Team Preview:
Written By: Sven Alskog

Things have not gone the way the folks in Payette might have wished they would have on the football field over the course of the last five seasons.

The Pirates have struggled mightily since a five-win season in 2012, going 5-36 over that time and failing to eclipse the one-win threshold since 2015.

Third year head coach Kip Crofts is the kind of guy who likes a challenge though, and as the new season approaches he has some pieces that have the potential to be fun to watch.

Leading the newcomers to the roster are a pair of New Plymouth transfers, as senior quarterback/linebacker Andy Harmon junior wide receiver/defensive back Travis Jackson step in and should make an immediate impact on each side of the ball.

On offense, look for a heavy dose of the Harmon to Jackson connection, with running back Wyatt Sweet a nice complement on the ground to the aerial attack.

It will be important for the new pieces to gel quickly, as Payette had a strong one-two punch of First Team All-SRV quarterback Christopher Walker and First Team All-SRV wide receiver Bryant Gerdes last year that has now departed to graduation. The Pirates will also be without Second Team All-SRV receiver Coby Mayes.

Up front on each side of the ball, Cole Anderson appears to be the man with the most experience. That should help make him one of the leaders in the trenches.

There is a lot of work to do on the defensive side of the ball after giving up 354 points in eight games in 2017, an average of 44 points per contest.

Payette starts the 2018 campaign with matchups against four different 2A schools, getting the year kicked off at home against Cole Valley Christian on August 24.