Longtime coach in Clark County believes Fort Vancouver is the perfect fit for him

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

There is a perception about Fort Vancouver High School.

There is a reality.

The new football coach is thrilled he was not swayed by the perception.

“What I’ve heard and what I’ve experienced … there is a huge gap,” said Will Ephraim, who has taken over the program for the Trappers. “These young men are pretty impressive. They have character. They love their school. They want to be successful. I want that for them as well.”
The Trappers have struggled for years on the field, in terms of wins and losses.

Yet, every year there are committed athletes showing up to practice, hoping to improve.

Will Ephraim is the latest coach who is going to do everything in his power to create some success at Fort Vancouver.

Ephraim has been a head coach at Hudson’s Bay, Seton Catholic, and was an assistant coach at Camas and Heritage before becoming the head coach at Prairie. He led the Falcons the past two seasons.

Fort Vancouver, though, just might be his true home.

“Fort has exceeded my expectations. Part of me feels like, maybe I was jumping around too much, and I should have been here all along,” Ephraim said.

In fact, it was the opportunity to make something special happen at Fort that led to his return to coaching. When it did not work out at Prairie, Ephraim said he was ready to take a year off from coaching.

When the Fort Vancouver position opened, though, he got a call from then athletic director James Ensley. They had a conversation that changed the trajectory of Fort football, and Ephraim’s career.

“It sparked the reason why I coach,” Ephraim said. “That conversation made me realize this is why you coach: You don’t need time off. You coach because you enjoy the relationship-building and helping young men become not just better athletes but better people.”

Then it hit him.

“What better place to do that than Fort Vancouver?” he asked.

Ephraim was named the head coach in February. Already having taken the academic year off from full-time teaching, Ephraim has been working on starting his own business and being a substitute teacher. That gave him plenty of time to walk the hallways at Fort this past school year, to meet returning players and invite newcomers to the program.

He is proud to say that Fort Vancouver football had a real offseason program, with practices and team workouts in June and into July. The Trappers went to the George Fox team camp, as well. 

Fort Vancouver athletics, not just football, is part of the Trico League now, a Class 1A program. There are a number of new head coaches in various sports at the school. Ephraim said that makes the 2024-25 academic year a “clean-slate” for everyone involved with the Trappers.

“That’s what Fort needs. Coaches who are excited and gung-ho for the kids,” he said.

Ephraim said he is particularly excited about the number of first-year football players who are giving his program a try. Some are seniors, too. Some weren’t sure they could play football.

“That’s my job,” Ephraim told them. “You show up, I’ll teach you.”

And they will enjoy the journey together.

“I’m not promising they are going to have a winning season, but they are going to have a winning experience,” Ephraim said.