Written by: Brandon Baney
As Ben Kohring enters his third season as head coach of the Twin Falls Bruins, the goal is clear. Kohring has taken the Bruins to the 4A playoffs in each of his first two seasons, but hasn’t been able to get out of the first round yet.
After starting 7-1 a year ago (their lone loss coming by seven points to eventual semifinalist Pocatello), the Bruins dropped their regular season finale to Minico 26-19. That game served as the de facto Great Basin Conference championship, and with the loss, Twin Falls hit the road for the opening round of the playoffs, where they fell to Bishop Kelly 49-21, ending their season at 7-3 overall.
Those last two games illustrated the one weakness Twin Falls had last year. “We need to improve against power run teams,” Kohring stated. With no shortage of great running backs in Class 4A this year, Kohring knows that stopping the run will be crucial to his team’s fortunes.
Carter Wasden will lead the charge up front from the nose tackle position. He will be flanked by a strong linebacking crew that features Grant Patterson and Grayson Keyes on the edge, and All-Conference performers Wyatt Solosabal and James Noorlander on the inside.
So while the Bruins’ front seven is locked and loaded, the backfield may be a work in progress. Jace Mahlke, Teagan Severe and Luke Moon all departed via graduation. “Luke was our free safety and the captain of our defense,” Kohring said. “Teagan was like a Swiss Army Knife and did it all for us last year, and we will also miss Jace’s senior leadership and competitive spirit.” Jared Mix is the top returner in the secondary for the Bruins.
A lot of the same names that Kohring is counting on defensively will also be heavily featured on offense. “We will look to get the ball in the hands of our playmakers in multiple ways,” Kohring said. “We will look to be balanced and multiple in our sets.”
Noorlander and Solosabal will see time at running back, while Keyes will lead a strong group of athletes at wide receiver. Offensive linemen TJ Hickmon and Christian Salvidar earned All-Conference honors a year ago, and will lead a steady group up front.
But most coaches will tell you that an offense only goes as far as the quarterback leading it, and Twin Falls will turn to a new starter this year: junior Austin Crum. “Our trigger man will be the catalyst to our team’s success this year,” Kohring said. “(Because) we feel that we have explosive players that can stretch the defense.”
Overall, Twin Falls will once again contend for the top spot in the Great Basin Conference. But Kohring and the rest of the Bruins are aiming higher in 2022. “We were a young team last year,” Kohring said. “This year we are excited to see our growth and gained experience put into play. We believe that our ceiling is high and we look to contend for a conference title and make a run in the playoffs.”