Head Coach: Mike Altieri
Years as Head Coach
3rd Season
Previous Experience
Three Years at Boise High
Assistant Coaches
Joel Clark - Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator
Aaron Asaro - Defensive Coordinator
Jared Smith - Wide Receivers
Chuck Bousquet - Offensive Line
Calvin White - Offensive Line
Justin Gowens - Defensive Line
Sam Whitney - Outside Linebackers
Derrell Acrey - Inside Linebackers
Stacy Knierim - Inside Linebackers
Zac Hallett - Defensive Backs
Nat Reynolds - Defensive Backs
TEAM
Returning Players
Cooper Smith, QB/WR, 12
Alex Hess, RB, 12
Jordan McDonald, WR, 11
Grant Zuschlag, OL, 12
Joe Rodgers, OL, 12
Duncan Thompson, DE, 12
Dane Johnson, DT, 12
Rhys Harris, LB, 11
Max Anderson, DB, 12
Gus Arriola, DB, 12
Returning Players with Honors
Cooper Smith - Honorable Mention
Alex Hess - Honorable Mention
Grant Zuschlag - 2nd Team All-Conference
Max Anderson - Honorable Mention
Duncan Thompson - Honorable Mention
Jordan McDonald - Honorable Mention
Key Players lost from last year
Caleb Allen, WR - Team Captain, 2nd team All-State, 1st team All-Conference, All-Star Game selectee. Lead the team in all receiving categories, tremendous character, work ethic and talent.
Jared Fuller, LB - Team Captain, two-way player. All-Conference player as a sophomore, junior and senior. All-State Game selectee. Jared was our vocal leader on the team and made plays all over the field.
Carson Neilson, SS - Team Captain, All-Conference player as a junior and senior. All-Star Game selectee. Carson was our enforcer on defense and played numerous roles for us on offense.
Luke Britt, CB - One of the best corners in the state, All-Conference player as a junior and senior, All-Star Game selectee. Luke was a player that the offense had to game plan to stay away from.
Team Preview
Written by: Lucas Gebhart
Boise High doesn’t have a rich football tradition, but the program seems to be taking small, but steady steps forward under Mike Altieri.
Altieri enters his fourth season now as the head coach at Boise High and although the wins are still few and far between, there have been pockets of success within the program. Numbers are up, there have been wins over rivals and even some winning streaks – like last year’s 2-0 start, the first since 2012.
“We are most excited about the team chemistry and the commitment to the process the team has shown this offseason,” Altieri said. “The guys who will be on the field Friday night are the same guys who have been showing up all winter, spring and summer.”
Despite losing one of the best receivers in the state in Caleb Allen, Altieri still says his group of receivers is the strength of the offense. Allen led the Brave in receiving yards last season and was a second-team all–state selection. Guys like Jordan McDonald are expected to help fill the void.
Players like Cooper Smith and Alex Hess will also make an impact offensively while seniors Max Anderson, Gus Arriola, Duncan Thompson and junior Rhys Harris will all be key contributors defensively.
Boise will open its season with its East Boise rival in Timberline before hosting 4A Ridgevue the following week.
It could mean another 2-0 start for the Brave, but wins three or four are much more difficult to pinpoint. Four of their last six are all against state playoff teams from a year ago.