David Wyatt Sportswriting Fellow 2026
Kive Rose
Kive Rose is a senior at Logan High School with four years of experience in sports photography and videography. Having grown up around sports and played football for years, he developed an appreciation for the stories behind the game: the teamwork, emotion, and effort that often go unseen. That perspective drives his work capturing not just big moments, but the energy and details others might miss in real time. In addition to covering high school athletics, he has been involved in broadcasting and media at his school, strengthening his ability to communicate stories in clear and creative ways. He plans to attend Ohio University to study business and visual communication while pursuing a career in sports media.​
Check out some of the work that Kive produced as a David Wyatt Fellow!
Rebuilding Logan Football: A New Process
By Kive Rose
The Logan Chieftains are coming into this football season looking to change the direction of their program.
After going 0 and 10 last season and 1 and 10 the year before, Logan has a new head coach, a new culture and a team that believes this season can be the start of something different.
Coach Nate Hall knew the job would not be easy when he took over the program.
“Nothing of significance in life can be achieved without tremendous adversity,” Hall said. “That is why I was attracted to the job for the simple reason that it was going to be hard.”
For Hall, changing Logan football started with changing the way the players think.
The players have spent the offseason working to build a stronger culture and a better connection with each other. Hall said the team has developed an uncommon brotherhood and is focused on getting better every day.
“We want to establish a mindset that there are no self imposed limitations on what we can do together,” Hall said.
Assistant coach Justin Pack has also noticed a difference in the team. Pack, who works with the outside linebackers and special teams, said the attitude and work ethic have changed since last season.
“The team's attitude and work ethic are night and day from last year,” Pack said.
Pack said the biggest changes have been the structure of practices and communication. The players now have a clear purpose each day and have bought into what the coaching staff is trying to build.
One of the biggest parts of that culture is the idea of “Protect the Tribe.”
“That is not just the 2026 Chieftains, but the future Chieftains, and honoring past Chieftains,” Pack said.
Senior captain and four year letterman Ty Gonzales has been through the struggles of the last two seasons. He said those seasons have made this year's team even more motivated.
“It’s really put a chip on our shoulder,” Gonzales said.
Gonzales said the seniors are focused on making the team player led and making sure everyone is bought into the same goals.
That leadership will be important for a team that has several younger players stepping into bigger roles.
Sophomore Gabe Sims is expected to start at corner this season. Sims said being part of the team is what makes the opportunity special.
“It means a lot to just be out here with my brothers on Friday nights doing what we love most,” Sims said.
Sims said Hall has also pushed him to stop putting limits on himself.
The Chieftains will also have a new face at quarterback. Ethan Courtney, a four year letterman, is expected to take over at quarterback after playing running back for the first three years of his high school career.
Courtney said the move has required much more preparation, including watching film and learning what every position on the offense is doing.
“Most importantly, playing quarterback takes a big toll in your mental state,” Courtney said. “I have had to work on keeping my composure and not letting external factors take a part of the process.”
Carson Tootle is another four year letterman making a position change. After playing quarterback throughout his career, Tootle is moving to receiver.
“I just want to do whatever is best for this team and whatever gives us the best chance to win,” Tootle said.
Tootle believes Hall has gotten the entire team to buy into the new direction.
“Coach Hall has managed to get every single person on this roster bought into what he is trying to do,” Tootle said. “That is how you make real change.”
The future of the program is also becoming part of the rebuild. Incoming freshman Blake Stewart said the older players have already helped him and other younger players adjust to high school football.
Stewart said his goal is to improve every day and learn from the coaches and older players. Looking ahead, he hopes Logan can become a consistent playoff team and eventually win championships.
While the players want to win, the coaching staff continues to remind them that rebuilding a program is about more than the scoreboard.
Pack said he wants the players to focus on the process and learn how to handle adversity.
Hall believes the same thing.
“We want to play to a standard, not a circumstance of the game,” Hall said.
The past two seasons are still part of Logan's story, but this team does not want them to define what comes next.
The Chieftains are trying to build something that can last beyond one season. They want to change the culture, build trust between players and create a standard for future Logan football teams.
For Hall, the biggest sign of success may not be a record.
It may simply be changing how people see Logan football.
“We changed the way people think about Logan Football,” Hall said.
Logan Football Breaks Through With First Win
By Kive Rose
After a long stretch without a win, Logan football finally got to experience what it felt like to come out on top.
The Chieftains defeated Warren 17-6 on Sept. 4, ending a 21-game losing streak and giving the program its first win since August 2024. For Logan, the win meant much more than what showed up on the scoreboard. It was a sign that the work being put into rebuilding the program was beginning to show.
“The win was good for the program because winning is something that has to be learned,” head coach Nate Hall said. “The win meant we have taken steps forward as a program and have to continue to get better.”
Logan had to overcome adversity before the game even started. Multiple key players were unavailable, forcing other players to take on bigger roles than they normally would.
“The team rallied around the adversity we had to face and some dudes had to step up that may not get the opportunity in a normal season,” Hall said.
That same mindset was felt by the players.
“We fought adversity that night, multiple star players were out but it didn’t matter,” quarterback Zach LaRosa said. “We trusted our process and our culture.”
LaRosa said another key was simply getting back to the type of football Logan wanted to play.
“A big thing that helped us get the win was just us playing our brand of football and trusting the process,” LaRosa said.
For James Peyton, the belief that Logan could win was there before the opening kickoff. After a strong week leading up to the game, Peyton felt the team was prepared for the opportunity.
“I knew from the get-go that we were gonna win that game,” Peyton said. “We wanted it more and had a very, very good week of practice.”
Logan's defense kept Warren to only six points while the offense did enough to pull away. Peyton said getting the first win was a complete team effort.
“It meant everything to me,” Peyton said. “It meant that my team got to experience a win and our program is progressing.”
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When the clock finally reached zero, the emotions from everything the program had been through came out.
“A lot of excitement was going through my head and how proud I was of my teammates and seeing them play hard,” Peyton said. “It meant the world to me.”
The celebration continued after the players left the field.
“It was awesome, so fun being able to celebrate with your teammates after a hard-fought game and just seeing the excitement on everyone’s face after,” Peyton said.
For Hall, that celebration showed what made the victory important. It wasn't about one player or one play that ended the losing streak.
“The feeling was a togetherness because we came together as a team and every individual contributed to the overall outcome of that game whether they were in the stat sheet or not,” Hall said.
After waiting more than two years to experience another victory, Logan finally had its moment. The Warren win won't erase everything the program went through during the losing streak, but for the players and coaches trying to move Logan football forward, it showed that progress is being made.
Now that the Chieftains have experienced winning again, the goal is to keep moving forward.
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