Written by: Will Hoenike
When Jason Roeber and the Idaho City Wildcats take the field on August 27 on its home field against Tri Valley, the veteran head coach knows his squad – his defense, in particular – will have a bit of a chip on its collective shoulder.
“Our defensive line has some depth, experience, and a bad taste in their mouth from last season,” said Roeber, who is in his 12th season of his second tour of duty as the head football coach at Idaho City. “Our defense, as a whole, knows they underperformed last year and is eager to make some noise.”
Collectively, the Wildcats allowed 338 points in eight contests, an average of 42.5 per game. That number swells to nearly 50 points per game allowed in Idaho City’s six losses.
Roeber, who has been coaching in some capacity in Idaho City for 25 years, knows that isn’t conducive to winning football games. He also knows he has some pieces to work with in 2022.
It starts upfront, where Idaho City returns seniors Isaac Routson and Liam Barber along the defensive line along with junior Dax Olvera. Senior Brody Backus, who actually earned all-conference honors as a defensive end last fall as a junior, also returns. That group will be tasked with limiting running lanes and rushing the passer in front of junior linebacker Rauri Mulrey and safety Ian Roeber. Junior Tell Jewell will look to lock down opposing receivers as a cornerback for the Idaho City defense, replacing departed senior leader Connor Rapacon.
“We are excited to see what leaders emerge from the pack,” Roeber said. “We’re a young team and a lot of role players will be fighting for playing time, starting with the first practice.”
Rapacon doubled as the team’s quarterback in its run-heavy offense in 2021. This year, the keys to the offense will be handed to sophomore Trey Martiny.
“We are excited with the progress of our young QB,” Roeber said. “As a freshman, Trey spent the year watching Connor (Rapacon) and became a student of the game.”
Any good student will tell you one of the fastest paths to success on offense is to get the ball to your best playmakers. Idaho City has a trio of solid players around Martiny who are capable of doing good things.
Routson, a senior, will fill the role of fullback for the Wildcats. The north-south grinder is a staple of Roeber’s offense. Backus returns as a capable running back, hitting gaps and breaking big plays. Meanwhile, the younger Roeber will move around in an attempt to exploit matchups. That group will be running behind three-year starter Liam Barber at guard and junior center Dax Olvera.
In the 1A Division 1 classification, there are 12 playoff teams: five automatic qualifiers (league/district champions) and seven at-large squads. District 3’s Western Idaho Conference produced just one playoff team last season (WIC champion Notus) and, since the 1A classification split into two divisions, it has produced just one state champion (Council, 2006). The conference hasn’t even participated in a Division 1 championship game in over a decade.
If 2022 is to be the year that changes, it will most likely be because a team’s defense proved too stout for the rest of the state. For Idaho City, that means a strong performance from the defensive front, allowing the linebackers and secondary to make plays. If that happens, the bad taste of 2021 could be erased, meaning Idaho City might find itself competing in the 1A Division 1 postseason.