Written by: Brandon Baney
Class 3A’s South East Idaho Conference is a brand new landscape in 2022. The league title is ripe for the picking and who earns it is anyone’s guess.
All three of the league’s schools (American Falls, Marsh Valley and Snake River) will be introducing new head coaches this year. And all three will have to navigate substantial graduation losses.
Needless to say, there hasn’t been much chatter from anyone in the three-team conference, so the 2022 campaign could truly be undpredictable.
Marsh Valley won the conference title a year ago, and pushed Sugar-Salem in a quarterfinal matchup before running out of steam 22-16.
Following the season, Doug Armstrong stepped down after six seasons as Marsh Valley's head coach. Jeff Belnap was a top assistant to Armstrong for four of those six seasons, and ascended to the top job after leading the Eagles' special teams unit most recently.
For Belnap, he’ll have to replace quarterback Carter Roche, the league Offensive Player of the Year in 2021, running back Michael Belnap, who rushed for over 1,000 yards, and wide receiver Payton Howe, who has taken his talents to Carroll College in Montana.
Also gone are offensive lineman Easton Branson, Dalton Bowman, Grayson Sorensen and Hunter McQuivey.
Most of those players contributed to the defensive side of the ball, as well. But the cupboard isn’t completely bare. Seniors Alex Vaughan and Bradley Belnap earned All-Conference honors at wide receiver/defensive back and running back/linebacker, respectively.
Defensive end Bailey Brock and safety Corbridge Bastain both saw time as sophomores a year ago, as well.
Like many years, the South East Idaho Conference title will be decided in October. Marsh Valley is at Snake River on October 7th. The Panthers then travel to American Falls on October 14th. And in the season finale, American Falls is at Marsh Valley.