Written by: Brandon Baney
Grangeville ran roughshod through the Central Idaho League a season ago, finishing 3-0 against their conference rivals and outscoring them 158-38 along the way.
Then came the postseason. After a first round bye for winning the CIL, Grangeville traveled to eventual runner-up Declo for the quarterfinals. After hanging tough for a quarter and a half, the Hornets eventually wore down the Bulldogs in a 37-14 victory.
The game served as an eye-opener. Jeff Adams, preparing for his eighth season as Grangeville’s head coach, says the sting of that early playoff exit fueled his team throughout the offseason.
“We’ve had way better chemistry and weight room participation,” says Adams.
Those workouts, combined with a strong nucleus of returning talent, has given Grangeville favored status in our preseason coaches’ poll.
On offense, Adams is excited about the potential of his line. Seniors Troy Benifield, Talum Brown and Bea Bruzas all return after starting a year ago, and will be joined by senior Parker Farmer and junior Trayven Sickles.
They’ll be tasked with protecting senior quarterback David Goicoa and opening holes for senior running back Cooper Poxleitner.
With so much excitement surrounding Grangeville’s offensive line, one would think that Adams would consider the Bulldogs’ defensive line the top strength. But he says it’s the first building block actually comes from the back end of the defense.
“We have excellent speed in the secondary with Cooper Poxleitner, Thayn Williams and David Goica,” says Adams.
Brown, Bruzas and Benifield will lead the defensive line, while senior Terry Eich and junior Kobe Beach will slot in at linebacker.
Overall, the Central Idaho League is undergoing a bit of a change. Nearly every team lost high-impact players, so the league title may come down to whoever can reload rather than rebuild.
“There are lots of new faces in the league,” says Adams. “I can’t pick one player or team to single out.”