Written by: Will Hoenike
Brigham Permann is listed as a player coming back for Rockland this fall but, in a way, maybe he should be listed as an incoming player.
The running back and defensive back is going into his fourth season in the Bulldog program but missed virtually all of last season after breaking his collar bone in the second week of the season. Without him, Rockland still managed to win six games, including an opening-round playoff victory over Garden Valley.
Bringing Permann back into the mix should make head coach Gerry Hunter’s offense even more potent in 2022. The Bulldogs averaged 54 points per game in their six wins last season and return several playmakers, including Permann.
Perhaps we should clarify exactly which Permann, because there are three in the program. There’s Brigham, the senior running back and defensive back. Then there’s Gavin, the senior quarterback and linebacker. And now there’s Ethan, an incoming freshman who also plays quarterback and linebacker.
It’s not that unexpected to see multiple players with the same last name on the same, small-town football team. What is a little unexpected might be this – none of the Permanns are brothers. They’re all cousins. Adding another branch to the family tree is junior running back and linebacker Cody Woodworth, another junior. And, according to Hunter, there will be Permanns in Rockland for years to come with six younger brothers on the way.
This year’s Permanns help to form the nucleus of what should be an explosive offense. Gavin, the quarterback, threw for nearly 3,000 yards and more than 30 scores a year ago. This fall, he’ll benefit from the return of Brigham, a threat either running or receiving.
And then there’s Teague Matthews. The 6-foot-5 junior won the state high-jump championship last spring along with being selected as the 1A Division 2 state basketball tournament MVP by IdahoSports.com. That’s after a football season that saw him use his height and leaping ability to haul in 1,400 yards’ worth of passes and 25 touchdowns as a sophomore en route to being voted second team All-State by coaches state-wide. The buzz surrounding Matthews is growing, too, with several colleges taking note of his athletic exploits, including Division 1 teams like Utah, Boise State, and Idaho State.
“We like to spread it out and throw the ball,” said Hunter. “We have great athletes who can run and make plays.”
That includes seniors Clay McLean and JT Parish as well with the younger Permann and Ethan Munk joining the program as part of a talented freshman class.
Eli Hendrickson anchors the offensive line from the center position with sophomore David Jensen in position to earn playing time at one of the guard positions.
Defensively, the Bulldogs will be led by a veteran linebacking corps of Woodworth (an all-conference selection last fall), Matthews, and (Gavin) Permann. They’ll be counted on to make tackles behind the defensive line of Hendrickson, Jensen, Parish, and William Lower in order to control the opponent’s running game. Positions in the secondary will be filled by, among others, McLean and (Brigham) Permann.
Rockland will compete for a playoff spot out of the 1A Division 2 Rocky Mountain Conference. The Bulldogs finished second last fall behind North Gem and Hunter expects the rival Cowboys to be a difficult foe once again this fall.
“North Gem is always tough no matter who they have strapping up,” Hunter said. “They will come ready to play with a new lineup and the same smash-mouth football.”
The two rivals face in the final week of the regular season, October 21 at Rockland. But, before we call that a de-facto conference title game, Watersprings and its explosive, two-way star, Jrew Plocher, is lurking in the shadows the week before on October 14.
Rockland has the look of a team that, if healthy, can play well into the month of November. Those expectations are not something that Hunter is shying away from.
“We have athletic kids with great attitudes,” Hunter said. “We need to make a deep run in the playoffs.”