Written by: Will Hoenike
Jason Smith was coaching 8-man football at All Saints Academy in Winter Haven, a community in central Florida about halfway between Tampa and Orlando, when he got a phone call. Lighthouse Christian in Twin Falls was looking for a head football coach. Interest was expressed, conversations took place … and Smith left Florida for southern Idaho.
With him, he brings a pair of state championships and two division championships. Awaiting him – speed. A lot of it.
“The speed should help,” Smith said. “We have all four members of our state-championship 4-by-100 meter relay team playing football.
Senior Walker Goettle, junior Micah Denny, junior Jack DeJong, and sophomore Koby Stevenson won that state title. Now they’ll transition to the blue and silver turf at Lighthouse Christian to help the Lions rebound from a winless season in 2021.
“I love our players’ focus this summer, our speed, and seeing some new players in different roles,” Smith said. “Every player will be a key player for us.”
Like Goettle, who is one of the fastest athletes in the entire 1A classification. The senior receiver and linebacker won individual state titles in the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, and the 400-meter dash. He was selected second team All-Conference following his junior season on the football field and his game-breaking speed should be pivotal for the Lions offense in 2022.
Goettle and DeJong figure to be two key targets, whether running or receiving, when Lighthouse Christian has the ball. Case Van Leeuwen is another versatile piece who could line up in multiple spots for the Lions have the ball. Smith has multiple options to take the snaps as quarterback this fall, including junior transfer Justice Schrader from Glenns Ferry.
“We will rely on learning to maximize our talent and we will utilize multiple sets,” Smith said. “We have to greatly reduce turnovers and score when we get extra possessions (turnovers) from our defense.”
The Lions were able to score points over the first five weeks last season – averaging over 35 points per game in that span – but really struggled to stop opposing offenses, allowing almost 60 points per contest over that same five weeks. Getting stout play along the defensive front will be crucial as the team looks to limit opposing offenses and senior Carter Munsee and junior Colton Stokesberry could earn big minutes along the defensive line. Incoming freshman Aiden Visser will also have an opportunity to play his way into the lineup.
DeJong, Goettle, and Van Leeuwen will also be key pieces of the Lions’ defense. Incoming freshman Johnny Millenkamp will look to crack the linebacker rotation for the team. Schrader and Denny should see time in the secondary.
“Our defense will be faster than last season and will play smart, play fast, and play hard,” Smith said. “We will have multiple fronts.”
What Lighthouse Christian will also have is a difficult schedule. After opening at home against Grace, the Lions will face Raft River, Carey, Butte County, and Oakley in consecutive weeks.
What do those five programs have in common? Every one of them qualified for the postseason last fall and four of the five reached at least their respective classification’s semifinal round. It’s really a who’s-who of 8-man football powers in Idaho. Such is life in the 1A Division 1 Snake River Conference, especially now that Division 2 powerhouse Carey has bumped up to the Division 1 classification.
Even in going winless last fall, the Lions proved a worthy foe. Three of its first five losses were by 18 points or less which, in the context of 8-man football, is good, competitive football. Two of those three were one-possession defeats. If the team can stay healthy and continue to progress as they have to this point, they’ll once again be a difficult matchup for teams up and down their schedule in 2022.