'Tarasik Park' preys on quarterbacks

It’s a good bet prep football enthusiasts are going to stumble — at least at first — when they attempt to pronounce Logger junior lineman Tarasik Krisanov’s name. 

Certainly, the Bonners Ferry faithful didn’t know about him before Saturday’s opener, but with all the havoc the 6-foot, 4-inch, 200-pounder wreaked on the Badgers’ running backs and backfield, they know him now. 

“He’s good. He had a good game against us,” said Badgers’ first-year head coach Casey McLaughlin. “Our guys should have done better against him. We just didn’t.”

The speedy Krisanov is fast enough to make offensive linemen miss him. In Saturday’s opener, he was in the Badgers backfield numerous times, sacking quarterback Christian Trocke on a key fourth-down situation that turned the ball over to Libby on the Badgers’ own eight-yard line. He also had another clothes-line tackle in the backfield and forced Trocke to throw the ball before he really wanted to.

“I just get in there and try to bull-rush them,” Krisanov said. “I just want to get at ’em,” said Krisanov, whose parents are Irina and Jim Smith.

While talking to Krisanov outside the Loggers locker room after the 14-6 Logger victory, Libby Assistant Coach Tim Hodel walked past without losing a stride and interjected, “He’s known as Mr. Fashion, too.”

“Oh, it’s something they stuck on me,” said Krisanov, who is of Ukranian descent. “It’s because I like to look good. If I look good, I play good. That’s why.”

Krisanov, who wears No. 50, is easy to spot in the huddle, so there’s no hiding him on defense, and it’s a good bet the Browning Indians now will know all about the junior right guard and defensive end when they host Libby on Friday.

“He’s coming along,” Libby coach Neil Fuller said. “We really like this kid. We had him in the weight room, trying to get him to put on some weight. He brings a lot to the game.”