Years as Head Coach
3rd Season

Previous Experience
5 years at Horizon High School in Scottsdale, AZ

Assistant Coaches
Aaron Rife, Robert Anderson, Trevor Thomas, Jake Weaver, Austin Rea, Dustin VanderHam, Jared March, Jeremy Banfield, Bryson Geiger, Miguel Perez, Tom Grant

Record Last Year
3-6

State Titles
None

Returning Players
Dillon Patterson, TE/DE, 12
Micheal Shaw, RB/LB, 11
Talyn Weaver, WR/DB, 10
Tristan Rea, QB, 10
Jarrett Evans, WR, 12
Keaton Hawker, T/DL, 12
Cody Sanchez, WR/DB, 11
Zack Porter, RB/LB, 12
Corbin Lewis, G/OLB, 12
Carter Dey, Wr/DB, 12
Jaxon Brown, OL/DE, 11

Returning Players with Honors
Dillon Patterson- Filer 2022 Offensive player of the Year
Talyn Weaver- SCIC All Conference WR as a freshman

Key Players lost from last year
Defensive lineman Will Meyers and Linebacker Brodie Every both played huge roles in our defense last year. The energy they brought to both games and practice will be missed.

Incoming impact players
Willow Taylor, LB, 10
Cache Palmer, OL/DE, 10
Andrew Lawrence, OL, 10
Caleb Cunningham, WR, 12
Hayden Callon, WR/ OLB, 10
Gabe Porter, WR/DB, 12
Chase Madsen, WR/DB, 10

Written by: Brandon Baney

A cursory glance at Filer’s record from a year ago doesn’t tell the whole story.

It’s true that the Wildcats went 3-6 overall and 1-4 in Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference play, but beneath the surface lied a rigorous schedule that challenged a young Filer team in more ways than one. Seven of Filer’s nine opponents from a year ago qualified for the playoffs, including Buhl, Kimberly and Wood River, the three teams that finished ahead of Filer in the SCIC standings.

But a narrow 20-7 loss to SCIC champ Buhl in the regular season finale set the tone for the offseason. A group of mostly freshmen and sophomores have developed this spring and summer, and third year coach Justin Brandsma is excited to showcase their growth. “We are returning almost every starter from last season,” Brandsma said. “We have also added some great coaches to our staff this offseason that will help elevate this program to the next level.”

Senior tight end Dillon Patterson was named Filer’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2022. “Dillon is a great utility player that can pretty much do it all for us,” Brandsma said. The receiving corps will be led by sophomore Talyn Weaver. Weaver picked up All-Conference honors a year ago as a freshman, and will joined on the perimeter by seniors Carter Dey and Jarrett Evans, and junior Cody Sanchez.

Brandsma said up front, “Senior Keaton Hawker brings the attitude to our offensive line, which returns all but one from last year’s squad.” Hawker will line up at tackle, while fellow senior Corbin Lewis plays guard. Junior Jaxon Brown is also back, and sophomores Andrew Lawrence and Cache Palmer show promise.

The triggerman of the Filer offense is sophomore Tristan Rea, who started every game for Filer last year as a freshman and averaged 270 passing yards per contest.

The defensive unit is led by junior linebacker Micheal Shaw. Shaw led the Wildcats in tackles last year as a sophomore, and has started since his freshman year. Sanchez is Filer’s top returning defensive back, while Patterson and Brown flank the line at defensive end.

Brandsma believes his defense can turn a corner this year, as long as everyone trusts one another. “Understanding our roles and doing our jobs will lead to success this year,” he said. It’s part of a larger overall philosophy that has permeated the locker room at Filer. “We need to have a ‘We is Greater than Me’ mindset,” Brandsma explained. “This group of kids wants it for each other.”