Written by: Will Hoenike
There’s an old saying around the game of football that says you win titles with championships. If that is the case, the 2022 Grace Grizzlies could be in position to make some noise.
After a slow start last fall, the team won four consecutive games to put it in position to reach the 1A Division 1 state playoffs. During that four-week run, the defense allowed less than 20 points per game, including a shutout victory over rival Challis in mid-October.
The heart of that defense, linebacker Dallon Draper, is back for the Grizzlies this fall. Draper was selected as the High Desert Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and is one of three players voted onto the all-conference first team who will return this season. Along with Draper, junior Wyatt Cutler (linebacker) and senior Tytan Anderson (defensive back) also return. Junior Kia Clegg – a first-team selection on offense, second-team on defense – is back as well. Also back are junior defensive back Brennan Sorenson and sophomore defensive back Braden Kimball.
A quick head-count shows six all-conference-level players returning on defense this fall for Grace.
As is customary, the bulk of those players see plenty of snaps on offense as well. Anderson returns as the team’s quarterback with Cutler in the backfield and Draper at tight end as the team seeks a little more consistency this fall. The offense was humming and putting up big numbers during that four-game winning streak but faltered down the stretch in losses to Butte County and, in the opening round of the 1A Division 1 state playoffs, Potlatch.
The team opens up with back-to-back big tests for that defense. Up first on August 26, a home date against the powerful Carey Panthers, featuring reigning 1A Division 2 Player of the Year in Idaho, Connor Simpson. Simpson rushed for 2,000 yards last season so the front of that Grace defense will need to be strong in that matchup. Then, one week later, Grace travels to Twin Falls to take on Lighthouse Christian which features new schemes and maybe the fastest team, top to bottom, in the classification.
Then, when conference season arrives, the Grizzlies will close the regular season on October 21 in Arco against Butte County, a team many expect to contend for the 1A Division 1 state title this fall.
It’s a challenging schedule, for sure, but Grace brings back enough talent and pure athleticism to stand in and compete with anyone. If the team can avoid injuries and play strong defense, it should be in position for a return trip to the state playoffs in November.