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Written By: Sven Alskog

Borah has jumped right back onto the map of Idaho high school football the last few seasons and hopes to take the next step and make a deep playoff run this time around.

Third year head coach Jason Burton leads a program which has won 17 state titles into the season with aspirations to try and add some more hardware to the trophy case. The last title win for Borah came all the way back in 1981, so it has been a long time coming for a school with a proud football past.

As is the case for any team with high hopes, the Lions enter the season with a dynamic group of talent that has plenty of varsity experience.

Senior quarterback Jake Standlee returns after First Team All-SIC honors last year. The signal-caller has plentiful receiving threats, led by Ellis Magnuson and Chase Nett.

You could say the passing game is a strength.

“Throwing the ball. We have six great receivers [Magnuson, Nett, Austin Bolt, Kade Dilworth, Logan Miller and Caleb Golden] that would start for every team in the valley. Standlee, in his third year as a varsity quarterback starter, knows what is needed to be successful,” added Burton.

Four offensive line starters who helped form the identity of Borah football over the past couple of seasons have all graduated, leaving Second Team All-State selection Cristian Reyes and a host of newcomers with a huge task entering the new year.

Replacing the powerful running style of Illai Makaafi will be a tough task as well. Of the players on the roster, Austdan Phomphackdy is a player who could see significant touches.

A couple of areas stand out for improvement.

“Being more productive in the red zone and third down,” said Burton.

Just like on the offensive side of the ball, the Lions will have some new faces up front, with plenty of talent behind that defensive line.

Jacob Batubenga stands out among the returners as an All-SIC selection last season. He will man the middle in the defense and have a big say in how successful that side of the ball is.

As an overall unit however, the secondary appears to be the strength.

“A lot of experience with Magnuson, Nett and Golden coming back. With the addition of Miller, it solidifies the secondary. Linebacker has a lot of experience coming back with Batubenga, Joey Whiting, who started 11 games last year, and Innocent Ndayiragije, who started last year, [moving] from defensive back to linebacker,” said Burton.

Kade Dillworth was mentioned as someone who can get pressure from the outside on the defensive line.

The defense will play out of a 4-4 base with a big focus entering the new year on limiting big plays.

As Burton embarks on his third season, he is most excited to see all the hard work that players him and his staff have coached for their entire high school careers pay off.

“To see how good this team can be. These seniors are the first class under this coaching staff. Most of these seniors started as sophomores, so they know the expectation.”

With a great group of explosive playmakers on each side of the ball, Borah is one of the favorites in the 5A SIC this season. The Lions gets the campaign underway at Skyview in week one.