Written by: Will Hoenike
The 2023 Mackay Miners came up big when it mattered most – winning the final game of the regular season and then coming out on top of a three-team tiebreaker – to qualify for the 1A Division 2 (now known as 1A) state playoffs.
Second-year head coach Ryan Huish brings back a solid core of players from that team and looks to move even farther in 2024.
The Miners have some size, led by seniors Haiden Lane and Teyler Rogers along with sophomores Lucas Hulse and Cooper Holt. That gives Huish some experience and depth in the trenches in front of senior quarterback Taysen Bruley. As a junior, Bruley completed 65 percent of his throws and completed 12 touchdown passes while not throwing a single interception. He’ll have seniors Graisyn Chandler and Garrett Beck to get the ball to, whether in the air or on the ground, along with sophomore Dax Teichert.
On defense, Bruley actually led the team in 2023 with five quarterback sacks while Rogers added three more. Rogers leads all returning players in tackles, as he averaged nearly eight tackles per game last fall as a junior.
The 1A Rocky Mountain Conference has a little different look in 2024, as Clark County will not play a varsity schedule. In the Bobcats’ place, the Challis Vikings will move down from the High Desert Conference and play at the lower classification this fall. Mackay (who has competed alongside Challis on the baseball field in a cooperative agreement) will travel to Challis on October 18. The Miners will begin the season with a daunting, three-game stretch of non-conference contests, facing Dietrich, Camas County, and Tri-Valley – all playoff teams a year ago – before a bye week. Following the bye week, Mackay will travel to Rockland to open conference play.
The 1A playoff format has evolved slightly in 2024. Each of the district champions will automatically earn a spot into the postseason but there are no pre-determined bids beyond that. The remaining spots will all be filled according to a mathematical ranking by MaxPreps.
Huish and his assistant coaches have reason for optimism this season. With the continued growth and development of the team’s younger players, which includes a five-player freshman class, the Miners should be in position to compete for a playoff berth this fall.