Andersen, will assist by leaving opposing defenses on their heels.
For Andersen’s senior season, Flanagan said the athlete will add quarterback to his resume, just not full time as Andersen will still spread the field through multiple positions on offense and as a safety on defense. Andersen is joined by a handful of returning starters, but the Beavers graduated some key seniors on both sides of the ball in their league-winning 2023 campaign.
“The good thing is we’re not totally starting over. We have seven or eight starters returning on defense,” Flanagan said. “We have guys that will fly around. We have Eli Andersen, Karsen Northcut, Seth Popp, Charles Elkinton and Logan Busig. We have some quality guys that were good players last year. It’s a good foundation.”
Flanagan said a key to the season will be to stay healthy and to play guys in the right spots. He believes his team’s strengths exist in the skill players, but he does believe the offensive and defensive lines will be strong with the likes of Popp and Busig.
The Beavers begin the season with two tough 1A Trico League opponents prior to heading into the wide-open 2A Greater St. Helens League. Week one begins on the road with the Kalama Chinooks, while the Lewis River rivalry adds another chapter in its book in week two with the La Center Wildcats paying a visit.
“You can’t overlook anybody in this league,” Flanagan said. “And so if you do, you’re looking at three or four games going the other way and you’re at the bottom looking in.”
