Written by: Brandon Baney
Casual fans may notice that the West Jefferson Panthers went 1-7 a year ago and assume that the program is “down” or “struggling.”
That couldn’t be further from the truth. West Jefferson is a program teeming with potential, filled with versatile athletes, and a new head coach to lead them into battle in 2024.
Cory Hall takes over on the sidelines for Kip Blanchard. He inherits a team that showed tremendous progress in 2023, despite the 1-7 mark.
Consider: four of West J.’s seven losses in 2023 were by a single possession. That’s the difference between 1-7 and a winning season at 4-3.
There was the 17-16 loss to Wendell in the season opener, when the Trojans kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired.
There was the 20-14 setback to American Falls (a 4A school) just one week later.
Malad spoiled West J.’s Homecoming with a 22-14 victory.
But perhaps the toughest loss to swallow came in October, when Ririe snuck away with a 12-6 Nuclear Conference win in overtime.
So after all of that heartache a season ago, West Jefferson is motivated to get started on the the right foot.
The offense is headlined by senior quarterback Tate Simmons. In a league filled with excellent signal-callers in 2023, Simmons stood above the rest and picked up 1st Team All-Conference honors.
His top target will be senior Rawley Calder, an Honorable Mention All-Conference wide receiver. Senior Ely Sullivan leads the offensive line as a returning 1st Team All-Conference selection.
Sullivan also picked up 1st Team All-Conference accolades on the defensive line, while junior defensive backs Justus Burtenshaw and Mac Hall were All-Nuke also.
Perhaps West J.’s greatest advantage, though, is in the kicking game. Calder not only picked up 1st Team All-Conference honors at punter, but he earned the nod on the 1st Team All-State squad as well. And junior Johnny Bonilla showcased a sturdy leg a season ago, picking up 1st Team All-Conference honors at kicker.
The Panthers will have a shot to course-correct immediately in 2024, as they travel to Wendell in a rematch of last year’s opener. The non-conference schedule also features Cokeville (Wyoming), Class 4A South Fremont, and Central Idaho League favorite Grangeville.